In the end, Lost Planet 3 isn't all that bad. The gameplay is solid enough as long as you're on foot, and the story is well acted even if it doesn't end up being very interesting.

There are no areas where How to Survive really stumbles, and there are plenty of areas where it shines. The combat flows well, though ranged seems to be a better idea than melee, and the enemy variety keeps things from becoming stale.

Though the new content isn't necessarily bountiful, it's a worthy pickup for those who are still invested in the series.

The game is far less polished than Shogun 2, and a few more patches will help, but Rome II is still a flawed game that is underwhelming when compared to previous titles in the franchise.

Rune Factory 4 is probably the most polished and well-crafted Rune Factory to date.

However, in the midst of solving crimes while exploring Gotham, it's impossible to ignore some annoying issues. Firstly, there are bugs.

The Guided Fate Paradox isn't a bad game, but it's not as good as its spiritual predecessor.

Unfortunately, it all adds up to be a less-than-stellar experience for Battlefield 4. There is little doubt that the game will see patches to address some or all of these issues, but as it stands, it has an underwhelming single-player campaign and an unstable multiplayer mode that severely hampers enjoyment.

I've almost always enjoyed the LEGO games, but I found LEGO Marvel Super Heroes to be the best yet.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is simultaneously one of the best and worst Assassin's Creed games I've ever played.

Skylanders: Swap Force is very good.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies is definitely an Ace Attorney game. The mechanics are almost unchanged, but the writing is as fun, witty and clever as ever. It isn't quite up to par with the best of the series, but it's still an incredibly fun experience.

Batman: Arkham Origins is more of the same, for all the good and bad that implies. It is effectively more of the same gameplay, in the same locations and against many of the same villains.

For rhythm fans who want something different and a little tougher, Kickbeat is worth checking out.

Dusty Revenge has lots of potential and looks very eye-catching. The combat system is satisfying enough despite some cheap enemy tactics, and the boss fights are quite good.

Real Boxing is decent if you don't mind predictable boxing, a shallow creation system, inconsistent controls and an abandoned online community.

At its core, Rocksmith is a franchise that is very much geared toward weaning players off plastic guitars and on to ones made of wood and metal. Rocksmith 2014 is an excellent evolution on that set of ideals.

Armored Core: Verdict Day is exactly what you'd expect from a half-sequel/half-expansion pack: It offers more of the same and not a lot else. There are mechanical fixes and cleanups, and the expansion pack has somewhat revived the quickly fading online community, but in the end, it's more Armored Core V.

Make no mistake: Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is still a very strong fighting game. The offline game modes are excellent, and the mode and roster additions are very welcome, especially since they don't seem to upset the balance of the game.

Pokemon X doesn't necessarily represent a massive leap forward for the Pokemon franchise. Instead, it is a major improvement of existing features.

Beyond: Two Souls is fun like a summer popcorn action movie. There are likeable characters and good set pieces, but it falls apart if you analyze it too closely.

This is a really fun mash-up that leverages the DC Comics license quite well, and it's sure to make any comics fan happy. Your love for the game will likely hinge on whether you're a fan of the comic characters, but even without that license, this is another enjoyable Scribblenauts romp.

R.I.P.D.: The Game is bad.

As a D&D and Neverwinter Nights fan, I wanted to see what an MMO version offered, and I came away feeling that it accomplished its goals, if only for a month or so. It's like a single-player sandbox dungeon; when I reached what felt to be the proverbial end, it was time to move on.

Dishonored: The Brigmore Witches is a good way for the first game to end properly while still providing enough hints for players to crave a second entry in the world. While the opening stage isn't much, the latter two stages are more indicative of the scope of the previous DLCs.

In the end, the biggest problem with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is that it feels like a relatively poor value compared to other HD collections.

Still, the fighting is fun whether you go solo or with allies, the minigames help break up any potential monotony, and the loot system will entice people into going for another round. Wrap that up in the top-notch stylized presentation, and it's easy to see why Charlie Murder is highly recommended.

