Ultimately, Endless Space can be a fun experience, even though I disliked the superficial combat mechanics and the skinny tech-tree. Yet the game's biggest problem is the low replay value, with each game being eerily similar to the previous one, which is not a very bright point for a 4x strategy.

It truly deserves applause for the courage to confront us so harshly with our own character, even if our choices sometimes seem forced or useless. But if it could have found another way, less tiresome and monotonous, to let us get to them, it would have had substantial chances to become a classic.

Ghost Recon: Future Soldier is no exception, and the small unaesthetic or functionality mishaps don't change the basic fact that it's a well-done title, with multiplayer modes that will probably be played long after the campaign credits scroll down your screen.

But yes, I do recommend it to anyone passionate about spatial puzzles that require switching dimensions (and more). Some of its shortcomings, like the platforming sequences, could be regarded as relative, because some people will be better than others at appreciating distances and the moments at which they need to react.

So the bottom line is that, depending on how much you love the franchise, Gods & Kings can be seen as a sum of natural improvements for an add-on or a breath of fresh air for the series as a whole.

But just as its predecessor, it remains a game sentenced to struggle on the line between interaction and presentation, a space where compromises must be made by at least one of the sides, with the game proper still taking the larger hit. Because when it comes to its interaction degree, Alan Wake really doesn't have much more than a flashlight, a gun and, occasionally, a flashbang.

It takes a lot of patience, curiosity and dedication to the A Song of Ice and Fire universe to get over all the problems that undermine the game and enjoy its only quality: the story. Perhaps some fans will feel it's worth the effort, but most RPG gamers will want to skip this disappointing tie-in.

The story is interesting and you get lots of reasons to go through it again at least twice or go for headshots in multiplayer.

Far from being a relic of a forgotten era and way more than an ordinary game where you shoot strangers online, it's a very tough test, one in which you need to have your wits with you. Because Tribes: Ascend is the Zen FPS par excellence.

The difference between Diablo III and II isn't as big a leap as the previous iteration, but again, nobody can say it's a surprise. The modern Blizzard plays it a lot „safer" and they've mastered that art. The final product, however, was lighter than I expected and a lot more shallow in points where I'd hoped for more from one of the biggest juggernauts in the videogame industry.

Similarly to Civilization V, combat elements are the most evolved and those of you who favored that particular battle system will get right down to business, helped a lot by the map's visual familiarity. The positioning of units on hexagons allows for attacks from multiple directions and, just like in the eternal source of inspiration, in the lower left you get an approximate report of a fight together with any bonuses given by unit type or terrain type.

Binary Domain took inspiration from many places, but didn't manage to gather those ideas into a shell that goes beyond a decent coherence; the story is ridiculously clichéd, the dialogues are passable at best and the Trust and voice systems aren't exploited enough to really matter. Just the boss fights are somewhat fun, but ultimately it depends if you have enough patience to face the tons of (s)crap just for the thrill of taking down such huge metallic monsters.

The matter is simple – the game is free to play and, if you take my word for it, an excellent shooter. In a perfect world, it would knock the CoD series on its ass. Of course, in a perfect world its name wouldn't be Blacklight: Retribution and in a perfect world, it would have better ballistics and the graphics would be equally as good on all lanes.

Actually, Bugbear missed pretty much all its marks: destroying opponents isn't as fun as the Burnout takedowns; ruining the city has nothing of the adrenaline and the real danger and satisfaction from Split/Second; drifting is one more stress factor and the decision to dominate races is motivated by the points and not by the thrill of the competition. So while this mix is theoretically perfect, in reality it's just not good enough for you to spend too much time in Shutter Bay.

Even so, Rayman: Origins is the best designed, most accessible, vast, gameplay rich and fun platformer that I've played in a very long time. It's nothing short of a Nintendo A-list (which I still think of as the best platforming game developer ever to have graced the market) and could be the beginning of a beautiful series.

