It's by no means a Quake III Arena, but fans of big explosions and warfare should be pleased.

Whatever the future holds, Lego 2K Drive is already a complete package--a raucous arcade racer that marries elements of open-world racing and kart racing and wraps it all in a bright, playful Lego package. It has enough real racing bona fides to satisfy adults, but the most pleasant surprise is how its combination of humor, explosive action, and robust building tools will make you feel like a kid again.

Maxis' bold changes to the original formula set forth by The Sims aren't all for the better, but they make The Urbz a very distinctive and surprisingly solid game.

Luminous Arc 2 is formulaic but charming, a solid strategy RPG that hooks you in with warriors of might and magic.

FlatOut 2 seems a little too slick for its own good in spots, but it still manages to provide plenty of destructive racing fun.

Just Cause is able to justify its relative brevity and disrespect for physical law with some extremely visceral and often satisfying action.

This basic game receives some nice updates in its "refuelled" mode, but it's still best suited for those who hold some shred of nostalgia for the original game.

Castaway might just be one of the best iterations of The Sims 2 on consoles yet.

It's a lot of fun to paint the town red in this black and white open-world game, but the weak stealth elements limit your options.

AWE is the story of expectations not quite meeting reality. It's exciting to see Alan Wake become a full-fledged addition to the Control universe and to catch up on different aspects of Remedy's growing universe. But this feels much more like a taste of what might come in future games than a strong addition to what's been built in Control. AWE is a missed opportunity for Remedy to really embrace Control's deep weirdness, and it's a missed opportunity for it to really expand on the story of Alan Wake after so much waiting. It's the unfortunate side effect of the idea of a shared universe--in teasing the next installment in the growing story, AWE doesn't do much to serve the story it's already in.

If you are looking for a realistic football experience, then the versions of FIFA for other platforms are still the way to go, but FIFA 11 for the Wii is a very good package that is well suited to Nintendo's console.

Black Desert Online will attain greatness when it can provide good answers to those and other questions. Yet even now, it's hard not to heed it's call, which it sounds out the moment you enter its robust, genre-best character creator. I imagine that it will be even harder to tear myself away when player-versus-player siege wars are in full swing.

Thankfully, the core racing is exciting, and the lengthy story mode offers a variety of well-designed courses to compete in, so even if the community never takes off, there's still plenty of entertainment to be had.

If you're tired of the genre, Airborne won't do anything to change your mind, but if you're looking to fight for the Allied cause yet again, it's a worthy tour of duty.

The novelty of the gameplay is almost palpable, but so are the game's tech demo roots.

Dawnguard is an atmospheric and enjoyable return to the frigid lands of Skyrim. Just beware the bugs.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World is a fun throwback to a simpler era, but visibility issues and a lack of online co-op get in the way of your enjoyment.

Motocross Madness is an enjoyable feature-packed dirt bike racer with boisterous offline and online components.

One of the least altered, if not the least altered, of all the console games ported to the PSP. And that ultimately works both for and against it.

2K football returns with solid gameplay and a new focus on classic players, though the roster isn't the only aspect of the game that feels old.

BandFuse's biggest strength is the way it balances its gameplay elements with more serious guitar practice.

Jotun is a short game, and good players can probably plow through it in about 3 or 4 hours, but even with the ending behind me, I find myself dying to witness some images again and wanting to try different strategies. I want to hear Thora tell her tale again. Any good bedtime story that makes you want to hear it again right after it’s over is one for the ages.

Quarantine Circular is a mostly well-written sci-fi tale that doesn't succumb to tired tropes or obvious plot contrivances to draw you in. Instead it uses its limited working space to deliver a captivating tale about human nature and our theoretical place within the universe.

Ikenfell is a game of good intentions. The take on RPG combat is both satisfying and interesting with enough options, both with in-game tweaks to characters and strategy and also directly within the settings, to help tailor it to your preferences. It just drags on a bit without feeling like anything has actually really happened until its final moments. The nice variety and wholesome vibes present a lovely little world to explore and save. There are just enough little pitfalls in the story and execution that can be quite grating when I wanted to feel immersed.

Criticizing Stalker 2's technical issues is tough, simply because it's astounding that GSC managed to launch the game in the first place. Admittedly, this made it easier for me to overlook some of its irritating quirks, particularly when they weren't egregiously crashing the game. Yet even this might not have been the case if it also weren't an engrossing game. Stalker 2 is notably flawed in a few areas, yet these shortcomings tend to dissipate when a compelling, non-linear quest goes awry thanks to an unforeseen element forcing you into a frantic shootout. This unpredictability and the way its various systems interact to create anomalous stories sets Stalker 2 apart. Throw in a beguiling world and the fascinating mysteries hidden within, and it's difficult not to fall under its enticing spell.

