Resident Evil 6 is solid, challenging, and at moments outright amazing, but razzle-dazzle Hollywood production never quite masks a subtle, intangible lack of focus and pacing that pervades its formidable spread of content.

As a story that up-ends an icon, Testament certainly delivers for the bulk of your adventure, stumbling only in its weaker, latter third. What hurts the game more, unfortunately, are its dicey production values.

Hell Yeah!'s cheery approach to slaughter and its goofy riffs on nerd culture make this gorgeously amusing version of Hell worth a visit.

We'd recommend this Trilogy more if most of its content wasn't available for free or a lot less money on other platforms. But what's here is still plenty addictive, challenging you with many hours of fun.

It's a solid, fun fighter for sure, but it also lacks that special something previous installments had. Dead or Alive is a series known for pushing the envelope in many different ways, and DoA 5 simply doesn't deliver that same sense of daring design that previous titles offered.

It's not the most spirited or original game, but Realms' raw intensity and chaotic excitement will keep you playing.

Borderlands 2 features an insane amount of content. Expect to spend at least 40 hours finishing the main story campaign, and much more than that to complete all the optional missions. Once you beat the campaign, you can replay the game in harder Vault Hunter mode with your veteran character for even better loot and rewards.

While Double Dragon Neon is definitely entertaining (and priced perfectly), it's unfortunate that a few design quirks weaken it. The promised online play should make it more beatable, but the poorly balanced soloplay does dim Neon's shine.

You're better off just buying a puzzle magazine at the airport.

Joe Danger has a potent ace up his sleeve: a flexible level editor that lets you easily build new tracks even as you roll and rocket through them. Joe Danger 2's movie sets don't always know the difference between a joy ride and a death race, but this feature alone is bound to keep fresh, fun new content flowing for ages.

As a catchall franchise compilation, Tekken Tag 2 works for fans who aren't seeking anything too radically different, delivering plenty of fighters and solid fun, even if it's traversing well-worn territory.

We do recommend Baller Beats to anyone hoping to increase their b-ball acumen or try something new. If noise and space aren't an issue, it's definitely worth a shot.

If NHL 13 has a problem, it's that it feels like a stopgap ahead of a much bigger update. Momentum is a terrific addition, but it doesn't change the fact that the game's animations looks stiff, and that the Be a GM mode lacks increasingly common sports-game elements such as news headlines, RPG elements, and players who have to be kept happy.

Mark of the Ninja's brilliant approach to stealth hits all of the right notes throughout, whether you're silently slaying guards from the shadows and stashing them in crevices, evading laser tripwires with a well-placed smoke bomb, or using darts to lure enemies into their own traps.

Brimming with subdued pastel colors, hand-drawn characters, and a trippy, jazzy soundtrack, Pid's aesthetic is peculiar but challenging enough to be fun. [Nov 2012, p.85]

It's quirky enough to turn off the unadventurous, but for the rest of us, it's every bit as relevant as it was in 2000. [Nov 2012, p.84]

Two offline pals can spend a pleasant afternoon eliminating A.I. flyboys in Dogfight Mode arenas, facing ceaseless waves in Survival Mode, or revisiting missions that allow for a co-op partner. But even those tepid charms feel too much like dull training flights. [Nov 2012, p.81]

Black Knight's unique presentation is certainly memorable, and fans of hardcore combat platformers like Mega Man will relish its considerable challenges. But less masochistic souls will just curse up a blue streak and move on to something less merrily sadistic. [Nov 2012, p.77]

It's a minor relief to compete against slower-moving humans, and the option to play as robots who behave a bit differently injects a smidgen of variety. But even in online games, paltry tactical options and awkward controls makes Planets feel shallow and clumsy. [Nov 2012, p.77]

Betrayal and constant infighting - problems that've been building since the beginning - finally boil over, proving deadlier than anything else in this crazy zombie apocalypse.

What's here isn't radical, ending-altering content, so much as a slightly uneven but deeply worthwhile journey that adds intriguing lore to the series' canon - and instills a wide-eyed sense that we're nowhere near done with this universe.

Continental Drift has the markings of a great family game, but we couldn't help but feel like it overestimates what the human body + Kinect can currently control. Only the most devoted players will enjoy mastering this game for the sake of doing so.

Fanciful flight modeling aside, Trickstar did an admirable job with the individual aircraft renders, and when things blow up, they do so spectacularly. The lengthy and sometimes meandering campaign missions could use a rewrite, but Damage's diverting pyrotechnics and shallow learning curve should earn it solid points with the plug-and-play arcade crowd.

Not only is the couch-friendly design a big shift for Rock Band, but so is the newfound emphasis on score rather than accuracy.

Packs just enough new content to keep its legacy alive for another year or two.

