The generic tracks and emphasis on controlled racing really drains the excitement out of the title, making it a hard sell to any but the most hardcore of tuner fans.

Inversion isn't bad, but it isn't good, either. It's a generic, dull third-person shooter that is competent enough. Aside from some issues with aiming the Gravlink, everything works about as well as it should, but that's the kindest thing one can say about the title. Forgettable enemies, bland locations, boring gunplay and a clichéd story combine into a product that has little entertainment value.

This game should be packed in free with cases of beer, since it seems to play best when you’ve got a few drinks in you.

Frequent freeze-ups and faulty controls hurt this otherwise decent package, which can only be recommended to the most hardcore "Puzzle Fighter" fanatics.

Sonic Free Riders would have been a decent, if not exciting, racing title for the Kinect had it not been plagued by a bad turning system.

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.

Conan is an average action game that seemed content to borrow from other titles without really taking full advantage of its source material. If it's a thirst for blood you have, though, this title will definitely quench it.

Overall Ghostbusters in its DS incarnation is more of a collector's item than a lasting entertainment.

The lack of execution makes this a title to avoid.

Weakless is a good idea that hasn't been fully realized. The idea of different game perspectives is well thought-out, but everything else is content to be mediocre. From the puzzles to the stages to the story, everything feels familiar and disposable, with no one element to make up for another's shortcomings. It isn't a terrible title if you can overlook some of the bugs, but Weakless is certainly a title that would be better suited for a subscription service as opposed to full ownership.

As stated earlier, MotionSports: Play For Real is more of a complementary title to Kinect Sports than a competitive one.

The PSP version is a definite second stringer. Again, it seems aimed at players so obsessed with the game that they also need a portable fix, because it is not nearly the complete product its bigger brothers are.

PlayStation Move owners can safely skip Brunswick Pro Bowling. It's a pretty uninspired take on the sport and lacks any real personality or options.

WarDogs: Red's Return is enjoyable but messy. The fighting is fine, but the little things, like the delayed indication that an enemy has died, the unnecessary slow-motion sequences, and the instances of getting stuck in a juggle combo make it feel unpolished. The upgrade system would be fine if it worked, while the short campaign and lack of modes make WarDogs a disposable title that's good for an afternoon. Thanks to the price, WarDogs is still worth checking out if you want to build up the list of games that you've completed over your lifetime.

Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is a fairly mediocre beat-'em-up made special only by the source material from which it drew its inspiration. Playing as Nite Owl and Rorschach is faintly amusing, and the in-jokes, references and cameos are certain to appeal to Watchmen fans, but that is about the extent of its potential.

The Godfather II is an offer that you probably should refuse.

All in all, Accel World vs. Sword Art Online is a decent game comprised of both good and bad elements. The combat is fun and engaging when the camera doesn't battle you, but some enemies don't seem to have any fighting spirit. On the other hand, boss battles feel epic and test your preparation and patience, and multiplayer is a nice addition that offers a chance to battle friends or strangers. Players who can get past the empty-feeling world and underachieving story will find enjoyment in this title.

With a fairly decent presentation, it makes for a fun party game if you're up for something a bit more violent. However, with the current price point of $50, it is impossible to recommend the title unless you need to have every game for the new system. The best thing to do is to wait for a severe price drop on what should've been a breakout title for the eShop.

You know it's a bad sign for a game when you enjoy the name generator and meditation mode more than any of the actual gameplay.

A valiant attempt at fan service, but it focuses so much on capturing and reproducing the essence of the show that it forgot that it also had to be a decent game.

Super Snow Fight is a fun but shallow experience.

Although Space Station Sim offers up a unique experience and is the only game that gives you the opportunity to actually manage a space station and the astronauts who inhabit it, it doesn't offer the sort of excitement and intensity you'd expect.

There are so many things going for Armed Assault: Combat Operations (ArmA) in terms of presentation, concept and effort. Unfortunately, it slips up in so many ways that affect the gameplay to a serious degree that it turns what could have been a great military combat simulator into a test of patience.

