With the utmost relief, I can honestly say that Alan Wake's American Nightmare does the franchise justice. It certainly isn't one of the games where "the end justifies the means".

American Nightmare takes place over three distinct levels. The longevity of the game lies within its plot: Alan Wake is put into a time loop by his sinister doppelganger, Mr. Scratch. Replaying the same three levels multiple times with minor variations can become slightly tedious.

The payoff at the end is tough to swallow. This subplot wraps itself up abruptly and no one knows if the new revelations are canon. Fortunately, the journey to this sorry conclusion is a fun one. Combat is unchanged, a handful of new enemies are introduced, and NPC's are more colorful. But most significant is the wider variety of weapons, which unfortunately makes the game a whole lot easier.

At full price, American Nightmare is still a good buy, especially with the new survival mode, which tacks on extra hours of fun.

Grade: B

Ryder White is a difficult piece of downloadable content. Even more difficult is finding something pleasant to say about it. Even as a fan of the original Dead Island, I dreaded every minute of this three-hour campaign.

Amidst its faults, there are several upsides. The highly atmospheric setting from the core game is still present. Plot-wise, Ryder's journey does conclude with a shocking revelation; one which makes me eager to see where Dead Island will go next. And as a breath of fresh air, a heavier focus is put on gunplay from the abundance of ammunition.

However, this DLC is extremely linear. Instead of an open island to explore, there are only streets and corridors. Combat against overwhelming odds of zombies are forced upon the player and nearly every word of dialogue is cringe-inducing. But worst of all, the game would occasionally unequip my items, forcing me to spend more time organizing my inventory than I should.

Buy only if you're a huge fan of Dead Island.

Grade: D

If nothing else, Batman: Arkham Asylum is at least definitive proof that superhero games can be good, if not downright fantastic. The visuals are dazzling. The combat is smooth. The story flows. There are enough Easter eggs to make Batman fans jump with glee. The list of pros is so long that it'd probably be shorter to point out the flaws.

First and foremost is linearity. Having played the sequel, Arkham City, it was difficult for me to return to a game which constantly forced me down a singular path. This limitation on what I can see and where I can go not only took away from the feeling of realism, but made Arkham Island feel devoid of life.

The second most gripping issue is Batman's detective mode which allows the player to track enemies even behind walls. Many players, myself included, will play through the game with this ability on. Unfortunately, while activated, nearly everything becomes monochromatic, leaving the beautiful and vibrant environments unnoticed.

Grade: B+