At only 400 MS points, it’s a great buy if you’re looking for a pick-up-and-play time killer while you wait for those gigantic files to download on Live Marketplace.

The multiplayer modes are a welcome addition that extend play slightly. With a little patience, Ion Assault is still a solid choice for giving your thumbs a workout.

Each season presents even more new additions and mechanics that will delight series fans. If you can get past the excruciatingly long first season, Two Towns will keep you entertained for a very long time.

A strong start and okay finish makes this average out as decent but not amazing installment.

Gunslinger offers an entertaining romp through a stylized Western world. The famous name dropping doesn't add much spice to Silas' revenge story and their gameplay implementation is even less memorable. But where Gunslinger falters with the legends of the West, it succeeds in creating a score-based shooter with an interesting, constantly morphing environment and charming narration.

There's not much longevity there, but it's a good ride while it lasts. The gigantor multiplayer matches should keep you and your friends emptying clips for a good while though, and that's exactly how it should be.

The difficulty may escalate faster than you'd prefer, but Crashmo is still an absorbing diversion for your 3DS. Like the best downloadables, it can be played for 10 minutes or two hours, satisfying players no matter how much they choose to invest.

So is this the definitive version of Tetris for the current console generation? Sure. But is it so much better than the WiiWare release so as to warrant another, way more expensive, purchase? I'm going to say no.

It gets by just fine with its tried-and-true, user-friendly golfing action, strong multiplayer, and a mostly smart smattering of Vita-specific gimmicks and upgrades.

It doesn't last all that long, and the wonky difficulty spikes early on may deter some players. But there's something refreshingly terrifying about staring down a faceless, leech-tongued shambler, or fleeing for your life from a razor-toothed water beetle that's as big as a sack of potatoes.

Star Wars: Squadrons offers an exhilarating take on dogfighting in a galaxy far, far away, which helps elevate a functional single-player story and provides a strong foundation for a focused multiplayer experience.

Costume Quest 2 is more treat than trick. Some unfortunate repetition means it’s best enjoyed in moderation, but it’s still colourful, sweet and slightly addictive.

Hogwarts Legacy is a solid first attempt. If Avalanche can be accused of anything, it's that the studio has tried to do too much all at once. Something was always going to give – between the massive open world, the messy RPG economy, exciting action combat, and adventure story that wants to cast you as a hero with homework due on Monday. But you can see a world in which a sequel sands down some of the rougher edges, and settles into a finer balance between the demands of an interactive experience and the lore of the wizarding world.

Matches are often intense affairs tempered by just the right mixture of strategy and luck.

For true Monster Hunters, this is everything you could have hoped for in a PSP version – minus the “portable” part.

It takes a certain type of person to plunge into a deep and randomly generated dungeon, but if you’re that type, Baroque is a very satisfying plunge.

It's a good game with some very solid elements – mostly those seen in past KH titles. But its lackluster storytelling, poorly paced stage progression, jarring gameplay changes, and ever-present, misbehaving camera leave it removed from the greatness we associate with some of the franchise's previous outings.

Taken on its own this is a sophisticated fantasy RPG executed with consideration and thought, but Lords of the Fallen never really escapes the spectre of Souls, and it can only blame itself.

If you're deeply invested in these games and have some friends of the same cloth looking for a twist on the genre, then DoA's multiplayer is certainly worth investigating. The learning curve is steep, but the Xbox Live action is satisfying. Defenders of Ardania isn't the prettiest game, but there's some elements in place to keep you interested.

The game is so short the included four unreleased television episodes last nearly as long as the campaign, and the humor is devoid of any Shrek-style double entendres to keep adults entertained. We can't stress enough that this game is perfect for a kid, but that's about all it's perfect for.

The usual bells and whistles are all here as well, with the caveat that this is a PS2, so the tech is dated.

While still liable to take over your every waking hour, Football Manager 2018 takes the delicate balance of previous years and weighs it down with too many superfluous, or downright irritating, changes.

The good news is OlliOlli2 retains the pure mechanics of skateboarding despite its increased absurdity. The bad news is, just like in real life, skateboarding here is hard, and sometimes the euphoria you feel at the level’s end isn’t worth the grind it takes to get there.

Lucidity is an interesting experiment, a beautiful indie-flavored game and a welcome addition to Xbox Live’s crowd of old arcade game ports. Gamers who appreciate metaphor and meaning will certainly find much to enjoy here. It’s just a shame that it isn’t more fun to play.

