The graphics are what you'd expect from a PS2 game, with a nice gloomy futuristic style. For only $20, The Red Star is a great example of why the PS2 still rocks, and why old school gaming is far from dead.

Rainbow Six Extraction is a neat standalone follow-up to Siege's Outbreak mode of 2018 – it has potential but is yet to fully realise it.

This probably would have been better suited to the PSP, considering its minimal cutscenes and a story not as gripping as previous entries.

If you know you're getting into a heady, deliberate, and involved game then you'll be rewarded well by Front Mission.

While Doom: The Dark Ages is a solid game, the ways it differs from previous titles are largely to its detriment. Most of what's praiseworthy about the Slayer's 2025 adventures are what's translated from older entries, while new features like the melee focus and mech sequences feel like fumbled missteps the series would be well-advised to forget going forward. Still, the joy of blasting cacodemons with a shotgun is never truly lost, and the over-the-top aesthetic will always elevate the experience.

If you're not a serious DDR fan, then playing any one of the games in the series means you've basically played them all. Still, SuperNOVA is a riot to play against live competitors, and makes a perfect entry point for series newcomers and a must play for any fan.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails Beyond the Horizon iterates on the excellent hybrid action and turn-based combat that's defined the last few entries, continuing to evolve beyond Metaphor ReFantazio's own take. Yet, frustrating pacing in this JRPG epic's pivotal entry makes it one that only the most ardent and patient fans are likely to see through for now.

The vehicles aren't nearly as customizable as in "Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition" or as destructive as in "Twisted Metal: Head-On," but, thanks mostly to the multiplayer and extra single-player modes, Rush provides several days of enjoyable arcade style racing.

Even with DOA single-player, Payday 2 offers a lot of bang for a below-average asking price. Debuting at $30 on Steam, its co-op action is gangbusters with the right crew of like-minded individuals. Better AI and a few more clever gameplay flourishes could have pushed it into must-play territory.

Final Fantasy Type-0 may have started life as a PSP game, but its mysterious world and fast-paced combat are still an exciting mix. Shame about the voice acting and interface, though.

While it’s obscenely detailed up-close and the bike control is wonderful, there’s a distinct feeling of sterility compared to other racers. Still, a good start for the series on PS4.

However you approach it, Silent Hill 2 is an atmospheric and rewarding horror game up there with the Resident Evil remakes for reinventing a classic. While its strict adherence to the past can feel a little constrained at times, and a few things are lacking as a result, it nails the feel of the original well. Despite a scattering of minor issues, any negativity comes more from a place of believing the new Silent Hill 2 Remake could have been better, than it actually being bad. The whole thing ultimately delivers and does a good job of making the series feel meaningful and relevant in a way it hasn't for years.

While Just Dance 3 may not take the prize for the most challenging of rhythm games, its a good party game for groups and accessible enough for all skill levels.

Peggle 2's visual overhaul makes for a cleaner, fancier Peggle experience, but the lack of leaderboards assures your addiction will be relatively short-lived.

Put this one squarely in the party game camp, but it’s a welcome spin on the quiz genre.

Need for Speed Payback successfully returns to its Fast and Furious roots with aplomb, but a focus on the grind and a beautiful but empty world means it ultimately falls short of greatness.

Things also get tough.

Triangle Strategy is a great strategic battler, meshed with devilish politicking and weighty decisions. It’s just a shame the cast of characters never gets a chance to shine just as bright.

You control every tile of the hospital floor, from the amount of vending machines to how much you pay your surgeons. It does get tiresome, especially after hearing the bossa-nova-flavored lounge music loop for the 70th time, but for a short while it can be as addictive as OxyContin.

These problems aside, there is a genuinely good time to be had with portions of Front Mission Evolved, provided you bring with you a certain love for mechs. It's probably not the high point of the series, but fans of the Front Mission universe and/or giant robots might find something to like here.

Despite everything it has going against it, Deathsmiles 2X stands out as one of the better shooters available in the Western market. It's action-packed, easy to play, tough to master, and has a certain charm to it that makes you forgive its lackluster presentation.

