It's a solid experience with a somewhat steep learning curve...and a surprisingly deep skill system.

Unlike just about every other "street life" game that's come down the pike since GTA: San Andreas, Getting Up shows tremendous potential, contains gameplay that isn't mindless, and overall, doesn't go out of your way insult your intelligence with its premise.

Red Faction: Armageddon both satisfies and disappoints, depending on your camp. The single-player campaign may feel too restrictive for some because of the lack of open-world areas to play with, but the weaponry and mass destruction you can inflict still make the somewhat-lengthy experience fun. While co-op multiplayer is great, the lack of competitive modes will turn off those who have come to expect a more refined multiplayer experience. Still, the game is enjoyable enough that fans will not be terribly disappointed in the final product, especially those who prefer single-player over multiplayer games.

I was surprised by Shrek Superslam. I went in expecting the type of licensed schlock that publishers crank out for a quick buck, and what I got instead was a perfectly adequate multiplayer fighter.

Earth Atlantis is a game that is best played if you pace yourself. The quick boss encounters and ease with which you can find enemy mobs makes for some frantic gaming, but that high frequency also means that the experience can get repetitive. The overall mechanics are good, and the look is certainly distinct. It differs enough from normal shooters that it's worth a look, especially if you want a more exploratory adventure to go with your shooting.

Legend of Mana: Remastered is a difficult game to love. It's opaque, the plot needs to be pried from its hiding place, and it makes you struggle to enjoy it. If that works for you, it'll work extremely well. There's a lot of depth and replay value buried deep within the cloudy depths. You must want to dig, instead of the more instantly accessible and enjoyable gameplay of Trials of Mana or Collection of Mana. If you're looking to get a feel for the franchise, you should start with one of those other games instead. I'm fond of Legend of Mana, but that fondness is born of nostalgia for the PS1 era. Newcomers need to be willing to put up with all of its flaws and foibles to see the delicious treats beneath.

Sand Land is a competent and occasionally excellent anime tie-in game. It's a good way to experience the franchise for the first time, and even if you're not a Sand Land fan, I can see it scratching the itch for a simple, open-world experience. It might be a tad too easy for more hardcore gamers, but for younger players, it seems like a great introduction to open-world gameplay.

13AM had a really cool idea that mostly works but unfortunately gets lost within a slew of issues. Runbow could be a great game for the dedicated speedster, but for most others, it comes off as pretty, but lackluster.

Though it has lots of similarities with Capcom's big series, Toukiden: The Age of Demons can stand on its own.

It is solid enough for genre fans but requires much more patience and understanding from newcomers who are just getting introduced to endless deaths via platforming.

I like Pac-Man World: Re-Pac, and I think it's a great example that games don't need to be genre-defining to be fun, especially at its discount price. You have to go in knowing what you're expecting, and back in the days of Blockbuster Video, it's the game you might have completed over a weekend rental. In a vacuum, it's a fun, charming time. If your time or money is limited, you'd be better off with a title that offers more content.

The conclusion of Thicker Than Water is exactly what you'd expect from the series, and that's not a bad thing. For action fans, the setup means that the final episode is sure to be full of gore. For everyone else, though, having to spend so much time with some unlikeable and underdeveloped characters makes the episode feel like a drag, so the end is met with relief rather than longing to see the conclusion. It shouldn't be long before the final episode hits, but here's hoping things end on an upswing.

Fans of the SRPG genre looking for something nicely slow-paced will find the game perfectly satisfactory, if not necessarily particularly special.

Chicken Little reached for the sky and instead got an acorn thrown at its head. Pass this one up, folks, and maybe consider the console renditions of the license.

Aside from that, Phantasy Star Zero is a fantastic RPG on the DS and one of the first that's really nailed a lag-free online experience for four players.

All in all, The Elder Scrolls Online is a pretty good game. It's not outstanding, and it's not terrible.

Snake Pass is a charming and distinctly different game, which mostly works in its favor. You won't find the platformer-without-jumping mechanics in any other game on the market. The downside is that the gameplay mechanic can quickly go from fun to frustrating. It's a game with a ton of personality, and those with the patience to work around its flaws will find a lot to like.

Kingdoms and Castles is a solid effort, especially coming from such a small team. The game lacks longevity, but at $10, it may be worth picking up by those who enjoy base-building games but don't enjoy the difficulty and complexity that often comes with the genre.

Rather than put forth any real creative effort, it is a mere repackaging of existing content in an effort to earn some quick cash.

