If you’re a racing fan, Pro Race Driver is a no-brainer. It was everything you want, and even though the story seems a bit hokey, it’s tolerable and doesn’t break the game. Worthy of a test drive at the very least.

While many may miss the always-around-the-next corner, full-force police chase excitement from Need for Speed Most Wanted, Need for Speed Carbon still provides an adrenaline speed-rush with the spectacularly exhilarating drift racing down the curvaceous canyon roadways.

War has never been so compact and accessible.

What you should take away from everything above is that Max Payne 3 is a worthy sequel to the Remedy Games originals. Max's monologues aren't quite as faux-serious (and are instead depressingly serious) and the cover mechanic will certainly be an adjustment for fans of the first two games, but there's a lot of action, challenge, twists in the story, and plenty to do after the credits roll that Max Payne 3 gets high marks indeed.

The game is average-looking but the sound is nicely blended into the action, which is what the music should be – an addition to the game not a detraction.

FIFA 14 shows off what lies ahead for the series on the PlayStation 4. While it's first effort on the next gen consoles falls short in several areas, it still makes a great first impression and leaves me excited for the next iteration of the series.

There is a lot to do and you'll get every penny's worth.

If you liked the original, there's nothing here you won't fall back in love with. It's a true sequel in the sense that it builds upon what was great in the original and fixes up some of the bad. For those that weren't exactly excited with the first one, I urge you (as I did) to give this one a try. You just might be shocked at how much you like it (sorry for the bad pun).

There have been some new areas and psychos, and weapon combos added, the photography feature from the original returns, and deviations from the original Dead Rising 2 story line (or at least how the events are experienced), but it's all instantly familiar, which makes it easy to recommend for those that appreciated the past meatl-- Dead Rising games.

There's no questioning the fact that Battlefield 3 brings a lot to the table. It's visually stunning and mechanically very sound in terms of gameplay. The shortcomings that are present, however, keep the game from reaching true perfection.

Uncharted: Drake's Fortune is a gorgeous game. But it's heartening to realize that they seem to have spent just as much time making sure Uncharted is fun.

Although there are all kinds of these games out on the DS, this one is definitely worth your time.

While all this isn't revolutionary Sims gameplay, at least a few new under-and-above-the-sea and on-the-beach gaming elements provide more than the standard expansion Sims pack offering.

Some will be disappointed by the fact that MW3 is not a drastic departure from previous iterations of the series and that is a very valid criticism. MW3 still offers so much content and still proves to be one of the best online experiences around. MW3 is a game that will certainly keep you busy until next year's release.

The game is not perfect but it's extremely well done overall.

TellTale has been using and refining the same engine over multiple games and there are still some really awful bugs. Not game breaking by any means, but when non-interactive character models appear, stock still, in the middle of a room it breaks my focus on the story

Tekken 6 might not be as rapid as something like the blink-and-you-die that Street Fighter has become, but it's fast enough to provide a challenge (especially for one without an arcade stick) and completely crush the causal button masher.

All in all, the care put into Starhawk definitely shows – but the amount of things that were left on the drawing board or out of the concept phase shows as well. A few tweaks to the combat, vehicle, and piloting system would have made huge steps into making this the premier game of the year as opposed to just the pretty darn good game that we got.

Kudos to the developer for the fact that the game ran trouble free without a patch—only the third game I’ve played in the last month for which that was true.

With plenty of hours of casual gaming fun and a variety of modes that range from stress-free, go-at-your-own-pace, to timed arcade to mind-teasers, Chainz Galaxy is a very good puzzler that borrows from its Tetris inspiration while bringing a new element to the classic "connect three-or-more colored shapes/items" gameplay.

The worst part of Brütal Legend is that the single-player portion of the game feels like training wheels for the multiplayer part. Granted the training wheels of Death have 7 chrome exhaust pipes, are covered in blood, and hum Def Leppard's "Rock of Ages" while smashing through a landscape of battered rock album ruins and occasionally spewing flames, but training wheels nonetheless.

