One of the most significant changes lies in the combat. The awkward auto-aiming of previous titles is replaced by a useful cover system and excellent lock-on aiming. The usefulness of the cover system cannot be overstated.

This rounds out a lot of the mysteries of the events leading up to FF7 and it is a fun treat for a fan to go through and remember a lot of the flashbacks from the original game being fleshed out in this installment.

The combat is all very smooth and familiar, and feels like a return to an old friend. But, when placing this combat into the intensely long Subspace Emissary mode, it doesn’t quite mesh.

Just a very safe outing for the series. There are no major chances taken and it shows.

The players are all modeled with such care and effort that it will make your jaw drop. The clothes will ripple when the pitcher raises his leg mid-throw, and dirt will cake on the uniforms of the players who have made a few diving saves in the infield.

It's one of the strongest titles I've seen yet for the handheld and, frankly, one of the better games to be released on any platform in quite some time.

The combat is a tad clunky, and the story is just shy of copyright infringement, but dammit you’re not going to care. This is a nice trip down memory lane, albeit a long one.

An excellent way to spend some quality time with your DS and genuinely worth the small investment from your bank account.

While it is true that the game has a 20 minute install on the PS3, making any immediate demon slicing an impossibility, it isn’t that excruciating of an experience.

Sins of a Solar Empire makes no apologies for being ambitiously massive and deep.

While this game is pretty shallow in terms of content, it still becomes a great pickup for some mindless fun and destruction.

Savage 2 is something of an anomaly in the current lineup of PC games, borrowing elements from Natural Selection, Planetside, Hellgate: London and others. Whether you’re a RTS fan, a FPS junkie, or you’re looking for the next great competitive action RPG, you’ll find something to like in Savage 2.

Speaking of looks, this game is quite visually impressive. It looks great, especially for an arcade download. The lighting effects are spectacular and really give off a great underwater ambience.

Not that it isn’t fun, but aliens are a little -too- human, even the really really weird ones. These problems are thankfully not nearly big enough to drag Mass Effect down, as in reality, they amount to little more than petty but necessary gripes about an otherwise great title – it’s a fantastic experience.

Xbox Live support is great here as well. Online play is great, and you can jam with a band halfway across the world, which is seriously technically impressive. The downloadable content support is fantastic as well, even this soon after the game’s been released.

UT3 is quick, fun, violent, and positively a blast to play, despite a couple minor shortcomings.

While this game is not perfect, it comes close to touching it on several points, and absolutely nails it on the story. This tale is gripping the whole way through, and has the value to be revisited over and over again, just like any DVD movie on your shelf.

What makes this type of play so much fun is the fact that the levels are so huge.

Excellent graphics, gameplay and variety are definitely SMG's strengths, though it's certainly not perfect. The game may feel a little too easy for most gamers, as you only need to collect 60 stars to complete it and many of the boss battles are very simple. Also, the auto-camera, which functions great most of the time, does have a few hiccups at certain points.

A few improvements could have been made to increase the game’s longevity, but for a first strike this is an excellent outing. Fighters should lace up their gloves and go a few rounds with this game, just don’t get knocked to the floor.

As far as XBLA games are concerned, this is a rare gem.

In the end, Gears of War isn't perfect, but it does what it does so incredibly well that you just can't help but love it.

Every objective feels fresh, and enjoyably chaotic, because more than anything, Modern Warfare illustrates the constant state of FUBAR that war often is.

After all, if the creator of many popular videogames can’t stop playing his own titles, that’s probably the best statement that they are worth your time as well.

The only thing missing from this experience was an actual video of eight-year-old Josh crying at the end of the game. I would have paid a lot of money to see that.

This game is substantially harder than the previous two.

This game is substantially harder than the previous two, and may cause a newcomer to the series to reconsider their purchase.

I came into this chomping at the bit to play “Knights of Cydonia” but I have found so much more with this game. I’m positive that I will be shredding on this until the next Hero graces my presence, unless a certain Rock Band can steal me away.

