Salvo! is fun, but I just didn’t become hooked. I can see this appealing a lot more to those interested in historical naval combat, but for me it just wasn’t enough to keep my attention for more than a handful of hours.

You'll be hard pressed to stretch your total playtime past half an hour. The worst part of it is that it's actually pretty good, but as soon as the story feels like the prologue is over and it's time to take off, you get kicked right to the title screen and it's all over. I have no idea what the plan was here, there is so much potential between the source material and implementation but at the end of the day well not even that really, at the end of 15 minutes of gameplay, it just, well, ends.

Bladestorm Nightmare is neither interesting to play nor good looking in any way, shape, or form. There are books that offer more visceral medieval combat than this. Seek those out and do anything else with your PS4.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 adds too many half-baked ideas to the original game's elegant framework. The result is a game that is half good, half frustrating, and all tedious. Just about every good idea in this game is held back by something that isn't quite finished or just plain doesn't work.

There is a lot of fun to be had with Marvel Heroes as long as you don't expect it to mirror the deep experiences of its action-RPG brethren. Fans of the comic book world will certainly enjoy spending some time stepping into the shoes of their favorite heroes, just expect to pay a little bit (or a lot) if you want to be the biggest heroes.

Prime World Defenders is a lot of fun and one of the best tower defense games on the market. Its problems lie more in the lack of refinements on some great ideas.

If you’ve played any of the previous Tenchu outings you have already seen most of what is in this game.

Fans of the boardgame, especially those unable to easily find opponents, will have a lot to like here. And while the single-player game lacks the punch of facing off against real people, it does allow players to hone their Diplomacy skills and take their game to the next level.

A touch of paint was added to Star Wars: Republic Commando, but the brush was small. Gameplay feels just like it did in 2005, which is great because of the solid foundation, but this enhanced port can feel like it runs slow at the worst times. By not changing much players might be better off remembering the past with rose colored glasses.

What could have been a solid action game is marred by a number of technical problems and repetitive level designs. Young gamers may enjoy the memorable characters, but everybody else will find the inconsistent frame rate too frustrating to enjoy. Perhaps Flyhunter Origins should have stayed on iOS.

A good story with good cinematics held captive by terrible performance and bad gameplay. There are some good narrative moments in The Dwarves, but they aren't worth suffering through the game. Just read the book its based on.

One of the best car combat games of the 1990s has been reduced to an arcade game with awful control and terrible glitches.

If you decide to give A-Men 2 a try, make sure you have plenty of patience. This is a VERY difficult game and you will probably be pulling out your hair as soon as you start playing.

This is it Touhou fans, this is where it begins, with a pretty middle of the road action adventure game. It may not be the bullet-hell salvation we were all looking for, but it's a good start, and hopefully paves the way for more Touhou games in the future.

Wii Play is about the best reason to pick up an extra Wii remote, unless you have four already.

If you were jazzed on the hype that King of Fighters XII initially had, calm down. This game has a pretty face, and that's about it. A competent fighting system with nothing else to offer makes for a pretty short and shallow experience.

Typoman is a challenging, if at times frustrating platformer with a great core concept. It relies too heavily on trial and error and the controls could be a bit tighter, but the puzzle design and stark, haunting aesthetic more than make up for any drawbacks.

The frustrating AI ultimately ruins what could have been a decent PSP brawler. It would take an extreme amount of patience or loyalty to the Naruto brand to even see this game to the finish, especially when it's a side story of the franchise.

If you're a dedicated Dragon Ball fan, look no further than Raging Blast 2 for your fanservice.

The conjuring house has confusing, repetitive level design and cringe-worthy voice acting, but the scares are hard-hitting and the gameplay is a constant risk balance of exploration and self-preservation. It’s not a great horror game, but it does have some great moments that make its relatively brief campaign memorable.

It's often frustrating and lacks online multiplayer, but I still enjoyed playing it. Check it out for a change of pace but expect some turbulence in this PSN flight adventure.

Monster Harvest is retro in how it looks, which is great, but also in how it plays, which isn't as great. The gameplay doesn't feel addictive enough for a farming simulator, and the monster battle portion feels tacked on. I had fun with the game, but I never felt drawn into the world.

