Many will balk at the game because it doesn’t offer a million different models of car. Those who do are missing the point. Grid is all about the fun and excitement of the race. It’s racing with a capital ‘R’ minus the frustration. You won’t find a more fun racing game this year.

Even if you haven’t touched a fighting game since the 16-bit era, one match of Capcom’s new masterpiece will remind you why you spent so many hours at those now long-shuttered arcades.

It takes the WWII setting and applies it to the kinds of game-related stuff we want to see and do. It’s a game about superior use of tactics and terrain, not overwhelming firepower. In short, it’s an excellent strategy game.

A top-quality production on every level, and is arguably the best hack-and-slash game since the original "Golden Axe."

Even though there are minor pacing problems at times, RtCW delivers an amazing single-player and multiplayer game, and for first-person shooter fans, it's a must-own.

With a gentler learning curve, an extra level, tweaked controls, and completely reworked cinemas, the PS2 version is the equal of its Xbox predecessor.

Attractive graphics, endless gameplay, engaging strategy, new features, and multiplayer out the, ah, missile silo... what more do ya want, a parade?

Exceeding already lofty expectations, Gears of War 2 raises the bar a notch for action games this holiday season, and that is no small feat. If you don’t have an Xbox 360 yet, Gears of War 2 is as good a reason as any to compose a short letter to Santa.

In addition to the amazingly detailed level of car customization you can do under the hood to affect car performance, Forza’s popular painting tools are back, with even more stencils and paint layers from which to craft amazing looking graphics.

The multiplayer modes and incredibly powerfully map editor put Far Cry over the top. As great as the graphics are, they're merely a complement to the dynamic gameplay.

Mario Kart DS shatters those expectations by being the best kart racing game ever released--handheld or otherwise.

The multiplayer is just the gravy on the best open-faced turkey sandwich of a game I've played in a long time. This is perfection.

The ironically devastated world of Fallout has never been better realized than in Fallout 3, offering a vast landscape that is almost relentlessly bleak in its hopelessness. It's absorbing, immersive, paradoxically beautiful, and kind of depressing to play over long periods of time.

Playing Fable II is an absolute pleasure. Between the combat, the humor, and the multitude of small details, I found it decidedly difficult to put it down to get some sleep or tape the show. Perhaps the one aspect of the game that will stand out above all else for me is that, for the first time ever, my wife — whose relationship to videogames is one of begrudging, ancillary necessity — actually sat down on the couch next to me and watched me play…for hours.

Half-Life 2 hits the ground running and never stops, and playing it for long periods of time can actually be exhausting. Just when you think you've seen the coolest thing it has to throw at you, the next sequence tops it.

Accessible, slick, and most importantly, fun from beginning to end. It leaves the competition clearing powder from its goggles.

The sense of accomplishment is strong with this one, as if the frenetic gameplay, incredible bosses, and awe-inspiring graphics aren't enough already.

Mixing a great single-player game and a variety of multiplayer events, Karaoke Revolution is a cool, original, and distinctive party game.

One of the freshest titles in recent memory in both concept and execution.

Knocks the chin strap up around the nose of the competition. It's simply the most realistic simulation of football available, and once again, the industry standard.

Thanks to careful balancing, rewarding pacing, and an excellent translation, Dragon Quest VIII is one of those rare games that's more than the sum of its parts.

Sadly, true quality storytelling is extremely rare in this age of overblown and pretentious stories so commonly found in the "Final Fantasy" series and its imitators. Suikoden 3 is a welcome and finely-crafted exception.

A showcase of a game. There is so much to do and unlock, both in the single-player and multiplayer modes, that the title can easily eat up dozens of hours of your time.

A long, challenging quest that holds up well to repeated play. Younger players who never had a SNES will find this game an excellent warm-up for the soon-to-be-released "Legend of Zelda: The Wind Walker" for the GameCube.

It’s so satisfying to finally have a game that not only lives up to the hype but exceeds it so many ways it’s almost unfair.

A model for realistic sports across the board, with physics, player behavior, and animations that raise the bar. Seriously hard-core sport is rarely this accessible and fun.

Public Quests are some of the most fun I've had in PvE, and, as I mentioned, crafting feels a lot more like an alternate activity than just something else to grind.

The maps are all well-designed, the equipment adds strategic elements to matches, and the creative powers granted to players are unrivaled, at least for a console game. Add to the recipe that unmistakable Bungie polish, and you have a Multiplayer experience that will be enjoyed for thousands of gamers for years to come.

The best console multiplayer component ever. This game is going to douse Xbox Live in gasoline and toss it a match...With 16 players busting each other's chops at a time and all the clan support you can handle, this game will still be played five years from now.

Many will balk at the game because it doesn’t offer a million different models of car. Those who do are missing the point. Grid is all about the fun and excitement of the race. It’s racing with a capital ‘R’ minus the frustration. You won’t find a more fun racing game this year.

Stunning. "Oddworld" is better than it's ever been, and everything about "Oddworld: Munch's Oddysee" is refined, polished, and utterly playable.

