I had a good time playing it for the first hour or so. But after that, the lack of originality and the repetition of the game really started to wear on me.

From start to finish, the game only took me just over eight hours to beat. And while there are some cool extras on the disc that can be unlocked, I still felt like the game was light on content.

And while the game never quite reaches "Incredible" levels, it's still a good enough game to warrant checking out if you enjoyed the movie. Just don't expect to have to spend much time with it.

But don't let those flaws keep you from trying this Vietnam War shooter. At its best, it's an immersive, intense game, filled with pulse-pounding action and diverse missions.

My wish list for future iterations includes night racing, variable per-stage weather, working in-car gauges, and crowds that aren't 2D pancakes, but I can't say I've played a more satisfying racing game all year.

What really makes the game shine is its main character. There really hasn't been a protagonist like the Bard.

There really is no other game like it, despite there being many imitators, and this is precisely the kind of experience that reminds why, exactly, we play games: to be liberated from the constraints of reality, and explore living, breathing worlds. Few games have come this close to realizing that promise.

A surprising number of serious bugs damage what is otherwise a highly addictive game.

Yet even with some new features, you get the sense that gameplay isn't very different from what the series has shown since its debut.

Luckily, the space content is very much on point when comes to aesthetics. If you're a Star Wars fan, you're likely to be delighted by the sights and sounds, even seven hours into a TIE-killing grind.

There's something very satisfying about playing Taiko Drum Master. That something is spending the entire game hitting things. And creating sweet, sweet music, of course, but the feeling of bringing those plastic drumsticks down on the taiko controller is something that you don't normally get from a home video game.

Improved graphics, a deeper dynasty mode, and an All-Star weekend simulator that's genuinely fun to play.

If you can tolerate its quirks and incredibly strict gameplay parameters, The Nightmare of Druaga is actually quite enjoyable and satisfying. Just don't ever, ever die.

This game still overflows with adult themes, excessive violence, vulgarity, mild racism, and everything else that draws so much attention to the series.

It's a better version of a game that was already quite good, now made great with extra unlockables, refined presentation, and mostly excellent online play. For fans of 3D fighters, there won't be a better title released in the genre this year.

A game that has a refreshing story, a wonderfully unique leading man, great voice acting, good graphics, good music, and a mediocre combat system.

Many of the new features are gimmicky and unnecessary, but they don't really impact the core experience too much either way. Everything that is good about Ace Combat games is still here, only some things are a bit better and a few things are a bit worse.

The best kind of sequel, one that pushes the series forward while retaining everything that made it great in the first place. It's a shame that some people won't dig its goofy style, because OutRun2 is a superb arcade driving game and the best sequel Sega's done in years.

It looks amazing, sounds great, and most importantly, it's a lot of fun. What's even more impressive is that all of this entertainment is offered at such a reasonable price.

It's nice to see that Hypnotix didn't miss a beat when it came to staying true to the attitude of the original.

A solid game that offers a little more variety than the first with equally amazing graphics, but doesn't do much to improve upon the first game or address its problems.

If "Tron 3.0" builds on this foundation, adding more variety and incorporating more of the innovative old-school gameplay that the franchise has inspired over the years, it has the potential to become an instant retro classic.

It looks amazing, sounds great, and most importantly, it's a lot of fun. What's even more impressive is that all of this entertainment is offered at such a reasonable price.

It's obvious that Nakazato wanted to create a Contra that was inclusionary to newbies, instead of exclusionary. In that he's succeeded. The only problem is that Neo Contra's average difficulty level will have the opposite effect, and turn off the old-timers. It's too bad, as a simple difficulty selection could have helped correct this.

It definitely is the best console gun game I've played, which stands for something. It brings the genre closer to where it should be: in line with the potential of technology.

Avoid it like the plague, and hope that if we're all in for a trilogy, the next episode sees the heroes-in-a-half-shell pursuing an adventure that's not nearly as half-baked.

If you can survive some occasional stretches of lunacy from your board of directors (something all NHL GMs must learn to do eventually), there's a remarkably compelling hockey experience waiting to be had with NHL Eastside Hockey Manager.

If you're looking for a good Vietnam War game that goes out of its way to offer more than just a run 'n' gun adventure, look no further than Men of Valor. You'll find yourself cheering for Dean to make it through OK, even as you're cursing your teammates for walking right past an enemy.