In a strange way, Spy Kids: All the Time in the World seems like a game that would have been more acceptable several generations ago. The platforming mechanics may have been passable during the NES or early SNES era, but now it feels artificially difficult because of finicky controls and game rules. The level design also seems too punishing, and the enemies are never very exciting to fight, bosses included. It's too bad because the game looks good and comes in at a decent gameplay length. If you or the person for whom you're buying this was a big fan of the latest film, it can be a decent purchase. Just be forewarned that unless he or she enjoys being challenged by a game, you can expect this game to be played a few times before it's shelved in frustration.

When all is said and done, Microsoft Flight Simulator in its current state reminds me a lot of Sea of Thieves shortly after launch. The game has a lot of promise and a lot of potential, but it is marred by a number of issues that keep it from really shining. Once the issues have been worked out in six months or a year from now, I fully expect Microsoft Flight Simulator to be a must-have title. Right now, unless you are a hardcore flight sim fanatic, I would pass on buying the premium version and just stick to playing the basic version that's included with GamePass.

Spectrobes seems to fall short because of its monotonous method of collecting and the poorly designed battle system.

For an exercise game, Viro Move does a pretty good job of making you sweat. All of the modes feel like they're cribbing from bigger rhythm games, but the use of space makes it more appealing to those who don't want to remain stationary. However, the few songs wear out their welcome faster than expected, and the constant need for an online connection has already been problematic for those who just want a workout instead of competing on leaderboards. Overall, it's fine, but you can't escape the feeling that other exercise games execute the idea much better.

Just another Yu-Gi-Oh! Game. For fans, that might mean something. The rest of us should give these games a pass.

While it was definitely on the right track to restoring the brand to its former video game glory, the surprisingly boring and simplistic gameplay absolutely kills it.

Overall, National Geographic Panda is interesting in the sense that it educates people about pandas in an interactive form, but it's by no means an entertaining game.

If you don't mind the quirks and rough attempts at humor, then you may enjoy The Witch and the Hundred Knight.

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.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 3 has the potential to be a solid B-tier title. Most of the good trappings of open-world games are here, and the sniping mechanics are as solid as ever. The missions provide some great variety since you can take different approaches, and the crafting and different weapons are nice to have, even if you never use more than your default set. However, the presentation isn't up to par. Some of the mechanics are finicky, like shooting and tagging, and the AI can waffle between being superhuman and dim. More importantly, the load times immediately sap any fun that could be had from the title. A few of these things can be fixed with a patch, but until they're addressed, it's best to approach GW3 on consoles with caution.

WRC 6 isn't all that bad. It's up to you to learn how to drive the rally way, as the game fails to help you out in that regard, but everything feels fine once you master it. The career mode is lengthy, and the number of available tracks and the various multiplayer options give you plenty of ways to extend the experience long after the career is finished. However, the bad co-driver system makes things unintentionally harder, and the presentation lacks some real polish. It certainly isn't the best rally racer out there, but it does well in a pinch, especially if you've already worn out Dirt Rally and are trying to satisfy your craving until Dirt 4 hits.

James Bond 007: Blood Stone isn't really a bad game. It's just a five-hour, heavily scripted game that's far too easy and short on genuine thrills.

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.

At half the asking price, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure would be a worthwhile impulse purchase, as the game itself still offers some intriguing gameplay. But a bare-bones release with a premium cost is difficult to justify for all but the most ardent of fans. You're better off buying a used Dreamcast or PSone copy and firing up the old console for a trip down memory lane.

While the game has tons of personality with an interesting concept, a fun challenge in some areas, and even a New Game+ feature that adds new surprises, it's ultimately a Frankenstein's monster of other games cut together. If leaving players lost and confused in Hell is Infernium's goal, then it has succeeded.

While the title has made great strides in improving the overall look of the players and fields, the actual gameplay has already grown incredibly bland and repetitive.

While it is honorable that it at least attempts to make an interesting piece of a game, with platforming and racing mixed together and a nifty clashing element thrown in, the core gameplay just isn't strong enough to really make this terribly memorable.

Despite the mind-numbingly simple gameplay and non-existent difficulty, fans of the show will enjoy blasting ghosts and specters for the three to five hours it takes to complete the title.

LEGO Indiana Jones 2: The Adventure Continues falls short because not only is it a game that no one asked for, but it's also a game that's mostly already been done.

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.

