It plays like a dream, blurring the lines between both genres that it covers much more than any other game. And it looks the part too, as it is easily the best looking handheld game you'll see to date, along with God of War.

In short, this one is well worth a try. There are plenty of ways to spend the money in your wallet on the PSN, but few are as pretty or as uniquely rewarding.

MLB 08: The Show is the best offering of baseball you'll get no matter what PlayStation console you pick it up for. The PSP version of the game still features practically everything that makes the PS3 game so great, with even a few extra modes.

A good game and I feel that it is worth the money. It could use a lot of brushing up in certain areas, but considering its characters, dialogue, and sense of atmosphere, Quantic Dream has delivered a game ultimately worthy of the genre.

The sum of Rogue Galaxy's parts add up to a great RPG game that delivers superb action with real-time battle mechanics ("Kingdom Hearts" fans will eat this up). While the audio is certainly average in many respects, everything else about the game is first-rate.

It's the chaotic frenzy of the exploration and combat that cements inFamous 2 as a no-holds-barred winner.

DiRT is plenty deep, and has a bevy of race modes, tons of tracks, good replay value, in addition to some pretty solid car customization. Not all is super, though; as the online experience is lacking, the visuals have some sore spots here and there, and gamers will have to dig a bit in order to obtain the cars they really want to roll around with.

Overall, Astral Ascent is a damn fine example of roguelites at their near best. It’s an unfolding mystery set in a beautiful world, and the addictive gameplay loop just keeps you coming back for more. The amount of times I was ready to head to bed before hearing my mind calling for “just one more” happened times than I’d care to admit. It may not topple the giants, but it certainly gives enough to stand amongst them.

The production values are sky-high, the multiplayer will keep you coming back again and again, and above all else, this is Call of Duty with a twist. It retains its core the fans adore while offering a shifting paradigm that gives us a fresh perspective. It doesn’t work equally well in campaign and multiplayer and there are minor mechanical stumbling blocks, but the concept is sound.

The new putting system is improved over the previous method, but it needs some refining before it can be mentioned in the same breath as the analog swing.

MLB 14: The Show on PlayStation 4 is certainly the version you’ll want if you’re a hardcore baseball fan. It’s achingly pretty (with only a few minor drawbacks), it sounds great, and the gameplay is top-notch.

I think a lack of any sense of progression and a highly restrictive structure that basically says, “if you’re not ardently passionate, get out,” is a detriment. I don’t think a simulator needs to be quite so…aloof...But if you’re in that hardcore driving fan category, it’s a no-brainer.

Mortal Kombat X is full of gory fun. It’s fiercely fast, wildly engaging, and wonderfully diverse. Not all modes are equally strong and I still say more could’ve been done with the promising story, but it’s nice to have such variety.

The intro is poorly conceived, I believe, the loading times are still pretty ridiculous, and there are a few lingering gameplay issues (wacky occurrences can be prevalent) but aside from that, this is the best Madden entry we’ve seen in years.

It's that addictive feel that permeates much of Gravity Rush. I don't think I've ever played a game that challenges me so much on a basic mechanical level, and still fulfills just about every need I have for top-notch interactive entertainment. It's a bizarre marriage, one that has you smile and grit your teeth simultaneously.

Super Hot is a first person shooter unlike any other. It’s very narrative driven, mind blowing, fps similar to games such as Portal or The Stanley Parable. It’s quite the mind trip and the time driven game mechanic is actually a lot of fun. Just be prepared to run around saying “Super Hot” in your head for the next few days. It’s short but sweet and well worth the trip into this virtual world.

Detention presents a compelling mystery that touches on culturally sensitive and even taboo subject matter, with innovative gameplay, fantastic art direction and a narrative payoff that you’ll remember for years to come, no matter which of the multiple endings you receive. If you weren’t a fan of the genre before, this is the game that should change your mind. If it doesn’t, nothing can.

Visually, Sigma 2 is extremely smooth looking.

It has its problems but I seriously doubt most action fans will be disappointed. I can almost guarantee enjoyment.

The set pieces are fantastic, the audio features some of the best highlights you'll hear this year, and there's plenty of player choice/freedom available in most missions. The difficulty is just about right (even though Agent 47 is a little too resilient, in my opinion) and fans of the series should be happy.

It’s well worth playing for stealth aficionados, and the PS2 version might be the lesser version, but it’s still quite acceptable.

An interesting blend. It consists of everything I expected to see and a few things I didn't, the latter of which surprised me. I can't say the Strike Force missions were a good idea but at the very least, they're a departure from the norm. And the addition of player choice is definitely a plus. As for the rest, the high production values, Hollywood-esque presentation, relatively intriguing campaign, and a multiplayer that delivers on all counts, it's hard to say this year's CoD falls short. Some can say the multiplayer is too similar but hey, this is Call of Duty. The fans know what they like by now.

