That's one giant leap for a franchise; one small step for a genre.

That's one giant leap for a franchise; one small step for a genre.

Portal: Still Alive adds some sugar to the hugely successful recipe, but it's not enough to entice veterans back for a second serving.

The world is so charming and your choices so profound, that it's easy to look past the game's shortcomings. The punishment for death is pointless and the story carries little weight, but the experience is still immensely rewarding.

Although you can't say the same for the plot, Far Cry 2's first-person action squeezes every last drop of potential out of the unique African setting.

Lackluster gameplay makes this a disappointing conclusion to the Legend of Spyro series.

Lackluster gameplay makes this a disappointing conclusion to the Legend of Spyro series.

Lackluster gameplay makes this a disappointing conclusion to the Legend of Spyro series.

A number of small improvements make Baseball Mogul 2009 only a minor evolution over its predecessor.

Ecclesia steps outside the castle walls and summons one of the greatest Castlevania titles in years.

There’s much to do in this fun, but strictly offline fighting game.

Intriguing moral choices and a chilling story make BioShock a must-play adventure, even a year later.

Web of Shadows is a fast-paced, soaring superhero adventure that delivers just about everything a Spider-Man game should.

Web of Shadows is a fast-paced, soaring superhero adventure that delivers just about everything a Spider-Man game should.

The makings of a good Spider-Man game are here, but awkward controls prevent Web of Shadows from reaching full swing.

Web of Shadows takes Spider-Man into new territory with an enjoyable action adventure romp that's over too soon.

Bolt's superpowers can't save anyone from a poor camera and dull gameplay.

This family-friendly trivia game is fun while it lasts, but its mostly easy questions are repeated far too frequently.

A lazy porting job hinders Bully's classic classroom hijinks.

Although you can't say the same for the plot, Far Cry 2's first-person action squeezes every last drop of potential out of the unique African setting.

Although you can't say the same for the plot, Far Cry 2's first-person action squeezes every last drop of potential out of the unique African setting.

Star Ocean: First Departure's updated presentation fails to disguise its shallow gameplay or limited appeal.

A year later, this captivating role-playing game is still gorgeous to look at and fun to play.

Though it's short and easy, Transformers Animated features some interesting gameplay and great presentation.

Midnight Club is fast, beautiful, and way too hard.

Midnight Club is fast, beautiful, and way too hard.

Poor controls and a ton of pointless gimmicks make for one frustrating round of Astroturf golf.

Almost as much an RPG as it is a racer, Midnight Club: LA Remix would be a great addition to any patient car nut's portable library.

An incredibly atmospheric and disturbingly gruesome deep-space adventure that will haunt your dreams and leave you begging for more.

Wii Music is fun and charming, but it's also simple and shallow.

Even though Rock Band 2 plays it safe with only minor improvements and additions, it still rocks.

A few technical issues get in the way, but the hilarity of this adventure series still shines through.

Though it's an endearing attempt at evoking 16-bit nostalgia, Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 feels a little too dated.

This pirate-themed strategy game is accessible enough to be enjoyed by just about anyone.

If Rock Revolution came out two or three years ago, it might have been revolutionary, but in 2008, it's not even relevant. Uninspired presentation, a tiny tracklist that includes no master tracks, a complete lack of vocal support, uninteresting gameplay, and a barebones Career mode are just a few of the many ways in with Rock Revolution fails.

If Rock Revolution came out two or three years ago, it might have been revolutionary, but in 2008, it's not even relevant. Uninspired presentation, a tiny tracklist that includes no master tracks, a complete lack of vocal support, uninteresting gameplay, and a barebones Career mode are just a few of the many ways in with Rock Revolution fails.

CrazyMouse should have stayed in its hole.

This halfhearted revival attempt leaves Golden Axe lifeless and dull.

This half-hearted revival attempt leaves Golden Axe lifeless and dull.

The excitement and tension of SOCOM's signature combat are blunted by technical issues in the series' multiplayer-only PlayStation 3 debut.

Saints Row 2 is crass, immature, and really fun.

Saints Row 2 is crass, immature, and really fun.

An incredibly atmospheric and disturbingly gruesome deep-space adventure that will haunt your dreams and leave you begging for more.

An incredibly atmospheric and disturbingly gruesome deep-space adventure that will haunt your dreams and leave you begging for more.

Midway's arcade football franchise breaks all the rules, plus your arms, legs, skull, scrotum, and spleen. If that sounds like fun, it's because it is.

Midway's arcade football franchise breaks all the rules, plus your arms, legs, skull, scrotum, and spleen. If that sounds like fun, it's because it is.

FIFA 09 plays better than ever before, and a wealth of new modes and features add plenty of longevity.

Innovative, addictive, and delightfully weird, World of Goo is a superb puzzle game.

Giant polygons go on the attack in this fun and inexpensive puzzle game.

Innovative, addictive, and delightfully weird, World of Goo is a superb puzzle game.