In playing this game, your humble reviewer found that at first, it was a lot of fun. After repeated butt-kicking (in which the reviewer was the kickee) some of the bloom came off the rose. Thoughts started wandering through the reviewer’s head. The (few) non-sexual ones included: “I’d bet this would be more fun in multi-player”, “This might make a good gift for somebody new to RTSs”, “Do I really need another WW2 RTS?”, and “I’m hungry”.

The game play is far too simple, the stories are predictable, and the sum of all its parts never quite comes together to create a compelling portable game.

The platforming is tedious at times, with you controlling both the boy and his shadow, though figuring out how to get through each area isn't all that difficult. Sadly, the game is somewhat short, only taking a few hours to get through. But if you're playing with someone, it can make for a fun afternoon.

Plagued by the exact same issues that hampered its predecessor. There's a huge difference though, it’s the year 2005 now and people expect more out of their videogames.

With new restrictions on multiplayer communication undermining the only reason to play a video game version of Uno, there's no reason for you to play this instead of just playing with a deck of cards.

The Legends games are just awful, no matter which way you look at them.

Captain America: Super Soldier on the Wii isn't as bad as some people claim. While the combat is somewhat repetitive, the upgrades actually help you and the ability to counter attack is useful when surrounded. The graphics aren't anything special, but the gameplay somewhat makes up for it. This is probably one to rent first, but for $40, it's not that bad.

Three unsatisfying modes do not make a full package. A decent story mode is kneecapped by terrible racing, the racing "arcade" mode doesn't have the saving grace of story moments, and the Playset—which could be its own standalone product—is undone by a lack of basic figures and Quest 3's memory restrictions. Hardcore fans will find some fun here, but everyone else is likely to be frustrated by the game's lack of focus and inability to deliver on its own great potential.

Here's a game by a company that knows a thing or two about making fighting games, but you'd never know it by this product. The game just doesn't feel like it's finished, and lacks any of the appeal that made these characters popular in the first place.

Unless you’ve already bought this as part of a season pass, don’t waste your money on Curse of Osiris until Bungie actually changes direction, and I’m not talking about executing their proposed changes which painfully miss the mark yet again. The base game of Destiny 2 is a great shooter for 50-60 hours of solid content on your first play through of a redemptive story. But there is no endgame to keep going beyond that and there isn’t anything packaged into this DLC than enhances that initial experience. At this point, if you’re desperate for a looter/shooter then either fire up Destiny 1 again, watch Anthem videos on YouTube and hope for a brighter Q4 2018, or else maybe go give the Division a chance. It had a dumpster fire launch but can be had on the cheap now and I hear it’s become a very good game in its current state.

The story takes a while to actually become relevant, the tournaments can be a bit difficult in the early going, the digging can get repetitive, and the difficulty can spike from “easy as pie” to “I got one-shotted” rather quickly. However, my experience with it wasn’t all that bad and I did overall enjoy it, but having never played another FF game this might not be the best introduction to the series from what I’ve read.

Although Genesis Rising has some interesting ideas, poor design decisions bury this title quickly. There’s promise here, but that soon turns to disappointment.

It misses the full potential but turns out being enjoyable. Check it out if you're a fan of the genre. If you can overlook poor dialogue and mediocre voice acting, there is a fun adventure game to be found.

Onechanbara Z2: Chaos never really forgets where it came from. As a result, it's mired in some pretty simplisitic gameplay and storytelling. If you're a fan of the series, then it's worth checking out. Otherwise, you're better served by games like Devil May Cry.

This sweet little comfort game is an adorably cozy little farming simulation. Difficult to learn at first, but easy to play as you continue on. Grow crops, sell them to the townspeople, make money, restore harmony to the island. And best of all, adopt cows and chickens! But unfortunate technical issues that cause the game to randomly lock, resulting in a repeated loss of progress, eventually took their toll. I'm hoping the game's issues are resolved so players can actually enjoy the charming experience at the core of Sugardew Island.

Breach will test your patience, but gamers who need a respite from other shooters will find a reliably enjoyable experience.