Eliminator improves on its PS2 predecessor. It has more modes, more customization parts, and makes for a respectable single-player experience. But the sketchy controls and oftentimes sleep-inducing levels and presentation keep it from being the king of street.

In the final analysis, the Conquest Mode alone helps turn NBA 07 from a lottery pick into an 8th seed - good enough to make the playoffs but far too flawed for a run for the title.

Essentially a stew of can’t-miss features and less appetizing filler material. You already own it if you’re a Heroes diehard. It’s just too bad, for all Nival’s hard work and lovely animations, that its legs couldn’t be a little longer.

If you can handle bad presentation and clunky gameplay at times, then the story just may be enough of a reward. Growlanser: Heritage of War is a long game in the end, and while the flaws are obvious and often irritating, it is still by no means despicable.

Though the maps feel a little small and spawn points are poorly placed, it’s executed well enough that you’ll wonder why more DS shooters aren’t this competent. Ultimately, however, the setting and controls still hold back this war without end from being anything but a quick tour of duty.

Sniper Elite 3’s focus on marksmanship over direct confrontation is admirable, but its lack of polish or any real personality keep it from standing out.

Rise of the Triad delivers on over-the-top weapons, goofy power-ups, and one of the most sincere deathmatch modes in quite some time, and it's undeniably a retro experience from top to bottom.

While the leveling mechanics are a little too shallow to keep true RPG fans invested, the dark cel-shaded visuals and easy-to-pick up combat system can make for a fun weekend with friends. Just be sure to make the right choice if you're only willing to buy one character.

A curious, frightful take on childhood trauma that whips up scares from the most seemingly mundane sources. Among the Sleep is unpolished and scrappy, yet eerily memorable.

As an action game, it suffers from poor controls and awful fleet (read: wingman) commands that gum up the works. Still, wearing down the shields of those dastardly Romulan vessels and finishing them off with photon torpedoes can be satisfying, sometimes elevating Legacy ever-so-briefly above mediocrity.

Since it’s plain to see that EA continues to Move Forward on the next-generation front at the expense of the last one, you should too.

While this is visually the best looking Michael Jackson game ever, we find it difficult to recommend this title to anyone but the most rabid of fans, unless there's a promise to deliver DLC in the future. Fifteen tracks does not a King make.

Despite its flaws and frustrations, FFXI's age gives it one thing that no other 360 game can match: massive amounts of content. You could easily lose 200 hours of your life (not to mention your spouse) during the first month of exploration.

Hopefully, when the second game in the series hits (Turtles in Time), unlimited continues will be part of the package.

Hellboy Web of Wyrd does a fantastic job of drawing you into the dark, sullen, and highly strange world born by Mike Mignola, but the roguelike structure that underpins this brawler's progression and structure doesn't offer enough challenge or variation to become truly compulsive. A solid first effort in need of refinement and iteration.

And the biggest question: why, for the love of god (pun intended), didn’t they add multiplayer? It’s a god-sized wasted opportunity.

Battlefield Redsec very clearly copies Call of Duty: Warzone's homework, offering a familiar and safe Battle Royale experience that, admittedly, does feel streamlined in places but is largely uninventive. Paired with the exhilarating Gauntlet mode, this free-to-play experience is a sound framework for further developments, but it strays from Battlefield's core identity and its ambitions for the future fill me more with dread than excitement.

For around 20 bucks you get a perfectly reasonable shooter, with a streamlined command system that actually works well. Although we’d still recommend getting a cheap copy of one of the various Conflict games instead.

Monster Bomber provides a few different modes to enjoy the alien-popping action, but they all end up the same way - bursting aliens. It's precisely what you'd want out of such a game, but is so limited that anything more than a few plays stretched across several days might be too much.

While it's good to see Nintendo stepping out of its Mario comfort zone, Captain Toad just isn't versatile enough to compete in the big leagues. What would be a budget eShop no-brainer is a little too slight at a higher price.

Give credit to Opoona for trying to wedge a lot of new ideas into its paper thin premise, but the half baked 'lifestyle' elements can't hide the fact that it's a very simplistic and ultimately uninteresting RPG.

The nicest thing you can say about its difficulty is that Izuna 2 isn’t as diabolical as its compatriots, but its admirable art and writing could draw in new players.

The story is serviceable for moving you from one puzzle to the next, but not particularly engaging, and there isn't much to do in the world except tap through dialog and receive the next puzzle in a fairly linear fashion.

What you're left with is a basic game that follows in the horde of footsteps of the series that has come before it: it's serviceable but uninspired, and won't do much for you unless you're a big fan of either of the source materials. Predictable, right?

