Tokyo 42

While the world of this action game is imaginative and eye-catching, the controls can be frustrating. Tokyo 42 hits the ground running and rarely slows down -- except when a respawn is necessary due to missing a jump, being discovered by police, or being taken out by another assassin. Of course, you can simply sit and watch the world go by, but there's no fun in that. It's precisely the quick pacing of the game that creates its allure, with action that seems to flow and chase the central character through the environments of high-rise buildings begging for a little parkour action. The camera swivels to give a better view of the city and to help players avoid trying to run diagonally, but this can lead to disaster on stairwells. But where the game really falls downs is the occasional blurring of the screen. There really doesn't seem to be a reason why the screen suddenly goes blurry, but it just does, even on the highest PC video settings. And the targeting system creates a set of problems that can be downright frustrating. Enemies can come at you from all angles, and the game's controls feel clumsy when you're trying to adjust and shoot to save your proverbial bacon. Finding yourself in a bind where you can be dead in seconds before getting your bearings in a level is a no-fun situation.

The world is imaginative with just the right touches of anime (for instance, there are giant cat heads with no discernable purpose other than to create a visual treat). Of course, the randomness of the open world creates intrigue that keeps players on their toes. Make no mistake, you'll have to pre-plan your moves, and flying by the seat of your pants is a quick way to trigger the nearest respawn point. That makes saving your progress early and often worth it to decrease your frustration. Overall, if you can deal with the control issues, you may have an entertaining experience -- just expect that the adventure will be a bit rough around the edges.