It falls a little short when it comes to pacing, character development, the implementation of a detective/investigating gameplay mechanic, and the overall personality. But it excels – as most Atlus games typically do – in the battle department, as the combination of depth and accessibility is excellent.

Catherine is like nothing else but it doesn't succeed on originality alone. It features a spectacular puzzle concept, fast-paced and very rewarding gameplay, interesting characters and an effective story, and an atmosphere and style that's second-to-none.

Hob is definitely larger than the sum of its parts, which come together almost perfectly to create a truly singular adventure. Hob may not have the AAA budget and polish of the franchises it draws inspiration from, but it has lots of heart and something to say, which is impressive for a game without a single spoken word.

It can be immensely frustrating, the story is insane, and the Shift feature really does feel overused in the campaign. At the same time, the inherent diversity and versatility is excellent, the graphics are pretty and presents great detail, the soundtrack is awesome, and the control is reliable (if a little weird).

Trials Fusion can be addictive and wonderfully intoxicating at times. At other times, it will make you burn with a frustrated rage others might find frightening.

Fat Princess is both charming and amusing but it’s also nicely designed and capable of holding a player’s interest due to the diversity and variety found within.

The experience survives on intensity and shameless entertainment. Technically, it isn't exactly overwhelming, and there are other issues that pop up here and there. But with a large variety of attacks, a nice open world, and plenty of reason to experiment with your absurd abilities, you can really lose yourself in this dark, bloody, undeniably titillating world. Just don't expect much beneath the surface.

Western RPGs have come along way in recent years. And in a post-modern design world — one with Baulder’s Gate IIIand Expedition 33— I fear that Bethesda’s designs have gotten stale and bled into other studios. It feels basic at everything with subpar writing, a weird mission structure, and combat — while good, it isn’t anything new and different. Those looks for a by the numbers RPG with guns might still find the fun here, but it doesn’t really do anything to set itself apart from pack. It’s Borderlandswith a different skin and I expected more.

FEAR2 makes use of some really good gameplay mechanics, such as very satisfying shooting and terrific A.I. that help make the game fairly enjoyable. On the other hand, the deal breakers could be the excessive headbobbing, the average multiplayer experience, and dull visuals.

Even slightly improved AI would have made the game much more engaging, as would more effective bullets, varied mission objectives, and more freedom to carry whatever guns you wanted.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 improves on the formula of FFXIII in just about every way possible. And yet, we lose a little more of what makes Final Fantasy a story-driven role-playing game. It's amazing that this happens given all the great features and gameplay elements that should've been included in FFXIII. I'm actually thinking that if you combine this sequel and its predecessor, take the strengths of each, and abandon the weaknesses, you'd finally get a 9+ game.

This is a much better version than the already-decent PS2 version, and is mostly identical to the Xbox 360 version (the only difference being the addition of those Sixaxis motion sensing gameplay controls), so if you've been looking for a great NHL title to slake your appetite, look no further.

Euro 2008 is yet another superb soccer game from EA Sports. It picks up where FIFA 08 left off, and adds improvements to the overall experience.

For what it is, a good story with a lot of flashy action, it works extremely well. And finally, our hats are off to that voice crew (we have to mention Lydia Baksh as Kai and Steven Berkoff as Flying Fox as well) and to the Ninja Theory team, because you guys really went all out in the presentation and style aspects. No doubt about it; awfully impressive. Hey, the voices actually synch up with the characters lips in the cut-scenes!

The physics are excellent as always, it's the best-looking entry yet, the options are insane, and most importantly, definitely appeals to just about any golf fan. It's got everything you could want and even a little more, even if the execution of the enhancements isn't always spot-on.

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge for the PSP is great. There's no two ways about it. It does everything that the console games have been doing for years now, with the one and only difference being the visual sacrifice. But even still, it's a damn good looking PSP game.

It'll keep you entertained for hours and hours, and the multiplayer capabilities truly are an absolute blast. Head-On is completely faithful to the Twisted Metal namesake and does pretty much everything right.