And taking into account that dungeon-crawlers were considered dead and buried, Legend of Grimrock does a very good job of reminding new RPG players why the genre was so popular in the Golden Age.

So Wargame: European Escalation isn't revolutionary, but it can hold its own against current strategy games and has a community with a passion for war that goes beyond history books and Discovery documentaries.

Yet as a finished result and, finally, as a product with an interactive purpose, Alan Wake suffers enough from trying to mix so many influences, ending very close to the "you love it or hate it" model. Eventually, maybe these are just the "pains of childbirth" for something more complex or for something else as deserving as interactivity, a new „species" that needs to be judged less for its interactive aspects and more for the ones that regard its style.

The Darkness II is indeed short, but it does achieve part of its goals: a few fun hours for a rainy spring afternoon, with some interesting characters, a dark story and, most of all, two demonic arms always hungry for beating hearts.

Thus, I can't recommend buying this unless you (still) like the fast pace, the customizable weaponry and the short matches, of about 10 minutes each. With the very important mention that, essentially, nothing has changed.

So after going through John Yesterday's amnesiac adventures three times in the row, the game is a journey with which I really want to be indulgent, although mediocrity follows it every step of the way. It's not a complete mess, but everything it does has already been done by others and much better.

The short duration of the adventure is balanced by the constant number of puzzles and the fact that they had to be designed for solo and co-op play. But the first time you fire up Trine 2, the best way to do it is with patience and taking time to contemplate the scenery.

Ultimately, Revelations leaves behind a bittersweet taste: it's the end of a saga (or two, depending on how you view things) and integrates fairly well in the timeline of the series, but... it's nothing more than a detour that answers a few questions, not an actual step forward.

So that's the story of Mass Effect 3, turned from potential masterpiece into a game sabotaged by greed and the „it's good enough" approach. It's unbelievable how easy BioWare passed over the opportunity for greatness and, despite the sales, I have a feeling that their reputation as great RPG makers is going downhill fast. Especially after this "back to back" performance with the fiasco called Dragon Age II.

It's too short, too small in many ways and way too conventional in a market oversaturated with AAA alternatives. Alternatives which last longer and offer competitive modes, not just a few dozen hours of co-op runs in which you can't point anything out to your teammates unless everyone has a microphone for the game's VoIP.

So in the post-Call of Duty/Battlefield/Team Fortress 2 world of today, Nuclear Dawn will not have an easy time finding a safe place, not only because of the risk it has taken as a genre combination, but mainly because of the work that the FPS side still needs.

It's all a matter of taste, after all. They each provide a certain type of entertainment – when talking about Battlefield 3, it involves a bigger game, more open in its possibilities and more spectacular. But on a longer timeline, less frantic and with fewer Bruce Willis scenes than the mass appeal beast it set itself to dethrone.

Ultimately, whether you like Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning or not depends on what you want from an RPG: a special story and endless hours of reading or spectacular action, tons of items and great hero customization, but at the expense of the narrative.

Though the ending is surprising, in a way, the story isn't the main focus of Batman: Arkham City. Exploring and adventuring come first, you have so much to do that you that the hours just slip by you. Yes, the boss fights are probably too easy, the narrative too short, the framerate goes down on occasion and not all the players will appreciate searching through every nook and cranny to find trophies. But it's all up to you and Arkham City offers a variety that not a lot of new games have nowadays.

Even so, Anno 2070 is one of the best titles released in 2011 and without equal when compared to other games in the genre. The three defining elements of the series (alongside the almost infinite replay value) – urban planning, commercial routes and opponent interaction – are now more complex.

War in the North is a hack and slash with some RPG elements and co-op, all assembled around one of the most beloved media licenses today, but with all this going for it, it simply doesn't manage to stand out. Sadly, it's just another product that tries to blend some popular elements, but with no true support or personal identity.