Journey stands head and shoulders above all other artistic games. It's truly avant-garde and pushes the boundaries of what a video game can mean to its audience.

Exquisitely designed levels...Every moment seems fresh and new and deliberately designed to be fun.

A great basketball engine with improved physics and new moves, finely detailed and rich graphics, and modes both diverse and immersive all combine to make NBA 2K3 the best true representation of basketball out there.

Mario Galaxy is one of those charming, perfect achievements that remind you why Nintendo saved our pastime in 1985 and has reinvigorated it in 2007 with the Wii and the best game made yet for the system. Hell, this is better than "Super Mario 64," not as revolutionary, but a better game. Do yourself a favor, play it and smile.

In many ways, Twilight Princess is a love letter to "Ocarina of Time." There are tons of subtle nods that a watchful gamer will spot. It’s the glorious world the N64 wanted to show us, but couldn’t.

Hitman: Absolution is a triumph, top to bottom. Fans of the series can look forward to the best entry yet, without question.

Although the automatic save system makes it a great handheld title, it's perhaps even better suited to relaxing marathon sessions on your couch. Fire Emblem is well-crafted, and unless you have an aversion to turn-based strategy, it's highly recommend.

Deep, fun, incredibly addictive, and perfect in short bursts, Meteos is about as good as handheld games get. Multiple difficulty settings, an engrossing multiplayer experience, and plenty of depth ensure this one won't be wearing out its welcome anytime soon.

An exceptional example of what makes good games good, the synthesis of several well developed elements into one seamless whole that never distracts you from the action and excitement and doesn’t use up it’s bag of tricks early to just stick you with slight alteration for the remainder of playing.

Games rarely have things this interesting to say or approach them from this outlandish a vector. Listen up.

What is so unique in this game is how the presence of its conclusion feels like the existential dread that infuses the characters that make up its universe. The paradox of the game becomes painfully prescient as it draws inexorably towards its conclusion.

It caps the mini-trilogy with a flourish and makes us very, very eager to see what the next proper release in the franchise will have to offer.

An excellent, sophisticated, and mature game that will appeal to sci-fi and action fans, and currently represents the best of what Xbox has to offer.

Resistance 2 is a major improvement over the original in every way. It is an awesome experience of seeing a team of developers at the top of their game and pulling out all the stops. There’s something magnificent in the campaign’s execution, a wholesale devotion to having a lot of fun.

It’s a great comfort to know that Rockstar Games not only makes great games, but understands what makes them great. Chinatown Wars is the culmination of years of work as well as the spirit of ingenuity to bring one of the biggest series to the smallest screen. Nothing in the game feels half done or forced. If anything, the game feels like a development team having fun with a concept.

A true gem. It's a breezy, easy-to-play game that will leave you wondering where the hours went. With such a beautifully refined title now under its belt, it's hard to see how Sunflower will top it.

The series has always been strong, but never as good as it is this year. In fact it's all but perfect, needing only a few tweaks, a few polishing strokes, and Microsoft's promised Xbox Live! service to make it ideal.

Knocks the chin strap up around the nose of the competition. It's simply the most realistic simulation of football available, and once again, the industry standard.

With a bevy of unlockables and a single-player freak-out well worth playing twice, there is much bang in this macabre buck.

There's definitely something special about WarioWare Twisted!

It’s by far the best of its kind, and the variable but fair enemy AI keeps the game fresh, especially on higher difficulties.

The Movies takes Tycoon-style gameplay and brings it to a new level of polish and immersion, not only delivering addicting and challenging gameplay, but the means to create some funny movies to share with friends, too.

Once again, it exemplifies the very definition of a boundary-pushing video game.

Where "FIFA" feels like hockey with soccer players, Winning Eleven 8 feels like the year's first entrant for best sports game of 2005.

Many will balk at the game because it doesn’t offer a million different models of car. Those who do are missing the point. Grid is all about the fun and excitement of the race. It’s racing with a capital ‘R’ minus the frustration. You won’t find a more fun racing game this year.

All hype and scare-the-girlfriend jokes aside, Silent Hill 3 is a truly disturbing, frightening, and bloody experience (more or less in that order). This is the current high-mark of scary games, period, with production values that put most contemporary horror-flicks to shame.

Quite simply the best skating game for handheld systems ever. Totally worthy.

The new commentating team, Backtrack replays, soundtrack, and improved graphics really packs that extra punch of realism making this game a must buy.

It's like the fine wine of videogames, and anyone who sees it in motion will be mesmerized. And if they play it? They'll be straight-up intoxicated.

Once you get a firm grasp on gameplay, you'll be playing a flexible and rewarding game. With its unobtrusive story and mission-based structure, Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is perfect for gaming on the go.

Rock Band 2 has a killer track list seemingly compiled from every mix tape you were proud of in college.

Forza caters beautifully to both casual racers and hardcore car nuts, which is all that matters.

Even the most cynical gamers will have a hard time not being won over by its charms. In short, it's the type of game you bought a GameCube for in the first place and, thanks to its excellent multiplayer modes, has a lot of staying power.