In some ways, The Darkness II feels like a more straightforward, less ambitious and less well-rounded title when compared to the original. And I'm sure that's where much of the criticism lies.

It's unlike any other first person adventure out there, and that alone earns your attention. It's addictive gameplay will have you coming back to it long after you've beaten it, even if the full quest only last six hours, thanks to a surprisingly fun Time Attack mode. It's superb visuals and presentation really make all the more engaging, as do the intuitive controls.

With wonderful aesthetics, some cool extra features, a budget price-point ($30 or so), and short loading times, Maverick Hunter X is one of the most pleasant experiences on the PSP.

Just isn't a significant upgrade by any stretch of the imagination, despite some noted enhancements. They ignore things like crazy ball physics and collision detection problems, and opt for changes that are just plain bizarre. I liked the increased AI, the strategic demand, the cool animations and sweet visuals, and better tackling mechanics. I really liked all that. But the rest feels either dated or uninspired and in the end, I just don't have much fun with this year's entry.

The shooting is solid, the graphics are fine, the sound design and musical score are acceptable if uninspired, and yet the game is significantly less than the sum of its parts.

Do I recommend Time Stranger? Yes, but that’s a qualified yes, if largely considering how things are as of the time of this writing. I fully recommend it if you’re a Digimon fan, like RPGs, and are open to wild, emotional rides. At full price? That’s also a qualified yes, but that’s solely because of how strong a year it’s been for games in general. I’m not going to go on at length, you’ve lived through 2025, just the same as I have — congratulations on making it this far, incidentally — it’s really just a matter of money and tastes, and the year still isn’t over. I don’t love Time Stranger as much as I do a few other games I’ve played this year, that list will come at the end of the year, God willing, but I do still love it. You might want to wait for it’s first sale if you have other concerns, it is a Bamco title and they tend to do those on a fairly common basis, but do give it a shot, at the very least.

It’s not long and it’s not the best shooter you’ll play in 2009, but it uses several unique concepts, presents us with a very enjoyable atmosphere, and remains mostly entertaining throughout. It just needed a bit more polish and refinement with the controls for us to wholeheartedly recommend it.

It’s simply too frustrating to lose a match because of imprecise controls and a lousy putting system.

It’s deeper, more elaborate, and more time-consuming than ever before, and it will reward the diligent and hardcore strat/RPG lover.

The fighting is about as refined and diverse as it has ever been, the city of Kamurocho is more detailed and immersive, the story has plenty of highlights, and becoming immersed in urban Japanese culture has never been so entertaining. However, it's held back by one slightly disappointing fact: the series is starting to show its age.

It should've given us more of an excuse to keep playing by ourselves and the coin usage for power-ups is dumb, but the production values are high and playing just never gets old. And I can't seem to stop.

If you’re looking for a game that has zombies, Oregon Trail style events, and a healthy dose of humor, Death Road to Canada is definitely worth a try. It tickled my funny bone on more than a few occasions. The gameplay is good even if you find yourself dying cheaply at times. All in all I really enjoyed this one.

Even though Gurumin borrows quite a bit from other notable adventure games like Zelda, it's still got a soul of its own and a unique charm that few games possess. It's heartwarming in every way, but also an incredibly satisfying experience that fans of the genre absolutely must look into.

Borderlands 3 is a game that is made for replayability, and it shows. It never lets you grow tired or bored with the mechanics or the grinding-looting routine. To every long-time fan of the franchise, this is going to be like jumping back in the past, but with all the improvements that make it an outstanding and enjoyable game.

If you look at where the series was the last time we saw it, the turnaround that the MLB series has experienced is amazing.

If you're looking for a deep hack and slash title along the lines of "Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance," look elsewhere. Marvel Ultimate Alliance is an over simplified attempt at a genre that begs for more. This just isn't hack and slash done right -- it feels more like an arcade game than anything else.

