With its charming yarnlings and a newfound style of platforming, Unravel Two remains welcoming even at its most foreboding.

You won't find much trailblazing action here, and the challenge is a light one for most of the way until you unlock the tougher game mode by completing the story. Still, there's enough charm on tap to satisfy diehard Kirby fans and younger players.

Though the gulf between two very different difficulties is not fully fixed by its additions, from the updated Mellow Mode to the extra Poochy levels, Poochy and Yoshi’s Woolly World gives you what you put in--it can either be almost frustratingly hard for a determined collector or a good fit for someone who’s just looking for a fun, relaxing few hours of platforming.

The Godfather: Blackhand Edition works in a smattering of new content and a brand-new control scheme with good results.

The actual racing in Need for Speed Underground 2 is still pretty good, but unfortunately most of the stuff you do in between races keeps you away from the game's best moments.

Most of The Pathless plays to its mechanical strengths, free-form exploration, satisfying movement, and methodical puzzle-solving. At times, that lowers the stakes a little too much, but it maximizes the kind of gameplay the game is named for. For a player like me, who bee-lines for an objective every time, it's refreshing to simply take things as they come. The Pathless is the rare game that gives you more by not asking too much, and that makes it special.

Not only is this a nicely done remake of an influential, little-seen early chapter from this long-running role-playing series, it's also an all-around solid RPG.

An excellent party game, but unlike its predecessors, its online play component also makes it ideal even when other people aren't at home.

A faster, sexier, more engaging, and more enjoyable game...essentially a better-looking and more fun version of the original.

MTX Mototrax may be the only game in town if you're dead-set on online play, but THQ's recent release, "MX Unleashed," is still a better game across the board.

There's no doubt that this is EA Sports' best soccer game, to date, on the pitch. However, it's really unfortunate that the career mode isn't more user-friendly.

Its pleasing graphics and amazing replays are sure to please technophiles, and while it doesn't have as many tracks or as much replay value as we'd like, MotoGP definitely deserves a spot on your shelf.

Skeptical Heroes fans, as well as anyone looking for a fun, long-lasting turn-based strategy game, will likely be pleasantly surprised by this one.

The third time is the charm for Traveller's Tales--logical puzzles and great offline co-op play make this the best Lego game yet.

With its blend of cinematic style, 3D immersion, sharp writing, and likeable characters, it's otherwise an adventure game that does the genre proud.

The rich gameplay and engaging story give the game an appeal that very nearly rises above the rough visuals, and they definitely capture the spirit of the books.

Lacks polish and, in some cases, feels unfinished. It makes decent attempts with its different styles of gameplay, but none of them are particularly well done, and the game's storyline doesn't tie them together in a satisfying way.

Sim-based gameplay mechanics are nowhere to be found in the game and have been replaced by a blistering pace and frenzied style of action that make for a crazy, yet enjoyable, gameplay experience.

The mechanics underlying Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite make it an outstanding fighting game.

The parts of Tomb Raider that make it really fantastic--uncovering the mystery of ancient ruins, solving impressive challenge tombs, and exploring exotic environments--are still here in Shadow, and they are just as outstanding as they have always been. But the core mechanics that have been with the series for half a decade are starting to show their limitations.

Olija's best asset, truly, is its brevity. Its story is impeccably paced. Its mechanics never wear out from overuse. From start to finish, it finds new ways to gently goad you into using the harpoon in different ways, until it says its piece. I was taken with how emotionally resonant and mechanically pleasing it could be in such a short time. Succinct and satisfying is a rare combination, and it makes Olija a rare treat.

Even though the plot devolves into a trope-filled sludge pool by the end, I don’t feel like Scarlet Nexus was a waste of time. Yes, the excitement of combat begins to taper off towards the end of Scarlet Nexus’s twenty-odd-hour runtime--and the areas in the final stretch of the game feel overly long--but I had a good deal of fun mixing up my SAS abilities, crushing enemies in my Brain Field, and watching my team have a video game tournament at our base to settle an argument over living space boundaries. It might not be a new pinnacle of action-game storytelling, but Scarlet Nexus is still plenty of fun in the right places.

It's a heartwarming joy to get to know each of the calicorns I found on my journey to the mountain, and it's because of the loving bonds I'd formed with each of them that its central gameplay mechanic works so well, both in my hands and in my heart.

With its numerous game modes and customization options, there's a lot to do in Dungeon Defenders. Too bad its fundamentals don't measure up.

Has consistently ambitious level design throughout, even in the PS2-exclusive maps, and the entire game benefits from it.

The charms, variety, and authenticity of this unusual compilation of 8-bit-style games help it shine in spite of some flaws.

By splitting the difference between action and puzzle with its unconventional gameplay, Jungle Climber makes for a compelling experience.

All of these features, combined with the tightly balanced fighting mechanics, make The King of Fighters XIII a fantastic game that can easily go toe-to-toe with the heavy hitters in the fighting game genre.