Nether has a lot of potential to be a great game, but unfortunately it suffers from odd design choices that make the gameplay experience an exercise in repeat frustration.

On paper Rocketmen: Axis of Evil sounds like fun, but we've played this game far too many times before.

Sumioni is a mixed bag. While it is a solid action game in terms of its foundation, the overall execution of the idea and obtrusive touch screen controls prevent the complete package from excelling.

Spiderman Friend or Foe is obviously an attempt to cash in on the holiday rush. It doesn’t have the variety necessary to keep anyone playing for long, and the presentation is average at best.

Despite its propensity for insignificant plot points, I can’t wait to play Dead Island Riptide again. I’ll return for the desperate bid for survival, and stay for the stories that emerge as a result.

While it isn’t winning any graphics awards (not that it's terrible), Eclipse: Edge of Light still manages to achieve VR greatness. With a few simple mechanics, Eclipse allows the player to experience its eerie, lonely world in ways that feel tactile and rewarding. Highly recommended for fans of trippy sci-fi, Eclipse stands out from the crowd in all the right ways.

Even though I found myself somehow drawn in when I played, it often felt more like work than play.

It won't blow you away, but you should be entertained enough to appreciate the effort.

Edge of Time fails to deliver a satisfying experience in both areas of gameplay and presentation. The short duration of the campaign and lack of replay value result in a game that can hardly be recommended for a rental.

Catlateral Damage isn't a cat simulator, really. It simply takes the shove-things-off-the-ledge aspect of a cat's personality and runs that concept into the ground. Different cats don't do anything different, and different rooms don't feel all that different either. Cute for a little while, and fun for a couple swings, but boredom set in before I'd even unlocked every cat or wrecked every room.

Dark Alliance has the core of a fun game, but many design decisions and some very spotty enemy AI prevent the game from fully taking flight. While the game still feels early, there is some fun to be had running around and taking advantage of Dark Alliance's many issues. But with time, this game will become a mid-tier action adventure—which is exactly what it should be.

This is a huge step backwards for not only Guitar Hero, but the music genre in general!

It’s without a doubt that Wanted: Dead is oozing with style and glamor thanks to its immaculate art direction and addictive hybrid combat system. The cherries on top are the included shmup, claw machine, and karaoke minigames that simply add more drip to the overall experience.We don’t get enough games like these nowadays and I’m all for it. Unfortunately, there's just a ton of technical performance issues at launch that need to be addressed immediately.

If you must have a Kung Fu Panda Wii game, consider Legendary Warriors over the first game only if you absolutely must have multi-player capability.

Best in small doses, Dawn of Mana continues the downward trend in what really should be a flagship series after the strong start it received back in the SNES era.

Because it's such a small game, there isn't all that much to it; it's not a game with something for everyone. Still, even if you're interested, remember that the game is only two hours long, even though it's a very focused two hours, some people may feel they have overpaid for the amount of content they are given.

The gameplay is slow, sluggish, clunky and terrible. My Career doesn't feel like a career mode at all and all of the gutted creation modes and match types really just sealed the deal for me.

While it may not have a lengthy playtime or genre-defining mechanics, Choo-Choo Charles is nonetheless an impressive project created by a single person. If you’re craving some dumb spooky fun centered around upgrading your own train whilst trying to derail a demon spider locomotive (a very specific craving, indeed), then look no further.

I think this game will appear to WWII or history buffs, real-time strategy fans, and anyone with a strong patriotic streak.

A cute concept is not enough to save Jungle Rumble: Freedom, Happiness and Bananas from being a disappointing rhythm-action game. Tapping the screen is fun at first, but too many of the levels play out the same way, and the whole ordeal becomes too repetitive for its own good.

However, the bottom line is that it feels like it was rushed to the market to coincide with the release of 2008 show schedule.

Earthfall is a solo or multiplayer FPS that pits four remnants of a human town against some underwhelming aliens that are rampaging and at times swarming. It will not stand out from the other dozen games of its type but it is another reasonable choice that - at least - doesn’t require lessons.

This game plays a fun game of soccer and one that anyone can enjoy… even the non-soccer freaks.