What sours the deal, however, is the lack of care and value put into the package. JoJo's is premium-priced at $20, and there's little here to justify that cost. The "HD" upscale looks blotched and muddy, and there aren't any tutorials, special challenges, or even combo exercises to ease new players into this very demanding fighting game.

Fall of Cybertron never quite transcends its franchise the way, say, Arkham City does - loving Transformers will definitely heighten your appreciation of it - but it's every bit the game that series buffs hoped for, and an improvement on its forebear.

It's often difficult to tell where your character's bullets are heading and sometimes tough to see if environmental elements are being affected by your gunfire, both of which are vital in a shooter.

While it succeeds in many respects as a standalone game, Darksiders II disappoints as a sequel. Death's side story proves less eventful than War's mainline quest, with fewer interesting sights and scenarios, plus boss showdowns that are generally less memorable than Darksiders'. It also does little to advance the franchise's narrative.

We wish the developers had included some offline bots instead, though, or allowed players access to so much as the main menu when the servers are down, as they were on launch day. Thankfully, Hybrid's combat is so pleasantly addictive, it's tough to hold a grudge.

Crafted with painstaking attention to inventive detail and charm, Dust is never less than an outright joy to experience.

Even if you don't care about the Persona mythos, there's a very solid competitive fighter here. Both local and online multiplayer are incredibly solid (the latter thanks to an update released two days after the game), with only the minor annoyance of no quick-rematch option. As it stands, anyone seeking a fresh, stylish take on traditional 2D fighting should enter this Arena.

We're glad to fire up our 360s for some Left 4 Dead 2, and the addition of four of the first game's campaigns (with the sequel's items, special infected, and new scavenge maps) is a nice touch. But we would have enjoyed our dip into Cold Stream more had Valve freshened the water a bit.

If only the price of unlocking new skills - a minimum stat combined with a hefty fee - wasn't unreasonably steep.

Unfortunately, Kinect problems abound: the fussy, imprecise motion-reading is frustrating(especially when you're blocking and deflecting attacks), and some of your physical actions require exaggerated movements. [Oct 2012, p.79]

This game is all about silly fun. [Oct 2012, p.79]

Overall, Madden remains quite raw. The engine shows a great deal of promise, and Connected Careers features a lot of interesting ideas, but there's no question that this is a rebuilding year. The best news is that EA finally seems to be on the right track. Give it another year, and Madden may at least be a true contender. [Oct 2012, p.72]

Even with some less-than-thrilling scenarios and its failure to reward player choice, Sleeping Dogs ultimately delivers a very good open-world action experience. It hits enough high notes to warrant the trip to Hong Kong, even if the route there feels a little too familiar. [Oct 2012, p.64]

As simple as it all may be, it makes for a frantic, dizzying, four- to five-hour rush. And that's Deadlight's strongest suit: you feel a constant, adrenaline-fueled urge to just. Keep. Moving.

Make no mistake: this is the definitive version of Konami's amphibian-driven arcade game. But because the original wasn't quite the masterpiece Pac-Man­ and Space Invaders were, it falls just short of those homages.

What redeems Wreckateer, ultimately, is its variety. Each gleefully cartoony castle is sprinkled with point targets, explosive satchel charges, cowering goblins, and special icons that make your shot speed up, bounce, and so on.

Online multiplayer and tournaments liven up the competition, but London 2012's uneven gameplay makes it more of a sampler plate than a main course.

Though we question these changes to the tried-and-true gameplay, the majority of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD works as well as (or better than) the originals did when they first captivated us nearly 15 years ago. This update isn't all it could have been, but it's the best take on those early games we've had yet.

Some folks might've relished lining up creeps for extended combo attacks, if such efforts weren't constantly interrupted because the attack button also retrieves items from the ground. Even at the best of times, nabbing goodies is a poor substitute for engaging action.

With a few frustrating puzzles, some unclear solutions, and no cooperative play, Quantum Conundrum isn't quite as polished as Portal 2 - but it's a very close homage at a fraction of the price. If you've been aching for more drops from Valve, this game will satisfy your quandary.

There's just not enough here to warrant even a $15 price. The game includes only eight fighters in two divisions, and no real career mode to encourage long-term play. With more fighters and more easily unlocked bonus video content, the game would've offered a better introduction to this relatively new fighting league.

Between the playoffs and the inevitable cribbing of Madden 13's bigger features (like Connected Careers), next year's NCAA Football will surely implement some bold changes. But NCAA Football 13 feels more like another effective iteration than a genuinely new, thrilling experience.

It's madness worth embracing.

For the most part, TASM merely refines the formula of prior open-world superhero games with better graphics.

One of the best add-on adventures in recent RPG memory, but take our warning to heart: save early, save often, and expect the unexpected.

Episode 2 does an excellent job of keeping the adventure going while setting the scene for plenty of struggles ahead. If Telltale stays on target, their full, five-part Walking Dead saga may prove to be one of the best, most ambitious zombie games ever.

