Re-packaging two of Sony's most popular games from last generation mere months before the next sequel is released?  That's marketing genius, right there.  But remastering the games in HD, putting a healthy dose of PS3 polish on the whole offering?  Now that's a product I can get behind.

God of War Collection features the PS2 games God of War and God of War II remastered in HD.  The key word in that sentence is "remastered."  Maybe it's just a testament to the visual triumph that the first two God of War games accomplished, but there's very little here that makes you feel like you're just playing an upscaled PS2 game.  There are definitely some PS3 games on the market that don't look this good.  That's not to say that this thing is a graphical powerhouse on the PS3, it's just that I was taken aback by how good these games still look.  Cleaning them up and making them PS3-friendly just goes to remind us of how gorgeous these games really were.

Maybe I'm just getting old, but it's hard to believe that this is the ninth Ratchet & Clank game to date.  I remember kicking around my house after work and firing up the first two games when they came out, thinking that 3D action platforming couldn't get any better than this.  Nine games later, Insomniac continues to prove me wrong.  A Crack in Time continues the story started in Tools of Destruction (and continued in Quest for Booty) featuring Dr. Nefarious and the mysterious Zoni.  Clank is on the other side of the universe acting as a guardian of The Great Clock.  Ratchet is fighting alongside a lombax General.  And the Ratchet & Clank universe?  The Ratchet & Clank universe soldiers on.

Game designer Tim Schafer has one of the worst jobs in the world:  He has to live up to his own reputation.  Often lauded as the critical darling underdog of the console world, the man has the portfolio of near legendary PC adventure games behind him.  Inevitably, as most PC developers do, migration to home consoles is just about necessary to stay viable.  And sometimes that migration doesn't treat the PC-centric folks very well.  It could be argued that it hasn't treated Schafer very well either. Psychonauts, an action/adventure/platformer on the last generation of consoles, was generally well received but lacked solid sales figures.  It can also be said that while the game was full of charm and wit, and the gameplay unique and inventive, that it lacked the kind of polish expected from a top-tier title.  The question begged is: Does Brutal Legend fall into this same fate?

Thirteen years ago, a Japanese RPG called Revelations: Persona hit the western market.  While quality game design was apparent, the abysmal localization sabotaged the first installment in Atlus' Persona series.  Fortunately, the three follow-ups featured top-notch localization.  But if you've still been wondering about the series' origins, you can finally explore the original Persona and experience a cohesive narrative.  But localization isn't everything, of course.  Does the PSP remake of Persona warrant the update, or is this just a chance for Atlus to cash in on their most popular series in the west?

Hit the link for the full review of Persona.

While rhythm games have been around for ages and have been popular in Japan for years, no one in the states really gave a shit until Guitar Hero. Since then, it's become a bonafide genre and it seems like we get a new one every other week. While it's only been a few years since Guitar Hero blew up, the rhythm game market has become a bit.... stale. It's lacked any real innovation or momentum since Rock Band first added in to the drums and incorporated the singing.

Those of us that consider ourselves rhythm game fans have been looking for something new to dig our teeth into, some new experience to hang our hats on. DJ Hero is trying to scratch (pun!) exactly that itch. Introducing not only a totally new and different controller to interact with, but focusing on music that has never really gotten much love in rhythm games.

SO, will DJ Hero spin you right 'round, or is it wiggidy-wiggidy-wiggidy-wack?

Bringing a home console racing franchise to a portable platform can be a difficult task to accomplish -- just take a look at our review of Gran Turismo.  Ravenous race fans have a built in set of expectations, and those expectations can be ludicrously high.  Developers have to somehow find a way to cram all of those expectations into a much smaller framework without losing any of what made the game great in the first place.  Motorstorm Arctic Edge does this in every way possible.

Over the years I've had a wax and wane attitude towards racing games. I went though quite a Gran Turismo phase back during GT2, but almost without fail I've been an arcade racer fan rather than a simulation guy. So when I first heard about Fuel and what it was promising to do, I'll admit I was quite intrigued. While they seemed stuck on talking about the "largest game ever made," I was interested in the story vibe of Mad Max-esque battle though racing.

So, was my curiousity warranted.... or does this game run out of gas before the finish?

Gran Turismo for the PSP was announced right around the time the original PSP was, so to say this game was a long time coming would be a severe understatement. Polyphony Digital has always taken it's sweet ass time putting out Gran Turismo games though.... so are any of us really surprised? Well, it's finally out now just in time to celebrate the 4th version of the PSP, the GO. So that means it's available on UMD and as a digital download. But is it worth the entrance fee, or is this a race you'd be better off not lining up for?

When Forza 2 hit store shelves back in early 2007, it was a surprise success.  No one had ever taken on Gran Tursimo before and held their own, but the developers at Turn 10 had clearly pulled it off.  Combining great simulation gameplay with a selection of more than 300 cars and some insanely detailed custom design options, Forza 2 was the talk of the season.  It was even enough to push Microsoft's other racing franchise, PGR, out of the limelight later that year.

But I was a PGR fan through and through.  The endless hours of tweaks and customization and unforgiving controls of games like Forza had never really appealed to me.  That's why I was so surprised -- and delighted -- to discover Forza Motorsport 3 has taken a decidedly casual turn.

Hi, I'm Holly, and I'm a Fallout 3 addict. (Hi, Holly!) I've been playing Fallout 3 for a couple of weeks now. I'm 90 hours in to my first game and refer to FO3 as "my digital boyfriend". I heard news of the Game of the Year edition about a week or so after I started playing (with a borrowed disc, shame on me) so, the timing could not have been more perfect. $100 worth of content for half the price (or thereabouts, in the case of XBOX 360 and PS3).  Who was I to say no?

What follows is less a review of Fallout 3 and more a review of the 5 expansions that take this take this Game of the Year edition from ho-hum re-release to must-buy compilation.