The new Miracle Cures add welcome new flourishes to the classic puzzle gameplay, and the sheer wealth of content on offer makes this a bargain. Even once you've ignored the awful Luigi bits.

Though very late in this surprisingly long title even pouting became a rote exercise, we still kept at it to see how the comical story would play out. We wouldn't rank it even the third best DS RPG we played this month, but we must admit that it touched us.

A series of well-done flying sequences bridge the game's various stages, and the shifting of gears is very much welcome after an extended series of brawls.

The humor, characters and, most obviously, the difficulty of Surf's Up are geared towards a younger audience, but the game is also fun enough for anyone to play, although the simplicity might keep it from having a very long shelf life in most collections.

Scarygirl isn't a total disappointment. Sure, the combat isn't its strongest suit, and being steamrolled time and time again by the tough battles later in the game gets old, but it's hard not to be drawn in by this curious cartoonish realm and the weirdos who live in it. This highly imaginative and beautiful game redeems itself with quirky creativity when its mechanics occasionally fumble.

The gaming equivalent of cotton candy: it’s not very substantial or filling, but it is sweet, fluffy, and enjoyable.

As long as you're not expecting a ton of depth, the game will serve you well as a story-based game, a quick therapeutic diversion and a party game which proves, ultimately that there's a lot to like in Bleach: Shattered Blade.

Evolve is currently a smidge schizophrenic. Sometimes you play a match and the game's clever systems all coalesce beautifully; creating a charmingly hectic hybrid that occasionally channels Left 4 Dead's frantically back and forth antics while handling like a monstrous Titanfall. Play without mic'd up pals, though, and the pull of chaos is too strong, with battles struggling to keep their focus. The game also feels a little limited.

It both loves and hates the player, and this degree of love or hate depends on the type of player. Some could find its frustrations unforgiveable, while others will delight in its cornucopia of exploratory offerings.

As a turn-based space sim, Endless Space is essentially preaching to the choir. Its pacing, minimal story and lack of ground-level interaction isn't going to bring any new gamers to the fold (lightning-fingered StarCraft fans, stay far away). Luckily, the game gets big charm out of its aesthetics and what little writing it does have, and the core gameplay is balanced and nuanced.

Afterparty is one of the funniest games I’ve ever played, and its plot bends to player choices in subtle, important ways. But Night School Studio needs to clean up the bugs before I can fully recommend players go to Hell.

All in all, the scaled-down warfare is quick paced and fun, but it doesn't provide the level of strategy it purports to due to the convoluted nature of its layout.

The gameplay is a great mix of genres, and the world is fresh, exciting, and full of intrigue. The problem is execution. Both King Arthur games have shared the same unique concept, but Neocore Games may not have the manpower or the budget to fully extract the potential of both sides of this complex dual-genre game.

Cinemotion includes some wonderfully intuitive changes, and we like having the ability to perform sneaky drop passes.

These problems aside, there is a genuinely good time to be had with portions of Front Mission Evolved, provided you bring with you a certain love for mechs. It's probably not the high point of the series, but fans of the Front Mission universe and/or giant robots might find something to like here.

Though Badman is insidiously difficult, there’s something about its quirky humor, cutesy retro aesthetic, cool monster ecosystem, and addictive tunnel building gameplay that drew us back repeatedly for round after round of punishment.

There's no reason why any J-RPG fans, or those with a particular penchant for blocky cutscenes, won't feel their 30 bucks was well spent on Awakened Shadow.

If you're looking for a next-gen showpiece to demonstrate the power of PlayStation 4, inFamous: Second Son will definitely do the trick--it looks great, plays well, and gives you a dozen or so hours of city to explore. The gameplay itself isn't all that revolutionary, but the stellar presentation and enjoyable characters assure you'll enjoy your trip to Seattle--even if you'll wish there was more to do there.

A great game to play with a friend or sibling, and it's as easy as walking in and out of the camera's view. But what the game excels at is that it harnesses the charm, personality, and high-quality visuals that the property is known for.

