Red Dead Redemption is much easier to describe than the complex predicament of its principal character. "Grand Theft Auto 4 meets Wild West" – and this is it.

GLaDOS sang it best back in 2007: "I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS. It's hard to overstate my satisfaction". Huge success indeed.

Red Dead Redemption is much easier to describe than the complex predicament of its principal character. "Grand Theft Auto 4 meets Wild West" – and this is it.

You will have to spend dozens of hours to fully explore Skyrim. Like any other Bethesda game, it has its share of imperfections and broken promises, but it's exciting and fascinating nevertheless. Wait for a couple of patches to come out, download the best mods, tighten the screws in the SkyrimPrefs.ini file, and you're good to go for a virtual Christmas vacation.

If development of multiple bases, careful upgrades planning and intricate micromanagement make your blood boil, you will embrace StarCraft 2. Had it been released 7 years ago, we would have wholeheartedly recommended it to anyone even remotely interested in the RTS genre. But that era is gone now. Today, StarCraft 2 is just a remedy for nostalgia.

The best single-player shooter in the history of Epic Games. If it is going to become a Hollywood movie, it should be directed by no other than Michael Bay.

God of War 3 not only easily overshadows all of its rivals, but casts new light on the abilities of Sony's platform. Don't think that this is a quality product for the connoisseurs of the genre; God of War 3 is an achievement for the whole industry.

Is it possible to tell a deep, touching story about a bunch of emo teens? Yes, and the 30-hour campaign of The World Ends with You is the proof.

The execution is flawless as usual. Backgrounds, animation, lighting, music, sound, visual effects are breathtaking, well-directed cinematics are peppered with snarky dialogue. It's a bona-fide Hollywood blockbuster.

Journey can be a commentary on human life, a story of redemption, a parable on futility of all efforts, or, quite the contrary, perseverance in the face of obstacles – even if you're not into waxing philosophical, you will still discover your own meaning of this three-hour journey.

If it weren't for the amazing Real Racing 2, we would have crowned Reckless Racing 2 the best car-based arcade for iOS.

Dishonored rarely challenges the players, but it doesn't take them for fools, either, so that's an achievement compared to other games in the genre. Just don't expect strokes of genius like the Shalebridge Cradle level from Thief: Deadly Shadows.

Ubisoft has finally realized its darling dream by creating a world where substance and style go together. Virtual tours of Florence, Venice and Tuscany are as captivating as the main story. For once in a way, “open-ended” doesn’t translate to “boring”, “lifeless” or “empty”. The height takes your breath away every time Ezio scales a tall building; the excellent animation makes up for annoying bugs and quirky gameplay conventions. Yes, the final boss fight is borderline silly, but it’s just a smudged line on a last page of a thrilling novel.

Rocksteady and Paul Dini created a game which is open for both fans and those who never heard of Batman. Arkham Asylum is the middle between animated series and Chris Nolan's movies. But don't let the "Teen" rating push you away: the gloomy hospital/prison where criminals are literally monsters and doctors are crazier than their patients, is more atmospheric than some "horror" flicks.

Street Fighter 4 is definitely the best fighting game on PC since Guilty Gear #XX Reload. (Which is kind of ironic, because other offerings on this platform are shareware titles and certified trash.) However, the stagnation in the genre does not depreciate Capcom’s merits. Street Fighter 4 is a fast, beautiful game with an intricate combat system and a great soundtrack.

Grim post-nuclear romanticism of Fallout 3 is going to be a huge revelation for console owners. Those who spent the last 11 years exploring the nuclear wastelands of America on the PC, will probably see this game as nothing more than Bethesda’s attempt to fix the mistakes of Oblivion.

This game is not unlike Arkham City – easy to get in, almost impossible to get out.

Gears of War 3 is a bit thin in the story department, but it's a great shooter nonetheless.

You don’t need a thousand words to make you fall in love with Dragon Age: Origins. It has everything that is sought by the most jaded fans of the genre: at least 60 hours of adventuring, colorful, lively characters, flexible combat system, complex situations and quests, dialogues that are pleasant to read and even more pleasant to listen to… Dragon Age, like a good storyteller, captivates within minutes. It doesn’t rush the story, relishes in small details, goes into ornate lyrical digressions, and maintains the intrigue, keeping you at the edge of your seat.

Corvo Attano and Agent 47 couldn't possibly have expected that a platformer from the creators of Shank would stab them in the backs and claim the title of this year's best stealth game.