Nagging issues, such as strum recognition and the fact that the guitar grip has a tendency to become unplugged, haven't been addressed, meaning that not a single problem brought up from the original game has been fixed.

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.

EyePet & Friends could have been a cute game for kids who want to play with a virtual and exotic pet.

A very underwhelming port of the original PC title. The game would've been fine on its own, but it's plagued by sluggish controls, a broken touch interface, and multiple omissions from the original game that would only disappoint fans.

Alas, there's nothing to recommend Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires. DW9 is probably one of the lower points of the franchise, and what Empires does to improve on it is fairly minimal. There's absolutely no reason to buy it over the bucketload of better Warriors titles available on the PS5. Even if you're looking for something in the same setting, there are plenty of other Dynasty Warriors options. The most positive thing I can say is that it's a better game than the original, but it's an easy one to skip with so many other titles available.

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch is fine. The combat is good, especially after the week's worth of patches that have fixed things, like missing invincibility frames and toned down the strength of the enemy hits. The game clocks in at a decent length, and the difficulty is fine if you're OK with only having one life per character and fairly long levels with no checkpoints. There's just nothing that elevates the title into being more than a game you play once. Fans of the duo might dig it, but genre fans will find this to be a filler game that briefly satisfies a craving before moving on to more substantial fare.

Idea is a game that'll only appeal to a niche audience. Those looking for any sort of exciting adventure or meaningful ending won't find it here, especially since the game's own idea messaging system is filled with random characters instead of something meaningful. The game is a nice distraction, as it can be relaxing to see where the ball ends up if given a little push. It's neat, but don't expect anything profound.

What ultimately dooms Hyperballoid HD to relative obscurity is the fact that it doesn't do anything to stand apart from the crowd.

In fact, if you have an Xbox and the money for this, I highly recommend using it to purchase "Kung Fu Chaos" instead, which adopts Melee's fighting system, but adds purpose and several gallons of hilarity to the mix... and is cheaper to boot.

On the one hand, getting Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol on a modern platform is great, especially on the Switch, where docked and portable play has always served as the system's strength. The former is still a classic title that holds up well even if the difficulty can scare people away, while the latter is good but not as ambitious or polished as its predecessor. On the other hand, the inability to disable bezels is a shame, but the unclear save system and the unnecessary control changes ruin things for new and old players alike. This isn't the ideal way to play any of these games, but it works when no other options are available.

At the end of the day, The Outer Worlds succeeds in being a story-driven RPG that offers a lot of freedom for you to experience and play the game as you see fit. It doesn't look particularly good or run incredibly well. I don't want to downplay the importance of the story and quests, but The Outer Worlds feels like either a calculated cash grab or a team obsessed with making a game run on an inferior system for the sake of it, rather than trying to find a new player base. It's all here and playable, but play it anywhere else if you can because the trade-offs are larger than the benefits of playing it on a portable format.

Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is a fairly mediocre beat-'em-up made special only by the source material from which it drew its inspiration.

Not only does it use the likes of Baywatch, Bill & Ted, and Fraggle Rock to grab the attention of potential players, but also tops it off as a speedy homage to a classic Atari game. As far as planning goes, it's intriguing. It's fun to throw VHS tapes and jump over the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, but the presentation and design don't hold up. With a single level that becomes repetitive after a few hours, gameplay changes that are prohibitive or distracting, and the overall feel of an app game on a console, the quality of The VideoKid is slightly above average. It doesn't feel like a game I'd boot up my console to play, but it feels like something I'd play while another title is downloading.

As a complete package, Medal of Honor: Warfighter is disappointing when you consider the amount of hype surrounding it.

Somerville is a game where both the new and old ideas don't work in the game's favor. The platforming is nonexistent, while the puzzles are hampered by either a lack of creativity, an uncooperative physics system, or a combination of both. The use of 3D produces situations where your objectives can become obscured due to the camera angle and distance. The shock and awe one would expect from the game's pedigree is greatly dampened, and the wordless story doesn't do much to carry a narrative that seems pedestrian and doesn't care about its characters. Some will still find fun in the various situations, and the runtime is brisk enough if everything works in your favor. If you are still interested in Somerville, wait for a sale before checking it out.

