There is a lot to love in Ratchet and Clank, but it also comes with its fair share of headaches. Levels are short and linear, and leave little desire to stay on them any longer than you have to. While weapons are interesting and unique, they often come with the added weight of being hard to aim. It’s beautiful, funny and fun, but also, short and stale.

A good game with high production value, but it is just too repetitive and boring as you go through wave upon wave of the same enemies using the same punches and kicks every time.

Those who have fond memories of the original Pitfall! will relive some of those memories upon booting up the game. However, the simplicity of the original game is lost later, and it becomes more of a puzzle-solving, rope swing timing game.

Don’t dismiss this game just because it is a budget title, it’s definitely got some hook to it. If these guys had a bigger budget, this would be a hit.

Assuming you can look past the clunky controls, bad camera, frustrating difficulty and so-so graphics, there's some fun to be found here.

In this day of me-too action games, you could definitely find something worse than Chili Con Carnage.

However, standing alone, Telltale Games can and has done much better than Chapter 5.

At $39.99 any fan of Silent Hill should enjoy Siren: Blood Curse.

Unfortunately for Konami, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 doesn’t have the benefit of coming at a highly reduced price tag. Konami is working against a stream of influence and licensing deficiencies, but has failed to work what it does have into a good product. Unless you are dying to play two soccer games, or have the burning desire to customize, Pro Evolution Soccer 2014 is best left on the shelves.

On one hand there is a fantastic immersive horror title that captures the environment perfectly. On the other hand, you have a game that is filled with bugs and leads you with both hands tied through the whole game.

FEAR2 is a game that is evolutionary and not revolutionary but also seems to take a step back in many departments. The ending leaves the player hanging, Alma doesn't really make as many appearances as in the first game, the dumbed down AI, and the lack of a multiplayer community might spell death for the game before it even starts to take off.

Transformers: Decepticons feels exactly like what it is – a handheld multi-platform game that was rushed out to meet the deadline the film’s release date.

It’s definitely worth a look if you’re after something a little outside of the ordinary, and is certainly worthy of at least a cautious recommendation.

BR4 can be fun with friends and those new to the fighting game genre, but the lack of depth and the button mashing controls don’t help BR4 against the high standards set by other games in the fighting genre.

DarkStar One is a fairly big (and dangerous) world; while it isn't always the prettiest game nor does it host a wide variety of missions like other contemporary sandbox titles, the important thing to know is this: for a 4 year old port it still manages to bring something new to the table that is fun and the combat works, and in the end isn't that exactly what we want out of our games?

Transformers: Autobots feels exactly like what it is – a handheld multi-platform game that was rushed out to meet the deadline the film’s release date. It certainly taps into the nostalgia Transformers brings out in fans, but so does the movie itself, which is vastly more entertaining.

I was never one of those Minesweeper fanatics, but this game takes an old concept and moves it forward into the 21st Century. You sure do get a bunch of gameplay from a five dollar title and that makes it worth it!

Priced on release day at only $15, this game is a worthy, if flawed, tribute to the 90’s PC gamer that can be enjoyed by the old-school and new-school alike.

The game really falls flat, and feels more like a hack and slash title than a superhero game.

The game is very monotonous after the first couple of levels, the graphics are inconsistent and the motion controls don’t always work. So if you’re a Wii owner and a fan of slower paced survival horror games then give Cursed Mountain a shot. Everyone else should probably rent it before they buy it

I question people paying $50 for a game when they might get the feeling of "been here, done that". Vexx's biggest problem is the camera, but you can overcome it as long as you have patience.

As with Neverwinter Nights, community will drive this game and a lack of it will easily kill it. Hopefully the community will pull together with Agetec's help (perhaps through a contest or something) and this game will give both classes of players plenty to do.

This game is for those of you that love franchise modes, but not necessarily for a pick up and play game. The gameplay problems really hurt this game, especially from the defensive perspective.

Ultimately I would recommend Black Rock Shooter: The Game to anyone who likes JRPGs but is getting tired of the same old formula.

You fight for a bit, die, respawn somewhere on the back end of the map, and then spend a few minutes racing back across the map only to die again.Rinse, repeat, and eventually you'll earn enough experience points to purchase perks to upgrade your skills and status. Even for 800 points, there are better titles out there to spend your money on.

The major problem with that idea is that later in the game the platforming and strategy elements can become quite difficult and children may feel it is out of their grasp.

It is time to move into the Next Generation of hardware with both feet and create a new title from the ground up with new concepts and new gameplay elements.

The bugs in the title really frustrated me (and many others), and while there are workarounds, the players really shouldn't have to work around bugs and lapses in development, especially since some of the bugs were carried over from "MLB 06."

While the first FSW was considered somewhat revolutionary, it was something different and unique, only one sequel later the game seems a bit one dimensional and stale.

Graphics are crisp and colorful on the screen, and there is enough variety in play style to keep interest going.