Ubisoft has finally realized its darling dream by creating a world where substance and style go together. Virtual tours of Florence, Venice and Tuscany are as captivating as the main story. For once in a way, “open-ended” doesn’t translate to “boring”, “lifeless” or “empty”. The height takes your breath away every time Ezio scales a tall building; the excellent animation makes up for annoying bugs and quirky gameplay conventions. Yes, the final boss fight is borderline silly, but it’s just a smudged line on a last page of a thrilling novel.

Before its release, The Lost and Damned was pegged as an “epic” expansion, but in reality it is more of a B-sides album - a compilation of songs that will never become runaway hits, but are essential to understanding a musician’s work. The story about Johnny who quarreled with Billy and then duped the Italian Mafia is too weak and clichéd to stand on its own. The dialogue is still witty, the satire is razor-sharp as usual, but TLAD is just a Band-Aid for the gaps in the original story.

Upon premiering on Xbox 360, Braid immediately joined Aquaria, Darwinia, Samorost, and World of Goo in the gold reserve of indie games. Its indie roots show through outdated, but stylish graphics, great music, and original ideas. Braid challenges your gray matter, but it does so in such a subtle and elegant ways that you can’t help but fall in love with it.

Assasssin's Creed: Brotherhood has great atmosphere, beautiful visuals, and overall excellent craftsmanship… Just don't expect anything new beyond the multiplayer.

Dead Space 2 is a loud, spectacular action horror that shuns fresh ideas while enjoying a bigger budget and refined gameplay. So far, the old formula of Dead Space has been working perfectly, but something will have to change in the inevitable third installment.

Despite a few problems, Civilization 5 is a great game and a worthy sequel with a very bright future.

Human Revolution is not a perfect game, but its atmosphere, the intoxicating feeling of freedom, and a tightly-wound story make it as close to the original Deus Ex as possible. We couldn't have asked for more.

It's basically a remake of GTA 3 with a bigger budget, a new cast of characters and solid storytelling. And it's still incredibly captivating.

Even though it is clearly still a work in progress, Shogun 2 is a beautiful, deep, incredibly stylish, enthralling game.

Blue whale is one of the largest animals on Earth. It is also one of the closest to extinction. Empire: Total War is one of the last blue whales in the ocean of brainless multi-platform clones, and second-rate RTS rabble.

Despite its shortcomings, Fable 2 is a worthy choice for those adventurers who don’t know what “RPG” stands for.

Assasssin's Creed: Brotherhood has great atmosphere, beautiful visuals, and overall excellent craftsmanship… Just don't expect anything new beyond the multiplayer.

L4D’s Versus mode is on par with Call of Duty 4 in terms of drama and tension. Every battle is a Hollywood blockbuster, an endless well of war stories about bravery, team spirit, betrayal, and cunning tricks.

Looking back at Left 4 Dead 2’s offerings, it’s hard to call it “just a $50 expansion pack.” All worries and boycotts were in vain; you can’t go back to the original Left 4 Dead after playing this one.

Funny and boring, exciting and annoying, beautiful and ugly, The Ballad of Gay Tony is as dissonant as the strange relationship between Louis and Tony. But still, Rockstar North is head and shoulders above its competitors.

Online multiplayer is FIFA 12's saving grace. Without it, it's a reasonably good game with fair graphics, deep defense system and a promising, albeit somewhat unnatural, player impact mechanics. With multiplayer, it's the best soccer game in quite some time.

For every flaw of XCOM, there is a dozen virtues.

Finishing a trilogy is always difficult. Tying off dozens of story threads which had been woven by players into many different tapestries is a daunting task. Mass Effect 3 is the first game that succeeded at this colossal undertaking.

Battlefield 3 is the most spectacular shooter of this fall, and I doubt that anyone will come even close.

Dead Space 2 is a loud, spectacular action horror that shuns fresh ideas while enjoying a bigger budget and refined gameplay. So far, the old formula of Dead Space has been working perfectly, but something will have to change in the inevitable third installment.

A worthy successor to DiRT, although it doesn’t have enough fuel to become an instant hit.

Limbo is a beautiful, intense experience.

Torchlight 2 is a very player-friendly action/RPG. It could have gotten a better score if not for its truncated Act IV.

A well-made platformer with a nice pedigree, albeit too short.

For a game that was made without financial infusions from top-tier publishers, The Witcher 2 looks much, much better than all recent role-playing blockbusters combined.