A disappointing addition to one of my favorite fantasy series. Poor AI, questionable design decisions, and a surprising lack of challenge mar the venerable Disciples pedigree.

A solid, but safe fighter, Naruto Shippuden Shinobi Rumble is great for anyone looking to pick up an easy and enjoyable fighting game.

This is a World War II story that’s thankfully less of a bunker blockbuster and more of an ethically exploratory ride through a side of war rarely explored in videogames. Now if only they could’ve gotten the videogame parts right…

The length of the game means you’ll beat it in a week if you really sit down with it and commit a few hours a day, but you’ll be feeling deja-vu the entire time you play. Isn’t this enemy near the end of the game just like one I fought way back at the beginning only a different color? Why yes, yes he is.

The writing is predictable and cringe worthy and the combat is boring and dry. Somewhere beneath its surface lies a polished game. Its unfortunate the flaws are so deeply ingrained within the game that they cannot be ignored and it breaks the immersion.

Werewolf is firing on all cylinders when it lets you take on a wave of enemies, turning them all into puddles of jam. You don't have to think too much about the gameplay, and that gradually becomes a good thing. If this came out 10 years ago, I'd be thinking about it more during end-of-the-year talks.

Port Royale 3 is an often frustrating experience as a result from its lack of in-game communication regarding both gameplay mechanics and mission objectives. Add a confusing controller setup and lackluster graphics, Port Royale 3 is a hard recommendation to even gamers that enjoy real-time strategy and city expansion gameplay. The few moments that do offer genuine entertainment are simply not enough to even recommend Port Royale 3 to longtime series fans.

The motion controls actually feel like they were thought out, not just slapped on, and they work much better than "Red Steel."

Roving Rogue is okay, but I got bored after awhile. Once you learn how teleportation works, there’s not a lot of challenge, as any enemies introduced as the game progresses are easy to either defeat or avoid entirely. If it ever goes on sale in the eShop I’d say give it a shot, but if you’re looking for a challenge, you'll want to look elsewhere.

A watered down port of an already weak console fighter clone, Shrek Superslam on the DS offers nothing new and a number of frustrations and disappointments to boot.

Despite Thor: God of Thunder's terrible movie-gameness, I cannot totally bring myself to hate it; after all, I legitimately enjoyed the combat. Sure, it wasn't "good" by any accepted definition, but I did find it fun. Unfortunately, the rest of the game is just unqualified terrible.

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is competently built, attractive to look at in some areas, but rather bland in others. The gameplay was approachable and the difficulty curve was shallow, so players experienced in the genre may find it to be too easy to provide a meaningful challenge. Conversely, players new to the genre, or those that aren’t especially good at it, will likely find it to be more engaging.

Spelunker HD proves that this is one classic game that deserves to stay buried!

Garfield and his Nine Lives offers a simple and entertaining platforming experience that is sure to make the kids happy. There are a couple combat quirks and the graphics have a few hitches, but it doesn't spoil the product. Game Factory has done its job and fashioned a fun little game, no more, no less.

The game has its fair share of aggravating glitches, but manages to simulate the feel of the show and offer up a substantial crime scene experience at the same time.

Bar one or two genuine scares Perception doesn’t cut the mustard when it comes to horror, a lot of the animations were boring and didn’t intimidate neither me nor brave Cassie. Perception fails to deliver on the horror side, but boasts clever mechanics and an engaging but flawed narrative. The artstyle is original and works perfectly with the darkness and echolocation mechanics.

While the game is billed as a dreaded party game (usually hit-or-miss), Viva Piñata Party Animals is able to blend the beauty of Piñata Island and it’s original cast a characters into a playable game that is both entertaining and fun to play in a group.

I’ve had a lot of ups and downs with this game. One the one hand, the people playing RFO are awesome. On the other, the game itself is not so great. It lags, there are bugs, and its definitely not a game you can just pick up and play. I, however, am addicted.

Bloodshore continues Wales Interactive's streak of entertaining interactive genre films, this time in the exploitation late-night action arena. With a fun battle royale plot, a few twists and turns, and some gnarly violence, Bloodshore provides several runs worth of solid entertainment. Cleaner in editing than some recent efforts, Bloodshore is a step in the right direction for interactive films.

