Ambitious as it is, The Legend of Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon does its job well with an admirable storyline and incredible audio department.

It gets the job done in terms of visuals and audio, you just cannot beat that grass hands down. But the gameplay and lackluster features will drag this game through the dirt and back, unless you are a hardcore Fifa fan pick this up at the local rental store just to see the grass and take out a few Frenchman just for kicks.

It made some strides, but it’s ultimately a shallow game.

On one hand, it's easy to say that Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 runs the basics for a sequel, not really pushing forward enough to make the formula excel. On the other, it could've been a lot worse, as it's a fun platforming romp while it lasts.

Pac-man was always going to be an essential inclusion in Xbox Live’s collection of Arcade classics. It’s certainly worthy of a place there, it’s just a shame some updated graphics, modes and extras could not have been included to make it stand out from all the other Pac-man’s available to play.

Not a failure by any means. Fans will enjoy it, and there's plenty to do in the stock car racing world until the next eventual game in the series rolls out of the pit. But casual fans may feel left behind by the game's heavy technicality and erroneous difficulty decisions.

Divinity 2 isn't a bad game solely because of its throwaway writing and the unfortunate game engine, but because it suffuses every design with hate for the player.

Blacksite Area 51 is a textbook example of how half-assed ideas rushed to production become half-assed games. Instead of emulating Unreal, this game makes Hour of Victory look like Game of the Year.

At $49.99 Shrek Forever After is a great reason as any to get the whole family together for a night of laughs.

Mad Tracks is an underwhelming first effort from Load Inc. Xbox Live Arcade titles are understandably held to looser standards than their retail counterparts, but this title needs some polish in its graphical and audio content.

No, Splatterhouse doesn't revolutionize with its gameplay, and it's not quite a perfect-looking game either. But if you're looking for a bloody good time, it comes through on all fronts. Having the classic games in the package is great, too. We definitely can't deny this overhaul of Splatter.

Sadly, Blood Stone 007 lacks any real depth. It does however contain some simple gameplay that could be a great foundation for future Bond games if expanded upon and fined tuned just a tad bit more. It's easily the fastest Bond game ever created and for those Bond fans looking for more of Craig in the midst of the fall of MGM, Blood Stone is a great place to find a quick, albeit mediocre fix.

The maps are all well designed with plenty of places to pop behind for the numerous short-range firefights that are bound to take place.

The video game does an excellent job at recapturing the charm and essence of what made the film so successful. The only issue is that Up doesn’t offer longevity by the baker’s dozen.

War in the North is not a bad game, but it is an average one.

An enjoyable gaming experience that left me wanting more but feeling empty at the same time.

Just please, Ubisoft, keep the party going, and don't pile on unnecessary objectives. We just want to ride.

The level design, gameplay and 3D bonus rounds will definitely feel right at home with long-time players, while the frustrating boss battles and terrible soundtrack leave you wondering where Sega could've slipped up in development.

For a series that was considered to be dead, Dead to Rights: Retribution greatly exceeds the poor reputation set up by previous iterations in the series.

For a budget (400 Microsoft points) Xbox Live Arcade title, Root Beer Tapper holds up well; if for no other reason than the amount of replay needed to grab fifty wins over Live.

While The Force Unleashed II doesn't push new boundaries in enemy confrontations or replay value, it's still a fun weekend romp, with plenty of enemies to kill and a great cliffhanger ending to wash it all down with. Let's just hope that the next chapter in the saga uses more development Force.

Not only is the duel-sided single-player campaign features plenty to do, the multiplayer online mode adds hours of fun time for fans and newbies alike. If you are one of those people that will be standing in line tonight to see the midnight premiere of the Transformers sequel this game is a no-brainer purchase, for those gamers looking for an over-the-top action game Revenge of the Fallen should not be overlooked.

Slightly Mad dropped the ball a little bit with the game's controls and limitations.

Kinect Adventures may not be your best choice for Kinect fun, but considering its cost and various activities, you'll have fun with it while it lasts.

It works fine, but the out-of-place mini-game feels like an XBLA title they tossed into the mix here rather than charging for it on its own.

Fatal Inertia is an exceedingly generic racer, with a lack of vehicles, races, and variety expected from a Live Arcade title. Speed right on by this one.

While some aspects of spellcasting take some getting used to, and the horse sequences drone on way too often, you still get your money's worth here, especially if you're a fan of the series. It's just another game that takes you by surprise, despite the heavy criticism and doubts. And that's always good to see.

The game succeeds in what it is trying to be but fails to be the amazing Crash game that we are all waiting for.

Much like the previous Sports Snowboarding games on Xbox 360, Shaun White Snowboarding is a slick and presentable title on the surface, which doesn’t have the mastery or depth to guarantee long-term entertainment.

An improvement over Sega's previous comic book screw-ups, and that's saying something, but there's still a handful of errors that keep him from truly saving the day.