While there's nothing blatantly wrong with South Park: Tenorman's Revenge, there's not much right with it, either.

By holding back Ys I & II Chronicles from release until now, Xseed has caused the series to go out with a whimper, leaving Western gamers getting their first shot at Ys with a sour taste in their mouths.

The experience would be improved if you did not have to take care of your fellow castaway or if the statistics didn't decrease quite so rapidly. In the time it takes you to explore a bit of the island and get to where you were the last time, you have to double back due to thirst and fatigue.

After a few price drops and/or patches, it might be worth a look, even for people who haven't been fans of WWE since it was the World Wrestling Federation. We're hopeful that next year's attempt will be much closer in quality to Legends of Wrestlemania.

If you love turn-based card games, board games, or have played the real-life equivalent of Ticket To Ride, it'll be an easy choice.

As it stands, Disney's The Princess and The Frog is an adventure that's better left on the big screen.

Even with the low 400 Microsoft points ($5) price tag, it's difficult to recommend Red Bull Crashed Ice Kinect to anyone looking for more than an hour or two of entertainment.

It just gets kind of boring watching the fights instead of participating in them.

Shadwen is the kind of game that has the recipe to succeed. The use of time manipulation in a stealth game may make this a title that's intended for those just coming into the genre, but the approach is interesting enough to warrant a look. Bland level design and presentation along with a poor AI system for the guards makes the experience too rudimentary, and the lack of enemy variety can make things feel repetitive rather quickly. Ultimately, Shadwen has potential — but not in this incarnation.

With more polish and a wider variety of mini-games, One Piece would make an excellent addition to any party. Unfortunately, it falls just too short of its mark to appeal to any but the most die-hard of One Piece fans.

Harvest Moon: Island of Happiness has a lot of potential to be good, if you are willing to put in the time to have it pay off.

At the current price point of $9.99 on the PC, the title is difficult to recommend if you don't have access to a PC gamepad. However, if the price drops and you have a few bucks to spare, Death Rally may be worth the hassle.

G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra is a fun game, but it is also flawed in several different ways. The differences in characters provide some incentive to try out everyone, but the combat is plagued with issues in every category. The unlockables are fun, but you have to be able to stomach the grinding needed to unlock everything. The levels are nice but feel like they go on forever; the presentation is good if you can ignore some of the audio issues. Depending on the price, Wrath of Cobra might still be worth checking out for big G.I. Joe fans, but it also could've been so much better.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole on the Switch is a flawed game with bugs, small performance issues, and long loading times. While the game is a fun but weaker successor to The Stick of Truth, it doesn't look great in its current state. Even with its flaws, it's still an enjoyable journey, but it's not worth the high price tag until most of the performance issues are addressed in an upcoming patch.

In a day and age where Capcom and Midway (and to a lesser extent, Sega) are putting actual work into their retro game compilations, adding content that is fresh and interesting, and selling it all at an affordable price, Namco Museum 50th Anniversary comes off as nothing more than a cheap (no pun intended) joke. To top it off, half of the games aren’t even playable.

Die-hard Neopets fans will fight through all of this just so they can get the codes for their Web site accounts. All others should either pick up Puzzle Quest or wait for the inevitable sequel instead of putting up with this somewhat-unpolished product.

Dark Sector isn't a terrible game. It's just a game that is built around one great idea and surrounded by mediocrity.

This story, theme and gameplay of Lost Planet basically boil down to "Starship Troopers" + Armored Core – Fun = Lost Planet.

Naruto Shippuden: Shinobi Rumble is an example that changing a working formula can sometimes be a bad thing.

Though the game is gussied up with smooth visuals (and again, the Pussycat Dolls), the incredible ease of each and every event ultimately renders the game worthless for most seasoned gamers.

There's a good chance that you'll have a love/hate relationship with CastleStorm II. The combat remains as fun as ever, but the strategic elements feel like an unnecessary add-on. The hampering of Luna's chapter also feels cruel, and the pacing of the game feels slow, especially with so many loading screens bookending each screen. There's still some fun to be had, but if you haven't already, you're better off playing the first game.

Better than a fair amount of licensed games out there, Over the Hedge still falls a bit short of what can be considered a good game.