It's not clear why handling, top speed, acceleration, and braking improvements apply only to specific livery paint jobs instead of to entire vehicle classes, and we never did figure out how the useless "clutch boost" feature was supposed to help us.

Naturally, the table artwork is gorgeous, doing the Marvel license proud, and the animated characters that leap around the playfields always enhance the look and never distract from the action.

Brave can be endearing and diverting, particularly if a parent and child work together via local co-op. Unfortunately, the whole journey lasts only four hours or so, and the bonus Kinect archery mini-game won't keep you playing for much longer.

Even by military-shooter standards, Spec Ops: The Line is an uncompromisingly bleak journey into the mouth of madness. Sharing almost nothing with its predecessors except the Spec Ops moniker, this squad-based shooter tries to make you think - sometimes successfully, sometimes not - about the lines you're willing to cross in battle.

Forget discs and standalone releases. Here's how to repackage old games: with tender loving care.

The best thing here is still the three games, which hold up amazingly well after all this time. You could get them by buying the now-very-cheap Ultimate Genesis Collection (which includes dozens of other classics), but for purists, these fully featured versions are a must.

Hardcore Battlefield 3 strategists will be disappointed by the sudden emphasis on breakneck speed over deliberate tactics, not to mention Close Quarters' 16-player limit and infantry-only focus. But even they'll be sucked in if they give this add-on a chance.

The puzzle-like challenges are a great way for seasoned players to test their mettle. So is multiplayer, especially the new four-player Planechase mode, in which the rules of the game change at random through a specialized deck of cards.

The game's mission objectives shouldn't be this frustrating, but much of that aggravation washes away when your limping, cracked-visor, ammo-depleted mech fires off a miracle shot to live another day. War has never been this intense, and you should try to take part.

Despite a few fresh ideas, Lego Batman 2 is, creatively, the weakest game in the Lego franchise.

There's just no way this charmless slapdash mess is worth anywhere near its asking price, much less your hard-earned recreation time.

A lightly entertaining diversion - but only when played with a controller. The optional Kinect controls can be extremely fussy: using your right hand to aim the reticle works okay, but triggering spells with your left hand often requires multiple exaggerated movements. Having to flail around to launch even the simplest attack is the very opposite of god-like.

No matter how you view the game's potentially divisive depiction of Juliet (Is her giggly, panty-flashing, stripper-pole-swinging act crassly exploitative, or just cheeky, campy fun? Lollipop's tone is frustratingly all over the map.), the gameplay seems to always fall just shy of being much more than it is.

That one missed opportunity aside, Zuma's revenge is an awesomely addictive revamp, and $10 well-spent. [Aug 2012, p.67]

As much as Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends looks the p;art--with 50-plus vehicles sporting fantastic detail inside and out--its humdrum and overly difficult career disappoints, while spotty handling and physics keep this simulation strictly for diehards. [Aug 2012, p.80]

If you've never played Virtua Fighter, this is the best entry yet, and if you're a fan, well, spend the $15. Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown is still everything it was in 2007 - fluid, complex, and fun. It's just not much more.

Your journey quickly settles into an endless slog of interchangeable shootouts, broken up by little more than hold-the-door-for-me-bro tedium and boss battles that range from serviceable arena showdowns to infuriating cover-free patience-drainers.

Age can't turn lead into gold, but these games are still enjoyable - and at $10, this bundle's a real bargain.

Only diehard fans will spend more than a couple hours with the Wonder Boys, but Monster World IV is worth a look all by itself.

Varied events, sparkling social challenges, and rowdy online skirmishes make Dirt Showdown the rare spinoff that's as amazing as its much-loved predecessor, albeit in its own unique way. It's an absolute blast throughout, and proof that accessible, arcade-style thrills and spills can still deliver via superb execution.

What'll positively set your teeth on edge, though, is how any sense of breakneck speed comes as the result of a ridiculous eye-torturing wide-angle camera (not shown in screens at right). It's like racing while staring through a hotel-room peephole. Spare yourself the headache.

Haven't played Arkham City yet? By all means rush out and buy the Batman Arkham City Game of the Year Edition, which includes Revenge and the rest of the game's DLC. On its own, though, this revenge isn't cold - it's a reheated dish of bland bat.

Joy Ride Turbo is exactly what its title promises: a fast, fun experience that unfortunately runs out of value far too quickly. Even at $10, it's hard to recommend, as you could buy Sonic & Sega's All-Stars Racing from a bargain bin for just a few bucks more.

Future Soldier's campaign does lose its stealthy way a bit right at the end, and the presentation can be rough at times, just like the throwaway plot. Ultimately, though, the game shines not only for staying true to Ghost Recon's roots, but also for doing so while successfully balancing the memories of old fans with the modern expectations of new ones.

