Advent Rising also suffers from its really short lifespan. Gamers can quickly move through this one in an afternoon, and the open ending keeps you wanting more, but who knows how long that will be.

Gal Metal is a game where you’ll probably find yourself playing through the story just to get to music scenes where your goal is to provide a steady, unceasing beat. Not exactly the most thrilling stuff. Different than most other rhythm games, sure — and if you love rhythm games for the rhythms themselves, there might be something interesting here for you.

So if you're looking for something new, TNA Impact might be able to fulfill that need, but don't expect it to reinvent the wheel in it's current state.

Most of the time, though, Maneater feels like a game where they spent all their creativity coming up with the premise. Don’t get me wrong: it’s a wonderfully goofy premise, and the fact I keep giving this game so many chances shows how easy it is to love. The unfortunate truth, though, is that no matter how much fun the idea of being an unstoppable killer shark may be, the reality — at least in Maneater — leaves a lot to be desired.

If you're not hung up on PvP and crafting, and prefer to engage in quests over exploration, there's a good chance this game will definitely appeal to you.

Even if you have fond memories of the original ActRaiser, I’m not sure that I could wholeheartedly suggest checking out SolSeraph. It absolutely is a successor to the SNES original, but I found myself increasingly disappointed and frustrated with the gameplay loop, and could only think of how much better the game would be if it had focused on one central mechanic instead of splitting attention between the two.

Overall, Knack provides early PS4 owners with a solid if unspectacular adventure and a decent dose of family friendly co-op gameplay. It's neither a system seller nor a must have launch title, but thanks to the challenging and enjoyable combat-oriented gameplay, it's also not the abomination that some reviewers have made it out to be. Give it a try.

While a great collectible, the Sonic Mega Collection is still full of games that most of us fans still probably own in one form or another and it is also a bit too similar to "Sonic Jam."

The game looks and feels somewhat antiquated and the camera can be frustrating at times, but there’s enough good to keep you busy for a number of hours… at least until SCEA announces a Sly Cooper, Ratchet & Clank or Jak for the PSP.

Where DW4 Empires makes its biggest advancement is in the Empires mode itself. This addition gives the series the oh, so, much needed depth that keeps it from being a monotonous hack and slash title.

Those gamers that have enjoyed the series will no doubt find Mario Party 6 a worthy addition to their gaming libraries. Likewise, those that hate the series with a passion will want to steer clear.

A good, just not great game. If you want more diversity and ability to choose the length of your evil doings, you may want to give Port Royale a spin instead.

With a storyline that captivates, graphics that stand out from the crowd, the Hulk is a licensed game that certainly doesn’t embarrass itself from a presentation standpoint.

But if you find yourself hungering for a new experience, I think Way of the Samurai 4 can certainly fill a bit of that need. Just be prepared for a little lack of refinement along the way.

In the right circumstances (i.e. significantly more puzzles), or with the right rules (i.e. making it more like hangman) or at the right price (i.e. a lot less than the $8 this is going for), Just a Phrase could conceivably have been worth picking up. But in this state, at this price? You can almost certainly take a pass.

Really, my biggest issue with the game comes from the pacing, and while I agree that slowing things down compared to a typical action title isn't a bad idea at all, at the same time I think that you need to spice it up a little bit instead of just having a player run from spot A to spot B over the course of five minutes or so, with nothing to do in between.

If you enjoyed the movie, I'd say the game is worth checking out, but beware that it can really aggravate you at certain points. I'm not sure I'd suggest buying it right off the bat; I would definitely go with a rental first.

The most annoying part of Balthazar’s Dream is that a lot of care and attention went into it, and with a few tweaks it could have been much better. The way items like hydrants and vacuums play such a key role show a real commitment to the dog theme, and the overarching narrative — about a dog sitting at the hospital bed of his master in a coma — could’ve been heartwarming. Instead, though, you’re left with a game that can’t get out of its own way. In the end, it doesn’t matter how cute Balthazar’s Dream could’ve been; when you have a platformer where the jumping is a pain, no amount of adorable pups will save it.

