Into the Breach presses all the right buttons to keep tactical strategy fans hooked, and many will come back over and over again despite any shortcomings they may perceive. I, for one, plan to waste away many more afternoons saving the world from an infestation of bugs. Then, once I finish spraying my house and yard, I plan to play some more Into the Breach.

It’s very challenging, and the completion is rewarding.

Driving the cars has a slight learning curve, mostly with figuring out how to drift through the corners; drifting is really important to this game, with the nitrous boost tied to it.

Though far from perfect, Heroes of the Pacific does a great job of combining a fun, loose aerial shoot-'em-up with real-life battles from the Pacific Theater of World War II.

Through its immense playability that never gets too complicated, Genji is just another one of those games for people who play video games. At absolute worst, this is Rental of the Year for 2005.

As one of the first MotionPlus titles out of the gate, Grand Slam Tennis is an excellent way to show off the power of Nintendo's new accessory.

While there could have been more variety in the enemies, and the sound definitely should have been better, I was left thoroughly pleased with the game. It may seem a bit expensive at 1,600 Microsoft points ($20), but if you are looking for a few good laughs and an interesting story line packed into a five- to eight-hour package, you really won't find anything better than this.

While there could have been more variety in the enemies, and the sound definitely should have been better, I was left thoroughly pleased with the game. It may seem a bit expensive at 1,600 Microsoft points ($20), but if you are looking for a few good laughs and an interesting story line packed into a five- to eight-hour package, you really won't find anything better than this.

Behind Wildlife Park 2's somewhat childish demeanor is a strong tycoon management sim which tasks you with making all the people happy all of the time.

A pretty solid game with only one major downside: load times.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations is still an adventure that no fan should be without, if only because it leads right into the next chapter. At the same time, the underwhelming start to an otherwise intriguing story, alongside changes that seem more cosmetic than practical, makes it seem that the formula hasn't aged as well as Ezio has.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations is still an adventure that no fan should be without, if only because it leads right into the next chapter. At the same time, the underwhelming start to an otherwise intriguing story, alongside changes that seem more cosmetic than practical, makes it seem that the formula hasn't aged as well as Ezio has.

Despite some of my qualms with the production and PC port quality, I highly recommend picking up Horizon: Zero Dawn for the PC. Yes, there is some risk of encountering the issues that others have seen, but fortunately, Steam's generous refund system serves as a comforting protection against wasted money. Overall, it's an easy recommendation for all cohorts of gamers. Players who didn't have a PS4 can experience a well-crafted world with a captivating story to flesh it out, and those who already played it back in 2017 might still enjoy the PC version's improved visuals and frame rate. This is a great way to refresh your memory on Aloy's adventures before the sequel releases in 2021 for PS5.

Alan Wake Remastered is exactly what it says in the title, and that is a good thing. Alan Wake has received a thorough and clean remaster that doesn't compromise its original look and vision but enhances the gameplay by using all of the PS5's central features, including fast loading times and DualSense feedback. Its story and gameplay, while not perfect, still hold up well today. There is no story-driven game quite like Alan Wake, and being able to revisit this Xbox 360 classic on the PS5 is a dream come true — especially since this likely means that we will get that long-promised sequel.

Gamers who are tired of being one-man armies and want to play in a more team-based environment will find that Frontlines: Fuel of War is exactly what they've been seeking.

From monster books on the loose, to rascally pixies, to angry ghosts, there’s no shortage of content. On this point alone, I could recommend the game.

RTS players have something new to play with, even if it pretends to be a time machine taking them back eight years to the past, while delivering more of the explosive, over-the-top insanity that the series brings to the genre.

If you haven't played DW before, or if you're a fan but you've found it overwhelming, this is the sweet spot. There is no better time to get involved with this interesting – if over-exposed – series than right now.

At less than ten hours in length, Lost Planet: Extreme Condition feels a bit brief, but the frenetic action makes up for the vapid storyline and slightly sluggish feel.

The dynamic skill system, club tuner, and simultaneous online play are all welcome additions, proving that the folks at Tiburon aren't content to merely sit back and pump out the same game year after year.

The single player campaign starts off incredibly well, evoking thoughts of "Oh my god, they finally made a decent single-player Tribes experience," and then declines to the lowest possible point not five levels into the game.

A pretty solid game with only one major downside: load times. This has got to be the game with the longest load time on the PS2 aside from love smash which will never make it to the states.

When the burning plume of smoke from the last battle clears, F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin's fan service delivers plenty of reasons to sign on with Armacham's best.

While not immense, the replayability is significant due to increases in difficulty level and the sheer size of the game.