Though an enjoyable addition to the series, Mario Party 9 is much too familiar and predictable.

As if the lure of an evil founding father weren't enough, The Tyranny of King Washington ups the action with enjoyable new abilities and a stimulating plot.

If Valhalla is a love letter to the Assassin's Creed series, connecting each of the previous 11 mainline games and unifying their frayed plotlines into one cohesive thread, Wrath of the Druids is an unneeded and, frankly, unwanted postscript. It adds nothing worthwhile to Eivor's story and her overarching character arc of learning that there's more to life than subverting fate. And in terms of mechanics and features, it doesn't satisfyingly iterate on any of Valhalla's existing gameplay loops, providing another dozen hours of the same activities you'll already get from the existing 60+ hour main campaign. Those still playing Valhalla may find some benefit in going through Wrath of the Druids for some extra XP to boost Eivor's character level and find some awesome loot and combat abilities, but the DLC is a mediocre Assassin's Creed experience, even without comparing it to Valhalla's main campaign.

Definitely a more well-conceived game than The Power of Juju, and there are some genuinely fresh, inventive ideas at work here. The problem is, the whole experience is muddled by an inconsistent difficulty and slapdash level designs, and these good ideas don't quite coalesce into a good game.

Scrolls shouldn't be your introduction to collectable card games; Hearthstone serves that purpose far better. In fact, you should probably pop in Final Fantasy Tactics or Disgaea should you need a primer on Scrolls’ strategic concerns. But if you crave a challenge and a new type of CCG experience, Scrolls may fulfill that role.

This stand-alone expansion improves upon the original in almost every way.

Rustin Parr won't take you very long to finish, but it will give you a few good scares along the way.

This wide selection of options is often plagued by repetition and is confusing to navigate because of a poor interface.

If you're into racing and, perhaps more importantly, into trying to find bargains to squeeze more horsepower or handling out of a custom-built ride, you'll probably find it easy to look past MCO's shortcomings and immerse yourself in its wild, weird world.

It's not the most visually astounding game, but it finds middle ground between being a rigid sim and a strap-in-and-stomp-it arcade racer.

As good as the game looks, there are some noticeable deficiencies in the gameplay, including some of the most blatant rubber-band AI to ever be found in a racing game.

In the end, Dave Mirra Freestyle BMX can be fun, but the occasional problems with the graphics and collision detection can quickly become a source of unnecessary frustration.

If you have a group of bored, bloodthirsty friends visiting, having Dark Legacy around would definitely be an asset.

Delivers deeper, more fluid gameplay than any mixed-martial-arts game to date, making for an especially exciting two-player game.

This otherwise ordinary-to-a-fault action game is given a shot in the arm by its relatively cool gameplay techniques, which--at least--make the game's short ride interesting.

It's a real shame Apache Longbow Assault doesn't offer a deeper campaign and more game modes. It otherwise has some good things to offer: sharp graphics, solid audio, and lots of fast airborne action. This is a game that doesn't do too much, but what it does, it does well.

Sure, it probably won't please any hardcore Pitfall! purists, but if you're just on the lookout for a solid platformer for a weekend rental, then Pitfall: The Lost Expedition is right up your alley.

It's definitely a much better-looking game than either of the "Pokémon Stadium" titles, and the new story-driven adventure definitely gives you more context to the fighting (in addition to providing more stuff to do), but otherwise, the game isn't very different from its predecessors.

It won't keep you entertained forever, but if you can get around its lack of length, Cannon Spike delivers.

Too many basic flaws hinder the block-bashing fun of Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.

The thing about Call of Duty games is that, with each yearly iteration, you pretty much know what you're getting--and that's largely the case here. It's both a blessing and a curse for Vanguard, however. Elements of Vanguard feel like good additions to the franchise, but its ideas also don't always mix well with the series' framework. That framework is still strong, and the solid gunplay, exciting multiplayer, and inventive moments of the campaign are worth seeking out. But forcing those two parts together exposes the seams in Call of Duty: Vanguard at times, weakening both parts of the game rather than pushing either one to the forefront.

The punchy comedic pacing that works so well in a series of video shorts does not hold up when stretched out over a few hours, and the few times you do chuckle will only punctuate the fact that such moments are few and far between.