Though it starts out with what appears to be grand narrative ambitions, Clan of Champions quickly abandons any pretext that it's anything more than a brawler with robust customization options. More variety and ambition would've been nice, but Clan of Champions is still worth a look if your inner warrior has been feeling neglected.

Ultimately, this game is a true celebration of all things Ghostbusters, and fans shouldn't wait to get this if the PlayStation 2 is all they have. For those with little love for the series, it's still a good action game, even if the no-frills levels and abbreviated campaign are bound to leave you feeling like you're sitting at the kids' table while the adults feast.

There's still life in this old Rogue Trooper yet, but the limitations of its time makes Redux a fun but inessential addition to your library.

If you stick with the smaller campaigns, you can focus on mastering the interface and designing the ultimate space fleet. Sometimes Space Empires V takes its commitment to customization too far, but there’s never any doubt who the emperor is.

As long as you're not expecting thrills or surprises, Onslaught's by-the-numbers bug blasting serves as a fair placeholder until something bigger and better (The Conduit, perhaps?) comes along. That's not exactly a ringing endorsement, but for shooter-starved WiiWare fans in this case, something may be better than nothing.

HDTV nuts note: the 360 version also goes to 1080i resolution, while the PS3 is limited to 720i. But ultimately, like an import tuner with fuzzy dice and neon running lights but no steering wheel, you can't help feeling that some of the most important parts are missing.

That X-Blades remains a decent title despite the lack of compelling missions and likeable characters is something of an accomplishment in itself, though not one we'd recommend advertising from the rooftops.

In spite of all the sacrifices and questionable design decisions, Ratchet & Clank: Size Matters is still a decent game, especially if you don't have the superior PSP version to compare it to.

There are only six minigames included on the disc. Six. Granted, Wii Sports and Wii Play don't cram 'em in either, and everybody loves those, but $40 for six minigames still feels like a rip.

Darwinia 's weird, but it might well not be your kind of weird.

Pokemon Ranger is an enjoyable marketing sidequest, despite lacking depth or challenge. Pokemon fans will find it a satisfactory appetizer to tide them over until the main course arrives next year.

Lucidity is an interesting experiment, a beautiful indie-flavored game and a welcome addition to the Steam and Direct 2 Drive libraries. Gamers who appreciate metaphor and meaning will certainly find much to enjoy here. It’s just a shame that it isn’t more fun to play.

A curiosity to be indulged and then discarded in favor of another round of full-sized guitar heroism.

We applaud the focus, but the flip side of that is a narrower market and decreased value to those of us who don’t know which of the ladies is Anni-Frid Lyngstad and which is Agnetha Faltskog. Knock it down to $20 and we’ll talk.

Even though it has its flaws, The Adventures of Tintin never veers from decent to awful, and Ubisoft Montpelier deserves credit for creating a rare wonder - a movie-spinoff that doesn't completely suck.

The game isn’t great, but its much better than you’d expect, and certainly worth the purchase if you’re buying it for a youngster.

The world, while beautiful, isn't any different then the past two games. And the music, although it very badly wants to be important, won't be anything you find yourself humming after putting down the PSP to practice sword techniques.

While the game is surprisingly delightful, after a breezy three hours it will also feel surprisingly concluded.

A lackluster military versus monsters soap opera that just about redeems itself with an extravagant final third and unmatched co-op mechanics.

Web of Shadows is a reasonably good time, but unless the Wii is your main gaming console, you’ll want to play it on a higher-end machine with less gimmicky controls.

Including the famous CBGB venue feels like a desperate grab for legitimacy. Problem is, it doesn't fit with the Simmons-narrated rock 'n' roll fantasy theme at all and therefore comes off as little more than a cynical ploy for street cred.

If anything, Savage 2 leaves us with the distinct impression that perhaps the gaming world just isn’t ready for these two popular genres to join together in holy matrimony.

The story is absolutely forgettable and the level design is boring, but the gameplay is competent and the bedazzling genetic monstrosities along with the copious amounts of loot you've collected are fun. If you're an action-RPG fan who simply cannot wait for Diablo III, give Darkspore a shot.

There are the trademark Disgaea hooks that'll keep you deeply engaged, but they're undermined by a lifeless cast, bland story, and some awkward control design decisions that you'll want to get away from immediately. It's a game with a huge leap forward and quite a few backward steps that add up through the experience.

Including the famous CBGB venue feels like a desperate grab for legitimacy. Problem is, it doesn't fit with the Simmons-narrated rock 'n' roll fantasy theme at all and therefore comes off as little more than a cynical ploy for street cred.

