Beginners will likely find themselves overwhelmed with the game’s complicated steps and unforgiving mechanics, even on the easiest settings. Dancing game veterans, on the other hand will relish the challenge and find the huge list of songs refreshing.

All in all, Just Cause 3 is one giant bombastic set piece that manages to be immensely enjoyable and disappointing at the same time.

This game is repetitive. You start out consistently having a blast, but towards the middle of it you realize that some stages drag on for way too damn long.

Eufloria is a great concept that just feels a little undercooked.

You've never really seen a game like Sideway: New York before, which is the biggest compliment I can bestow for SOE's latest.

I’ve enjoyed the freedom to make my own decisions and mistakes, the challenge, the complexity, the attention to detail. It’s been one hell of a ride.

The two biggest drawbacks are obvious to us: first and foremost, what we’ve been saying all along; i.e., there really isn’t much in the way of upgrades or enhancements, and secondly, the lack of balance.

NBA Live 08 delivers arguably the most convincing looking and playing game of hoops. It may not be super rich in its mechanics, but that doesn't change the fact that the game just plays well and is the most fluid basketball game to control.

The audio is crystal clean, as you'd expect.

Technical elements aren't impressive. Career setup is annoying and unrealistic. Gameplay isn't anywhere near authentic enough. Move functionality isn't quite right. General lack of solidarity and consistency.

The game isn't great, but it delivers the goods for the fans, and that's all it really needs to do.

If you're looking for a fun game to pick up and play for a few minutes at a time, or if you've heard about the fun of Metroid Prime Pinball (review) but own a PSP instead of a Nintendo DS, you can't go wrong with Pinball Hall of Fame: The Gottlieb Collection.

Foo Fighters, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Ozzy, Pantera, Slayer, Queen, Rage Against the Machine, Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age, The Police, Lamb of God, Nirvana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Boston, Incubus, Ratt, Alice in Chains, Deep Purple, Wolfmother, Stone Temple Pilots, and Rush...I simply cannot resist.

The career mode while a nice idea, is boring, the physics are questionable, and while there is multi-player, the lack of online support is sorely missed. If you can pick it up for a good price, and you know what you're getting into, then it could be worth a purchase.

The gameplay of Nidhogg 2 is incredibly smooth and each button press flows into the next, removing the focus on the controller and allowing the player to soak in the numerous advances MESSHOF has made as they poured their time into making a new and refreshing version of their previous title.

Whether you picked up the stellar "Okami" or not, give it’s B-game cousin a shot if you’re a fan of challenging games with great mechanics. Oh yeah, the music rules, too!

At the very least, it’s a great experience for the “Star Wars” faithful, and the solid and accessible control cements a production with far-reaching appeal. That appeal may not reach to the core group of gamers that are bound to complain about the lack of depth, customization and overall gameplay innovation, but they’re not the intended demographic. The good certainly outweighs the bad, regardless of your “hardcore” level or personal preferences, but such factors will have a big impact on your enjoyment.

I can only recommend Tony Hawk's Proving Ground to only the biggest fans of the franchise who simply want more. If you're looking for something new with a rewarding experience, I recommend "SKATE."

Rainbow Six Siege offers a very different FPS experience. It doesn’t rely on bombastic set pieces and ceaseless, mindless action where players respawn immediately and everyone has Wolverine-like regenerating health. Instead, this is the cerebral shooter, the one that asks you to view the map layout, determine the best plan of attack, and execute with pinpoint precision.

The only major downfall of the game revolves around the lack of multiplayer options.

With great characters, good writing, and a fun story, Detective Gallo does well. It’s only marred by a few shortcomings such as a short run-time, illogical puzzles, and lots of backtracking.

Corpse Party (2021) is a thoroughly engaging piece of survival horror. The cast of characters is likable enough, the atmosphere feels palpable, and it is morbidly fun to unlock all of the bad endings. And considering the new extra chapters and binaural audio, this is the definitive version to play.

If the framerate hadn't been as jerky, we'd have a fairly enjoyable game -- nothing ground breaking, but enjoyable, nevertheless.

The disc may only have six or seven legitimate classics on it, but those six games truly are milestones that stand the test of time.

The lack of any real direction, the somewhat loose control, and the hitches and glitches can damage the experience, but if you love blasting through destructible terrain, laying waste to everything in sight (including your opponents), and you can really get a hold on the driving, you're almost guaranteed to have a blast.

The game has, arguably, the largest scope available on the PSP with anywhere between 50-80 hours of gameplay. This is a huge game and fans of the original will probably eat this up and beg for more.