Ultimately, Skyrim is a spectacular game. Huge, full of rewards and things to see, read and do. Still, the "console friendly" approach did leave its mark and the technical problems, coupled with some excessive simplification don't bode well for Bethesda's reputation.

Overall, Disciples III: Resurrection is an expansion that features plenty of turn-based gaming hours, but these come bundled with technical issues and a couple of design choices that get more and more annoying as you progress through the campaign.

World of Tanks is a nice alternative for anyone who is passionate about armored mayhem, with a good mix of fun and strategy to meet every gamers' expectations. The large number of vehicles, the customizing possibilities and the variety of equipment will please every action and strategy passionate. It all depends on how willing are you to grind your vehicle into the upper Tier, how much can you stand a faulty matchmaking system and disregard the curiosities of Clan Wars, but overall I can only recommend the game as a solid product.

Dungeon Defenders is quite addictive, but after you spend enough time, this attribute dilutes its fun factor, turning what was initially a tactical advance and collaboration effort into a repetitive farm meant to improve your attributes, gear and obtain achievements and mana.

If you've never played Heroes though, the current installment isn't that bad: 50 campaign hours, Hot Seat to keep my friends close, online multiplayer and many customization options. If the bugs are solved and the designers actually listen to the criticism, the next game will gain more favor.

The Run bragged about revolutionizing the NFS series with an enticing story and memorable gameplay. Unfortunately, the story was better off missing in action and the only things that are memorable from the gameplay are its shortcoming: no freedom of choice, no Free Roaming, no Replay, no cockpit camera, no choice of races in multiplayer.

The humor never gets tiresome or done poorly, which, if you're asking me, is pretty rare in the array of overused jokes in the recent mainstream market. Another memorable advantage Orcs Must Die! has is the pretty good replay value, guaranteed by the presence of a score and global ranking tab, aside from the achievements that require finishing the game on Nightmare or getting a five star rating (or skulls, in the game's visual grammar) on each map.

So despite the odds being stacked against it, Eidos Montreal accomplished the impossible and brought us a Deus Ex in the true sense of the word, probably the best one that we could have hoped for considering the current "requirements" for being commercially successful nowadays.

Dead Island has plenty of reasons to be likeable: a satisfying duration, enough freedom and interactivity to create addiction and enough potential to become a classic. And although it isn't what the elitists would call a mandatory title, I think it's infectious enough for me to pull my friend's sleeve to buy the game too.

The Shift ability is the element that makes Driver: San Francisco an interesting game. No matter how stupid the idea behind it is, the possibility to use any car (not just those affordable to you) gives huge freedom. And mixed with varied missions and a good multiplayer, but with a crippled AI and some control issues, Driver manages to revive not only the cop, but also a series that almost no one believed to be viable anymore.

All in all, Space Marine captures the essence of the Warhammer universe: huge, classic factions and their infinite fight for control, the weapons and the power of the high tech future.

Unfortunately, The Cartel was rushed to the market with at least 6 months in production. If it stayed in development for at least a while longer, it could've used to the maximum potential the cooperative campaign offered and all the interesting competitive elements. But the way it is now, it only misses the mark on all the design elements that could have ensured it a good place in the genre.

Even if Bastion is short (just a few hours, depending on how many challenges you're keen on passing with a gold medal rating) it's one of the few games in which the New Game+ (rewinding the whole adventure but keeping the endgame resources) was just as much fun as the first playthrough. The content might be identical, but you've probably missed out on a few platforms the first time around, so you'll have the opportunity of discovering them and testing out your untapped weapons as well.

Even if it's short and single-player only, From Dust has at least one statement to make: that there are still special ideas around. Not necessarily perfect, due to the control and pathfinding issues that will annoy the not so patient players, but with a huge potential to evolve in totally new directions.

Timeline that, to be honest, will be quite short. An hour, maybe two. That's if you don't want to get all 13 achievements, in which case you'll most likely need more than one playthrough.

