Considering that this is a smaller piece of Skyrim DLC than Dawnguard, though, that nitpick doesn’t deter me from saying that Hearthfire is worth the price of admission. Customizing a home and populating it with kids fits perfectly into the premise of making the Skyrim world your own, and it’s certainly provided some fun add-on entertainment.

Overall, PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale is mildly fun.

If the original Black Ops was Treyarch's coming-out party, then Black Ops 2 is the studio's affirmation that their COD expertise was no flash in the pan. If you're one of the 16 people who hasn't played this gem yet, go buy it now. Conversely, if you're among those who bought the game but hasn't ventured into the single-player campaign (yes, it happens), there's a great narrative and divergent gameplay awaiting your experimentation, so check it out.

Those 15 deaths, the difficulty imbalance, the weapon irrelevance and manual camera notwithstanding, the game was fine. But you know, those are all really big issues that drag down a game's score. Ratchet and Clank: Full Frontal Assault also is dreadfully boring, so I can't rate it anything higher than "average."

The story's excellent, the new gameplay elements are a breath of fresh air, and the incorporation of the GamePad make total contextual sense while acting also as a proof of concept for the hardware itself. Without the snafus, I'd say Ubisoft has a Wii U winner on its hands. But some of those glitches are just too hard to overlook.

The narrative is outstanding, even in spite of a few plot-point missteps, and the character evolution of Master Chief and Cortana deserves to be further explored with these wonderful storytellers (well, maybe one of them can't happen, but I'll avoid spoilers). However, the gameplay feels jilted, awkward and unrefined, three unforgivable sins in a landscape populated with other quite-capable FPS franchises. As a result, I'm going to average everything out: great story plus bad gameplay equals an average experience. And in this overcrowded FPS genre, "average" is isn't something I'd recommend buying.

The developer sought to bring freedom to the racing genre, both with the overall structure and the ability to drive almost any car immediately, and they nailed that goal from the opening moments. Yet for all the hard work that was clearly put into realizing an open world, enough issues (re)surface that they undo much of the studio's hard work. Cars don't really handle differently, they just drive faster.

For all the accessibility issues the original game had, Forza Horizon truly does offer something for everyone, down to the individual race options before each competition.

Needless to say, Worms Revolution is a great game. From users who have enjoyed the game series since its launch back in 1995 to the completely new users, you will no doubt enjoy this game. The multiplayer alone brings in a ton of content that will result in a new and crazy battle each and every game.

The content is there, the presentation is there, the depth is there and so is the pedigree. The controls and unabashed complexity, however, are also there. And the experience (and final score) suffers because of it.

The game misses the mark in several ways, but with the right programming and more analysis into whether toddlers are really the most appropriate target for this sort of product, we could be witnessing the birth of a whole new educational medium. It's just not there yet.

Where Kinect Sesame Street TV faltered in large part because the inspiring programs already faked interaction, Kinect Nat Geo TV is built upon shows that don't normally inspire interaction, making the experience feel fresh and unique. And, because it's designed for older kids who understand or can more-easily comprehend gesture controls, Kinect Nat Geo TV is bound to be more intuitive for its intended consumer. I wholeheartedly recommend Kinect Nat Geo TV if you have pre-teens - or frankly anyone in your house - who's interested in learning about nature through one of the most innovative pieces of edutainment I've ever come across.

Still, Hollywood likes things that go boom and look good doing so, much like Michael Bay's Transformers movies. The game industry operates much the same way, but the best games within it also introduce a fresh experience, something Transformers: Fall of Cybertron fails to do. Yes, Grimlock and the Combaticons are new, but for all practical purposes they're just multimedia window dressing on an otherwise evolutionary, not revolutionary, title.

Still, even with its virtual omission of anyone not with "man" at the end of their name doesn't keep LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes from being fun. Watching a beloved hero like Batman fight baddies and his own issues with Superman is a great combination, and it's all presented in the family-friendly LEGO wrapper we've come to expect from Telltale. If you or anyone in your house is a fan of the caped crusader - even the newest iteration - you can rest assured that LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes will be a hit.

