It's short on scares, but satisfying shooting and exciting cooperative play make F.E.A.R. 3 a thoroughly enjoyable shooter.

Journey to the Savage Planet borrows plenty of familiar elements from other games, yet it does so in a carefree way that sets it apart from other sci-fi exploration games, settling on a relaxing playstyle that's informed by its single, vivid planet and tightly focused design. It only takes a couple of hours to reveal its humdrum combat, but this is the only significant damper on what is an entertaining slice of lighthearted planetary exploration.

At its best moments, Snapshot is a delightful adventure. The variety of ways in which you use items makes you continually think up new ideas, and some are so silly that it's hard not to smile.

Mortal Shell makes for a strong introduction to Souls-likes, a demonstration for new players of what so many have found so interesting about From Software's games and those like them. But Mortal Shell is also a lovingly crafted, weird, and deceptively deep game in its own right that rewards you for wandering its twisted paths and challenging its deadliest foes.

If you can find friends to play with, and can tolerate the long load times, there's some sturdy brawling to be had here.

While it needs a little refinement, The Swords of Ditto is sure to delight, whether played on your own or with a friend.

Payday 2 brings crime to life with an alluring intensity that entertains in spite of some rough edges.

A better game than Treyarch's previous efforts, but it still relies too heavily on the novelty of swinging around the city and beating up the same bad guys over and over again--a novelty made less so by the simplification of both mechanics.

While light on extras, the Devil May Cry HD Collection shows that two-thirds of the original DMC trio are still fun today.

All in all, Cris Tales is the kind of RPG I traditionally love to play. It delivers a wonderfully satisfying story about a group of troubled individuals striving to save the world for their own reasons, and along the way finding a place to belong with each other. Hilarious characters like Willhelm keep things from getting too stressful, and Crisbell's powerful Time Mage abilities lead to some intriguing narrative choices, fun puzzles, and engaging combat. The game's final moments are not conclusive enough to tie everything up in a satisfying way, but the journey to get there is one well worth taking.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Generations improves on the series' fun and flashy fighting mechanics, but drops a few features along the way.

Killing foolish earthlings was more fun the first time, but this sarcastic sequel to last year's inventive action game is not without merit or amusement.

Phantom Doctrine takes the familiar framework of isometric turn-based strategy and confidently repurposes it into a unique and satisfying experience. It wholly embodies the paranoia and tension of the 1980's Cold War setting in every aspect of its numerous gameplay systems, and completely immerses you in that all-encompassing state of mind.

It's short on scares, but satisfying shooting and exciting cooperative play make F.E.A.R. 3 a thoroughly enjoyable shooter.

Nazis and necromancy mix once again in this flawed but fun sequel.

Molds Middle-earth into a traditional turn-based frame, and while the results aren't all that great, the game carries some pretty good features and should appeal to fans of the source material.

Ultimately, Amplitude fails to recapture the magic that elevated the original to cult status, but it does deliver an impressive and enjoyable slice of quick-hit rhythm gaming fun.

It's not deep, but excellent music, inspired choreography, and improved visuals make Just Dance 2 a fun multilplayer experience.

The most fundamental aspects of moment-to-moment interaction fail to engage, and this is the unfortunate first impression that could push players to a more immediately fun game. Sadly, the wonderful flexibility and challenge of the Secret World is lost on anyone that quits early on.

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

The 40th Day has the same shallow appeal as a summer blockbuster. It provides brash, satisfying action when you're in the mood for something loud and fun.

Taken as a whole, however, Soul Hackers 2 is a mostly satisfying experience. The character interactions and stylish art help it stand out from the pack, and the smooth-flowing, fast-paced combat makes even some of the more annoying dungeons (I don't want to see another abandoned subway for a very long time) feel like less of a drag. Soul Hackers, as a series, has a lot of potential to further grow into its own unique experience the way Persona has. Soul Hackers 2, despite its flaws, is a very promising start.

Fireteam Bravo 3 has the makings of a rewarding shooter, but it lacks the freshness and tactical depth that made its predecessors so engaging.

A wealth of hidden secrets in every level keeps the game high on replayability, while the deluge of extra content promises many hours of adventuring.

This GT5 appetizer is a very good driving game in its own right, especially if you have friends to enjoy it with.

While these complaints might dampen the overall experience, ultimately, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers is a great experience filled with far more satisfying battles than frustrating ones, wonderful ideas, and truly gorgeous locations. Considering this is Leenzee's debut title, I have extremely high hopes for the studio's future endeavors, and even Wuchang itself, assuming it receives a few needed adjustments. However, even as it exists now, Wuchang is absolutely a game I'd recommend to soulslike fans, so long as they don't mind getting a bit sweaty.