It's true that the soul trees offer outstanding flexibility for character development and the rifts bring a welcome sense of insecurity into Telara's everyday life, but for some players this simply might not be enough.

A platformer, a rare sight nowadays, has to be technically perfect, otherwise it shoots itself in the foot because this kind of gameplay is essentially repetitive. The same thing goes for the puzzles (too easy ) and fights. Still, the game catches you in its crazy universe enough so you really want to see if Alice remembers that faithful night and if it really was somebody else to blame or it was her that gave life to a criminal fantasy…

There are other shooters that offer more, but I do know one thing: Gearbox, now free of the DNF burden, will now be free to create a new Duke, a better one we hope.

The design ideas are great, but the implementation resulted into a lackluster story and boring missions in limited levels, coupled with intense, but ultimately boring fights. There's loads of adrenaline, but no consistency to maintain the motivation level up, an aspect partially visible in the multiplayer too. But even so, for a serious chunk of mayhem and destruction, the end of the world has really come to Mars.

We've got visuals, lots of cars and challenges for any type of gamer, from the casual ones to the genre aficionados. Races are varied enough and one can find interest in Gymkhana too, even if tricks aren't your main go. If the producers had paid more attention to the sound and music, the overall package would have been even better than it already is, gameplay-wise.

Just like Din's Curse, Demon War is fun, but I still recommend it in small doses. The action tends to get repetitive after 4-5 towns and, if you're no collector of sets and rare items, you won't find many interesting rewards in the idea of endlessly killing brainless monsters; not to mention that the dynamic side of the world can frustrate less patient players. So if you don't get along with the idea that in a game you get random, uncontrollable events that are out of your influence (just like in real life), then Demon War won't keep you interested for too long.

It's true that fights are maybe too simple, the GUI a bit awkard at first and the difficulty will kill you, so you need a little patience until the game is released from its shackles. And when it is… dark and loving, brave and treacherous, Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings offers almost everything you could want from a fantasy RPG.

Fable III proves to be a pretty unstable mix, with good visual value, but an excessive simplification of the gameplay. You might get to finish it once and then go on with any remaining secondary missions. Still, there's no life after that; the fights are boring, enemies stupid and the story too thin.

Even though With Fire and Sword can be considered a mod for the original game, it does bring some nice features. The firearms are well integrated in the gameplay, the economy is a lot livelier, and the graphics update is a welcome addition. However, there is still need for balance, particularly in the case of the sieges, and I cannot understand why some fun aspects of Warband were left out, so I fear that many players will go back to the original game, once the fascination for firearms has ran its course.

However, all of this comes under the unpretentious cover of a very self-conscious price: 9,99 Euros. And thanks to it, you can't really hold the length against Anomaly, because cost-efficiency didn't get left out. So I can only encourage its purchase if you're into sweet small deals with sweet small prices in sweet small packages.

For those who never played a Warhammer 40K : Dawn of War 2 title, Retribution is a very good introduction, giving access to all six factions and an improved multiplayer mode, from a technical standpoint. For the veterans, however, the novelties may be a bit too superficial and the campaigns may disappoint those who appreciated Chaos Rising.

In the end, it's a decent game, but with a pretty steep learning curve, one that only true fans and yoga practitioners can handle on the long term.

The mix of turn based strategy (with economical, political and diplomatic ramifications) and real time battles is still wonderful, but the need to balance timing and aggression is more important than ever. Aggressive players will feel a little cheated, while diplomats will hate Realm Divide stage. Still, Total War was always about realism and the AI's scripted actions make logical and historical sense.

The very short duration and lack of multiplayer were the most important shortcomings signaled by the community regarding its predecessor, so Portal 2 came to directly solve these problems, while at the same time further evolving the gameplay that was so beloved by millions of fans. If Portal was an experiment, a child who didn't know if he'll reach adulthood, Portal 2 can be seen as the teen years of the series. And if the evolution will continue in the same manner, I can't wait to see what it will look like when he'll be all grown up.

