Rebellion had the right idea with AvP, but they just didn't fit all the pieces together properly.

Not only has it established a winning cast of characters, and a formula for fun-packed gameplay, its latest title, Ace Attorney Investigations: Miles Edgeworth shows that there are still lots of ways both cast and formula can be effectively improved and expanded upon.

Crime Scene is an interesting game undermined by frequent bouts of poor interactivity.

A thrilling story, inspired new characters and environments, refined gameplay and yes, even the multi-player, make diving back into the Atlantic an easy decision.

Sure, it's all here, but we've seen it before. BioShock 2 manages to pull through with superior action, though, and despite its problems, it still makes for a damn great game.

There are a lot of interesting things about Dante's Inferno. Unfortunately, these positive elements are somewhat undermined by a sketchy camera, an unintuitive right thumbstick control, an excess of unnecessary falling deaths, a series of frustrating timed puzzles, and a default difficulty level that's higher than it probably should be.

For anyone who loves STALKER, it's hard to find a reason not to pick this one up. It offers the same free-roaming first person shooter action we've seen before with its signature foreboding atmosphere and a couple of new surprises.

While much care was taken to create a complex story and extensive artwork to support it, repetitive combat mechanics, tedious level design and exclusionary side quests undermine story and aesthetics, resulting in an uneven RPG experience.

Mass Effect 2 is easily one of the most compelling, exciting and emotionally affecting interactive experiences you’ll ever have.

Mass Effect 2 delivers a story that's deeper than what many novelists are capable of, and its action is better than what most Hollywood directors are creating nowadays. It's an addictive, engrossing experience that many gamers will replay over and over while they hold their breath waiting for the third game.

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.

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.

It's certainly flawed, especially when it's trying to be a third-person shooter, but it also has lots of great ideas. It will surprise you sometimes, but mostly it'll leave you feeling like it could have been so much more.

XBLA and PSN are probably the right place for Matt Hazard to be, but with this entry clocking in at $15, it's hard to recommend it for all of its missed opportunities and ho-hum action. Maybe next time, Matt!

Despite a couple of strange mechanical issues and a handful of bugs, Darksiders is a significant accomplishment, even for a well-established company. For a new one like Vigil to pull it off is impressive indeed.

Sexual overtones or not, there’s never been anything quite like Bayonetta.

It may not be the huge, serious undertaking we’ve generally come to expect from most Square games, but Crystal Bearers is still an entertaining and worthwhile investment (it’s also one of the prettiest Wii games yet), particularly for the more casual FF fan

Despite a few issues with reluctant AI and somewhat clunky platforming, The Saboteur stylishly proves that the genre of open world action-adventure is considerably bigger than GTA.

Shattered Memories is in some ways a true return to form for the series, although with recent news of Akira Yamaoka—whose music and vision has consistently defined the series—leaving Konami, it may be the last true Silent Hill game, period.

Like previous offerings in the revered franchise, it brings plenty of new bells and whistles, but is still a mostly recognizable Zelda game at its core.

I feel bad for Marcinko—if the man really did stop the Cold War from escalating in 1986, he probably deserves a better game than this. Then again, when a man who could’ve possibly saved the world from a fate of mutually assured destruction is being honored with a video game, that may in fact be a dubious statement in and of itself.

I recommend this one only for fans of the movie—and only after the price is cut in half.

The Tekken series of fighting games went a little off the deep end years ago and hasn't really improved the situation with recent revisions, but they do know how to make a slick PSP port with incredible graphics and smooth gameplay.

In essence, what the game may lack in exposition or narrative complexity it makes up for in nostalgic capital, a refined weapons system and a classic Resident Evil feel

If you enjoyed any of the Wii's boarding games, and are looking to take it to the next level, you'll have a trick-fueled blast with RIDE. If you prefer strict accuracy driven by analog sticks and buttons, however, stay far away from this one, lest your frustration finds you impaling your HDTV with RIDE's faux skateboard.

Left 4 Dead 2 contains everything that made the first game great and so much more.

The game is fun enough, most of the time, if made up of content that’s a tad more forgettable than the original.

Whether you've already played the originals, or are yet to discover one of gaming's best action franchises, this one's not to be missed. May the gods have mercy on your soul if you pass it up.

Gratuitous Space Battles isn't for everyone, as its brand of strategy is entirely weighted towards the setup phase - and the execution is almost completely hands-off. Still, the prospect of building your own ships and using your own unique combinations of general strategies and offensive and defensive loadouts is very compelling for anyone who is a sci-fi space battle enthusiast.

