Volition wrote a more or less coherent story, squeezed 101% out of the "sandbox minigame compilation" concept, improved the physics engine, and finally made a decent PC version, but the end result feels too derivative and forced. The surprisingly short single-player campaign (15 hours if you're not trying to comb an entire map) doesn't help.

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

So EA, what's next on your mind? Need for Speed Drag Racing with only one button – "Continue"?

KTX Software has to draw people's attention to Haunted's original multiplayer modes, otherwise the game's already humble potential will be lost in brainless monster-bashing matches.

FIFA Manager finally made an effort to combat stagnation. Now Bright Future needs to rewrite the game's flawed 3D engine to give Sports Interactive a run for their money.

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.

Despite a few questionable ideas, Dungeon Defenders is an entertaining, fresh, vivid (and I mean literally vivid) game. It lacks the ingenious simplicity of Orcs Must Die, but if you prefer to play with friends, then this is what you want.

Multiplayer is the only thing that makes Revelations worth its price (and if you're still interested in the story, just go watch the ending on YouTube).

Stronghold 3 is boring beyond redemption. The blurb on the retail box should have been written along the lines of "We've run out of ideas, our artists forgot how to draw, and our programmers can't produce stable code anymore, but hey, a long, long time ago we made one really great game!"

The best word describing Gangstar Rio is used in the game as a fictional car brand – "Crapo". Stay away from it, chicos!

It's pretty obvious that a lot of effort went into making of this game, but hold off going to the war in the North until you run out of other, more interesting RPGs and coop-oriented action games.

This game is definitely better than the usual drivel made in the land of bratwurst and Oktoberfest, but being one-eyed in the country of the blind is a dubious honor. The Book of Unwritten Tales is a careful imitation of adventure masterpieces from the days of yore, only, again, without a soul.

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.

Payday is already better than other low-budget multiplayer shooters (Lead and Gold, Killing Floor). It serves as a nice distraction after a hard day's work.

Once again, Gameloft made a compilation of the best moments from other studios' first-person shooters.

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

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.

Shadowgun mimics Gears of War so closely that if it were published on consoles, it would have been immediately branded as a desperate knock-off.

Call of Duty is not just an annual assembly-line product; it's now a digital opposite of imagination, originality and reason.

Pro Evolution Soccer is like Kaka – in mid-noughties it was cherished and loved, but today it's just a pale shadow of its old glorious self.

Treasures of the Sun is a good expansion pack. Too bad that it's attached to a mediocre game.

Despite the promising premise, an original character development system and spectacular finishing moves, The Cursed Crusade will scare away many people in just 20 minutes. The problem lies in poorly-placed checkpoints, stiff controls and overly annoying attempts at realism. Rapidly degrading weaponry is a definite buzz-kill.

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

The only difference between this game and the horrendous Gothic 3: Forsaken Gods is that it's almost bug-free.

This incarnation of Pets is mostly retread of what was introduced in animal-themed expansions for The Sims 1 and 2. The developers simply expanded on some ideas and trimmed a few annoying shortcomings.

Interesting ideas, mediocre execution – it's an all-too common verdict for a game made by a B-list studio.

Helicopter boss is a telltale sign of a trashy first-person shooter. Well, this game has five of them.

Copy-pasted decks and bays, as well as backtrack-heavy mission objectives will test your patience. This DLC adds nothing to the main storyline; it simply demonstrates the atrocities committed by Belltower in the name of surplus profit.

All in all, Heroes 6 is a game worthy of its legendary name.

Even with all its flaws, Nuclear Dawn is a treat for those who wanted a decent FPS/RTS hybrid.

There is a seed of wisdom hidden somewhere deep in Trauma, but it cannot break through the thick cement crust of a poorly executed concept.

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

The best racing blockbuster on PC since Burnout Paradise.

The only serious drawback of this DLC is that you cannot change the outcome of its story.

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.

If Rage were a human being, it would be a jack of all trades, but a master of none. Level design, racing sequences, "open" world, story, quests, characters, dialogue, visuals… id wanted to take a bite from each of these pies, but spread itself too thin, turning everything into mediocrity.