Lastly, with 30 levels, you would think that there would be plenty to do in Frogger. Unfortunately, the levels are simple and short, so the length of the story mode won't last more than an afternoon.

Unless you are a fanatical college football fan, there is no reason to own both NCAA 2K2 and "NFL 2K2." NCAA 2K2 is merely "NFL 2K1" with A.I. improvements, and a new coat of paint.

It's neither as interesting as Street Fighter IV or BlazBlue, or as infinitely playable as Marvel Vs. Capcom 2.

If you were a fan of the first and are happy with the “more is great” attitude, then Flatout 2 is for you. Everyone else, this game is just a rental if just for the mini games and destruction derby arenas.

Who among you is a fan of the old school games that forced you to learn boss patterns, enemy locations, arbitrary death, to the point of I'm-gonna-throw-this-joystick-out-the-window-and-bean-some-poor-schmuck-out-for-a-Sunday-stroll frustration? Well, here's your game.

The bad news is that most of the levels play a lot like the first few, and that doesn't make for much long-term entertainment.

Rivals does a great job of proving its worth when all the gears are turning, but with the rate its gears fall out of sync, it's tough to call it a solid step forward for NFS.

The controls are decent, but FPSs just don’t seem to work the best on the standard GC controller; That C stick is just too tiny.

If you skipped 2K18 based on my review last year, you can feel safe in knowing this year’s game is worth playing and 2K made the best title they’ve made in years (but is that really saying a lot?).

It’s a sign of how terrible the first Woodle Tree was that, even with all these issues present in Woodle Tree 2, it still represents several massive steps forward. Really, that probably means you shouldn’t get either one, but if you absolutely have to get one of the two (for some inexplicable reason), Woodle Tree 2 is definitely the one to get.

I still don’t think that’s enough to justify the game’s existence on the Switch, particularly when it’s twice as much as it is on mobile. If you’re in the mood for a game where you almost literally do nothing other than spamming your attack button for a couple of hours and getting not much out of it, Trouserheart may be the right game for you, but it feels like there are much better ways to spend your time and money.

This is a disappointment for me, Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is a game that I was truly rooting for this year. I have enjoyed the previous entries in this series and this one had the potential to rise up and make a name for itself among other powerhouse titles. Unfortunately performance issues and a weak story plague what is at its core a good game, built on solid mechanics. I feel that with time this could grow into the game that was originally anticipated, but the question will be whether bad blood is already present. If not this game, then perhaps the next one will take this foundation and truly grow it into a game that I can wholeheartedly support. Until then, go into this one with realistic expectations and enjoy the combat for what it is.

What can't be fixed are the statistical glitches that really keep the game from being fun. Things such as shortstops getting saves, games not counting, etc. are commonplace. There is nothing more frustrating than having a good baseball game with a terrible stat bug.

All in all, Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in disguise is definitely a mixed bag. I enjoyed the story, love the characters, and I’m happy to see more of Francis York Morgan’s weird adventures. But actually playing the game to get to the good stuff never feels great either. Technical improvements would help a lot, but wouldn’t completely solve the mundane mission design, tongue-in-cheek fetch quests, or subpar combat encounters. So altogether, I can’t wholeheartedly recommend this game to everyone. I think you’ve got to come in with a willingness to look over a lot of issues just to get to the good stuff, and considering how many amazing games are available right this second, that’s going to be a pretty hard sell.

A Hero's Tail isn't a revolutionary game. It's not bad, either. It's just very simple. It seems just simple enough, in fact, for children who are at least learning to read and have the motor skills to follow relatively easy control instructions.

Though “frustrating” probably overstates how strongly I felt towards Professor Lupo: Ocean. It’s a forgettable puzzle game that may be interesting if you loved the original and want more of its world, but otherwise, you needn’t bother with it.

Sonic Team tried to include something for everyone in Sonic Adventure 2 Battle, but in the end all that variety ends up altering what made Sonic games so special to begin with.

The season mode will provide a good amount of playtime, as will multiplayer competition, just do not expect anything beyond these two features as this year’s Madden on the DS is as bare-boned as it gets.

