Evolve has some of the best ingredients to make a good multiplayer experience, but it's up to the community to make this a game that's constantly in rotation.

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja 3 is a really fun fighting game when it actually allows you to fight.

It's a surprisingly adept blend of various types of nostalgia and does a good job of capturing the feel of SNES-era style RPGs without overstaying its welcome.

It's refreshing to play Every Extend Extra because it doesn't rely on a convoluted storyline, talking heads, and so on, and I want more of this sort of thing, but blowing yourself up and making chains isn't enough to stand on its own. Even the new boss fights, which flaunt wildly imaginative designs, don't make up for the lacking experience.

Ivy the Kiwi? is a curious beast and certainly worth at least a rental, but it certainly isn't for everyone. Like Let's Tap before it, it feels more like an experiment instead of a tightly focused game.

All in all, Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection is exactly what it promises: a shinier, more modern, and no less punishing Ghosts 'n Goblins game. It offers various handicaps and advantages, but no matter how many it tosses at you, it won't change one simple fact: You are going to get hit, frantically run around in your boxers, and then die — a lot. If masochism in video games isn't your thing, you'd be better off looking elsewhere. If you want a GnG experience that feels familiar and modern at the same time, look no further than GnGR.

Droplitz is one of those under-the-radar games that, in spite of how good it is, has gotten lost in the commotion and hoopla of the summer games season.

Furi looks gorgeous and runs well on the Switch, but its unforgiving gameplay may be too much for some. The gameplay can become frustrating and monotonous, but anyone who's willing to be challenged will be thoroughly entertained with Furi.

Aegis Defenders is a beautiful game with an intriguing concept and fun gameplay, but it can be rough around the edges, the platforming isn't necessarily something to write home about. Playing alone can feel quite stressful and unfair. Aegis Defenders is best when it pins you in an arena with a buddy at your side and waves of enemies to tackle. In those instances, it provides more than enough gameplay and fun to justify its $20 price tag.

Chili Con Carnage is a game that doesn't take itself seriously, which is definitely a good thing. The problem is that the slipshod controls make you not want to take the entire package seriously. When 90% of your game is about shooting, the shooting and aiming mechanics had better be dead on target.

It'll be curious to see where the next episode of The Walking Dead: A New Frontier goes from here. The retread of similar plotlines from both the comic and TV show feels stale in Above the Law, even with the slight twist regarding the new characters. At the same time, the character development balances that out, and they remain as engaging as before. The last two episodes will determine if the season can pull through, but for now, prepare for some rehash.

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.

Chrono Cross is a weird little JRPG that is arguably hindered by its connection to one of the genre greats. It has a distinctive feel and style, an interesting plot, and the craziest cast of characters you'll ever see in a JRPG. Weak characters and many nagging PS1-era flaws keep it from being a hearty recommendation. If you've passed on Cross because it's not Trigger 2, it's worth a shot, and Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition is probably the best way to experience it.

I've enjoyed Serious Sam 2 as much as I did the first release and its expansion. In some ways, it's better, I certainly laughed more at the corny humor and references to other 3D shooters ("I love collecting big guns," Sam quips on Planet Kleer. "It looks so … UNREAL.")

Prototype 2 is undeniably an improvement in many ways over the original game. It controls smoother, has plenty of simple quality-of-life improvements, and it lacks many of the frustrating features that plagued the original. Unfortunately, it solves problems by erring on the side of simplicity.

Graphics are average, but the game is just too much fun to not like.

Everybody's Golf VR feels like a good first step in getting the sport on to a new technology. Once you get used to the controls — specifically controlling the shot direction and amount of power needed — you'll find the game to be very immersive due to its presentation. It may take a while to unlock everything, and while the number of courses isn't as abundant as the older games, there's still enough here to keep you coming back. The lack of multiplayer is a disappointment, though, and the repetitive lines from your caddies can be tiresome, but Everybody's Golf VR is still a game that'll make you spend more time with your VR headset.