For fans of hardcore shooters or punishing post-apocalypse games, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is truly incomparable. Unfortunately, due to a litany of bugs, it's the greatest game you shouldn't play right now. Give it some time, and this will be one of the best survival experiences you'll ever play – but until then, only the series' biggest fans should take the plunge.

Jett: The Far Shore is a frustrating jaunt through space, with a stunning world and narrative let down by clunky, awkward controls.

Don’t get us wrong: there is fun here. It’s just that there isn’t much for the amount of money you pay to get it or considering the volume of work EA had to pull from.

Overall it’s just too much work to really keep a person interested. And when the audio, graphics and visual design aren’t adding to the appeal, it’s a little too likely that you’ll suddenly ask yourself, “Wait – is this actually fun, or is it just tedium?” and realize you can’t quite tell any more.

With a lackluster graphical update and no compelling additions outside of new achievements and SmartGlass integration, Fable Anniversary is an HD redux strictly for die-hard franchise fans only.

But if you've got a stack of rejected astronaut applications, or have been struggling to save up that 20 or so million to hitch a ride up with the Russians, SpaceStationSim could be just what you need.

It's still a fun game and the GamePad adds to the experience, actually making it better than its other versions--when it's working properly. However, ultimately its improvements are marred by a slew of technical follies.

As it stands, DCUO is just a casual masterwork that any comic book fan should take for a spin, and we fear the $14.99 monthly subscription fee will be the kryptonite that brings this hopeful giant to its knees.

You’ll also find a few vehicular sections that revert to the standard, over-the-hood follow camera and culminate in a battle with Lockdown.

A well-made game at its core, and this is a more-than-competent port of it.

As brilliant as it is infuriating, The Witness' ingenious puzzles all too easily have their shine worn away by length and a constantly extending complexity.

Silent Hill: The Short Message is an interesting, if not amazing rebirth for the series that proves it can be reanimated for a modern audience. Atmospheric and full of potential it bodes well for future instalments.

The biggest head-scratcher about GHTPM is this: why did it take a whole year to get it ported from the Xbox version? But only slightly less perplexing is why, rather than spending a few hours twiddling the sticks of a PS2 controller, most of the game's target audience wouldn't instead heave the ol' butt out of its couch groove and go play some real paintball?

Dark Kingdom has its failings, but it still isn't "bad"; it's just old fashioned and disappointing, especially when compared to modern action RPGs like "Marvel Ultimate Alliance."

The lack of tutorials, tedium of grinding, and huge investment of time required will likely scare off a lot of new players not interested in playing through the entire original game first. But for a certain breed of obsessive RPG fan there's a lot here to enjoy, and giant quantities of it.

It’s all in good fun, though - like a high school reunion. Characters from Tales of Eternia, Tales of Destiny, and even Tales of the Abyss parade across screen constantly, and even if you’ve never played those games, the ensuing crossover comedy is interesting to say the least.

Fires far too many blanks. Free is a tough price to turn down, but the city of San Paro is – at best – a vacation spot. We simply can't recommend an extended stay.

All-Star Battle's incredible presentation far outclasses its slower one-on-one gameplay and adequate modes. Diehard JoJo fans will be in heaven, but the uninitiated will lose interest once the invigorating shock of the fabulous visuals wears off.

No real improvements have been made to the game which is a wasted opportunity as the poor camera and basic graphics stand out even more on the PS2 than in the original version.

The co-op heists of Payday 2 hijack new-gen, bringing with them a gym bag full of updates and DLC, but also some familiar problems. Great for newcomers, but non-essential for seasoned criminals.

With limited continues and a good level of challenge, this game definitely won’t be a cakewalk. Just don’t expect anything that spectacular, either.

Eat Lead: The Return of Matt Hazard is trapped in many of the clichés it seeks to skewer, but it’s still a fairly adequate shooter and occasionally gives you a chuckle. It’s just that we were hoping for something truly unique.

But it still doesn’t quite play like Guitar Hero. The touch detection is too spotty, the custom controller is too uncomfortable and that intoxicating illusion that you’re actually playing an instrument still isn’t there. But, if you need a portable way to get your rock on, this is remains the best way to go.

The way better controls make this our favorite console version, but it's still not great. Transformers: The Game should be a sleek, cutting-edge sports car; instead, it's an old beater whose driver's seat has a spring sticking out in exactly the wrong place.

As a third-person zombie action game, it's awkward and clumsy, and therefore, a difficult recommendation for gamers looking for a post-Dead Rising quick fix.