Unlike other games, what primarily drives Guitar Hero's appeal is just how fantastic its track selection, and Guitar Hero III is no exception; it may very well have one of the best soundtracks ever.

What you need to know is that not only is the voice acting sensational, but so is the freaking soundtrack! I would seriously pay good money to buy this compilation of amazing work all as one set.

If you found the original Planet of Lana to be a delightful 2D side-scrolling puzzle platforming curio, then Planet of Lana II: Children of the Leaf is definitely a worthy successor. The two years since the first adventure has brought with it an evolutionary bolstering to the overall Planet of Lana story and to the adeptness of Lana herself. The puzzles are nicely balanced and the adventure never overstays its welcome. Children of the Leaf does go through familiar motions and it isn’t quite as ambitious as a sequel ought to be, but just like the first outing it will leave an emotional imprint. There’s always room for modest indie games, especially ones as elegant as Planet of Lana, even if this follow-up doesn’t vastly change the established.

An exceptional game. Feel free to pick it up just to see your favorite rap stars and thugs beat up one another. You'll end up getting a nicely designed fighting game in the process.

Extra depth, more classes, more missions, more customization, the same gameplay the fans fell in love with back in 2008, and attractive multiplayer options make it a must for those who…well, you know who you are.

THUG2 Remix's biggest fault is its horrendously poor audio quality. If it wasn't for the voice acting and the rather kick ass soundtrack, the sound would've gotten a flat out zero.

What Odin Sphere does not do very well, however, is the control, as it is extraordinarily unresponsive at times, as well as poorly mapped on the Playstation 2 controller.

The PS2 version might have a bit more in the way of content, but the Wi-Fi multiplayer and inherent portability provided by the compact PSP makes this version equally attractive.

In an industry that has seen the drastic shifting and even outright dissolving of beloved gameplay styles, a game like this reminds us that some developers understand that in fact, the fans were fans for a reason.

FIFA 16 added what it needed to add and refined what it needed to refine. It pinpointed the problems bogging down last year’s entry and fixed them.

For those who require a hardcore simulator and are willing to put in the time, this is the game for you.

If you loved the first PSP outing of Hot Shots Golf, then you'll love Open Tee 2.

By being given four years of development time the developers at Raven Software have spread their wings and laid one gem of a shooter. Arguably, the best campaign in the franchise’s history is presented as the main dish with the multiplayer and Zombies modes adding zest to this well-cooked package. For only $70, this game is a must-buy for fans of shooters, spy-thrillers, hardcore gamers, and casuals alike.

All in all, the list of songs tells the tale. If you like what you see, Singstar for the PS3 is worth your money.

Project Cars 2 is ambitious in a way that many attempts to revitalize the racing sim genre are not, and that leaves me excited about its future possibilities as a franchise.

Truly is a no-brainer. So long as you have at least a slight interest in karaoke, you should get it--whether or not you already own any of the previous volumes.

A bona fide blast. It's shameless, vice-ridden, and insanely violent, but because there's nothing gritty about the production, it somehow feels almost lighthearted. You just have to take things with a grain of salt.

It looks great, plays great, and has a boatload of content. It offers more bang for your buck than just about any other collection currently available.

There are a ton of various gameplay modes, on top of a solid career experience, all wrapped up with an ESPN branded presentation that broadcasts real-time sports updates straight through the game. Brilliant.

A special game that is both unique and stylish. The developers (those capitals stand for Right Square Bracket Left Square Bracket Games) do a great job of blending slick music with a surprisingly accessible (albeit sometimes out of control) gameplay mechanic.

You won't be overwhelmed by its quality but you're almost guaranteed a good time.

Mega Man Powered Up is the way a classic game should be remade. Capcom updated the graphics and audio to today's standards, and also tacked on a number of new features that greatly lengthen the game's staying power, but they pretty much left the original gameplay alone.

In comparison to last year’s title, 2K’s 09 effort presents a faster, smoother, livelier, and perhaps most importantly, an even more accessible and realistic depiction of basketball.

The control is beautiful (and I'm pretty sure the momentum physics have been ramped up), your opponent AI is intelligent and challenging at higher levels, the presentation and atmosphere is immersive, and the Career Mode never ceases to be entertaining.

While the actual races aren't that interesting, the cop chases are fantastic.

For a first game, the gameplay is executed fairly well, even if it isn't the deepest or best designed game.

You're getting a timeless classic with a great variety of new modes, and on top of that online gameplay. Moreover, its colors and vibrancy are visually stunning to behold. Add that all up, and you should be thankful that Capcom didn't charge more for the game. Because even if they did, it'd still be worth it. Puzzle Fighter is just that damn great.