The Dracula X Chronicles is simply a great package for old school Castlevania fans and newcomers alike.

Someone asked me to describe Ace Combat 6 in a word, and my response was “shallow,” which probably wasn’t fair. Shallow seems to imply a lack of depth to a fault, which certainly isn’t the case with Ace Combat 6. Though you don’t have to worry about flaps settings, ILS approaches, or proper air-traffic control etiquette, Ace Combat 6 is by no means barebones. It’s a lean, mean, fighting machine.

In short, Zack and Wiki made me love these adventuring, puzzle-solving games all over again. Here’s hoping for a sequel and even more innovation.

Although Trials and Tribulations is essentially the same gameplay as the previous games, let’s admit it…the series is innovative. Who would have thought that the courtroom could be entertaining, better yet enjoyable?

The outstanding combination of tight gameplay and a first-rate presentation make it a great game.

Flight Simulator X: Acceleration really is a must-buy for fans of the series. For $30 you get a great amount of content, and the improvements to FSX overall make it worth purchasing both Acceleration and the original game if you’ve still been cruising in FS2004.

The artists at Big Huge Games did a great job of capturing the unique building structures and military units for the new factions.

A very solid game in terms of pure fun. I wasn’t sure of what to expect of this amorphous blob when I was handed it, but once I logged in a few hours I found I couldn’t pull myself away.

Regardless of whether you enjoy first-person shooters or not, The Orange Box is one title that every gamer must experience. If you buy one game this year, make it The Orange Box.

There are some programming errors on the game that some veterans find game breaking. Any simple moves such as throwing a stone during battle, causes this relatively long slow down.

Well beyond just another competent racing game. It’s absolutely one of the pinnacle examples of simulation racing.

Though Enemy Territory: Quake Wars certainly doesn’t reinvent the team-based multiplayer shooter, it borrows just enough from each figurehead and adds its own style and polish to produce a rock-solid online game.

NBA 2K8 is easily the best hoops game on the market this year, a tremendous leap over last year’s game, and one of the best sports games ever made. Bravo Visual Concepts.

The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass is a phenomenal Zelda game, pure and simple. The creative minds at Nintendo have managed to take classic gameplay and infuse it with all of the Nintendo DS’ unique capabilities to create an adventure for Link unlike any before.

In the end Stuntman: Ignition feels like opening night at one of the many big-budget blockbuster movies it spoofs - an expensive ticket and a long wait can get you the perfect seats for some very rewarding action.

It won’t give you an experience like one you’ve had before, but it’s one you won’t soon forget. You won’t be pulling off the crazy impossible stunts you may have in Tony Hawk, but it’s equally – if not more – fun to pull off something really technically challenging in skate. With a little patience and perseverance this game can provide a really great experience.

Nothing short of spectacular.

Open Warfare 2 combines the franchise’s polished gameplay with several new modes and a robust online component to create the best Worms title in many years.

Open Warfare 2 combines the franchise’s polished gameplay with several new modes and a robust online component to create the best Worms title in many years.

Even with the profanity, the game manages to pull off a high degree of charm that could give this new IP a lot of legs if they can clarify the target audience in a sequel.

You're going to need the patience of Job to persevere in the early stages, but if you manage it then you're in for one of the best multiplayer experiences available.

If MHF2 had gone the extra mile to delivered Infrastructure mode, well, there would be no stopping this game. As it stands, it's an engrossing, complex adventure game that rewards the player willing to invest a lot of time in exploring its subtleties.

In the end Stuntman: Ignition feels like opening night at one of the many big-budget blockbuster movies it spoofs - an expensive ticket and a long wait can get you the perfect seats for some very rewarding action.

Feels like opening night at one of the many big-budget blockbuster movies it spoofs - an expensive ticket and a long wait can get you the perfect seats for some very rewarding action.