Remember Me aims high but sadly falls well shy of the intended goal.

Zombie Army 4: Dead War lets you take the fight to a familiar foe in an expected but fun way. Cooperative play is a joy, gunplay is frantically exciting, and the progression system firmly holds everything together. While not reinventing much, Zombie Army 4: Dead War greases the bloody wheels of the zombie trope by implementing its own solid trademark of tactical shooter sensibilities.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD has its ups and downs.

Overlord may not be the most dazzling game you'll play this year, but it is one of the freshest in execution.

The controls and camera need a little work and the supporting cast (as well as the Tokobots) could use some kind of personality outside of being cute and/or evil.

Despite its flaws, Rogue City delivers what most fans of the franchise have been craving: a bloody, explosive throwback to the glory days of action. While it doesn’t do anything exceptionally well and has its fair share of frustrating mechanics, nothing is truly game-breaking. If you’re looking for a game that lets you feel like RoboCop, this is it—just don’t set your expectations too high.

Fans of "Metal Gear Solid" and "Resident Evil 4" should enjoy the game quite a bit, as should fans of the action genre, altogether.

We still have the same mechanical problems, Frank's photography skill doesn't add much, the frame rate issues are still there, and in the end, it's just "Dead Rising 2+."

That being said, when the overall quality of the production continues to shine through, and those four maps and classes are quite well-developed and presented, and the fun factor is undeniable, I have no choice but to recommend it.

Chances are you already know if this game is for you. It’s Need for Speed through and through, for better or worse, but the execution is far better here than the last few attempts I’ve made to dive back in. If you’re looking for classic, core arcade racing without a lot of frills and don’t mind a story mode that is distracting at best, you could do worse with your $60 than Need for Speed Heat. Problem is, you can also do better.

The characters are interesting, and so the story is more rewarding than you would imagine. Yes, there are some control issues, but they aren't terrible enough to disregard the game.

Having the menus laid out in different rooms of the school may seem like a good idea on paper, but it’s a chore to navigate, and it’s easy to miss stuff.

MotorStorm: Arctic Edge for the PS2 is still great despite missing a features the PSP game has. At its very core, it does everything that the PS3 games have been doing for years now, with the one and only major difference being the visual sacrifice.

Ultimate mode would test even the best players to their limits. I say this because the entry price is $39.99, which is deserved, but not appropriate for those who’ll get frustrated just trying to make it through the first level. But if you’ve ever had late-night liaisons with a lady dressed in black leather and cracking a whip, then you’ve probably already bought it.

It features explosive action elements that are rather addictive and extremely fun. Once you get a feel for the game it only becomes more fun, and so replaying it and attempting to beat your previous records becomes common practice.

You just need to accept the fact that Resonance of Fate will inevitably frustrate you, especially at first, and you have to resign yourself to grinding very, very often.

The story loses us every now and then, the control isn’t always spot-on, and there were missed design and gameplay opportunities. But the result is what matters. What matters is that we feel as if we’re part of something attractively surreal, an interactive endeavor with intrigue and a bit of philosophy, a distinct style and ambiance that is simple yet memorable.

The Red Star has a lot going for it, but due to the preceding problems, it falls well short of its ambitious goal. The complete lack of an interesting story, lackluster menu presentation, and spiking and erratic difficulty (along with no checkpoints) can make for an extremely tedious experience.

Do you appreciate fast-paced, challenging if — occasionally rather frustrating — combat? Are you a fan of what would be, in other, entirely more cowardly games, unreasonably delicious anime katsu curry scenes, assuming you’re not me and don’t undercook or burn most of them? Do you like love stories? I’m serious. This second to last question is the most difficult part, considering current financial situations throughout the world at the time of this writing: does this sound like it’s worth $50? Finally, does any of this game seem interesting to you? Then absolutely buy it, it’s completely worth it.

We do wish there had been a few more tables and a few more gameplay modes, but pinball is pinball. If you loved playing those classic tables when you were younger, this might make for a good rainy day purchase.

But with a slew of little problems, a bunch of repetition, a campaign that isn't anything like a campaign (let's face it; this is a multiplayer game only), and lacking environmental variety, it's tough to recommend. There are other games out there.

If you fancy a good mystery, maybe The Raven Remastered is the right game for you. But if it’s a saucy story you’re looking for, look elsewhere. Although it sounds like a pretty tasty tale to dig into, The Raven Remastered will leave you with more questions than answers.

