The missions are a neat addition to the series but the game truly shines when you get into the single games - with the wide array of scenarios that you can choose from and small settings you can tweak, you'll be playing different games for a long time to come.

Tomb Raider delivers a slick, fun time with plenty of collectibles, great action, and an excellent main character.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is far and away the best of this one-of-a-kind series.

Geometry Wars started out as a bonus mini-game inside Bizarre Creations' last flagship title Project Gotham Racing 2 - and while this new version has much improved graphics, you can still play the classic version as well.

While the career mode's lack of difficulty is disappointing, those looking for a challenge will still have plenty of that from the well-made online modes. Fight Night Round 3 is most definitely a winner.

Bastion's a great little RPG but above and beyond genre, it's one of the best-looking, best-sounding (despite the pointless narrator), best-playing games you'll download this year and a total bargain at 1200 Microsoft Points.

DiRT 3 is not a perfect game and a couple of patches will likely fix my biggest issues with the PC port, but none of the problems will really matter too much for rally fans that have been disappointed in the last few years' worth of rally game releases.

Either way, if you enjoyed most GTA games but felt like Liberty City Stories was just missing a few too many features, then you'll really get into GTA Vice City Stories.

With some tweaks, I think that EA has a hit franchise on their hands here with skate.

The end result is simply that Warhammer Online is a big deal for those who want to kill other players, but may be ho-hum for those who want the most compelling, charming, content-filled fantasy world out there.

Overall, Days of Ruin is a fitting sequel to the popular Advance Wars franchise.

For those that dig Shatter's depth and style, the rabbit hole goes pretty deep: it offers plenty of strategy with its vacuum system, and the variety of levels and smooth graphics, sound and music make for a great value for many gamers at only $7.99 on PSN.

The immense quality of the track selection in DJ Hero 2 gets you by with a pretty solid score this year, FreeStyle and Activision, but that isn't going to last forever.

It's a solid add-on, especially if you don't care for the engineer and would just rather have solid FPS gunplay over the high-tech gadgets. It's not perfect, but the launch did go smoothly and it's a blast to play.

The relatively short playtime and lack of new music or any major Hollywood voice talent are all a letdown, but the gameplay is great and the imagination that went into the Madgod's world really makes this expansion pack shine.

While it doesn’t innovate that much, it adds just enough and gives you a more than satisfactory amount of new areas to explore to make it a worthy sequel.

I find that Aggressive Inline is definitely one of the greats, and that it raises the bar for the genre. It's not revolutionary like the first THPS was, but it certainly offers higher replay value and more crazy places to trick from than any other game of its kind.

As I said at the beginning of this review, all of this is great as long as you actually enjoy the game's mix of arcade and sim racing. If that's not your kind of game, then Project Gotham Racing 4's many gameplay modes and unique features might just pull you in long enough to hook you.

Any fan of the genre owes it to themselves to give Ni no Kuni a try, but I won't go so far as to guarantee that you'll love this game even if you've hated past JRPGs.

UFC 2010 is an absolute knockout of a game and despite a few minor disappointments, I can wholeheartedly recommend it to pretty much anyone that's even remotely interested.

Overall, Guitar Hero 3 is a mixed bag. While it is a lot more of the same from the past, it also has some issues. The battle modes can be slogged through, but do get annoying quite often. The ramping up in difficulty may turn some players off too.

Aside from these small issues, though, Tatsunoko’s one of the best you’re going to find as far as current fighting games go, and is without question the best available for the Wii.

With the new melee action gameplay and a brute-force approach with dozens of arenas, characters, mutators, and options, there should be enough here for any online gunslingers to just go crazy with.

Fight Night Champion may be the best boxing game I've played, but with competition from all sides in this rekindled fighting genre, this franchise is starting to look and feel a little like the sport it represents: increasingly outdated and out of style.

It essentially puts a PS3/360 game in the palm of our hands.

City of Heroes is a great MMORPG with solid, fun gameplay and a style all its own. It doesn't seem like high level players have much to look forward to, but time will tell if new and exciting stuff will open up for them.