Bound by Flame doesn’t put too much weight on the important choices you think you’re making, but its rich customization options and smart combat system are sure to give you that power you're looking for.

There's no doubt that the gameplay of Men of War is brilliant, but seeing as Assault Squad is only a multiplayer expansion and features a steep learning curve, it's hard to justify the $35 asking price. Fortunately, those seeking a more campaign-based experience won't have to wait long - a Vietnam-themed title is due to be released shortly.

Although NASCAR 07 remains pretty much the same decent core game as last year's model, this year's model is just a little more fun for newcomers and a little more chaotic for long-time racers.

Zombie hacking at its purest, Dead Island 2 takes some simple ideas and works them to perfection in a well-made and fun game. It's a one note thrill, but does well to make that note absolutely sing.

While lone players are left cold, and hit detection can be inconsistent, the new tactical environmental destruction and tense atmosphere make for a fierce and focused multiplayer experience.

While certainly no visual stunner, Tiger 08 does offer plenty of good times for virtual golfers on the Wii. Just be sure to pack some patience in that bag of yours - you'll need it.

If you're interested in losing weight, Wii Fit U is definitely worth your time. Fans of the original Wii Fit will definitely notice some overlapping content, but it brings enough new to the table to, if nothing else, get you active and moving in your living room.

Coast 2 Coast is amazing fun, and for ten bucks, you can’t go wrong.

High Moon Studios has created not only one of the best superhero games, but one of the funniest games you'll ever play--period. Sure, it's low brow and a little heavy on the dick and fart jokes, but... wait, actually, that's not a bad thing. It's a great thing.

It's a great concept, but the simplistic physics and repetitive puzzles let it down somewhat. You can never really put together any flowing moves, and the game runs out of surprises far too quickly.

Even on the Xbox 360, the only major improvement seems to be in the graphics, which aren't as big an upgrade over the Xbox and PS2 versions as they could be.

Nights into Dreams HD is a great entry point for gamers who've read about the series over the years, but might be curious what all the fuss is about. In some regards, it comes off as a tad simplistic, but it's easy to see where the qualities of the game lie, and why it gained such a cult following over the sixteen years.

Just know that the game does one thing, and it does it well. Admittedly, Neves is a simple, no frills affair, but its addictive nature and robust length makes it just as hard to put down as any other quality puzzler out there.

Doki-Doki Universe uses creation instead of destruction to progress through a rewarding, off-beat story. Some sticky challenges, load times, and other issues mess up its open-ended flow, but they can't keep a good robot down.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm really, really, really needs to support online fights. Publisher Namco Bandai’s last big fighting game, Soulcalibur IV, did it. There’s no reason for this not to as well.

A strong park builder whose charm is generally enough to make you see past its issues. Jurassic World Evolution 3 could have been even better without the busywork and bugs, which hold it back just enough to stop it from being an instant classic.

Crash of the Titans is polished and fun while it lasts. We just have a hard time recommending a purchase when it all ends so quickly.

We were expecting more bells and whistles, but in the end we’ll take what we can get. In this case, something is definitely better than nothing.

Aside from having to unlock World Heroes by earning medals (similar to Xbox 360 Achievements), we're pleased with this debut package, which not only sets the stage for future Arcade Classics collections, but also for the more focused sets like Metal Slug Anthology and the upcoming Samurai Shodown Anthology.

It plays to the DS' strengths, and when it all clicks, it's a lot of fun. Just be prepared to brute force your way through a lot of frustrating misfires if you decide to go for it.

EA Sports UFC boasts incredibly detailed fighters and great combat. However, this debut effort from a new publisher lacks the single-player balance and the variety of modes that previous UFC games brought to the ring.

Simple in design, but almost to a fault. The tower defense mechanics just don't work as well as we had hoped, but we did enjoy crushing hundreds of buildings and townsfolk with our rolling rock of doom. Oh, and steamrolling your friends so hard that they cry themselves to sleep? That's pretty neat, too.