In the end, Sega’s insistence in holding onto these flawed elements transforms what could have been a truly excellent take on the classic Sonic formula, into a messy, ugly beast of a game. All these unnecessary nocturnal distractions end up outstaying their welcome even before you get tired of them, and this whole feral business is beginning to wear thin.

This is Jurassic Park we're talking about. It doesn't deserve anything in the realm of mediocrity. I may have been entertained with the story-telling but that isn't enough to excuse the gameplay or the fact that none of the dinosaurs were generally scary.

Those looking to continue their Olympic high with this title will be sorely disappointed.

Its colorful presentation may be too much for some to stomach, it isn't long before the games or general content becomes repeated, and the lack of online play shuts the door on any expanded competition.

The jetpack is one of the coolest video game accessories that can ever show itself in a next-gen title, unfortunately controlling said jetpack is nearly impossible inside close quarters.

The achievement point set is one of the more frustrating yet. Though they mostly focus on just completing the game, you are likely to go over ten hours in before sniffing a single one.

Stop torturing those poor worms, Team 17!

The game's control scheme is basic to the point where you could play with an Atari controller.

The game is entirely too generic in graphics and game play to be worthy of stock car racing.

Dogfight 1942 doesn't aim high. Its developers stripped away as much as possible while still leaving behind a perfectly average arcade flier.

A good title marketed to the wrong crowd. I can see installing this game on my work PC, but am I really going to play it on my Xbox 360?

The game modes, including my personal favorite the All Star weekend, are a joy to play and you will not get bored fast with Live 07.

Make no mistake about it, this game feels like it came right from Jigsaw’s twisted mind. Everything from Tobin Bell’s raspy performance as Jigsaw, to the screams of victims feels pitch-perfect and believable.

The limits to the number of quests to take on and number of players in a co-op game really hold the game back from being one of the best Arcade offerings around.

If you're conquered War For Cybertron already and seek to strike new ground with your favorite robots, Transformers: Dark of the Moon is a more-than-acceptable action fest. There are hiccups throughout, sure, but the solid multiplayer, tightly wound action and fan service-friendly set-up are more than meets the eye.

How to Train Your Dragon plays like it has the potential to be a great family game as well as one of the better movie tie-ins releasing this year, especially for the fantasy-driven children in your family.

A terrible waste of a potentially great franchise. There is a great Pirates Of The Caribbean game out there, just waiting to be made. This is not it. Swashbuckling and sailing the high seas has never felt so boring.

Tron: Evolution was obviously the best effort Propaganda could pump out in time for the movie, but it quickly becomes evident that the tale of Clu's uprising is sadly a rushed attempt to nab a fan's dollars and sense.

Based on the difficulty of the game and the hard-earned Achievement Points, for the 400 Microsoft Points Rush 'n Attack is a solid purchase. A retro title that earns this much replay value from both a desire to beat the game and tough-as-they-come Achievements does not come around often enough.

Control quirks and main game length aside, this is as thrilling as ninja games get, and a fun addition to the series, whether alone or with friends. Forget the naysayers and cut loose with good ol' Ryu.

The controls leave quite a bit to be desired; I think the best way to describe them is awkward.

A game that should have received a massive retooling to bring it into the modern era, or been left to those gamers that like to pull out their old NES system once in a while. Though the game is only 400 points, that is a steep price for about 20 minutes of game play.

It doesn't make as much of an impact as Atomic expected, but if you're stuck on a budget and can't afford one of the more popular $60 games right now, this is a certainly adequate substitute for $15.

The story is tight and fast-paced; the presentation really shows Beenox's improvements over the past few months; and the gameplay is engaging, even if there's not much actual web-slinging to do this time around.

It may be worth a one night rental, but if you buy it (as I did) you will be left needing a cutman after you bang your head up against the wall so many times.

It's the sort of game that would've been exclusive to arcades, causing you to take the trip and insert tokens with excitement.

Die-hard Gyruss fans with 400 Microsoft Points to spare could do worse to try to recapture their youth, but should note that you will only remember half the game fondly; and for a limited time at that.

The comic book sequences and multiplayer have a few fleeting moments of entertainment, but not nearly enough to justify the $50 cost. Go rent a Bruce Lee flick instead and try to pretend you're him, you'll make a stronger Impact than you ever will here.

With the 360 so devoid of family-friendly party games, Party Animals should have been a slam-dunk, not just slightly better than Fusion Frenzy 2. The game gets the tone and characters right, but this time the piñatas feel stuffed with quick-cash rather than candy.

Tenchu Z may be a game that only fans of the series, or fans of stealth games could love. Some fatal flaw bogs down every aspect of this title that shows a glimmer of promise. You would have to be a true fanboy to overlook all of these flaws.

While it may have ruined the film-to-game consistency, Shrek The Third could have been a much better experience with some multi-player over Live.

The lacking lightsaber movements take a while to get around, and the lack of some sort of space battle mode – along the lines of Star Wars: Starfighter – is mildly disappointing.