There are a metric buttload of Pokemon to catch and you'll be hard pressed to finish everything this game offers in under 100 hours, much less 150 or maybe even 200.

Irrational Games' SWAT 4 delivers an interesting first person shooter experience that rewards superior tactics and patience above all else.

The only thing that really irritated me while I played were the swimming controls – they just don’t feel right. Otherwise, this is an excellent game that you should, at the very least, rent and play through once.

Hotline Miami is difficult and violent, but it's not aggravating when you lose, and it's very rewarding when you win.

Guitar Hero: World Tour has some interesting pluses - the drum kit is excellent, and there are a few gameplay perks to be found here and there. But to me the touch panel on the guitar is a bust, the mic is still wired (even though that Microsoft karaoke game Lips figured out how to do a wireless mic), and the game is rather light on content both before and after you're sick of the on-disc set of tracks.

In the end, Dead or Alive 4 is to fighting games what Halo 2 was to first person shooters.

Buy this one without hesitation, especially if you haven't played it before.

It still doesn't recapture the magic of the Dreamcast original, but Soul Calibur IV is still a great game with many hours of solid fighting action to offer.

There's nothing really like Forza Horizon out there right now, as the wide-open world to explore and solid handling of the Forza franchise come together beautifully. Yes, Playground and Turn 10 had to compromise on what feels like a rather hefty list of features and selling points in order to make Horizon a reality on Xbox 360, but the relatively few new things this game includes add up to a massive impact on how it's played and enjoyed.

It seems doubtful that this port of an already inhospitable game will make many new fans, especially with the kind of treatment it got in the conversion to PC, but there will be some that will swear by it as one of the best games made in a very long time. If you think there's any chance at all that you'll be one of those people, then you owe it to yourself to drop the cash and find out.

Peggle is probably the biggest surprise game of the year for me so far. Normally, I avoid PopCap stuff because it is so simple and makes me want more 15 minutes in. Peggle, however is different – while it is simple and seems to not offer much on the surface, there’s a whole other game buried deep within for the hardcore gamer.

It's still a wonderful, hugely fun game, because the fan service and foundation of its 3-on-3 fighting action is very sound.

This game has little to do with Everquest, but it has everything to do with simple hack and slash action and plenty of features to keep you coming back.

The mixture of both story-based and open-ended gameplay comes off with a decent effect, and while the interface could have used work in some areas, it is great in others. Throw all this in together with a fun multiplayer mode, and we have a very good - but not exactly classic - game.

But Guitar Hero 5 is the best game in the franchise yet, and the only thing that'll keep me from playing it six months from now is that I've got so many tracks already bought in Rock Band 2. GH5 is not too little, but it may wind up being too late.

A fun experience. However, don't come into it expecting a pure platformer – there are multiple RPG elements here that can interrupt the flow a bit. The whole 3D flipping aspect, for example – it is a neat idea, but I feel it could have been better implemented.

The game is simple, addictive, and fun, and the way the track moves and shakes to the beat of the music will keep your attention much better than most casual games.

Dead Rising is not for everyone, as it does include tons of violence and gore, but the sheer number of possibilities in this game make it a wonderful addition to almost any Xbox 360 owner's library.

The Elder Scrolls 3: Bloodmoon is a fine expansion for an already excellent game; it strives to push the Morrowind gameplay system to its limits, adds new good/evil options to quests, and supplies a fully-detailed new island to run around on.

Boom Blox is a fun game. It's probably one of the better Wii games out there right now for gaming parties with your casual-gaming friends.

In the end, Madden 08 is probably the most realistic feeling football experience ever, for better or for worse.

Virtua Fighter 5's greatest strength is the depth of its incredible fighting. Unfortunately, the lack of online features and not-that-impressive graphics make this one only really worth it if you've already got a PS3 and love fighting games.

Any fan of stealth games needs to pick this one up and try to look past the technical issues to the excellent gameplay and sense of style beneath.

UFC Undisputed 3 is an all-around major improvement over previous games in the series.