There's very little to love in Vancouver 2010, Sega's half-assed attempt to make a must-own game out of the 2010 Winter Olympics. This dud features confusing controls, lackluster events and only a couple of hours of gameplay.

Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator proves that not every occupation can become a worthwhile video game simulation. It’s infested with bugs and soulless gameplay, making it more of a mundane taxi than a crazy one.

Perfectly capturing the feel and look of the nadir of a 30 year-old-franchise, there is much to like about the single-minded offering of Predator: Hunting Grounds. Unfortunately, however, that joy and nostalgia is soon lost in repeating the same, limited experience ad nauseam, and doing so around a frustrating user experience. It's not a bad game, and is fun for a weekend, but it doesn't offer enough to justify it's price tag. This whole 4v1 experiment seemed to have already been tried and failed with the much more ambitious Evolve. I can't see how slapping the Predator franchise logo on the same concept is really going to keep a player base going.

An absolutely basic game that does nothing to impress the player. It doesn't do anything terribly offensive, it's just a bore to get through and is over far too quickly.

It's the kind of game that is perfect for the PS Vita, as it works in both short and long sessions.

The atmosphere is what makes this game. The emotion of the plot succeeds in some places and stumbles in others. The puzzles can be frustrating at times, but not because they’re impossible to complete, more so because they seem like filler to extend gameplay time. Overall, the experiences are memorable for the feeling they create in the player, but not much else.

Short Peace: Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day is an action game and short film collection in one. This PlayStation 3 oddity tells a baffling story that features a seventeen year old girl with an eye patch and a violin-themed sniper rifle on the hunt to kill her father.

Tenchu Z proves that just because ninjas and video games are a perfect fit that doesn't mean that all ninja games are fun to play.

Tasomachi: Behind the Twilight is nice and relaxing—and that's about it. While the game is nice to look at and listen to, there's very little challenge and, for a collect-a-thon, I can see where that can turn some people off. If you don't mind a simple game then the budget price tag might not seem too high. But if you're looking for a challenge, you definitely won't find it here.

Miami Law could have been an edge-of-your-seat adventure game, a mash-up of 24 and Hotel Dusk. Unfortunately it takes too long getting to the point and is rarely fun along the way.

Zenses Ocean delivers six solid puzzle games wrapped in a soothing, high-quality presentation. The game is a bit pricey for what you’re getting, though.

While the innovative ProStroke golf swing system goes the whole nine, it's got a ways to go before it makes it all the way to the 18th.

Redfall is a bigger and much more deliberately paced game than I was expecting. Fun in multiplayer, I found that I enjoyed it even more solo. Creeping around with a sniper rifle, shooting vamps with stake launchers from afar, I was able to play Redfall as a stealth game, which was highly enjoyable. Some technical issues still need to be ironed out, but there is a lot of fun here for folks that vibe with the spooky open world.

A revamping of a game notorious only for its infantile humor back in a time when such a thing was considered cutting-edge may seem like folly, but that is only because, well... it is.

Empyre: LordS of the Sea Gates offers an innovative style of gameplay to liven up the RPG nature of the game. The writing is well above average and does a great job of setting the appropriate tone and, at times, is quite witty. Combat is approachable in the early stages, but becomes increasingly difficult as the game progresses.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 is a game that just wasn't ready to be released. I believe there is a near future when you're going to find this one in the bargain bin or on a deep discount in a digital sale, after the numerous bugs have been patched and that multiplayer is added in, and then there will be an opportunity to enjoy a solid experience. This is not a AAA FPS but it does deliver some good moments when it works, has very good gameplay mechanics working for it, finds that balance between open world and engaging set pieces, and is presented through an interesting environment. However, the single player plot remains atrocious, there is no multiplayer, and in it's current beta state it's just not yet worth it.

My only major complaint is the lack of mini-games. While the two present can be fun in their own right, I would have loved to see a few more for variety.

The biggest problem with the game, however, is the repetition. After the first few missions, most of the game settles into "kill monsters, build town, repeat."