Darktide feels like both the natural progression of Vermintide's best parts as well as an exemplar of some growing pains in the live-service world. Things like combat, pacing, and team builds are expertly considered and crafted, but metagame elements such as chasing loot and cosmetics have some issues that are admittedly common when a team tries to create a new game with a long tail. It's both a promising Left 4 Dead-like and a flawed live service, but its issues are fixable, and the growth of Vermintide suggests that Darktide will also enjoy a long shelf life as one of the better games of its kind.

Seventeen years after its first release, with one sequel out and another on its way, there's still nothing quite like Luigi's Mansion. Nintendo's strange foray into the paranormal has aged well--I was surprised at how much of it had stuck in my memory, and how good it felt being back in its haunted halls. It's a basic port with a few issues, but Luigi's Mansion still remains a charming and enjoyable game.

Zeno Clash: Ultimate Edition adds a new multiplayer mode to this strange action game, but it's still an average beat-'em-up at best.

Princess Peach Showtime is a friendly, inviting game that's made to be easy to digest. Some of the genres work better than others in this format, but none of them are too tricky or off-putting, and most of it will come down to personal taste. None of these stages are fleshed out enough to support their own game, but they're an invitation for novice gamers to explore a bunch of different game types, with a charming (and apparently polymath) princess offering her gloved hand to welcome them in.

There's a line of dialogue I encountered a few hours into Romeo Is a Dead Man that summed up the experience for me. "Embrace the chaos, Dead Man," a character told me. "Meaning is nowhere. And there is nothing without meaning." It's a piece of doublespeak that cancels itself out, and similarly the game struggles to imbue its own chaos with anything that would give it a stronger sense of meaning, like deeper combat or an engaging story. Suda51 is an artist with a recognizable aesthetic, and his fingerprints are evident on this game too, but what's missing is a sense of a larger vision for the game. . Sometimes it's charming or funny, but these moments are fleeting, and artistic flair does not cancel out the tedium of the game's combat and exploration. . It's not a tragedy on the scale of the real Romeo and Juliet, but this is one Dead Man I'm not inclined to mourn.

Short and doesn't look like much, but it's an unusual game that can be a lot of fun.

Introduces significant gameplay changes and breathes new life into Ultima Online. Unfortunately, these changes have also reintroduced problems that had previously been addressed.

A racing game that puts drivers in the spotlight without sacrificing exciting ontrack action.

The game's unspectacular presentation and its dated design do interfere with its success, though.

Romance IX manages to make a few improvements to the interface and systems from the previous games while still retaining the core of what made them good. Ultimately, it's more of what you already love.

It's somewhat disappointing when, only three to four hours into the game, you've reached the final climactic battle.

Variety and customization are what people enjoy about the dungeon crawler genre, and Shining Soul II offers both in abundance.

UEFA Euro 2004 might have only a fraction of the teams and features found in this year's FIFA offering, but the gameplay and options it offers are actually sufficiently different from those found in FIFA 2004 to make it a worthwhile purchase.

Excellent gameplay, copious replay, and creamy visuals, marred ever so slightly by chintzy music.

If you're into off-roading, you may never have to buy another video game.

Completing Action Henk will set you back only several hours, but you will be at the edge of your seat for most of that time.

Pikuniku is a funny game on numerous levels--the script often undercuts tension and plays with tropes in amusing ways, the goofy way you flip when you jump is a constant source of amusement, and the game will often throw you into strange situations without much explanation.

Hollowbody is scary, dreary, and sad; it's all the things I love about horror games. Sometimes, it embodies these feelings because it nearly repurposes the same monsters, places, and predicaments from the games that inspired it. But it's not all familiar, and the things it does differently are its best attributes, like telling a story conscious of and concerned about sociopolitics and offering a minimalistic but unsettling soundtrack of its own. Maybe the last great Silent Hill game is behind us. I don't know. But I do know its memory remains alive in successes like Hollowbody.

Even without the promise of future content, TrackMania is a rock-solid out-of-the-box retail product, so if you have any sort of interest or affection toward this type of racer, it's completely worthwhile.

Between the fine-tuned gameplay, the enhanced visuals and sound, the four-player fun, and the new gameplay-changing character additions, Wild Guns Reloaded is one of the best retro reissues we’ve yet seen on the PS4. It’s also fantastic representative of an underappreciated genre with an adorable pup riding a robot. What’s not to love?

