Game Reviews

While the story doesn't always hit as hard as its predecessor, there are plenty of great gameplay changes that make BioShock 2 a worthwhile experience.

Grasshopper Manufacture punches you square in the nose with this double-live gonzo action sequel that's leaner, faster, and--in a feat that borders on the impossible--crazier than the original No More Heroes.

MAG doesn't always take direct advantage of its huge player count, but the base action is sharp enough to make it all work.

BioWare's big new sci-fi sequel presents a more seamless blend of action and role-playing that bests its predecessor in every conceivable way.

You'll be hard-pressed to find a purer, more panic-inducing FPS experience than Serious Sam.

Dark Void lays down a great foundation with its solid premise and characters, but the action is grounded by a handful of technical issues.

Trajectile's uniquely angular puzzle-solving is fun, but a little too rigid for its own good.

The 40th Day streamlines in spots, but it ends up feeling like a very straightforward and somewhat bland shooter.

Darksiders pulls together concepts from a ton of different games, but the way it pieces these things together manages to feel exciting.

Much of the potential of Bayonetta--potential that's realized on the Xbox 360--is lost to technical issues on the PS3.

There's an intensity and a lack of compromise to Bayonetta that some might find overwhelming, but those who can stomach it are in for an audacious and singular experience.

The Underdome's disappointing challenges steer clear of everything that made Borderlands fun in the first place.

A laundry list of risky changes pays off in this great new beginning for the Silent Hill series.

PixelJunk Shooter's considerable charm and clever mechanics make it stand out, but it ends without fully realizing its potential.

Playing this mediocre tie-in shooter might make you want to skip James Cameron's latest movie completely.

QIX++ is a lifeless remake that isn't good enough to attract new players or satisfy old ones.

Pandemic brings some pulpy flavor to this open-world WWII game, but its stylish charm doesn't quite overcome the rough edges or the sense that its best tricks are borrowed from other, better games.

Spirit Tracks is filled with good moments that tweak the series' standards in interesting ways.

Rogue Warrior is probably the most foul-mouthed game of all time, but that's not enough to distract you from the poor shooting and sometimes-ugly visuals.

It won't offer any additional opportunities to build your character, but if you're looking for new places to visit on Pandora, Zombie Island is a fun new twist for Borderlands.

Braid asks that you forget everything you know about time.

Darkside Chronicles is a fine fit for those enamored with the fiction of the Resident Evil series. It's competent enough as a guided shooter, even if it doesn't do much to improve on the hoary old format.

Thanks to the high-res treatment and bloodily timeless gameplay, these PS2 action classics hold up better than you might think.

Tony Hawk: RIDE's shoddy hardware and ill-conceived software merge to form something completely abysmal.

Quiz World has some rough spots, but if you've got a group of trivia fiends in your home, Buzz! has your back.

If more Left 4 Dead is what you're after, this sequel has it. A lot of it.

Assassin's Creed II elaborates on the good ideas of its sneak-and-stab forebear, making an experience that requires far fewer excuses to enjoy.

While technically accurate, the "New" in New Super Mario Bros. Wii is surrounded by all of the classic 2D platforming mechanics from Mario's past, making it more of a nostalgic product than something truly new. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

LEGO Rock Band's charming premise crumbles under the weight of a scattered track list and a clumsy execution that doesn't do justice to either LEGOs or Rock Band.

Chinatown Wars doesn't attempt to fully duplicate the console GTA experience, and the end result is a much better game than what PSP owners have received in the past.

To outsiders, the changes in Modern Warfare 2 might sound minor. But if you've played a significant amount of Call of Duty 4, they range from "neat idea" to "totally mindblowing."

The Rabbids get a fresh lease on life by abandoning the minigame format that they're known for in favor of a single-player experience that still capitalizes on both their oddball charm and the unique capacities of the Wii.

It's Guitar Hero 5 with different graphics and a more diverse setlist. If you like these 65 songs, you should probably get Band Hero.

Runic's Diablo-like debut drills straight down to the core of what makes a great dungeon-crawling loot grind.

Tekken 6 is a great fighting game, but it's bogged down by a lot of extraneous baggage.

Without strong characters or story to rely on, The Ballad of Gay Tony highlights the ways in which open-world games have been refined and improved since the original release of Grand Theft Auto IV.

Even the most nostalgic Infinity Engine stalwarts will find a lot to love in this story-heavy RPG.

The third installment in the Mario brothers' handheld RPG series is the funniest and most engaging one yet.

DJ Hero's gameplay is challenging and exciting with a feel all its own, making it a welcome addition to the world of peripheral-based rhythm games.

The gameplay is pretty clunky, but everything else surrounding it makes WWE SmackDown! vs. RAW 2010 a really interesting package for wrestling fans.

Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time manages to play to its strengths while adding enough to make this the best in the series.

A Boy and His Blob is a charming all-ages affair that one-ups the game it's based on in virtually every conceivable way.

Borderlands' blend of first-person shooting and role-playing works because it puts the shooting first, resulting in a satisfying action game with enough depth and skill development to keep you hooked for 50 hours or more.

Almost in spite of itself, this is both a solid tower defense game and a good piece of fan service for South Park fans.

Whether you're on the track racing or off the track tuning and designing cars, Forza Motorsport 3 is incredible.

The heavy metal fantasy world of Brutal Legend and the characters that populate it are far more well-realized and engaging than the ambitious-but-flawed gameplay.

Nathan Drake's latest outing is one of the most exciting and memorable action games in years, and one you need to play for yourself.

With an excellent visual style and middling gameplay, Lucidity tries hard to be more than average.

Saw captures the rusty, sadistic aesthetic of the films well enough, though like the series, the longer it goes on, the less interesting it is.

Katamari Forever doesn't change much about this quirky, long-running series, and you know what? That's totally OK.