Curious newcomers will want to sink their teeth into one of Guild Wars’ other three campaigns first, but if you’re looking to get a bit more out of the Guild Wars experience and want to prep yourself for its coming sequel, Eye of the North is a great interim solution.

With several gameplay modes tailored for addicts and casual players alike, hitting the links with Tiger is an extremely refined experience, which no doubt stems from EA Sports’ decade long tenure with the license.

Minor issues with the presentation and level design prevent it from achieving its full potential, yet it's still an enjoyable experience.

GRAW2 may be a few months late but the wait was definitely worth it and patient PS3 owners have been rewarded with one of the best titles for the console yet.

In the end, while not a perfect incarnation of the Ghost Recon series, GRAW2 still manages to be one of the strongest FPSs on the PSP and is well worth your time.

Just as the film industry has had David Lynch and Stanley Kubrick, or the music industry Laurie Anderson and Phillip Glass, or the art world its Salvador Dali, so to does the videogame industry have its own creative maverick in Jeff Minter. I'm glad he exists and I'm ecstatic that he's still doing what he wants, how he wants. Best 400-points I've ever spent.

Bioshock has got everything that a great triple-A title needs, and it’s got it in spades. Intense combat, amazing and deep story, beautiful graphics, awesome sound – yes please.

Bioshock has got everything that a great triple-A title needs, and it’s got it in spades. Intense combat, amazing and deep story, beautiful graphics, awesome sound – yes please. Add to that the level of customization and the multiple endings, and you’ve got something worth talking about.

Persona 3 is an amazingly unique title for the Playstation 2. Even if you're not a fan of dungeon crawls, Persona 3 deserves your attention for its maturity alone. Gamers that are sick of typical JRPG settings will love the new atmosphere and relish the creepy style.

Superstar Challenge alone is worth it in my book. Those that are adjusted to the next-gen experience on the home consoles might find that the PSP version comes up a little short in the features department, but the gameplay is still tight. This is definitely the best PSP Madden yet.

Glory Days 2 took me completely by surprise. It's the perfect game that I didn't even know I needed. If you're looking for an action game with more depth than just moving and shooting, you should definitely take a look.

Brave Story stands tall not so much as a brand new experience with innovative gameplay, but a solid homage to the genre that manages to get every aspect just perfect.

Nintendo didn’t change much with Mario Strikers Charged, and they really didn’t have to. The transition to the Wii is a comfortable experience, and the online mode, though a bit clumsy, is a welcome addition.

NASCAR 08 is a decent effort at bringing this series to the next-gen platforms, but ultimately doesn’t have the muscle to be a first-place finisher.

With its expanded Epic Game, 12 new scenarios, tons of mods from the community, 10 new civilizations, 16 new leaders, corporations, espionage, random events, 5 new wonders, enhanced space victory, Apostolic Palace diplomacy and enhanced AI, this is the best $29 you'll spend all year.

The most well-rounded and customizable game currently available on Xbox Live Arcade. The graphics are crisp, the animations fun and the options are many. It's so good, it even makes up for Bomberman Act Zero. Yes, it's THAT good.

The game's still not perfect, but the end result is a college football title with the depth to appease fans of the sport yet simple enough to attract newcomers. Hardcore fans might be disappointed with the presentation, which doesn't always feel like college football, but there's no denying that the gameplay has been tuned to perfection.

It satisfies on many levels – easily accessible and involved gameplay coupled with great graphics and a cool story.

Visually, Super Stardust is stunning. It's easily the best-looking downloadable game for the PS3 and I'll go so far as to call it a killer-app, much like Geometry Wars for the 360.

This game is one of those rare instances where the stars align and every element combines to create something fresh, original and great. Kudos to the entire crew at Triumph Studios...you've lived up to your name.

The key to Nervous Breakdown is that it continuously introduces new challenges and concepts that keep it from feeling stale.

A game that’s built on a foundation of great gameplay with an intense and unique story. The look and sound of the game are awesome as well.

