Hours to complete: That depends on how long you can deal with mediocrity.

Hours to complete: That depends on how long you can deal with mediocrity.

The upgrades seem to number in the hundreds and require you to navigate multitudes of menus. Whether you look at this as challenging or soul-crushing should give you an idea of whether you should buy the game.

The creators seem to have focused more on blending cinematic elements and story arc than on controls and action. Still, it's a solid all-around title that pushes games in a different direction and serves as a vivid reminder that living in America is way better than living in Chechnya.

Not for the timid, Psi-Ops features some flat-out nasty moments. Sneak up on enemies to drain their minds of psi energy and pop open their heads. Set some poor bastard on fire and he'll run around screaming.

Not for the timid, Psi-Ops features some flat-out nasty moments. Sneak up on enemies to drain their minds of psi energy and pop open their heads. Set some poor bastard on fire and he'll run around screaming.

Though it's a great title in the Zelda franchise, the action is hindered by all the extra equipment necessary to get the most out of it.

The game has incredible graphics and sound, as well as clever AI that doesn't require you to baby-sit each squad member.

The game does a great job of combining stealth elements (centered on Riddick's ability to hear his target's heartbeat as well as see in the dark) with all-out, guns-blazing action.

The game is all about firepower. Rescuing tied-up hostages will get you power-up weapons like flamethrowers, heavy machine guns and a ground-hugging Iron Lizard missile.

Carry out your finest work in shadowy places and dole out dagger lobotomies with little chance of being penalized. It's almost as good as being a U.S. president or Hall of Fame running back!

Carry out your finest work in shadowy places and dole out dagger lobotomies with little chance of being penalized. It's almost as good as being a U.S. president or Hall of Fame running back!

From the lush environments down to the rust on Optimus Prime’s fender, the graphics in Transformers are outstanding.

The tempo of the battle sometimes swings according to the level of each army's morale. Chip away at your enemy's self-esteem by ramming three feet of steel through their guts. Then tell your own troops to buck up. Try complimenting them on their weight loss.

The convoluted control scheme outlined in the manual leads you believe you can pull of coolly calculated combinations (isn't alliteration fun!), but the action quickly devolves into button-mashing confusion.

The convoluted control scheme outlined in the manual leads you believe you can pull of coolly calculated combinations (isn't alliteration fun!), but the action quickly devolves into button-mashing confusion.

A chunky online component will keep you coming back for more than just the 40 or so hours of solo game play.

Everything from the official team rosters to the detailed fields and even to the smoke bombs set off in the grandstands at Wembley Stadium keep your head in the game.

Everything from the official team rosters to the detailed fields and even to the smoke bombs set off in the grandstands at Wembley Stadium keep your head in the game.

Unlocking new skins for the more than 40 available cars on the 90-plus tracks will keep you busy.

Everything from the official team rosters to the detailed fields and even to the smoke bombs set off in the grandstands at Wembley Stadium keep your head in the game.

Odds are this game will complete you. Spending hour after hour earning points to gain new abilities becomes a kind of subhuman mania.

You’ll get at least 40 or 50 hours of game play, and that’s before you get to the mini-puzzles.

You can duke it out in one weight class in the Champion Road mode, but it’s more fun watching flyweights pepper lumbering hulks with a couple of kicks, take ’em down and elbow them into oblivion.

Elaborate levels and the multiple paths you can take to solve them go a long way in making you forget about the lack of narrative element.

Elaborate levels and the multiple paths you can take to solve them go a long way in making you forget about the lack of narrative element.

Elaborate levels and the multiple paths you can take to solve them go a long way in making you forget about the lack of narrative element.

Painkiller sports some of the best graphics to come down the PC pipe all year. The bosses (the hammer-wielding Saphathoraél in particular) all look incredible.