The psychedelic sequel to Bit.Trip Beat improves upon its predecessor and has an entirely different sort of rhythm shooter action.

This light "strategy" game is charming enough, but its gameplay is wildly unbalanced.

It may lack a certain spark and its missions tend to slip into drudgery, but I keep finding myself coming back to blast off toward any star in the night sky and eventually reach it. Such possibilities satisfy the thwarted little astronaut within me, and perhaps more importantly, they kindle excitement for the possibilities of the future.

While this port manages to reach the same emotional and spiritually resonant highs as other releases, it unfortunately features some inconsistent frame rate and subdued texture detail throughout, lessening the impact of some key moments. With that said, Hellblade is still largely intact on the more modest platform. In the Switch's tablet form, it gives the impression you're diving into an engrossing novel, making for a more intimate experience that can't found in other versions of the game.

Those simply looking for a visually impressive, enjoyable real-time strategy game set in the BattleTech universe should find that MC 2 fits that description well.

While it does have some new features and still plays well, it actually falls short of its two predecessors in the important area of multiplayer support.

Beautifully illustrated, hand-painted graphics combined with an entertainingly twisted plot makes this an eye-catching adventure to savor.

The gameplay is solid enough to warrant the interest of hard-core fans of the genre and the time period, but the game does have some problems, and its graphics engine can be rather choppy and slow even on a well-equipped system.

Dark Cloud successfully blends adventure, RPG, simulation, and strategy elements into one incredibly addictive game.

As a wrestling game, Def Jam Vendetta manages to succeed on most every level, providing surprisingly deep gameplay, quality graphics and sound, and a distinctive atmosphere.

Retails for more than the earlier expansion packs, but it offers a lot more. Though fans of Disciples II must be anxious for a true third installment in the series, for now, this is the closest thing they'll get.

The ability to challenge other players from across the world in the Xbox version of Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO makes it an utterly incredible experience for anyone with even the faintest appreciation for the genre.

It adds a couple of new control features to the original game, but it doesn't address the underlying flaws of the system.

A pretender. While it borrows some new features from "NCAA Football 2005" and includes a revamped play-calling system that is actually fun to use, a broken dynasty mode and choppy online play mar an otherwise good basketball game.

The actual racing hasn't changed too much, but the ever-present police make this game a whole lot more interesting.

Flaws aside, Vanishing Point is one of the most original and enjoyable racing games to come along in a long time.

Lone Sails is a transfixing, lovely experience, one that takes recurring indie game tropes and does something unique and fun with them. It's short enough that you could play through it in a single two or three-hour session, but it will likely stick with you for a long time. I can see myself going back in a few months just to revisit the ship, like checking in on an old friend.

Despite its problems, Gravity Rush is an adventure worth taking not just because there's hardly anything like it, but because it leverages its distinct gameplay to great effect, freeing you from the hold of gravity in a world worth exploring.

There aren't many other games that pull off the same distinct art style as Mouse: P.I. For Hire. Cuphead is the only one that comes to mind, which makes it easy to fall for the game's presentational charms. There's rarely a frame that isn't bursting with style and creativity, and it's none too shabby as a retro-style shooter either. Mouse: P.I. might not reinvent the wheel, but its arsenal of weapons is punchy and delightfully varied, while the fluidity of movement makes for some thrilling, high-speed shootouts. In this instance, you should have no qualms about handing over money to the mouse.

Some strained metaphors and connections aside, the cities of Rapture and Columbia make for strange but comfortable bedfellows in BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea - Episode 2. More importantly, Elizabeth's journey is tense and rewarding on its own terms, and is one that makes Rapture as mysterious as it was the first time you ventured inside.

The most stable S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game yet also happens to be the most atmospheric and compelling.

With a newfound combat system that steals the show and offers a novel take on turn-based combat, its winking, nodding, and adventuring shine all the brighter. Its world and characters might not be the series' best, but it's still able to consistently throw left turns, good gags, and smart surprises at you. Each piece of The Origami King elegantly fits into its whole, taking its irreverent flair to new heights. The Paper Mario series has recently shown that being clever and being smart are two different things, but thankfully, it's once again managed to be both.

Certainly devotees to karaoke will enjoy the changes that Revolution Party has to offer. But if you're anything less than diehard, you'll probably feel like this game, for all its options, is still too much of the same.

Attila is more of the same and a little bit extra, then, not as convincingly realized as the best Total Wars, but strong enough to keep you clicking until the inevitable patches and expansions trickle in.

Although giving the game a human face would make playing it a much more personable--even a more realistic--experience, Solecismic is dead-on with all the core elements of play. There's no better simulation of big-league football.

Beyond the challenge of combat, Battle Chasers is sustained through the strength of its story, a rollicking tale that takes our heroes literally to hell and back.

While Darkwood is an absolute marvel in terms of its aesthetics and gameplay--as well as its disarmingly dissonant score--I experienced several bugs that caused me to lose minor progress. In one case, I was trapped behind a disassembled tractor, which forced me to quit to the main menu and restart the game in order to press onward. On top of this, one of the game's areas caused the frame rate to drop so dramatically that playing became a chore. This was easily rectified, again simply requiring a soft reboot, but these glitches are a disappointing nuisance plaguing an otherwise exceptional game.

If you're looking for pure platforming action with plenty of variety, Kirby's latest adventure most certainly fits the bill.