Destructoid

SOL: Exodus is being sold for a paltry $9.99 on Steam, before sales. It's a superlative amount of content and refinement compared to many so-called "triple-A" productions that sell for six times that amount. Anyone looking for a good space dogfight should feel obliged to give it a try. It's even got a demo!

As deep and complex as its predecessor, but more accessible. It also manages to avoid some of the stability and bug issues that Paradox titles are known for. This is easily the most polished and bug free of all their titles to date, apart from the occasional placeholder text that crops up. The folks over at Paradox have out done themselves and set the bar extremely high. If you are looking for a new strategy game to sink an insane amount of time into, then look no further.

As much as Warp's presentation gives you the illusion that you are playing a charming game full of personality, a lot of the initial goodwill and attachment to the cute critter protagonist is slowly eroded by your actions and the problematic controls. In the end, all that is left at your disposal is a virtual representation of your imminent failure and repetitive demise.

The gameplay is functional without being exceptional, and the focus is placed entirely on personalization at a price -- be it time or money. The limited range of maps, game modes and weapons seems to indicate that a whole slew of premium DLC will soon be arriving as well. It's unquestionably clear that Monolith and Warner Bros. conspired to make a Batman-flavored Farmville, but console restrictions on such a business model prevented them from going all the way.

If you ever find Michael Jackson: The Experience at a fraction of the asking price, I'd definitely recommend picking it up. It's not an astounding game, but it's a decent distraction that can soak up an hour of two of your time. This is certainly not something you'll need at launch, however, so keep it on standby until you can secure a much better deal than Ubisoft is offering out of the gate.

All in all, Shank 2 can be summed up as "fine." It isn't going to revolutionize brawlers or bring anything truly unique to the table, but it isn't a bad game either. Some of the strongest points also seem to be the weakest, but there are some places where they get done right.

It's nice to see that Namco Bandai has breathed a bit of life back into the Katamari franchise. Touch My Katamari looks and plays better than ever, has a hilarious new story, and new touchscreen controls give players additional ways to roll their own, but that all doesn't change the fact that this is basically the same game we've played so many times already.

It may not be the best-looking game in the Vita's launch line-up -- and it's definitely lacking in the variety department -- but the frantic gameplay and the insane death metal soundtrack help take the sting off. Go ahead, go to Hell.

It's a shame about the lack of multiplayer, but Rayman Origins is still 2D platforming at this console generation's finest. This is a huge, deep, challenging, artfully crafted masterpiece that is now portable, which opens the door for even more gamers to get lost in its goofy and delightful world. If you've somehow missed Rayman Origins in last year's crowded holiday release season, and you plan on getting a PlayStation Vita, make sure you include this in your launch day purchases. This game is too lovely to be missed.

The way I see it, everyone already loves Lumines, so this review serves no one, especially when you consider that Electronic Symphony is the best one yet with its gorgeous high-resolution visuals, rocking soundtrack, new gameplay mechanics, and awesome connectivity features. No Vita should be sold without a copy of this game.