Outriders is a game that isn't defined by big new ideas, but rather a variety of familiar elements mixed together in experimental ways. It's a role-playing game with loot-shooter elements; it's a serious, dark sci-fi outing that often comes with a pretty big dose of humor; it's a third-person cover shooter that demands you rush out and smash enemies with your ludicrously lethal magic powers. Whether this mixture works for you will determine how much you'll enjoy exploring the war-torn planet of Enoch and the last desperate vestige of humanity clinging to life there.

No matter how you leave Daniel and Sean at the end of this chapter, there is the palpable sense of hope, of a new way forward, and of the unconditional love between two brothers.

Lumines Plus is a good puzzle game, but there's so little new that you'll find yourself wondering why the word "plus" is in the title.

While many fighting games this year have gone online, Guilty Gear Isuka takes a step back and to the side with its awkward multicharacter fighting system.

Pandora's Tower is an exciting, chain-swinging race against time to save your beloved from a beastly fate.

This updated, portable version of 2006's open-ended Wild West action adventure introduces a few keen changes and features to make up for a few bits that were lost in translation.

Too many basic flaws hinder the block-bashing fun of Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.

While it definitely has a certain sense of style to it, the game itself misses its mark, and the total package isn't one that will hold the interest of most first-person shooter players.

Newcomers, on the other hand, will discover a somewhat quirky but enjoyable real-time strategy game that focuses on formations and tactics rather than base-building and tank rushes.

Nothing here works as a replacement for the original material, but this is still a delightful experience whether you remember blowing the dust out of 8-bit cartridges or not.

Political junkies and board-game fans should love The Political Machine 2008, even if it is a bit too close for comfort to its predecessor.

The implementation isn't quite seamless, and it can be frustrating at times, but the touch screen features do give you a few more ways to interact with enemies and environments. As a result, Double Trouble takes a much more puzzle-focused approach to the standard side-scrolling beat-'em-up formula.

The game's twisted sense of humor and tendency toward overindulgence make it that much more enjoyable. If you're looking for a fun, pick-up-and-play shooter, and don't mind a lot of senseless brutality, Urban Chaos is the game for you.

Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 suffers from attempting to cover far too much ground for the core mechanics to handle.

It's disappointing that there isn't more to dig into when it comes down to Kunai's set dressing, especially when it's paired with such a striking visual style and engrossing combat. Kunai's level design pushes you to keep adapting while affording you the space to finish off a group of enemies with a series of pinpoint grappling hook swings, precise double jumps, and intelligently integrated swings of your sword. Kunai loses some of its momentum far too frequently, but when it hits a balance between its engrossing combat and satisfying platforming, it's difficult to put down.

Though it still exhibits many of the camera and control issues that vexed Sonic's previous forays into 3D, it's truer to its 2D roots than any other 3D Sonic game before it.

When all is said and done, then, FIFA Soccer for the PSP is not only a great portable sports game, but a great sports game in its own right.

Ultimate MK is a sharp fighting game that's still a lot of fun, but only against live opponents.

There's plenty to do, and controlling the enemy is a neat twist, but the adventure is over too soon.

This isn't the brightest puzzle game you'll ever play, but it's a quality distraction in short bursts.

A tiring game. It's taxing without being rewarding, like doing a mile on a stationary bike and discovering that you only burned away calories from one bite of your lunch burrito. The game gets frustrating quickly due to repetitive obstacles and there's not much incentive to dig into a game that won't give you that agency.

Regardless of which version you own, Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is an excellent remaster of a flawed but decent game. The story is the main event, concluding the Soul Reaver saga with one of the best-written, acted, and scored games of all time. The addition of a free-flowing camera and enhanced navigation improves upon the original experience and makes it more playable for a modern audience, while the sheer amount of archival, behind-the-scenes content is a boon for fans. Some notable flaws still persist, but if you have any reverence for the original game or have recently played through Soul Reaver 1&2 for the first time, adding Defiance to the collection is a no-brainer.

The Sims 2 loses something in translation from PC to consoles. Namely, its addictive, entertaining gameplay.

Dancing In Moonlight is particularly special because of the strong remixes and remasters of familiar songs, recreations of places we've been, and reimagination of characters we've long known. You may find the overall premise a little strange, but if you let loose--just as the SEES crew has done--you'll find a brilliant rhythm game weaved into an amazing, evocative soundtrack.