It’s a light, 2D arcade shooter that’s great for killing some time if you’re waiting for your wife to get ready, but if you’re looking for immersive gameplay and a deeper level of engagement, or beautiful, eye-catching graphics, you’ll be better off looking somewhere else.

One of the coolest things I noticed though was the fact that, as you progressed through the game, your clothing would become more and more torn.

Here's hoping that Infinity Ward's eventual return to the saga won't leave gamers with such a bland and lifeless taste in their mouths.

Don't get me wrong, there's a ton of things to do in the game, there's just not much depth to it at this stage of things.

This game is fan service in its most pure form. It is a shame that the camera is, as Mr. Sparkle would say “Most-ah Disrespectful-ooh” to the polish present in much of the rest of the game.

The proficient graphics, distinctive environments, and interesting story keep you playing in spite of the frustrating difficulty spikes and lack of polish. It’s a brave move to try and recreate a long-dead genre like Cadenza has done, and they’ve wound up with a solid game.

Feels way too much like a rehash-by-committee of things that barely worked 15 years ago.

Battle of the Bands is good. It could have been better in a few ways: better quality sound, custom instruments in-game and out, and a little bit more flow in the beat timing.

While there is an addictive quality to the game, the bugs and bizarre behavior of your citizens can sometimes pull the game into the realm of frustration instead of enjoyment.

This game is for those of you that love franchise modes, but not necessarily for a pick up and play game. The gameplay problems really hurt this game, especially from the defensive perspective.

Only get this title if you've finished everything there is to do in the previous titles, and even then only at a discounted rate.

1942: Joint Strike is a solid, but short update to the 1942 series. The inclusion of online co-operative play is a nice addition that works well.

There are plenty of problems (collision detection, button mashing gameplay, few openings in boss battles and when they're there you can only do 3 strikes) that far outweigh the good (the simple concept of the boss battles is pure Star Wars fandom heaven) for this game to stand up to better action games out there.

What Disney Infinity ultimately represents is the potential of a fantastic platform. It’s incredibly rough around the edges, and it will make your wallet beg for mercy, but there is a massive wealth of content for Disney to cull from.

It appeals to your kids, and will probably be quite a bit of fun for them. They'll get to see their favorite Pokemon, and be able to run around in an enjoyable world for a bit. However, as an adult, you probably won't have much fun beyond seeing your kids enjoy their time with it.

It seems that as soon as Relic Entertainment gave the reigns to Iron Lore Entertainment a bit of the soul that breathes life into Dawn of War was extinguished.

The largest fault of the game is the save system. Saving can be done at any point in the level, but restoring the game results in going back to the beginning of the level.

As it stands, however, it will probably just end up disappointing Risk players old and new. In a Live Arcade packed with great games competing for your dollar, Risk: Factions just winds up being one die roll short of a win.

Does a good job in bringing something new to the platform table, but it just doesn't overcome its weaknesses in level design, overall control and the fact that it doesn't stand out as a high-quality platformer. What it does have is the morph ability, but the coolness of that can only last for so long.

I had high hopes with Spider-Man: Edge of Time after last year's Shattered Dimensions. I thought that having two Spider-Man characters instead of four would bring about a more cohesive story and more refined gameplay. While the story was tighter and the effects of making changes in one universe to affect the other were interesting, the gameplay didn't grab me as much as I thought it would.

The problem is, it’s not original.

This version of Shrek the Third is particularly short. An adult can beat the game in a single afternoon, and more likely a week for a kid due to some of the more difficult platformer elements.

Blazing Angels is a victim of its subject matter. Maybe this is why there aren’t many WWII air combat games.

It was a great game on the PSP, but when playing it on the PS2 from your couch, with surround sound and a TV bigger than a post card, the game is simply average.

Lockdown is definitely a good game for those who are new to the tactical shooter genre, but the controls hamper the enjoyment of the game.

So many games have done 3D fighting better that SNK might have been better off making this a 2D game.

If you can look past the technical issues, long time fans of the SOCOM series should be happy with Confrontation.

It does one thing well and that is teach you a new way to take turns and drive.

Shrek the Third doesn’t take a lot of chances with its license or gameplay. It is essentially a beat-em-up platformer that provides an extension of the movie with a very light amount of challenge.

If you really want to run a park and be that altruistic owner that wanders amongst the crowds to know about every detail then you might have a bit of gold in here.

Basically, the game is offbeat, which fits considering that these are the same people that developed Chulip, a game about kissing people, but unfortunately it didn't do anything to put a scare into me.

Adventure fans and fans of past Silent Hill games will find a lot to enjoy with Silent Hill Origins for the PS2.

From the graphics to the dry commentary to the awkward controls, Chessmaster could have had a lot more going for it. Since older versions for the PC can be found, and the mouse interface is more intuitive, I'd have to recommend one of those versions over the Xbox version.

If you own a Wii and you are looking for something different that will challenge your emotions then give Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon a shot.