Majesty without a random map generator is like a chicken without a head. I understand that I shouldn't ask too much from a $2,99 title, but randomness is one of the things that make the original Majesty so fun and addictive even today.

This is basically an extended version of the free Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online with a weak single-player mode and a $30 price tag.

A poor FPS combined with an equally weak platformer. The developers must have decided that a minus times a minus equals a plus. Not this time.

Despite a few old-fashioned quirks, Red Orchestra 2 is fun to play. Clean up the bugs, and it will become a nice middle ground for those who are tired of Battlefield, but couldn't fall in love with ArmA.

Do not waste your money on this trainwreck. If you really want to know how it ends, go to the Fallout Wikia and read the article on Ulysses.

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

Shooters like Serious Sam and Painkiller are hard to come by these days. Yes, Hard Reset is full of plot holes, the ending is too silly even for a pulp paperback novel, and there is no blood and flesh – only gear-wheels and oil. But even will all of this, Hard Reset is fun enough if you want to just blow off some steam.

Sengoku offers only political intrigue. You set up a trap, fast-forward time until it springs, reap the fruits of our trickery, then rinse and repeat until you win. And if you're not well-versed in the history of Medieval Japan… well, good luck.

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

If you're interested in The Russian Civil War, pick up Revolution Under Siege. Being an AGEod game, RUS has its share of annoying bugs, but no other title is dedicated to Russia's biggest national tragedy of the 20th century.

I hope that future patches and expansions will fix the game, since right now Sanctum brings only headaches instead of joy.

Dead Island is yet another tombstone upon a grave of excessive ambitions. Our condolences to those who fell for that excellent cinematic trailer – it has nothing to do with the actual game.

Warhammer 40.000 is a glorious celebration of military minimalism. In this universe, they cut off your hands, burn your legs, drown your head in plasma and then ask questions. But the official slogan, "There Is Only War", is not an excuse to make a game without a good story, memorable characters and varied gameplay situations.

The Rockin' Dead looks like a byproduct of someone's failed attempt to master 3ds Max.

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.

Tropico 4 is hardly a full-fledged sequel; it's more of an expansion – utterly derivative, but well-polished – that got its number somewhere in the marketing department.

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.

If you have never played Panzer General, this almost carbon copy of SSI's masterpiece may easily blow your mind.

Distinctive games like E.Y.E. are a rarity these days. Its colorful characters, good dialogue, entertaining non-linear story, and multiple ways to develop the main characters are enough to offset the shortcomings.

It's a modern fairytale with a muddled story, flawed logic and ho-hum graphics. Sometimes the entire thing feels hollow-hearted, but, thankfully, it's not as disappointing as was The Whispered World.

Supreme Ruler: Cold War can quickly become a chore, despite the amount of detail that went into this game.

The final level of the game is a giant trash dump. Very symbolic, because it's hard to find a more suitable place for Dead Horde itself.

The worst thing about Pride of Nations is that it has a much steeper learning curve than Victoria 2.

From Dust feels not as a game, but as a humble experiment. It's almost like Ubisoft is testing the waters before diving in.

Frozen Synapse is no rival to full-fledged tactical strategy games, but it's an ideal time-killer for a lunch break.

Great artwork and inspired writing are not enough to outbalance repetitive battles which really lack in the tactics department.

This DLC is good enough to warrant its $10 price tag and two hours of your time. But it could have been better.

Generations is, without a doubt, the second blandest expansion in The Sims franchise since The House Party.

SEGA could have used its money and influence to elevate Virtua Tennis to the level of EA's FIFA franchise, but, judging by the lack of tangible progress in this installment, I guess SEGA just doesn't care.

All quests, both main and optional, are simple "fetch" tasks. Once in a while, the developers break the routine with forced stealth sequences, but they're not really entertaining – you'll have to crawl through the same corridors five times in a row.

Alice: Madness Returns is a living contradiction, an unholy union of incredible visual flair and ho-hum gameplay.

A more experienced studio could have made lemonade from these licensed lemons and turn the final chapter into a good action shooter. Unfortunately, the team at EA Bright Light had neither time nor experience.