In the end, RoboCop: Rogue City - Unfinished Business is a solid and more focused version of the kind of things offered by the main game. The story is straightforward but good, while the flashbacks become essential to the story instead of acting as diversions. While the gameplay remains relatively unchanged, it is still a thrill to walk around as a nearly invincible metallic man. The addition of the cryo cannon is neat, even if you might not use it all that much. The game does lack polish in places, but the solid shooting and darkly humorous interactions with the tower's populace will make you more forgiving of some of the visual anomalies. If you're a fan of the franchise or shooters in general, you'll have some fun with Unfinished Business.

Aside from the races in FlatOut mode, FlatOut: Head On is one of the most genuinely fun and entertaining racers I've picked up in a long time.

It's instantly reminiscent of Tribes, and in my book, that is a very, very admirable game to be comparable to. It's fast paced, well-balanced, and looks amazing with an impressive array of mech design that manages to not just clone anime cybernetics. Perhaps best of all, Lighthouse has chosen to release this with no CD-in-drive restrictions.

The Adventures of Pip is an example of a perfectly fun platformer. It doesn't do anything exceptionally well, but it's a solid and well-made game.

With strong gameplay, outstanding design, and intense action, the game definitely fills the void left in many players by the somewhat-disappointing "Doom 3."

Lockdown offers some reasonably fun, familiar action, but in a package that's too friendly and ultimately disappointing as the final Rainbow Six of the current Xbox generation.

Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom is certainly worth playing. The quest is rather lengthy, especially given today's standards of single-player game length, and it remains enjoyable in both combat and exploration despite the occasional instances of backtracking.

It tends to shift between greatness and mediocrity with the frequency of your average rollercoaster ride, but the great parts are easily worth a look by anyone who enjoys beat-'em-ups.

This title is not bad, but it's not particularly good, either; it simply blends into the crowd. That trait may be great for a ninja, but it's not so good for a console title.

Like much else in The Raven Remastered, the music is serviceable but feels like a missed opportunity to leave a stronger impression. That's probably a good way to sum up The Raven Remastered: serviceable but underwhelming. The title shows plenty of promise with its characters and story, but the sluggish gameplay, questionable acting, and mediocre audiovisual presentation drag it down. Mystery fans and avid Christie book readers will find something to like with The Raven's narrative, but the rougher edges make it a tough experience to recommend to all but the most dedicated and patient of players.

TopSpin 2K25 feels like a reboot of the series rather than a proper sequel. The lack of game modes really makes the title feel like it's starting from scratch and trying to nail the fundamentals before approaching more offbeat stuff. Despite the occasional missing inputs and stuttering from time to time, the game remains enjoyable enough that you'll want to master the controls and get in a few matches against others quite often. It needs work for future iterations, but for now, TopSpin 2K25 is solid enough.

Having come from the imagination of a few of LucasArts alums, A Vampyre Story had the potential to spin a gothic comedy steeped in that tradition, which my score reflects. But I won't recommend half a game to players.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions is a flawed experience. When it hits the mark, it hits hard, and it manages to capture a lot of the charm and fun of playing as Spider-Man. Unfortunately, this charm and fun is soured by the repetitive and unimaginative gameplay and the number of glitches.

Without question, Tetris: Axis is a lot of fun.

Looking at RAD as a whole, it's a solid roguelike that shines in creative ideas, setting, and visuals. At the same time, it falls for the usual tropes, so if you're not a fan of roguelikes, you have been warned. Difficulty and repetition are exaggerated here, but it's due to repetition in powers and level design, which makes grinding for progression even more tedious than it has to be. For a $20 purchase, this is certainly a good new roguelike for fans of Double Fine and the genre.

It has good ideas - all of which have been attempted before - and executes them in a way that leaves the title covered in mediocrity at best.

Minor complaints aside, Covenant of the Plume is a fun and unique strategy RPG, and it's a solid addition to any DS owner's RPG library.

