There is more freedom in career choices, less intense caretaking, plus a few console specific features. But the gameplay is old hat for previous console players.

Nights of Azure 2 isn’t all bad. It’s got a distinctive look and feel, which isn’t something that can be said 20+ games into Atelier. Setting aside the ridiculous clothing choices of many of the characters, there’s no denying that this game features some dazzling environments. I wouldn’t say that’s enough to offset the dialogue, bad camera controls, and leering fanservice, though. Nights of Azure 2 may represent a departure from the developer’s norm, but it’s also proof that simply being different isn’t inherently a good thing.

The game is sound on the technical side, and if you were still a big fan of the stuff, then I'd say Band Hero would be right up your alley once again. However, if you're feeling more than a little burned out at this point, and hoping for something particularly awesome from this release, prepare to be disappointed.

You will get a visual style that is like no other, the ability to perform over the top moves off of interactive environments, and score a lot during the process. This is soccer on adrenaline.

As a title that doesn't stand out in any particular category other than nostalgia, 1942 still holds up well as the shooter it is.

The whole thing is disorienting and unsettling — a lot like the movie that inspired it. Neverout isn’t the easiest game to love, but I imagine that those people who do love it will love it a lot.

I loved the mini-games, and found a lot of the substories delivered the quirky humor that I adore from the Yakuza series. I also enjoyed the combat for the most part, even if the various execution animations get a little tiring after the first dozen or so times you see them. But everything else surrounding those things is just a slog to get through. And the story takes some really weird, nearly non-sensical twists towards the end that I definitely had issues with. So I can’t say I would suggest this whole-heartedly, to either Yakuza or Fist of the North Star fans. Maybe check this one out via discount or rental, otherwise you should probably just go back and play more Yakuza.

But they are enough to make me think that, deep down, Natural Doctrine isn't all bad. Don't get me wrong, it's certainly not good, either — but overall, it has just enough things going in its favour that it's able to lift itself from "Oh God, this is horrible" to "Meh, you could do worse."

Fort Defense obviously shouldn't be your first choice if your Vita's crying out for some tower defense — not when Pixeljunk Monsters and Plants vs. Zombies are both available — but if you've got a few dollars and that particular itch to scratch, then it won't be the worst purchase you've ever made.

This isn't a particularly inventive release, and while having Frank West is certainly cool; his presence alone isn't enough to atone for some of the flaws I have issues with. I was really hoping for a bit more here, but overall I feel kind of let down by what Case West has to offer.

Gamers who have been versed in the worlds of Sly Cooper, Jak and Daxter, etc. will find the new Pitfall entry with little to offer. It sports solid, loosely Pitfall-inspired gameplay, there is just nothing new about it.

The sad part is that Nintendo nearly always nails the controls in their games, and it's disappointing to see them fail here. As such, while I did enjoy seeing the sights and blasting enemies to bits, Star Fox Zero is far from perfect.

In the end Jeremy McGrath's Off Road Racing does exactly what it sets out to, which is deliver a solid racing experience that will provide gamers their money's worth whether they are playing online, offline, or both.

An average strategy title. The simple action and battle elements will turn off hardcore strategists. But the strong story and entertaining characters will keep you from popping the disc out.

This doesn’t hold up even compared to previous portable Mario Party titles, and it’s one of the few Nintendo published titles you can safely skip this holiday season.

A decent shooter and would have been great had the character been given enough speed to match her robotic peers.

Overall the game feels a little half baked to me, and not something I'd suggest to anyone outside of the hardcore Transformer fan base.

That oddness aside, however, Chronus Arc is pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a Kemco RPG. It’s not going to wow you with anything new, but it’s solid enough that you won’t be too disappointed should you find yourself playing it.

But when ATV Offroad Fury 2 is every bit as good – even graphically, and extremely inexpensive because of its age, there's very little reason to get this version.

That said, if you’ve already played through the first game and liked it, Zeno Clash 2 is worth the $20 merely to find out what wackiness happens next in Ghat’s completely kooky and often awkward adventure.

Obviously, Trivial Pursuit Live! 2 didn’t reinvent the wheel. As I wrote up top, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a Trivial Pursuit game. But when you’ve got a game that’s as reliable as Trivial Pursuit, sometimes that’s enough. Trivial Pursuit Live! 2 won’t wow you with innovation, but it still makes for a fun way to spend a half hour.

Hopefully as we see more and more of these HD sets release, publishers start to take notice of what we expect, because Splinter Cell Trilogy HD is certainly some shoddy work.

A lackluster effort compared to the previous two games, and I think a lot more polish and thought could have went into making it more fun to play.

If you're a big fan of these niche style games, then it should be right up your alley. Nothing else about Chaos Wars really stands out, the graphics are 2D on a 3D plane, and look well enough, but the music isn't really exceptional stuff.

Gunman Chronicles isn't a terrible game, I just suspect many of us have been there and done that.

It's digital board gaming at its most basic, with a surprisingly sincere effort from a developer that seems burnt out on the genre.

It could be worse, I guess. Gear.Club Unlimited 2 could’ve suffered from the same fate as Asphalt Injection and been grind-heavy and ugly. Instead, you’ve got a game that’s just grind-heavy and boring. It works, which is nice, but with these load times, working feels like the least the game should do. The best games have some kind of exciting spark to them, and that’s one thing Gear.Club Unlimited 2 completely lacks.

This game just seems shallow in the gameplay department.