The control is good (if a tiny bit loose), the tracks are well designed and challenging, the different events mean you can always stay diverse, and the various vehicle classes do indeed have a major impact on your racing. I'm not the biggest fan of any of the camera angles (although I eventually stuck with the top-down one), and the production isn't as slick as I might've expected, but…The game is fun. Simple.

It’s a wonderful story with unique characters and enthralling illustrations. The story would have been better as a linear plot unmarred by gimmicky decision points.

It's a darn good package and one the die-hard fans will undoubtedly have to own. As for those who remain a little iffy, just bear in mind that aforementioned longevity and bang for your buck, as well as the prospect of traversing much prettier environments with a much prettier Lara.

Tales of Xillia might feel somewhat underwhelming. There’s nothing I can point to and say, “that’s absolutely fantastic.” It’s all pretty good, even great in some ways, but the overall package isn’t especially impressive. But hey, it’s catnip for JRPG fans.

There’s simply no way to please everyone when it comes to a song list, but damned if Harmonix and Konami didn’t try.

NBA 2k23 is more of the same thing, but refines the formula for fans of more realistic sports gaming. While its microtransactions are obstructive as ever, Jordan’s Challenge is a labor of love for basketball fans. You’ll get to play moments of history with an authentic flair to it thanks to some beautiful old-school filters. And while the graphics are slightly inferior and it lacks The City, last-gen is still a viable option to experience this brushed-up basketball simulation.

Call it my unyielding love for the franchise, but Sega needs to amp up their game if they want to earn my respect back. Sorry Sega, but a few new animated cutscenes I can watch on YouTube for free and a bunch of hackneyed ports of games I’ve purchased dozens of times aren’t enough to justify the price tag. Going back to the song “It Doesn’t Matter,” maybe someone should let Sega know that pride comes before the fall.

While Days Gone is a great time, it’s still essentially the same game. Glitchy gameplay issues and systems still exist. It has jarring difficulty spikes in certain places. And while the voice acting of the main cast is stellar, much of the acting of the NPCs is embarrassingly awful. These are minor gripes that doesn’t hurt your experience, just flaws that I think in 2025, should have been addressed.

You can spend plenty of time doing a variety of things, and Avalanche does a good job of capturing the colorful hilarity of the film series. It feels like "Toy Story" and that's really all we require.

Its interesting story and deep, yet easy to learn mechanics make it an enjoyable, and yes, lengthy experience. It's not for casual gamers.

A wonderful compilation that should appeal to retro fans, modern gamers, and cheapskates alike. You really can't argue with 22 games for 20 bucks, especially when the emulations are spot-on and the line-up is this deep.

The way Konami has transformed Ashley Wood's artwork into a highly-navigable, multimedia presentation is is nothing short of awesome.

Fatal Frame III really ties the entire series together and provides a good and complex plot with plenty of scares and frantic moments.

WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 is a major improvement over last year's terribly flawed game.

Visually, the game is a stunner.

EASHL is fulfilling and even addictive, shootouts are an absolute blast, the On-Ice Trainer is an excellent addition for newcomers, and the gameplay is smooth in some places, and rugged and powerful where it needs to be (feel that hit?). It just needs some sprucing up in regards to basic control; i.e., passing and general movement, and the off-ice interface could be a lot better.

Killzone: Mercenary proves that portable shooters can be great. It proves that even with a few shortcomings and flaws, some indigenous to the platform, many players will be more than satisfied with the purchase. Some gorgeous visuals, cracking effects, a cash-based system that emphasizes the “mercenary” part, tight and responsive control, and riveting multiplayer make this production shine.

It doesn't fire on all cylinders all the time. It can be disappointing and frustrating. But at the end of the day, you will reflect and conclude that all in all, you're experiencing what could be a memorable adventure.

One of the biggest draws of Super Monkey Ball is the addictive multi-player games, all of which included here, and are unlocked from the get go.

Easily the best game in the franchise’s history, but it’s not leaps and bounds better over last year’s game.

