IGN

That’s the rub though. Underworld does practically nothing with its aging formula beyond offering an aesthetic overhaul and streamlined, sleeker control scheme. The thing is, those glorious vistas, hugely atmospheric new tombs and fluid platform mechanics expand the core essence of the Tomb Raider experience in such a way that, yes, it feels fresh and new.

The gameplay has been reduced from a tense psychological experience fraught with spine tingling jumps and scares to a generic, predictable action title set in the location with good graphics and a great soundtrack. If Alex had been limited in some way, or even if there was an adjustment to the fearful aspect to the title, this could've been a solid game. Even worse for the PC is the fact that it came out more than a month after the console version, and the visual and control issues are inexcusable.

Need for Speed Undercover is a poor game with a ton of problems, both technically and in terms of design. The open world design is completely lost as you can't actually drive to any event, many races are closed off which means no cross traffic, and it's incredibly easy. The presentation could have been good but winds up feeling totally contrived and confusing at times.

Let's not worry about that now, though. What we've got for at least the next few weeks is one of the finest zombie games ever made, and one of the finest co-op games ever made. The potential for everything to go so, so wrong without warning, or conversely to pull off the most spectacular escapes against all odds, means this is an online shooter you can tell your finest anecdotes about without boring everyone else to tears. Everyone loves a zombie movie, after all. Hooray, then, for Left 8 Dead.

Aside from some bad quests, The Broken Bond is a great game. I'm not a huge Naruto fan, but I couldn't help but be drawn in by the story. And the end set of missions -- which can take well over an hour to complete -- are thrilling. A fun online brawler is just more reason to keep playing Broken Bond after you've beaten the main mode.

The WWII setting compounds the wearying feeling of over-familiarity, but the solid engine that powers the game ensures that it's often the most spectacular take on the conflict yet, and one that's certainly the most exhilarating. Whether multiplayer offers enough to wrest people away from Modern Warfare boils down to a matter of taste, but anyone who's tempted to return to the Second World War will be met with a solid package but one that's short on surprises.

Casual players will punch through the storyline before burning out after getting stumped by one or two Kombo Challenges, while Mortal Kombat fans will have trouble accepting the toned down Fatalities and somewhat slower gameplay. In short, this game's fun, but its legs probably can't carry it beyond the whole "Wow, Batman's fighting Superman" first impression.

Though SWS begins in that fashion, it loses the plot halfway through and becomes a different game. While there are, historically, better snowboarding games, none of them exist on Xbox 360. And for that reason alone, anyone looking for some multiplayer fun and a few good hours on the mountainside should give Shaun White Snowboarding a try.

For these misgivings, there's no doubting that Mirror's Edge is a special game. More than just unique, it's a thrilling and stylish venture to untapped territory that's assured in its firstperson take on platforming. Though an inane plot and limp combat see it falter briefly, the strong visual design and dynamic mechanic ensure it still emerges as a game to be celebrated.

Mirror's Edge is a classic example of some awesome ideas that just didn't pan out the way that was originally intended. The list of moves could be more expansive -- maybe by adding a fourth button to the mix -- and the world feels entirely too constricting for what could be a huge open city. Couple those gripes with some unappealing combat and a sometimes buggy design and Mirror's Edge falls short of my expectations. The ideas are there for a very cool experience, and I truly hope that a sequel is spawned, but this first attempt falls just a bit short.