Once I made it past that initial stage of astonishment, I made an unfortunate discovery: the single-player game, as designed, just isn't much fun in the long term.

Lastly, with 30 levels, you would think that there would be plenty to do in Frogger. Unfortunately, the levels are simple and short, so the length of the story mode won’t last more than an afternoon.

It's a fun little artistic diversion and a nice way to show off how accurate the PlayStation Move can be.

It's pretty good. I'm just waiting for EA to revamp all their games and give sports fans something new. Until then, you guys might want to change your catch phrase to... "EA sports, it's still the same."

For a minimal price, I guess you could say that it neither overpromises nor underdelivers, which is good, but considering it’s not even one of the Vita’s better casual phone ports, I don’t know why you’d want to bother.

A fun action adventure game with some redeeming qualities and a likable main character... if you can soldier past the not-so-fun parts and overlook some of the design flaws and engine issues.

The graphics are it's worst quality.

Frictional Games are an ambitious bunch who hopefully continue to learn lessons about storytelling and when to leave behind the crutch of a past success. Their strong suit may have been in horror at some point, but sometimes moving forward means leaving something behind. In the case of SOMA, they've traversed far into the future without leaving the past where it lies.

Story withdrawn, Blade & Sword does do very well what it was made to do, be a kick butt hack and slash title.

The only thing I didn't like was the chainsaw melee engine. On one mission, you're forced to use the chainsaw in a revenge situation and the control is just difficult to get used to. The range is very short as it should be, but you can't move quickly while sawing so if you accidentally start sawing too far away you really get messed up.

I was quite disappointed when I realized that this is "Spec Ops" game in name only. From a gameplay perspective it's basically a throw-away of everything the franchise was about, instead opting to amalgamate it with the rest of the homogeneous military-action titles currently out there.

If the game is for you or not, one thing is for sure…the experience far exceeds Jurassic Park 2, nuff said.

I can't see the value here, outside of the level editor. If you're content to buzz through the single player without posting up the best times/result, you'll finish it in about four hours, and the co-op mode being offline only feels pretty limited in scope.

By no means are the sprites lackluster, but they simply lack the detail and fluid animation which other titles of the genre shine at (Guilty Gear, Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom).

If you’re a fan who doesn’t usually play the WWE games or someone that hasn’t picked up an entry in a few years, 2K17 is a great buy with a huge roster of past and present superstars. Fans that stick with the game every year won’t find as much to keep their attention this year, despite some great gameplay improvements.

The problem with State of Emergency is that it doesn't advance in any way. The things you're doing in the beginning are the same things you'll be doing at the end.

A fun romp for the short time you’ll have with it. The game is quite short in length, but not short on fun and excitement.

For one thing, it's a 3D platformer/action game on a system that is sorely lacking in such things. For another, it still looks and sounds wonderful; even though I'm hardly a Disney fanboy, the way the whole world pops off the screen still fills me with feelings of fondness for the game, however misguided those feelings may be. That's not enough to make me go in the exact opposite direction and recommend the game unequivocally, but it is enough for me to say that if you go into the game with no expectations whatsoever, you should, at the very least, find it to be passably decent.

The novelty of the thing wears off kind of quickly. And once it does, there’s not much to do but wait for the flash-forwards to reveal the game’s ending. It’s a shame, because The Longest Five Minutes starts off so well — but, at the same time, it makes the title oddly ironic, since the five or so minutes in which the game seems genuinely interesting and fresh are over far, far too quickly.

There are unique concepts in the game that hardcore gamers should enjoy tweaking. Though the routine campaign missions, lack of multiplayer audience, and un-novice friendly interface might have some players looking elsewhere.

There are definitely areas that the game could see some serious improvement, but overall, I'm not entirely disappointed in this old school revival attempt.

As it stands, you really only need to play each character once to check out their special moves, say “cool”, and move on. Great license, great production values, and a mediocre fighter, that pretty much sums it up.

There’s enough merit to the stage designs and standard controls that make this something worth playing, but not in that must-have day one way that tends to mark a quality Nintendo release.