If you’re simply looking for the best handheld soccer game, FIFA 06 is the far better choice, due to better visuals more licensed teams, online play, mini-games, and the inclusion of commentary.

Don’t think of it as a sequel to San Andreas; think of it as an inexpensive way to pass the time while waiting for GTA to appear on the PlayStation 3.

Cladun: This is an RPG is made for the old-school RPG lover who appreciates nostalgic throwbacks with a dash of modern glazing and almost endless smile-inducing comedy.

Red Dead Redemption as a game is still a fantastic romp that any cowboy or open world fan should experience. Meanwhile, playing it on my PS5 (via backwards compatibility) is a treat, even if it doesn’t change how the game runs or looks. It has one of the best open worlds you can ask for and a compelling story to boot. But, it’s bogged down by its lazy cash-grab nature, with the Rockstar team opting to do away with content and instead do the absolute bare minimum.

Despite improvements across the board, the lackluster controls, disappointing team and player editor, and lack of new features make NHL 06 a good, but not great game.

They sort of cut you loose without much in the way of detailed explanations, the camera can still go screwy, and while the touchscreen feature is cool, it just doesn't mean much in the long run. Outside of that, this will absolutely deliver plenty of bang for your buck.

It's a technical tour de force for portable productions, the cast of characters is satisfying, the combat can be mega-satisfying once you've wrapped your head around all the systems and mechanics, and there's a boatload of content.

You really start to care to what happens to the characters, and although the story is really predictable, there are a couple neat twists. Don't let the 32 bit graphics fool you, the anime scenes are stupendous.

Technical problems kill any value that Kinetic might have.

Tacoma is not going to win any new fans who weren’t already interested in story-heavy adventure games, but if you enjoyed Gone Home, you’re likely going to find Tacoma a pleasant evolution of that narrative style with a few much needed improvements to the interactive aspects of the gameplay.

Fury Unleashed is one of the best indie games of 2020, and one of the most excellent examples of the roguelite genre this generation. While it may be on the short side, this action co-op title should satisfy fans of Metal Slug and then some. Cool comic-inspired visuals, an inspiring story, and compelling moment-to-moment gameplay make this a stellar shooter.

Whether or not NBA 2K20 is the game for you really depends on a few things. If you can get past the obnoxious microtransactions, a story mode that’s a bit too bloated, and some frustrating grind in other modes, there’s a lot to like here. More importantly, where it matters most (gameplay), 2K20 really shines, with the potential to thrill in ways few other sports games can. When you’re lost in the heat of the action, yelling at your TV in the final seconds of a nail-biting finish, it’s hard to really care about all the speed bumps on the way to that moment.

It may be straightforward and linear, but it is still extremely satisfying and a lot of fun - and ultimately, fun is what makes or breaks a game. The story is a bit on the short side, lasting about 6-7 hours, but the multiplayer events are cool and there is downloadable content in the works as we speak.

Sure, LEGO Star Wars is easy. Sure, it looks like a game for kids. These things are undeniable; however, what else is undeniable is just how much fun that playing this game is, despite its appearance.

The good vastly outstrips the bad: it looks great, it sounds great, it controls great, the experience is solid, the depth is outstanding, the intricacy of the abilities, gadgets, and level design is stellar, and yes, there is online multiplayer. It's a little anemic, but the PS3 version does have the benefit of a few added maps.

Just based solely on its gunplay, Alien Hominid is worthy of mention in the same breath as classic shoot-'em-ups like Contra and Metal Slug. Nonetheless, it is the game's uniquely refreshing (albeit crude) visual style and attitude that justifies the price of admission.

A serious franchise update. The game fails to impress on just about every level, and ironically enough, manages to stay fun and entertaining thanks to a fully realized online battle mode and the all-important vehicle alterations.

A fun, fulfilling and yes, even addictive game.

Fighting fanatics and comic lovers alike should love the effort and attention to detail. The control is fast and reliable, the production values are high throughout, there’s appreciated accessibility combined with great depth, and experimenting with each character is awesome.