Plants vs. Zombies is not as complex as classic titles of this genre, GemCraft and Protector, but then again, it doesn't want to be hardcore. Its graphics are nice despite the minuscule 800x600 resolution, voice-overs make you smile, and there are many ways to entertain yourself (even more than in Space Rangers 2).

Super Meat Boy is one of the trickiest, difficult but incredibly interesting games of 2010. But you'd have to be a real geek to enjoy it.

Halo 4 may be utterly derivative, but it is the best Halo so far.

Those who unlocked all roads in Test Drive Unlimited will appreciate the scope of Burnout Paradise. Just like on Oahu, you just want to aimlessly drive around the city, poking your nose everywhere, set local records from time to time, and enjoy incredibly diverse soundtrack. If only I could see this world from inside of my car!

Bad Company 2 is an excellent game and the best modern warfare shooter to date. Despite the cookie-cutter campaign, it beats Modern Warfare 2 in both single-player and multiplayer.

Heavy Rain is fast, violent and very emotional. Every now and then the story stumbles over a tired cliché or a “No-o-o-o!” scene, but you try hard to ignore them, because you want to believe the heroes, to accept them with all their maladies and inner turmoil.

There is a guy with a gun, and he is going to punish anyone who stands in his way, be it corrupt politicians, New Jersey gangsters or rotten cops of Sao Paolo. Max Payne 3 is basically gun porn with a semblance of a dramatic story. It looks and plays like a Hollywood blockbuster, though.

Ghost Trick is a story about loneliness that leads to unnecessary aggression and stirs the appetite for revenge. It's a touching tale of kindness, loyalty, and redemption. Only after experiencing a shocking number of secrets at the very end, you will realize how many metaphors are hidden within this game. And it's enough to forgive Ghost Trick for its stringent linearity, unskippable cutscenes, and a penchant for overly chatty dialogue.

A few nitpicks aside, Armored Kill is the best Battlefield 3 expansion so far.

Static images can't convey the splendour of colors or the intoxicating feeling of flight, they can't thaw icy shards of winter in the heart. Whether you're cynic or romantic, give Flower a try.

Even the "New Game Plus" mode with its full arsenal of potions and gods is not enough to quench the Bastion thirst. Oh, how I wish it had randomly-generated maps, an expansive loot system, RPG stats, and dozens of quests... But that would have been a completely different game. Bastion, first and foremost, is a beautiful story with a beginning, a climax and ending(s). "A proper story", as the old man Rucks would say.

Swordigo is a prehistoric platformer without a single new idea; a hardcore journey through dark fairytale worlds, and a bow to arcade hits of the 90s.

Fall of the Samurai is what every expansion pack should be. There is nothing that will make you gasp with awe, but every one of the new features fits the game perfectly. Evolution at its finest.

Every fan of tactical strategy genre will be happy to spend at least 30 hours with such a smart, captivating game as Valkyria Chronicles.

FIFA 13 offers good arcade-style football, and its multiplayer is next to exemplary. But it needs to grow up if it wants to become a simulator.

The Sims 3 is not so much a game as a rich field for experiments; a blank notepad that will soon be filled with hundreds of wild ideas.

A well-written story could have transformed Rayman Origins into a beautiful fairytale. Without it, it's an incredibly fun ride and a great party game.

The third expansion introduces so many new facets to Europa Universalis 3 that it’s now truly an embarrassment of riches. Those hardcore players who like to delve into the smallest of details will have a blast.

Dark atmosphere, unprecedented drama for an App Store game, amazing finale. Finally, the iOS platform has discovered its own thatgamecompany.

2K's NBA is still the best sports simulator out there.

This is what Doom 3 could have been if it were developed by creative designers - a stylish, relentless mix of nightmares, drama and visceral action. Wait until the sundown, turn up your speakers and turn off the lights. You will be impressed.

Three of four new maps offer full-scale urban combat that was sorely missing in Battlefield 3. But why this expansion is so sparse on content?

Instead of building upon ideas introduced in Bad Company 2, Vietnam rolls everything back to the decade-old Battlefield 1942.

Dawn of War 2 was thisclose to perfection, but strength failed the developers right on the homestretch.

Amnesia offers an experience so rich that we're willing to forgive its weak ending, imperfections of the engine, and low-bugdet production values.

