Their new defensive tactics coupled with fluid gameplay make for a superb football experience.

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.

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.

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.

The folks at BioWare have shown that they're always looking for ways to make their games better -- each of their RPGs builds upon the previous title. Dragon Age displays this refinement, and while the story may not be completely original, it's told in a way that enthralls and enchants the player. It's the best RPG of the year -- and maybe the best of the HD era.

WE8 just feels real. The tempo and feel of the game show a deep understanding of soccer. The A.I. is spot-on, especially that of your own teammates, who continually move around and make runs for your benefit. Control is smooth and rock solid.

As close to artery clearing, frantic action movie warfare as we've yet come.

Everything about MKDS comes together into a surprisingly compelling package, a portable racing game on par with anything ever to appear on a console.

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.

It feels like the final, nearly perfect evolution of the Kudos formula, one which got annoying in the previous PGR for beginners.

NBA 2K12 will have to settle for being the closest thing to perfect I've ever seen in an offline sports video game. But it could have done much more -- it could have saved our season.

The Sim generator alone can provide hours upon hours of amusement, especially once players discover the power to recreate in the game almost any friend, relative or celebrity they can think of. This becomes even more fun when those creations begin developing relationships and interbreeding.

If you're looking to run through the newly busted-up Azeroth with a fresh character, you won't find a better excuse to re-roll than the inclusion of playable Goblins and Worgen in Cataclysm.

This is as good as action games get. It controls like a dream, is extremely well balanced (not terribly difficult on Normal and incredibly challenging on Hard), has tons of variety, features great retro game references, contains tons of unlockables and challenges to keep you busy after you finish the story, and when it comes down to it, is the best game Sega has published in years.

Against a mountain of expectations, GRAW has delivered such a complete experience that it isn't just a great 360 game, but something special you'll remember for a long time to come.

A remarkable achievement. EA could have easily rested on its laurels, but instead decided to be ballsy and went about overhauling some fundamental gameplay mechanics in a game that was already garnering universal praised.

Gamers seeking a hardcore RPG experience would admittedly be better off with something like "Golden Sun" or "Fire Emblem." But if you're after some lighthearted, lightweight gaming, or if you're simply a Mario fan, you'll have a hard time finding a better buy than Mario & Luigi.

This is the best extreme sports game ever made, which makes four times I've said that in one Tony Hawk review or another. I really mean it this time, though.

All the elements gel perfectly here: The characters, the combat, the game flow, the dialogue. More than that, this is a game that revels in simply being a game. It celebrates the best parts of both role-playing and Mario games while mercilessly lampooning their worst habits. It's absolutely brimming with exuberance.

Even if most of the modes are just variations of existing ones, they're still a hell of a lot of fun to play. Chopper versus Chopper mode and the Road Rash-style races breathe new life into GTA4's multiplayer, and additional apparel gives you new options for customizing your online persona.

A remarkable achievement. EA could have easily rested on its laurels, but instead decided to be ballsy and went about overhauling some fundamental gameplay mechanics in a game that was already garnering universal praised.

Everything that "Ratchet & Clank" did, Going Commando does better, and the tweaks and additions just push it further over the top.

In a way, the main reason I'm somewhat disappointed is that developer EA Canada has the tough part down: the gameplay and controls. But soccer is about so much more than that -- it's about patriotism, atmosphere, and passion. For the inevitable World Cup follow-up, I'd really like to see those elements shine through -- and it wouldn't hurt to not ship with so many bugs, either.

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.

Despite all these improvements, I can't help but feel that last year's "Madden" still has the edge over this year's ESPN, thanks to fundamental pacing and controls. ESPN has great visuals, has tons of new features, all kinds of new animations, ... but the same gooey controls - they're just not as responsive as "Madden"'s.

The biggest problem, if it can be called one, with Phantom Hourglass is that it's too beholden to what's come before it. Innovation arrives in tiny steps, touch screen controls be damned.

Nearly everything about the new MVP, from basic gameplay to the advanced Dynasty mode, oozes quality.

A goldmine of tactical riches. The gameplay is fast (once you've dribbled past the Teen Beat dialogue) and the game looks sharp.