Andre Caparaotta

Contributing to Electronic Arts’ plan to diversify the company’s image, Swedish developer DICE has prepared something completely different: “Mirror’s Edge.”

In the new game for the PS3 and the Xbox 360 (PC version due in January), the gameplay focus is running and jumping throughout a sprawling metropolis using techniques rooted in the activity of parkour, which emphasizes using the body to move quickly and efficiently from one point to another.

Unfortunately, in spite of the promising premise, the final game is a mixed bag.

Marking the franchise’s third appearance on the Nintendo DS, “Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia” is the latest offering in the series from Konami. The game not only focused on new characters unrelated to the Belmont family often associated with Castlevania but also was the first to feature a female protagonist since the revision of the franchise’s canon by series producer IGA (Koji Igarashi). It appeared to have much potential when first unveiled; fortunately, it lives up to the hype.

Superb sci-fi storytelling through anime

“Ergo Proxy” is a compelling Sci-Fi series with generally lesser recognition in the United States than the lucrative “Dragon Ball Z” series produced by the same anime distributor, Funimation. Despite its relative obscurity, “Ergo Proxy” has recently been re-released in North America as a box set.

Following the original Japanese release of “Yakuza 2,” fans of the franchise’s first installment (referred to in Japan as “Ryu Ga Gotoku,” meaning “Like a Dragon”) were left to wonder if the sequel would see an American release at all.

After nearly a two-year wait, the PS2 title finally lands on the store shelves of local retailers. And fortunately, it’s proven worth the wait.

Taking place one year after the events of the first “Yakuza,” players again assume the role of Kazuma Kiryu, the former head of a prominent Yakuza family from the Kanto region of Japan.

Marking the first next-generation entry in the popular weapon-based fighting game franchise from Namco Bandai, Soulcalibur IV features numerous refinements to the core gameplay of the series. Addressing the flaws that hindered Soulcalibur III on the PS2, there’s now a greater emphasis on multiplayer aspects than the single-player experience, resulting in a game that more successfully appeals to casual and hardcore players alike.

Focusing on the 16th century setting established by the previous games,

As the months have passed, many PS3 owners have been hoping for a greater number of quality titles exclusive to the system. The release of Konami's Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots marks not only one of the most anticipated games of 2008, but also the last to be directed by MGS series creator, Hideo Kojima. Fortunately, the game's three-and-a-half-year development cycle has proven worth the wait.