Sony Online Entertainment

Windows 7/Vista/XP

Free Download with micro-transactions

ESRB rating: Teen

Review rating: 3.0 stars

No matter how much lipstick, or in this case, face paint, you cake onto them, most modern first-person shooters are simply variations of arena-style combat. Games like "CoD" aren't much different from "Quake 3;" they just have larger playing fields. The developers of "Bullet Run" combine old-school close-quarters combat with in-depth character upgrades and customization to create a fast-paced shooter that's worth every penny!

Just like a twisted combination of "The Running Man" and ancient gladiatorial combat, players take part in a reality TV show where they must kill opponents to survive. Simply downing enemies isn't enough, so players gain extra points for eliminating opponents with style and even for taunting their virtual corpse! There are even 'colorful' commentators, but unfortunately, their one-liners quickly get old.

"Bullet Run" sports controls that will be familiar to FPS fans, so it's easy to drop into the action and start blasting opponents. Combat is fast and furious and players have small health bars, so don't be surprised if you die a lot! What you may be surprised to discover though, is that this free-to-play game seems to fall into the "pay-to-win" category.  

Unlike many free-to-play games, this title only gives players a bare-bones amount of content to begin with. Anyone who wants to don cool face paint and perform satisfying taunts on enemies will have to pay for every little addition. Since it's much easier to buy powerful weapons than earn them, every kid with rich parents will dominate this game! Simply put, anyone who plays this game for free is at a disadvantage.

"Bullet Run" may be free, but players will have to shell out some cash to truly enjoy playing it.

'Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver.'

Capcom

Sony PlayStation 3 (Xbox 360)

$20

ESRB rating: Teen

Review rating: 2.0 stars

Fighting games were all the rage during the days of the Sega Dreamcast, and Capcom has just released an updated version of one of the strangest fighting games ever made. "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver." brings the wild and hyper-fast combat from the old-school game into modern times, but sadly, it doesn't offer nearly enough upgrades to justify the high price.

This game follows a small section of the popular Jojo's Bizarre Adventure manga where characters have super-powered guardians called Stands that fight at their side. Players can choose to fight as Jojo or one of several unusual characters with supernatural powers that he meets on his journey. Perhaps the most bizarre thing about "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver." is the focus on fighting and lack of an adventure aspect.

Fans of Capcom fighting games will quickly get used to the light, medium, and heavy attack button setup, and the Stand button mixes things up to the extreme! However, casual gamers will find it difficult to figure out the complexities of fighting alongside their Stand. In addition, learning each Stand's in-depth moves can take a long time, especially since there isn't much of a tutorial. But once a character is mastered, it becomes super-intense and extremely exhilarating to fill the screen with their earth-shattering moves!

It seems odd that the HD visuals don't really improve the game much, but they hardly seem like true HD visuals. In fact, I actually prefer the original visuals, so I'm glad I can play on either setting. The only other noteworthy addition is a minimal online fighting mode that offers the least amount of features possible. Sure it's free of lag, but it's also not hindered by depth or complexity.

Because of the high price and high learning curve, "Jojo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver." appeals to a very limited audience.