Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a suitable end to the Modern Warfare series, assuming this is as far as Infinity Ward takes the storyline. Every piece of the formula that has been used in the past game is here and accounted for and has been refined to a "T". As long as you don't expect anything more than what you are used to, you should be more than happy with the game.

This is an addictive action/puzzle game that requires skill, patience and maybe even a little luck. It provides hours of fun for next to nothing and is easily the best PSP game I've played in months!

MX vs. ATV Alive is one of the best racing games I've played in a while, and is actually a racing game I'm somewhat decent at. The Rider Reflex System didn't take that long to get used to and if you have issues controlling the vehicle, you can always go into a free roam area to practice (and get some small XP). The only thing that makes me rate this game the way I did was the unlock system. If it was based on race performance and not ludicrous amounts of XP, I'd definitely rate the game higher.

Fighting game fans and wrestling fans alike are sure to enjoy the fast paced action and insane gameplay which will keep you coming back for more time and time again. The game can be played again and again and again, it calls you back each and every time.

Sine Mora combines the best of 2D shooters with a dark storyline you have to see to believe. The result is an exciting action game that will remind gamers everywhere why they loved R-Type, Gradius and countless other horizontal shooters. Even with a short running time, Sine Mora is still a must-own shoot-em-up for the Xbox Live Arcade!

The bottom line is that Bully: Scholarship Edition is one of those games that you have an extremely hard time putting down and allows the mischievous kid in all of us to come out.

Mega Man 9 is going to give you your money's worth in the long run.

Lego Harry Potter is a massive blast from start to finish... and I mean that in every sense possible. Not only is the game a lot of fun but there is a ton to do which will keep you, and hopefully a friend, coming back again and again.

Basketball, schmasketball. NBA '07 is all about the extra game modes. Dodgeball, Skee-ball, Pop-a-Shot, Pinball! Who needs to play any basketball. Seriously, NBA 07 will be appealing to anyone that enjoys playing games and keeping themselves entertained.

They play upon an RPGers Pavlovian response toward barrel-bashing and rat-hunting, manifest one of the genre's most unforgettable anti-heroes, dutifully employ intelligent scriptwriting, and make it all a very enjoyable chord.

Follows the plot to the letter and serves up its own unique style of gameplay, but the controls need some polish. Like the console releases it has a short lifespan and little to no replay value afterwards, but it’s still plenty of hectic fun while it lasts.

A great little galaxy-exploring game, perfect for lunch breaks. It’s fast-paced, random, and quite addictive.

The multiplayer’s lack of depth compounds another problem: this game is painfully short. It spans only eight levels, and most of the replay value comes from the arcade mode, where you try for higher scores.

All in all it's been a great run, and while this ending is not the best game in the series, it's still a fun game that concludes one exciting season.

The game modes are not innovated, just your standard game modes, and it plays a lot like Quake online. There's nothing really new here, just a place to play Doom with real people.

While FEAR introduces some spectacular visual improvements, artificial intelligence, and an awesome new melee combat system the game is lacking the varied environments and game plays modes that would put it in the pantheon of great FPS games.

Multiplayer is THE way to play this game and Champions: Return to Arms adds a few twists to the series.

Again I’ll mention that there is plenty of reading to be done in-game. Rock-skipping past these elements will do you a disservice since a fair share of enrichment stems from these readings. Not to mention that several clues also reside within the texts.

Nothing about it is spectacular but it’s such a fun little platformer that I enjoyed it anyway.

Gurumin is exactly what the doctor ordered, an exciting action/adventure game full of memorable characters and fun levels to fight through. It may not be the best looking game on the PSP, but it's easily one of the best adventure games for Sony's handheld.

While LocoRoco is guilty of being overly upbeat and adorable, it's also guilty of being a solid 2D platformer that is a welcome addition to any PSP library.

A solid title that oozes replayability.

The game is simple, fun, and safe for the whole family. It may not be game of the year, but it certainly is worth a look from strategy buffs.

Given the overall complexity of Hearts of Iron, it’s surprising that Paradox found such a smooth interface. Everything is quickly available with just a few clicks or hotkeys, and helpful tooltips pop up for just about everything on the screen. After a short amount of time I was up and running efficiently, if not effectively.

A solid title that oozes replayability.

City Life adds a new social element to the traditional sim game. It takes some clever planning to keep your city’s populace from destroying each other, but the implementation feels just a bit heavy-handed. The rest of the package is high caliber, except for some questionable taste in music.

While a bit on the short side, Stubbs is an example of the innovation we need to see more of in the gaming industry. It's not a perfect game but it is certainly one of the funniest, entertaining games to come out in the last year or two.

