Soldner-X 2: Final Prototype is a beautifully composed and ceaselessly entertaining shooter, one with an old-school feel combined with modern flash.

Red Dead Redemption is a triumph and although not entirely devoid of an assortment of little flaws and annoyances, it’s still one of the best of the generation.

The game boasts terrific heart-racing gameplay, great presentation, awesome game mechanics, very tight controls, solid sense of speed, bright visuals, and a bunch of replay value.

It does its job well. It presents the gamer with a stable, fluid foundation and builds upon it with nice pacing and even an addictive, "I gotta get through the next part" feel. But the combat is definitely sparse, the Powers aren't as electric as I had hoped, the graphics and sound needed an update to reach top-notch status, and the whole thing just feels too much like yesteryear.

So if you've got kids who have all the movies in their collections, there's no reason they shouldn't play this game. I'm almost sure they'll really have a blast.

Everything tends to work really well, it's just as addictive and involving as those old 2D games could often be, and really…guys, this is Zelda.

In the end, I suppose one could make the argument that Lead and Gold: Gangs of the Wild West would be a great buy at $9.99 and a better-than-average buy at the current $14.99 price point.

Simply put, this just isn't worth your money. This would've been an acceptable game back on the PlayStation and maybe even early PlayStation 2 days, but the level of shallowness in game mechanics, the poor visuals, the boring story, the lousy audio, and the awful controls make it totally unacceptable for this generation.

If you're not really into RPGs, you won't be impressed. However, if you are like me (a role-playing veteran), and you've agreed with things I've said in the past about the genre this generation, get it. I can almost promise you won't regret it.

Super Street Fighter IV is one of those rare exceptions where it's worth double-dipping. The exception is simply because instead of just releasing the same game with 10 new characters, Capcom went back and reworked the balance, added new modes, added bonus stages, redid the storyboards, changed various aesthetic bits and pieces, and on top of that only charged $40 for it all. To me, Super Street Fighter IV is a no-brainer.

The variations of backgrounds and objects is what makes it worthwhile in my eyes, but I’m willing to admit this may not be the opinion of others.

It’s sensitive enough to annoy the uninitiated and the diverse objectives are challenging enough to force you to play one area many, many times.

Just Cause 2's exploration and destruction isn't even that in-depth; it's quite generic, actually. Last year's unfortunately overlooked Red Faction: Guerrilla was far more explosive and destructive than Just Cause 2, not to mention an overall better looking, playing, sounding, and interesting game.

You get a real thrill when it comes to racing with a large pack, and great satisfaction goes along with a meticulously executed pass.

I can't praise this game enough for everything that it does so effortlessly. The adventure will run you about 8-10 hours, and chances are you will go back for another round with your acquired goodies in tow. God of War III is the epitome of what this generation is all about: lavish visuals, marvelous gameplay, storytelling that is unlike any other, and an overall presentation that simply cannot be beat.

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.

It all just works so, so, so well. If this was my first Final Fantasy or even my first RPG, I’d think it’s one of the best things I’ve ever played. But I really can’t shake the recurring feeling that Square-Enix has taken something away from me. It’s hard to pin it down exactly, but it’s the void I feel when I subtract so many beloved role-playing elements.

There's this strange lack of weight to Kazuma's movement. It almost feels as if you're gliding around the pavement when exploring, and this sort of transfers into the combat, too. It just doesn't feel like a tight, finely honed mechanic, which brings the entire experience down a few notches.

Employing some of the best game mechanics in the genre, terrific balance, terrific multiplayer fun, and a technical package you can appreciate, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is an FPS you need to play.

Heavy Rain isn’t just a masterpiece; it’s an ingenious step in the right direction...This may very well be the most “human” game ever made, and an absolute triumph for the industry. Take from that what you will.

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.

Last Rebellion is a dull, witless, ugly, uninspired adventure with only glimpses of the quality and innovation that could’ve been obtained with a lot more work on the part of the designers.

There are so many places that just scream out for more attention; I couldn’t play for more than 15 minutes without going, “oh come on; that could’ve been awesome!” There’s just always something that reared its ugly head and it’s absolutely unavoidable.

Bioshock 2 won't win any awards for its visuals, and maybe the sequel's story isn't as captivating as the first game. But for the most part, the sequel lives up to the original and fans of the original will still love every ounce of what this game has to offer.

An enjoyable game. But a forgettable game.

As far as RPGs go, this is a solid one and probably worth your time and money.

Doesn’t quite live up to expectations. The separate platforming and music elements provide us with a solid foundation, but neither element receives the benefit of extra attention from the developers.

The combat is great, the back-end mechanics are solid, the graphics are nice, and the voice acting is more than fair. I'm probably a harder critic on games than anyone I know, but even I coudn't deny that this is a very good game.