This decent strategy game is bogged down by lots of aggravating mistakes that stem from Colossai's lack of experience with the genre.

The developers promised us an atmosphere of real horror, love, friendships, suspicions, paranoia, but delivered none of these things. This game has no spark, no aftertaste... In fact, it has no taste whatsoever.

Look past the glitz of technical achievements, richly designed sets, ostensibly interactive environments, and you will see the real L.A. Noire – a vapid adventure with a hole-ridden plot, a boring unsympathetic hero, and rough stitches in places where content should be.

Look past the glitz of technical achievements, richly designed sets, ostensibly interactive environments, and you will see the real L.A. Noire – a vapid adventure with a hole-ridden plot, a boring unsympathetic hero, and rough stitches in places where content should be.

Looks like Codemasters really struggled with DiRT 3, piece by piece cutting everything that could have saved this game from going off the cliff.

Who would have thought that this highly ambitious concept would turn out to be such a bland game?

Long before the events of the original F.E.A.R., scientists of Armacham Corporation put Alma Wade into medically-induced coma and enclosed her in a sarcophagus to suppress her psionic abilities. While trying to create an army of clones with superhuman abilities, they twice artificially inseminated her body, but in the end paid the ultimate price for cruelty and greed. Replace Armacham with Warner Bros., Alma – with F.E.A.R., and this make-believe story will become real.

Hunted is one of those action games that fly into one ear and exit through the other without even touching your brain.

In a desperate attempt to stand out in a crowd of silly arcade games, Naval Warfare lost its drive as well as accessibility.

Stainless Games simply retooled the 2009 version in accordance with the latest edition of the original CCG - Magic 2012. Even with all the changes, this game is basically a big glorified DLC, but, on the other hand, it costs only $10, and offers a lot of fun for this kind of money.

It's a pity that Hamilton's Great Adventure never got its 15 minutes of Internet fame, because it has tons of charm and it's very fun to play.

inFamous 2 is so derivative that "2" in its title should have been an exponent. This game navigates the sea of superhero clichés as easily as Cole McGrath slides on tram cables.

Armageddon's visuals are borderline awful, but the primitive gameplay is what looks the worst.

Black Lion took a bite of something that they could now chew – a tactical stealth action game. And instead of a generic by-the-numbers shooter, they spewed out a piece of garbage, complete with poor graphics, amoeba-like AI and a horrendously dumb story.

All attempts to turn Duke Nukem Forever into a fancy scripted shooter look pathetic not only when compared to the Call of Duty series, but even to much cheaper games.

If only Daggerdale could offer fun gameplay, we would have forgiven it for dull story, horrible visuals and buggy multiplayer. Alas, the combat is beyond redemption as well.

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.

Dungeon Siege 3, just as Obsidian's previous game, Alpha Protocol, is an RPG that adds absolutely nothing to the genre.

CreaVures looks really nice... when viewed as thumbnail-sized screenshots in Steam.

Fun and motivation are two things that Hoard lacks most.

Instead of trying to cram everything but a kitchen sink into a low-budget game, the developers should have polished its core concept. Faery could have become a very beautiful, touching fairy tale, but turned into a weird made dish.

It's hard to judge The First Templar by the usual standards, since almost everything here has two sides. Fairly good story, but dated graphics. Interesting combat system – annoying stealth sequences. Big levels – linear corridors. But ultimately, you will be remembering these 10 hours of non-stop swashbuckling with a smile on your face.

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

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

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.

Honest Hearts proves once again that Obsidian is more experienced than Bethesda when it comes to DLCs.

Red River is not a rival to modern high-budget, high-tech blockbusters. It looks worse than Modern Warfare 2 or Black Ops, and you can't destroy the environment like in Battlefield: Bad Company. But, compared to its overly serious predecessor, this game is a real gift.

It took TimeGate two years to make a sequel to Section 8, but they never bothered to fully develop their concept of the orbital assault force. Only the moderate price tag and a lack of decent sci-fi multiplayer shooters keep it from burning out on entry.

The Next Big Thing is an ode to classic Hollywood horror movies.

With Fire and Sword is a definite purchase if you want to play Warband's multiplayer with a Ukrainian flavor.