A memorable and incredibly effective survival/horror quest. There are so many moments that will make you feel legitimate fear, and that’s no easy feat.

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is an interactive work of art.

It’s got some rough edges, and I really wish it had a solid online multiplayer component, but ultimately I like Horizon Chase Turbo; probably more than I should.

Sometimes a little scripting is needed to bring such an important historical event to life, but decisions made on the field, in the heat of combat are what won the war. The next time around, it'd be nice to see a bit more of that flexibility in the progression of the game.

All in all, Euro 2008 is yet another superb soccer game from EA Sports. It picks up where FIFA 08 left off, and adds improvements to the overall experience.

The freestyle superstar moves are nice, but the other new stuff, like hiring staff, online dunk contests, and the inclusion of "NBA Live 95" aren’t worth shelling out fifty bucks for if you own last year’s game.

A great multiplayer game that should've shipped without a single-player option. If you want to give us a multiplayer tutorial, then just do that. The story is weak, I don't really care at all about the character, and there's very little difference between the campaign and the online action.

A highly entertaining experience from start to finish. The story really drives the game forward extremely well, and it’s helped along by good pacing, top-notch voice acting, and a complex script that will throw you for a loop several times along the way.

Game of Thrones: Episode One – Iron From Ice is another great narrative effort by a rising development team. It’s full of drama and well-choreographed action scenes, each of which push the plot forward at a brisk pace.

Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing is colorful and fun, for one player or multiple players. That’s probably all that needs to be said.

It’s just too bad that we’ve got a bizarre lack of features in terms of single-player options, and not having the in-game store or this much-ballyhooed "expanded" Story Mode until later is another big problem. The performance snafus are being ironed out quickly but that doesn’t change the fact that they existed at launch. I refuse to gloss over that.

Final Fantasy IV: Complete Collection is exactly what the long-time followers desire, even if the control shows its age and The After Years isn't the timeless classic FFIV will always be.

As a total package, Field Commander is easily one of the best turn-based strategy games ever produced. That's no surprise, since it's basically a knock-off of Nintendo's "Advance Wars."

2006 FIFA World Cup is more robust than the typical World Cup videogame, but even then, its feature set is far below that of FIFA 06.

The design, style, attitude, and bearing of the game is great; it's loaded with a certain swagger that is to be expected from Shinji Mikami and Suda 51. There's even a fair amount of genuine comedy...your gun's name is "Johnson," after all.

It offers plenty of foes to strike down with a wide variety of cool attacks, lots of classic characters, and enough ally and party micromanagement to maintain some sense of role-playing and strategy. But the story falls flat, the pacing is off, and above all else, the combat mechanic is inherently flawed.

Crysis 3 is a worthy sequel that is highly entertaining on a number of different levels.

A definite upgrade, plain and simple. It may not be quite enough to summon new fans this late in the day, but that Story Mode and extra modes/content is always intriguing, regardless of whether or not you’re familiar with the franchise.

A game well worth playing. It's an entertaining experience with nicely implemented gameplay elements, many of which will make you grin at the impossible power with which you are bestowed.

Synapse is a fun FPS roguelite with great gunplay and satisfying progression with each run. While it may lean too heavily on its replay value and squanders its fascinating premise with little storytelling. It’s one of the most worthwhile PSVR2 shooters yet.

A proper long-term gameplay mode would've been nice. Rookie Challenge is decent, but some extra meat is needed to justify the price-tag.

A boatload of fast-paced fun, infused with an energy that almost seems insurmountable. This energy alone is worthy of your attention.

If you don't understand Mortal Kombat, this isn't the game for you. But if you do get it, especially if you loved the first two arcade games, this IS the game for you.

A great first chapter in a tremendously endearing new series. It sets the stage for the second chapter and leaves the player wanting more.

You simply can't deny the charm and light parody afforded by these monkeys. Besides, the action does get quite good near the end; the rest of the game just needs to catch up.

FIFA 06 is a very good game, but since it follows its predecessor by a little over six months it’s not a huge leap forward.