While the lackluster shop mode doesn't deliver anything fun or engaging, the rest of the game is still just as enjoyable as its predecessors.

The lack of notable stars, the flat atmosphere, and the by-the-numbers career mode are disappointments. Yet, for better or worse, it's the control scheme that ultimately defines Top Spin 3. Once acclimated, you'll find that it brings you closer to the on-court action than any tennis game before it, but it’s also unforgiving.

UEFA offers a solid game of soccer with no glaring flaws, a slightly steep learning curve, and a deep amount of play options that should keep most players satisfied--at least until next year's installment hits the market.

Complemented by absorbing environments and evocative imagery, Homefront's presentation succeeds in immersing players in its plausible nightmare. Sadly, a weak script, unremarkable gameplay, and a short campaign undermine much of the promise in solo play.

The controls suit the system, with a surprisingly smart option to touch on-screen icons to turn the camera toward potential threats. The stealth play and covert killing is fast and satisfying but when blades clash, things can get awkward. You're eventually given a reversal move can quickly end fights with weaker enemies, but there's no running away from certain fated confrontations, which are almost always prolonged and clumsy.

It’s great to see Formula 1 come back to the North American gaming scene, and Championship Edition is a very solid entry. But it’s a bit disappointing that, outside of the shiny new PS3 graphics, F1 still has all of the same problems we were seeing in these games years ago.

Though better than most, Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces doesn't quite have the lasting power or polish to set it apart from the high fliers in the genre. For most prospective pilots, it's a decent rent, but if all you care about is smooth controls and shooting down bogies anime-style, then this is your bag.

The lack of any online functionality hurts the bottom line, but the series has never been renowned for its multiplayer components. This is the perfect chance to get acquainted with StarFox if you've missed out after all these years, but this classic game from the 90's is merely a good game today.

The high-quality presentation, touch features, and substantial cache of content that includes ad-hock co-op and an addictive Conquest mode should please repeat customers and perhaps even bring a few newcomers to the battlefield.

Its truncated length is a deterrent to a full price purchase, and its head-to-head options are unique yet limited.

There are many things to see in this land, but wandering around can feel empty.

UEFA offers a solid game of soccer with no glaring flaws, a slightly steep learning curve, and a deep amount of play options that should keep most players satisfied--at least until next year's installment hits the market.

The vicious combat is a lot of fun, and building your army and laying siege to the enemy is a compelling experience in an action game setting. If it didn’t run out of ideas so quickly and had a smoother presentation, Viking could have struck an even mightier blow.

Sonic Rush Adventure more or less hits all the notes we’ve come to expect in a good Sonic game. It stays largely in safe, familiar territory, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

If you enjoy creating your own shows, forming your own factions, and designing your own stable of pro wrestlers, you'll view WWE 13's creation suite as the best there is, the best there was, and possibly the best there will be, with options more diverse than Mick Foley's wrestling personas. Yet the gameplay, AI, and controls have not significantly advanced from last year's title, making WWE 13 more uneven than the "People's Eyebrow."

Its truncated length is a deterrent to a full price purchase, and its head-to-head options are unique yet limited.

Who would’ve thought there would ever be day when a new Guitar Hero release would be met with such a tepid response? Maybe it’s the price, maybe it’s the looming threat of Rock Band, but at the end of the day, Rocks the 80’s fails to excite.

The more straightforward design of Lords of the Fallen puts more focus on combat than building an interesting world. Players may be less likely to get lost, but the game lacks a sense of wonder and isn’t helped by its dull narrative and recycled enemies. Still, the solid mechanics are a step in the right direction.

Edward’s trip to the park is no picnic, but suffer through the controls and some aggravation and you’ll be compensated with a lot of unique moments. The game needed more gestation to really iron out the interface issues, but it remains an adventure worth pursuing.

Despite a distinct look and feel, Hohokum doesn't live up to its more ethereal aspirations.

The vicious combat is a lot of fun, and building your army and laying siege to the enemy is a compelling experience in an action game setting. If it didn’t run out of ideas so quickly and had a smoother presentation, Viking could have struck an even mightier blow.

Burial at Sea is a worthy return to Rapture, but by the end you’ll wish you could’ve spent more time absorbing the sights and sounds of the city’s unspoiled areas. The grand tourism of the game’s opening versus the constant combat in the rest of the DLC creates a disconnect that makes both halves feel underdeveloped. Hopefully episode two will mend the tear of Burial at Sea’s two disparate parts.

The game has a solid set of mechanics and challenging gameplay, but it doesn’t make much of an effort appeal to casual fans looking to get a taste of meticulous tactical maneuvering. If you’re thirsting for a challenge, you’ll find it. If you’re hesitant to join up, this isn’t your war.

MySims Agents is a solid entry in the series filled with memorable encounters and characters. Fans of MySims Kingdom will certainly enjoy the change of setting. While older players will breeze through it and yearn for more things to see and do, younger ones will enjoy the minigames, agency customization, and quirky cases.

The sporadic moments of greatness, when you’re storming enemy walls or have finally brokered a peace agreement, are swallowed by tedium. With patience, your inner imperialist is satisfied as you skillfully cultivate a sprawling empire. It’s too bad you have to put up with so much to get there.

For a work that prides itself on its story and your role in it, Beyond: Two Souls can’t help but make you feel a bit inconsequential in the ultimate scheme. The looks, the action, the acting, will have you see Jodie and Aiden through to the end, but not without shaking your head at what feels like a missed opportunity, bandaged by ghostly pranks and callbacks to more established games and movie staples.

If there’s anything that sticks out the most in Penny Arcade Adventures’ presentation it’s the art, and rightfully so. Mike Krahulic’s trademark style looks great with the in-game portraits, and even better in motion thanks to the game’s bevy of gorgeous animated cutscenes that seamlessly work your avatar into the action.

A game that has definite charm. Just don’t count on its effervescence to produce a long-lasting result. Despite its pretty package, many of the game’s strongest points are marred by incongruities that keep it from excelling in a genre where excellence has already long been established.