The avatar system is a beefier system than what you'll find in any other RTS game on the market and offers for a little higher degree of flexibility and even strategy, outfitting your avatars with various weapons and spells in order to complement the other normal units of your attacking force.

Even though Avengers and Speed Rumbler make me twitch with anger when I play them, it's still fun to show to friends how bad some games from the "old-school" era really were, and then load up Super Turbo to purify ourselves.

It's not too often a game comes around that breathes new life into a genre. But I think that's just what XIII has done. With a little creativity and determination, Ubisoft has succeeded in creating an interactive comic book.

A solid and very enjoyable space-fighter themed take on Ubisoft's traditional open-world formula. It has a good amount of content and is a genuinely fun experience. The only thing dragging it down is the vestigial toy system, which works against the rest of the gameplay. Fortunately, the digital version of the game allows you to entirely side-step that trouble and contains enough content at the regular retail price to make it worthwhile.

The Alliance Alive is a good game that's held back by some unfortunate missteps. Its fantastic premise and strong narrative provide a storyline that feels surprisingly fresh compared to other JRPGs, while its combat provides some welcome depth to its turn-based gameplay. The title often feels too easy, even by JRPG standards, and several features could have been better fleshed out, but the overall product is a stark improvement over studio Cattle Call's previous effort.

Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns is a thoroughly traditional and thoroughly fun entry in the franchise. It sticks to what makes it work and doesn't rock the boat. There are improvements, but most are so minor that they're unnoticeable unless you're a die-hard fan. It's the kind of game you can pick up for five minutes and end up playing for an hour, eager to finish just one more chore. If you're looking for a relaxing and enjoyable way to waste time on your 3DS, Trio of Towns is a lighthearted farming sim. What more can you ask for?

Fans of the show will enjoy this title immensely, while others can still get a lot out of the content offered here, especially if their only exposure to exercise is Wii Fit.

Your enjoyment of Alone With You will depend greatly on your expectations. If you're taking it as a traditional adventure game, then you'll be left wanting more. You'll spend more of your time walking than solving anything, and the few puzzles that are available present very little challenge. If you're looking for a melancholy sci-fi tale, Alone With You delivers on that expectation quite well. The illusion of choice is broken rather quickly, but the characters and their dialogue more than make up for it, and the intriguing tale comes to some satisfying conclusions. Alone With You is recommended for that latter group, but anyone who's looking for an adventure game that's a bit out of the ordinary should also check it out.

In its current state, the Xbox version of Pinball FX still feels like a work in progress and isn't an improvement from the prior version of the game. For a product that targets a niche market, that's a hard pill to swallow. I really wanted to like Pinball FX, but every time I fired it up, I found myself switching back to Pinball FX3. It's best to wait for improvements before investing a lot of money on upgrading and rebuying tables you already own.

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

This game won't go down as one of the classics, but for fans of the genre, it's definitely well worth your time.

The story stuff isn't important, but the gameplay is really solid and well worth checking out.

A giant leap ahead of its predecessor. It looks and feels much better than the original.

It speaks volumes about the core mechanics when Dance Central Spotlight can still be considered a good game despite its issues.

While Naruto: Clash of Ninja 2 is an improvement over the original in many ways, it is also, at its core, a rehash, continuing where that game let off and making sure to stop at a point that can lead into the third.

Pinball FX2: The Iron & Steel Pack is a great addition to the Pinball FX 2 collection. Both tables offer a nice balance between ambitious and traditional elements that make them pleasing to a wide range of pinball fans.

Like many ports of some of the big games from the past two console generations, the appeal of Devil May Cry is that it's now available in portable form. There's nothing new here to tempt older fans otherwise, but what they'll find here is familiar. The switching of aspect ratios is odd, and the fixed camera angles and more puzzle-oriented focus will throw off some people, but for everyone who hasn't done so before, this is still a solid action game that's worth checking out.

