R3KX, with its lack of real challenge, story, or presentation values, is just not in any way a memorable game. Koei is capable of much better, as "Dynasty Warriors" and their upcoming PC title "Uncharted Waters" attests to.

When all is said and done, Swarm is one of the few titles that can make frustrating, fun. It's certainly not a game for everyone, but if you can overlook some of the rough edges, there is a good time to be had. At 1200 MSP ($15), Swarm is on the pricier side for a downloadable title, so if you're on the fence, give the demo a try first. But if you've been jonesing for some good Lemmings-style action, this may be the closest you're going to get unless Sony decides to revive the Psygnosis classic one day.

An immersive game, but it's just too bad that the gameplay at the core of it is so ho-hum and bland.

Hours of pure, smart fun for me. I haven't laughed out loud at a game in a while (where it was meant to be funny), and I would certainly recommend at least spending some spare weekend time on it.

Ultimately, Fruit Ninja Kinect is a surprisingly impressive port that plays better than the touch-screen original. If you can't stand the smartphone original, the addition of Kinect controls aren't likely to sway you, but if you are one of the many with Fruit Ninja on your phone, then this is well worth your 800 MSP ($10 USD). The only real reason to hold off is if you're planning on buying The Gunstringer, as Fruit Ninja Kinect is included for free with that game.

flOw is still a good game, but its presence means different things, depending on the platform you're playing it on.

It isn't extraordinary, but Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts is a solid game. The majority of the gunplay is basic, but it pales in comparison to the attention paid to the sniping and the variety of gun mechanics. The enemy AI works fine even if they sometimes act dumb, and the environments make the missions more interesting. The lack of polish in a few parts of the presentation and some interesting quirks bring down the game, but overall, Contracts is worth checking out if you can temper your expectations.

The combat seems deceptively simple, but it becomes pretty hectic and involved as you progress through the missions. The Overdive ability is pretty unique, and jumping from soldier to soldier to flank an enemy works really well. The controls are easy to use on the PSP, and like most Square Enix titles on PSP, the game looks amazing. It's definitely worth checking out for PSP owners who are hungry for new games on their handheld. I absolutely suggest checking it out, even if you have no prior experience with the Parasite Eve series. The gameplay is what really sells this game, though, so don't come into this title expecting to be wowed by the future exploits of Aya Brea.

The Rebirth mode is a welcome addition, and it offers a harder quest, more enemies and new puzzles, but touch screen support is minimal, and the knifing battles feel more like hastily created mini-games rather than well-integrated portions of the quest.

If you're looking for a light RPG, then Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia definitely fits the bill because it's cheerful, well animated and utterly predictable. Combat is a breeze, even if you're farming for items, and the plot is lackluster at best.

It does have its fair share of flaws and rough edges, but it also has quite a few areas where it absolutely shines.

In the end, Grand Slam Tennis 2 is a solid tennis game that sits below Top Spin 4 in terms of quality. The gameplay mechanics are more simulation than arcade, but it isn't too technical to the point that you need precision to execute moves well. It looks great but flawed, and the same goes for the commentary.

The whole new aspect of animals is a welcome addition, but it could definitely do with some more fleshing out.

It's as if the game designers are saying, "Well, just imagine that you are fighting in a huge war." With that kind of attitude, I hope that they are able to imagine me still playing this in a month – because I certainly won't be.

A niche game meant for niche gamers. This title really isn't for anyone who's prone to violent outbursts when he loses a fighting game or misses a note in Guitar Hero, but it's still a lot more accessible than it could have been.

Great graphics, quirky sounds and a great control scheme are only marred by the easy difficulty and brevity of the title.

