Even though some features were missing from Max Payne 2, the audio attribute of the game is superb.

It lacks the character of the previous versions. Its stripped down war engine and laser-like focus on battles ends up preventing it from being a classic.

Does exactly what it sets out to do and no more by laying down a passable combat engine and little else. In a way it's almost refreshingly straightforward.

While Gigantic Army feels like it's aiming for those who crave nostalgia, it comes with just enough material to make it stand out.

If you didn't like Rise of the Tomb Raider, the Baba Yaga DLC isn't going to change your mind, but fans of the base game will find plenty to love here.

Pato Box is a flawed experience but still fun. If you can live with the sometimes-uneven presentation, then the adventure segments will prove to be an exercise in tedium, especially with the small roster of enemies to fight. Then again, those fights bring back so many memories of the games it tries to emulate that you'll be willing to put up with walking around and doing odd jobs in between. Pato Box isn't exactly the spiritual successor to arcade boxing that many were hoping for, but it's worth a look.

Enjoy Kosmokrats in short bursts and avoid frustrating yourself into burning up in orbit, and you'll be fine. The puzzles are fun for a while, and the silly Russian accents and exemplary voice acting is cute. Quit before you get frustrated and start to rush and fail. That's your cue! Come back later, potato peeler pilot. If you do come back, there are higher difficulties to unlock, should you become a drone pilot pro. Until then, das vedanya, peeler, and may you gently nudge together your Space Force pieces with finesse and not punt them all over the solar system.

At the very least, Habroxia 2 is a very solid shoot-'em-up thanks to the number of elements that it manages to mash together quite well. The merger of bullet hell and twin-stick shooter in this kind of environment feels distinct, and there's some good depth to the shooting mechanics due to the options at your disposal. The branching pathways give the campaign some legs, since you have some incentive to uncover all of the pathways, and the new modes feel like more significant reasons to keep playing after the campaign is done. For shooter fans, Habroxia 2 is a great game to play and a good turnaround from the team's first efforts.

In the end, GigaBash is a game that's loads of fun if you're playing with local friends. Even if you don't partake in the minigames, the combat is deeper than expected in a fighting game like this, so you'll spend more than a few rounds playing with others. It doesn't have much going for it if you choose to play solo or are trying to get online, but as long as you have a group ready for a get-together, GigaBash fits perfectly in a party-style rotation.

Excite Truck may underwhelm with its audio/visual presentation, but it has gameplay in droves. The high-speed acrobatics that would have had you pumping quarters into an arcade machine five years ago have been fine-tuned to create a console game that will keep you coming back for more.

H.A.W.X. is a nice, action-packed distraction with some promise, but if you're squeezed on cash and are still waiting on the next Crimson Skies or Ace Combat, you might want to sign on as a pilot-for-rent instead.

Crimson Alliance is a simple but entertaining and deceptively addictive hack-and-slash title. It's very light on the RPG elements but makes up for it with a very satisfying combat system.

For those seeking good online play on the PlayStation 2, Combined Assault is the best there is, for better or worse. Anyone seeking a strong single-player game is strongly advised to look elsewhere.

An above average shooter with some fright tossed into the mix.

That basically sums up The Dark Pictures: Episode 3 - House of Ashes. It's a cheesy action-horror movie, except you can help characters survive (or die) with your button presses. It's not my favorite of the lot, but I was relatively engaged. It's an enjoyable enough B movie and feels like it would thrive the best as a multiplayer party game. If you've enjoyed the rest of the franchise so far, you'll enjoy House of Ashes because aside from some quality of life changes, it's largely in the same mold.

Rock of Ages is the rare game that manages to stand completely on its own and also deliver a memorable experience.

In the end, Styx: Shards of Darkness is a solid stealth title. The lack of real combat puts your ability to go undetected to the test, and the breadth of each level means that your solutions to each problem are wide open, giving you some flexibility to your approach. While your abilities are fun to use, it would've been nice to see them make a difference, especially since the game reuses some environments instead of going for new ones. Shards of Darkness is an improvement over the first game, and it's worth checking out if you're a stealth fan.

Haven is a cute and enjoyable mix of light survival, light RPG, and serious romance novel. It's exactly the kind of game to play if you want to relax for a few hours and see adorable people being adorable. The surprisingly enjoyable RPG combat and gentle survival mechanics make the game feel more like a game, while at heart it is closer to a visual novel. If you like warm and fuzzy feelings, Haven is a great choice, as long as you don't mind the occasional risqué dialogue.

It’s sort of like saying you loved a really bad movie (like "Plan 9 From Outer Space") or saying you really hated a great movie (like "Gone With The Wind").

My personal opinions about the overproduction of WW2 titles aside, Brothers in Arms DS is utterly playable and an incredibly ambitious graphical step for the DS. It's slick, action-packed and surprisingly atmospheric for such a small screen, although its problems are very noticeable, and getting shot through supposed "cover" can get extremely irritating.

If you’re happy to ignore its single-player mode, Evil Dead: The Game is a well-balanced and fun asymmetric horror title that stands above all other games in this growing sub-genre.

The game's narrative is told by way of full-motion video news clips (with a genuine news anchor - none of these are rendered or anything) that look incredibly authentic, yet are cheesy at the same time.

European Assault will not take you by the hand and lead you to the finish. You'll have to fight for every inch of ground that you gain, and you'll meet your untimely demise more than a few times. Along the way, you'll experience a gritty, raw, and realistic combat experience that will give you a greater appreciation for what veterans of World War II went through.

In Lamplight City, you aren't led around from room to room, clickity-clicking your way to success. For the most part, logic and reason are at play. Brush up on those skills, and you will find your way. Take your time, enjoy the well-themed music and ambiance, enjoy the story, solve the crimes, and for goodness' sake, listen to Bill.

There's a good golf game hiding in EA Sports PGA Tour. The litany of courses is enough to entice fans of the sport, while the roster of pro golfers is amplified by a presentation that looks gorgeous even if the TV-style broadcast feels excessive. However, the imprecise controls make one hope that the upcoming three-click system will make the gameplay more palatable, since everything else related to the actual sport does a great job of trying to help you understand how to perfect shots. Although PGA Tour 2K23 is the better golf game this time around, there is a good base to work with here. Hopefully EA's future iteration can fix the issues to make this a contender for best pro golf simulation on the PC.

Invincible Vs. ends up being a very solid 3v3 tag team fighting game. The fighting system is familiar but solid, and even though it doesn't offer anything revolutionary over other tag fighters, its accessibility ensures that players of all skill levels will immediately be able to have fun. The mode selection is small but provides a good amount of entertainment thanks to the brutality of each fight and the number of unlockables. With a solid presentation behind it, Invincible Vs. is a very enjoyable fighting game for fans of the show and genre alike.

The "use anything, make anything" mechanics that have made zombie-smashing so fun are still intact, and some changes only amplify the experience when dealing with the expansive world. While the story is good on its own, Frank's presence provides a nice balance between silly and serious, and the multiplayer also finds a sweet spot. The title has some issues, but they aren't enough to dampen the sheer fun this game provides.

The game especially shines when competing head-to-head with friends in ad-hoc mode. On the down side, it loses a great deal of depth with its poor outfield control.