As proof that shooters on a handheld can be good, Mercenary succeeds, but that's about the sum total of its accomplishments.

Beatbuddy isn't a flawless experience, but it's definitely something that PC players should check out.

In the end, DuckTales Remastered is a great modern take on the now-classic NES game.

Rockstar put tons of time and effort into polishing its winning formula. It isn't a dramatic change for the series, but it's a more polished, and very enjoyable, addition to the franchise.

The Wonderful 101 is a top-notch game from a top-notch developer. It isn't flawless, but the flaws don't detract from the whole.

Despite the various technical flaws, Disney Infinity is entertaining, and that's all that really counts.

At best, it's an incremental upgrade to Madden '13, and while it's a solid effort, it's hardly worth getting excited about.

Lost Planet 3 fails to have its own identity. It is technically competent, and there are moments of fun to be had by shooting enemies.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is a lot of wasted effort. The Bureau isn't for XCOM fans, but it isn't for shooter fans, either. The basis for a fun and interesting game is there, but the XCOM name hangs like an albatross from its neck.

It may only be $10, but considering the genre and the number of games that offer more or do better for that price, there isn't much of a reason to get your shooting fix from this title.

I don't think anyone will feel The Sims 3 is an incomplete game without Island Paradise. Sure, it's fun, but $30 is a lot to spend for filler content for a game that's four years old and already has an announced sequel.

Killer is Dead is playable, but it commits a far worse sin than being awkward or glitchy. It takes the fantastic and makes it boring.

Even if you're the most die-hard of RPG fans, there's no reason to bother with Time and Eternity.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is an experience that doesn't hit Xbox Live Arcade too often. It has a story that doles out a familiar tale but tells it in a way that feels more personal despite the lack of a familiar language.

Unless there's a sale or free PSN Plus download in the future, you can pass on Do Not Fall's mediocre experience.

Dragon's Crown is definitely worth checking out. It's one of the most impressive beat-'em-ups I've ever played, and I feel confident you'll say the same once you purchase it.

Saints Row IV is a giant playground for gamers. The superpowers are a boatload of fun, and the metahumor is amusing and holds the gameplay together. On the downside, it's glitchy, and it suffers from many little problems that can add up. Despite that, the game is absolutely brimming with heart.

Any RPG fan with a 3DS should try the game. Just don't be surprised if everything feels a little familiar.

Beat-'em-up fans should pick up Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara based on obscurity alone.

Pikmin 3 is a solid sequel. It improves on the mechanics of the previous games and includes a good amount of enjoyable content.

Resident Evil: Revelations is a well-made game. It lacks the highs of Resident Evil 6 but also avoids that game's tremendous lows, focusing on a more consistent, well-rounded experience.

If you're a fan of the franchise or a fan of JRPGs, you need to run out and buy SMT4.

I desperately wanted to like Project X Zone. It does a lot of things right, even if it doesn't do them as well as other titles in the same genre. The translation is solid, the presentation is good, and the gameplay seems like it could be interesting. Alas, the game ends up being too tedious.

Overall, Company of Heroes 2 doesn't capitalize on its own strengths and ends up paling in comparison to the juggernaut that started the franchise.

It's definitely something I'd suggest checking out when it goes on sale, but until then, you can hold off on Deadpool.

I enjoyed Grid 2, but much like its predecessor, little about the experience was remarkable or noteworthy when compared to other racers. This is hardly a title that you'll need to drop what you're currently enjoying to check out, but it's something that I'd suggest purchasing when it drops in price. It's certainly worth a rental or demo, just to give you a taste of what Grid 2 brings to the table.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a serviceable beat-'em-up, which is always welcome. However, it bears the cruel irony of being far more fun in single-player than multiplayer — a backward design for its chosen genre.

Although it wasn't meant to be taken seriously, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon is a surprisingly good game.

Tekken Revolution won't inspire people to toss out their old Tekken copies and embrace this wholeheartedly. Unless you exclusively play online, you'll miss out on the offline features and local multiplayer that make fighting games so much fun.

