Purposely frustrating, Spelunker HD offers a lot of game to work through, straddling the fine line between good difficulty and rote memorization for an entertaining enough throwback, but one that few will end up finishing. Idle thumbs need not apply.

When compared to the typical Japanese RPG, Persona 3 feels like a breath of fresh air.

The ability to manipulate the world is executed well, and it really does drive the experience into a realm much more fantastic than you'd expect from a skateboarding game. We just wish the story and campaign were better conceived, and the fact that the free skate mode is locked till the end is rather disappointing.

As far as Kinect dancing games go, Dance Central is still the better ticket, but if Dance Masters' distinct Japanese feel and set list move you, it may be worth a look.

It doesn't quite reach Ico's levels of quality, but it emulates the formula well enough. This is one friend request you should give careful consideration to.

Splatterhouse successfully exploits its grisly horror aesthetic by linking it to aggressive and cathartic gameplay, but fails to build a genuinely good game around this central idea.

The only way Shred won't make you want to tear your hair out is if you play the game on the casual setting, during free ride, and with low expectations.

Though five new levels are fewer than 10, Cataclysm is nonetheless the most radical game-changer the World of Warcraft has seen yet.

Most of the characters, courses, and board types are also locked away from the outset, so getting to any of the worthwhile content is a test of your patience and endurance. The presentation, meanwhile, is average at best. Ultimately, you'll find little value in Adrenalin Misfits. Seek your Kinect thrills elsewhere.

Those with a keen eye for the nuts and bolts of puzzle composition will walk away moderately enriched by this effervescent anthology of game design haikus.

Playing games should be fun, but you'll find absolutely no joy in Ken's Rage. The mindless battles and atrocious combat are a sad mockery of the source material. If you're foolhardy enough to bite on this, you'll find yourself quite literally able to relate to its furious protagonist.

With sub-par controls, an unattractive presentation, and nothing to do but fight the same simplistic and unrewarding fights over and over again, Fighters Uncaged is a stumbling failure, akin to a fighter who's doomed to a forgettable career as a low-ranking amateur.

Maybe one day, they'll come out with a motion-controlled game that captures the frightful excitement and immediacy of being in a fistfight. But that day has yet to come. Not even the grizzled charmer Danny Trejo can salvage this trainwreck.

Pigsy's three hour adventure isn't perfect, but it's an entertaining side-story for players interested in a slower, more strategic take on Enslaved's combat mechanics. Like its slovenly hero, Pigsy's Perfect 10 comes off a bit sloppy, but it has a good heart.

This is one Blu-ray collection that's begging you to shred its cellophane wrapper like a raccoon would do to some delectable trash bags.

The first movie's cult status will draw people into Tron: Evolution, but the single-player campaign's repetitiveness and the unmemorable multiplayer action point to a game that's best enjoyed as a rental rather than a purchase. Tron: Evolution isn't a total failure, just a disappointment for fans hoping for something as innovative as the original film was back in the day.

It's taken a long time for this sun to rise again, but Dark Dawn is a substantial RPG that will appeal to both newcomers and veterans.

GoldenEye 007 has a surprisingly impressive single-player campaign that remains true to its roots despite deliberately rewriting the script. The multiplayer doesn't break any barriers and it's weighed down by performance issues, but it's still fun for a few rounds in the living room or online.

The total amount of worthwhile content makes paying full price for most other games feel like a crime. Treyarch has closed the gap between its games and the Modern Warfare franchise with boundless customization, a keen sense of what makes the formula a success, and listening to fans. You won't regret answering the call once again.

It's a clever and challenging platformer that consistently hits the sweet spot between fun and frustration. You're guaranteed to rage in a few stops, but at the end of the day, it's still good to be Kong.

It's a matter of focus, as the most important aspects of the game are absolutely incredible, even as many areas fail to meet expectations. The range of driving experiences it presents you with is enormous and the depth backing it up will make you fall in love with cars you've never even heard of before.

Though it may not paint precisely by the numbers laid out by more substantial action games, Epic Mickey succeeds in crafting a deep, story-rich adventure in which choices ultimately matter. It's a shame that the minute-to-minute gameplay doesn't quite measure up to the rest of the package. Nevertheless, Epic Mickey is grand in scope, replayability, and charm.

The game definitely captures the frantic vibe of the later Potter stories, but there are still enough miscues to hold it back from doing the source material justice.