The interface was easy to learn and use, allowing more time to be spent enjoying the strategic elements of the game. With the ability to create your own campaigns or play those created by others, this title has potentially limitless replay value.

As intricate as the multiplayer is, the lack of a true campaign or other content beyond terrorist hunt leaves the entire Rainbow Six Siege package of offerings feeling somewhat light, especially in comparison to something like Call of Duty: Black Ops III, which has a campaign and zombies to go along with its signature shooter experience.

Those looking for a challenging adventure that involves rolling primates around themed stages should look no further – Banana Blitz can fulfill your needs. However, those who are intrigued by the prospect of a heap of party games should skip the title entirely.

The game is simple to learn, yet lends itself to intense, challenging battles that can really get your adrenaline racing.

The amount of enjoyment you'll end up getting out of Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake is directly proportional to how many friends you can gather in the same room to play. Under ideal conditions with a full team of human compatriots/antagonists, this is one of the most enjoyable PSP games out there, bar none. Countering that, the single-player setup and online multiplayer are both hamstrung by dumb AI and mute teams.

I Am Setsuna wants to remind you of classic games such as Chrono Trigger but doesn't have the courage to do anything more than that.

The Tale of Bistun is surprising in several different ways. The story is intriguing not only because it's from a place we don't see much of but also because literature is rarely been done in games at all. The game's length is short but welcome, as a lengthier game would stretch out the repetitive combat a touch too much. For adventure gamers who want something narratively different and don't mind it being something that can be knocked out in an afternoon, The Tale of Bistun is worth a look.

Harvest Moon 3D: A New Beginning adheres to the qualities of its forebears, so this still isn't a game that would enjoy a mass audience. This'll be fine for series fans who will be more than pleased to see the game open up in other categories. The graphical overhaul and increased customization are plusses, as is the presence of an overall quest outside of farm maintenance. For fans, this is a perfect entry to pick up. For newcomers, this isn't a bad place to start, as you'll definitely feel like you've gotten your money's worth. If you can stand the first slow month, you'll be happy with what's in store.

A great start for what will hopefully become a style of console gaming that will grow, meet many improvements, and finally show the world that art and videogames can, indeed, be one.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine takes solid third-person concepts and uses them to create an atmospheric piece of WH40K that boasts the same care and meticulous attention to detail that Relic has bestowed upon its RTS titles. The third-person shooter setup is more satisfying than RTSes because you get to step through the bodies of Ork foes on the ground rather than gazing down at your troops from above.

In the end, Guns, Gore & Cannoli is a pretty good side-scrolling shoot-em-up.

Overall, The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces is a great flight combat title on the Wii, and it's definitely something that Wii owners should check out.

Unfortunately, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties is the weakest Yakuza title in quite some time. The original game had its flaws, and Kiwami addresses some of those flaws, but the new content is of a mixed quality. There's some notably missing content, and some of the storyline changes are inexplicable. The improved combat and emphasis on Kiryu's time with the orphans are by far the best part of the experience. Mine's story is fun enough but not something that's worth it unless you already like the character. At its heart, Kiwami 3 is still a Yakuza game and still mostly a good time, but despite the improvements, it's more of a sideways step than an upgrade of the original.

If you happened to be among the first to solve some of the component puzzles for Haunted Apiary or another such ARG, or you simply have the patience, love the feeling of being a hardcore puzzle solver, and on top of that have a pretty strong stomach for disturbing, offensive, and humiliatingly subtle imagery, then the International Committee For The Phoenix Arrest could use your help.

Altogether, Pipe Mania is a pretty addictive puzzle title on the PSP, and it does a great job of building upon its original formula while keeping the puzzle-based gameplay exciting and relatively fresh.

Video Game Fables makes for a very good title for those who want something new yet traditional in a condensed form. The world is of a decent size with a ton of quality-of-life additions that cleave out the more tedious parts of the genre. The XP system is deep and thoughtful, while the battle system provides a good amount of depth if you're willing to commit actions to memory. It's all wrapped up in a story that provides a few laughs and a presentation that might be an acquired taste. It's a sleeper title that every fan should check out, despite it coming in a year flooded with big JRPG releases.