If you’re on the hunt for a new puzzle game to challenge you, this one’s at the very least worth a look.

In the end, however, Gyromancer feels like somewhat of a wasted opportunity because of some poor design decisions, which is a major disappointment.

Pretty much a button mashing game. The good part of this game is that there are lots of things you can do.

If you are curious about the card game and don’t mind the cartoon character interactions, then the excellent tutorial should provide a good explanation of the basics.

Niche products like Green Day: Rock Band have an obvious audience – Green Day fans. If you are a fan of the band, you’ve probably already got a copy of the game. If you aren’t a fan of the band, this product likely won’t make you one.

A stylish game brought down by the ok graphics, run-of-the-mill FPS content, horrible aiming controls and my general lack of interest when playing the game.

A non-intuitive interface, some gameplay issues on the ice and little replay value.

A rental at best, pure and simple. There are vastly superior action titles on the market, and everything presented here played better in the first game.

While there's definitely some fun to be had in the game, it's heavily tempered by frustration and boredom caused by the camera distance and the yawnfest that is the Voltron levels. Also, given how big a show Voltron was, twelve levels in three 'epsiodes' for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) seems a bit lacking.

That's the key problem with Enter the Matrix...it feels so 2+ years ago.

Despite the changes, the game remains largely the same, which is its biggest strength and its biggest weakness. The core gameplay remains the same, but with better physics, which makes the game as entertaining and challenging as the original, but in many ways the game is too old to endure as a modern title.

While I found myself disappointed in the percieved lack of effort in Echoes of Time for the Wii, I'll say this much: When you're playing it multiplayer, you quickly forget all about the blocky graphics or the lack of extra content.

Naruto: Path of the Ninja 2 has a lot of potential.

World Tour Soccer 2005 is undone by the delay between button pressing and action on the screen. If it ran smoothly it would probably give Winning Eleven 7 a run for its money this year. However, the delay destroys any possibility of that happening.

It just feels like this game could have been renamed Dynasty Warriors: Fist of the North Star. If you like that style of gameplay, then you may enjoy this game. Otherwise it's not worth your time, even for fans of the series.

This review isn't a knock on the game itself, but rather the PC port. Message to devs and publishers; "If you are going to port something to PC don't make it half-arsed because it can put a negative spin on the whole entire product line!"

If you don’t mind gathering up three friends, and you don’t mind leaving your brains at the door, you’ll be in store for a decent multiplayer hack and slash. The lack of replay value other than for multiplayer and the uninteresting single player make this game only for those who love all that is Gauntlet-styled.

Do not pick up Rainbow Six: Lockdown for the single-player experience. If you plan on picking this game up be sure you have Xbox Live because that is the only place you are going to find meaningful gameplay.

There are a lot of good ideas contained in Frontlines: Fuel of War, but their execution just seems to make the game feel average.

The graphics engine never really received enough attention to smooth it out, nor did the sound system. The control system is ambitious and unique but just doesn't pan out either.

From my perspective, this title fails to find its audience – it doesn’t deliver enough content for the older kids, and the frustration factor is too high for younger kids. I’d say you could catch this one when Toys R’ Us runs their next 2-for-1 sale, but I’d be hard pressed to recommend it at full retail price.

Still, fans of retro-adventure titles and those just bored of the "same old same old" in the hidden object field may find themselves captivated by A Gypsy's Tale's storybook charm.

Unfortunately, once you land on the ground after your airdrop, Airborne feels just like any other WWII game that you have played before.

From my perspective, this title fails to find its audience – it doesn’t deliver enough content for the older kids, and the frustration factor is too high for younger kids. I’d say you could catch this one when Toys R’ Us runs their next 2-for-1 sale, but I’d be hard pressed to recommend it at full retail price.

If you have quick reflexes and a fast stylus hand, you will probably have an absolute blast with this one.

This game is long...and the ability to save is minimal.

Those looking for a new super hero action RPG experience might look at Marvel Ultimate Alliance to get more bang for their buck.

It’s not a large sprawling Serious Sam encounter with a noteworthy single player campaign, but it certainly changes things up enough to keep you coming back for more.

So little was changed between the two titles that it really feels like a quick hack job to make a quick dollar.

The small pitfalls of graphics and lack of modes (including online) could easily be overlooked if the controls held up, but they don’t. It’s so uneven and just plain laggy that you end up fighting the game rather than playing it.

The good news is that the basics, such as its over-the-top style, four player functionality, and diversity of tracks have returned. The bad news is that the opportunities this series has had to improve, like their unhelpful dance cards, crummy menus, and sometimes shoddy motion-tracking have gone unfixed.

And for the love of all that's holy, get some decent voice actors next time.

The problem here is that there really isn't anything to justify spending the money on this game, especially compared to both Tiger Woods 07 and even Tiger Woods 06.

What I didn't expect was that the areas themselves would take up so much space on the overall map and that one victory would take over multiple states. I also didn't expect that the units would be so incredibly limited.