Fight Night 2004 makes huge strides compared to EA's previous Knockout Kings games. While there is plenty of room for improvement, EA has done an excellent job making those who want a sim-style boxing title happy.

While Red Faction: Guerrilla offers a revolutionary new feature that lets you disassemble a building piece by piece in an action setting, it only relies and leans on it just enough to make it an important part of the game and not a crutch or a gimmick.

But if you do make the plunge, you will know where that money went, as MK on Vita is a damn good example of how future ports to Sony's handheld should go: dial back the eye candy if you need to, but do not compromise your gameplay or remove features just because it's hard to make them work on a mobile system.

It likely won’t unseat Symphony of the Night as fans’ all-time fave, but its inventive gameplay, outstanding visual presentation, and haunting music—always a high point in the franchise—easily make Ecclesia as good as the series’ DS debut Dawn of Sorrow.

While this one doesn't quite reach some of the stylistic and gameplay-oriented heights of Sands of Time a few years back, this re-imagined Prince of Persia delivers great thrills and plenty of accessibility inside a very pretty package.

Don't be stingy with those MS points; Rearmed is more than worth the tiny hole it'll burn in your bank account.

The new gameplay modes, massive new levels, customizability, and online play all work together to really make this year's game something special on the PC.

As it turns out, main character Cole's abilities are much cooler to wield than your typical electricity-spewing hero's, but it's some of the other goodies packed into this title that give it a real jolt.

For everyone, it's a great deal—for $20 you not only get hours of great entertainment, you get your own little piece of video gaming history.

If you're sick of WoW but don't mind a game that doesn't fully reinvent the grinding wheel, this is most definitely worth a shot. If you're a KOTOR fan who doesn't care for MMOs but wants to see a continuation of the story, you'll find quite a bit of it here with plenty of references to the original game's plot and characters - but be aware that it's not nearly as easy to play this game solo-only as you might like.

Either way, Far Cry 2 should be pretty close to the top of any console FPS fan's list this holiday season.

But this one is a blast to play, and so I give it a hearty recommendation despite having been skeptical all along about the quality of another Treyarch WW2 game.

The various game modes, customizability of Bomberman and the ability to play both online or offline with friends makes for a package that, at the price, can't be beat.

With a hugely expanded perk system, new traits you can use to give your character both an advantage and a disadvantage, warring factions to join or make enemies out of, plenty of new features to dig into, and better dialogue, Fallout: New Vegas is better than Fallout 3 in many ways.

Despite some minor problems, The Movies breaks new ground in the sim genre by putting business elements together with people-sim elements to create a wholly unique experience.

It still needs some work, but I'm very impressed with the end result. If you've got a powerful PC and a desire to bring some real tactics and organization to your team-based FPS fighting, then this game is a must-try. And with no material cost to get started, all you have to lose is the time it takes to download, patch, and give it a shot.

The themed levels are fun, the new game modes add a lot to an already complete franchise and the multiplayer mode is one of the best I've ever seen in a puzzle game.

UFC 2010 is an absolute knockout of a game and despite a few minor disappointments, I can wholeheartedly recommend it to pretty much anyone that's even remotely interested.

While you'll find that the repetitive environments and strange puzzle sections are turn-offs, there's still a fine game here in Devil May Cry 4.

From the perspective of a Metallica fan that already owns a full set of World Tour or Rock Band instruments and wants to play together with friends, the purchase of GH: Metallica is a no-brainer.

Overall, Factions is an excellent package. While players of Prophecies may look at it and see a $50 price tag and complain, the game is truly complete - it isn't just a straight up expansion pack.

This is not a game for Wii Fit-playing soccer moms. However, if you dug Travis' first blood-soaked spree, consider yourself a "gamer's" gamer, or just want to experience a Wii-enabled fever dream, then, by all means, take the Suda 51 express to crazy-town.

In the end, hardcore gamers will find something to love in Spore, even if it's not really what they were expecting.

It's still a wonderful, hugely fun game, because the fan service and foundation of its 3-on-3 fighting action is very sound.

More than any previous Double Fine title, Stacking, with its flawless art direction, unusual gameplay and affecting soundtrack is a one-of-a-kind adventure that story lovers and creative thinkers won't want to miss.