Admittedly, Asura's Wrath is not a great game. The combat mechanics are uninspired and the title relies heavily on QTEs to drive the action. However, I'm not entirely sure it's trying to be a pure game so much as it wants to be an interactive experience. That may sound a bit like a cop-out, but I truly believe the interactive elements are there merely to drive the story forward, and in that respect, the game delivers beautifully. Asura's Wrath is a strange bird indeed, throwing in so many disparate elements that all manage to somehow come together and create a compelling, fun experience. This game is weird, but it's weird in the right ways.

In the end, ScreamRide proves to be fun in short doses.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed can often be a frustrating mess. There are tons of polish issues and questionable design choices. Even with a 2.5GB install onto the PS3, there is still far too much loading. However, when everything works, there's just something innately satisfying about being able to kill dozens of Stormtroopers with the flick of your wrist.

ParaWorld is a joy to look at and listen to, and the twist of dinosaurs going head-to-head with modern-day human heroes is reminiscent of Ash bringing his shotgun and Cadillac to medieval Europe in "Army of Darkness."

EA Sports NHL 24 adds quite a lot this year around for an NHL game. The Exhaust Engine and Vision Passing are welcome and profound additions to the gameplay, even though the overall balance doesn't feel quite right yet. Beyond that, improvements are slim, especially if you're predominantly playing offline. Be a Pro and Franchise modes see a few adjustments to the micro-transaction-powered online modes. If you've skipped NHL games for several years, you're likely going to enjoy this iteration. If not, you'd better wait another year or two. NHL 24 is a step in the right direction, albeit a small one, but it doesn't justify the full, next-gen price.

In the end, Knowledge is Power isn't a bad trivia game. The questions are good, and it's an annoyance that players can't turn off the power-ups, but they're nice to have if someone is dominating the game. However, the slower pace prevents Knowledge is Power from becoming a big party game, something that other trivia games can handle with ease. While it may not be the go-to video game for big gatherings, it's a nice title to have around in between sessions of the bigger party games.

Flock! is a game with an endearing presentation but it's sadly followed by incredibly weak execution in the core gameplay, especially in the offering of campaign levels.

The DioField Chronicle is interesting as an experiment, but that's about all it has going for it. The combat system is so half-baked that it may as well not exist, and the story is about 20 hours of buildup for a "buy the sequel" hook. Since the phenomenal Triangle Strategy came out in the same year, and it handles pretty much all the same ideas much better, it's difficult to recommend DioField. Even if you're curious, it's best to wait for a sale because the full retail price is too steep for what you'll get.

Overall this game is actually well done and can be considered pretty fun, aside from the repetition, especially if you can find friends to play with, but it is also not aimed at the older audiences.

Ridge Racer Unbounded is made for the patient and the determined.

Atlas Fallen is fine in parts and frustrating in others. The world seems fascinating, but the characters are the least compelling part of the story. The combat can feel fluid, and the number of powers you can use makes for a good deal of build possibilities. You'll wish there were more weapons, though. Traversal is fun, but you will need to ignore Nyaal, who often calls out things that are nowhere in the proximity. The development team could've used some more time to tighten things up, but ultimately, Atlas Fallen remains a good distraction in between other, more polished action-adventure games.

If you're a fan of action -RPGs, then by all means add this game to your collection. Just don't expect it to be "Diablo 3." That crown still belongs to "Titan Quest."

I have a hard time finding justification for the reduction in weapons and the tragic loss of the true campaign mode. While it is still a fun game to play with some friends, it had the potential to be more so, and it also had the potential to be vastly more entertaining for a single player.

But truly, this slightly-above mediocre release is not what Castlevania should be. The action needs to be tougher, tighter, less "me too" where "Devil May Cry" is concerned.

At the very least, Eragon is tolerable, bug-free, and does not try to stuff the console versions into the tiny, low-power package of the GBA, thereby producing a distinct experience by licensed game standards.

Compared to other "monster trainer" games, Spectrobes: Beyond the Portals is just too limited. The game itself is quite linear and fairly short, even as these things go, and while the collection aspect is fun, it doesn't hold a candle to anything in the Pokémon or Digimon franchises.