The nature of game lends itself well to the PSP, offering a nice pick-up-play experience that doesn't bog you down with details or an hour worth of 9-innings.

The extreme care taken with reproducing the world, characters, and story of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix results in certainly the best Harry Potter game yet and a perfect counterpart to the film.

The extreme care taken with reproducing the world, characters, and story of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix results in certainly the best Harry Potter game yet and a perfect counterpart to the film.

The extreme care taken with reproducing the world, characters, and story of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix results in certainly the best Harry Potter game yet and a perfect counterpart to the film.

An extremely fun and well-designed game that sets a new standard in terms of graphics and sound. If it proves successful, we will hopefully see a slew of shooters arrive for the platform, shooters that will hopefully implement WiFi Connect so we can all start going head-to-head.

With graphics and sound like this, only the staunchest of racing-game-haters will be able to skim over this game on the shelves of their local retailer. When you get into the gameplay, it’s pure fun and pure fast – the perfect combination for a racing game. DiRT is easily one of the best looking racing games we’ve ever seen, and provides an amazingly challenging and fun experience – at least in single player mode.

This game may not be a pillar of innovation or creativity, but it is fun. The combat is straightforward and the single player campaign is short, but fans will definitely have a good time here. The game is structured very well for a handheld platform and there’s enough replayability to keep you coming back for a while.

The new Wii controls definitely make it worth plaything through again. At $29 there’s almost no excuse for not picking this one up, especially if you’re looking for the best demonstration of the Wii Remote yet.

All in all, this game may not be a pillar of innovation or creativity, but it is fun. The combat is straightforward and the single player campaign is short, but fans will definitely have a good time here.

Now, this iteration of the classic game shows that with some love and polishing, these old favorite games of ours really do stand the test of time, and even outperform some new games.

Pac-Man Championship edition is a welcome change for the Pac-universe. There’s enough variety, newness, and challenge to keep old fans and new players entertained for a long time. This is definitely a great example of the way that retro games should come to the Live Arcade.

One of the best games of its type on the DS. Though I personally prefer the direction that Puzzle Quest offers, Planet Puzzle League holds its own by offering so many ways to play and all presented in a style that would make Q Entertainment proud.

It’s loaded with extras and great touches that push it over the edge of greatness, so much so that the bland graphics are quickly forgotten.

This is a great game. If you’re willing to abandon your preconceived notions as to what a Shadowrun game should be and simply accept it for what it is, you’ll find a deep and complex first-person shooter that is tons of fun and packed with variety.

Ultimately, Crush stands tall as a successful experiment in game design, offering up a shiny new puzzle concept that could very well set a new standard for future clones.

A great game that should appeal to those zealots and casual players that eat this stuff up. The features and game modes offer a lot of options, the presentation is excellent and the text-recognition actually works and works fast.

One of the most enjoyable, unique, and visually appealing titles the veteran PS2 has ever seen. With a brawler foundation and borrowing from several other gameplay styles, Odin Sphere should appeal old-school gamers, RPG fans, and even button-mashers alike.

Graphically, Shrek the Third is top-notch, offering superb 3D environments that are displayed on each DS screen. There’s an attention to detail in all of the varied environments that bring the world of Shrek to life.

Any gamer casually interested in RTS games should pick this one up, as it provides a unique look back at the genre's roots in an entertaining and polished manner.

Sure, it’s a rail-fighter at heart, but the game offers enough variety and action to keep you suitably occupied. This is a well-rounded product.

I'm helplessly addicted...Catan is a god send of a game, filling a void in Xbox Live's offerings that will hopefully lead to more strategic board games in the near future.

Though the online mode fails to reach its potential, the game itself is polished to perfection.

Though the online mode fails to reach its potential, the game itself is polished to perfection.

The sound is also unfortunately not quite up to snuff compared to the rest of the game. It’s done well enough, and it sounds crisp, but the music is just not memorable.