Strong gunplay and near-perfect control form a great shooter, but indulging in the fiction and emerging frail and traumatized provides an experience of much greater value.

Breach has some great moments, but it suffers from too many noticeable flaws.

Two Worlds II is a solid open world RPG that has enough good going for it to overshadow its issues. Had it a little more time in development for polish and tweaks, it could have been outstanding, but as it stands I think it's still a great game that I'm happy to recommend.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is about as solid and sensible an arcade revival that we've seen in the downloadable space. It's reasonably priced, intelligently balanced, and incredibly hard to put down.

Lord of Arcana is one of those games that you probably either love or hate. If you like this specific JRPG genre, you should definitely give it a look. But if you don't, there isn't anything about Lord of Arcana that will change your mind.

Mass Effect 2 on the Playstation 3 is not only a better value because of what's packed into it, but also it's a considerable upgrade in gameplay and presentation. Add in a very cool comic from Dark Horse and you have the best Mass Effect 2 on any platform.

Out of the box LittleBigPlanet 2 is undoubtedly a great game; it's up to the community to make it an exceptional one.

The PlayStation Network might be starved of Adventure or "Find the Hidden Object" titles, but Dream Chronicles isn't the game to fill that void.

If you like the genre, it's easy to recommend Microbot despite some of its flaws. I found it more enjoyable with the offline co-op mode, too.

It can be disappointing, but it's easier to view Lost in Shadow is an earnest effort with few great ideas rather than a fabrication forged of influence and familiarity.

Oath in Felghana is easily consumed without feeling disposable.

It's a delightful mix and, while occasionally stumbling, a great step in the right direction.

At the close of 2010 you'd think zombies and twin stick shooters were well past their expiration dates, but Housemarque had other plans. Through Dead Nation they have delivered an experience that's ripe with tension and never content to let the player settle down.

I was both impressed and discouraged with Sonic Free Riders. On one hand, it's a more interesting and deeper game than I expected with some great courses and gameplay elements. On the other hand, the darn controls are too finicky to make this a consistently enjoyable game.

Fist of the North Star: Ken's Rage is so terrible that it can't even satisfy an established template.

I still have hope that a game like this can really work and be really fun -- but The Fight: Lights Out isn't it. There are simply too many things wrong with this game to recommend it.

Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Mini-Land Mayhem is another strong puzzle game in the MVs.DK series.

echochrome ii is the next step in a great series of puzzle games. I love the concept and the execution; highly recommended.

I wouldn't call Adrenalin Misfits a must own, but I would strongly recommend a rental for any Kinect owners looking for a decent board racing experience, especially if you have some young gamers in your household.

Super Mario All-Stars is precisely the same game you played on your SNES seventeen years ago-graphics, soundtrack, copyright and all. While these classic games haven't lost any of their appeal, this still feels an awful lot like an overpriced Virtual Console title.

Majin represents another superb release from them and at a super aggressive price of $40 and lower, there's absolutely no reason you shouldn't pick this game up.

Fundamentally sound gameplay, revolutionary control scheme, awesome Career experience, and expansive online offerings all make this game one of the best sports games of the year and is neck and neck with UFC Undisputed.

There are a few moments of fun to be had, but they are few and far between and do not constitute the $50 price tag.

TRON: Evolution has the look and feel of everything that makes the TRON universe cool. You get the lightcycle, tank and identity disc battles that you've been craving for some time. Regretfully, all of this is plagued by very loose controls that create too much frustration to enjoy the rest.

Pinball tables started dying out just as crazy features like holograms and missions were taking hold. Their dissolution was disappointing, but Marvel Pinball feels like a successor in the classic lineage of great tables.

Golden Sun: Dark Dawn is mostly what we were waiting for in a sequel to the classic original titles. With just about everything you can expect from the series brought over onto the DS, this game features the high production values and classic jRPG gameplay coupled with the rewarding puzzles and unique Djinn battle system.

Fallout: New Vegas is a solid game from beginning to end.

I had my doubts until the very end, but no longer. Activision and Eurocom have pulled off the impossible: they've revived a classic by remaining constantly cognizant of the line separating tradition from obsolescence.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit is one of the must-have titles for this holiday season.

While Call of Duty: Black Ops isn't without flaws it does still maintain that core Call of Duty goodness that we've all come to love from the game.

This game is everything the original was and more; it borrows the basic components and rebuilds them into something even more spectacular and cohesive than its precursor.

Gran Turismo 5 operates under an identical premise; the core experience provides a racing simulation of unmatched fidelity, one where every thread unravels in dozens of different directions and grants its own unique sense of satisfaction.

Disney Epic Mickey is an exercise in patience and nostalgia, dominated by bizarre mutations of familiar (and obscure) Disney properties, but polluted by a terrible camera and hollow fetch quests.

Through its newfound cohesive game structure and intuitive, serviceable gameplay mechanics, Brotherhood's assets outweigh its occasionally annoying design quirks.