A flair for the dramatic elevates Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 above its shallow combat.

Exciting action and great multiplayer make Custom Robo Arena a game well worth playing.

This first-ever English release of Soul Hackers shows its age, but the patient player will find a deep and rewarding experience.

Regardless of comparisons, TRI: Of Friendship and Madness is a fantastically executed return to the well of first-person spatial tinkering.

Combining the stats demanded by baseball gearheads with great ease of use, Baseball Mogul 2008 hits the ball and touches 'em all.

ArmA is a challenging and immersive game of modern warfare, but one packed with plenty of frustrating moments and flaws, as well.

Whether you're big or small, there's a lot to like about these little ninjas and their lengthy journey.

The newest installment in the Shin Megami Tensei series suffers from repetitive battles and a slow-rolling narrative, but its fascinating premise makes it worth a look.

Twisted Pixel delivers big fun and big laughs in this varied, comic-book-themed side-scrolling shooter.

A great-looking, generally solid action role-playing game that provides a few interesting gameplay innovations...But its combat system is also somewhat finicky and unrewarding, which is a significant problem for what's fundamentally a hack-and-slash RPG.

Attack on Titan may be systematically simple and has some visual issues, but I still had fun playing within its world. Well-trod musou layout aside, battling titans and swinging through the skies with futuristic military gear can be an enjoyable experience--if you can look past its glaring flaws.

If you can manage to get a handle on the controls, you may find a likeable boxing game in Round 3 for the PSP.

Completely spoiled by a few major problems, the worst of which makes it possible to get by opponents using only one button.

Great swordplay carries the weight in Sakura Samurai: Art of the Sword.

Windjammers 2 is a fine evolution of a formula that's only become more beloved over time. The action's intense, the online's excellent, and the new characters, skills, and levels build well upon the foundation of the original. It's a wonderful competitive experience, but a lack of guidance for new players and a serious dearth of single-player content will turn some folks off of what should be a triumphant comeback. If you're planning on being a flying disc jockey, you'd better make sure you're prepared to fight online.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus is a gorgeous game, featuring an incredible art style and sound design that strengthen an already colorful world that I want to explore. But getting around in the game is regularly a chore, and Bō's floaty, dance-like movements too often lead to frustrating deaths during platforming gauntlets. The game at least shines through its combat, and the story is exciting once it does actually get going--but there's just too much in the way to fully enjoy what the game does well.

With most new Sims 4 expansions, I usually hone in on the one or two aspects I like the most and don't sweat the rest too much. But with its fun new occult type, a wonderful new world, and unique build and CAS items, Enchanted by Nature is a rare Sims 4 pack that feels like a complete experience in itself. I can appreciate that players who prefer the dollhouse side of The Sims 4 may find the amount of CAS and build mode items lacking, but Enchanted by Nature is so much fun as a whole that I can live with that.

You'll honestly find some sequences rather creepy...As far as horror-themed games go, Fatal Frame is one of the most interesting--in regard to its premise and the way it plays--to surface in a while.

De Blob 2 has an infectious feel-good vibe, but some frustrations cramp this platformer's funky style.

Pretty graphics are great to have and all, but everything else about Madden on the 360 feels like a step backward--and one that makes its higher price tag very difficult to justify.

Caught between striving for the future and remaining rooted in the past, Black Ops II finds solid footing, providing another great ride on the Call of Duty rollercoaster.

High Treason ratchets up the cool gameplay and techno-thriller storytelling that was introduced in Act of War.

Though some tension is lost in the binary and sometimes simplistic encounters with the creature, its physical makeup, and behavior are the game's best aspects and rise to be deeply unsettling, if not terrifying. All of this makes Still Wakes The Deep a story that memorably tugs on your heart, starring a monster eager to tear it out.

In Other Waters develops its central mysteries in expert fashion, drip-feeding its revelations in a way that feels natural, and dispatching you to inspect the corners of its map in a way that doesn't feel contrived. As you steadily learn more of what Vas' partner was up to on this strange planet, and you yourself begin to grasp humanity's plight, the mystery builds to a confident conclusion--one that satisfies yet remains aware that some questions are more enticing when left unanswered. In this sense, its story echoes the restraint that runs through the entire game to deliver a stylish, assured, and utterly absorbing adventure that demonstrates again and again it knows how to do a lot with seemingly very little.

Konami's first Pro Evolution Soccer game for the PS3 plays well but suffers from noticeable slowdown and feels somewhat unfinished.

Ion Assault is an engaging addition to the dual-stick shooter genre, but first-time players might want to look elsewhere.