Although you can't say that it's an impressive evolution compared to Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood is without a doubt a more polished version of its predecessor, and the introduction of a captivating multiplayer has turned it into the best game of the series yet.

Ultimately, Dragon Age II will be judged depending on the player camp: RPG veterans will throw it away, while casual gamers will find themselves at home in this simplified world. Because Dragon Age isn't necessarily a bad game, it just fell victim to the money grab started by the success of Origins, with all the negative things that come with it.

The graphics may be a bit dusty, but very few titles made me feel more "space explorer" like this one. In the mean time, I'll just keep on drifting through space with an unmatched feeling that I'm in a real spacecraft.

In the end, Bulletstorm will make you smile and also grin with an almost maniacal satisfaction. It's true that the colorful language gets annoying, the action is in the end repetitive and only the wish to unlock new Skillshots keeps you playing through the story, but you mustn't expect anything other than a first-person Gears of War with a touch of Serious Sam's humor and a little of Duke Nukem's personality.

So even though HAWX 2 is a step forward when compared to its predecessor, it's brought down by an almost empty multiplayer, despite the numerous options, a boring single-player and a pretty "dense" AI when it comes to allies, while the enemies do their job very well, ironically. So well, in fact, that you'll be tempted to stick a fork in it and finish the story in co-op, which ultimately is a good thing. Too bad this decision is encouraged in such a brutal manner.

Ultimately though, I can only recommend you Magicka. At 10 euro it's a good offer and the closest thing to PC Mortal Kombat; sporting spells, monsters and Scandinavian heroes, but with that drive to learn combos and experiment.

The main attraction is still the single-player experience, which uses the same approach as James Cameron's Aliens: more action, puns in the dialogues and a touch of military presence in the backdrop. It's too bad though that the flaws dragging it down are there to stay: the multiplayer is underwhelming and problematic, and there are far too few additions when it comes to gameplay and narrative.

If it wasn't clear by now, WoW is still WoW. Cataclysm has the same merits and mannerisms that every expansion has separately shown and it's the same evolution on old mechanics.

It could have used more variety in the mission area, a bit more content and definitely multiplayer, but it remains a game that gives a player freedom to explore, trade or fight as he sees fit, with little restrictions.

Out of respect for Stardock, I will stop here, because it's hard for me to imagine how a decent developer has allowed such a product to be released in this state, with little connection to the term of entertainment.

Although FIFA 11 isn't a bad game, being above its predecessor in many regards thanks to the new engine, it still suffers from issues such as poor teammate AI and dubious referee decisions, plus an awkward default keyboard control scheme and the features still exclusive for consoles which could have significantly improved the gameplay (like Pro Passing).

Do note that it looks good, it's fluent, excellently optimized, loyal to its universe(s) and eclectic in design. Poor, patterned and boring when it comes to mechanics, so therefore recommended rather to casual gamers, preferably diehard fans of anything Spider-Man since his first appearance.

Being limited to single-player, nail'd doesn't stand chances for a long stint on your PC, but it has an adrenaline filled offer.

It's not a technical failure, but it just doesn't offer anything new to the genre that was created and has remained the same since Caesar and SimCity.

Judged on its own, Flames of Vengeance isn't that tempting, although the price is decent for an expansion pack. But the Dragon Knight Saga is a very good package, especially for those who didn't play the original in the first place.

We still have a decent title on our hands, with two sides different enough to warrant a replay of the single-player campaign, a well-designed economic system and a factions / research tree which can seal the deal.

It's a simple game, without gameplay complexities, extraordinary AI or difficult tactics, quick reflexes on the mouse and plenty of life potions being enough for a victory.

But on the other hand, Blood Stone doesn't rise up to its price tag unless you're so into James Bond you're wearing George Lazenby boxers.