As a playing experience, Bionic Commando is certainly worth some hours of your life.

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.

Another Wonderful Life gets by on a startling amount of charm that makes a return visit at least worth a lengthy rental, even for farming veterans.

I feel confident in saying that Super Swing Golf: Season 2 is by far the best golf title on the Wii. While the game doesn't really break any new ground, its execution is nearly flawless.

There's a good game in Harold. The frantic pace at which environmental manipulation can be done and its use in sabotaging the competition breathes some life into an otherwise straightforward genre.

Perhaps the best summary for Crackdown 2 is to say that it's essentially Crackdown with zombies and co-op. Initially, that sounds like the greatest game ever, but the real picture isn't quite so rosy. A newly designed city and seamless co-op aren't enough to overcome the game's ho-hum missions or general lack of content.

Sonic Frontiers is an all-around solid Sonic the Hedgehog game. The shift to a more open-world style of gameplay works almost entirely in its favor and allows the game to offer more freedom and exploration without resorting to werehogs. At heart, it's still the same basic 3D-style gameplay that the franchise has been doing lately, but the change in perspective works in its favor. Not every change is a winner, but enough are that I dearly hope that Sega sticks with this flavor instead of reinventing the wheel. Fans of Sonic will be delighted, and those on the fence should give Frontiers a shot. It's easy to see how the greater freedom (and lack of annoying gimmicks) could be the difference between frustration and fun.

The Sims 3: Pets won't change the minds of those who had no interest in the series. Due to the lack of some content and performance issues, it also won't convince PC die-hards that a console version can be on par with a computer.

The concept may no longer be original, but Fractured Soul still boasts some great gameplay.

Resident Evil 0 remains a good game in the series. Even with your AI partner's occasional lapses in judgment, the dynamic makes the standard formula feel fresh, while the lack of chests can be either good or bad depending on your outlook. The stunted load times ruin the mood since they occur all the time. If you don't mind that and you want to own the game in a portable form, this port isn't all that bad.

As it stands now, Age of Empires Online is a very good game. It still retains the same mechanics and core strategy elements from the original series while adding in an online element that doesn't feel all that intrusive. Even though there's a decent amount of content locked away until you shell out money, there's enough to do here with the base free game. You can have more fun with it compared to some fully paid titles. Time will tell how the game holds up in the long run, especially with more items to buy and a fluctuating user base. With its current model, Age of Empires Online is easy to recommend even if you absolutely have no plans to buy anything for it at any point in time.

It definitely needed more puzzles and a fresh take on the gameplay. The bottom line is this: if you like adventure games, you should enjoy Still Life, but it will definitely not change the mind of the masses.

The story in Layers of Fear 2 is decent, even if you can see the narrative twist coming, but you need to sit down and analyze the pieces for it to really come together. The same tricks used in the original to distort the environment still work here, as do the jump-scares despite their predictability over time. The longer playtime robs the title of the crispness of its predecessor, while the element of an active pursuer doesn't mix well with the game's need for more involved door and switch mechanics and the precision needed to activate those action spots. It's still worth checking out for fans — but sometime later, as opposed to immediately.

It has the makings of a great game but some evil force shipped it before it was spit shined.

But the game’s shoddy visual presentation, rampant recycling and annoying lack of online voice chat are glaring shortcomings that are hard to overlook. Overall, Ghost Recon: Jungle Storm just doesn’t bring anything new to the table or do much to attract new recruits.

Given such a large gap between Virtua Tennis 3 and this entry, you would hope that we'd see considerable improvements and a nearly flawless experience. Instead, we have yet another mediocre sports game with a bit of squandered potential.

The new addition of the empire mode and addition of the political policy, a stronger focus on strategy and improved character edit mode and the addition of new moves and combos really gives the game a kick.

Though undeniably beautiful and well designed, the game is simply too difficult to learn (the tutorial weighs in at almost six hours) and too slowly paced for most players not already attenuated to its type.