Space Run shines from the depths of space, from the challenging gameplay to the deep strategy mechanics. I looked forward to every cutscene with glee, whether it featured Buck Mann talking terms with an employer, or had me trading fightin' words with pirates.

ProStreet is a solid racing game, but it's missing most of what made the previous games in the series interesting.

Wake's journey gets less creepy and more shooty in the fun but flawed American Nightmare.

No one said being the hero was going to be easy. Overlooking its problems and getting past that learning curve certainly won't be, but if you manage to, you'll find that Dead to Rights is an intense and challenging game.

New gameplay mechanics and multiplayer support are welcome additions to the series, but they come at the cost of accessibility.

The writing, the story, the characters, and the ways in which your actions have an effect on the world are all enthralling. I wanted answers to the mysteries presented, since the heroes and villains of these tales are captivating, and the payoffs, by and large, are worthwhile. There are a lot of excellent old-school isometric adventure games in Weird West's DNA, but not enough new-school polish for it to be something great.

It’s a watered-down stepping stone, intended to introduce players to Puzzle & Dragons with a familiar face and none of those intimidating in-app purchases. It’s clear, however, that P&D’s design was built on a free-to-play base, and taking those elements out actually makes the game feel less substantial as a result.

Since there's no skirmish option available for playing the core strategic game against the computer, the game's appeal is a lot more limited than it might have been.

Works out many of the kinks found in last year's game and gets the series back on track.

Has absolutely no significance for anyone but hard-core Bust-A-Move completists.

While Smash Court isn't quite as polished or deep as "Virtua Tennis," there's still plenty of fun to be had with this game.

The default difficulty of has been greatly toned down [from the Xbox version], making Dead to Rights a whole lot more accessible and slightly less nerve-wracking, though no less action-packed.

Its madcap subject matter, good presentation, and friendly control scheme will appeal to many people.

The gameplay is inviting, the characters are charming, and the challenge level is just right, while the inclusion of a strong female character directs the game toward all age and gender groups.

It's astonishing just how much Driver 2 Advance looks, feels, and plays like the PlayStation version of Driver 2.

An excellent, well-put-together action adventure game that most fans of the genre should be able to enjoy and any Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan will love.

Playing DMA Design's Body Harvest is like taking the lead role in a BBC sci-fi TV series. The visuals may not be revolutionary, and the story may be a bit cheesy, but there's something unmistakably charming about the whole thing.

The Dreamcast version's graphical flaws manage to wreck anything the game has going for it, leaving behind an ugly, unplayable mess.

Driftmoon is much like a classic fairytale story, overflowing with charisma and heart. The game takes a modest approach in its systems, but shines with clever writing and memorable characters. Whatever flavor of RPG you enjoy, Driftmoon is a delectable treat, particularly if you tend to shy away from the genre's typically complex gourmet meals.

Too many basic flaws hinder the block-bashing fun of Lego Pirates of the Caribbean.

It’s easy to reduce Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate down to just a Hades clone with a TMNT skin, as I did previously. And while that description is pretty accurate, the sentiment doesn't convey that a well-done take on a fantastic game can be a lot of fun. While the art and story don’t come near the lofty heights of Hades, it is nevertheless a blast to bash heads as one of the titular turtles, especially when you have friends fighting at your side. Technical issues aside, Splintered Fate is a fun time, and with a good variety to shake things up from run to run.

The strengths of Fritz 9 will likely only appeal to the most advanced chess players.

While the nod to multiplayer is welcome, it also highlights NBA Baller Beats' biggest shortcoming: its lack of content.

This is one of those cases where familiarity and excellence peacefully coexist, and that approach tends to work well whether you're singing about vanished rock stars or gaming with creatures of the night.

Mirror of Fate on the 3DS may not have been the side-scrolling, vampire-hunting adventure that we all hoped it would be, but with its heightened presentation and revamped mechanics, Mirror of Fate HD is a big step in the right direction.

Ashes Cricket has definitely got its issues; bad commentary, some rough presentation, only two licensed teams and a few bugs. But ultimately they can be shaken off, because the feeling of enjoyment I get when I’m playing Ashes Cricket is palpable. I haven’t played or watched the sport in over 10 years, but sitting down to play here feels intuitive and familiar in a way that’s surprisingly comforting. The batting, bowling and fielding all feel better than they have in any other cricket game before, and the sheer variety of game types and customisation offered makes Ashes Cricket, in spite of its issues, a sports game worthy of your time.

The environment is lovingly rendered down to the most minute details, and it paints a full and clear picture of what life is like with your makeshift community in the California forest.