There are better RPGs on the system, but for fans and those looking for something a little different, Black Rock Shooter will hit the spot for a while.

There's nothing wrong with not being wholly original — few titles are — but Fuse doesn't even put forth minimal effort in distinguishing itself from other established franchises. It's the equivalent of store brand food, but without the budget price that should've gone along with it.

As a stand-alone title, it's without an audience. Even the most die-hard Nintendo faithful would be better off waiting for the next title to come down the pipeline.

The Last of Us is a must-play title for any PS3 owner who's not squeamish about violence and depressing subject matter. It has flaws, but they don't detract from the overall experience, and at worst, the game could use a little more interaction.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf is the definition of "more of the same," but that's not a bad thing. You're getting more of the same Animal Crossing, the familiar formula has been improved, and the new features add to the fun

In the end, Class of Heroes II's most serious problem is that it has competition. Judged on its own, it's a fun dungeon crawler held back by a few annoying problems. For fans of the genre, it's going to be difficult to not compare it to something like Etrian Odyssey 4,

Instead, I am left with the anticipation of a possible sequel, hoping that much of its ideas are left intact and that what needs to be fixed gets fixed. If that were to happen, then perhaps I'd look at this first chapter and, well, remember it differently.

I wouldn't classify this as a must-play title, but if you're starved for a Trials HD experience on a non-Microsoft platform, Urban Trial Freestyle does just enough to do the trick.

All in all, The Sims 3: University Life is another fun addition to the The Sims 3 collection, and it adds a lot of new stuff to do. University Life would have been better served if it had been released earlier, as going to college is more important and interesting in a Sim's life than, say, werewolves.

Like the previous packs, deciding how to purchase the games (individually or in packs) depends on how interested you are in the other titles in the collection. If you want all (or even most) of them, the all-in-one option for 2,000 MSP ($25 USD), which includes Game Packs 2-5, is a much better deal than purchasing all of the add-on games individually.

At $2.99, it is a tempting enough proposition for the fun it delivers, but it is ultimately a pass unless you have other likeminded players around you.

In the end, it's best to think of Serious Sam Double D XXL as a "director's cut" of the original game. It's not perfect, but it is a noticeable upgrade from what we saw on the PC in 2011.

Even though it runs out of gas near the end, the outrageous weapons, offbeat setting, the intentionally cheesy lines, and fast action make Blood Dragon an enemy of cookie-cutter tyranny everywhere.

For what it's worth, Urban Trial Freestyle is good. The physics-based racing is still challenging, and the constant presence of leaderboards for each level and each trick ensures some level of replayability. For Vita owners, the game is more interesting because there's nothing like it for the platform yet.

Metro: Last Light is proudly steeped in the best traditions of other storied FPS giants while still evoking the kind of philosophical underpinnings from the Metal Gear Solid and BioShock series.

If you're looking for a good party game that is very different from the norm, don't hesitate to snatch up this title.

Of the games in Capcom Arcade Cabinet - Game Pack 5, the only real standout is Pirate Ship Higemaru. If you are only interested in a few titles, then it's probably worth considering Pirate Ship Higemaru as a stand-alone purchase. As a three-game pack, however, Game Pack 5 isn't that exciting unless you're a hardcore retro gamer.

Serving up a healthy dose of multiplayer action, Call of Duty: Black Ops II - Uprising is a worthwhile purchase both as a stand-alone download (1200 MSP / $15 USD) or as part of the larger season pass. The standard maps are fun to play, while Mob of the Dead is engaging enough to pull in players of all stripes — even those who always ignored zombie mode in the past.

It's an average game because the puzzles are too simplistic despite their stylish appearance, and there's nothing that compels you to repeat the journey. As a story, however, the title succeeds in giving you an amazing journey as it deals in a subject matter that few games ever attempt.

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner - Soul Hackers is a hard game to judge. When it was released in 1997, it was an instant classic, but playing it for the first time in 2013 is a very different experience.

