Very simplistic gameplay mainly aimed at kids and casual gamers, mediocre graphics and several problems in controls and camera management ruin a game that maintains as its only bright spot the co-op mode, unfortunately only offline. Forgettable.

The baseball lovers shouldn't think twice about buying this game: it gets everything people like about this sport and makes it even more spectacular. Too bad for the online multiplayer, made of too few play modes and plagued by serious technical problems.

An overly simplified game, suited for children and casual gamers looking for a few hours of diversion between Hogwarts walls. The lackluster storytelling makes it more suitable for people already knowing the complete story, and it misses on giving the player any kind of challenge: it's basically comprised of the same three mini-games repeated over and over through the five hours needed to complete it.

With Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood, Techland delivered us an experience worthy of the best Sergio Leone movies: one on one duels and saloon brawls recall to our memory some of the best movies ever seen. A solid story coupled with excellent visuals make the game very enjoying, while on the cons side we find some difficulty spikes that make some scenes quite frustrating.

A nice game, for a very young public but that sometimes will even please the nostalics of old 2D platform games. Surely suitable for kids and families willing to relive the movie adventures with Sid and friends.

A little masterwork, something that will please all the lovers of 2D fighters.

Fight Night Round 4 is a real masterwork, a milestone in boxing simulations and a tough challenger for all future titles in this genre. If you like sports and boxing, there's not a single reason why you wouldn't own one of the best sports games of 2009 so far.

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen revealed to be as the average low-budget movie tie-in. Hardcore gamers will hardly find a reason to buy it, so it's a viable buy only for Transformers' uber-fans, thanks to the many unlockable extras too.

Who played the first game will find in Overlord II the same irreverent and ironic spirit, coupled with greatly improved visuals capable of showing us beautiful, lush and evocative sceneries. On the other hand, we find a not so varied gameplay, in the long run repetitive. The new elements are interesting, but they aren't enough to suggest it to anyone: due to its atypical structure, we suggest to try it before opting to buy.

Even if being the best episode of the Empires series as of today, the game offers repetitive and in the long run boring gameplay. And the graphical defects, with an annoying pop-in/pop-out effect on environment objects, don't help.

This game manages to maintain all the charm and ironic atmosphere of the original movies, delivering us a very enjoyable game that even who never saw the movies could appreciate. If you're long time fans of the Ghostbusters, you won't be disappointed.

Even if maintaining many of World Tour features, thus being surely an entertaining title per se, Guitar Hero: Greatest Hits seems a game we could do without, especially given the very short time - a month - from the GH: Metallica release. For the people who already owns GH: World Tour, it would have been surely better to get these songs as DLCs rather than paying 59 Euros for a compilation that will hardly 100% satisfy anyone; if you're instead approaching the series for the first time, we suggest to buy Guitar Hero: World Tour so that you'll be able to enjoy the vast downloadable songs library too.

Prototype revealed itself to be an extremely solid game, capable of satisfying whoever's looking looking for massive doses of superhuman violence. The only letdown is its dull visuals, but if you aren't specifically looking for a graphical masterwork, you'll find it very entertaining.

The only reason to buy this game could be to play it with friends, especially if they're casuals, seen the very immediate gameplay and simple controls. But due to a disappointing AI, a mediocre technical production and the lack of depth in the gameplay simulation, Virtua Tennis 2009 isn't recommended to hardcore virtual tennis players.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 is undoubtedly the best golf game around, thanks to a precise control system and the great number of features. We'd have liked better graphics, but it's nevertheless a really good game.

Red Faction: Guerrilla revealed to be a pleasant surprise: a very good game capable of dragging and enjoying the player, mainly but not only thanks to the exceptional dynamic destruction tech, and for the adrenalinic multiplayer. Too bad that a forgettable plot and a low longevity kill its aspirations: surely a good game, but could have been much more.

Fuel isn't lacking in defects, like not-so-great graphics, high difficulty spikes and some random bugs, but the game is surely enjoyable. The career mode gives us a very varied experience, and the online modes contribute to keep the longevity high: suggested to the offroad racing fans.

The base ideas of a vertical platform-shooter and steampunk setting are interesting, but Blue Omega managed to create a really awful game, with an embarrassing gameplay, lackluster visuals and a nonexistent online component. Just avoid it.