Unfortunately, the major addition for its XBLA debut - Kinect integration - is poorly implemented, leaving an otherwise shallow and dated experience.

With mostly excellent pieces, this seven-pack is an easy pickup for anyone still playing Modern Warfare 3 with pals - or seeking a good reason to dive back in.

Track-building may be entertaining, but overall, JAM's an iffy proposition made worse by its agonizing Arcade mode.

It all feels rather complicated at first, but you'll quickly settle into a satisfying groove.

Game of Thrones lacks the absorbing gameplay and polished presentation that'd help set it among the 360's finer RPGs. But those already committed to the realm won't regret the couple dozen hours they'll spend under its narrative spell.

Poor value is the real deal-breaker, though. Because Battleship weighs in at just seven single-player missions and zero multiplayer (seriously???), it's only a few hours of mindless fun, and you can easily beat it in a long afternoon. For $60, we deserve a game that sinks battleships, not wallets.

Seemingly cognizant of how tough it can be, the game gives you an extra bottle of health-restoring painkillers for every few times you restart at the same spot, but the situation is gratingly exacerbated by Max Payne 3's erratic checkpoint system. More often than not, you'll have to replay painfully long stretches of white-knuckle sequences, turning levels into chores, not treats.

Much like the main character's chest cavity, this RPG ultimately feels hollow, with no real heart. [July 2012, p.76]

The game's biggest addition - including Tails as an aid in single-player mode - gives the perfect level of balance to correct mistakes made at mach speed.

For all the game's possibilities, however, it also feels remarkably sparse at times, with a seemingly limited set of materials, animals, and enemies in the world. Minecraft is naturally a very slow and deliberate experience, but the Xbox 360 Edition is curiously based on a year-old PC beta version, and thus lacks many of the elements seen in the official release and later updates, including new animals, resources, food, enemy actions, and combat mechanics.

Hopefully, we'll see more expansions like UEFA Euro 2012 in future sports games - they do have the potential to really revitalize the game. But with half-finished rosters, missing features, and a solid-but-not-amazing world tour–style mode, this add-on never fires us up the way the original game did.

Glitches keep Sniper Elite V2 from a higher score, though, especially in the game's innovative co-op modes, where bugs kept us from completing some objectives. Hopefully, an update will fix this otherwise excellent experience.

The main reason to play? You'll be able to transfer gold earned here to your Fable: The Journey character.

It's a fine set of fresh experiences for Modern Warfare 3. If the rest of the year's DLC is this strong, consider that Elite subscription well worth the investment.

It's a joyless, grace-free slog dominated by repetitive stop-and-pop shootouts, lifeless linear environments, and inconsistent weapon physics, not to mention full-stop gameplay pauses during certain actions (like detonating a robot with an EMP grenade), obnoxiously tacky dialogue, missed audio cues, and overwrought enemy death screams that replay incessantly.

Awesomenauts' peculiar mix of fast-paced 2D action and ever-shifting strategy plants it in a strange niche, but it also rewards adventurous players with hours of warfare and entertaining experimentation. [June 2012, p.74]

Some exceptional next-gen visuals--including complex and intricate terrain graphics, detailed cockpit renderings, and hair-singing pyrotechnics--also help propel Birds of Steel to an unprecedented new altitude for Xbox 360 dogfighters. [June 2012, p.69]

This episode dazzled us. Everything from its brisk pace to its gorgeous, comic-booky visuals to Lee and Clementine's sweet friendship just feels right. Unlike so many zombie games, its story is human instead of hokey, and it helps make The Walking Dead, Episode 1 slam-bang entertainment.

The recurring annoyances that result don't bleed all the joy from clobbering, but they do keep this third-person action game from devel¬oping a more natural flow and better exploiting its gruesome graphic-novel aesthetics. Luckily, such issues are diminished when you try to chop down massive bosses inspired by Celtic mythology.

Even when your objectives sound about as thrilling as a Sunday-afternoon grocery run, the sheer chaos Heller unleashes upon the distressed and detailed world of New York Zero while completing them keeps Prototype 2 from feeling like a chore. If you can turn off your brain and just enjoy the frenzied carnage, you'll have a blast.

Adding up the gorgeous visuals, extra coats of polish, replayability, multiplayer, track editor, and core gameplay that is both artfully scientific and scientifically artful, we'd say Trials Evolution is as close to a perfect download as we're ever likely to get.

By virtue of Season Two's weak core collection of mini-games, Basketball slots in as the second-best sport on-hand (after golf). And this DLC's 10 Basketball-themed Achievements are some of the easiest 250 Gamerscore you'll ever earn.

What The Pinball Arcade set out to do - lovingly and accurately re-create true genre classics - it does very well, and pinball purists won't be disappointed.