Dead or Alive 5 is a deceptive game. The subtleties of its solid fighting mechanics are easy to miss under all the flashy visual effects layered on top. It is a game new players can pick up and enjoy without feeling overwhelmed by too many options, while still offering complexity to those who know where to look. It's a dynamic fighter that can be enjoyed by players of all skill types.

Tokyo Jungle's great concept and good sense of humor end up being little more than lipstick on a pig.

The supernatural collides with reality under the guise of radical religion in a way that feels too cliche, but spending more time with Sean and his confidants remains a delight. Whether you're heading into the final episode in much the same place you were at the beginning--or under the chilling implications of a certain late game choice--watching Daniel wrap his arms around Sean in either circumstance exemplifies what makes the series work so well. Your Sean can be kind or standoffish, thieving or righteous, but your actions don't change the love and adoration between the Diaz brothers--and that love is still the heart and soul of Life Is Strange 2.

There's a real raw, visceral satisfaction to Infected, which is undermined by a short, single-minded story mode and an ambitious but inherently flawed multiplayer game.

Game-crushing bugs overshadow the turn-based tactical goodness Eador: Masters of the Broken World offers.

Overly basic combat and puzzles keep Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken from taking flight.

It's got a great premise and an ambitious design, but the game is mired by its repetitive and often frustrating combat, ill-fated design decisions, and forgettable characters and story.

The sequel has a style and methodology that are similar to the original. However, a far more engaging storyline and a less-intensive reliance on the player's knowledge of legal procedures definitely makes Double or Nothing a better game.

Takes a refreshing approach in that rather than taking out the challenge entirely, it tries to ease players through the frustrating aspects of virtual flight so that they can experience the rewards themselves. It's successful in most ways.

If you're looking for an intense shooter experience, Darkwatch will not disappoint, offering crisp gameplay, an excellent presentation, and a varied campaign.

While on the surface Nemesis offers features we've seen many times before in the genre, such as hero characters and a lack of base-building, it also includes a clever logistics model and better-than-average artificial intelligence to help it stand apart from the numerous RTS clones on the market.

After a seven-year absence, the Caesar series returns with a slightly flawed but very engrossing game about ancient city building.

Once you're used to floating diagonally and hopping ledges toward loftier areas, the game becomes quite fun.

Very different from the shooters or puzzle games that you're used to playing, it's also quite entertaining.

An all-around solid game with some spectacular visuals and fun multiplayer modes.

It's a bare-bones product that's a missed opportunity, offering no compelling reasons to make it recommendable over the PC version, except to someone with an Xbox Live account and a completely outdated PC.

Had the feel of the weapons been a little better, and had the campaign been more consistently intense, Finest Hour could have been a much better game.

The game isn't without its charms in the moment, but when its inspirations are so readily available, it doesn't really have much to offer against the real deal.

Despite a solid combat system and a decent presentation, this latest Castlevania is cursed with extremely monotonous levels that prevent it from being an engaging action adventure game.

A Nest of Vipers ends on a heart-shattering note and the promise of an explosive finale. Thing are getting lively, and with quickened pacing to match the action, it's hard not to end this episode without your brain spinning in anticipation. With most prominent character arcs at their highest peaks, it's a perfect penultimate episode.

This is a substantial package that's propped up by exciting gameplay that puts the onus squarely on attacking football. There are moments of frustration on defense when the balance doesn't feel quite right, but then you'll go down the other end and score a Puskás Award contender that makes you forget why you were mad in the first place.

So even if bawdy caricatures of rednecks and dominatrices don't sound immediately appealing to you, Outlaw Golf 2 offers a tight, challenging game of golf with some unique gameplay ideas, and it comes at a price that makes it a terrific value.

There are better, more fluid games out there for the serious fighter, and there are more accessible ones for those interested in a bit of silliness. In attempting to mix the two, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale merely ends up being competent at both and the master of neither.

PQ2 builds on the good foundation of the original and addresses many of its weaknesses, offering a bigger, better puzzle experience.

If you're going to remake a game known for its tacky humor, this is the way to do it. The crassness is here, but it's merely seasoning in a colorful old-school first-person shooter that allows excitement to build organically from the way its systems interact.

This sequel goes light on the role playing but still presents a compelling puzzle experience that's as enjoyable and addictive as the original.

The Swords of Ditto is nothing short of a light-hearted good time. Despite a few bumps getting in the way of progress and some misgivings about the forced time limit per playthrough, it’s still a joy to slash through enemies and collect items while humming the game’s ear-tickling soundtrack.

Realm of Shadows establishes a compelling Bruce Wayne narrative and is an exciting start to the series.