All in all, Death to Spies is well done, but it will require the right type of player to truly enjoy it. It has a few quirks (particularly in the user interface) that can drive you nuts, but as I said at the beginning: you were warned. Death comes very easily to spies!

Erica tells a boilerplate story—but tells it very well. With a fresh, intuitive interface and some of the best production values and acting ever seen in a video game, Erica feels very much like what it aspires to be—an interactive film. Erica is perhaps an odd experiment, but one well worth experiencing for gamers that enjoy trips off the beaten path.

A brief jaunt through a side story in the Star Wars universe is made better with some sky-high production values and some fun lore drops. Don’t expect a ton of interactivity, though it is fun to throw Stormtroopers around with the Force. A nice side mode allows for endless lightsaber battles, but the main draw is Vader himself, delivered by the game in all of his intimidating glory.

This is a solid city builder in the SimCity line with a clean interface and good underlying mechanics. The online parts, which the developer hopes to use to set it apart, require more work and thought.

Like previous versions, WWE 2K17 takes some major steps forward, but then takes even more steps backwards and unfortunately, it takes even more steps backwards than WWE 2K16. There is still plenty of fun to be had in WWE 2K17 but the nagging issues that rear their ugly heads year after year will eventually pop up and ruin said fun, once again.

Simple mechanics, tough difficulty curve, lack of feedback and a sophisticated simulation make for a mixed bag. Recommended for those with an interest in global politics, strictly optional otherwise. A better game than the original, but also more expensive, so it comes out in the wash.

Petroglyph, the modern maestros of RTS, have created a fun, accessible new entry that is a great way to get into the genre. There isn’t a lot of complexity here but the friendly art style and generous difficulty curve make 8-Bit Armies the perfect RTS for beginners.

Bye Sweet Carole is beautiful to look at, but a little tough to get through. The inconsistencies may not be enough to turn survival gamers off, but they may be too much to validate a full playthrough. If you love escape rooms, and not Dragon's Lair, hop to it.

Who knew that playing SpongeBob SquarePants: The Battle for Bikini Bottom Rehydrated would deliver such a solid dose of nostalgia? But deliver it does. Having played both versions of the game in the past week, I can attest that this is a rock-solid remake of fun but somewhat flawed game. You take the bad with the good on this one, but for the most part Bikini Bottom holds up surprisingly well.

Maneater is a solid first entry in a new open world RPG franchise. Repetitive missions and some fairly severe framerate issues hold the game back a bit, but overall Maneater is a good bit of summertime gaming fluff. You can't beat the feeling of chomping people at the beach, and Maneater provides just what gamers are looking for – fun carnage with just enough structure to keep players motivated.

I am at a loss for words when it comes to Rune Factory 5. I had a lot of fun, but it comes at a price. In order to truly enjoy the game I have to get over the horrible optimization. It’s not game breaking, but frustrating doesn’t begin to cover it. The RPG mechanics are fun, so is the farming. While not the update to the series I was hoping for, there is still fun to be had for the die hard fans who simply have to play it. Everyone else might want to enter with care.

Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is really for the dedicated, the kind that enjoy fanfiction, and repetitive gameplay.

A pared down meat-and-potatoes shooter, heavy on visceral mayo and lite on the rest of the fixings. High fidelity to its PC forebears, putting you in a vegetative killing state with interspersed spikes of adrenaline.

The game abandons some of its mechanics too quickly and the ending will leave you scratching your head, but when it comes down to it, you can count on Metrico.

Much like previous ProSIM games, I am not part of the target audience. However, I can see that those who enjoy the thrill of complex, detailed military strategies will find a worthy title to add to their libraries.

It's a gorgeous game with memorable battles. But because the game's focus is obviously on combat, no matter how pretty the towns are, they feel like backdrops for your character sheets and inventory.

Vergil’s downfall isn’t patently terrible, but just barely. It is, however, a pale shadow compared to Dante’s adventure in DmC. It’s three to four hours of gameplay that everyone who is not a Vergil fetishist can ignore and not feel like they missed anything.

Even with its issues, Agents of Mayhem is still a fun experience that anyone who is a fan of hero shooters or the previous Saints Row titles will be able to enjoy. Shooting hoards of Legion scum won't get old any time soon.

It’s a shame I can’t see myself playing more Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. It feels like developer IllFonic pulled out all the stops to make this a great asymmetrical title, including notable attention to detail with all the Ghostbusters callbacks. In single player, the enemy AI was fine, but the teammate AI was horrible, driving home the fact that I was playing alone. If I could convince four other humans to play with me, I could invest hours of time without blinking; it’s a shame this game requires five people to enjoy it properly.

Gungnir is a fine addition to the Dept. Heaven series of Sting games. It's got enough content to last a good 30+ hours, and offers an immense challenge that even tactical professionals will have a hard time tackling. Coupled with an intriguing story and Atlus' excellent localization, this game definitely shouldn't be missed by PSP owners.

Prinny 2 has the makings of another great side-scrolling action game, but is marred by crummy controls and overly difficult level designs. The incredible boss battles aren't enough to keep this light-hearted sequel from being the first big disappointment of 2011!

With its solid gameplay, good graphics, fresh music and five enormous mountains, Stoked turns out to be a truly memorable snowboarding game.

The tension ratchets unbelievably high, and the simple act of peeking around a corner can lead to coronary trauma when you realize that something is standing right behind you. Like any good rollercoaster ride, Killing Floor Incursion delivers the chills and the fun in equal measure, and is well worth the price of admission.

The Inner Friend is a game with interesting ambitions that doesn't quite gel together into a cohesive whole. While elements of the game (music and creature design) are quite stellar, other areas (puzzles, controls) suffer enough to hold the game back from what it could have been. The Inner Friend is still worth a look as an interesting experiment, just go in forewarned about the parts that don't work so well.

Earth Defense Force 2025 is a perfect game to just relax with and let your brain take a break. But if you want something that provides an old-school arcade styled challenge, this is also a great game to check out.

SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 may have a lot of games, but it's missing some of the Neo Geo's best titles.

A diverting pirate-themed ship-based shooter, Buccaneer: The Pursuit of Infamy is palatable in small bites. Just don’t plan to make an entire gaming meal out of this one.

Spider-Man: Web of Shadows is far from a perfect game, but its problems shouldn't keep you from having an amazing time swinging around the fictional New York City.