Aside from some technical issues and a somewhat predicable story, Metro Exodus is a fun FPS with beautiful locations, lovable characters and a decent ending to Artyom's story.

Overall, Strikers Edge is an admirable fighting game that inflects a new direction in the genre. The game is still niche, and is lacking in both aspects that do it the most credit, but the end product is a marvel to be inspired by and improved upon.

Culdcept SAGA is not for everybody. This is a slow-paced game with ugly graphics, a steep learning curve, and a terrible story line. Yet despite all of those imperfections, this is one adventure game that I will wholeheartedly endorse ... just as long as you're the kind of gamer that can handle it.

Destiny is an engaging and immersive experience, albeit one that requires some serious legwork on the players half to get the most out of it. While I love it personally, I can’t ignore the lack of direction given to players which robs them of all the game has to offer. At the same time, I fully recognize that this is something that is going to grow and evolve exponentially over its lifetime.

It’s one of the best children-oriented titles to arrive in years.

Pinball FX3 is a game that makes no excuses for being a tried-and-true game with the standard jackpot fix that arcade junkies need. The “free-ness” wears off quickly and there will be trepidation for spending “X” amounts of money on multiple boards, but the challenges and rivalries will earn a bunch of those coins back. My take on Pinball FX3 is to wait for the prices to plummet on the extra boards. That infusion of 30 boards or more will make the game shine… like the quarters you once put into the machines.

Rising Storm may not be as intuitive as other similar titles or contain an extensive amount of content, yet it provides one of the more intensive and brutal multiplayer experiences on the market today.

Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots is overflowing with content. If you want to get into the game and golf, you can do that. If you want to unlock all the things, you can do that too. There's a lot to do, sometimes maybe too much. If you don't let yourself get bogged down with it, there is much golf fun to be had. You know, for everybody.

Submerged: Hidden Depths exists on its own chill plane – an exploration game that is truly about exploration and little else. Though some may feel that Submerged is lacking in mechanics, those that get onboard with its subdued vibe will find a lot of beauty in the experience. This is a gorgeous game, and exploring its mysteries is a reward in itself.

A unique twist on tower defense games is what makes Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare so fun. The monotony of standard tower defense is broken and is now a split between that and a first person shooter, though the standard defense rules are still in place. Several game modes and beautiful worlds add to the flair of the title, making this a fun choice for any Xbox One owner.

Urban Trial Freestyle 2 makes a few improvements over the original, but it’s not quite there in terms of network functionality. The connection issues I kept having as well as needing to type in a code just to download a track made that a bit of a hassle, but at least you can now share your tracks online. If you enjoyed the original game, you should enjoy the second outing with twice as many stages to dominate and more obstacles to trip up players with in the track builder.

GNOG is something of a mechanical puzzle game in that you solve the puzzles by manipulating various switches, knobs, sliders, and buttons, but the overall experience goes far beyond that. With a trippy art style reminiscent of the LSD-enhanced art of the 1960's and a unique musical sound, GNOG is a game that doesn't take itself too seriously and encourages you to just play with it, and maybe even solve a puzzle now and then.

AiRace: Xeno seems like it should be DLC for prior AiRace games, but at the same time it's priced as such, so I really can't complain about that.

The Infinity Engine 2 has taken the NCAA Football gameplay to a new level of realism, and with the improvements to the Dynasty mode, even the lack of depth that Ultimate Team suffers from can't hinder the fact that this is arguably the best title in the franchise series.

Charlie Murder is full of amazing moments you'll want to tell your friends about. Unfortunately, the repetitive gameplay and overlong story works against the otherwise fun package. The good news is that the amazing music and presentation makes up for a lot of its shortcomings.

If you’re a fan of horror experiences and want to be scared silly, Ghost Town Mine Ride & Shootin’ Gallery is a good pickup. It’ll give you a nice adrenaline rush at times and the game visually looks impressive. Limited in replay value, it’s a good title to have a lot of people try, provided they don’t get sick from the traditional walking controls.

Quell Memento is definitely worth remembering!

Death Rally is quick and easy to pick up and learn, but quickly runs out of steam. Wait for the half-off sale on this one.

Transpose treads new ground in the world of VR puzzlers, breaking away from the tried and true room escape types of puzzles that are such an obvious fit for VR. The solutions to the puzzles are dependent on the player performing and recording actions to create "echoes," then combining those echoes into a full solution. It makes good use of VR, although there are aspects of it that can cause problems for people that suffer motion sickness when playing in VR.