The single player game has its high points, but it's an inconsistent facsimile of its HD counterparts. Meanwhile, the multiplayer is a huge step forward for the platform despite the absence of a few features. Call of Duty: Black Ops delivers the Wii's best online experience yet.

The multiplayer component definitely has its moments, but serious players will be turned off by how random it can be. For the series to remain elite it will need to evolve, but for now, its unique premise and core gameplay are more than enough to make this brotherhood one worth joining.

The multiplayer component definitely has its moments, but serious players will be turned off by how random it can be. For the series to remain elite it will need to evolve, but for now, its unique premise and core gameplay are more than enough to make this brotherhood one worth joining.

With a story that feels half-told and an execution that's barebones in every way that matters, it's difficult to recommend Blood Stone.

Overall, the DS version of Sonic Colors is certainly better executed than its counterpart on the Wii. If you're looking for a portable platformer, you could certainly do a lot worse.

Apart from a few brief glimpses of hope, Sonic Colors is a bit of a disappointment. Haphazard levels and unresponsive controls have been the bane of 3D Sonic games, and Colors does little to address these issues. It attempts to mask its shortcomings with shiny new trinkets that only briefly distract you from the glaring flaws.

Much like the original Guitar Hero, Dance Central nails the essence and charm of its ambitious format in its very first act.

Kinect Adventures is good enough fun for a couple of nights, but it's by no means the most exciting or novel use of the hardware at launch. For that, look to games like Dance Central or Kinectimals.

It would have made a nice pack-in, but package ends up feeling uninspired, relying on little more than the fast-fading novelty of motion controls.

While those expecting a more traditional gaming experience will be turned off after the novelty wears thin, Kinectimals is perfectly suited for the younger ones in the household, particularly those who can't keep a real pet.

On one hand, Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 is a serviceable sequel that genuinely tries to stretch the limits of its design, but lackluster new features, poor follow-through, and gameplay that has yet to evolve past its prehistoric husk make it clear that the series has some serious thinking to do.

The whole experience is even more remarkable at its price point of $10. Sure, clearing towns might get a little stale and the occasional blip of aimlessness is annoying, but the outstanding writing and attention to detail more than make up for any pockmarks on this putrefied gunslinger.

Time Crisis: Razing Storm's arcade gameplay lacks the challenge and variety needed to make it worth replaying. And rather than trying to advance the genre for a home audience, Namco has opted for a cheap imitation of Western FPS games that feels completely out of place.

For Rock Band 3, Harmonix revisits its roots to create a risky and adventurous music game that re-blurs the lines between fantasy and reality--but not at the expense of a fundamentally terrific experience that's accessible to most anyone who plays it.

It's easy to recommend Fable III to anyone who enjoyed the second game. It's very similar, but the story is stronger, the decisions you make have more gravity, the coop is vastly improved, and the design forces you to sample everything the game has to offer.

There's just no finesse required to overcome the overwhelming odds the game throws at you. You can definitely add quite a bit of flair to the slaughter, but in the end, there's no disguising the routine, monotonous action at the heart of the game.

Ultimate Nina Storm 2 is definitely an improvement for the series, faithfully utilizing its source material to create a fun, striking game. The online multiplayer is still a work in progress for the series, and while not all revisions are for the better, there's plenty of content stashed into the package to make it a worthwhile pick up.

We'll make no bones about it: Super Meat Boy is a masterful platformer packed with multitudes of cool stuff, and it will keep you playing well longer than its bargain price tag would suggest.

Fluid combat, well-designed levels, and boss battles that will remind you precisely why you love the series in the first place make Ready at Dawn's second entry in the series a God among portable games.

Costume Quest is a bit shallow and repetitive, but if you're looking to get into the Halloween spirit with a bizarre sense of humor, it's not a bad pick for 15 dollars.

There's a surprisingly big game here.

Bogged down by inelegant motion controls, frustrating gameplay, and a sheer lack of content, Kung Fu Rider is a hard sell for Move early adopoters. The concept may sound enticing, but this is one downhill race you'll definitely want to sit out.

As a solo experience it can come off as repetitive and robotic. When played against friends it's an absolute riot.

It manages to nail the tenets of its genre, but with few trimmings. It's so blunt in its approach that it makes many other military shooters seem fantastical in comparison. And while the level of reverence shows respect for the subject matter, it's aimed a little too squarely at military buffs. You'll feel like you're painting by the numbers as you paint targets.