An inspired and entertaining fighter with lots of appreciated imagination. The design, style and animations are its strong point, and the intricacy of the gameplay mechanic is solid without being too intimidating. There's not quite enough content in this package, it can get pretty damn frustrating, and the control isn't always perfect, but there's a lot to like.

It takes winning ideas and simply builds on them without sacrificing anything essential.

Very much a nod to the ardent fans. And I think that's great. I believe they could've done a little more with the presentation and tried a few new things here and there, and I would've made the Fight Lab more user-friendly, but there's no doubt that this sequel is precisely designed to put a smile on the faces of the faithful followers.

The depth in terms of gameplay and control is here, and if you wish to fully immerse yourself in yet another top-quality BioWare adventure, you won't be disappointed. However, I just can't figure out the need for words like "streamlining" and "accessibility" when it comes to extraordinarily niche titles designed specifically for hardcore fans.

More than an expansion pack with only minor improvements; it is a complete overhaul of one of the most popular and greatest games ever. With its new features, SOCOM III easily holds on to its title of the best online game for the PS2.

It is easily the most ambitious and utterly crazy thing I’ve ever experienced, one that is rich with potential for emergent gameplay and unique, lasting experiences, with a star-studded cast delivering a compelling story that unfolds like a fever dream.

Monolith has once again proved that they are quite capable of developing fear-based first person shooters. I found a number of problems with the game that will frustrate most FPS fans, such as the often clunky hand-combat controls.

One massive issue Fallout: New Vegas has besides all of its technical problems is that price tag. Let's face it, this is a game built on the original where the mechanics were barely touched. It's an expansion that's being charged full price for.

The best in the entire series. Still, some aspects are scuffed up enough that it is quite as legendary as it could be and I'm not yet convinced that Lara is a truly compelling character.

Grid 2 is an entertaining, nicely polished racing game. With many fantastic locales, awesome cars, nicely devised events, and a really attractive presentation, there’s a lot to like.

This is one game that, once it drops in price, would definitely be worth the price of admission if you're looking for a decent basketball simulator. As it stands, it's a solid choice for the die-hard fans.

Dragon’s Crown is an extremely well-constructed blend of old-school action elements and role-playing depth. It looks great, the gameplay is rewarding for the hardcore and accessible to newcomers, the control is rock solid, and the amount of content is worthy of the $50 price tag in my eyes.

Exactly what it should be: a fun-filled romp down memory lane for the old-schoolers, and an entertaining glimpse into the past for the younger gaming class. Besides, one of the best new features is something we can all identify with- you can save.

There's a lot of fun to be had; the diversity of the gameplay is a bonus, the world is nicely designed, the bounties are almost always entertaining, and the control is competent. Nothing about this game is particularly amazing but nothing is especially bad, either.

With superior balancing and pacing, a unique sense of awe and wonder, and a traditional role-playing theme to boot, it’s hard to complain.

Despite a lot of good things, MLB 2K5 just isn’t the overall package that "MVP 2005" is.

For others who appreciate a little strategy to go with their shooting, Brothers in Arms delivers a rather intense war-playing experience that goes along with a fascinating story told from the perspective of the soldiers who lived it.

Clearly the most impressive and important aspect of this game is its multi-player mode.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep is a game that sticks to its roots and expands upon a winning formula. It still can't quite put long-standing problems to rest (or sleep, whatever) but it presents fans with a cohesive, satisfying adventure and in truth, there are three of them.

It offers a splendid assortment of pinball tables, with a superb game engine that boasts great physics, runs at 60 frames per second, can render at 1080p, includes flawless recreations of the original tables, and boasts sound bits directly from the original pinball machines.

The game is frustrating, the rubberband A.I. does suck, and there are some unusually poor design choices, but with a large city, good customization, good visuals, terrific audio, and solid online gameplay, Midnight Club is still worth taking a look at.

There are some games that are best described with the simple “fun” adjective, and this is definitely one of them. The action is fast and satisfying, the control is solid, the 80s humor is usually spot-on (and makes some of us all sorts of nostalgic), and the combination of the gameplay and totally sweet retro atmosphere makes for the ultimate guilty pleasure.

MotorStorm 2: Pacific Rift delivers the sensation and fun of the original, but with far [fewer] problems. Evolution has crafted an even more outrageous experience that boasts all sorts of chaos, speed, huge jumps, amazing track design, solid replay value, great audio, gorgeous scenery, and absurdly fun online matches.

Good for what it is... a simple, arcade style racer that retains the core concepts of the original OutRun arcade game while incorporating many necessary gameplay and audio-visual enhancements.

Quotation forthcoming.