It doesn't offer the most robust multiplayer experience, the visuals aren't sparkling, the audio is a mixed bag, and the gameplay isn't exactly cutting edge. But the scope of the game is commendable and there's certainly a ton of potential here - I just wish that potential received some polish before it was given to us.

Unless you're a die-hard Jak and Daxter fan, Jak and Daxter: The Final Frontier isn't worth the coin.

All in all, you can't deny that Blood on the Sand is a fun game with a great soundtrack.

The AI has gotten better but there are still obvious instances of stupidity, and while the visuals don't shine with unparalleled brightness, the detail and animations are markedly better.

I can’t recommend SteelRising to everyone, especially die-hard Soulsborne fans who relish in a story where the information isn’t spoon-fed to them. I do, however, applaud Spiders for trying to take on the Soulsborne genre. I only wish they had understood that perhaps they took on more than they could chew.

The camera simply cannot detect movements accurately enough to make replaying games for a high score a viable option, since you’ll often not get credit for things you did correctly.

A fun, challenging, well constructed puzzle-based adventure that occasionally drags due to tedious backtracking. The story isn't anything special, either, and some puzzles are goofy to the point of being obscure. But most challenges are extremely well designed and implemented, the attractiveness of the pleasing visual presentation, and the uniqueness of the seven characters makes this game well worth your time.

A competent and in many ways, impressive, action extravaganza. The gameplay and combat hold up well over time, but the technical aspects don't, and those same problems still exist, which is disappointing.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is oddly named and really, the game lives up to that tone: Odd. But that’s part of the charm and appeal and fans of past entries will quickly embrace this style.

The great design and high level of creativity is to be commended and appreciated, the game provides an effectively immersive environment, and Harry Potter followers should really love the style and the chance to become a virtual wizard. The end feels anticlimactic, there's no multiplayer option, and there are a few small technical bugaboos but other than that, this is a really solid step in the right direction.

Racers such as Burnout Legends, Ridge Racer, and Midnight Club (other than the load times) are much better games, so there’s not much of a reason to pick up Most Wanted, though it’s not a bad game.

If you’re looking for a good “pick up and play” soccer game for the PSP, WTS 06 is a good option. However, if you’re looking for a little more depth, the lack of club teams, customization, and mini-games is hard to look past when FIFA 06 is sitting on the shelves right next to it.

The diversity and pacing is appreciated, the control is spot-on, the weapons are great, and the campaign is completely satisfying. The multiplayer is crazy entertaining and the Mi6 Ops mode adds plenty to the experience.

Tembo the Badass Elephant is a goodhearted, challenging platformer where speed and rhythm sit at the forefront of the gameplay experience.

But it's a decent game that almost feels like a throwback to a time when 3D action/adventure without much in the way of frills dominated. It's fun, engaging, and that co-op emphasis works out extremely well.

This sequel fails to make any notable strides in improvement, and in fact fails so hard with the broken game engine that it feels downright frustrating to look at and play.

Ar Tonelico II: Melody of MetaFalica provides JRPG fans with a very cool combat mechanic that is entertaining enough to sustain you throughout the lengthy quest. There isn’t enough in the way of exploration and the emphasis on Song Magic makes everything feel a little one-sided, but the concept is solid.

Generic gameplay, poor multiplayer offerings, and below average visuals? This I can't even recommend when it hits the inevitable bargain bin.

Ultimately, the main reason to pick up this 2-pack is its "bang for the buck." Two excellent fighting games for $30 is a bargain.

There's a lot of genuinely amusing character interaction, but the adolescent teasing and mock anger routines get old quickly, and they simply didn't put enough effort into most dungeons.

In short, the game has more ups than downs but it's impossible to ignore the downs.

Anarchy Reigns can be lots of fun, but the muddled and clichéd story doesn't help the campaign, and neither does the general repetitive nature of the gameplay.

Perhaps the best Dragon Ball Z videogame to date. Even though the online mode may be thin, there isn't much else beyond the single-player experience, there's still a solid foundation here for future games to come.

The story isn’t as well-written or engaging as the plot of the first game, there are superficial characters tossed in for no reason, and the cutting-and-pasting of previously visited locales isn’t doing us any favors. If you can accept all these drawbacks and indulge in the awesome battle mechanic, well, good for you.

Lacks some of the polish and refinement that would make it a really solid, even addicting title. We spend too much time indoors..., the story is a little lame, and the difficulty is scaled back a little too much. But it's easy to pick up and play, exploring the city never gets boring, and fans of the web-slinging hero can spend a lot of time battling, upgrading, and just soaring along.

