Bleeding Edge

This action game good -- and certainly a lot more affordable than most other new games for Xbox and Windows PC -- but there are a few issues that prevent this game from being great. Bleeding Edge's over-the-top combat is fun and frenetic. You'll need to master your over-the-top weapons -- which focus way more on melee attacks than ranged projectiles -- and also learn to chain several moves and sharpen your defensive maneuvers. Along with timing and weapon selection, there are cool-down periods you'll need to get used to, switching characters, environmental considerations, and more. And then there are modifications and other upgrades to experiment with. In other words, there's considerable depth, but it doesn't feel overwhelming.

There's quite a bit of variety (and humor) to each of the zany characters. But the camera angles in this third-person brawler aren't the best and it's not unusual to have trouble seeing where enemies are during a heated skirmish. You can have your view completely obscured if you're up against a wall or ledge, since the camera appears to be inside your character. That only happens when you choose to lock on the camera -- but that's highly recommended and the lesser of two evils (because it's much harder to manually control the camera, character, and weapons). Another issue is the lack of maps and modes. The main King of the Hill-style option is the one most will play, plus there's another called Power Cells, which has you and other human players scouring the map for power cells. Either way, more variety would be welcomed here to match the vast selection in characters. Finally, while intense, combat gets a little stale after a while. For what it is -- a fun, funny and fast-paced 4-on-4 online brawler -- Bleeding Edge is a good game that won't break the bank. Just don't expect it to be one of the year's highlights.