Most of its facets are somewhat sub-par, but the sheer addictive gameplay available in the title makes it perfect for the pick-up-and-play casual crowd.

Performance issues, counterintuitive visual design, and lackluster sound are prevalent concerns. It makes for a strategy game that is so close to succeeding but falls short of something special. After spending roughly 30 hours with Gladius and getting familiar with each of the factions, I'm comfortable recommending the game to fans of the genre who are desperate for something new or for those looking for a 4X game they can enjoy at a more relaxed pace. What's more relaxing than smashing Space Marine skulls on a Saturday morning with a maxed-out Warboss? Waaaaaghhh!

It was refreshing to play through a title that was[n't] simply a copy of the film, either; the game picks up right where the "Cars" movie left off and lets you decide McQueen's fate.

Aragami is a satisfactory stealth game. It's not exceptional, but it has its high points. The shadow-dancing teleport mechanic is the centerpiece of the game, and it is at its best when you have large, open areas to sneak through. It's at its worst when cheap deaths or unenjoyable boss fights dominate the experience. It's a fun budget stealth game that will probably tickle the fancy of anyone who's looking for one. It might not break new ground, but sometimes, it's just fun to be a ninja, and Aragami deliveries that in spades.

It has some glaring visual flaws and technically deficient AI. While it captures the parts of the movie that captivated the kiddies, it disregards the heart of the film that made it enjoyable to adults.

A fun, challenging game for the first three stages, with varied gameplay and a likeable heroine... Once you get beyond that point, you'll find it increasingly frustrating... or you'll start cheating madly in the name of basic survival.

Minor issues aside, Grip: Combat Racing is a great experience for both veterans of arcade combat racers as well as those who are willing to learn the genre. The initial learning pains and massive difficulty spikes toward the end of the game may turn away newcomers, and the catch-up mechanics and sometimes questionable physics may dissuade veteran players. For all others, though, Grip is a wild ride that offers fantastic tracks that are exhilarating to race on at lightning-fast speeds.

For a fan of the series, Battlefield: Hardline can be met with two reactions. Some see it as a series taken in a new direction, while others see it as a mere cops-and-robbers re-skin for Battlefield 4 (which, let's face it, was just a tweaked Battlefield 3). Ultimately, both of these things are true because despite the new thematic elements, the game plays much the same way

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.

The new abilities, such as deflecting arrows, are a welcome addition, but what the series could really use is a combat system that involved more than pressing two buttons in random combinations, a system that has worked well for the previous games in the series but has finally become stale.

Despite the somewhat low-res graphics, you never lose that sense of speed that's so crucial to racing games.

Speaking of headaches, as the final poison icing on the cake, the game possesses what I none-too-kindly call "Dead Rising Text."

If you haven't yet tried your hand at directing gunk around a board in order to score points, there are much better options out there than this.

A surprisingly fun little game that challenges you with some cool puzzles and sends you through a nicely lit, often-interesting mansion. Despite some problems with control and a little bit of an awkward camera, I was quite entertained most of the time.

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

Aside from the short play time, it's rather engaging, and while it is way too early to say whether The Detail ends up being a great adventure, the first episode will certainly whet the appetites of those who love a good police procedural.

The Sexy Brutale is an intriguing game with good ideas and an incredible atmosphere. It is well worth your time, as long as you don't play it on the Nintendo Switch. Without the technical issues, the game would've garnered a much higher score, but this port struggles at every turn and is best left alone.

In the end, Dogurai makes for a nice enough retro throwback that can act as a snack between meatier titles. The game isn't too difficult, but it is simple to understand, and it apes the mechanics of older games well enough to earn that challenge. The length of the game is buoyed by the presence of two endings and a new character, while the aesthetic fits perfectly for those who want to treat the Switch as a portable rather than a home console. At $5, Dogurai is certainly worth it for those who want to scratch that retro action platforming itch.

9 Monkeys of Shaolin is a solid package. The story and characters are forgettable, but the action is excellent once you get over a few annoying fights and power up. The game comes in at a decent length, and the presentation is good with a few incentives thrown in to make you want to attempt another run at the campaign to unlock everything. Genre fans may be spoiled with the number of games that have come out over the past few years, and 9 Monkeys of Shaolin is another good title to add to the backlog.