The small improvements, like the extra save slots and crafted weapons, are just that--small improvements. The joys of co-op are obvious, but not always available. If you can deal with dead time and like kill counts in the thousands, let the dead rise so you can lay them to rest.

Potential replay value is fairly high.

Rapstar is a solid singing game that would benefit from more fleshed-out features in future installments. More on-disc songs, more video display options, a more robust career, better editing functions, and an improved presentation would go a long way toward moving this title from an "on point" rating to "off the chain."

EA Sports MMA comes out swinging with a solid first entry, but only time will tell if its defining features will truly sustain the game over the long term, especially with regards to its bold decisions when it comes to online play.

The game's production values--from the artwork and voice acting, to the music and video sequences--are among the best in any handheld game to date.

NBA 2K11 is easily the most impressive version of the series since 2K7, offering just the right amount of improvements and additions to make it king of the court.

Enslaved's length is about standard for this day and age, but it still feels like it's over all too quickly. It's one of those rare games in which the majority of the experience feels imperative and consequential.

Wii Party excels when it comes to variety and accessibility. With a large number of engaging mini-games, and several stand out modes to choose from, you'll have plenty of fun with it, especially with a group of friends.

Judged as a pure action game, Evolved isn't bad, with its strong customization element letting you blow things up any way you see fit and creating action that satisfies on a basic level. Unfortunately, Square Enix has squandered many of Front Mission's strengths, and the game falls well short of its potential.

Fallout: New Vegas is a hugely satisfying game that manages to put you into a believable world that you have a great deal of influence over.

Vanquish is a sleek, focused action game with every individual element tuned for a demanding, fast-paced, and highly enjoyable experience.

It would have been easy to just pull together another list of mashups and call it day, but DJ Hero 2 has gone above and beyond the typical music game sequel. From the engaging head-to-head options and easy going party play to the increased emphasis on player creativity, it's an improved experience all around.

There's not much to Sengoku Basara: Samurai Heroes and it pales in comparison to other similar games out there. The large-scale premise is squandered by poor enemy AI and boring combat, and it simply doesn't do anything sufficiently interesting to warrant your attention.

This year, Pro Evolution Soccer fans are being treated to the best entry the series has seen in quite some time. Ultimately though, the adjustable gameplay is still a bit too arcade-like for simulation fans to take seriously, and the lack of authentic clubs is a deal breaker for many.

It's rare for a visual direction to have such a profound impact on gameplay, but the two are seamlessly interwoven in Kirby's Epic Yarn. It's certainly not one of the more challenging platformers out there, but it's a breathtaking experience nonetheless.

It manages to nail the tenets of its genre, but with few trimmings. It's so blunt in its approach that it makes many other military shooters seem fantastical in comparison. And while the level of reverence shows respect for the subject matter, it's aimed a little too squarely at military buffs. You'll feel like you're painting by the numbers as you paint targets.

Playability has shot through the stratosphere.

Were it not for the questionable pacing, this initial outing would have been a brilliant debut, as the fundamentals are certainly there. If you're determined to experience it for yourself, rest assured that there are some great moments in this new Castlevania--just be prepared to endure some tedium in getting to them.

For everything the game does right, though, there's the pervasive, underlying whiff of a brand in crisis.

In all, it's a complex recipe that just isn't prepared in the most appetizing way.

FIFA 11 doesn't deliver anything truly revolutionary, but it does improve on nearly every aspect of an already-stellar game. It'd be nice to see something truly revolutionary for the franchise in next year's installment, but considering that FIFA 11 is the most polished, refined entry in the series to date, it's hard not to recommend it to even the most discerning of football fans.

A decent set list of guitar-driven tunes, as well as many of the solid holdover features from the last game, amount to negligible compensation for the lack of meaningful additions.

Flawed, unoriginal, and dated, it's tough to look past its failings.

Even if you don't passionately follow Formula 1, F1 2010 is fantastic for those interested in investing the time in each race. Sadly, it's not as polished as previous Codemasters games, and it requires you to be willing to work around some serious bugs.

Even if you don't passionately follow Formula 1, F1 2010 is fantastic for those interested in investing the time in each race. Sadly, it's not as polished as previous Codemasters games, and it requires you to be willing to work around some serious bugs.

Final Fantasy XIV is in no way, shape, or form ready for commercial release. We suppose there is potential down the line for the experience to improve with patches and tweaks, but that doesn't justify why the game is in such shambles at launch.

Civilization V is a brilliant expression of the turn-based strategy game by the undisputed masters of the form. It's a great entry point for newcomers, and veterans will delight in all the wrinkles and refinements.