Sure, it's still a mostly fun and sometimes exciting street racer, but when put up against competition like "Ridge Racer" and "Need for Speed Underground Rivals," it seems a lot more ordinary.

Mafia II's exciting action and uncompromising mob story make for an impressive and violent adventure.

Eagle Flight initially sounded like a kooky concept to me, but I can’t remember the last time I had this much fun playing capture-the-flag. The game has a surprising amount of depth, and it’s highly competitive as a result. There were multiple occasions when I couldn’t help but scream when an enemy eagle killed me as I was a beak’s length away from victory. And while the graphics aren’t amazing, just being able to quickly zip around Paris can be breathtaking. If you’re looking for a really fun multiplayer VR game, you should fly like an eagle.

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

Mercury Hg is cheaper, safer and more fun than playing with real volatile chemicals, though the experience is short lived and simple.

Fire Emblem Warriors doesn’t radically change the formula of the two-decade-old Warriors franchise, nor is it concerned with attempting to do so. At best, it's a decent vehicle for Fire Emblem's characters, a chance to flex their muscles in a new venue without the limitations of turn-based combat holding their abilities back.

Sensible puzzles and an adventurous story make Destination: Treasure Island a treat for all ages.

It's an intelligent, difficult game with a high barrier of entry, and without patience, you might not see how great it can be. But once you see the layers hidden beneath the surface, Tastee Lethal Tactics becomes an intricate game of cutthroat poker. It just takes a bit of frustration to buy in.

Despite all these issues, however, Potion Permit is one of my favorite games I've played this year as well as one of the best life sims in recent history, which is a massive testament to just how high its highs are. Coming to the game's end was bittersweet because of how much I adored my time in Moonbury--how much I was enamored of the art, gameplay, characters, world, and writing as a whole. More than anything, I long for a Potion Permit series. I believe it has the potential to proudly stand next to games like Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, and Story of Seasons and, if it addresses some of its most glaring issues, could push the genre forward in meaningful ways.

Sam & Max's third episode feels shorter than the previous two, and at least part of that is due to so many of the environments being recycled from previous episodes.

For all that The Hulk misses on, like the repetitive level designs and the clumsy stealth action sequences, the game gets enough of it right to tip the scales in its favor.

Bon Voyage is a worthwhile expansion that makes plenty of neat little additions to The Sims 2.

DDR Disney Mix was designed as a game for kids. Most of the game's stages are quite easy, though there is a harder setting that will bring the game up to a moderate level of difficulty for fans of the series.

A surprisingly competent port. Unfortunately, it's a port of a game that most fighting game fans consider to be completely obsolete.

The inclusion of a battery save feature makes this game infinitely more enjoyable, however, and the twofold increase in car selection isn't too shabby either.

An excellent graphical showpiece...[but] a general lack of gameplay depth, drab physics, and annoying mission design all get in the way of what could have been a fantastic, action-packed driving game.

With a number of real-world tracks, well-designed fantasy courses, and a couple of exclusive features, this edition of MX 2002 delivers everything that the PS2 version had to offer--and a little bit more.

Some of the games featured just don't play the way they should, marring an otherwise stellar compilation. If you have any interest in classic gaming, this collection is worth a look, provided you can get used to its quirks.

There are too many different playable characters and too many unique gameplay elements that just don't gel. And though the story is well told, there's just not enough focus on Red.

Syndicate's cooperative play is undeniably thrilling. Too bad the single-player campaign doesn't reach the same heights.

The lack of light gun support drags down Operation Wolf, but with games like Elevator Action and Bubble Bobble on board, Taito Legends offers good classic arcade action at a budget price.

With its simple, turn-based battles, storybook universe, and saccharine characters, Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana feels like a throwback to the glory days of the SNES role-playing games--which is the best thing that can be said for a game like this.

Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.

Even if The Ascent was fully functional and balanced in a way where building up a character to become the ultimate Indent warrior felt great, there's the fact that so much of the game is designed to feel like servitude. As you climb the superstructure housing all of Veles, you serve a progression of masters, and the payoff for the game's central mystery--where did the mysterious group running Veles suddenly run off to?--isn't nearly enough to offset the hopeless grind. Your bosses insult you when you go on your task, ignore you when you've done well, and provide no rewards for success. For so much of the play time, The Ascent feels like, well, an uphill battle.

SSX Blur has its moments, both joyful and frustrating, but it winds up being a solid entry in the SSX series.

NHL 2K8 is a generally fun hockey game, though its new control scheme is a step backward for the series.