Space Invaders Extreme is a great retro redux of the original, bringing memories flooding back front and center to the conscious of those old enough to remember throwing many, many coins into Space Invaders cabinets back when arcades were where all the hardcore gamers fed their gaming addiction.

Rally fans should have already grabbed this, but I’d even go as far as to challenge non-racing fans to take Dirt for a spin – the challenge of trying to master any given stretch of beautiful road is made compelling enough to try again and again.

Pure is an enjoyable racing game even when an attempt to squeeze in one more stunt results in a pin-wheeling ragdoll rider and dropping a couple of positions. The visceral appeal of driving really fast and performing all manner of impossible gyrations is strong enough to make Pure a gotta play title.

Takes the Sims series in a new and good direction.

Bandai Namco did a great job with Soul Calibur IV creating an excellent fighting game for both casual players and technical masters.

Lowbrow humor aside, Raving Rabbids still succeeds in being a far more compelling party game than a lot of its competition on the Wii.

It doesn't have the same high quality of the "NBA Street" series due to the more urban roots of street basketball versus street football, but for a good adrenaline rush of smash-mouth football, look no further than NFL Street 2.

If you enjoy sports-gaming league micromanagement like only EA can provide, along with amazingly solid soccer offline or online via Xbox Live, you'll get your kicks with FIFA 07.

Witcher 2 is a throwback in a lot of ways to old PC games, which certainly appeals to me. The delivery method is modern, no doubt, but the fact there's a lot of poking and prodding (and death) that happens even early on has me anxious for another instalment.

These puzzles thankfully improve on the last episode's heavily unbalanced array of mostly bewildering conundrums. And after a not-so-funny fourth episode, the fifth raises its rib-ticklers to previous levels of hilarity.

The action is compressed and more intense than the regular game. But that compressed action, although more intense, means you'll zip through the single-player campaign in short order -- about 6 hours.

Playing off the huge popularity contests on television that has everybody that watches them dreaming of that being them on stage being adored by millions, the Sims 3 provides that same level of daydreaming-of-stardom to individual Sims 3 players with The Sims 3 Showtime Limited Edition.

All things considered, I'd choose NHL 2K7 as the "champ" this year for hockey on the Xbox 360. But NHL 07 is close behind.

However, despite the story and characters being a bit dullish and uninteresting, GTA gamers are given a definitive reason to see this three-part story to its conclusion with the core GTA gameplay – replete with the standard vehicle manslaughter opportunity gamers have come to know (and in many cases love) ? remaining as gratifyingly volatile and as ever.

After so many years in development, it's kind of a relief to finally play Alan Wake and it was worth the wait.

The new races added to Age of Wonders already fantastic fantasy world and a host of customizable campaign and level editors means that fans of turn-based strategy will never have to play the same missions twice.

Ratchet & Clank: Quest for Booty is short, beautiful and is perhaps just enough to tide you over until next year.

Some gamers may argue over whether Tiger Woods is better than "Hot Shots 3," but one thing is for certain: the gap in quality between the two games has certainly been narrowed to the point where they’re just about even.

Plays a lot like a series of great chess matches with tons of new variables to learn.

Broken Age - Act I snaps closed just as things are heating up with a twist that I thought I'd figured out but then there's another twist that has me anxious for Part II. I haven't felt this kind of anticipation since LOST — I need to see what happens next!

For $29.99, Mortal Kombat Komplete Edition is great value for the high-calibre fighting game that Netherrealm Studios (and High Voltage Software) has put together. Highly rekommended!

Gameplay additions this year feature just a few new components – driver ratings, the Adrenaline Meter, adjustable car handling – and they really turn out to be tweaks instead of innovations.

A good solid driving pick-up.

Red Faction Armageddon isn't the best third person shooter game, but if you enjoy blowing things up, then this is the game for you.

Besides being accessible to just about all ages -- my 4-year old had no problems, though he finished Lego Batman 2: DC Super Heroes without much help so maybe that's not the best yardstick to measure "accessible" -- it's inoffensive, provides a middlin' challenge, and it's fun to watch and play (if it comes down to it.