I applaud Capcom for thinking big with Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor; the experience they tried to create while keeping the price tag down is commendable. But trying and doing are two separate things, and the Kinect-based controls just don't cut the mustard. I remember the first Steel Battalion, and I was eager to see what its next-gen kin could do. Unfortunately, all it did was frustrate me time and again.

Overall, though, I found Disney Pixar's Brave to be fun! Actually, I found the game to be more entertaining than the movie. I think kids and adults can enjoy it, though I don't see too much repeat play after one has beaten it.

Yet Again Zen Studios delivers some of the best video pinball tables they've produced. Changing up from character based to more cohesive story based didn't cause them to miss a beat. Fast, tricky and gorgeous tables are again the norm here – make sure you get your friends list to buy these as well, as the leaderboard integration still remains one of the best implementations on the console.

An intriguing plot tries to turn an action-oriented (and bloody) game on its ear, but the gameplay is too repetitive at its core to make you feel like you've really experienced something unique in the ever-growing world of sandbox games.

As an anime experience, it's frankly hard to top what Capcom's done here. But as an entry in the pantheon of interactive entertainment, it doesn't do enough to be anything more than marginally "interactive," resulting in a merely average, albeit unique, game.

Still, that may have been an odd happenstance specific to our play space, so I won't downgrade the game because of it. Kinect Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure is a fun, albeit brief, trip down Pixar memory lane, and it makes nice use of Kinect motion controls.

I may not have been the biggest fan of the previous two Resident Evil outings, but I could respect the elements they introduced to the series and understood the reasoning behind them. Not so much with this one. I recommend you pass on Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City altogether and wait for the next "real" entry in the Resident Evil franchise.

The campaign grows tedious in spite of its mixed-up gameplay, and the remaining mini-game modes are enjoyable more for their novelty and humor than for their actual gameplay. I'd still recommend the game for serious Star Wars fans, but if you're more of a casual fan and/or just have a passing interest, it's better worth renting than a full-on purchase.

Occasionally touchy controls and an inexplicable feeling of repetition undermine an otherwise creative tactical puzzle game.

Addictive gameplay that demonstrates the power of having two thumbsticks on a handheld device. The multiplayer options are more than adequate, and although there aren't technically a lot of levels, the very nature of the game will keep you coming back time and again.

The perfect pinball table. Everything is the same as it should be, but the newness in the table is so addictive, I can't stop playing it.

The original The Darkness was a great experience; The Darkness II improves on the formula in every way.

As I said, I've been a fan of the Need for Speed franchise for quite some time, but even I've been rubbed a bit raw by some of the franchise's evolution over the years. It's not like EA and Black Box were struggling to find an identity, but they seemed to always be looking to switch things up just for the sake of switching. With Need for Speed: The Run, it seems like EA finally found the right mix of action and challenge, and the sporadic out-of-the-car sequences give just enough of a break to keep you pushing forward.

Having two games featuring trophy and 3D support plus a feature length animated 3D movie all on one disc is a good deal for Tekken fans. Dated gameplay in Tekken Tag Tournament is highly evident when played back to back with the Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue, but that doesn't take away from the genre changing the title encouraged during it's initial release.

A nice way to take your Zen Pinball on the go. Local Hotseat lets you take the arcade with you, and integrated leaderboards are a nice touch to keep tabs on all your friends.

More great pinball from Zen Studios. If you're not getting the feel of one table, move to a different for a short time then come back. You may just find some new appreciation for a previously disliked table.

If it wasn't for the disappointing Den Defense mode that gets forced on you and the lack of some deep conspiracy storytelling, this title would compete with Brotherhood as top in the series.

The episodes and scenes are entertaining, but there simply aren't enough of them to justify a full purchase. Pound for pound, unless you're hell-bent to perform MTV programming, Yoostar 2 is definitely a better deal.

The gameplay is what really matters, I suppose, but although the swimming motions are pretty intuitive, the ramp-up in difficulty and lack of true leveling-up render the game a bit tedious after a while. That, combined with the nagging issues above, make it hard for me to recommend Michael Phelps: Push the Limit even for the biggest of Michael Phelps fans.

One of the most original concepts to hit the industry in the past two or three years, Skylanders is also just fun to play.

