IGN

The Ico & Shadow of the Colossus Collection reminds me that video games can match the evocative and thrilling qualities of any other creative medium. While Ico's gameplay mechanics show their age and Shadow of the Colossus didn't quite take me to the same place it took me more than five years ago, this collection astounds.

The ironic thing about Rise of Nightmares is that the control scheme is so basic it comes off feeling like a game for kids, when it tries so damn hard not to be. Even if you like the novelty of chopping off undead heads longer than I did, a bad horror game is a bad horror game. And Rise of Nightmares is a monster.

If more Disgaea sounds like a good time to you, dig in. That also means it will still be too daunting and arduous for many people. This is a game for those who like taking their time and being methodical. If you've got the patience, there are hundreds of hours of brilliant strategy gameplay waiting inside Disgaea 4.

Resistance 3 offers the same polished experience as the last two games in the series, only this time the action is more focused and tightly structured. Insomniac clearly wanted to make this game a more harrowing and personal experience, and by focusing its attention on a smaller, more personal story within the invasion, it has succeeded without question.

Dead Island probably won't win any game of the year awards. It's got visual bugs, the controls take a bit to feel normal, and the presentation in general isn't up to snuff. But the game gets a lot right. There is a huge world to explore, thousands of zombies to kill, and tons of side quests to take.

This impressive remake of Star Fox 64 manages to improve upon the original without compromising the magic that made it so memorable to begin with. It's too bad the multiplayer doesn't support online, because otherwise it's the perfect remake of this classic title.

The real appeal of the Arcade Kollection is online play, but unfortunately the game stumbles in that department. All three games suffer from lag of various degrees. At times it was passable, but during some matches the lag got so serious that it made playing nearly impossible.

Halfbrick is one of only a handful of developers that seem to impress with every release on the App Store, and Jetpack Joyride is no exception. Is it yet another endless survival game on the App Store? Sure. But it's one that's brimming with personality, challenge, and a machine gun that you wear on your back to fly. If that doesn't say second amendment, I don't know what does.

Bodycount benefits from a solid core, and plenty of moments entertained me throughout the campaign, including some of the more intense gunfights. But the disconnect between Bodycount's chaotic visual spectacle and its precise scoring system drive a large divide between how you want to play and how Bodycount expects you to play.

Driver: San Francisco has one game-changing, eyebrow-raising idea and it pulls it off with aplomb, infusing the OTT arcade racing with unparalleled variety and a ridiculous supernatural twist whilst staying true to its Seventies chase-movie roots. It looks great, it’s got a lot of personality, it tells an entertaining story and it’s great fun to play. A few frustrating difficulty spikes and the story’s rather premature ending are the only negatives.