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.

Sure, there was a new minigame added (a variant on last year’s pitching minigame) but that doesn’t keep this from feeling like I’m playing pretty much the same game that I did last year.

SHIFT 2 isn't quite to the level of the big boys yet, but it's still very much worth your time.

When Dead Island is firing on all cylinders, it's an absolute blast to play, but sadly, this game will have people running into quite a few technical and gameplay-based frustrations before they get even a couple of hours in.

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.

And that is where Charged really shines – the multiplayer arena. Take it online, knock some people around and have a blast.

Assassin's Creed has excellent production values, a wonderful story, and tons of creativity, but it's still seriously flawed. It's certainly not a bad game, but don't expect too much out of the Creed.

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

If you're looking for an exciting romp through impressive-looking dungeons where you smash monsters, get loot, use tactics to win, and level up a lot of fun abilities, then this game delivers that in a way that's more true to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance than it is to either the past Dungeon Siege games or the Diablo series. And if you want something with the kind of wide-open online play that lasts for years, well, you're better off saving your money and waiting for Diablo III.

Take some time to get into Syndicate and you'll discover it's not just another shooter with a pretty Blade Runner paint job.

If you're looking for an exciting romp through impressive-looking dungeons where you smash monsters, get loot, use tactics to win, and level up a lot of fun abilities, then this game delivers that in a way that's more true to Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance than it is to either the past Dungeon Siege games or the Diablo series. And if you want something with the kind of wide-open online play that lasts for years, well, you're better off saving your money and waiting for Diablo III.

Overall, Broken World makes for a good, fun expansion. While I feel that the new skill trees should have been added differently, I don’t see it as anything game-breaking.

With LEGO Pirates, Traveler's Tales didn't really intend to create a pitch-perfect reproduction of the tone and feel of the movies, but even in their crazy cartoon style, you might be surprised at just how much they got right. Adventure gaming fans now have plenty of stuff to choose from, especially with TellTale and Double Fine making pure gold on a regular basis, but I think that the LEGO games are a great choice too, and Pirates might possibly be their best one yet.

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

With LEGO Pirates, Traveler's Tales didn't really intend to create a pitch-perfect reproduction of the tone and feel of the movies, but even in their crazy cartoon style, you might be surprised at just how much they got right. Adventure gaming fans now have plenty of stuff to choose from, especially with TellTale and Double Fine making pure gold on a regular basis, but I think that the LEGO games are a great choice too, and Pirates might possibly be their best one yet.

The combination of free-roaming Manhattan to smoothly swing through, a serviceable (but not wonderful) sequel-to-the-movie plot, and some solid stealth and action to fill out the experience is what makes The Amazing Spider-Man a winner.

The single-player game is fun but manages to end sooner than it should with no possibility for player created campaigns (yet). Multiplayer is also lacking – a play-by-email system would have been a huge help to the game.

Space Marine gets off to a sluggish start and it never really reaches the lofty heights that long-time fans of the tabletop games probably hoped for, but Relic has still done an admirable job in making their first AAA-level action game - and the online play is a definite fun distraction if not entirely unique or long-lasting.

Space Marine gets off to a sluggish start and it never really reaches the lofty heights that long-time fans of the tabletop games probably hoped for, but Relic has still done an admirable job in making their first AAA-level action game - and the online play is a definite fun distraction if not entirely unique or long-lasting.

Despite a few iffy choices and some frame rate issues, this new, fresh version of an FPS semi-classic breathes new life into the classic shooter genre. Even if you didn't grow up playing these games in the early-mid 90s, I think you'll still value the kind of action that Rise of the Triad provides.

Altogether Tales of Valor is an adequate package of upgrades with a few surprises in the multiplayer and single player.

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.

Blue Dragon Plus has a few character movement issues but overall is a fun, easy-to-learn, highly-polished game.

Shadows is certainly not for everyone. Still, it's far more accessible and appealing to the mainstream than Grasshopper's last few games, while remaining super-satisfying for their faithful following.

Shadows is certainly not for everyone. Still, it's far more accessible and appealing to the mainstream than Grasshopper's last few games, while remaining super-satisfying for their faithful following.

The Cognition series is nothing if not consistent. Thus far, all three chapters have delivered bizarre-looking characters and laughable dialog, but more importantly, they've delivered seductively gruesome murder cases and an impressively comprehensive story arc.

If you missed Darksiders the first time or if you just stick only to PC gaming, then this one's worth a shot.

Black Ops does well, mostly due to the sheer amount of exciting and fun multiplayer content, but I've got some serious concerns over where Call of Duty is headed.