NSMBW gets a lot right, nailing the classic vibe while also evolving the series in some interesting ways, but a few flaws keep it from achieving the the sort of classic status enjoyed by Super Mario World and Super Mario Galaxy.

While I generally don’t often gravitate towards ultra-realistic military shooters, Modern Warfare 2 is easily one of my top games of the year.

Modern Warfare 2 deserves to be one of the biggest games this year, but it's still up in the air whether the PC community will let go of their grudges and enjoy this version for the great game it is anyway.

Treyarch did more than an admirable job porting last year's Call of Duty: World at War to the Wii, and with REFLEX they build on that success

It's still a fantastic game, though, and Bioware is to be commended for taking what could have been a tired fantasy setting and injecting just enough newness into it to addict us all over again.

WireWay is a surprisingly entertaining little game. While the main Quest Mode is a bit short at about four hours, the game offers considerable replay value with its Challenge and Versus Modes.

LEGO Rock Band for the DS is ultimately a disappointment, unless you're someone who can't go ten minutes without a Rock Band fix.

While exhibiting a blatant disregard for aesthetics and an almost cavalier attitude toward bugs, Dragon Age is saved by its epic design, exceptional narrative and incredible voice acting.

Frankly, Band Hero could have easily been called Guitar Hero 5 Part 2 and no one would have cared.

Overall, Band Hero on the DS is a step in the wrong direction for portable music games. They've tried to go big on the peripheral front, but in doing so they've excluded a huge chunk of gamers in a wide range of ages.

Overall, though, Rabbids Go Home is a fun, often hilarious reboot of a franchise that desperately needed one.

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

So what does Forza 3 do that no other game like it has ever really done? It's hard to explain, but for me it's a combination of the slick interface, extremely solid racing without a ton of special effects to complicate the experience, the ability to rewind in the single player mode, and amazing-looking cars that all adds up to one of the best racing experiences I've ever had on a TV screen.

While Ratchet and Clank's latest outing would serve as a great starting point for those just discovering the franchise, it's an even wilder ride for longtime fans. The story is packed with surprises, including some shockers about the duo's origins, as well as answers to some longstanding questions.

The lackluster execution could be partially forgiven if Fairytale Fights were an Xbox Live Arcade title. But as a full-priced retail release it feels like a missed opportunity.

I think you'll agree that when you've got guns blazing from four players at once and loot is flying everywhere, Borderlands easily makes up for any perceived shortcomings.

With a reasonable $40 price tag and some solid visuals to go along, this one crosses genres nicely to appeal to both RTS fans and city management-types alike.

This game is made entirely for people who are already fans.

The huge variety of missions, solid story, and great visuals and details make up what I think is the best portable Grand Theft Auto yet.

What's more important is that Brutal Legend is a ton of fun to play and fiercely stakes its claim as one of the most unique, most ambitious titles on the market today.

Regardless, Uncharted 2, despite a few nitpicks, is the best reason to own a PS3. Chasing fortune and glory has never been so much fun.

Anyone thinking of buying this game, I have a better idea--do yourself a favor and set fire to a twenty dollar bill.

As is, it'll likely be adored by those who go out of their way to embrace it, but ignored by anyone intimidated by old school difficulty.

It's definitely a flawed experience, but one that shows a surprising amount of potential and promise for possible sequels.

I really don't understand why so much effort went into making Gran Turismo such a fantastic racer while you're behind the wheel, but so little went into extending that experience when you're not.

The game's biggest flaw is that the gameplay, despite the multi-character approach, feels dated.

Whether you’re going it alone or playing co-op, this one’s a must play.

If you're a PS3 owner who's been chomping at the bit for this one, or even a 360 owner craving more demon-carving action, your day has come—savor it like a fresh kill.

In closing, I have to say that despite the beautiful graphics, it's hard to ignore the game's shallow narrative which fails to take advantage of its rich, original literary source. That said, RPG fans may overlook this marked lack of fictional creativity and the game's few monotonous aspects, to enjoy its considerable hours of solid RPG play.

Whether you're looking to go it alone, check out Halo 3's full suite of multiplayer options, or just see how long you and your buddies can keep the Grim Reaper at bay in Firefight, ODST has something for everyone.

It may not perfectly recreate the whole experience and the selection of machines isn't the most well-rounded, but the action on the table is what matters most and Crave Entertainment most certainly did get that right.

What disappoints me about WET is that the developers seemed to sabotage the fun factor in their own game by insisting on too many video game and film stereotypes.

I've found it difficult to fully enjoy the PC version of Guerrilla because its highly variable frame rate severely hurts the controls and fun factor.

Need for Speed: Shift fills an interesting niche for a gamer looking for a light-hearted action racer masquerading as something serious.