Tumble has the broad appeal of any good puzzler, though it will tax your manual dexterity in ways Tetris never dreamed. Like any good puzzle game, there will be some frustration, especially with the novel contortion element.

Now four games into the series there's no denying that the campaign is starting to lose some of its moxie, yet there's just enough revelation here for fans to cling to. But let's be honest. You're going to decide to buy based on its multiplayer component and this is where it delivers in spades.

The end result is a game that feels unrefined as a whole. You can certainly power through it if you're determined enough, but it drags the experience down nonetheless.

A serviceable showpiece, but there aren't a lot of modes to explore, and the short-lived mini-games get repetitive pretty quickly. It's fun in short bursts, but it doesn't approach the staying power of the most memorable party games.

It's a decent enough showcase for the hardware, and most of the games are genuinely fun, especially with friends, but it's hard to recommend without reservation when you consider how much it'll all cost.

With its deeply satisfying series of campaigns, solid battle and progression systems, and a worthwhile multiplayer component, you'd be foolish to pass this one up.

More than in years past, NHL 11's enhancements will be noticed by a select clientele. It's a product of fan feedback and number crunching, but for that core group of fans, most of the cheese has been cut, making for a rewarding game that's greater than the sum of its updates.

More than in years past, NHL 11's enhancements will be noticed by a select clientele. It's a product of fan feedback and number crunching, but for that core group of fans, most of the cheese has been cut, making for a rewarding game that's greater than the sum of its updates.

A classic 2D brawler that's easy to pick up and enjoy, and it doesn't take itself seriously, with plenty of self-parody to go around. The adventure is over too soon, but if you've got a soft spot for this lighter version of the Dark Knight, don't let that stop you from suiting up.

The unique controller is fun for a while, and if nothing else, it might inspire a few players to pick up the real thing. There's some novelty to the peewee experience, and the pared-down gameplay makes a lot of sacrifices, but hockey devotees will find little more than a passing diversion here.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimension lacks the variety to sustain its 10-or-so hours of length, and the imagination to truly make good on its multiple-worlds concept. The experience is serviceable enough, but it won't inspire you the way that the best superhero games can.

R.U.S.E. succeeds as a solid RTS with a fun focus on deceit, even if it's a little more conventional than we were hoping for.

What stand out the most H.A.W.X. 2 are the annoyances and spin-cycles of flight combat. The dogfighting neither feels particularly realistic nor particularly fun, and as a result, the most enjoyable missions are the ones that avoid air to air conflict.

It's the perfect blend of something old, and something new, something borrowed, and something blue.

Though it may not completely reinvent the pet sim, Eye Pet's novel use of the hardware proves that even an old dog can learn new tricks.

The decision to give Samus a voice is sure to be controversial thanks to the ho-hum script, and this coupled with a plethora of side characters clamps down on the feeling of isolation. Even so, it's a solid game from top to bottom that rolls the dice several times without them ever coming up snake eyes.

Case Zero makes a lasting impression when it comes to slaughtering the undead. However, given its short two hour duration and the oppressive race-against-the-clock structure, it's hard to recommend without qualification.

The five or so hours it takes to escape this den of iniquity are rife with high caliber direction. It balances the new gewgaws with the series' hallmarks to deliver a fitting send-off of BioShock's under-the-sea story.

Though the presentation isn't up to the original's stellar standards, the core of what made Valkyria Chronicles such a breakthrough is preserved and refined in the sequel.

Shank sure sizzles, but it isn't much more than a flash in the pan.

Taken for its strengths, Mafia II delivers a rich slice of 50's mob culture with phenomenal atmosphere and solid gameplay that's easily worth experiencing. But if you're expecting the generous breadth of the best open-world games, the absence of extracurricular activities will be a bit of a disappointment.

An exceptional game that's in no way restricted by its modest price tag or status as a downloadable game.

The gunplay is tighter and the online features are better, but even as a measurable improvement over the original, Kane & Lynch 2 feels like it's still catching up with what others in the genre have been doing right all along. It isn't quite the blockbuster it intends to be, but it is a competent if unexceptional shooter with unmistakable flavor and interesting online modes.

One of the true steps forward for the franchise. Some annoying issues have finally been rectified, the presentation has received an overhaul, and the brand new GameFlow play calling requires some work, but provides a worthy payoff. Couple all this with great running and tackling and you have a product that's worth full asking price.