If you enjoy modern Resident Evil titles such as Resident Evil 7 and Village, then you will feel right at home with Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel. It’s an obvious love letter to the franchise that contains plenty of lore, mystery, horror, and puzzles. Unfortunately, the janky controls take away from what otherwise is an indie game with lots of heart and promise.

Even when I’m not playing TopSpin 2K25, I’m thinking about playing TopSpin 2K25. I’m obsessed with its gameplay, despite its online play being held back by some inconsistencies. TopSpin is a clear contender for the best sports game of 2024.

A competent first-person shooter set against the fascinating backdrop of an alternate history, technologically advanced Soviet Union. Atomic Heart wears its gaming inspirations on its sleeve, but never comes close to their greatness.

The Company Man plays out like I expected it to, but in a good way. The floors each look different, even though they look different they don’t play too differently from one to the next. Boss battles are fun and different enough that I looked forward to playing each one at the end of a floor. Some of the upgrading options felt a little slow for my taste, but I only have minor complaints to file with H.R. about the game.

The setting and atmosphere [are] cool, but some of the best ideas are marred by bad checkpointing and a story where the historical elements often feel like an afterthought. Assassin's Creed Unity is a solid action game, but a disappointing follow up to Black Flag.

Be aware, however, that OutRun2 is very loyal to its ancestry, so if you’re expecting all the latest bells and whistles in a console racer, you will be disappointed.

It’s hard not to love Phantom Breaker Battlegrounds. It’s got everything I could hope for: old school, beat’em up charm along with a heavy dose of gameplay variation and customization. I can’t get enough of the game and pray that there is more in the works for this franchise.

For the most part, Tactic Ogre: Reborn is a good game. Heck, it's a great game. But my run took me headfirst into what feels like the cheapest and most unfair change of mechanics that I can remember in my entire personal gaming history. The entire playing experience was spoiled as a result. With the review finished, I am now deleting this game from my hard drive and never returning. I feel betrayed by a terrible design choice and look at the dozens of hours to get to this point as a waste of my time.

Bit.Trip FATE is a fun game, but definitely not the best in the series. While it is a good challenge, a lot of the time it feels more tedious than fun, especially for a rail-shooter type game that literally has you on a fixed rail. While not a bad game in any sense, there are better Bit.Trip games out there.

Adventure Park provides a fun way to try your hand at creating a theme park, but that's only half of it - you have to manage it too. It's quick and easy to learn, and probably somewhat educational as well.

Alien: Rogue Incursion Evolved Edition does the best single thing it could for a game set in this franchise: it looks and feels like an Alien game. Where it also feels like a VR port makes sense and meshes well with the tone and arc of the gameplay. This part one doesn’t weigh in with the longest playtime and it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but based on this first effort the sequel and eventual conclusion of the story seems worth waiting for, and playing through when it does drop. But I would like to see the Aliens get a little deadlier, and the pulse rifle get a boost along with it.

While it lacks the portable entertainment value of the GBA version, so does it also lack the tears of frustration that can result with kids who don't deal well with unresponsive controls.

Islanders: Console Edition trims every bit of fat from the city-building genre, stripping it down to the core mechanic of plunking down buildings for points. While the controls are a bit fidgety, the chill gameplay and focused mechanics more than make up for it. Play for a few minutes or a few hours, either way, Islanders delivers.

Engrossing and enjoyable for its brief run time, Open Roads tells a quiet, witty story of discovery that spans three generations of women. Though it never veers into melodrama, I found the narrative to be engaging and intriguing. Great performances lend a realism to the well-written characters. If you think Open Roads seems like something you might enjoy, you are likely right.

Crush your Enemies! is a fun strategy title on Switch that fills a need that I didn’t realize I had. By cutting out a lot of the hoops RTS players are accustomed to jumping through, the shiny core of the genre is revealed. While the visuals might be a little low-res, the gameplay is top notch, and moving from battle to battle quickly becomes addictive. For a discount title, this game delivers an overwhelming amount of fun content. With a fun local multiplayer mode included, this is a head-bashing good time that is well worth the low cost.

You could toss chubby, pissed off avians at pig houses, but why not play something with a little more personality and depth? With Super Splatters, Spikysnail proves they are an indie studio worth supporting. You'll get a ton of creative puzzles, challenges and addictive physics-flinging for your $10. Super Splatters is one puzzler you'll want to get hooked on.

You really can't go wrong with this DLC pack and it's only $5. The Digistruct Peak Challenge may take less than an hour to complete but you can run through it seven more times if you wish. That, and over level play pretty much adds so much more content into an already huge package to begin with.

Monitoring everything from your debits and credits to your hit points and heat levels, BattleTech is brutal, fragile, smart, and struggling a little under its own weight. It has more heart than you're expecting. Couldn't stop playing.

