The best part of Luminous Arc is its balanced and accessible gameplay, though it lacks some narrative depth.

If you're looking for a 2D fighting game that's totally nuts, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core will give you what you want.

Horses and controllable cats and dogs give The Sims 3: Pets a good deal of heart.

A good entry point to the series, but if you've played any recent Mortal Kombat game, you'll notice that most of this stuff has been recycled.

Imaginative puzzles and explosive boss fights are the most exciting elements of this sequel, but a new emphasis on shooting brings some frustration to the mix.

This Battlefield-style shooter isn't very original, but it's still pretty fun.

Just remember to keep your expectations in check: Final Fantasy XIII-2 isn't a timeless adventure in the grand tradition of the beloved series. But if you're curious to see the next stage in this ongoing tale, there's no reason you shouldn't chase after Lightning. After all, she can't defeat Caius without you.

While the gameplay in Tony Hawk's American Wasteland is still sharp, and the game still looks and sounds just fine, this seventh installment just seems to lack that special spark that made the series so much fun in the first place.

Don't be fooled by its cuddly exterior. With 20 tracks, four battle arenas, and a plenitude of hidden characters and cheats to unlock, Mickey's Speedway USA has enough substance to keep even the most dedicated kart racing fanatics coming back for more.

For World Tour players who are on the fence, Guitar Hero: Metallica is a solid game with a strong setlist that offers you a great fake-plastic-rock experience.

Just remember to keep your expectations in check: Final Fantasy XIII-2 isn't a timeless adventure in the grand tradition of the beloved series. But if you're curious to see the next stage in this ongoing tale, there's no reason you shouldn't chase after Lightning. After all, she can't defeat Caius without you.

It doesn't give a good first impression, but Harmony of Despair delivers new and exciting gameplay opportunities for an old series.

Though there is a certain roughness to the action, Wet is still a raucously entertaining adventure.

Saving cute little fish in Downstream Panic! is a fun though, occasionally, frustrating endeavor.

Skulls of the Shogun is a light entertainment that remains enjoyable for just about every minute of its six- or seven-hour life span.

It seems old-fashioned at first, but Mana Khemia takes a surprisingly fresh look at old role-playing conventions.

Dead or Alive: Dimensions is a fun version of an arcade classic that offers some of the fastest fighting on the 3DS.

It focuses on something far more interesting than buildings: people. This makes for an enthralling combination of city building and role-playing, with enough personality, activity, and variety to do justice to both genres.

It would have been nice to have seen some more variety in the environments, and the instances of backtracking through areas you've already visited are disappointing. But the game's exciting, free-form combat makes up for those deficiencies.

World Championship Poker 2's offline play is the best you'll find amid this year's competition, and the online play is still pretty engaging.

Thanks to significantly improved gameplay, NBA Live 08 is a good, solid basketball game.

Spreading out your map, setting up your PlayStation Eye, and getting your cards ready is a cool addition to the usual card-battle preparations, and in that context, the game is a real winner.

IL-2 Sturmovik's dogfights and bombing runs are exciting enough to satisfy anyone with an interest in air combat. It successfully caters to both novices and veterans, and it's good to see such a faithful sim appear on a console.

Ty's difficulty is tuned for younger or casual gamers, but it also attempts to appeal to older players, who should still be able to appreciate the quality of the game even if it's a little on the easy side.

Buckets of whimsy and oodles of puzzles make this a satisfying adventure, despite the sometimes steep difficulty.

If you're up for a little bit of trivia with a dirty sense of humor and you have three like-minded friends, The Guy Game won't let you down.

What it lacks in variety and narrative, Darkspore makes up for with fun cooperative combat and character customization that deepens the more you play.

A great sense of humor and challenging gameplay make Let's Go Tower Defense Play! easily the best South Park game to date.