This is as light and unpretentious as RPGs get. If the typical melodramatic RPGs make you laugh more than cry and you've grown tired of casting dragon destroyer +7, Mario & Luigi is just what the plumber ordered.

There’s just nothing out there that comes close to what this game can deliver with three friends. And don’t even get me started on what will happen if you break this out at a party.

It’s hard to think of a game on the shelves that provides more bang for the buck than The Orange Box. For $60, you get one of the best games ever made along with its episodic sequels, a top-tier multiplayer game, and a brilliant little puzzler with some of the best writing in the medium. There’s really no reason not to own it.

It takes everything that made the original game so compelling and makes it feel fresh and relevant all over again. It’s simple. It’s elegant. It is Pac-Man reborn.

This is the kind of game that takes over your brain after long play sessions, leading you to scrutinize real-life buildings for handholds and leaping potential. It’s an absolute blast to play, and arguably one of the finest superhero games made thus far.

The art direction is outstanding; mixing art deco architecture, classic 1950’s graphic design and tons of great old music from the early jazz era that adds a musty creepiness to the overall atmosphere of the game. It’s definitely not your typical Space Marine fare, and that’s a very good thing.

Not only is it an immersive and convincing gameplay experience, but it will undoubtedly be a bit of collector's item.

The game tells a finely crafted and interesting story at its own pace, and those without the patience to appreciate it may not understand what all the fuss is about.

Once again, it exemplifies the very definition of a boundary-pushing video game.

So while only the most die-hard fans should re-open their wounded wallet a second time, anyone who missed it owes it to themselves to play one of the best games of this generation.

For hardcore football fans, Madden NFL 2003 is a must-own. From the assortment of modes to in-depth features like the playbook editor, this game was made for those who appreciate the intricacies of football.

One of the finest first-person shooters to hit the PC in years. It is intense, fast-moving, challenging, and despite the unrealistic elements, it feels real.

Civ IV isn’t quite light enough to captivate all gamers, but it is the most fun, most engaging, and most entertaining of the series.

It's the best original (nonport) GBA RPG to date, sporting stellar graphics, above-average sound, and a worthwhile experience (at least 20 hours of gameplay) that should make that next family roadtrip that much more tolerable.

It’s inconceivable that any current WoW player wouldn’t want to get Wrath of the Lich King. Once again, Blizzard has knocked our socks off with an expansion that expands on the original game and taken it to new heights.

The game is pick-up-and-play, it's beautiful to look at, and it raises the cultural precedent bar to backboard level. Even if you don't like sports games, you'll love this one.

It is the total package 2D fighter. Any fighting fan owes it to him or herself to snatch this one immediately.

The moment Ico first takes Yorda's hand in his is as organic and human as anything seen in interactive entertainment. Sony has created a classic that is both a stunning technical achievement and a perfect example of a videogame as art.

Lives up to its exceptional pedigree. Not only does this sequel bring back all that was great about the original, but it's longer, harder, and more involved.

An amazing experience, resulting in a classic crime drama on par with "Heat," "Goodfellas," or "Casino."

This is simply one of the most singular and enthralling RPG experiences in years, and it should be played by pretty much anyone willing to hold a controller.

Seldom has sound, vision, and control worked in such perfect harmony. Most players will find themselves wanting to play SH2 right after they finish it the first time.

Borderlands 2 is a better game than Borderlands in every imaginable way. Scoff at anyone who calls it a v1.5 update; this is really what a sequel should be. At the most basic level, you've got the same great experience that the 2009 game offered, only with much more depth and variety.

And the co-op means that, like the previous two games, Chaos Theory is as close to an essential buy as we can imagine.

Both Capcom and SNK fighting fans will be in heaven. Capcom vs. SNK 2 EO is like a 24-hour arcade that requires no quarters, and the entire country is invited to play.

A rare and beautiful thing, a nearly perfect game.

The important thing is that after many years of frustrating missions, driving back home to save repeatedly, struggling with wonky physics, and dealing with farcical storylines, GTA IV has delivered a polished and almost fully renovated experience with a darker and more mature treatment of the subject matter.

With addictive, elegant gameplay, solid production values, and some serious longevity, the game is a class act and the perfect portable game.

Although some may find the controls to be unfamiliar, once mastered, they work flawlessly.

We're tempted to overpraise "Viewtiful Joe" because it looks so damn cool, and because it's not another cookie-cutter sequel or retread of a tired franchise. It looks like most game reviewers are falling over themselves to praise the game to the stratosphere, but here at "X-Play" we tell it to you straight. So here's the verdict: Viewtiful Joe is very good.

Despite minor flaws, this is by far the most enjoyable game in the GTA series, and will eat well over 100 hours of your time.

The new commentating team, Backtrack replays, soundtrack, and improved graphics really packs that extra punch of realism making this game a must buy.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction is a top developer at the top of their game. The fact that a game this polished and expansive comes merely a year after the release of Insomniac’s "Resistance: Fall of Man" (the other great PS3 game) is nothing short of awe inspiring.

Everything from last year from graphics to gameplay has been polished and upgraded.