A decent dungeon crawler. If you’re a fan of these kinds of games, this is a good one, and if you’re not, this will not be the one that changes your mind. It’s a well-done take on a relatively standard formula.

If you had a good time with the previous games in the series, you're likely to find the same level of enjoyment in Far Cry 6. However, many of the gameplay elements in this new game are awfully like the versions that were first established in Far Cry 3 and reused with minimal changes in every subsequent game. There's certainly more than enough content to validate the game as its own, full entry into the series. I wish for a future Far Cry entry that I can play without being able to pick out which things are exactly the same as the previous title.

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 a whole product, Where The Water Tastes Like Wine can be a drag, but if you're in it for the story, bump up the score and have fun with a game that spins an excellent yarn.

If you never played the original and the particulars of this title likely suit your gaming tastes, especially if you have friends who'll play along through the missions, by all means strap on your alter ego and get to saving the world.

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

Ankh delivers an enjoyable, kid-friendly romp through an attractive Egyptian setting in a compact, old-fashioned point-and-click package that is sure to induce a chuckle or two.

Sadly, I can't even recommend this as a sequel to the original game, as the changed features are going to be upsetting to anyone who was a die-hard Meteos fan. However, as a children's game, Meteos: Disney Magic succeeds admirably.

Despite the rough spots, Cars 2 still presents an enjoyable experience because none of the issues impact the core game. Whether you're a hardcore Cars fan or just looking for a kid-friendly racing game, Cars 2 is sure to please. It's perfectly tuned for the younger set, while at the same time packing in enough quality gameplay to keep things entertaining for all the older gamers out there. In short, if you happen to be a parent with kids, this one is right up your alley.

The main hook in Black Future '88 is enough to recommend it to roguelike fans who want something a little different from the norm. There's a nice balance between trying to be thorough about collecting everything and rushing to make the most of your time, which is good enough to push most players out of their comfort zone. Those wanting something quick and different in the genre will find some joy in this title.

The addition of a few extra areas does not make up for the massive amount of flaws, both gameplay and graphical, that turns a fun game into a chore.

All in all, Supernatural may be my favorite expansion so far for The Sims 3. It gives enough options so that you really try something new, though it does border on having too many options. While it doesn't add as many new gameplay mechanics as some other expansions, the additions are interesting and well crafted. No two people look for the same thing out of The Sims, but for me, if you're only going to buy one Sims 3 expansion, it should be this one.

Resolutiion is going to appeal to players who can accept the game's vagueness in both the gameplay and story. Players would also need to appreciate wild difficulty swings with a serviceable combat system in a setting that can sometimes be described as a fever dream. It's certainly not going to be a huge hit, but there's enough here to appeal to those who are looking for something different.

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

Insurmountable is beautiful, engaging, clever, and a delight to play — even when I was halfway dead on the side of an icy peak and slowly dying of frostbite. It sounds like it would be tough to make that fun, but Insurmountable pulls it off.

If you've ever enjoyed a Gust game or Atelier title, it's likely that you'll dig Atelier Totori: The Adventurer of Arland. It's a fun, mostly upbeat adventure that doesn't get too bogged down by generic anime themes or trappings.

Newcomers won't find any flash or forgiveness in the story or difficulty; this is a hardcore strategy game through and through. None of those points deter from my overall enjoyment of Phoenix Point, though. It's a fantastic game, and I'm excited to see what Gollup has in mind for DLC. I certainly plan to play more of this game and improve my tactics. At the moment, my only Phoenix-like revival skills lie in save scumming.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a perfectly competent Kingdom Hearts rhythm game and not a lot else. Despite being canon to the series, its bare-bones plot is barely relevant, and the thin story is mostly a reason for more music. Thankfully, the core rhythm gameplay is fun if not particularly new or exciting. If you like Kingdom Hearts music and rhythm games, Melody of Memory will scratch the itch, but don't expect much more.

