Ubisoft Romania has done a great job in making a sequel that one-ups its predecessor in every way, from innovative gameplay in a by-the-books-genre, to a full-bodied multiplayer experience.

Ubisoft Romania has done a great job in making a sequel that one-ups its predecessor in every way, from innovative gameplay in a by-the-books-genre, to a full-bodied multiplayer experience.

MySims lacks some polish and depth, but the sheer amount of customization will definitely busy any would-be virtual impresario looking for a town to call their own.

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.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror was a great PSP game, but the chop job done to the title on its way to the PlayStation 2 really hurts the product's overall quality.

Warriors Orochi combines the characters and features of two successful franchises into one game, but the convoluted crossover storyline, unimpressive production values, and lack of major innovation aren’t likely to have new players ready to enlist.

Warriors Orochi combines the characters and features of two successful franchises into one game, but the convoluted crossover storyline, unimpressive production values, and lack of major innovation aren’t likely to have new players ready to enlist.

With all of these musical elements in tow, gorgeous cel-shade graphics with fantastic designs and fluid animations round out the package for a complete storybook aesthetic that’s a refreshingly fluorescent sashay away from the gravelly grays and browns of next-gen post-apocalyptic realism.

If you attempt to plow through the goals you’re going to come across a few of them that will get your blood boiling, and there’s an incredibly steep learning curve to overcome. But if you just want to cruise around popping ollies and laying down grinds, or session a spot to squeeze every last line out of it, it’s easily the most realistic representation of the sport yet.

With just seven hours of play and little replay value it’s the ultimate rental. While it includes a few new ideas, it isn’t a revelation that will rock the world, but it’s still one of the better action games available for the PlayStation 3.

While Fatal Inertia fills a niche that hasn’t been addressed yet this generation, it does so with very little style or substance.

Kengo: Legend of the Nine alternates between boring players and murdering them. There is some satisfaction to be gained from multiplayer matches, but there’s not really enough variety to make it worth the price of entry.

Stranglehold is trying to hijack a two-hour action movie and stretch it out into a seven-hour game. The concepts are great, the controls work, and there are plenty of cool things to do, over and over again as a bad ass cop. But keeping that sort of intensity is a challenge all its own, and throwing endless waves of enemies at the player isn’t the way to do it.

The lack of narrative finesse and the toning down of the scripted events was a good call. It’s not quite the open world shooter that was promised, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

The lack of narrative finesse and the toning down of the scripted events was a good call. It’s not quite the open world shooter that was promised, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Lair is one of the PS3’s biggest disappointments so far. The potential was great, and the core gameplay isn’t bad. But instead of the fantasy epic fans dreamed of, the final product comes across as a short and unsightly mess.

The 40 dollar download feels about 10 bucks too much on principle, especially with the lack of a single-player campaign and only five maps. But this is simply the best online experience on the PS3 as of now.

While it's not the next-gen opus fans have been waiting for since Sakaguchi's departure from Square in 2003, Blue Dragon is a familiar, accessible, and comfortable game with outstanding production values.

More of the same, sure. But considering how much more fans are getting, that’s hardly a knock against the game. And even though games of this type almost require internet capability, there’s plenty of grinding to be done and you’ll get a lot of play time for your dollar, provided it’s your cup of tea.

On its tenth anniversary, the series has managed to come up with its biggest and brightest entry yet with a stock of engaging battles, quirky cutscenes, and slick shooting.

Your enjoyment of Eye of the North will depend largely on your own personal desire to collect trinkets and doo-dads while following a reasonably interesting story.

North American gamers who aren’t rabid Gundam fans, or Gundam fans that demand at least a solid game experience to go with their giant robots, or even fans of the Dynasty Warriors series should approach this battle with caution – sometimes you have to pick your battles.

North American gamers who aren’t rabid Gundam fans, or Gundam fans that demand at least a solid game experience to go with their giant robots, or even fans of the Dynasty Warriors series should approach this battle with caution – sometimes you have to pick your battles.

It does a good job of recreating timeless fairground classics, and because they are so recognizable, this really is a game that you can play with friends and family members of any age and they’ll instantly get it.

Tiger Woods 08 will definitely give you your money’s worth when it comes to sheer play options.

Tiger Woods 08 will definitely give you your money’s worth when it comes to sheer play options.

The original "Metroid Prime" is one of the highest-rated games in existence, but Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is easily superior. It’s far less frustrating, and more action packed, while managing to redefine console shooting controls in the process.

The atmosphere, the water, the story, the architecture, and the perfectly tuned challenge all come together to create one of the greatest experiences of this generation of consoles. Rapture is awaiting. Bliss is inevitable.