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.