If you have a PlayStation 2 or Wii with no plans to upgrade to Rock Band 2, then this is a fine choice because you lose nothing and gain 20 songs in the process. If you have the other consoles and have no plans to connect them online, then this is also for you. If you have them connected online, however, then this will only be appealing if you really want to hunt down every Rock Band-related Achievement or Trophy out there, since this pack contains no exclusive songs.

BurgerTime Party is a title that feels overstuffed. The mechanics are still good if you aren't thinking about the oddity of making burgers by walking over the ingredients, but this only works well when playing solo. Going multiplayer, as the game's title would suggest, makes the experience less enjoyable due to the aforementioned odd design choices. The base co-op experience is enough to prevent the other modes from being looked at, given their diminished overall appeal. It is a game best played in short bursts because tedium sets in when you're playing for longer. This can only be recommended to those who want nothing more than a short arcade-like burst of enjoyment before moving on to meatier fare.

This is the most fun I've had with a soccer title in quite a while, so 2010 FIFA World Cup is definitely worth checking out.

If you can get past the tedious first stages, the game really begins to pick up although the infection meter limits exploration a bit too much for Scurge to recapture that special magic, but for those holding out for a classic Metroid game on the DS, Scurge may be exactly what you need.

Nervous Brickdown isn't a game built to last. It is beautifully creative, taking a classic formula and twisting it on its ear again and again … until it runs out.

Despite feeling -- and looking -- somewhat limited in scope and ambition on the Nintendo DS, The Sims 2 offers a reasonable measure of fun if you’re willing to forego the pleasures of simulation for a more narrative-oriented experience.

Maquette is well worth experiencing. The use of recursive puzzles is fresh because so few games use it, and even though you can stumble upon the solution to some puzzles, most of them feel clever — even if they're relatively simple. The game does a great job of setting the player in a dreamlike state, and the story may be simple and lack details, but it still feels relatable. Maquette works perfectly as a palate cleanser for bigger and heavier games.

Payday: The Heist is an ambitious game that doesn't quite manage to nail down the little things. Of course, as any good career criminal will tell you, the devil is in the details, and Payday's failure here is the difference in making off with the cash and getting gunned down in the street. The pieces were all in place, but this just fails to deliver in any meaningful way.

The Sims 3: Pets won't change the minds of those who had no interest in the series. Due to the lack of some content and performance issues, it also won't convince PC die-hards that a console version can be on par with a computer.

Cruis'n Blast is a very pleasant surprise for those who crave arcade racing over the simulation style. It nails the speed and the ease with which anyone can pick it up and play, thanks to a simplified control scheme and the easy AI difficulty in the early stages. Although the variety is superficial, there's a good variety of tracks here and plenty of oddball vehicles for players to unlock. One can argue that the game isn't deep, and dedicated players can get almost everything done in a day, but with pure arcade racing being gone for so long, you tend to forgive all of that when you're enjoying every moment.

The lopsided AI isn’t the least of the problems in the single player campaign. Most of the levels involve marching down a single path, with the level typically coming to an end when you reach the end.

My gut wants to give credit to Assassin's Creed III: Liberation for being a sizeable, faithful rendition of the Assassin's Creed series on a portable platform. However, I can't overlook the glaring technical issues, and I have a hard time seeing past the forced Vita-specific control gimmicks that mar the single-player campaign. If you're willing to put up with a lot of rough edges, you'll find aspects of Aveline's story to be superior to that of Connor's from AC3, despite the loss of scale in both the literal and figurative sense. I know the Vita is capable of producing better results than this, and I hope that Ubisoft puts some more polish into its next Vita title.

As stated before, FIFA Soccer 12 is a solid game for Nintendo's console but only if you haven't played last year's version.