I really do enjoy the game, but you should definitely try out the demo and only spend the cash once you're bored with the other online mainstays on the PS3 and 360. Once you do, you'll find some genuinely good fun and action in Battlefield 1943.

While F1 2010 was a breakthrough game, it was almost by accident, and 2011 goes a long way towards fixing the faults of last year's edition.

With its clever combination of stories and brainteasers, The Diabolical Box has every indication of being merely the second in a potentially endless series of entertaining Professor Layton titles.

As much as I've said over the last year-plus that I actually don't mind the ending to Mass Effect 3, that I found it a bit iffy but not nearly as rage-inducing as it seems the vast majority of players thought it was, maybe the Citadel DLC, which jam-packs five-plus hours of maximum entertainment into its $15 package, is just a better way to end the story.

Just Cause 2 is an amazingly fun game, and while it's not the most well-rounded package, it delivers massive amounts of entertainment in ways that no one's really quite done before.

While Mortal Kombat may not completely overwhelm you with features, it does offer more replayability than recent offerings from other fighting game developers - Capcom included. This game may not quite have tournament-level gameplay depth and that's mostly due to some minor issues with hit detection and the combo system, but this is still the most polished and pro-gamer-worthy MK we've seen in the last decade.

Either way, it's worth picking up if you really dug the original and want more of the same, but if you had issues before, then Warhead isn't likely to address them for you.

While DJ Hero accomplishes a lot in its first iteration, it's difficult to ignore all the opportunities the developers are missing.

I think this game could have used a few more months in development to tighten up the campaign and make it more fun, but at the very least I've found the multiplayer to be very entertaining.

The ten bucks it costs to get into Faster Than Light won't be money well spent for every gamer out there, but if you are looking for a challenging roguelike strategy game with some intriguing ship management and light RPG systems built into it, then you owe it to yourself to check out this game.

With a hugely expanded perk system, new traits you can use to give your character both an advantage and a disadvantage, warring factions to join or make enemies out of, plenty of new features to dig into, and better dialogue, Fallout: New Vegas is better than Fallout 3 in many ways.

As Defcon is almost entirely a multiplayer game, bots are provided but not much fun to play against. The bots have very limited strategy and are fairly easy to defeat. While one can battle a large number of bots simultaneously this challenge by numbers is less appealing than the strategic challenge one can enjoy in the multiplayer modes and hardly prepares you to compete online.

There were some issues to be found here and there, but most of these unscripted bits of broken action make the game better and funnier - even if they are bugs - and make the whole thing an intensely amusing, high-octane action game that makes it seem like the whole engine's barely holding up, but it's generally doing just fine.

It'll probably be years again before Polyphony Digital delivers another Gran Turismo, but I think it's pretty clear what they need to work on: treat all the cars with equal love, give players more options to fine-tune the AI, make driving something to be enjoyed rather than endured, improve all aspects of the online functionality, and re-prioritize all those features into something more focused on fun than a back-of-the-box list.

Tron 2.0 is a great example of a well executed movie-based game that exploits our nostalgia in all the right ways.

Skate 2 does a good job of adding new features and moves while trying to innovate the style and keep everything fun, but there's still a few things missing that could have made it a classic.

In the end, though, Nightfall is the best chapter so far in the Guild Wars package and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who skipped out on Factions or quit shortly after its release.

Buy this game. Now.

Unique objectives keep things fresh.

I still can highly recommend this game to any RPG fan, though – after getting used to it, the combat system will be fun (though frustrating at times) and the game will provide an overall rewarding experience.

Rarely does a game boast this sort of cinematic appeal while actually being fun to play, but Return of the King delivers.

In a game like this, all of the authentic looks and sounds will do you no good if there's no fun to be had in the actual fighting, and luckily UFC 2009 has done a great job.

These are very difficult games to make, almost to the point that calling any freshly-launched MMO "not an instant failure" has become high praise. So, on that note, I can confidently say that RIFT is not an instant failure, and that's already a huge head start over many of the MMOs that came before it.