This game will leave you hoping to celebrate the next Anniversary with Miss Croft in another 10 years.

Overall, Death's Door is a success. It's a short but entertaining and combat-heavy Zelda-like action-adventure that is only limited by scope. It might not have the most memorable puzzles or dungeons, but it has enough heart and skill to make up for its few, minor missteps.

At the fair price of $40, the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy offers three fun platforming classics that have been re-created from the ground up, and only minor adjustments have been made for the Switch. The first title suffer from its unification strategy, so it's a more frustrating experience, but Cortex Strikes Back and Warped play really well. The visual style and graphical performance on the Switch are fantastic thanks to the minor adjustments, making this a well-deserved port for the handheld's library.

It's not as revolutionary as the original, but is addictive and fun. There always seems to be a goal that's “just out of your reach” that kept me interested in playing.

Gangland delivers where it counts. It’s hard to stop playing, you want to play it when you’re not and it makes you hungry for ziti.

Rare has done a great job of revamping the gameplay in order to provide a fresh experience while still preserving the core elements that made Banjo and Kazooie a hit in the first place.

Although this fifth entry is not the series' strongest, it's a solid and worthy purchase for fans of the genre or casual gamers who are looking for an entertaining story.

While skill development is not required to enjoy Standalone Complex, the brainy customization options leave a lot of room for experimentation and, thus, lots of fun for those tired of the all-too simplistic action of "Coded Arms."

Overall, Monster Lab for the NDS is a decent little game that's worth the price of admission. It's clearly been given some real polish and shine, and the effort put into the various modes of gameplay is significant, even though they don't mesh together terribly well.

An excellent title that is somewhat undermined by its lack of content. True, it may have twice the stages of offerings like Parappa the Rapper, but gamers expect a bit more for their investment these days.

The AI is not disappointing, but you need human opponents to get the most from the experience, and the learning curve, while steep, is definitely less than that of other war games on the market.

For all of its polish in some areas, it has obviously unrefined aspects in others. For all the aspects that let you tell a story about the game, there's little to allow you to create in a story within it.

Overall, Red Matter 2 is a great sequel that builds on the strengths of the first entry and further improves upon the visuals and gameplay. It simply looks and runs phenomenal on the Quest 2, with mostly captivating puzzles and an interesting mystery to solve at its core. It's not perfect and still exhibits some bugs, and I probably could've done without the shooting sections, but that's a small price to pay when the rest come together as well as this. If you own a quest, this is a six-hour adventure you don't want to miss.

PopCap's games seem to be hit after hit, and Zuma's Revenge follows the trend nicely by taking a successful existing formula, tweaking and adding to it while being extremely careful not to wreck it, throwing on a nice slathering of solid artwork and a little sound work, and offering it for a reasonable $20.

Those who have a reliable gaming comrade on hand will find Schizoid to be a very rewarding cooperative romp, even in the face of some derivative level design. Just don't expect to feel the magic if you're the only one playing.

As a sum of its parts, Borderlands 2 VR is a good and fun game even though it shows its age in the level design. Its VR implementation is impressive but not perfect. The lack of DLC content, co-op or AIM support may turn off players, especially given the game's high price point, but it's truly a solid and long VR experience that will keep you entertained for at least 30 hours. If you cannot wait for Borderlands 3 or have never played Borderlands 2, Borderlands 2 VR is perhaps the best excuse in a while to immerse yourself and return to vault-hunting on Pandora.

DICE's newest take on the virtual battlefield does a lot of things right, despite firing a few blanks along the way, such as the lack of a co-op mode in the main campaign.

Patient gamers and stealth aficionados will find plenty of new material and enhancements here worth their time and money.

A great RPG for a next-gen system. It doesn't earn a perfect score because every element of Blue Dragon has been done time and time again.

There are some shortcomings, but Konami can take pride in its realistic physics model. It's the heart of the game, and the main source of challenge, satisfaction, and fun.

With so many challenges to complete in single-player mode, vehicles to purchase (with motorcycles rounding out a solid selection) and the inclusion of one of the best multiplayer modes anywhere inside or out of the racing genre, Unlimited is a fun title.

No basketball game before has represented the NBA quite like this, and this game should definitely not be missed.

Dungeon Siege II will keep you busy for about 30-40 hours. After that, you can unlock two more difficulty levels and take your powered-up characters through the campaign again and again.

Borderlands Legendary Collection is exactly what it needs to be: a port of the first three Borderlands titles for the Switch. They run and look great, but they come with expected compromises, like a capped frame rate and a few issues with pop-in. While there's no hiding that the Borderland titles are on the older side, they are still fun to play with friends online. If you're up for a way to play these titles on the go or want to experience them for the first time, the Switch versions are definitely up to the task, and that is what matters in the end.

