Even if the chief competitor to 2K11 hadn't forfeited the showdown this year, it's hard to imagine a basketball game bringing a more complete, authentic, and fun game of pro basketball to the court than NBA 2K11 does.

It would be easy to be just bowled over by how glorious Empire: Total War looks. Creative Assembly's signature series has always been big on spectacle, and Empire is no different. The battles are bigger and bloodier, only now you have the smoke of muskets and crack of 12-pounders to accompany your march across the known world. Don't let the color of charging Cossacks blind you to everything else going on here though, Empire is a major step forward for the entire Total War franchise.

Even if the chief competitor to 2K11 hadn't forfeited the showdown this year, it's hard to imagine a basketball game bringing a more complete, authentic, and fun game of pro basketball to the court than NBA 2K11 does.

Even with the deviations from what you might expect from the plucky pink puff, Epic Yarn most assuredly feels like a Kirby game; you have solid platforming, off-the-charts cuteness, and even throwbacks to familiar Dream Land characters and settings.

Though a great overall package that packs a lot value, Vegas 2 is probably best characterized as a glorious example of fan service. Though not necessary, familiarity with the previous game adds tremendously to the overall experience, and many of the enhancements are direct responses to the very vocal and passionate community that plays online regularly.

Dissidia 012 is basically the original game with a good 20 to 30 hours of additional gameplay heaped on top; Square Enix was even nice enough to include a New Game + feature for returning veterans.

One of the most emotional experiences I've ever had playing a videogame.

Even the stilted voiceovers and off-kilter humor have a distinct charm.

It's at once true to its heritage yet willing to spin the Metal Gear format in a new and entertaining direction. And while the fallout from these changes does occasionally undermine the action, those small moments of frustration and compromise are forgivable in the context of all that Peace Walker does well.

This is so innovative and so polished a game that if you pass it up, the real moron is you.

MAG is unlike anything else on PS3. In fact, it's unlike anything else on any console system.

Mortal Kombat has achieved something that I never thought I'd see in my lifetime: a fighting game that has more than enough single player content to keep casual players involved, with a gameplay system that can satisfy even the most hardcore fighting game fans. NetherRealm Studios' dedication and attention to detail on all fronts shows that they are much more in tune with what gamers look for when purchasing a new game more so than any other fighting game developer out there.

I've dabbled in Elder Scrolls games before, but they always seemed to be the wrong combination of intimidatingly huge and mechanically clunky (not to mention kind of ugly). Skyrim is the chapter that's finally pulled me in, and suddenly I find myself smitten with the series. Not just the games, but the lore, and the insane level of thought that's been invested in the world of Tamriel.

You'll, fire thousands of rounds in hundreds of white-knuckled shootouts facing everything from soldiers to grotesques to specters, and tromp around in a totally bad-ass mech suit. Most importantly, you'll love every minute of it.

Mortal Kombat has achieved something that I never thought I'd see in my lifetime: a fighting game that has more than enough single player content to keep casual players involved, with a gameplay system that can satisfy even the most hardcore fighting game fans. NetherRealm Studios' dedication and attention to detail on all fronts shows that they are much more in tune with what gamers look for when purchasing a new game more so than any other fighting game developer out there.

This year's iteration in the more than a decade old series has brought me back into the "drinking the Madden Kool-Aid" fold, because it's improved the things that matter to me. That said, Madden NFL 11 still needs some improvement.

Simply put, inFamous is the kind of game that when I'm not playing it, I'm constantly thinking about doing so. Heck, I already know what's going to happen right after I finish this sentence: I'm going to go back and play more as "superhero lightning cop" Cole.

This year's iteration in the more than a decade old series has brought me back into the "drinking the Madden Kool-Aid" fold, because it's improved the things that matter to me. That said, Madden NFL 11 still needs some improvement.

AC2 is everything a sequel ought to be: An improvement on the original in nearly every way. Perhaps more impressively, it actually has me interested to see where the series goes from here -- something I wouldn't have expected after I slogged my way through the original. Anyone who enjoyed the first game will definitely like AC2, but the real accomplishment is that people who didn't enjoy it will likely have a good time, too.

A fine sequel that takes the fun parts of the original (the combat, the characters, the dialogue) and tries to make those the focus while practically quartering off the weaker parts. By being the high-quality, consistently enjoyable action game it wanted to be the first time around, Desperate Struggle is now a must-buy, and at the very least, finally makes the series deserving of the evangelism surrounding it.

I don't know that I'd necessarily recommend London Life as a standalone release, but as a freebie with a solid story-driven puzzler it's a no-brainer. In fact, the question of whether or not The Last Specter is worth a purchase is the easiest Layton puzzle answer of all.

This is a beautiful, substantial, classic-style game, and it's a great deal to boot.

And with its well-directed pacing, the game ends exactly when it needs to, leaving you satisfied and wistfully yearning for more.

Elegant, succinct, and full of bravado.

This is simply giddy, cartoonish mayhem with an extremely low bar for entry.

Gears of War 3 is an amazing game, jam packed with things to do. It's designed from the top down to ensure that you never stop playing it.

It's not for the kiddies, but if you've got 800 Marketplace points lying around, you oughta come get some.

With its breadth of content, incredible amount of collectibles (even if their placement isn't as intuitive as I would like), and the new Assault game modes, this is one of the best Lego games created yet.