As you can likely tell from this review, Hulk Hogan's Main Event seems expansive on the surface, but it's essentially the same basic pieces rearranged and re-swizzled into a few different modes. Hearing quotes from Hulk Hogan is cool, the Achievement Points are easy, and it's definitely novel to strike a pose like the Hulkster. But a bit more grappling freedom would've gone a long way to making this Xbox Kinect game live up to Hulk Hogan's massive persona.

Playing with multiple people is also a riot, presuming you do so via Xbox Live, and I've never had a more immersive Kinect experience than I have with this game. It's really too bad, then, that the game has lackluster response times to your gestures and can't seem to keep up with the on-screen action in the second half of the game.

Self Defense Training Camp is an interesting concept, but for people who are serious about self defense, a video game - or at least this one - won't ever challenge a real venue or trainer.

As of the writing of this, Super Street Fighter IV: 3D is the best title that I've had the privilege to play for the system. Not only are the fights fast paced and enjoyable, but the use of 3DS features such as Streetpass show some promise and the in game figure collection/battle system is something that is sure to keep people engaged for some time.

It's tough to recommend this game to newcomers to the Monkey Ball world based on the two rough game modes, and the otherwise decent Challenge mode likely isn't long enough to justify the high price tag of 3DS titles. The use of 3D is novel, but completely unnecessary – as we've all played these games at home since the Gamecube launch.

For Zelda fanatics, this re-release of one of the best Zelda titles out there seems like it could be a cash grab – but the additions, especially the great use of the 3DS graphical prowess and the 3D itself make it a must purchase for all gamers, new and old.

Between those passive tendencies, the lack of strategic combat, a smattering of trite escort missions and the lack of much R in the RPG equation, the total X-Men Destiny package ends up kind of boring. It would've been nice to see Silicon Knights right its up-ended ship, but this game makes me seriously wonder if the studio's ship has already sailed.

Technically, Goldeneye 007: Reloaded does nothing wrong, and in fact my hat's off to Activision for bringing a classic game to the modern era. The gameplay, though, in spite of its tweaks here and there, just doesn't have the impact as when Goldeneye was the one N64 game everyone owned.

Not a game without its faults, but Skyward Sword is another great entry in the Legend of Zelda. From it's familiar gameplay and structure to it's unique use of the Wii Motion+ controller, this one is a sure fire hit.

Unlike a lot of hastily thrown together minigame collections, Carnival Island seems well thought out – it even has a story mode. The 35+ game modes will surely have at least one that will appeal to almost any gamer, and the cute collectable pets will keep the collectors happy.

A great step forward for Dance Central. Importing your old songs to make a giant playlist is tough to beat, and the game is much more of a workout then you might expect!

A fantastic platforming title that uses 3D in gaming ways that no other title has yet to do. Classic costumes like the Tanooki and Hammer Bros. suits make appearances, and easy to earn extra lives make this accessible by all age groups.

The game includes more updates and upgrades than I expected, and it's nice to have Master Chief back again even if it is in a game we've technically all played before. Certain sections seem more linear and artificially extended than I recall, which is disappointing, but when you account for the game's reduced price, it's still a good value.

With all six of these sports, Ubisoft tries really hard to be alternative and extreme, but nothing in its gameplay really captures "extreme" it at all. There may be adrenaline involved in these real-world sports, and there obviously is Adrenaline in the game's title, but there isn't a single ounce of it in the gameplay.

Entertaining at times and overly basic at others, this sophomore outing is 'average' on the whole. Whether that speaks to the game itself or the expanding library of Kinect options is still up in the air, but the result is the same.

Again – I was completely blown away by how much fun this game offered, as the style generally isn't that appealing to me. The experience here is the real deal sealer – if you're a fan of explotation films, gratuitous violence and gore then this game is the one for you.

Excellent co-op puzzle game that in this reviewers opinion, tries far too hard to be cute and quirky which forces the game off the mark.

Nice twist on classic side scrolling shooter. The time traveling dynamic adds a new depth not usually seen in games of this genre.

If you build it, they will come. The only limiting factor in creating new games here is your own mind. Dive into the chaotic beauty of LittleBigPlanet 2.

Don't let the reputation of the previous game, nor the niggling bugs that permeate the title scare you away. Once those are scratched away a pleasant open action RPG awaits.