After Fallout 3, veterans of the series had lost any kind of hope they would ever set foot in a new post-apocalyptic world that they could appreciate without the help of mods. That's why New Vegas is all the more impressive, because despite its problematic foundation, it turned into a game that even the most elitist and conservative of fans will play until exhaustion.

It's true that it's a decent Need for Speed, but it's a far cry from what it could have been.

Adding everything up, Black Ops has to be taken with a pinch of salt, as a list of improvements on Modern Warfare 2's hit skeleton: lean, dedicated servers (but only for rent), as well as everything we bullied the last Call of Duty for, along with a campaign that can basically be described as a tram ride and a level of optimization that made our editor-in-chief wonder why he handed me the game without a solid upgrade coupon in the first place.

ArcaniA is functional, it looks good, but it offers nothing special in its 20 or so hours. And if this is the bright future of the series, I can already say "May it rest in peace".

The experience of the Crystal Dynamics designers and their investment to start this spin-off series on the right foot are certainly visible in every aspect of the game, and I can't help but be thrilled by the new way in which we'll be able to hunt ancient relics with lady Croft.

I can understand why DICE didn't want to build a multiplayer too similar to that of Bad Company 2, but the current approach has turned the new Medal of Honor into a hybrid that won't be able to attract the fans of either Modern Warfare or BC2 in the long run, because it doesn't have any good incentives.

In other words, Dead Rising 2 is to Left 4 Dead what Saint's Row is for Grand Theft Auto. It's got a lot of customization options, it's unpretentious, fun in a lightweight, stupid sense, while losing points in the atmosphere, storyline, complexity and production value aspects.

It is, however, a polished, entertaining product and while not a gaming milestone by any means, it represents a solid example of an AAA title, which delivers exactly what it promised.

So don't go running, because Civilization V has its iron fist well hidden inside a fine velvet glove. From beginners to veterans, each will feel at ease remodelling the world's civilizations.

Some of those who've already gone through everything Armored Princess had to offer might argue that the novelties of Orcs on the March are insufficient for a replay. And this is why I recommend a healthy dose of patience, because I'm sure that in the near future we will see fan-made campaigns that will satisfy even the most pretentious fans.

Frictional made an interactive adventure that always pushes you to descend deeper and deeper towards the heart of evil, balancing the exploration of your own mind towards the point of maximum dementia with the exploration of a castle perhaps older than we are initially led to believe...

The great aspect is their flexibility, the how and when to use them being at your disposal. You don't get too much time to breathe in this kind of game, but overall R.U.S.E must be appreciated for having the guts to be innovative and implement its features in a way that makes them the basis of the gameplay, not just an option thrown in for the sake of it.

So is Ghost Pirates of Vooju Island as good as The Curse of Monkey Island? Not really. The truly funny moments can be counted on one hand, and the puzzles lack that spark of genius that could have made Bill Tiller's latest offering a memorable one.

However, considering how slow, confusing and unappreciated the 3D versions seemed, a lightweight remake for today's networking capabilities is more than welcome if you're longing for this stuff.

Yes, it's full of clichés, I saw them coming from a mile away, but it's exactly what you need to create that feeling of respect and even appreciation for what really were (and still are) cruel murders, blood baths, territorial fights, extortion or drug traffic. But all of it elegantly done, in a tie and suit, in fancy restaurants and (stolen) luxury cars.

So if psychotic thriller shooters aren't your kind of game, Kane & Lynch 2 will not make it on your shopping list. For the rest of you out there, it offers too few hours of fun, so the price/quality balance might not be that attractive until you find a sale.

It has its faults, yes, but Wings of Liberty will certainly be "THE game" for some time to come.

As it stands, NFS World is just a sum of repetitive elements gathered in a body pretending to be a game.

In the end, Disciples III it worth a try, but I can't just say "go and play". It's full of technical flaws, some of them affecting the gameplay quite a lot.

The game holds its own in single-player, no doubt about it, but it's unpleasant to see that an important feature such as the Multiplayer is clinically dead.