This blend of vehicular combat and soccer is fun in short sessions, but it's too frustrating to offer much long-term appeal.

The Legend of Kage 2 is a good sequel with great boss battles and plenty of action.

Proof that simplicity isn't always a good thing, this cutesy baseball download is so vapid you’ll lose interest well before the 7th-inning stretch.

With a focus on trap deployment and confusing free-for-all multiplayer, this doesn't feel much like a Tenchu game at all.

Hell's Highway proves to be an exciting, engaging ride despite a few bumps along the way.

The ability to alter terrain isn't enough to save Fracture from becoming the latest run-of-the-mill shooter.

The ability to alter terrain isn't enough to save Fracture from becoming the latest run-of-the-mill shooter.

Guilty Gear 2 may be an interesting experiment in cross-genre game design, but it's mostly a shallow mess.

Problems are more plentiful than the collectible monsters in Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals, the epitome of how not to make a Poke-clone.

Bleach: Dark Souls improves upon what was already a fantastic game, and belongs in your fighting game collection.

Crash Bandicoot's latest adventure has too much backtracking and too many camera problems to make it recommendable.

NBA 2K9's game is strong, but most of its new features won't be appreciated by the average Joe.

NBA 2K9's game is strong, but most of its new features won't be appreciated by the average Joe.

Dark Horizon is an improvement on its Tarr Chronicles predecessor, but that isn't saying much.

NBA Live 09's gameplay has again seen some improvement, but there are still a few rough edges.

NBA Live 09's gameplay has again seen some improvement, but there are still a few rough edges.

In Line Rider 2: Unbound, you'll experience a love-hate relationship with squiggly lines.

Despite the inclusion of The Life story mode, NBA 09’s lack of depth and numerous gameplay flaws cause it to fall short.

Lame jokes and long loads are all you need to know about point-and-click adventure Everlight.

This stand-alone Venetian expansion adds practically nothing to the gameplay of The Guild 2.

Game Party 2 is a completely unoriginal minigame collection just waiting to take advantage of uninformed casual gamers.

Welsh spooks, ancient myths, and subtle scares abound in this stylish point-and-click adventure.

War World is an uninspired mech combat game that isn't worth your time.

You'll find monsters, loot, and frustrations galore lurking in the shadows of this tedious dungeon crawler.

The original blue bomber returns in an all new adventure that will bring you back to the good old days of incredibly hard but simple games.

Eye-catching visuals and creepy atmosphere aren't enough to make up for this game's poor pacing, cheap tricks, and muddled story.

With only minimal improvements to a well-worn formula, the Harvest Moon series is starting to show its age.

Sonic's first foray into the role-playing realm is a laudable effort, but it ultimately falls short of its potential.

There's a series of interesting crimes to solve in this DS adventure, but uncovering the truth is just too simple.

Hinterland: Orc Lords plays like a remake of a very old game, but for once, that's mostly a good thing.

This unique puzzle game may not draw you into its orbit for long, but it'll still provide hours of entertainment at an earthbound price.

Wielding more Wii Remote-waggling moves than you can shake a quake at, Disaster's lack of clear gameplay focus has resulted in a game that is competent at best and never compelling.

Wipeout HD may be a rehash of other games in the series, but a bargain price and fantastic 1080p visuals should please new and old fans alike.

The original blue bomber returns in an all new adventure that will bring you back to the good old days of incredibly hard but simple games.

Duke is back and he's still out of bubble gum. Come get some.

The beautiful landscapes complement the gritty combat, and thoughtful cinematic techniques breathe life into the engaging characters. Despite the somewhat spotty story and sundry oddities, Hell's Highway is a game you should consider playing twice.

The beautiful landscapes complement the gritty combat, and thoughtful cinematic techniques breathe life into the engaging characters. Despite the somewhat spotty story and sundry oddities, Hell's Highway is a game you should consider playing twice.

Double Time gives you double the frustration for half the price.

Pure doesn't blaze many new trails, but this off-road racer still delivers an intense, tricked-out thrill ride.

Pure doesn't blaze many new trails, but this off-road racer still delivers an intense, tricked-out thrill ride.

Rebel Raiders takes dull, mindless air combat action into the danger zone.

Some fun songs and unique gameplay help get Samba going, but imprecise controls and unreasonable difficulty bungle the beat.

Warriors Orochi 2 elevates hack-and-slash action to amazing levels of repetitive boredom.

Warriors Orochi 2 elevates hack-and-slash action to amazing levels of repetitive boredom.

Although Buzz on the PS3 is more of the same, the addition of user-generated questions, downloadable question packs, and new wireless buzzers makes it a worthwhile upgrade for fans.

If you have the patience to learn the subtleties of sled-track design, there is a lot of value in this little package.

Disgaea DS is a delightfully evil strategy RPG with enough depth (and prinnies) to entertain you for ages.

Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure is a lovely remake of a niche PlayStation classic, but it still lacks broad appeal.