It would be hard to not recommend this title to anyone who enjoys trivia, unless of course you have a sensitive ego which needs to be coddled when you get a question wrong.

Even though four sports are included on this disc, none of them stand out as something that needs to be played.

Not a bad game, but also not a great one that misses the mark on a few levels, most notably the dialog for this gamer. I am sure there's a target market out there who eats this type of language up, and will be mimicking what they hear for a while, but sadly I am not this market.

Is Killzone 3 deep enough to snipe PSN players from the COD: Black Ops fold? Probably not. Is Killzone 3 outstanding enough to warrant single-player awards for its narrative? Nope. But let there be no doubt that when it comes to intense gameplay that gives not one spare second for players to catch their breath or laze their way into a routine, Killzone 3 is near the top of the pack. The fact that it's the best-looking game we've seen and happens to support full stereoscopic 3D is just icing on the cake.

As a multiplayer game, this is sure to bring some friends together for some online poker who might not otherwise be able to play together, and at that point the pacing of the game isn't really that important. As a single player game, if you can put aside the duration of the tournaments and look at the AI that the game has in the form of the Pros, then this game really succeeds in my opinion.

MLB 11: The Show redeems itself somewhat the longer you play in Road to the Show mode, much like an RPG rewards gamers who go through all that level grinding.

Major League Baseball 2K11 has the fortunate (for 2K) distinction of being the only Xbox 360 baseball game, and one of just two on the PS3. However, it has the dubious distinction (for gamers) of being the one sports game this year that fans should absolutely avoid. If that means taking a year off of baseball, I definitely advise taking that vacation.

Had this not leveraged the Ghostbusters license, we'd probably not even be talking about this game.

Crysis 2 may not live up to every expectation, but its pleasant surprises make up for most of its shortcomings.

Portal 2 continues the original's model, both in terms of gameplay and humor, and reviewing it poses just as many challenges. So let's just get this out of the way right now: Portal 2 is videogame nirvana for the thinking man.

The silky smooth combat combined with the classic twists on the fatalities in the game, of which there are at least two per character not including stage specific ones, and naturally some hidden things that I don't want to spoil here.

There's just not quite enough variety to hold my (or my son's) interest, and the occasional collision/gesture detection snafu doesn't help matters either.

Brink can be awesome and annoying, euphoric and inexplicable, all in the same breath. Unfortunately, fist pumps are followed by fits of controller throwing all too regularly to make this one score much higher.

The game can be fun, but it's strictly a multiplayer affair, and it needs more meat. As it stands, it feels a bit like the publishers' way to lead owners into a world of endless microtransactions.

Some of the games seem similar to one another, and occasionally you'll find yourself frustrated at a performance, but the younger gamers to whom this is geared will almost assuredly have a blast.

But when the game does things well, it does them really well. Activating Dr. Doom's multiball is a joy, and trying to keep those four balls in play makes for quite a feat – but when you hear the Super Jackpot has been hit you know you've done something right. Even when non-standard things such as The Human Torch lighting the ball on fire and the ball absorbing Dr. Doom's power in other modes are not as distracting as you might think – and they fit really well into the game.

Coming in at 240 points, it's a tad more expensive than the rest of the Pinball FX 2 tables for some reason or another but don't let that $0.50 scare you off as if you're a fan of what Zen has done to revitalize video pinball then you'll be happy with the new table to help fill in your grid.

From a compilation or "archival" standpoint, this set is great at showing how much the series has evolved and grown. From a pure enjoyment standpoint, the first two games drag down the overall experience, not through any fault of the developer, but by simply not having benefited from the additional years of gameplay updates that current titles enjoy.

With its focus on fun over competition-like accuracy, this is the first dancing game to grab and hold my attention beyond just a couple of songs. Plus, the soundtrack is just plain hard to top.

Dungeons and Dragons: Daggerdale could have been a great title if the developers had taken the time to work out the bugs. If you're easily frustrated over games or their glitches, you most likely will be spiking your controller on the floor and walking away in bitter shame.

The movie tie-in curse rears its ugly head again, producing what's possibly the worst game of the first half of 2011.

Some dedicated Dirt fans might feel slighted by the shift, but as a newcomer to the series this was a fantastic place to slip in.