It's fun to freely explore the gloomy city now that Amanita Design got rid of their bite-sized locations. This is a full-fledged, mature adventure game. Hang around just for a minute, and you'll take a liking to this odd-looking world.

This episode delivers excellent drama at the cost of killing the non-linear storytelling.

Battlefield: Bad Company is the most enthralling online shooter for consoles to date, and a good role model for many of its PC brethren. While it’s hardly the best multiplayer offering in the Battlefield series, it will be remembered not for the weak single-player campaign or annoying details, but for destructive battles and great sense of humor.

Chaos Rising’s single-player campaign is too short to call it a breakthrough. The show ends just when you get the taste of it. Here’s hoping that the next expansion will be more epic.

The drama is well-directed, but as soon as The Walking Dead tries to straighten its shoulders, it immediately runs into technical issues, like stiff animation, poor facial gestures, and the lack of ambient sounds.

Technically, New Vegas is a spin-off, but in fact, it is the real third game in the Fallout series.

Instead of cloning Puzzle Quest, Capybara Games took the concept and elevated it to a new level.

UFC Undisputed 2010 is definitely a step above its predecessor.

Programmers, designers and other people at Sports Interactive worked even harder than last year, and improved the game with several great features.

Unity of Command is a looker. Its minimalistic, but stylish visual design is sure to please the fanciful "iPhone generation" of gamers. The map is clean and accurate, and the interface is a picture of user-friendliness. Beyond this delightful façade, there is a wargame that's deep enough for experienced armchair generals and welcoming for newcomers.

If clichés that permeate Killzone 3's story and gameplay do not turn you off, than, by all means, plan your trip to Helgan today. Its denizens sorely lack in originality and intelligence, but they still manage to entertain.

Unlike its rogue-like brethren, FTL is not a game that you'll be enjoying for hundreds of hours, but still, saving The Federation is a lot of fun for a first few times.

Rise of the Samurai is a great excuse to return to Medieval Japan.

Half-Minute Hero is brilliant parody of genre clichés, sped up 10000 times. It will take you just a couple of tram stops to save the world twice, break the analog nub, and learn to value time.

Trine 2 is amazing from the opening sequence to the melody that plays over the closing credits.

The biggest merit of Undisputed as a simulator - you can’t beat it using the “arcade” approach. To win a serious match, you will have to use tactics that place your opponent at a disadvantage.

Instead of cloning Puzzle Quest, Capybara Games took the concept and elevated it to a new level.

Shift 2 is Need for Speed: Shift with some welcome upgrades and old issues. The overall experience is not as fresh and intense second time around, but multiplayer races are a blast if you play with friends.

Shatter’s Story Mode is really just an appetizer. Additional modes are the most addictive things in this game.

Don't trust the bad first impression. Napoleonic Wars is not a re-skinned version of Mount & Blade, but a self-contained game. Give it a chance, if you're interested in the 19th century history.

A rare tower defense game is addictive enough to suck you into playing it for days on end. Orcs Must Die is one of them.

Shift plays to the gallery perhaps even more often than GRID. But when 16 glossy black Lamborghini Reventions, not yet spread along the track, are trying to squeeze into a narrow S-curve, high speed blurring the view, mixing dust with sun rays, and the driver is looking at the road from the incredibly detailed inside of a car… At this moment, you forget that crashes are unrealistic and that race will be over in just a few minutes. And let the theorists decide whether it is NFS or not.

The biggest merit of Undisputed as a simulator - you can’t beat it using the “arcade” approach. To win a serious match, you will have to use tactics that place your opponent at a disadvantage.

After having created the toughest armor deep down in Hell, you will realize that you've seen and done everything that Terraria has to offer. But it'll take you about 30 hours to get to that point, plus, free expansions are already on their way.

Mutant Blobs Attack is just as enjoyable as its console predecessor, the PS3-exclusive Tales from Space: About a Blob. Absent cooperative multiplayer aside, the game is still amazing.

Even if its multiplayer is a bit generic and bland, Resistance 3 is hands down the best game in the trilogy.

It's not easy to create a worthy sequel to a great game, but Robot Entertainment managed to go around the now-familiar gameplay formula by adding new ways to develop the characters and a very addictive coop mode.

Battlefield: Bad Company is the most enthralling online shooter for consoles to date, and a good role model for many of its PC brethren. While it’s hardly the best multiplayer offering in the Battlefield series, it will be remembered not for the weak single-player campaign or annoying details, but for destructive battles and great sense of humor.