It's a good game that's prevented from being great by sub-par graphics, a few too many bugs and an overall lack of any serious challenge. If you can look past these shortcomings, however, Mercenaries 2 offers a great deal of high-energy explosive thrills and seriously satisfying action gameplay that is well worth your attention.

It’s got flashy combat, an undeniably well-designed lead character, and a lot of ninja action. It’s just that the further you go, the less fun the game becomes, so you’d do better to rent this one.

This is still a great game, and sports fans will love this, but for those still clinging to NBA 2K11 or 2K12, you'll want to take the plunge if you really need that roster update or desperately want to play as the Dream Team.

Hands and mines aside, In the Groove is much harder than DDR in so many ways. The steps are a whole lot harder, and the DDR song selection is taken from the hip-hop and Japanese pop genres, while ITG's music is from a newer selection of rock and trance tunes.

Red Fly has done an excellent job of building the game for the Wii from the ground up, and while it may not be perfect, taken as a whole Ghostbusters for the Wii is the best version currently available.

Ultimately, The Saboteur is a refreshing change from the usual WWII hodgepodge because it finally brings open-ended sandbox gameplay to such a historic era.

Strong level design, good graphics, excellent action and tactical controls and considerable depth all add up to something worth buying. Even subtracting the wonky first-person shooter controls, grade A bugs and iffy AI still isn’t enough to knock the shine off this diamond in the rough.

The lack of four-player co-op is regrettable, and the lack of graphical sheen is disappointing, but the highly addictive gameplay is fully intact.

It is difficult to pass a final judgment on Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures, given that some areas, such as the combat and story, are exceptional while others, such as the non-combat gameplay and questing, fall somewhat flat. With that being said, the pros outweigh the cons, and though the game is mostly combat-driven, the combat system is one of the most enjoyable aspects.

Once you get past the slower pace of the game, Dead Space: Extraction provides a slick extension of the Dead Space universe. It's not quite a traditional light gun shooter, but it's also not a first-person shooter. It's a hybrid that is well suited for this form of interactive storytelling, and it nicely balances action and exposition.

I think the world of Scarlet Nexus has a lot to offer, and I enjoyed getting a significant taste of it. Its concepts on brain power and psionic combat feel fresh, at least artistically, and I want to see where it possibly goes. I'm still abuzz over the final boss confrontation. I don't think it's quite for everyone, but fans of the anime style of storytelling will find something to connect with here.

Travel Games for Dummies is perfect for travel, though, and comes easily recommended to businesspeople or those who find themselves on a lengthy commute with little to do. It's a great game for the subway, bus or airline terminal, and it could just as easily provide some entertainment in the evenings when you need to unwind from a long day.

Just don't believe the hate.

While Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 has departed from its hardcore roots and offers little beyond a second helping of the previous title, it is nevertheless a worthwhile, entertaining venture with just enough squad-based tactics to keep things interesting.

Just don't believe the hate.

The gameplay, cars, and tracks are new and offer a fresh take on an awesome series.

Brings the first two games to the Xbox warts and all, with a boatload of extra content that'll take hours to unlock. Live subscribers and fighting-game fans should be sure to grab a copy, but if you didn't like DOA or DOA2 before now, this isn't going to change your mind.

It is my sincere hope that Rhythm Heaven finds its audience, because for a subset of the gaming populace, it's going to be the source of many hours of enthusiastic fun.

The combat system is easy to learn but has enough depth that it will take time to master.

I say there's a point at which suspension of buying by default the latest Tiger Woods game makes sense: It's a close call, but I favor stopping here at PGA Tour 08 over sitting pat on last year's version.

The combat system is easy to learn but has enough depth that it will take time to master.

This is a game designed and built for hardcore fans, and it's not going to waste any time concerning itself with anyone who doesn't "get it." To be perfectly blunt, the game is very, very hard, and most decidedly not for everyone, especially if you aren't an NBA superfan or a longtime franchise devotee.

Doom Eternal on the Switch is another great port from Panic Button. Graphically, it is a massive step down from the other console versions, but it makes smart concessions to ensure the gameplay shines even when played on weak hardware. It's impressive to see how solidly the title runs, even though there were quite a few obvious visual compromises. If you can stomach the high price point given that the other versions have long dropped in price, the Switch port is a solid option to play the game. I'm a huge fan of the gameplay decisions that Eternal makes to evolve the formula, and I believe Eternal is a must-have title if you're an FPS aficionado — especially if you don't have access to another game console or value portability over visual quality.