The gameplay is exactly what you've come to expect from a LEGO game, but the graphics look better than any LEGO game before. The issue is more a matter of the franchise it's tied to, which isn't as memorable or charming as the other movies with LEGO tie-ins and thus doesn't provide the same number of memorable levels, scenes or characters.

Frustrating at times but on the whole a great game for individual or multiple players. It's definitely worth the low price of 800 Microsoft Points.

A surprisingly good racing game, and not just because it's a licensed title, that also happens to have fantastic 3D effects for those who have a 3D TV.

For a guy like me who had to borrow a friends guitar to actually try the game – the fact that I'm now contemplating visiting a pawn shop to cash in on someone else's inability to make ends meet and buy my very own guitar should speak volumes to the titles power as a fun learning tool. Beginners, give this a shot – especially if you've already got a guitar collecting dust in the closet.

Spider-Man Edge of Time isn't a completely bad game, as the mechanics are all in place and nothing really is broken within the game – but it's not necessarily what I'd call a good game either.

Gears of War 3 is a solid game and likely worthy of the praise it's received. I just happen to think it falls a bit flat.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon may suffer from some derivative level design, and its introduction of the cool Stealth Force form does have some repetitive gameplay consequences. But kudos to the developers for injecting something new into the formula.

Other than that this is a great table that will take a while for most to master – but once you find out the little tricks and tips, it's sure to keep your attention for quite some time.

Short of the opening music, which is awesome and sounds like a demonic mariachi band, I can't think of many redeeming qualities in Shadows of the Damned. It's not in the same craptastic league as Thor, which suffered from horrible gameplay and production values; it's just a waste of time.

The combat's fun, the plot's well executed and the multimedia's solid. If you don't mind a heavy dose of platforming with your non-gun combat, you won't be disappointed by Captain America.

While not a perfect game, the only real nitpick I have is the platforming sometimes became a little difficult due to the art style and camera angles, it's definitely an experience that shouldn't be missed.

In spite of an abundance of cheap shots, the game's personality and originality elevate The Gunstringer into the upper echelon of Kinect titles. In fact, it's my favorite Xbox Kinect title to date.

While still not a system seller, the fact that a game like this can and has been made for Kinect is a great step, and helps move things forward for the system. The level of immersion is a step in the right direction, and beats the rumble of a controller. You try not to squeal at least a little bit the first time something jumps on your character and you have to push it off of you. I dare you.

Nice multimedia as expected, but the AI has taken a dip. Fortunately, the multiplayer elements and Challenges keep things fresh.

Duke Nukem Forever aspires to take gamers back to a different period in the gaming continuum. What it will really do is inspire you to take it back to the store for a full and complete refund.

The levels are creative and artistic direction is solid, but the actual gameplay suffers from a lack of diversity and being clumped into big chunks.

It's worth mentioning that even though the game can (and should) be played with Kinect the option is there to play this title with the standard controller. In this mode it definitely feels like a follow up to Rez. But quite honestly after putting down the joystick and playing, it was extremely tough to go back to the 'old style' of control.

However, even with all those aspects and the insane environments, I found it too hard to overcome the crashing. I've played games in other genres that "yank" players out of the experience, but it's not happened often in the racing arena. With MotorStorm: Apocalypse, it does, and specifically because of the crashes

Priced at a very accessible 800 Microsoft Points anyone who enjoyed Splosion Man needs to pick this title up, and if you haven't played Splosion Man before either buy that one or just buy both, you won't be disappointed if you enjoy tough, yet rewarding titles.

Do yourself a favor, and pick up this table. As mentioned, it's top notch in quality and only surpassed by the amazing Captain America table. Zen Studios just keeps getting better and better at making tables, and with more in the pipeline I can only dream of the quality they will be. If you're done with Ms Splosion Man already, get ready to Splode again.

Given the price point for Wii Play Motion, $49.99 it's tough to recommend the title if you're not in the market for another Wii Remote. But if you don't have the Wii Motion+ adapter, just need another remote or are getting the hankering to try out some newer minigames to help flesh out your next Wii party, then this is a solid acquisition, as long as you know what you're getting.

There's very little criticism here; if you're looking for a sure-fire winner for the young Disney fans in your house this holiday, buy Kinect Disneyland Adventures.