An honest tie-in, with nice gameplay and enjoyable both by children and parents. Buy suggested especially if you're looking for a game to play together with your kids.

UFC 2009: Undisputed hits the mark, giving us a very good fight sim. All the different fight techniques are well explained, and it will attract even gamers new to this extreme sport. One of the best fighting games seen this gen, a must have for every fan of the genre.

Amongst its many merits and defects, Bionic Commando left us the memory of an entertaining and fresh play experience. If you aren't easily discouraged by a somewhat complex control system and the occasional difficulty spikes, Capcom's new game will be able to give you some memorable moments and a positively different experience from the crowd of modern third person shooters.

Ascaron aimed more at the game vastness rather than its quality, and who's expecting a good successor to the first Sacred will be disappointed. The scale and variety of the explorable locations will keep you busy for many hours, but the mediocre graphics quality, many bugs and overall unpolished nature nullify the developers efforts. But if you're looking for some co-op fantasy action with a friend at home, you could give this game a chance.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine has been a real surprise: its high levels of violence, enjoyable gameplay and good longevity make it overcome the average movie tie-ins crowd. Too bad its buggy and unpolished graphics keep it from reaching a better score.

A good level design and some good ideas loaned from more successful titles aren't enough to make a good game of Velvet Assassin. Frustration always around the corner and a rough gameplay unavoidably worsen the game experience.

DW: Gundam 2 is a good improvement over the first game in the series, thanks to many new mission types, multiplayer modes and a better technical realization. Fans of the Gundam universe will like the great number of characters and Mobile Suits, but be sure to know what you're getting: it's a classical Koei hack'n'slash, with a very repetitive gameplay and often dull environments, so if you don't like this kind of games you could get bored quite easily.

The Chronicles of Riddick: Assault on Dark Athena revealed itself to be an extremely gratifying experience, mainly thanks to the great gameplay variety and Riddick's bullish charm. If you were missing a good stealth game, even if not despising FPS action, this is your game. We absolutely suggest it to everyone who didn't play Escape from Butcher's Bay, but even if you did, the Dark Athena campaign will give you about ten hours of fresh enjoyment.

The Godfather II represents for many aspects a missed chance, especially regarding the new management part, too superficial and unsatisfying. The technical aspects perfectly line up with the overall mediocrity of this new EA Games production, but the action part revealed to be quite fun, especially the executions, even if it gets quickly old due to its repetitiveness. The game doesn't live up to the higher standards of some of the latest EA Games productions, and for a brand like this it's a real pity.

Ninja Blade's greatest value resides in its high cinematic spectacularity, which makes it very enjoyable if you like this kind of excessive Hollywood action. Nevertheless, it's excessive use of QTEs and its sometimes frustrating controls make it a rough experience, suited only for the more forgiving and patient gamers.

The perfect game for every Metallica and Thrash/Heavy Metal fan, also thanks to the subtle but important gameplay improvements introduced by Neversoft. It's a pity that the absence of support for the pre-existing DLC songs library forces us to always keep a copy of GH: World Tour at hand.

Notwithstanding its defects, mainly in the on-foot part of the game and overall graphical look, Wheelman proves to be entertaining and able to keep the gamer involved until the end of the story. The action-racing part of the game offers some unique and interesting gameplay ideas that we'd like to see recycled in games with higher production values.

Stormrise innovative controls are its major fault too, making selecting troops a very unpleasant experience. Add it to buggy and obsolete graphics, and all you've got is a very bad attempt at making a console RTS.

THQ successfully manages to bring us a wrestling game aimed at the nostalgic, long-time fans, that will be able to relive some of the greatest moments of WWE from the ’80s and ’90s. The simplified gameplay makes it more approachable to every kind of gamer, but the hardcore ones could dislike its lack of difficulty, even at the higher levels.

Wanted: Weapons of Fate combines interesting gameplay ideas with an highly cinematic style, creating an enjoyable experience even if a little repetitive. Unfortunately, its merits get overshadowed by its four hours longevity, more adequate to a Live Arcade game than to a full price retail game.

This game offers nothing new, but it succeeds in blending together different genders, offering a pleasant package for younger players, whom will find it very easy to learn. It's isn't clearly aimed to the hardcore gamer who won't find anything particularly interesting in it.