At the end of the day, I would rather play Resident Evil: Revelations again on current-gen consoles than to reminisce about my 3DS. It didn't hold up well, and it understandably suffers in many graphical areas due to it having been originally developed for a handheld device. It's still a better-than-average game that features a classic series plot and two of my favorite characters. If you go into it with the understanding that this is a port of a handheld game, you should be more than pleased with it. The Raid mode extends playability and longevity with its addicting gameplay and co-op capabilities. Luckily, the comes with a wallet-friendly price of $20, but if you can catch it on sale, it's an even better deal.

TimeShift frequently faced me with challenges that were initially incomprehensible, and then too easy to overcome once I had some idea of what the hell I was supposed to do.

Demon Gaze is a perfectly serviceable if unexceptional, dungeon crawler.

Batman: The Brave and The Bold is exactly what fans of the series want from a video game. Like the show, it features plenty of action and lots of co-op play with a heavy dose of humor both in and out of the cut scenes.

It may not have the strongest story in the series, but the gameplay is enjoyable due to the number of weapons and crafting options at your disposal.

A fun game. I can’t find much fault with the time I spent with it. But its overall feel is less than stellar. The game will crawl along at even medium resolutions and the pathfinding seriously hampers you at times.

If you want to take home one of the best arcade racers out there, Sega Rally Online Arcade is hard to beat. It doesn't have the depth of a full console game, but at 800 MSP ($10 USD) for an accurate arcade port, it's a great value - doubly so if you already own a proper racing wheel. Shift into overdrive and snag this one before the checkered flag drops.

After all is said and done, EarthNight is an incredibly intriguing game. With in-depth art, consistently good music, and plenty of in-game systems to keep the player asking for more, it's hard to not want to give it a try. The follies of the title largely boil down to buy-in from the player. One could easily see a player losing interest early on due to the too delayed gratification of grinding through levels to collect all of the pieces needed for a power-up to progress. After seeing how the game evolves, I have to say that it's worth the time investment. EarthNight scrapes against greatness in its concept but falls slightly short in execution — not with the space dragons, though. I fully plan to execute all of the space dragons that I can get my hands on.

A.I.L.A. is a game that has potential but fails with the follow-through. The idea of AI generating experiences meant to terrify you while also affecting you outside of the game still works. The games that represent different horror experiences do a good job of taking something familiar and making it its own. While the puzzles are fine, the combat drags down everything greatly, and the pacing means that the whole game becomes an unenjoyable roller coaster ride. There's a chance for improvement with patches, but at the moment, you'll want to wait and see if things get better before diving in.

If you can live with the issues, you'll find Maneater to be a ridiculously good time. The aforementioned issues are a shame, but the distinct nature of being a shark and the ability to deliver mayhem in a different way. It'll remind players of what was so appealing about open-world games in the first place. Thanks to Maneater's relatively short completion time compared to other open-world titles, it's well worth checking out.

The Cave is a solid adventure game.

Senran Kagura: Peach Beach Splash works as a third-person shooter, and the card system adds some variety. It has a variety of single-player modes that could be fun if the enemy AI were any good. However, the lack of an online audience kills much of the potential, and the title can only be recommended to die-hard series fans or those who have friends who have purchased the game and can meet up for online matches.

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.

LoC puts each and every mech simulator ever made to shame. If you have ever fantasized what it really would be like to pilot a hulking mountain of metal and weaponry there is no doubt that Steel Battalion: Line of Contact is as close to that fantasy as anything can get.

I can't help but feel slightly disappointed in Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Everything sounds like a great experience on paper, but the execution of the online side seems poor.

The camera is a source of constant frustration since it causes a number of issues where you get sucker-punched in combat while you're still relatively weak. With that said, the combat becomes enjoyable once you come to grips with the Dark Souls-style system and the more open level design takes the sting out of having to fight through closed spaces for most of the game. One has to wonder how different the possible fourth game could be.