It looks great, it plays great, and depending on how interested you are in playing all the mini-games and collecting all the stuff, you're looking at 40+ hours of fun-packed gameplay.

So right here, right now, I'm saying that everyone who isn't a sworn enemy of the Fab Four should try The Beatles: Rock Band, even if you could never get into them before or couldn't quite understand what some of your more rabid friends could see in them.

The result is an uneven hodge-podge where the ninja concept isn't particularly fresh and where the good bits are undermined by the game’s undeniable issues in the areas of feedback, controls and targeting.

Dirt 2 is an exceptionally well made, accessible racing game. While some hardcore racing fans may not like some of the arcade-style aspects of it, most gamers will be won over by the brilliant graphics and addictive gameplay.

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.

Minor gripes aside, Arkham Asylum is a remarkable achievement both in design and in finally giving Bat fans the game they've been waiting for.

Whether you're looking to fill the Metroid void until Other M arrives, or you're just wondering what all the futuristic female bounty-hunting fuss is about, this content rich offering is not to be missed.

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.

I'll recommend Pinnacle Station to anyone who's been through the game at least once or twice and just wants to eke out a bit more fun before the sequel hits, but completionists or those who didn't fall entirely in love with Mass Effect can safely skip it.

Its stellar design, eye-popping presentation, addictive gameplay and, of course, that very reasonable price tag, make it an easy purchasing decision for anyone looking for an endlessly engaging experience—you might find yourself playing start to finish in a single sitting.

While there's definitely fun to be had in the new game, everything—the story, the environments, the level design, the enemies—feels recycled. Ultimately, even though the new Wolfie is polished, professionally done and has some interesting new elements, it fails to deliver any surprises.

Not only does it do a stellar job of walking new players through what for them could be some overly complex mechanics, it pulls them through the game with an interesting storyline and a satisfying reward system.

Aliens, cowboys, robots, zombies (sorta), and samurais are included and do spice up the experience, but if you really want to crank up the craziness, Bethesda, we'll need some pirates and vikings, too.

Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is a true classic in the realm of fighting games, and Capcom has put together a faithful, fun port at a reasonable $15 price point, and has included just enough modern features to make you feel satisfied - even if you already own an older copy.

However, if you are a fan—and spent as many hours as I did in Wii Sports' virtual bowling lanes—then visiting this Resort is a no-brainer.

King of Fighters XII is just not ambitious enough of a project. If this were a highly successful series with millions of sales, maybe SNK could get away with this middling revival of classic action.

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.

Plagued by shallow, monotonous gameplay and an annoyingly repetitive soundtrack, Science Papa seems to have gone out of its way to fulfill low gamer expectation.

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.

Although this first chapter is part of a larger storyline and of necessity ends on a cliffhanger, it functions well enough on its own to be a satisfying gaming experience.

Despite a couple of minor complaints, Capcom has done a fine job porting SFIV to the PC, and its integration with Games for Windows Live is about as good as I think we can expect at this point.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is just as good as the original game, and its two main characters do a great job of keeping you interested even when the action falters.

If you're a fan of side-scrolling fighting games, you owe it to yourself to get this. And if you're not, this might just be the game that gives you a nice, fresh start to the genre.

But if they can get some online updates through to clear up the more glaring issues and maybe adjust some of the stranger problems that plague online and offline play, this will be the best boxing game ever made. Until then, I don't recommend that you run out and purchase this game just yet.

Ultimately, the game is a solid but flawed first attempt from High Voltage Software at a first person shooter on the Wii.

While certain parts of the game are tremendous fun, Overlord II fails to represent a significant improvement over the first game as lack of player guidance, control issues, collision problems and poor camera control conspire to kill the fun.

What you will get is a solid story that delivers several hours of interesting dialogue and familiar FO3 action - but make sure to explore a little to dig up the rest of what this add-on has to offer.

Rocket Riot is highly original, despite its simplistic design and seemingly trivial action.

It can't be stressed enough how much fans of this franchise will adore this game.

If you've got the controllers already bought and the friends sitting around that are willing to play at least half of these songs either for the first time or in the new, updated way, then by all means go for it. If any of those conditions fail, though, you might want to wait three months for the next major iteration in Guitar Hero.

If you're even remotely interested in games where people shoot things, punch things, walk, run, or drive around - is that just about everything yet? - then you owe it to yourself to check out Prototype.

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.

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.

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.

RAD's return had a lot to live up to, and it mostly succeeds at rebooting a long-loved franchise, delivering a title fans of the original will appreciate, while introducing newcomers to an excellent action game that hopefully sees a sequel.