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake is a solid game that will make series fans happy and surprise the more casual ones. The action in the levels meanders a bit, and the platforming can be a little rough, but the majority of the action is good. The multitude of secrets to uncover give the game some real legs after you complete the campaign. If future entries are handled by this developer, SpongeBob fans will have some good stuff to look forward to in the years to come.

Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli is a very tough, rewarding game that caters to a more hardcore audience. Racing simulation addicts and car buffs will love the way the title looks and handles.

Fans will certainly appreciate God Eater 3 as a solid continuation of the franchise. Newcomers, however, will probably have to force their way through a significant part of the experience to feel the same joy. There is a solid monster-slaying action-RPG buried under here; it's just a matter of how deep you're willing to dig to uncover its treasures.

In the end, Transference is in an odd position. The atmosphere is completely engrossing, since the crumbling digital landscape and ominous repeated dialogue and other sounds create an unsettling world. Jump-scares are light, and almost all the puzzles are easy enough to solve even with some fumbling around. With that said, the tale can seem disturbing, but the scattershot way it's told doesn't make the game very memorable when compared to either its horror or walking simulator contemporaries. Transference remains a game that's worth checking out, but it's not one that players should be in a rush to seek out over other similar titles.

Uno makes for a good alternative to the type of fare typically seen on a console. Despite its simple rules, it remains fun thanks to the decent AI and the good-sized online community. It may not be as cheap as the Xbox 360 release was, but if you're looking for a fun card game on the PS4, you can't go wrong with Uno.

An admirable but stilted tilt on the age-old FPS genre. It attempts to do so many things and, perhaps purely through the power of statistics, actually nails a few.

Ultimately, buying or passing on The Lost Hobo King comes down to a simple value proposition. At 400 MSP ($5) on Xbox Live and PSN, it's not terribly expensive and does deliver more of the adorable Stacking gameplay that defined the original game. However, with such a short play time, it feels more like a well-polished demo level than a fully developed DLC addition.

Finding a way to pump more music into the mix should have been a higher priority as well.

If the network code worked, Guardians of Middle-earth would have come highly recommended, but an online game that delivers a poor online experience simply isn't worth your money.

I felt that this title lost a lot of the charm of The Awakened by reducing the number of investigation segments and keeping the story rooted to one place. Fans of Sherlock Holmes or adventure games should go out of their way to pick up this title.

Assassin's Creed Rogue is an often-overlooked entry in the series. It's a fun compilation of all prior releases, and it has a cool story and strong characters. Its remastered version, however, doesn't add anything significant and falls flat since it doesn't offer any improvements to Shay Cormac's Assassin/Templar story.

50 Cent: Blood on the Sand does a good job of alleviating the mistakes of its predecessor thanks to the better controls, great graphics and a foray into co-op.

Aside from minor changes, everything else is pretty much in the same state that it was last year, except you can now pay the next-gen premium price for it. NHL 22 is still the best hockey game you can buy (mostly due to the lack of other options), but I'd strongly advise against it if you have played any other NHL title in the past few years. The series has been stagnating, and NHL 22 doesn't indicate any will to make meaningful changes, which is a shame because this would've been the perfect cut-off point to do something new and interesting.

All in all, Lichtspeer is a fun indie title with limited story and gameplay elements that create an overall good but somewhat lacking experience. What's here is incredibly well made, but if you're not a fan of difficult arcade-style, high-score shooters, Lichtspeer might not be right for you.

If you're reading this review, having never played a Metal Slug game before, then all you need to know is that it's an insanely over-the-top 2D action game in which you play the role of a commando who kills a lot of people.

In a post-apocalyptic GBA market saturated with reason after reason to "just buy a Nintendo DS, already," Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi: Kaznapped! is a surprisingly solid breath of fresh air.

Conga Master Party is one of those games that is a novel experience for a short amount of time. You're not really going to find a game that essentially takes Snake and changes enough of the mechanics that it feels fresh again. With that said, the novelty wears out quickly, and although the multiplayer tries to balance things out, its shallow depth means that Conga Master Party is a game you'll play once or twice before shelving it — until your choices thin out again.

FSW: Ten Hammers is not a sequel for people who didn't enjoy the slow action of the original. The pace is exactly the same here, with slightly more player control and all of the same general ugliness you remember.

Despite not explicitly saying so, Warlock: Master of the Arcane serves as a decent entry game for those who want to dabble in 4X strategy. Thanks to the lack of a decent tutorial and in-game instructions, the game still has a steep learning curve, and the lack of attention paid to the diplomatic aspects of the genre will leave some players overwhelmed once they move on to something with more substance.