NES Remix is a shameless appeal to nostalgia with a great premise and tons of fun, varied gameplay perfect for anyone who yearns for the 8-bit era.

I understand the hate that Pokémon Violet is getting. Frame rate issues, glitches, and design choices that make little sense are everywhere. Making characters less customizable is unforgivable. Developers saying their game is open-world when there are level caps is redundant. But I’m still having more fun than I’ve ever had in a Pokémon title. Violet takes the Pokémon formula and twists it into what I hope becomes the new normal in many ways. Three stories to play through and a UI that feels easier to use than ever before deliver elements Pokémon fans have long been looking for. Violet gave me the same emotional high that I got from the original game, which isn’t easy to do. I love being able to take on gym leaders, knock out giant oversized Pokémon, or break into someone’s hideout all in the same game. The heart of Pokémon is still here, still beating, even if the outside is full of fatty nonsense at times.

With five new characters, improved online play and extra modes, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is a great deal at $40. Fans who own 2012's model may not like buying a brand new game, but everybody else needs to pick it up on the strength of the single-player story mode.

Ys is a well-made side-scrolling hack-n-slash game with minor character development and zero loot system, but a well written story-line and easy-as-pie gameplay. There are hours of fun to be had and twists in the story you won't see coming... just make sure to bring along some other music.

Helldivers 2 is truly a game of the year contender. The gunplay and gameplay is excellent. The variety invites you to keep hoping into one mission or another. The difficulty ramps from fun barrel shoots to harried and hair-raising struggles on the edge of a knife. However, the overall experience greatly suffers when playing as a solo player. If you have a group, dive in to hell. If not, be careful out there, soldier, and watch your back. The bugs aren't your only enemies.

A revamped manager career mode and the second chapter of The Journey are both wonderful experiences, and while some aspects of gameplay have been addressed such as crossing and more tactical runs, there are still some glaring problems that weren't addressed. The game is still enjoyable, but this franchise can't rest on its laurels anymore.

While balanced in a way that forces the player to experience almost everything the game has to offer, Avowed is still a lot of fun. A great story, fun companions, and a richly designed world all contribute to an overall good time. Just remember to take your time early on, because this game wants you to see everything, and it will punish you for trying to skip ahead.

With its fun visuals, finely tuned difficulty, and inherent physicality, Blasters of the Universe stands out in the crowd of VR wave shooters. While a late-game bug was disappointing, I still had a great time and plan on returning to it. Bugs can be patched, and game design this strong doesn’t come knocking every day.

DROS is a fun game but it can be a bit too easy at times. That combined with there not being much reason outside of in-game lore to get all of the optional goals might turn some people off. However, the stages aren’t incredibly long and the game is one that can be enjoyed in spurts, plus it can be a challenge to collect everything there is to find, allowing for some fair replay value.

Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel is a bit of a rough outing for those who didn’t play it back on the Super NES and Genesis, but the port makes it a lot more accessible. The extra features menu looks a bit plain and could have been done better (especially the instruction manual), and if you plan to play without utilizing save states or the rewind feature you’ll be in for a rough time. If you’re looking for a good challenge and don’t want to shell out a bunch of money for a physical copy of the originals, six dollars makes it more than worth it to pick this one up.

Earth Atlantis mixes exploration and scrolling shooter elements to create a challenging, if occasionally frustrating experience. The map-inspired visuals are the most unique and eye-catching aspect of this game, but under the hood it’s a good distraction that works best in portable mode when you have some time to kill.

Void Crew is a game that thrives on chaos and camaraderie, delivering an intense co-op experience that rewards communication, quick thinking, and teamwork. When played with a full, committed crew, it’s one of the most thrilling multiplayer games I’ve played. But for those who lack a dedicated team—or the patience to wrangle strangers in online lobbies—the game’s steep difficulty may prove more frustrating than fun.

Smartly written dialogue, strong voice acting, and terrific graphics help make up for some technical flaws as well as a couple cases of that would offer little challenge to Sherlock Holmes. A must play for Holmes buffs, but it’s somewhat slow of pace so action seekers would be wise to look elsewhere.

Berserk: Band of the Hawk is a pretty good fit for the Dynasty Warriors formula. It keeps up the story's tension with a dramatic mission structure, and doesn't shy away from the source material's mature themes.

Magic 2014 still provides one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences out there for fans of strategy and card games.

Despite a few hiccups here and there, Mega Man 11 is a pretty solid entry in the series; While I would have liked to have seen some more challenges that weren't just - traverse the stage for the umpteenth time - possibly an endless mode similar to Mega Man 9 and 10, the implementation of the Double Gear System and the multiple difficulties make the game accessible to any player, newcomers and veterans alike.

