Faults be damned, though; this is the kind of hugely ambitious game that doesn't come around very often, and when it does, you'd be a fool not to play it and enjoy the hell out of it and look forward to the day (next-next-gen?) when the fidelity of open-world RPGs takes another big step closer to the uncanny valley's far side.

As great as the campaign is, the game will see its longest legs from multiplayer. And from the multitude of competitive match types to the addictive and strategic co-op Horde mode, what felt like a hugely entertaining afterthought in the original Gears now easily stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the campaign.

While the developers made a conscious effort to shake things up with new ideas and implementations, the game falls into a weird middle ground filled with genuine surprises, inessential carry-overs, and copy/paste quest structures. That said, I still believe this to be one of the more admirable chapters of the series, even if at times it feels the developers were unsure of which sacred cows to keep and which to sacrifice.

The game's tutorial is excellent, and it slowly introduces you to some otherwise difficult concepts, but unless you have a lot of chords under your fingers beforehand, it takes actual practice to play on Pro Guitar.

It's not perfect because of the poor enemy drones and because the game doesn't last as long as we wish it would--but that's in some ways a good thing, because we like what we do get to play, and want to see more.

The simple fact is Knights of the Old Republic doesn't do anything revolutionarily different or better in any single category than games like "Planescape," "Baldur's "and "Freedom Force." In fact, in some areas it's a lot worse. Nevertheless, this is as solid a Star Wars experience as we're going to get (since no one has the balls to make "Tie Fighter 2").

The experience is still amazing... and that the gameplay is still really, really broken in many areas. Each new port brings with it a handful of new features, yet none of them are anything more than mere tweaks.

Like "Warcraft III" before it, World of Warcraft is less about cataclysmic evolution and more about refinement.

The experience is still amazing... and that the gameplay is still really, really broken in many areas. Each new port brings with it a handful of new features, yet none of them are anything more than mere tweaks.

Never, and I mean never, have I played a game with such a beautiful, perfectly executed difficulty curve. It's because of the difficulty curve that there was never a moment in this game, from start to finish over eight hours, that I was not having fun.

Infinity Ward has mastered a formula of its own making for both single- and multiplayer combat; Call of Duty 4 is louder, better looking, and more chaotic than ever. But it's certainly a formula, one that becomes more transparent with each version.

God of War 3 is the most balanced. It's not quite as focused as GOW1, nor is it as lengthy and moment-packed as GOW2, but it's the most consistent and varied of the three, and when it's at its best the first two can't touch it.

Downloadable content gives the 360 version a potential ace in the hole, but the first wave released comes as a mixed blessing.

"Ico" with good combat and witty dialogue...I haven't played a better game all year.

In some ways, it helps to think of Toy Story 3 or The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King when explaining Uncharted 3. Similar to this third game, both films are satisfying final acts that deliver entertaining and unique stories with respect to their previous installments.

Actually feeling like a rock star -- for most people under 40, the next best thing to a superhero or a T-Rex -- is transcendently entertaining. "Guitar Hero" is still the way to go for lone wolves, but if you have the space, the manpower, and the means, Rock Band unquestionably, unequivocally rocks.

This is by far the most realistic console racer ever made, and it's hands-down the best racing game on Xbox.

Fortunately, SSF4's new characters feel strong, detailed, and more importantly, convincingly robust.

I loved, loved TF2's cosmetic makeover. "Cartoon come to life" isn't compliment enough. Some cartoons are better animated, more distinctively stylized than others -- and, by analogy, this is among the best.

The relaxed pace of the co-op gameplay lends itself better to a console controller, but beyond that the PC version holds up admirably to the Xbox one. It's the prettiest of the bunch.

From beginning to end, this is the most complex Final Fantasy game yet, and it's just as evident in its plot as in its mechanics.

As it stands now, ESPN looks better, but it doesn't feel better. It's pleather not leather, nutri-sweet not sugar, and that's not going to get them far in the long run.

Almost a perfect strategy game. It has strategic scope and splendor nearly matching that of "Civilization" and a tactical game unlike anything else on the market.

Forza 3 upholds the franchise's tradition of excellence, but also plays it a little too safe; it irons out the previous game's clunky interface and sports a minor visual upgrade, but the gameplay feels strikingly similar to its predecessor.

That's Batman's general theme: so many of the mechanics turn Batman: Arkham Asylum into a bona fide "Batman Simulator," that the feeling of being Batman compensates for its flaws.

I haven't played a better game all year.

For better or worse, Arnor is an add-on that completes its parent game rather than simply expanding its scope.

But while a ton of awesome bands are represented (Nirvana, Guns N' Roses, Anthrax, All That Remains, Kansas, and so on) Guitar Hero II is still missing a few megaton metal bands -- mainly Metallica, Iron Maiden, and AC/DC. But no one will ever be happy, so instead of crying, crank the volume and bang your head until your brain busts.