The lesson here is that if you own a DS, you're far better off buying the original than you are settling for this new port that comes in high on style but low on substance.

An excellent example of how a talented crew can break with the tired trend of modern urban combat in the Middle East and still produce an intense and memorable FPS experience. This is "worth playing," indeed.

With its plethora of options and playability, this is a stellar buy for the younger crowd.

Mighty Polygon unabashedly stands on the shoulders of giants with Relicta. The wheel is not reinvented but rather pleasantly spun around and flipped on its head. While further investment into the artistic aspects of this game may have helped clarify some of the issues with sameness and emptiness, the gameplay and narrative overpower these concerns. Puzzles pose just enough of a challenge to keep the player fascinated while the narrative, strong character, and world give the player incentive to progress. Throw in collectibles to round out the details, and you've got quite the adventure for the curious. With a $20 price tag, Relicta may have its shortcomings, but it's challenging, narratively compelling, and — dare I say it? — magnetic. If you enjoy the likes of Portal, get this game.

Not a bad game, but with its lack of replayability and quick playtime, it's just not a keeper.

The sheer expansiveness of the X3: Reunion universe will draw you back again and again, each time offering something new and exciting. You’ll never run out of goals to meet.

Despite having a large number of fetch-quests, the game is fun, and even attempts to innovate a little with it's magic system.

Unique puzzles and collectibles encourage exploration and advance the story to keep players engaged. It's an unorthodox type of horror game, but Bendy and the Ink Machine utilizes two opposite genres that complement each other to create a solid title. The use of cartoon characters in a horror atmosphere blends the purity of animated characters with the terrifying ideals of a scientist gone mad. As we progress, we learn sad truths behind the animation team that led to the spiraling downfall of innocent people. Bendy and the Ink Machine may be a sleeper hit, but it's worth any survival-horror fan's time.

Although Lego Rock Band does lack online multiplayer and the set list isn't nearly as fleshed out as Rock Band 2, it still has some neat little things going for it, mostly stemming from the use of the Lego license.

There's a fascinating game hiding in After Us. The melancholy tale of resurrecting a desolate Earth makes for an interesting premise, but it isn't told in a way to make you care much about it. The platforming generates some good moments, but it is also clunky in places due to the physics and lack of explanation in the tutorial. The combat is rather unnecessary and unexciting, but it is functional, while the presentation remains fetching. Patches are still being created to tweak the game, and there is some potential to fix the technical issues experienced in the early portion of this playthrough. For now, it isn't a game that you need to seek out and play if there are other options to tackle.

It has its problems, but fans of old-fashioned JRPGs will find a lot to like in The 4 Heroes of Light.

The Bourne Conspiracy is a surprising gem of a beat-'em-up with plenty of riveting, arcade-styled action to entertain fans of the film or action junkies who are looking for a little wetwork.

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.

If you're coming from the PSP version, you've already seen everything here, and the best thing you can do is hope that this sells well enough to warrant a well-deserved sequel.

With a price tag of just $30, this should be a no-brainer for anyone interested in the genre. Rogue Trooper may not do anything staggeringly new, but it combines action, shooting, stealth, and exploration elements successfully and is well worth a look.

The game has an absolutely abysmal inventory system, basically a dumping ground for anything that you find throughout your wanderings.

It was always about the gameplay, and with the classic gameplay mixed in with various modes and a tight control scheme, there's little left to complain about.

NBA 2K10: Draft Combine is an interesting experiment that would only appeal to a limited audience.

Ultimately, the question you have to ask yourself is if an hour-long mission and an underdeveloped new character are worth $7. To most people who have already played, beaten and put away Mass Effect 2 for good, the answer is a resounding no.

It offers gamers a taste of just about every gaming genre out there and even finds a way to bundle them together and present them along with a light-hearted story.

TR-49 is an engrossing puzzle game. The idea of solving a mystery through hyperlinking is novel, and the simplified implementation of decoding pages by matching code references with the title is thrilling in action, even if it doesn't seem that way on paper. The main story is fine, but the story told within the documents will be more interesting to some, and the presentation is also good. The performance issue drags down things, and if that can be patched out, then TR-49 is a game that earns its place in a puzzle fan's library.

The combat is rather fast, and skilled pilots will like the new maneuver feature. The overall campaign may be on the short side, but the missions are fast paced and always full of action. The game controls well, and it looks and sounds amazing. The 3-D is a nice touch but not exactly necessary.