It took a few hours to get under my skin. But now that I've gotten into a rhythm with its post-apocalyptic horror-survivalist aspects, Days Gone puts on a good little self-serious road drama.

An excellent remake of the classic arcade game.

Dynasty Warriors 9 is a fun and fresh take of the series with the familiar 1 vs 1000 action people expect but frame rate issues and no multiplayer component keep it from reaching it's full potential.

The bottom line, though, is that Madden is an enjoyable title that, while still having a few flaws, will give a football fan hours of solid gameplay.

Just Cause 3 gets away with more stunts and high-flying hijinks that, let’s be honest, even Hollywood can’t get away with much anymore. Come for the explosions, but stay for the, well, stay for even more explosions.

River City Saga has a lot of everything. Lots of people to beat up, lots of characters, lots of weapons, lots of upgrades, and lots of story. If you are a fan of the old school feel, you should definitely look into it. It's another beat-em-up to add to the collection, and contains everything you need to know about Romancing The Three Kingdoms. Check it out, if you're a fan of either game.

A lot of things can behave badly in prison, and I’m not just talking about the prisoners. But Prison Architect told me an engrossing story—and taught me a thing or two—with its tutorial and design.

Diablo-like gameplay, hysterical writing, a AAA cast, and a winning story all combine to make this one of the best kid-appropriate games of the year. Some technical issues mar the Switch version, but this game is still miles above what you might expect. Get Cosmic Chaos for your kid, but expect to take the controller yourself, as the game is just too good to sit and watch.

Pixel Ripped 1978 is another fun entry into one of the most unique series in video games, and is recommended to fans with a few minor caveats. Get ready for some spectacular visuals and effects, but also prepare yourself for some old school difficulty and a side helping of minor technical issues. Fans of the franchise shouldn't hesitate to grab this new installment, but new players should be ready for a bit of a "getting to know you" learning curve. Still, the inspired combination of Atari and ARVORE succeeds at providing gamers with a unique and delightful time-machine view into gaming history.

Aegis Defenders is probably one of the tougher games I’ve played in recent memory, and that’s all thanks to the tower defense sections. Fans of that genre probably won’t have too many issues, but newcomers playing alone might find those sections pretty daunting until they master switching characters, learning the arena layouts, and know what traps to use when. If you have a friend to play co-op, you’ll likely have a much easier time. Still, it’s a pretty good game for GUTS Department’s first outing.

Mx Vs ATV All Out Anniversary Edition pairs an accessible, almost arcade-like (in a good way) driving/riding physics model with enough realism to make it a compelling and enjoyable way to race on the new tracks included in the anniversary edition. The majority of the new tracks are long rides through open scenery, but there are also a few shorter, indoor tracks as well for those that prefer tighter racing.

An original, attractive world full of interesting beings to kill. Just oozes interesting ideas we’ll see more of in the future. Path-finding and networking bugs add a fly to the ointment.

Kingdom Hearts 2.8 is thoroughly enjoyable, even as a newcomer, but it requires a lot of homework via YouTube clips and Wiki. The characters are varied and vibrant, and the lineup includes some classic headliners. It's a great taste of what's to come in Kingdom Hearts III, but I feel it's priced a bit high for what it delivers.

The combination of multiple sensory inputs allows for a very believable environment and is the primary draw of the game.

Thymesia is a game that I expected to flop so hard given my initial impressions of the demo. But I am happy to say that the full release is much more polished and fleshed out thanks to OverBorder Studio diligently taking in the feedback of the players. Out of a sea of Soulsborne clones, it exudes just enough flavor to stand out thanks to the aggressive combat loop, robust plague weapon system, and dual health mechanic. Still, the two parry options, which require near perfect timing yet give little to no reward, need a complete rework. But hey, it’s a janky and clunky love letter to its big brother Bloodborne.

Crisis on the Planet of the Apes is fast and fun, delivering a brief jaunt into the oppressive world of the beloved sci-fi universe. While the experience is light in the narrative department, the gameplay innovation and high production values more than make up for story’s shortcomings. With the release of this game, FoxNext VR Studios have broken free of the movie-tie-in stereotype, and have established themselves as a VR developer to watch.

Soul Hackers may be a game from 1997, but it still feels like a fresh entry in the Shin Megami Tensei franchise. The cyber-punk story and compelling characters make for a great experience, and the accessibility of it all is just bonus.

It’s still a fun game but if you already have another console version, this might be one to skip unless you have friends who also pick up this version.