Try as I might, I can't think of anything that Bionic Commando offers that one would expect from a modern full-priced game.

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