Firaxis has made an absolutely wonderful modernization of a classic strategy game. The deep and evolving gameplay is among the best I've experienced in a game like this, along with the fact that everything feels extremely polished and crafted with a a great deal of love for both the genre and the original game.

The games have aged well even though the restrictions of the PSP are quite apparent in Peace Walker. The HD update works great even though the texture resolution is a bit poor. The camerawork, overall design, music, voice over work, controls and storytelling is still a notch over what most of todays games have. Metal Gear Solid: HD Collection is a must have. Both for fans of the series and the uninitiated. Remember to buy the first Metal Gear Solid on PSN first though.

Dead Space 2 starts off with a lot of similarities with the original, but soon finds its own identity and raises the bar for sequels everywhere. A very well-polished space adventure.

Arkane deserves an applause just for trying this broad approach of choice, and when both design and playability builds an excellent synergy I can't do anything but to bow down to for being probably the best game this fall.

The Old Gods offer a significant addition to Crusader Kings and a fun focus on the pagan cultures. While the vikings initially feel slightly overpowered, they have a much harder time ahead of them as the years go by. This is a well crafted expansion and a absolute must have for those interested in playing the Nordic nations.

Avengers Chronicles may not convert the skeptical, but it's a great addition to an already impressive collection of pinball tables. The new tables offer incredible variety and I find myself extremely addicted.

Torchlight II manages to improve on its predecessor in every way and the result is a true gem of gaming fun. It manages to keep a very addictive pace throughout its campaign and then lets us dwell in endless amounts of randomized content if we wish, and most likely we do. The love and passion that has gone in to creating the game shines through in so many ways that it next to impossible not to be engulfed by it. Definitely recommended for anyone who has even the slightest interest in the genre.

Pokémon X/Y is a marvelous refinement of a tried and true concept, both larger and better than its predecessors. Despite this, it is unmistakenly a repetition of that old concept, one which may be past its prime in the presence of contemporary iterations on the concept, such as Skylanders or Ni No Kuni.

Delivers countless hours of gripping story and challenging missions, and as soon as your done you'll want to play it again to see if things unfold differently the next time around. The best RPG of 2011 is the best RPG of 2012 as well.

The basic concept is still there, an action packed RPG-light with a very real focus on fat loot. Compared to its predecessors, Diablo III has been streamlined to appeal to a modern day audience and has lost some if its customization in the process, but the different characters are diverse enough to satisfy most play styles. Some design choices – like obligatory connection to an overloaded and unstable Battle.net together with sometimes far between checkpoints and non-persistent game areas – may be in question but the overall experience is as solid as ever. Be prepared to invest some time to get access to the real goodies since playing on normal difficulty setting is not enough to get you the full monty.

LittleBigPlanet Vita is in itself a reason to buy a PS Vita - it's that good! The only obstacle on the way to complete success is whether Sony has managed to sell enough systems to make it a super hit among gamers.

Almost a perfect football game with a deep and very entertaining career mode, both on the pitch and on the sideline. A somewhat broken commentary track, at times weird AI and online modes that brings more hang-ups than joy stands in the way of a perfect score.

Hello Games! came out of nowhere and dazzled us with the disarmingly clever racing-platform-puzzler Joe Danger a while back, and now they're back on a different platform and showing their more sadistic and cruel side with the introduction of the 'Laboratory' – a new set of fiendishly difficult levels for Joe to traverse. This is a fine gem, a proper love letter to the Excite Bikes of yesteryear.

Battlefield Bad Company Vietnam breathes new life in a game that already felt alive. It delivers a very memorable gaming experience, and is well worth the money.

I'm impressed by the magnitude of new content that Nintendo has packed along with Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and the way that this is distributed over time and progression. At the same time, I cannot help letting out a loud sigh due to the fact that I have to do the same things all over - just to enjoy all the new goodies.

CD Projekt has with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings ruined all other games in the genre. With graphics from the future and gameplay from space, they have made this century's best RPG. BioWare has been ousted from the throne and will have to work very hard to reclaim it once again.

Halo 4 is a nice fresh start for a series that has lost some of its shine in later years. 343 Industries has really put everything they got into making a stunningly beautiful sequel, packed with high quality content in all kinds of shapes and forms.

The fact that Game Freak dared to remove all the old pokémons from the main story line and replace them with 156 new ones is only one of the reasons for the series feeling fresher than ever. Pokémon Black and White is the most entertaining game yet, and is a must-buy for all Nintendo DS owners.

Pokémon X/Y is a marvelous refinement of a tried and true concept, both larger and better than its predecessors. Despite this, it is unmistakenly a repetition of that old concept, one which may be past its prime in the presence of contemporary iterations on the concept, such as Skylanders or Ni No Kuni.

Codemasters are indeed the masters of this genre and this time around there is more of rallying and the entertaining Gymkhana events. While it looks good and drives well - it doesn't always feel completely right, however, and could use some more variety throughout the locations.

Max Payne 3 may not move the action genre forward, but it doesn't matter. It can be as retrogressive as it wants, as long as we are treated to well-written stories and fantastic action, starring one of the most interesting heroes in gaming. And then it doesn't matter if he shaved his head or not.

Tactics Ogre: Let us Cling Together is a work of pure love, and widely surpasses the original from 16 years ago. Old fans of the game or of Final Fantasy Tactics will have a blast, but newcomers ought to be aware that this isn't a simple game, but rather a demanding piece of excellence.

The Swapper is an expertly designed puzzle platform game that excels in every area. Although the story is a bit hidden away in log files, it’s well worth going through them to expand the experience. This indie game is rivaling the quality of many of the AAA titles this year so far.

A gritty ultra-violent top down action game that dares to be different and excels at what it does. Tight controls and polished mechanics make this game a joy to play and extremely hard to put down.

If you're looking for a slightly different fighting game and don't want to refer to yourself as mainstream, then Blazblue: Continuum Shift is an excellent option. It's got good graphics, challenging gameplay and well-crafted offline and online modes, with plenty of content.

The fact that Game Freak dared to remove all the old pokémons from the main story line and replace them with 156 new ones is only one of the reasons for the series feeling fresher than ever. Pokémon Black and White is the most entertaining game yet, and is a must-buy for all Nintendo DS owners.

Mario just got some stiff competition, and this platforming masterpiece has amazing comic timing that's a joy to play. However, even though the multiplayer modes have been hyped, the experience is far better when played alone.

Star Wars Pinball offers three of the best digital pinball tables I have ever tested. Great sense of detail, good sound effects and a clear love for the source material.