Stunning graphics and an adrenalinic gameplay make Resident Evil 5 one of the showcase titles for this generation: its mainly action foundation could disappoint who was expecting a more atmospheric and purely horror game, but it is undoubtedly an extremely entertaining, cinematic and satisfying experience, with many surprises and great variety. A must buy.

Ensemble Studios finally achieved a result sought by many developers this gen: creating a true console RTS, easy and amusing to play, yet keeping it highly challenging. Besides this, we get a great Halo story, with charismatic characters and amazing CGI cut-scenes. This game did for the RTS genre what the original Halo did for the FPS, and we're sure it will have a great impact in future games of this kind.

HAWX has been a real surprise: it manages to differ from the usual dogfighting games thanks to some original ideas, adding variety to a long-time stale genre. Flight-sim purists could dislike it, but if you'll approach it without prejudices it'll be able to entertain you during all of its 20 missions, playable alone or in co-op, or allowing you to fight intense and lag-free 4 vs 4 online dogfights.

If Eat Lead developers wanted to revive some of 80's gaming cliches, they succeeded: but this brought with it some heavy shortcomings, like great linearity, no environment interaction, and a very repetitive soundtrack. Nevertheless, the game is still enjoyable, mainly due to some very crazy moments. We suggest to give it a chance just for trying, but only when you'll be able to find it at a budget price.

StokEd tastes of missed chance. Even if being sometimes entertaining, the game lacks in too many aspects. If you’re desperately looking for a new skateboarding sim, we suggest to pick it up when you’ll able to find it at a cheaper price.

Without introducing particularly innovative elements, Swordfish Studios managed to ably mix and leverage already successful and well-known gameplay elements, delivering us a very entertaining dense hip hop style. Suggested to every lover of third person shooters, but mainly to Rap fans, that will find in this game all the traits of the gangsta lifestyle.

tri-Ace managed to bring us a good game, but not exempt from defects like the bland plot and expressionless characters. Though we advise you to try it, mainly thanks to its very good combat system, one of the best we tried in a Japanese RPG.

Rebellion tried to distinguish the game by adding a horror atmosphere, but what emerges is only a very poor technical realization and frustrating gameplay. When the list of cons drastically overtakes the pros, it's clear we have a game to avoid: the Eidos shooter can rather be taken as a compendium of what not to do in a game.

Race Pro oozes with Simbin's passion for motorsports, but with some shortcomings lowering its global quality: a very good simulation model, great roar sounds and an accurate tracks reproduction coexist with annoying frame rate problems and a mediocre cars reproduction. It's mainly a game for ultra-fans of cars and motors, looking for a very straightforward experience.

Street Fighter IV is an 18 years jump back in time, firmly keeping a foot in the present: a great technical and artistic realization couples a classical gameplay with some nice additions, making it a real next-gen game. Capcom managed to bring us one of the most challenging and entertaining beat'em ups of all times, but we suggest playing it using a Fight Pad or an Arcade Stick to exploit it to the max.

Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad seems to be much older than the three years passed since its first release in Japan: the gameplay is ridiculously simple and seems to be taken from games 20 years old and the plot is trite and uninteresting. Even the bikini-girls-with-blades theme fails to attract, due to disappointing and last-gen worth graphics. Keep away from this game, and your X button will thank you.

Despite its many defects, mainly the tricky controls and the bland story, X-Blades revealed to be somewhat enjoyable, and capable of keeping us interested until the end.

Afro Samurai shines on one side for its great artistic value, with some of the best cel-shaded graphics seen to date and great music and dubbing, but on the other side we find very boring gameplay, unable to provide us a good challenge level. The game will be mainly appreciated by the fans of the original manga/anime, while all the others will also have problems to follow the story, due to an inconsistent storytelling.

A good compromise between modern survival-horror trends and the genre's classical elements, with consequent pros and cons. We mainly recommend it to Silent Hill fans, but it's also enjoyable as a stand-alone good psycho-thriller story, granted that you are willing to close an eye on the visual aspect and the tricky shooting.

Thanks to the excellent visuals, brilliant characters and a compelling plot, Tales of Vesperia is a sure bet for all Japanese RPG and fantasy anime lovers: the very good combat system will ensure you to never get bored during the about 40 hours needed to end the main story, without counting in the many side-quests. Too bad, for us italian users, that the game wasn't localized at all: a very important blank, seen the great amount of dialogues involved.