Even though the story modes are really confusing what this series has always relied on is the fun-factor of slicing up hundred of enemies on screen at one time, and that is what DW: Gundam does right. Enjoy it for a couple hours, do some co-op and then move on; that’s about all there is to it.

If you have two or more gamers in your household that are interested in this style of game, it may be worth a weekend rental. If you’re looking for a game that’s fun single player, or online, you need to pass on this title.

It will be interesting to see what they do with the sequel, because repetition aside, it is a gorgeous looking game.

Anime fans will devour it alive, but everyone else probably won't get just what the hell Cell is.

The lack of innovation and a poor control scheme make Bullet Witch a questionable rental, let alone purchase.

The gameplay is as addicting as it was in years past, and the game's new features allows the classic game to feel different from the original in many important ways.

The presentation doesn't do too much either. Some of the levels look good, and the animations aren't bad, but the dolls are unappealing and don't really sparkle with much personality.

NBA Ballers is a scatterbrained game that never decides quite what it is, and at no point resembles anything good. The game is only impressive in just how badly they miss the mark.

The audio portion contains pitiful voice-acting and sound effects while having a great soundtrack. Yeah, it’s easy to notice that Warhammer is a mixed bag.

It passes out achievements like their cheap candy and there is a certain charm when playing as your favorite characters. It also draws heavily from the movies and, like it did to me, might reignite your desire to watch them. Yet, none of these traits make for great gameplay. With short campaigns, frustrating combat, and chaotic multiplayer LotR: Conquest feels like a $60 reminder that Peter Jackson makes awesome movies.

The game is incredibly short, clocking in at five to six hours, and focuses too much on the things fans of the series do not want to do (random puzzles and hating your favorite characters) rather than the things they want, like exploring the island or being rewarded an answer or two.

If you are looking for a 3D version of Rampage, The Incredible Hulk is right up your alley. Before you get too excited, ask yourself exactly how long you could stand to play the old city destroyer before getting bored. That is exactly as long as you will enjoy this one.

Unfortunately the single player campaign is pretty boring/repetitive once and other than leveling up your character there is no major reason to play the game again.

With a solid list of hard-earned Achievement Points you might just forget that Atari failed to deliver any online modes for the game. Well, almost.

Despite its flaws, many of which are correctable with a patch, it does an admirable job of sharpening your mind in an entertaining fashion.

The interesting yet predictable narrative is buried deep within poor design choices.

It's like a soap opera demanding that you give a damn about this person when you barely even know them.

We're quite impressed with how well the Kinect controls worked in Rise of Nightmares. The combat itself, while repetitive is sloppy fun, as you lop off heads and kick someone back into the middle of next week – or maybe even an elaborate trap. Still, more could've been done with walking.

The blend of shallow button-mashing controls and overly tough computer enemies make for an experience that neither hardcore nor casual gamers can really get into.

The only person I can recommend this to is a sado-masochist. They will enjoy the torture and unbearing pain that is this game. Please, avoid at all costs.

It's a decent collection if you've never owned the system, with plenty of Achievements and nostalgic value for everyone else. However, it could've been so much more. This isn't a dedicated gift, it's almost the equivalent of a mildly tasteful fruitcake.

Empires is entirely unfocused and excels at nothing.

It's a good one to two night rental at best.

Monotonous gameplay, awkward movements and uninspired missions quickly kill the mood that your hopes for the game had set.

The game has been made less-realistic in an effort to appeal to a younger demographic and I applaud Activision for this decision.

While its limited multiplayer and even more limited AI will keep it from being as legendary as, well, the other A-list stuff, it's still worth a look, mainly because of its entertaining weapons play and its solid visuals. If you're in the mood for an off-the-grid shooter or just want to blow shit up while you wait for EA's masterstroke, lock and load.

Warriors: Orochi is the very definition of shallow gaming. There is not much to like here, at least not anything that you will not get very tired of half-an-hour in.

In the end, Eat Lead's story and characters have far more personality than the gameplay.

Realms of Ancient War isn't perfect, but it's one of the best new downloadable titles of 2012 and a good excuse to invite over your friends to go dungeon exploring in search of the best loot on the hardest difficulty setting.

While I cannot fully recommend anyone other than massive Transformers fans to run out and purchase this game, it is easily one of those games you must rent and play through, at least for a few hours.

Anyone who has been waiting for a good South Park game should definitely check Tenorman's revenge. Those just wanting a 2D platformer may want to trial the game first as there are definitely better options available.

This spin-off not only shoots itself in the foot, but the arms, the head…every nether region, pretty much. Skip it and just wait for RE 6. That'll obviously be the real experience we deserve.

Honestly, Tetris Evolution serves as one of the sorriest excuses for a retail title on the 360.

There's quite a bit of awesome story within Game of Thrones, but the real question is if you can take whatever else is provided to get to it.

The reliance on platforming badly mars the gameplay, which never fares well with a first-person view.

The camera is unfocused and frustrating; the gameplay too chaotic for its own good; and the lack of a strong storyline make it feel like everything's barely holding together with cheap adhesive.