Even if you've played and enjoyed the previous games and movies, I'd recommend a rental for Deathly Hallows, Part 1.

Your Shape Fitness Evolved is the best workout game to date and an excellent choice for Kinect owners this holiday.

Blood Drive gets some things right in its attempt to combine two older vehicular mayhem games, but it ultimately falls well short of being great. That said, if you love SCEA's Twisted Metal series, this may be worth a rental.

Blood Stone makes for a good weekend rental, or an 'in between' title, but it doesn't offer a lot more than that.

Rockstar really knows how to please with Red Dead Redemption and this DLC shows it.

The Sims 3 for PS3 is the first of its kind: a fully-featured translation of the hit PC series to the console. It isn't without some occasional gameplay snags-load times, laggy menus, and the like-but that's all overlookable in context with the accomplishments seen here.

DJ Hero 2 improves upon the original with new freestyling, good online gaming, fun customization and a wonderful career mode. Free Style Games has done enough quality work here to warrant a purchase and one can only hope enough people purchase it to warrant a third edition.

It goes without saying, but Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 is still just a Naruto game. Full of loose, yet accessible mechanics, the game is a love letter to Naruto fans that seems to forget that it needs to complete its sentences to get its point across.

Aside from the noticeable lack in presentation, this game is still really fun. With such a new idea in the way of peripherals, one could worry that the functionality may not be very strong. Thankfully, the game and controller work in harmony and after some practice you don't feel like it's the game's fault your missing notes.

Until you can play the game without unpredictable crashing and quirky issues surprising you it's going to be tough to find the maximum amount of fun I know this title can offer.

The Force Unleashed II isn't a bad game, it's just a disappointing one. There was a lot of hope and excitement for it prior to launch, but it really fell short. If you liked the original, you should play this, but frankly, a rental is probably all you need.

An intriguing set but one that is downplayed significantly due to the controls. Your tolerance may vary though, so it's not a bad idea to rent this one to get the full experience for yourself before buying.

It's got its problems, but Arcania: Gothic 4 is a surprise hit for me this holiday season. As long as you're not expecting a game of the year class RPG, you're in for a very good time here.

Ready At Dawn provides us with another excellent God of War experience that you should not miss.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is a huge achievement over previous years. Konami's developers have seemed to have locked down a solid method to make a really good soccer game.

Vanquish isn't simply Japan's proper response to cover-based shooters, it's the most dramatic take upon the genre thus far.

By effectively clinging on to the Halloween aesthetic from beginning to end, Costume Quest evokes the often forgotten nostalgia of childhood. It manages to create a fantastical world without resorting to high fantasy. As something that both kids and adults can relate to, Costume Quest is a heartfelt reminder that with the right viewpoint, everything can be awesome.

If you have the PlayStation Move, you need The Shoot. It's a great, fun addition to the genre and makes good use of the Move controller.

Adding insult to injury is the success Dead Rising 2: Case Zero, a $5, fully produced prequel to Dead Rising 2. The bar was raised, and Ignition has no business occupying the same space.

NBA Jam is an excellent way to spend an evening or two, but at the end of the day, it's still just a prettier iteration of its former self that fails to add any mechanical polish to the formula.

Dead Rising 2 willfully endures that same risks as its predecessor and still manages to come out better for it.

If you're a child or are buying for your kid, they should enjoy the experience (though they will be expected to do a lot of reading). However, if you're an older Pokémon fan such as myself, don't expect an evolved gameplay format from what was seen in the original two Ranger games.

Professor Layton and the Unwound Future is most certainly the best title in the series to date.

A precedent has been set, and there's no reason sports games should look back: NBA 2K11 is equally as impressive as it is important.

Enslaved is on my short list for game of the year. I had a great time with it and I think anyone that enjoys third person games, especially those in the vein of Uncharted, will love this one.

Saying it's the most fun I've had in a Sonic game in 15 years isn't actually saying a whole lot, but it's certainly a great start.

For me, Z.H.P.: Unlosing Ranger vs. Darkdeath Evilman was a lot like going to see the Nutcracker. It's not my thing, and I probably won't be going back, but I can see how and why others might be enchanted by its wild absurdity.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is a slightly deviatory franchise installment featuring a brilliant new fabric-oriented concept which takes this platforming game beyond the realm of the ordinary.

EA's move to break up the online and offline development certainly paid off in the end for Medal of Honor. It's refreshing to see two teams create a new first-person shooter experience and put so much care into each side.

The Writer is a much more confident and focused piece of content than The Signal. Above all else, it solves the problem of creating a canonical piece of post-game content that's neither required nor unnecessary. Not quite essential, but hardly regrettable either.

Overall, Ben 10: Cosmic Destruction is a straight-forward, fun game.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is a successful reboot by MercurySteam. Touting a strong combat system in the vein of God of War, the game features a fairly lengthy quest that is rewarding if you stick with it.

Gusto Games got some things right here, but there is still a whole lot of room to improve. Worth a look if you're an avid golfer (and PlayStation Move owner), but I recommend a rental first.