For around five bucks, Paperboy is a worthwhile purchase. It’s still loads of fun. But like the newspapers our paperboy is tasked with delivering, the game has lost some of its appeal.

That's not to say that this game isn't a good choice to play with a friend – we'd actually highly recommend playing the main single player game and just take turns handing the controller back and forth.

Take away its vast environment and The Crew is decidedly mediocre. But the enjoyable story and great sense of actually driving, whether alone or solo, means there's plenty of fun to be had all the same.

It takes all of 10 seconds to understand but countless hours to perfect. Is there a better recipe for a portable game?

There's no other way to slice it: Disney Universe is for kids. Or perhaps for you and your kids. Much like the brand itself, the gameplay in Disney Universe is timeless, in that it's widely accessible and easy to understand. However, if you're looking for something deeper and more satisfyingly complex, there's not quite enough on the disc to stand on Disney fandom alone.

Mario and Sonic 2014 certainly has its issues, but it’s definitely a step above previous titles in terms of event design and overall enjoyment. It’s a more complex and engaging than the usual minigame menagerie, and the distinct franchise twists in the Dream Events are a welcome bit of fanservice. It’s not a gold medal winner just yet, but Mario and Sonic 2014 is a stronger contender than it’s ever been before.

Big kudos to Ivy the Kiwi for not killing the joy of discovery by overexplaining.

Though unequivocally fun, this release doesn't have "Lumines'" more cerebral underpinnings to fall back on, so the lack of truly differentiated game modes hurts its longevity - especially because most players will need considerable practice before getting more than a level or two in.

For the patient, the willing, and the people who know exactly what "Flashpoint" and its fans are capable of: go buy ArmA. View it as an investment for the future, because by the time PCs and Bohemia manage to catch up with the game engine it’ll be just as important as Flashpoint’s.

A cool game, and a gorgeous showpiece for Xbox Live Arcade, holding up well with the likes of other trippy titles like Geometry Wars and Space Giraffe. But the repetitive gameplay doesn’t really hold up like it should. And the game’s crazy presentation will only take most gamers so far.

Overall the game is not great, but better than your average movie-tie-in, and if you like sword fighting or pirates in general, it could be worth your time.

Dead Rising 3 excels at what it does best, which is mainly killing zombies in deeper ways as your undead-slaying skills grow over the game. And it’s smoother than ever to maximize that quality time of chainsawing a zombie in half. Yet the lack of combat annoyances only amplify the flaws of the writing and the lack of mission variety. Dead Rising is closer than ever to realizing its full potential, but its many mistakes make it clear that it isn’t quite there yet.

A playful co-op experience that shines with mates, but isn’t as precise or polished as a mainline Zelda.

Xenoblade Chronicles X offers a resplendent world, fantastic combat, and transforming mechs, but figuring out how everything fits together isn't always easy.

When the game works – that is, when you pull off incredible close calls and survive the onslaught – it's quite exciting. When it doesn't work, which will depend on your frustration threshold and/or skill level, it becomes utterly exasperating. All of this means it is stubbornly old-school, for better or for worse.

They say the devil’s in the detail, but Color Splash proves quite the opposite. In the minutiae it excels, while many of its broader systems hit a little wide of the mark. Despite its flaws, it’s very difficult to dislike, perhaps because every niggling issue is quickly followed by a moment of grin-inducing silliness or awe-inspiring beauty. This might not be the return to classic Paper Mario that its devotees have been awaiting, nor is it a bold reinvention that vindicates Nintendo’s need to innovate. It is, however, one of the most heartwarming games you’ll play this year.

It's got all the heart, some of the soul and a lot of missing plot pieces from the rest of the series, plus a unique gameplay concept. Too bad the control scheme and the camera suck.

Its pretty world and detailed monsters are slightly offset by a lack of variety, and its free flying segments feel kind of pointless when they don't let you do anything you otherwise couldn't on-rails. But its score-based, arcade core and digestible levels will keep you coming back for more until you're sittin' pretty on top of the leaderboards.

