This arcade-style take on stealth takes a careful balance of planning and execution, and even if it’s not quite a perfect crime, it’s still a pretty darn good one.

The game has a lot going for it when everything is working properly and the handful of new gameplay elements turns Riptide into something legitimately better than its predecessor. In some ways, Dead Island: Riptide feels like a massive content patch, but considering its smarter pacing and greater visual and gameplay variety, it's closer to what the original game probably should have been.

The core shooting mechanics are engaging enough to keep you coming back, and its intriguing episodic ties have the potential to keep ark hunting interesting in fresh, original ways.

There’s a lot to appreciate here, and many good fights to be had -- Injustice actually does justice to its source material and its players.

Slender: The Arrival is an atmospheric package relying too much on one admittedly terrifying trick that overstays its welcome far too early in an already short series of events.

BattleBlock Theater is a fine little game, and though it has charm and pizazz, it also comes of feeling a bit of a sideshow, just something to pull out on a rainy day for a fast fifteen to buy a new head, play a quick match, or toy around with a level idea. You’ll get your mileage, and scratch that itch to run, jump, and punch with wild abandon, which for fifteen bucks is A-OK.

True to its fanciful food title, Guacamelee serves up a saucy mix of eclectic influences in a fresh take on a classic dish. While there’s always the risk of sampling too many flavors, the end result is a delightfully diverse game that successfully showcases a different side of itself at every taste.

The odd thing is that while Army of Two: The Devil's Cartel is clearly not a well-executed game, it still manages to be fun with a friend. It's quick, stop-and-pop gameplay with carnage and explosions aplenty. Every awkward moment and terrible line of dialogue is a potential laugh -- or two -- so it's not the worst choice for a weekend rental.

BioShock Infinite is both art-house and grindhouse, managing to offer something for everyone. There’s drama, philosophy, and shocking violence, then there’s combat, abilities, and gear -- there’s even numerically quantified damage for the stat-obsessed. It’s enhanced by thoughtful plotting and great characters and wrapped up in a beautiful world and calamitous physics. Heady and bloody, it’s a tesseract worth tackling, and even if you can see its seams from time to time, its ambition cannot be denied.

Even with numerous technical problems, Cart Life offers more than simple entertainment. You’ll cringe when Andrus’ rent is due and despite your best efforts, you’ve come up short. Dealing with the landlord is more frightening than most survival horror games and it has a lot to do with the fact that you aren’t shooting zombies. This isn’t escapism at all; Cart Life puts the trials of life front and center. For once, the player has to think about issues rather than blasting them with a shotgun.

Every haunted room seems to breathe with an inventive charm and delicate attention to detail that make this game one of the best reasons to own a 3DS. Catching ghosts is a rewarding occupation, and the vast amount of hidden collectables could have you fighting to exorcise your inner completionist. With the addition an unexpectedly inventive and enjoyable multiplayer experience, 3DS owners will be hard-pressed not to cut Luigi just a little more respect.

Review forthcoming.

The best moments arise when you stop to let it all sink in. It asks for attention rather than reflexes, and serves as a reminder that so few of these experiences exist.

It’s solid, it’s capable, it fits with the identity of the series. In short, it’s Gears.

While the omission of co-op play in this outing is an unexpected disappointment, Lego City Undercover is the best game in the series so far. It's consistently fun and surprising, offering the freedom of a great open-world game without all the guilt.

Series savants won’t be disappointed by the game’s catalog of well-constructed missions and stellar multiplayer experience, but players may still find themselves hoping for some sort of wild mutation from the franchise’s established norms.

Some of the new features are questionable, such as the throwing meter, while others, like the postseason mode, aren't fleshed out enough to make MLB 13 an instant purchase for those who are content with previous versions. Yet while there really aren't any new modes or "wow" features to make MLB 13 a completely different ballgame from previous entries, the gameplay, customization, computer AI, and visuals are too strong to ignore for even the most jaded fan.

It isn't the most serious affair, but if shooting the breeze in the bowels of the Normandy provided you with some of your fondest Mass Effect moments, you'll absolutely love this one last chance to bond with your crew.

Combines bold action with a certain level of restraint, taking a few chances but still hewing close to the familiar. The unexpected multiplayer arenas will click with some, while others may not even touch it, and only the server logs, written on ancient papyrus scrolls, will show if it has staying power.

Aside from some issues with its online requirements, bugs, and restrictions on city size, it's still a satisfying and addicting simulator that will grant dozens of hours of entertainment with one well-designed city alone. It's best played with friends, but there's still plenty of fun in store for those who go it alone, and the work Maxis has done here proves that the beloved franchise can still hold its own in a gaming world vastly different from its first appearance in 1989.

It’s clear that some effort certainly went into this dastardly devil’s creation, but Vergil’s Downfall leaves us wanting more; the inability to play as Vergil in the main campaign, much less the recently released Bloody Palace mode, is a puzzling omission given the precedent set with Devil May Cry 3.

Mirror of Fate leaves a poor first impression, but the game gradually becomes more enjoyable as you move through it. The game takes time out to puzzle near the halfway point for a welcome change of pace, and has its best moments coming at the end of the game, which you can reach in around ten hours.

Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 starts strong and has a few inspired moments, but it can’t keep up its momentum and plods through most of its material, too often asking you to watch rather than play.

A few things about the new Tomb Raider come across as wasted effort. The story of Lara’s transformation is sabotaged by the gameplay, and is frankly a little dorky, with an after-school special style multi-ethnic cast filled by lame sterotypes like angry black woman and scrap-happy Scotsman. Likewise a multiplayer mode, which nobody familiar with Tomb Raider would expect or even think to ask for, is competent but utterly unremarkable.

Lasting about three hours, this $10 first act has a hard time standing on its own.

Crysis 3, the endcap to the sci-fi shooter trilogy, recaptures the spirit of its source in an all-inclusive package wrought with the best elements from each game. And though it doesn’t necessarily exceed series expectations, it certainly doesn’t betray them, either. The only concession is the compact campaign, but it’s easy to overlook it in light of the game’s accomplishments overall. From its cerebral, open-ended gameplay and lavish visuals to its impressive scale and multiplayer execution, Crysis 3, in all of its careful engineering and design, is certifiably dressed to impress.

An amazing action game that offers a level of exacting fidelity that few can match. The short length isn’t a detractor--you’ll definitely come back for seconds given everything it has to offer. Hacking enemies to pieces hasn’t felt this good in a long time. Don’t be surprised if this isn’t the last we see of Raiden.

While Proteus doesn't evoke a sense of lasting emotional impact, it provides a brief escape to zone out and let your senses soak in its world, whether you're following your nose in discovery or simply relaxing and watching the sunset.