It doesn't tamper too much with the underlying engine that made the first game so great but adds just enough novelty to justify a second iteration.

The game is entertaining from start to finish, but it's also tragically marred by the unshakeable sense that it could have been so much more and simply got lost along the way.

It is my sincere wish that the backstory gets fleshed out a bit more; we know very little about the wand and the reasons that the evil has attacked the dwarves, much less the unanswered questions revolving around Gaya. For a port of a mobile phone game, Orcs and Elves is a good title indeed.

Dead Island 2 surely went through a few levels of development hell, so anyone following its path would reasonably suspect that the game might have issues. I can't say that it does anything exceptionally well, but it has enough life in it to avoid major stumbles. For better or worse, it is a by-the-numbers zombie basher that doesn't do anything terribly distinct. Its humor makes it compelling and fun, and it's at its best whenever it relies on that strength.

PES has the core experience down, and football purists shouldn't miss a re-creation of the beautiful game as well as it's done here. Unfortunately, everything surrounding the gameplay needs more work before PES can vie for the football gaming crown again.

If you've got the means, go for the Xbox port on this one.

PES has the core experience down, and football purists shouldn't miss a re-creation of the beautiful game as well as it's done here. Unfortunately, everything surrounding the gameplay needs more work before PES can vie for the football gaming crown again.

It's not something you can play for weeks and weeks on end, but rather a game you can play for three minutes or three hours and still have a blast.

Between the fantastic characters, wonderful story and largely entertaining gunplay, this is a title that's worth checking out.

MTV MG3 is a way to try your hand at mixing and sampling without spending thousands on synthesizer equipment, and find out how difficult it is to make a solid three-minute track.

The controls are exceptionally tight, the translations from the original arcade titles are splendidly recreated in a fashion that suggests to me that great care was taken to ensure that each game would be faithful to the original and the interface is both simple and useful.

Besides that gripe, picking up the PS2 version of Sniper Elite gets you a solid multiplayer game, and a singleplayer game that's challenging, but at least as much so for its grainy graphics as for its unforgiving enemies.

Its setting and antagonists are among the most frequently-used in the genre today, and frankly, neither of them add so much to the game that they couldn't've been removed. This could've easily been set in Baghdad or Somalia or some future city without compromising its gameplay.

Thrillville is a worthwhile game if taken at face value, and it's the closest you could get to having an actual amusement park held in your PSP.

The title occasionally feels derivative and lacks a tightness in the controls, but generally, Arise is largely filled with strengths that result in exactly what it promises to deliver: a simple narrative that also happens to be incredibly moving.

I'm happy to say that THUG 2 Remix looks very similar to its console cousins, which is to say it looks great. Level designs are unique and colorful, not to mention large.

A strong RPG and something any D&D fan should check out.

The sun sensor hook is great, as is the game's awareness of time and location.

I can't remember the last time I was willfully ready to risk getting a headache to play a game because I enjoyed the world and challenges so much. I've played through the main story twice, and I am still picking away at the side missions and running around the Oldest House to see if there's anything else worth finding. Staccato mass-combat issues and other burps aside, I'd recommend Control to anyone. Its world may be frightening and confusing, but it's also truly a sight to behold.

Ubisoft has something with serious potential, and it'll be intriguing to see what shape this world takes.

The absence of any multiplayer component is disappointing, sure, but I’d much rather have the option of picking up Burning Horizon for a reduced price, deciding if I like the game, and purchasing the online enabled original if I do.

If you pick up this game looking for a third-person shooter with an engrossing story, just put it back on the shelf. This is for gamers who have that certain twitch in their systems.

The flexible and creative gameplay elements are stronger than ever, backed by arguably the best engine to date for such a game. After the conclusion of Act 2, the game enters a downward spiral, becoming more of a non-interactive movie and using less of the great gameplay of which it is obviously capable.

The lockdown stick really adds an extra realistic dimension to the title, and with the addition of back/off screens, offense is a lot easier too.

An above average shooter with some fright tossed into the mix.

Operation Market Garden may have failed to end the war early for the Allies, but Gearbox's newest entry in its Brothers in Arms series largely succeeds in delivering a gritty story in recounting the struggle through the eyes of its characters. Unfortunately, the rough edges can occasionally dampen the otherwise entertaining gameplay, and multiplayer issues keep this title a strictly solo experience over the 10 hours that it will take to complete it.

Though the Vietcong engine is beginning to show its age, it can more than hold its own with the other realistic wartime shooters it currently shares rack space with.