Collision detection problems and sloppy mechanics plague this otherwise fun title, and multiplayer is really the best aspect of the game.

The concept is solid, even if the characters can't deliver the tale appropriately. The sneaking and quick item construction elements slightly make up for a weak combat system that makes killing Wanderers a chore. The base-building and crafting is fine, but the other survival elements are overdone to the point of tedium. It isn't a great survival game, and it's not something that Metal Gear fans would flock to, making it a title that can be best described as niche.

Your enjoyment of Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop is going to heavily depend on a number of factors. The recipes are vast, even if the minigame mechanics are simple, and the other minigame options are enough to keep you busy for some time. The lack of difficulty can make the title feel tedious for series veterans, while the shop feature is too undercooked to eke out any fun. As a title for casual gamers or those just starting out, Sweet Shop is fine. Everyone else should wait for it to go on sale.

The whole station is one excruciating maze! Figuring out how to move from one position to the next is such an arduous task. Even though you may have the map, it doesn't reveal the secret passages that you need to "blowout" before you can move on.

You have to be willing to forgive quite a bit to enjoy Crysis Remastered. Questionable enemy AI is bad enough, but a reduction in content is baffling, and the effort feels incomplete because of it. The extra lighting is nice, but the spotty performance is the real sore spot, as it ensures that a polished and well-performing version of the game is simply unattainable. Unless you have issues trying to run the original on your system or absolutely need controller support, you're probably better off skipping this until a better, proper remaster comes along.

The concept remains solid with an adventure mode that's endearing if you like silly stories and can overcome holes in the narrative logic. The modes really play around with the formulas of both games well, and the amount of content can keep a puzzle fan busy for quite some time. The lack of an upgrade path for existing owners and the marginal improvements for the Switch 2-exclusive version make it difficult to recommend a double-dip. If you never bought the game before and don't mind sticking with offline play, then you'll have a good time with this title and can give this a higher score. For everyone else, you can safely steer clear from this version.

Despite doing a number of things right, 1954: Alcatraz doesn't feel special.

Space Hulk: Deathwing can't seem to win on either front. As a solo experience, the gameplay is mediocre, the AI is rather inconsistent, and the objectives lack imagination. As a multiplayer game, it is pretty much dead. There's stuff in here for a dedicated Warhammer 40,000 fan to be excited about, especially how the game looks, but it certainly isn't the best outing for the license.

In the end, No Time to Explain is hurt by inconsistency.

There's nothing in particular to recommend Brave: A Warrior's Tale beyond the budget price and vaguely interesting mythology.

While the title has made great strides in improving the overall look of the players and fields, the actual gameplay has already grown incredibly bland and repetitive.

SoulCalibur V, in its current state, only possibly succeeds as a fighting game (admittedly, this goes a very long way), yet already fails as a product. This is the worst scenario for an entry in this series. In one fell swoop, it's cut off most of the gateways people used to become fans of the series in the first place and provides a harsh climate to even the hardcore, who are now the only audience for this game, and that's a downright shame. There's still quality here, but it takes a lot of perseverance to find it.

Much like the internal woes that befell titles such as Duke Nukem Forever, it is unknown if Homefront: The Revolution would have benefitted from some stability behind the scenes. What is known is that the result is a title with some potential that was never fully realized for one reason or another.

Anyone who likes simple simulation games, is a fan of the "Hell's Kitchen" television show, or was a die-hard Root Beer Tapper fiend will find that the Hell's Kitchen game is definitely worth a play.

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.

There is some redeeming value and fun to be found in this cartridge, but it could've been so much better had they really taken the time to get the interface right and improve the graphics a whole lot. As it stands now it's a slightly below average PC strategy game that's been hacked up and stuck on the Nintendo DS.

Watchmen: The End Is Nigh is a fairly mediocre beat-'em-up made special only by the source material from which it drew its inspiration. Playing as Nite Owl and Rorschach is faintly amusing, and the in-jokes, references and cameos are certain to appeal to Watchmen fans, but that is about the extent of its potential.

The biggest draw is the Nerf gun that comes packaged with it, but surely you can find a nice Nerf gun for the $60 that this game is going to cost you. I'd advise parents and gamers to avoid this one, as you could spend your money on far better Nerf products than this amalgamation.