Which is how, ultimately, I arrive at the same place as all those people who disliked Valkyria Revolution for very different reasons than me. I may not share in their distaste for the game's move away from turn-based combat, but I definitely agree with them that this game features far too much pointless talk to be engaging. It's quite possible that a judicious and frequent use of the "Skip this scene" feature might uncover a game worth checking out, but that's making players do the work that the game's creators should've done in the first place.

I will never object to bringing back older titles to modern platforms, but not everything needs to be dusted off and placed on digital storefronts. Moto Racer MC isn’t necessarily something that should be left in the annals of history, clearly I found the omake mode to be worth playing, even if I find the single player modes unfulfilling. A silver lining for this is maybe it could lead to other ports of TG-16/PC-Engine titles, although the stuff I want to see are IPs owned by Konami (Bonk’s Adventure).

If you can get by the shoddy visuals, there is plenty of life in this game to merit the 50 dollar price tag, including a bevy of courses, challenges, and an online mode that is just as basic as the game itself, but at least its there.

It at least achieves being middling, which is certainly a lot better than some visual novels could aspire to. In fact, couple it’s average-ness with the fact that it’s short enough that it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and you can see why, if you squint just right, Autumn’s Journey is totally passable.

Jam Sessions is a neat idea and a unique way to tinker around with your DS, but if you aren't a hardcore musician, I can't see anyone finding much appeal in this title.

Just about the only reason you might want to play Sun Wukong VS Robot would be if you’ve played literally every other metroidvania you can get your hands on, and you’ve reached a stage where you’ll play anything as long as it’s functional. (Even then, though, you can still play this for free.) For everyone else, you can skip this one pretty safely.

If you're a fan of the Metroidvania genre, Song of the Deep isn’t a bad pick up, but it might be worth waiting to see how good Head Lander is if you only have money for one side scroller this month.

Of course the real draw of Daytona is the fast and engrossing game play, and never before has shaving seconds off your time ever meant more. Every missed turn, hit wall or jerk off AI opponent who screws up will come into play and it is up to you and your reflexes to overcome it all. The controls remain tight and learning each track is crucial to your success.

Lastly, with 30 levels, you would think that there would be plenty to do in Frogger. Unfortunately, the levels are simple and short, so the length of the story mode won't last more than an afternoon.

The game does look good, plays great, but just is too shallow to recommend.

What makes all of this especially strange is that you get the sense Tin & Kuna could’ve been a fun game if it had stayed out of its own way. It’s a bright, colourful world filled with fun-looking characters, and the level-based gameplay means it’s the sort of platformer you can drop into and out of easily. What’s more, the levels are a good size and feature a good amount of variety in their island landscapes, so under different circumstances, I could totally imagine wanting to explore every bit of the game’s little world. If it had been less ambitious — or even just made it so that you weren’t expected to roll one ball with another ball — it’s easy to imagine how the game’s charm could have made it a sleeper hit. But instead, Tin & Kuna is built around the most frustrating mechanic imaginable, and it’s impossible to enjoy as a result. It may look like a happy 3D platformer, but dig just below the surface, and you’ll see that it’s nowhere near as fun as it could be.

While there are lots of cases of newcomers need not apply when it comes to JRPG franchises, I’m hard-pressed to think of any where it works quite as well as it does here. Summon Night 6 is geared towards fans of the first five games, and seeing as the first four of those never made it across the Pacific, that should tell you everything you need to know.

It feels kind of weird to describe a Hyperdimension Neptunia game as being for fans only — since, after all, “being for fans only” often feels like the point of the whole series. In this case, however, it feels even more appropriate than usual, since Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls really is just for fans of both Sega Hard Girls and Hyperdimension Neptunia.

It has some pretty visuals and solid voice acting, but at the end of the day, there’s really not much more here than trying to give historical import to snapping that perfect Instagram moment.

If you’re a fan of Ghosts’n Goblins, maybe an unbalanced challenge is what you’re after? Still, it’s hard not to feel like there are other, better ways of scratching that particular itch than with Swords & Bones.

