The fighting system in BlazBlue is the deepest I have seen this generation, and the level of exploration that is possible within the combat is something that is rare indeed.

Definitely the apex of the Assassin's Creed series thus far. The story does a great job of furthering both the historical plot as well as the overarching sci-fi elements of the story (Desmond has a much larger role here), and the game's new structure is refreshing for those who may have found the back-and-forth structure of last year's title to be a bit tedious.

The amazing amount of features and characters included in the game plus the online gameplay make Brawl one of Nintendo's best titles to date. Even those Nintendo fans who are not interested in fighting titles will find this one appealing.

I am truly blown away by how gorgeous this game looks. From every angle and every vantage point, the sprawling, desolate city has been created in vivid detail and the lighting effects help to create a sense of realism to your plight that can even make you feel a little like this event could actually happen.

Replay value is off the map. Steep learning curve, though.

Civilization V keeps everything that makes the series great, makes the game more accessible to non-fans, and overhauls many of the finer gameplay details. Every PC gamer owes it to himself to give this game a shot.

The handheld FPS formula has finally been cracked, and not a moment too soon.

It doesn't push boundaries, but it reminds us all that Mario will always be the king of the 2D platformer genre, even long after that genre has been buried beneath decades of gaming history.

Even though DiRT has a few faults, there is no denying that the game is the most fun you will have with a racer because, despite those faults, DiRT delivers on a level that is something to marvel from rally racers.

Gran Turismo 5 Prologue certainly proved to be worth the hype. I was excited for this game, and when I finally started playing the full version, I was in awe of how amazing this game really felt.

The sheer amount of content in The Lost and Damned is truly impressive considering its modest twenty dollar asking price. With its lengthy single-player experience that provides a good amount of new content, while also shedding light on some of the events of GTA IV, as well as its enjoyable new multiplayer options, it would be impossible to not recommend this title to fans of the series. Hell, the inclusion of checkpoints in every mission throughout the expansion, avoiding the frustration experienced in GTA IV from having to drive back to every mission after failing, is worth it alone.

inFAMOUS: Second Son is a title you need to own. It exemplifies what is to come from next-gen while keeping the game rooted in pure simple fun. I have played several games throughout my career, some have been glorious train wrecks, and then there are a few which scratch the surface of extraordinary. Second Son doesn’t scratch the surface, it blows a damn hole through it, and you will enjoy every time a new hole is made.

The combat is fun, the characters are great, and there is a ton of gaming value shoehorned into this disk. Battlefield: Bad Company 2 is a worthy sequel to the original.

It’s a phenomenal entry in the BioShock saga.

Definitely the apex of the Assassin's Creed series thus far. The story does a great job of furthering both the historical plot as well as the overarching sci-fi elements of the story (Desmond has a much larger role here), and the game's new structure is refreshing for those who may have found the back-and-forth structure of last year's title to be a bit tedious.

Although it has been ported to the DS, Dragon Quest V is one of the biggest RPGs of all time, and it is certainly an adventure worth taking, even if it has taken more than a decade to be released!

Easy online access, fulfilling single-player experience. Fun action with RPG elements makes the hunt for gear in an interesting world a real treat. If you own a DS and you care about quality entertainment, then you need this game.

Competitive types will adore proving themselves superior to their friends while doing all of the above. I think it's safe to say that no matter which type of gamer you are, you'll find at least some aspect of Need for Speed Most Wanted to completely lose yourself in.

If you like South Park you will love The Stick of Truth, plain and simple. It feels like you are marathoning the show, and marathon you will. It’s so hard to put this game down. When I first picked it up, I found myself, literally, playing it for seven hours straight. I just couldn’t get enough of it.

I did have a working knowledge from having played the original, but I needed more than just a refresher. Fans of the series are definitely going to get more than they bargained for with this expansion pack.

With a play time between forty and fifty hours, different difficulty levels, and multiple endings, Persona 4 will keep you hanging on for quite some time.

The story is gritty, the world is engaging, and the sheer scope of choices at your disposal makes for incredible replay value. All those standards aside, the GamePad functionality is where the cool factor lies. There's so much to keep your fingers busy, and the visual design of the interface makes you feel like you're wielding a futuristic, high-tech tablet with apps meant for a covert agent.

These characters are voice-acted so annoyingly well that you almost wish the character would never speak again, just like some of the main characters. The music and talk shows are also great to listen to as you are traveling around. All in all, the sound department is not lacking in GTA V.

There are few racing games that can boast about the pains taken to authenticate the sounds of their vehicles. DiRT is one of those games.

Though The Guided Fate Paradox is a very difficult game, with the danger of being overwhelmed and losing everything you've worked for constantly looming overhead, I can’t get over how streamlined, easy to understand, and enjoyable this particular adventure is.

I loved The Wolf Among Us: Episode 4:. It wasn’t as active as other episodes, but I feel like I finally have a grasp on what is going on.

Death Stranding will not be for everybody. It seems meticulously engineered for a pretty specific kind of nerd. My wife, for example, loves this game, and when she loves a game, she dumps hundreds of hours into it. Me? I merely like this game, and probably wouldn’t invest a bunch of time into it were it not for work. Of course, there will be people who won’t like the game at all; it will feel like a chore to them. Fortunately, it doesn’t take long to determine whether or not Death Stranding is a game for you. I recommend experiencing it in some way, though, be it through a stream or a borrowed copy, because I think it will be talked about for years to come.

The sheer amount of content in The Lost and Damned is truly impressive considering its modest twenty dollar asking price.