Onimusha: Warlords HD Remaster is intended for those looking for a trip down memory lane, but it won't impress others. It's an interesting historical artifact, but that's about all it has going for it.

It should be said that while the general look and feel when playing the game is that of an unfinished work in progress, the satirical and dark comedy stands out as a saving grace.

There's fun to be had with Battle Fantasia. It's a title that's reasonably easy to pick up and play but has enough technical depth to take some time to master. There isn't enough depth in the content and fighting to appeal to the hardcore fighting game fan.

If you like high-fantasy realms, but are willing to overlook alterations to what are ultimately some pretty arbitrary conventions concerning weapon types, and you have like-minded friends who'll play with you offline, Dungeon Siege III is definitely worth your time. If you're going to go it alone strictly for story and gameplay, then know that you've already played this game before in similar form, probably a dozen times.

Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 is not a horrible game. It can actually be really fun most of the time, but the title is haunted by slow matches, boring fighting styles and overall frustration.

Run the Fan does a good job of running with its concept. It's a simple game in execution, and it may not be the flashiest title, but it provides some good challenge without feeling impossible. It may not have anything beyond its campaign mode, but the level size is decent, and the fact that there's no other puzzle game like it on the Switch makes it intriguing. Given the title's very low price of $4, puzzle fans can enjoy Run The Fan as a good appetizer leading up to meatier puzzle fare.

YesterMorrow is fine. The platforming is good if you can forgive things like a lack of platforming weight and some difficulty in discerning usable platforms. The story is decent if you don't mind not connecting with the characters. The time traveling concept is interesting if you don't mind that it's wedged in only when necessary in a mostly linear adventure. There are better titles on the market, but you won't hate your time with YesterMorrow.

If you need the drama to complete your experience, the bright green medkits might taint the cinematic sweep, but it's perhaps worth a rental if you're a fan of the series or the genre.

Samurai Warriors 4: Empires is an interesting addition to the original games. It doesn't necessarily improve upon or replace them but offers a similar-but-different experience.

There really is a lot to like about Sacred 2, but only as long as you are willing to put up with the constant need to micromanage your journey with a high tolerance for FedEx-type questing.

Although it's a solid new IP on the DS, the control issue keeps Avalon Code from being something great. It's still decent and definitely worth checking out for RPG fans, but anyone who's not a big fan of the genre is going to get frustrated with the controls and code system.

Good game, good story, flat presentation.

Overall, Xuan Yuan Sword 7 is a completely mediocre game. That isn't to say it can't be fun or doesn't have strong moments, but somehow, none of what it does really stands out. It's interesting to see a long-running franchise finally get its chance to shine outside of its home country, but Xuan Yuan Sword 7 doesn't do enough to set it apart from the crowd. There are a lot of interesting ideas here, and I look forward to seeing what the next entry shows off.

At the end of the day, Assassin's Creed: Valhalla - Dawn of Ragnarök is a nice but not particularly special expansion pack. The plot is fun enough visit into Norse mythology, but unfortunately, that's such a well-trodden area that it feels less special to dive into it. The new powers are a cool twist on the formula, but ultimately, you're still playing more Valhalla. If you enjoyed the game, then you'll enjoy the expansion, but if you've burned out on it, then being able to turn into a bird isn't going to refresh your Viking spirit.

The first time you see your Pac-Man come to life on the screen, the one that you have drawn, it's impossible not to smile. The rest of the game is challenging enough to keep you busy for a little while, but the fun factor is what will keep you coming back to beat your old high scores.

Altogether, I really enjoyed Lips, and I definitely think Microsoft is headed in the right direction with its first karaoke attempt. I'd like to see a few more modes tossed in for multiplayer, and maybe a bit more incentive for single-player modes outside of ranking up and gaining stars, but the track list, mic construction, and overall feel of the game is definitely capturing that casual yet fun style of play.

If you've never touched a football game in your life, it might be a little out of reach for you, and if you've played every football game out there, it might seem a bit boring and pointless.

A fun and unusual romp. It feels like a children's title that also appeals to older gamers thanks to the art style and strange method of conveying its morals to the audience. The game feels like it should only be played in short bursts, due to the monotony that sets in after long sessions of performing the same tasks over and over.

This is a perfectly acceptable game, but it's also mostly boring and safe. We all know that the game of life boils down to "no risk, no reward," so this mediocre game gets a mediocre score.