This is basically a cartoon-ier version of GTA with an emphasis on gratuitous violence and some sexual content. It’s the kind of game that will hook a certain audience but will eventually grow wearisome for another, and it really just depends on your own personal taste.

Overall, the bottom line is that even though this isn't exactly a next-generation game, it's still Tekken. In fact, it's the best iteration of Tekken, thus far.

The A.I. can be absolutely unfair, the sound is lackluster, and the car detail could've been much cleaner. But, the multiplayer is great fun, as is the gameplay, and there's a decent amount of variety as far as cars and tracks.

A great first effort, which is largely marred by a limitation of the PSP itself and not necessarily a fault of the game's design. If you can get over the controls and really get used to them, you'll find, what is essentially, a portable Gears of War.

The online sessions can make for some great fun, and supporting offline four player support is also a great move. A round of applause for Clap Hanz.

One of those games that just has to be experienced. Even if it's not your cup of tea, you'll probably be thankful that you tried it.

Another gem to add to your collection. The movie is just a throwaway piece of content that doesn’t do anyone any favors, and the updated PSP title can still feel old. That being said, the rest is pure Kingdom Hearts gold, and that’s precisely what the ardent fans desire.

Better than last year’s production; it features better cosmetic and aesthetic features, it often feels more streamlined and accessible, and the upgrades on the defensive side of the ball are huge. It’s finally fun to play on defense! Sadly, the game still gets bogged down by a balancing issue, as the defense is simply overpowered.

There’s nothing like it. I laughed, I screamed and I danced in the belly of the worm as I completed level after level. It was quite an experience, and perhaps others will feel the same triumph I felt when I finally reached my goals. This was one hell of a title, and I look forward to more Slime-san in the future.

Hellblade is a bold game in that it represents an issue that people have in a more positive and realistic way and more importantly confronts the stigma attached to mental illness. All this is all wrapped up in a tight, purposeful, and meaty package that should be experienced at least once.

The super solid gameplay and expansive variety is really what makes it so great, because such merits greatly increase longevity.

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is a compelling, bloody story against its long-awaited feudal Japan backdrop. Its later story beats have some epic set pieces and equally great performances. Despite that, though, it’s still an Ubisoft slog to get through, and ultimately, its uneven pace might make the journey to get there worth it. It struggles to justify the balance between its two heroes — and while they play differently, they still feel the same, providing enough gameplay disparity to invest in either one truly. Yaksue’s inability to stealth and parkour means that most will use Noe for exploration, which completely breaks the immersion of the experience in gameplay and story. It’s still a Japan-inspired journey worth taking — even if Ghosts of Tsushima did it better.

A very good game and should be satisfying for fans of the series as well as people looking to satiate their need for online deathmatch action. Insomniac still needs to find the perfect balance for Ratchet, but there are sure signs that they're getting there.

There's no doubt you'll get plenty of bang for your buck with this one, but again, it has to be your cup of tea.

Lots of great stuff but this raucous attempt at racing needs some settling and organization.

Musashi is a very preset character and doesn't go through much of a change in the game. His loud mouthed arrogance may leave some even hating him.

To put it briefly- for college basketball fans, there's really no better option, even though it's hardly the best basketball game in history.

I'm a sucker for puzzle games, and there's no doubt that Echochrome is easily one of the best I've ever played.

A step in the right direction for a series that was flirting with stagnation. With 50 available characters, a slew of corresponding skills and abilities, an open world that encourages exploration and discovery, a halfway decent story, and rock solid control, this one is quite the package.

The amount of depth, coupled with the potentially super high rewards for good players, makes this a diamond in the rough. For those of the correct disposition, Helldivers will be an absolute gem.

Broken Age is exactly what Schafer fans expect, which makes it an automatic success. The creativity and imagination is here in spades, the strict adventure style is prominent throughout (and it doesn’t deviate; there are no ill-inspired action sequences, for instance), and that atmosphere and charm ties it all together.

As I said at the start, it's just high-flying insanity to the max. The control is reliable and responsive, the courses are expertly designed, there's great variety in both the locales and the events, the satisfaction level is crazy high, and the production values are equally high. Yes, it gets unforgiving (and frustrating), there's no standard split-screen option (still a bizarre omission), and the AI makes almost zero errors, but above all else, there's no mistaking the entertainment factor. It's not only evident, it's oozing from the damn screen.

Yeah, the frame rate isn't quite where it needs to be, there's some pop-in, and it just doesn't look downright amazing due to today's standards and this slightly lesser port. The vehicle control is loose and the AI is stupid, but this remains a lot of fun, and the campaign speaks for itself.

When you're out and about and you've got some downtime, your fancy new Vita is just begging for some classic stealth action. If you're a fan, it's a no-brainer.