Despite some frustrations, Red Steel 2's stylish blend of shooting with swordfighting is frequently exciting and makes good use of motion controls.

It's easy to imagine how a dyed-in-the-wool Crash fan will fall in love all over again via the N. Sane Trilogy, but if you're experiencing Crash for the first time--or the first time in a while--it might pain you to realize that Crash's original adventures aren't as inventive or surprising as they were 20 years ago.

Ninjatown is an intuitive strategy experience that anyone can enjoy.

If you have any interest in racing, you'll want to get this game. The online play alone makes the game worth the investment. The upgrades to this year's game aren't dramatic, but the improved online play, challenges, and handful of new tracks make this a worthy upgrade.

Quite simply one of the most exciting PC sports games ever created.

If you're looking for classic online RPG hack-and-slash gameplay, Dark Majesty has more than enough to keep you busy for quite some time--and at a price that's more than reasonable.

It's a fully 3D action RPG that's like a combination of Diablo and its sequel, but with better graphics.

Even if the new bells and whistles aren't enough to bring back established fans, this is still Lego Star Wars at its finest.

User-created routines and plenty of new activities make Wii Fit Plus a vast improvement on the original, although some important omissions stop it from being a standout.

Between the game sound and the game's eclectic soundtrack, Mat Hoffman's Pro BMX is totally amazing...The soundtrack rivals "Wipeout XL" for the title of best licensed soundtrack ever.

A cool piece of technology, and it definitely has the potential to be a lot of fun, especially in a crowd setting. If you're a fan of karaoke, or think that enough of the songs on the disc are appealing, you'll certainly have fun with the game.

Though I did eventually grow bored of its puzzles, I never tired of Samorost 3's world. Added mechanical depth and variety would have certainly made the game richer, but every subtle visual detail, every lingering musical note, every delightful interaction coalesces into a truly special world that makes Samorost 3 worthwhile nonetheless.

Mega Man 11 is a good action game that you can easily identify with, but it's far too uneven and bumpy to hold up against some of the best installments in the venerable franchise.

Dauntless is clearly an experience that has been optimized to deliver the most stress-free multiplayer session possible. From the seamless crossplay to the way that anyone can hop into a game and confidently take up arms against formidable foes, it’s refreshingly accessible and looks great to boot. While it can feel a little empty, and there are bugs that mar the experience here and there, its fresh look and lively spark are more than enticing enough to warrant a spin.

Mr. Driller Drill Land is the kind of game you can play for 10 minutes on a lunch break or for an entire afternoon. It's the sort of game where you'll be in a groove… only to screw up a section catastrophically and ruin a run. But you'll only be bitter about it for a minute before eagerly diving back in to try again. If you've never played Mr. Driller--or if it's been a while since you and Susumu went excavating together--Mr. Driller Drill Land is one relic that deserves a spot in your gaming museum.

Superliminal is a great puzzle experience, full of smart ideas that are richly realized. The game's playful use of the first-person camera and clever perspective manipulation puzzles take video game tropes and mechanics most players will be familiar with and wring something truly fresh out of them. Superliminal achieves its clear central aim--it offers up some genuinely fresh perspectives on what first-person puzzle games can do.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is the role-playing game equivalent of a warm hug from a good friend, and sometimes all you need is love.

Thankfully, most of the joy you're likely to squeeze out of this return to Hot Wheels is in the high-octane racing taking place in the skies, and it's during these moments where it's a bit easier to forget about its unfortunate shortcomings. The expanded map and diverse geographic makeup is a joy to explore, as is coming to grips with all the new pieces of plastic track surfaces that keep otherwise routine races from turning stale. It's disappointing that this energy couldn't be entirely converted over to the expansion's love letter to the Hot Wheels franchise, and it's annoying to be routinely reminded of all the other types of events you need to complete in order to unlock some of the best new vehicles, but it's still a detour worth taking if you've been itching for another fix of Forza Horizon fun.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue may be only a practice lap for the real thing, but it's a beautiful joyride while it lasts.

Natural Selection 2 offers a promising combination of strategy and first-person shooting, but disappointing execution holds it back. [Editor's Note: this quotation and score are from the original GameSpot review. Metacritic, per long-standing site policy, only accepts a publication's first review/score for a given game.]

Because the air races found in MX vs. ATV Unleashed are so frustrating, one wonders why they even made it into the game in the first place, especially when you consider how fun the game is with two (or more) wheels on the ground.

NHL 14 adds little of note to NHL 13 aside from better hitting, more fighting, and a disappointing NHL 94 retro mode.

This gorgeous world is brimming with humor and personality, but a bevy of technical problems and overly simplified gameplay distract from the fun.

Overall, Valorant has a strong foundation in its gameplay, and of course, that's the most significant part for an FPS of this style to succeed. Although it doesn't break new ground, the dynamic of sharp gunplay and Agent abilities would make Counter-Strike and Overwatch proud. Valorant easily captures the competitive highs of a good, intense match at the risk of pigeonholing you in a bad one. But outside of the standard demolition-style mode and the modified Spike Rush, it's quite barebones. It is important to note that these types of games are always evolving. Regardless, Valorant's in a good state--it's not great, but it certainly can be.

Danganronpa is an excellent adventure with a story that celebrates the human spirit, even during the darkest times, and that optimistic viewpoint made me smile even when everything seemed to be going wrong.

Telltale and Borderlands are the peanut butter and chocolate of the current gaming landscape, creating a piece that is too rock-solid in its own convictions to be labeled simply as a mashup.

Call of Duty: Black Ops offers an engrossing campaign and the most feature-rich competitive multiplayer on the Wii.

It's a peek into the early days of complex level design, interlocking combat mechanics, basic physics, and the best of what could be accomplished visually and sonically on the NES. Just don't ask me to beat Snake Man again. Please, never ask me to do that.