In the end, Dollar Dash is amusing but only in small bursts.

For 720 Microsoft points ($9), DmC: Devil May Cry - Vergil's Downfall is a short but fun experience that does a good job of extending the main game and serving as a bridge for a possible sequel. The gameplay is a little different, and the weapon selection isn't as varied, but the challenge is just right, especially with its plethora of difficulty levels. While it won't convert those who hated the game or felt lukewarm about it, it's a worthy piece of DLC for everyone else.

Star Trek is a dish best served to Trekkies who want to fight their way through the bowels of the new Enterprise and see what the new sickbay and engine room look like while they occasionally blast things.

Dishonored: The Knife of Dunwall is an example of how to do story-based DLC correctly.

LEGO City Undercover: The Chase Begins is an overly ambitious game that isn't as good as the home console edition.

It'll have you laughing one minute, saying, "WTF?!?" the next, and topping it off with a, "Holy sh*t!" It's awesomesauce in a digital package, and it's sure to appeal to anyone who isn't named Jack Thompson. What more could you want for a mere 1,200 MSP ($15 USD)?

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's not going to be the new gold standard in fighting games, but Injustice is a fun time, especially with friends, and you can't ask for more than that.

In the end, I found Dead Island: Riptide to be a fun stopgap in the series, despite not being a full-fledged sequel. Certain things could have been better, like the characters, story, and more innovation. There are a couple of new skills, a new character, and new locations, but it's not wildly different. The initial location is nearly identical to the starting island area from the original game, and while it might feature a different layout, it's really hard to initially tell them apart.

Part action game, part LEGO playset, Terraria is more or less Dig Dug taken to the extreme. The first hour or so is slow going, but once Terraria opens up, it can be very difficult to put down.

Guacamelee is an impressive effort from Drinkbox Studios. It's a simple, solid and well-made Metroid clone in a time when Metroid clones are nonexistent.

Unfortunately, Omerta: City of Gangsters isn't worth playing. The concept is solid, as is the decision to split the game into two distinct game types, but the execution of both game types is subpar.

Aside from the useless Relaxation Mode, Brain Age: Concentration Training is a pretty solid entry in the Brain Age series. It doesn't make exceptional use of the 3DS hardware, since the 3-D effect doesn't amount to much when graphics consist of simple shapes and text.

At twice the price of the first pack, Capcom Arcade Cabinet: Game Pack 2 is pushing the high end of impulse purchase. With that said, it's difficult to pass up a game like Ghosts'n Goblins, even if you already own a previous release for another console.

Need for Speed: Most Wanted U is a must-have racing game for those who only own the Wii U.

Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes isn't for everyone. The humor won't tickle everyone's funny bones, and the presentation of both the audio and graphical standpoints leaves something to be desired — despite some of the good things it does.

Skulls of the Shogun is irreverent, challenging and, most of all, fun. It masterfully mixes humor with well-balanced gameplay to keep players coming back for more. If strategy is your thing, this is a must-buy.

Realistically, if you own Wings of Liberty and enjoyed it, you should pick up Heart of the Swarm — not because it is more of the same, but because it's not.

If you haven't had the chance to play the first two games, do that instead. If you've already gone through those titles, rent this if you feel like blowing through something disposable for an afternoon.

Puddle is a mechanically sound game that's good for fans of physics puzzles. The presentation is solid, and even though the controls aren't the most optimal, they get the job done and provide enough options.

Dead or Alive 5 Plus sets the bar pretty high for 3-D fighters on the Vita. Flawed mode aside, it is a compelling port of a home console title that sacrifices very little to reach parity.

HarmoKnight is a fun, rhythmic endless runner for all ages and skills. The rather low initial difficulty level coupled with inviting graphics make it good for players just getting their feet wet with the genre. The bonuses from the gold medals provide some appeal to genre veterans or those looking for a challenge. Having a much more memorable selection of music to run with would have been ideal, but as it stands, this is another fine entry in the system's eShop.