For people who are not afraid to sing (or rhyme in this case), and are tired of Duffy and Britney Spears, give Rapstar a go.

Atelier Rororna should appeal to series fans and newcomers alike. Gust did a fine job with this game and it's well worth your consideration if you're in the market for a solid JRPG.

Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock had a lot of promise with an attempt at a more story driven Guitar Hero experience than before. However, even with a voice over narrative by the legendary Gene Simmons himself, the game still feels as unexciting to me as any of the recent music-simulation games on the market.

Presented in a gloriously isometric manner, Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light doesn't need Lara Croft – it creates a big time, engaging action action-adventure experience that stands on its own merits.

This is a nice DLC pack to finish out this standout game from over a year ago. If you didn't like the game to begin with, nothing in this DLC will change that. On the same token, if you enjoy Borderlands, this game may feel a bit too familiar, but it's enjoyable nevertheless.

If you're looking for a licensed fishing game this season, well, you don't have a lot of choices. Fortunately though, Rapala Pro Bass Fishing does a nice job of giving gamers a pretty well rounded package here.

FIFA Soccer 11 takes what it already did great in FIFA Soccer 10 and adds bit more to the overall gameplay and design to make it even better.

Despite some very minor frustrating moments in the F1 2010, Codemasters has worked hard to bring F1 experience to the small screen and for the most part they have succeeded.

Thongs of Virtue is the second half of Deathspank. Billing this as a sequel is a bit disingenuous, but thankfully Deathspank's structure was quite good to begin with, and the humorous presentation remains delightfully distinctive.

Cladun is a love letter to gamers who spend hours on forums bitching about how technology has ruined role playing games for the last fifteen years. For once, they're right; a retro style doesn't go hand in hand with disappointment after the pangs of nostalgia inevitably settle.

King's Bounty: Crossworlds is the best version of the recent revival to the 20 year old strategy game. While it does provide a good amount of gameplay additions to the picture, the lack of a new lengthy campaign makes the game hard to replay for those who've already experienced Armored Princess.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is worth a look, but only if you have young gamers in your household.

This makes for a great weekend rental, but it's hard to justify the retail price of $50 for the brevity and simplicity of this experience.

Scooby and Shaggy's newest adventure isn't a bad one. Give this one a look if you're looking for a family friendly game for a younger gamer.

Phantasy Star Portable 2 meanders in mediocrity while trying its absolute best to pass itself off as a fresh product.

NHL Slapshot is a nice attempt by EA to capture a larger hockey audience for the Wii. It combines a solid core game with a unique controller that works pretty well for itself. The result is a hockey experience that isn't bad if you're looking for something a little different and a little more casual.

While still shy of greatness, it's definitely worth a look for Spidey fans or anyone who enjoys third person action.

Bottomline, it's still a good game, but it isn't quite great.

No matter what lengths were taken to mask it, Jimmy's Vendetta is still a vanilla attempt at milking a property that should have been richer in content to begin with.

R.U.S.E. is a good game that has some flaws. The one thing that Ubisoft and the devs were counting on to entertain (the R.U.S.E. option) pays off really well in the end. The rest of the gameplay elements aren't overly different from what we've seen before in an RTS, which makes R.U.S.E. simply good and not great.

This is a great pick up for your Nintendo DS, regardless if you liked or disliked the console version.

Simply put, EA Sports has perfected how they do things when it comes to hockey. They only added a few major things, made a bunch of adjustments here and there. What they have produced with NHL 11 is probably the best hockey game to date.

While its implementation of the 2-D/3-D hybrid perspective and basic controls work well, far more tampering has occurred here, and much of it for the worse.

Though the game's identity seems to be caught somewhere between a demo on steroids and a pint-sized full game, Dead Rising 2: Case Zero finds the perfect balance with its immensely cheap price tag with a surprisingly large amount of content.

To fans of the series of flight combat, this is perfectly acceptable (and expected). Other might have wanted a game that bothered to fly somewhere, anywhere, they hadn't already been.

As a unique and engaging tactical RPG experience, Valkyria Chronicles II reminds us a little innovation, a little refinement, and a few good ideas can go a long way in unsouring a genre.

Shank pays proper honor to the action games of the past with simple controls, a variety of weapons and just enough gameplay to keep any action gaming fan occupied properly.

Mafia II is the opposite of Portal, taking no risks, putting forth no new ideas, and settling for the status quo. Mafia II didn't have to reinvent a genre, but it could have avoided littering itself with such dreadful mission design that is sometimes void of refinement and full of average mechanics.

This sequel is, clearly, leaps and bounds over its predecessor.

Always good, occasionally great, and never regrettable, Ys Seven is another notable title in the PSP's increasingly impressive RPG stable.

At the end of the day you get a lot more bang for your buck in Madden NFL 11. There's more depth with GameFlow and Game Planning, a natural feel with improved controls, better presentation and just a phenomenal overall experience.