If you are just a casual fan, however, you may be turned off by the level of difficulty and realism the game provides. I'm happy to see the Brunswick series back, I just wish it was the version I played 10 years ago.

Reed 2 is pretty much exactly the same as the first game. However you felt about Reed Remastered — whether it’s love, hate, or complete and utter indifference — will be exactly how you feel about this one, too.

You will find this game most enjoyable, but lacking the visual and audio flare you’ve come to know and love out of your PS2.

Holds it own as a fun, easy to pick up soccer title.

It's by no means a bad game, just an unoriginal one, and if you want a Zuma clone for whatever reason, it will more than do the trick.

The length is less to blame than the overall design as an RPG, where players will notice things such as a striking contrast between pacing when considering how strong the story is. Stick of Truth’s main concern ultimately lies in its ability to match a good game to a really entertaining premise, which is a far more alienating factor than whether people like your show.

Cel Damage HD definitely has the fun part down, but without anything that keeps you coming back to it, it's hard to give it a full-throated recommendation.

So while I didn't love The Fancy Pants Adventures, I won't say that it's not entirely without merit. It certainly has a bit of charm to it, and the ability to jump in and play some co-op through the entire game with a friend is a nice thing to have.

Younger players will probably enjoy 102 Dalmatians' characters and its decent but standard play mechanics. Older or more experienced players will prefer a different game.

If you were a fan of the original, this is essentially the same game with redesigned graphics and textures. For newcomers willing to look past its shortcomings, Legend of Kay Anniversary is a fun and solid platformer at a great value.

Boom Ball 2 was an enjoyable experience despite its technical flaws, with an upbeat soundtrack and vibrant color palate. I enjoyed getting up off the couch and playing a game with my wife late at night, but as for the actual quality of the product I was not astounded. At $9.99 you might get a few hours of enjoyment if you play multiple times and try to beat your own high scores, but if you are looking for something to play through once and move on from I would recommend waiting until it hits a summer sale and drops down below $5.

Nanostray is a technological marvel that winds up being a fairly large disappointment.

I suppose, though, that if you play Attractio with the volume turned way down on a less-than-amazing TV with absolutely no expectations of anything above mediocrity, it has some solid enough puzzles that it might be somewhat worth your time.

There are definitely areas that the game could see some serious improvement, but overall, I'm not entirely disappointed in this old school revival attempt.

I’d be lying if I said I enjoyed Rover Mechanic Simulator as much as I do some of those other simulators. It’s harder to get in one of those grooves where you just lose all track of time – and not being able to do that means you’re constantly aware that you’re just completing mundane, time-consuming tasks over and over again. That might be the joy of some of the better simulators, but here it just feels like a chore.

CastleStorm Definitive Edition is a fun game, but playing it in VR is something I cannot recommend. If you already have the original release, then you are gaining nothing with the VR version. This feels more like it could have been added to the original release as DLC rather than being it's own download. If you are really hurting for more VR games in your life, this might fill some kind of void, but there are much better offerings than this.

The animations are far from being fluid, and the PS2 version of High Heat suffers from some severe slow downs during gameplay.

I had a hard time pulling myself away from the RoC mode, even though my instincts were telling me I was tired of playing it. It has that kind of affect on you, even though it's only a slightly above average race engine.

The relatively mediocre DS version of his puzzler will most likely be the only exposure that most gamers will get to what feels like an amazing design.

I got used to the game. I even finished it. This was partly because I learned how to compensate for the game's shortcomings but it was largely due to the fact that it's a lot of fun.

More time has been spent on making sure Project Eden included as many smart, engaging puzzles as possible, rather than incorporating half a billion polygons and the latest in vector shading techniques.

Metal Gear Acid is a decent tactical card battling game, but it is not a true Metal Gear title, and for me I expect no less.

A slightly above average romp on home consoles that won't be too challenging for the age group of 13 and above.

Mario Mix is a worthy addition to your library if you have kids 6 to 12 that would like to dance and don't mind doing so with Mario and company.