A great throwback; a retro game that isn't entirely retro, an old-school experience that reminds us of times long gone. It's self-deprecating and totally loony, it's vibrant and rewarding, and although a bit on the short side, you'll want to play it again…and again (ideally with a buddy).

If you’re not a diehard fan of Country, there’s not a chance in hell you’ll have a good time with this game – unless you’re singing a tune here and there at a party. Harmonix could have done a better job here.

It may not be chock full of stages to visit, but it's certainly great for a quick diversion, as its pick-up-and-play traits are rather welcoming.

I personally could not overlook a number of glaring flaws, most importantly the horde of control issues, in addition to the annoying load times.

Loads of fun. There's a great deal of ingenuity here, and the power we feel wandering about is almost unparalleled in third-person shooters. The package really is quite solid and well worth a look…provided you're done playing the elite AAA titles out there.

It's not a huge challenge but so what? Makes ya feel good for a while, and we all need that every now and then.

It’s just a little too tedious for my taste and it there’s a fine line between unfair and properly unforgiving. Not sure Davis strikes that balance well enough.

Worms 4 is a big improvement from its 3D predecessors and the game has taken a step in the right direction.

For the time being, there are simply too many problems with Ultra Street Fighter IV on PlayStation 4. The input lag is definitely an issue, the technical hang-ups mar an otherwise astounding-looking game, and there aren’t enough new features or additions for hardcore fans to warrant a purchase.

A good game. I have to say that again. It's "good" from the standpoint of a reviewer who can't really find any major glaring flaws, although there are obvious minor issues. The caveat is that those minor issues become far more irritating when you start to get tired of a military game that's too much rinse-and-repeat with no answer for "Why the heck am I doing this?"

But the bad is just too prevalent: poor upgrade system, mediocre graphics and sound, and in general, it just feels like an arcade game trying to be a simulator.

NBA 2K22 is a surprisingly solid perennial release, refining and improving upon troublesome and dull mechanics with a generally more fun, accessible court experience. While its RPG ambitions are admirable, its quest system pales in comparison to the next-gen version. Overall, though, this current-gen version stands firmly on its own, offering a solid suite of modes and sweet basketball simulation.

With a promise to feature every Ferrari ever made via downloadable updates, on top of a proper physics engine, you're getting one of the most complete licensed products out there.

Red has its flaws. The story doesn’t really impress, the combat can be tricky, the locations could’ve been much more interesting, and you can’t fight against a friend. It’s also not the most technically accomplished title you’ll ever play. At the same time, what it offers is a solid fun factor, which you can enjoy even if you’re not a fan of the series.

Driveclub isn't exactly a triumph but it's a polished, very entertaining game that delivers an adrenaline-filled good time.

Despite its flaws, it has the desired impact, and that’s the best that can be said about this particular game.

Zombi is a game that might seem too ponderous and frustrating for many. But for those who appreciate a challenging atmosphere that tasks you with marshalling your fears and taking a studious approach to survival, it’s a definite must-try.

The pacing takes a hit because I think the developers went a little overboard in terms of character depth, the camera can be problematic, and a few too many of the abilities seem pointless, but in the end, DSIII is a dungeon-crawling winner.

If you loved the old-fashioned 2-on-2 style pioneered by the very first Jam titles, and didn't like any of the series departures since then, you'll love this one. Yes, regardless of price.

We have to realize that even the most successful packages reach a point where only minor tweaks and additions attempt to masquerade as innovation. That doesn’t work and hopefully, Activision will realize that CoD is on the downward slope and it’s once again time to reinvent. It must be done in the next generation.

The 3rd Birthday has a lot going for it, but it falls short of being a top-notch production due to significant control issues, a high level of frustration, and a main character that looks and sounds great, but doesn't contribute much.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed won't be one of the games I'll remember as being poor, but I also won't look back on it years from now and feel nostalgic.

There is nothing remotely redeeming about this game. Nothing that even the most die-hard loyal Sonic Fans would or should advocate for. I hope that one day someone who cares enough about this franchise could give us something-anything of substance. A fan can hope, can’t they? A fan can hope.

A worthwhile multiplayer-oriented shooter that is diverse, intense, and offers plenty of depth…provided you can find it. The endless streams of foes, the stark presentation and lack of instruction, and the mediocre AI brings it down a notch, but the fun factor remains relatively high.

Liberation isn't the stellar, revolutionary experience I had counted on. They just don't do enough with the story or protagonist, the experience feels somewhat dull and lifeless at times, and the game can chug significantly. Still, I think it's critical to point out that in relation to other portable adventures, this is really very impressive.