Outland will put your skills to the test, but strikes a pleasant balance between frustration and triumph. It's not the easiest game in the world, but the effort it takes to master is well worth it.

Conduit 2 suffers in comparison to what's available on the other consoles or the PC, but the addition of motion controls that (mostly) work make it worth a rental, as long as you can get past the goofy story.

Mortal Kombat finally gets over its overwrought heritage and laughs along with us. It's a great fighting game, stuffed with things to do.

Sony wants SOCOM 4 to be COD in "tactical" clothing, but all they ended up with is an utterly bland amalgam of missions and cutscenes that lacks any soul.

The best sequel we could have expected. The levels just plain aren't as challenging, but the new toys and characters manage to distract enough from the cracks in the paint to keep the whole ride breezing along. It astounds in some ways and disappoints in others, which, while not perfect, is good enough for science.

Its main boasts - the soul subclasses and the dynamic content - are fantastic ideas that occasionally go clunk every now and then, but the core there is solid and makes the game feel worthwhile.

Lego Clone Wars nails the Lego look and sense of humor, but completely fails when it comes to evoking the lighthearted fun the series is known for. Surprisingly difficult and repetitious, it seems to be working against the player as hard as it can.

Maxis wagered that adding fun new game elements to its blockbuster franchise would work, and The Sims Medieval succeeds sufficiently to start its own branching franchise. Expect an expansion pack or ten.

Combining an outstanding setting, tremendous visuals, and an open-ended play style, Crysis 2 is the whole package. Small problems with the story and some minor design annoyances don't get in the way of an otherwise amazing experience.

The series has scaled down from Empire but lost none of the drama or excitement. The smaller scale makes it easier to appreciate all the things the game does right.

There isn't enough game in Homefront The Game to contain Homefront The Multimedia Concept. It would work great as a film, and works just fine as a game-based counter-culture argument against the complacency of modern Americans. As a game, however, it just doesn't cut it.

The advancements in RPG mechanics would be enough to set it apart, but the real achievement of Dragon Age II is in the story-telling. I could point out the improved combat and graphics till there's blood covering my face, but BioWare is one of the few companies that uses the advanced computing power available to modern game designers to let you actually play a role.

With slick and fast-paced battles, a more adult take on the traditional Pokémon concepts and an entirely new roster of characters, Pokémon Black & White is as close to a "reboot" as the franchise has ever seen, but it doesn't reinvent what doesn't need reinventing.

With slick and fast-paced battles, a more adult take on the traditional Pokémon concepts and an entirely new roster of characters, Pokémon Black & White is as close to a "reboot" as the franchise has ever seen, but it doesn't reinvent what doesn't need reinventing.

Magic the Gathering Tactics is a very well-designed tactical game surrounded by a mediocre economy and bad supporting interface. The skeleton is sound, and if SOE improved the musculature and skin, MTGT could be the six million dollar game.

de Blob 2's cheerful demeanor and simple goals make it a natural for the younger set - or anyone suffering from Grim Shooter Ennui.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 definitely has its moments and I can't deny the game's quirky charm. But the great strength of the roster of cars, the enjoyable driving model and compelling location can't eclipse the lack of enjoyable content or the confusing economy.

Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is a clever concoction that will stretch your brain in pleasantly unusual ways. It strikes just the right balance between whimsy and challenge, always just the right amount of difficult and bizarre.

Bulletstorm is the evolutionary "next step" for first-person shooters that makes up for its jerk-off story by adding plenty of new wrinkles to a heretofore tired genre. This is a game that will be remembered for years to come (for a few reasons).

The generally short length of the campaign (5-10 hours) will leave some consumers wanting more for their 60 bucks but the beautiful graphics and balanced multiplayer will be enough to keep most pining for Killzone 4.

A fantastic fighting game, full of flashy moves, fast action, and heaps of sincerity for the franchises and the genre as a whole. It's approachable enough for newcomers and deep enough for hardcore fans but it doesn't help the new guys out enough.

Mario Sports Mix is a good game, especially for a younger audience that might enjoy the cartoony sports action or to play with friends. It's just not great.

If you like to shoot things, you should absolutely have this game. It builds upon its predecessor in all the right ways, delivering a healthy gaming challenge. Fans of movies like Aliens and Event Horizon in particular will enjoy the game's blend of sci fi and horror elements.

You feel like a superhero playing alongside your favorite characters in an open MMO world thick with action but with a frustrating user interface. The fun combat and beautiful scenery more than make up for any shortcomings.

LittleBigPlanet 2's controls leave a bit to be desired, but the game is so charming that it's begging to be played anyway. The main story is pretty short, but the player-created levels will offer near-endless supply of Sackboy experiences. The level creation tools, with their new additions, are so vast and easy to use that you might even wind up creating a few levels yourself.

Whatever it ought to have been, it's not. It has a few new features, but nothing to separate it from the more popular, more polished games that cover exactly the same ground. It may be inexpensive, but the cost-to-value ratio is still too high.

A World of Keflings is a little too shallow to really satisfy the true builders in the crowd, but if you've ever felt overwhelmed by Sim City and others of its ilk, AWoK's casual approach may be more your speed. Plus, the appeal of shooting Keflings out of musical cannons simply cannot be overstated.

This is old school side-scrolling beat-em-up. As such, it's a bit of an anachronism. If you can get into the spirit of it, it's fun, but it's not as compelling as it was in the arcades.