As a result, it's difficult to recommend Connect 4 at its asking price of $10, unless you have a house with a youngster or two who's bound to spend time dropping the colored pieces into rows of four again and again. Otherwise, resist the pull of nostalgia and wait for this one to go on sale for $5 or less.

Super Robot Wars Y is a darn fun entry in the franchise, and it tries very hard to bridge the gap between the Super Robot Wars 30 style and the style of older games. It isn't perfect, with a tad too many stages and the poor utilization of some series, but if you're a fan of Super Robot Wars, there's a whole lot to like, and in the long run, it's probably an even better introduction to the franchise than Super Robot Wars 30. If you like cool giant robots and insane fan fiction plots, there's nowhere better to turn than Super Robot Wars Y.

Overall, Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2012 is a definite improvement over Duels of the Planeswalkers from 2009.

Steambot Chronicles was a great idea that just wasn't realized to its full potential. You have everything customizable, from clothes to trotmobiles to jobs, but it is ultimately brought down by slow gameplay.

Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake is an interesting example of how modernizing a game can be both a plus and minus. It looks fantastic, it's deeper and more complex, and it offers a lot more to do. At the same time, not all of its changes hit the mark, and some areas that were improved actually detract from the whole. It's still a darn fun game, but it feels like a "sidegrade," rather than an upgrade to the original.

Persona 5 Tactica is a fun attempt to bring the ideas and concepts behind Persona 5 into the tactical setting, but at times it can feel more like a proof of concept. The core gameplay is a lot of fun, the story is enjoyable, and it's a good game for Persona 5 fans. It suffers from the cast being so overexposed that it's difficult to get super excited to see them again, and the actual persona element feels a tad lackluster.

Saints Row: The Third - Remastered is about the minimum you can expect from a remaster. It looks better, contains all of the DLC, and it does what it needs to do. However, you can't escape the fact that Saints Row 4: Re-Elected, which is already available, hits almost all of the same marks while being a more enjoyable game with almost all of the same features and significantly better humor. If you enjoyed the original Saints Row: The Third, then this is a good way to revisit it, but for newcomers, there are better entries in the series to try.

Gatling Gears approaches a perfect basic concept for an XBLA/PSN game. It's not too short, and it doesn't feel slapped together, but it doesn't come across as a scaled-down disc-based game, either. In a market that often favors games less like movies and more like 19th century Russian novels, with lengthy mission-based campaigns or a couple hundred hours of competitive multiplayer excitement, the simple pleasure of an arcade shooter experience is easily overlooked. Without providing anything in the way of surprises or revolutionary design, Gatling Gears serves as an excellent reminder of why arcade-style titles remain relevant, even when they demand gaming sessions longer than 10 minutes.

A well-made game, but one that lacks any kind of excitement for the casual gamer or non-enthusiast. As much as I love racing games, I had trouble mustering up any kind of genuine enthusiasm for this title.

While there are a ton of match types, a fairly sizable roster of ECW, Raw and Smackdown stars, and the inclusion of the new Superstar Fighting Styles, these positives cannot offset the terrible sound and voice acting, middling graphics and the train wreck that is the 24/7 mode.

With control options on the PC being rather limited, the game is only good for those who care about competition. For everyone else looking for something closer to what the older games provided, give it a month to see if things improve.

If you enjoy arcade-like vehicle response, solid background music, and simplistic racing controls with heavy emphasis on air and abusive nitrous, then this title will meet all of your needs and more. If you're looking for something to replace "Forza" or "Gran Turismo," please look elsewhere.

If you're just a casual poker fan or are looking for a way to brush up on your skills for friendly games, you'd probably be better off just playing online for free. WSoP '08 tries to go all in and steal the pot, but I'm here to call its bluff.