At its core, Okamiden is a successful, shrunken-down Okami, but it's trapped on a system that can't entirely pull it off. The art style, music and mechanics, while lifted from the earlier game, are still captivating and worthy of exploration, though we couldn't shake the feeling this story would have soared higher on another platform.

It manages to provide an incredibly compelling experience by consistently setting an intense mood, forgiving player errors and providing numerous options for accomplishing your fiendish goals.

Brutal Legend won us over with its complete package: the aspects that are decidedly outside “gaminess” are its strongest and most lovable. The dialogue made us laugh, and not just a little. We cared about the characters enough to feel sad to say goodbye to them. We never got bored of exploring its world and continued to do so after completing the main story.

Even when we lost matches or got crappy kill/death ratios, we were still having fun, which can't be said for a lot of shooters out there. And for PC players, you may just have the best version of the game. If you're curious at all, don't pass it up.

Mortal Kombat 11's story mode, along with its gameplay, is the most intense and gripping narrative in a fighter that I've played in years.

Every second of this game screams skillful design and the result is a liberating game world that feels open and responsive. Nearly every object in the game reacts to Lara's influence, and this applies to the gamer holding the control pad as well - it's impossible to play this game and not fall under its tempting spell.

It's a tougher recommendation if you're not into online play, since the other elements of the game are in sore need of a refresher. That aside, it's undoubtedly the most fun PES to play against friends in some time, and that's the reason you'll want to play it.

Mostly cool looks and hard work make for an eco-friendly expansion that inspires.

Even if linking up with friends is a toss, hitting the single-player with Sonic or Blaze is more than enough pandemonium for one person.

But let everyone, regardless of skill level, have the tables you’ve written on the back of the box with no strings attached. They paid for them.

A jam-packed episode that touches on difficult subjects but still has a lot of heart.

A few outdated features aside, eFootball PES 2020 marks an exciting new era for the long-running series.

Death of the Outsider uses a smaller scale to create a game that offers up its rewards quicker but without diminishing their payoff.

Prince of Persia has always been about getting through each challenge as quickly as possible, thanks to the one-hour time-limit on the game. Thus, it makes for a perfect Live Arcade action game, as it basically comes with built-in leaderboard support.

Building on the already solid (if a little claustrophobic) linear design of "Call of Duty 2," Call of Duty 3 introduces just enough new tidbits to keep even the most weary veterans in the fight.

Tekken 6 isn’t an open invitation to join the country club. The requirements for admittance are the same as ever; practice, practice and practice. Tekken hasn’t changed much here, but it keeps building upon a strong, rewarding foundation.

With more modes than you can shake a stick at and a rock-solid core basketball engine, it's a superb experience that collegiate hoopsters won't be able to tear themselves away from - even as they shake their fists in rage.

Dragon's Crown may start slow, but opens into a truly rewarding experience with each additional hour you put in. Despite some initial barriers to entry, it's still one of Vanillaware's most accessible games, catering to the hardcore while inviting in newcomers with its familiar gameplay and beautiful art.

Despite the lack of polish in the outer shell, the meat of the Sega Genesis Collection is mighty tasty and in the end that's all that matters.

For us it was a slow burn; the more we understood, the more fun we had. Once you start getting past the learning curve you'll find yourself more and more absorbed by all the complex little dramas that swirl around your nobles; you'll know you're getting there once you start feeling the urge to fill in other people on your crazy, possibly immoral medieval exploits.

A little longer, a lot tougher and a lot more elaborate than any of the previous episodes (except for maybe the awesome Reality 2.0), Ice Station Santa is a lot of fun while it lasts, and totally worth the nine bucks it costs to play.

Between its unique weapons, out-there world, and shocking late-game plot twist, there's a lot to really like even as it occasionally reminds you it's a 7-year-old game. They don't make 'em like this much anymore.

Regardless of any complaints or criticisms above, we'd still wholeheartedly recommend Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary to any diehard fan of the franchise, and with just minor reservations to everyone else.

Multiplayer co-op and competitive matches are just as much fun as they were on XBLA with modes such as racing and tag to take part in. Still, the bread and butter of n+ is the single-player ninja action and while the game can be quite a frustrating slog, it never truly feels crushing.

Revengeance is unapologetic in the way it indulges your greatest power fantasies, often doing so with such a grandiose display of style that you'll be unable to wipe that ever-present smile from your face. It's fast, flashy, and fun--and it's easy to excuse Revengeance's hiccups when even the simplest battles rival the best cutscenes in any previous Metal Gear.

Thankfully, these soldiers move with much of the fluidity of their PS2 counterparts.

Cataclismo needs a little more time in the oven to really polish up its systems, but it has great bones and Early Access will probably do it a ton of favors. [Early Access Review]

So while series fans who've been waiting to play the first full-featured Kingdom Hearts in almost five years may find their loved returned tenfold, PSP owners who simply desire to play an A+ exclusive might not get what all the fuss is about.