A ridiculous variety of games coupled with hundreds of Easter eggs and other bells and whistles. It is easily the best such collection to come along yet.

If one were to describe EVE Online, the most accurate description possible would be "boutique MMO." It's not aimed at the WoW crowd. It's not trying to steal market share from the behemoths. Yet it has enough of a stable player base to elevate it beyond merely cult status.

A solid title that will appeal to those looking for a more realistic fighting game.

In the end, Fable is a really good game. It doesn't live up to the promise of "Project Ego," but, really, who cares?

Despite the disappointing exclusion of Burnout’s Crash mode, which in my opinion really was one of the franchise’s significant features, and a somewhat surprising lack of online multiplayer, you’ll still find your burning desire for hot racing satiated by Burnout Dominator, although it’s certainly not as dominating on the hot virtual asphalt as its predecessor, Burnout Revenge.

But with a strong story (a hallmark of all three episodes) a refreshing setting change to the carnival grounds, and a starring role for Gromit, a few stumbles (especially at the end of the game) aren’t enough to trip up Muzzled! as the best of the three episodes yet.

It’s wicked bloody fun with a group even with the slight detractors.

It’s goofy fun and for $10, it’s what every arcade sports fan has been waiting for.

The collected cutscenes are funnier 100 times over than an episode of "Friends" and on par with "Monty Python" for being off-kilter.

While it definitely has a "something borrowed" gameplay and visual style, and a instantly forgettable, brief single-player mode, its invigorating and intense Xbox Live multiplayer at such a well-worth-it bargain price provides gamers more than enough incentive to enlist into Section 8: Prejudice's call of duty.

After a slow-paced beginning, Baddest of the Bands finishes with an encore performance that rock and rolls past Episode 1 and settles right behind Episode 2.

The game's soundtrack is honestly the best I've ever heard in any game that uses orchestrated music. The composition is sheer brilliance!

More, more, more. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 has more of everything from the original: more characters and costumes, more stages, more modes available already on the disc, simply more fighting possibilities than ever starring some of the most popular Marvel and Capcom characters.

It isn’t as much fun to play as Muzzled!, but The Bogey Man’s surprising puzzle-structure improvement and the usual cinema-quality story and cut-scenes do provide a good-but not-quite-satisfying ending to the first season of Wallace & Gromit’s Grand Adventures.

This compilation pack may not be a recommended title for beginners because it is so complex.

Even with a few shortcomings, Fuse is a terrific game and hopefully it gives rise to a franchise.

RS is a great teaching tool, but your experience is going to depend on how committed you are to learning guitar. RS won't turn you into a shredding Jimmy Hendrix overnight, but if you commit to practicing each day you're going to see results. Even if you're an experienced guitar player, you're probably going to find something to like in RS.

Crysis has been on the receiving end of a lot of hype for quite some time now, so there has been tons of pressure for the game to perform well. By and large it has. It looks very good, and the gameplay is solid with some fun new tweaks thrown in.

Fisher never wanted to come back to Washington, D.C., and resume his Splinter Cell lifestyle, but with a very good (although short-lived) and very good-looking single-player story along with another strong co-op mode (both offline and online) gamers will be more than pleased with Fisher’s stealthy combat return.

Just what the witchdoctor ordered: no matter what supernatural doppelganger – from the scary to the mysterious to the mischievous ‑ gamers choose, there is ample magically macabre monstrous adventures to explore in the eerie enclave of Moonlight Falls.

All in all, Need for Speed: Most Wanted U is the standout game on the Wii U for racing, and probably one of the better games available on the console right now. It does have some faults, but is still an excellent example of the Need for Speed universe.

It’s one of the most unique strategy/sim titles to appear on a console in recent memory, and fans of those genres should definitely consider giving it a look, however old they are.

Some objects in the environments look aliased and you’ll occasionally see some texture pop-in problems as well.

This is one war worth repeating.

Despite that engine tune-up that does improve some of the realism through the player physics, Madden NFL 13 plays relatively the same as its close predecessors.