Although this game consists of quite a lot of reading, the story and overall feel of the title should keep VTM fans and newbies alike entertained from start to finish. It is a shame that there is no time to experience each and every storyline, and the inability to save multiple games is a bit of a deterrent. Overall, this indie RPG is a pretty good distraction for vampire fanatics to delve into as they anxiously await the upcoming releases this year.

Warhammer 40K: Space Marine's story line is repetitive and unappealing - to the point that the game somehow manages to be both extremely short and entirely too long at the same time.

The immense variety in different game modes really helps to keep the game fresh, and the excellent arcade controls mean that when you end up falling behind the pack, smashing into a wall or screwing up a trick, you rarely feel like it is the game's fault, but your own for not hitting the clutch at the right moment, or for holding the stunt too long.

Mama herself is a charming guide through the apparently one-room world of cooking, and each challenge she throws your way will have you poking and prodding until you're beside yourself with glee.

You can play until you achieve a perfect stable and set some insanely incredibly record. If you are a horse fan, this may be the best game available at this time.

A mélange of disappointment and elation. The gameplay, graphics, and overall experience all present a grabbag of experiences, some good, some bad.

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.

While it has a few bells and whistles, 100 Classic Books is primarily an e-book application, and it does the job well. It's available at the budget price of $19.99, and its value only increases when you throw in the 10 extra downloadable novels.

Tight car handling, a career mode that's fun without being too technically involved (unlike "Gran Turismo 4" or "SegaGT") and that same sense of speed we've come to love as of late in our racing titles establish Flatout as a worthy companion, if not successor, to "Burnout 3."

All in all, Let's Tap is surprisingly fun and is as unique as can be on one of the most unique consoles out there.

While Kenka Bancho: Badass Rumble for the PSP really could have used a few camera controls, its mix of RPG and brawler elements is difficult to fault, even if its release timing may be second only to releasing on Boxing Day. Nonetheless, the game definitely qualifies as nicely shibui and is worth picking up.

Human: Fall Flat is pretty good. It may be another awkwardly controlled game with a robust physics system, but neither is overbearing enough to drag down the game's enjoyment factor. It comes in at a good length, there are multiple ways to solve puzzles, and the co-op really makes things enjoyable. The camera can be nauseating if you're sensitive to such things, but if you can handle it, you'll find a game that's just as ridiculously fun as some of its contemporaries.

Taken individually, each section of Hell Yeah! could be called derivative. Put them all together, and the game as a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. It may lean toward the easy side, but for anyone who grew up during the 16-bit era, Hell Yeah! hits all of the right notes.

In truth, the real value of Turf Wars is entirely dependent on the final piece of DLC scheduled to hit a month from now. Provided it delivers on an exciting finale, all of the rough spots in the tale will be worth it. Until then, your enjoyment of the Turf Wars DLC will be entirely dependent on how excited you are to fight loads of enemies and how invested you are in the characterization of one of your allies. Overall, it isn't great, but it does enough to keep things intriguing until the final installment.

I recommend role-playing and/or construction fans to consider adding Dungeon Maker: Hunting Ground to their libraries. Its unique features and gameplay make for some great entertainment.

When all is said and done, LEGO Jurassic World is still going to appeal to fans of the LEGO franchise, but it's not going to impress them.

There is a lot of potential in Minecraft Dungeons (and there is already DLC being advertised for it), but in its current state, it feels like a first draft. If you already have a Game Pass subscription, check it out for some easy achievements, but if you're looking to scratch that dungeon crawler itch, there are better options out there right now.

The graphics and sound work really well together to create the atmosphere.

Gravitar Recharged shows the Recharged series in a good light. The mechanics take some time to master, but doing so feels rewarding while the game's score-based nature feels right for modern audiences, thanks to the randomization of planet layouts and objectives. It's artistically stunning and accompanied by a soundtrack that matches up with the visuals. Co-op is hit-and-miss, but based on everything else, it's a good pick for those who want an arcade game with mechanics that aren't emulated too often.