Once all of your goals are completed, you get a feeling of accomplishment, but lose some of the replayablity of other Sims games - you've seen one uncharted island, you've seen 'em all - and the thought of having to harvest all those vines, chop wood, find berries, pick leaves, catch fish, light fires, build furniture, find shelter and identify plants might not sound appealing.

Ultimately, SimCity Creator doesn’t offend and isn’t bare bones, but it’s definitely made for those new to the series than for those who were into it way before The Sims.

The biggest issue with the single player campaign was that half way through, we started earning money faster than we could spend it and had massive space stations, capable of repelling nearly any attack, at every world. That said, if there's a Star Wars fan out there who doesn't want more ships, vehicles, and heroes to play with, we haven't met him yet.

High on Life is a confident and capable Metroidvania that takes real pleasure in being as weird and outlandish as is reasonably possible. In presenting combat underpinned by chatting weapons and worlds wrought with endless distraction, Squanch Games has created something that is well worth your time, even if some of its elements lack refinement.

So, maybe this isn't really a Final Fantasy game. It doesn't really matter, because 4 Heroes is supremely challenging and occasionally inventive - and what recent, successful Final Fantasy game can you really say that about?

Deception IV: Blood Ties continues the legacy of Tecmo's cult series, and feels like a full realization of the original premise. If you have the patience for its late-game flaws, there's never been a better time to cast your lot with The Devil.

A good game, though not necessarily a standard bearer for shoot em ups. It's got a unique art style, tinges of Grasshopper's profane quirkiness, and offers some rather challenging wrinkles on the genre formula. Don't believe for a second that "casual friendliness" means putting a controller in the hands of your game-dabbler buddies and expecting them not to either melt down or wave a white flag.

Would we have preferred a new 2D, HD Castlevania that employed stunning new sprites instead of recycled heroes, villains and environments from the past 13 years? Hell yes. Does that make this game inherently bad for not being what we hoped? Definitely not. Just be aware of what you're getting yourself into.

The last of the 'classic' Resident Evil games, Zero is now clunky and often infuriating. But the HD conversion looks and sounds superb, and once you get used to its quirks, it's still a class act.

Scorn works wonders with Giger's and Beksiński's artwork, not only in terms of aesthetic fidelity but in creating a world that's utterly strange to exist in. This is a violent, painful, but fascinating place, thick with symbolism and interlocking puzzles that hint at some terrifying grand design. While it can be overly obscure and frustrating, especially in combat, Scorn serves up one hell of a journey.

Even Guitar Hero III, which publisher Activision is milking like a heifer that squirts fine vintage wine instead of calcium-rich cow juice, boasts more than 40 tracks. There should be more here, period.

Fast-paced and often challenging, Outpost Kaloki X is one of the few Xbox Live Arcade titles that actually makes you earn your Achievements.

For the most part though, this game is all about gradually building up parks by yourself in the free play mode and relaxing with your creations. If that sounds fun to you, then you'll dig Zoo Tycoon 2 DS.

Empyreal is a richly detailed, loot-based action RPG with a real 'one more go' quality that focuses on a loop involving selectable level cards. The difficulty can be incredibly punishing and it's rather drab-feeling at times, but there's rewarding depth and challenge if you take the plunge.

How much you get out of Bejeweled 3 is ultimately going to depend on how much swapping colored gems on a grid still appeals to you. If you played Bejeweled, Bejeweled 2, Bejeweled Blitz, and the Puzzle Quest series, we wouldn't blame you if you decided to sit this one out, despite Bejeweled 3 being easily the most robust entry in the series to date.

As long as you don’t mind the shallow real-time battles, Star Ocean: First Departure holds up amazingly well.

With some very good puzzles, a solid story, and a consistently strong atmosphere, Routine is doing anything but going through the motions. You may not feel over the moon about the stealth elements, but there's not a trace of the protracted development period.

Honeycomb Beat’s pretty damn fun for what it is, but can also be maddening mostly because the difficulty spikes about halfway through the Puzzle Mode. Still, it’ll give your brain one hell of a workout without having to shout "Blue" repeatedly into the DS’ mic.