An undeniable solid gaming experience that should be in the library of hardcore strategy fans. Any failings are mostly made up for in Empire’s shear depth.

With basically the same gameplay and modes found in its other next-generation counterparts (sans the upgraded visuals and online gameplay) but with the added bonus of the brilliant Wiimote swinging controls, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07 comes up aces and eagles.

An improvement over its predecessor and is maybe even more fun.

Tekken 6 may not be completely what I was hoping for, but it is a very solid entry to the series. Being able to fight others online is reason enough for any Tekken fan to make the purchase and newcomers will be treated by being introduced to a great game.

Manhunt is sick, but it deserves both the success, and the revulsion it receives.

If you imagine a game where you have the starring role in a "realistic" Roger Moore/Timothy Dalton-era James Bond flick, with more emphasis on shooting things that move and less on scoring with sultry women, then you have a pretty solid idea of what Modern Warfare 2 is all about.

The wave graphics are solid; the soundtrack is marvelous; and, most importantly, the game play is tight and intuitive.

Something that I believe the RPG genre on the PS2 really needs: a hardcore, difficult RPG that appeals to the gamers that grew up playing the classics on the SNES.

It’s not without minor flaws, but overall, it’s a really satisfying experience that broadens the horizons of console gaming.

Another negative aspect that many seem to overlook is that Gears of War doesn't sway very far from traditional action/shooter standards; there's not a whole of innovation here.

It’s a cool setting filled with all sorts of small touches that show due care and attention paid to the fiction Irritional created and the closing 20-minutes are powerful, even if the player does little except get an extended “explanation” but I'd dispute the notion that this is somehow the pinnacle of video games because there's enough that's simply average, like the actual layout of the levels (aside from sky-lines), that those making this claim are simply seeing something that isn't present in this dimension.

The action is fast, and furious, it looks damn good, and the adventure is a whole lot of fun thanks to how it embraces Greek mythology. Top notch.

In the age of the fantasy sports league craze, football fanatics with time to play their GBA during their daily on-the-go activities will want to get Maddened, especially with the addictive Season Mode.

There are still chills and thrills to be found in ProStreet’s more organized “underground” racing series, though, as the racing action still very much fills the need for speed for racing gamers.

Pure is an enjoyable racing game even when an attempt to squeeze in one more stunt results in a pin-wheeling ragdoll rider and dropping a couple of positions.

StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm offers a challenging campaign, plenty of story and character to consider, and much in the way of production value that few other games can match.

After installing SE4G my addiction has gotten worse.

I recommend Pirates for those that are looking for something more than a straightforward hack and slash game – something a little more engaging.

At the end of day, it's a new God of War game that hits most of the high notes we have experience before, with a few new mechanics.

This is the only Zelda game I can think of that used experience points to level-up. Other than that, you're dealing with a typical (and engrossing) Legend of Zelda experience.

What seemed like a worthless waste of effort by the EA Black Box development team in daring to take on the mighty Tony Hawk skating franchise turns out to be completely worthwhile as the new kid skating around the block is anything but a wannabe poseur.

It's a fun game that is unlike anything else really on the Wii right now so go pick it up and give it a slash.

While somewhat mysteriously a new developer was employed for the if-it-ain't-broke-don't fix-it Crackdown 2, thankfully all of the volatile fun that made the original game such fun for the orb-collecting Xbox 360 denizens makes the return trip to Pacific City.

For some reason I felt it was important to play this "final" chapter of the Metal Gear Solid series - mainly to see what all the fuss was about - and I have to admit that I did have fun with the game even without a background rooted in MGS lore.

If you’re a fan of the genre and you’ve got a friend who wants in on it too, then I really can’t think of any good reason not to grab this one immediately and dive into it.

Provides an excellent source of platforming at a very moderate price tag. There can’t be enough good said about this title as it serves as a remake of one of the early titles that changed the face of gaming forever.

For more casual players, the simple repair and customization interfaces serve up a crash course in the intricacies of the sport, but many may find the inability to race against computer generated opponents a drawback.