The extensive training tools will drastically improve the game of any lower-level player who is willing to learn.

The additions to the game don’t alter the basic strategy that much. So while this is a solid RTS title, it certainly isn’t breaking any new ground.

In the end, if you are reading this review, you’re probably curious about the game because you’re a fan of the website. If you like Homestar Runner and Strong Bad and the Cheat and so on and so forth, there is no reason why you should not get this game. You’ll love it, trust me.

Metro 2033 has a good deal to offer the player. It has a great story and atmosphere and a reason to play it multiple times.

UNO is a fantastic game perfectly suited for the Xbox 360 that will delight kids and adults, the same people who probably already play it with real cards.

The game is short, but still fun.

The simplicity of the Echochrome’s look is slick and the puzzles are imaginative and well designed.

The team really outdid themselves in differentiating the different societies. This was done while still keeping a delicate balance. No one "civ" has the advantage.

A scintillating package of retro Capcom goodness; there’s something for everyone to love here, and the low price makes it a killer buy.

The highest complement I can pay PlanetSide is by saying that I’m addicted... At its best, PlanetSide takes a staple genre and breaths new life into it while delivering an adrenaline rush rarely found in the virtual world.

If you're looking for ultimate detail and resolution and perfect framerate then stick with your PC version of Crysis, but if you don't play PC games, or your PC was never able to play Crysis in the first place then the 360 version of Crysis is a fantastic port that uses their latest engine to deliver great graphics and sound and superior controls, all for only $20 in the On-Demand store.

There is something new, fresh, and exciting around each turn and over each hill and mountaintop, making Just Cause 2 one of the best open-world action games ever made – perhaps the best.

Rage looks like a launch title for whatever system Xbox is planning for us next. I still can't believe my six year old Xbox 360 is capable of delivering the graphics and the gameplay I've been enjoying for the past week. Rage is much more than just the best FPS experience I've had in 2011; it is a pivotal and redefining moment for the future of game design that will push your console further than anyone though it could go. You don't want to miss this.

If you are looking for extensive character development, careers, and complex gameplay in your sports title, then you might want to check out Top Spin 2 or some other game, but if you want to immerse yourself in the best version of pong since…well…pong, then this might just become your new favorite addiction.

An outstanding achievement in porting a major console golf title over to a handheld system while retaining all of the gameplay nuances that made it the classic it is today.

Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined me becoming totally addicted to Kingdom Under Fire: The Crusaders.

This game oozes with the same quality and professional presentation values as any episode shown in the past decade thanks to quality writing and an outstanding performance by the original cast.

I loved the rock concert atmosphere and awesome soundtrack, and the naturalistic track designs were inspired and expertly crafted so they work independently or when merged together for longer runs.

If you like Homestar Runner and Strong Bad and the Cheat and so on and so forth, there is no reason why you should not get this game. You’ll love it, trust me.

If you've never played GoldenEye then now is your chance to experience a piece of retooled history, and if you are a grumbling diehard fan of the original then suck it up and get with the times. Change is good and GoldenEye 007 has never been better.

When it comes right down to it Rochard is a fully enjoyable action game with plenty of puzzles to work through. While not overly challenging, though some took me a few second to figure out just what to do, I can tell you I missed the three hour speed run achievement by several hours, but considering all the hidden health and weapons upgrades as well as trophies that's one achievement that will have to come later.

There is good bit of game to get through here for $10. It has a great style, good music and fun combat. It's violent, it's dark and it gives you quite a few reasons to keep returning. There aren't any reasons not to recommend it -- unless of course you're squeamish.

Puts a serious strain on the PS2 – a strain that drastically and negatively affects gameplay.

The game as a whole is average. The graphics are superb, but the lack of a tutorial mode hurts the game, but once you figure things out it can become quite addictive and even a bit challenging.

And while this new version still lacks a lot of the content (courses) you can still get playing on last-gen systems, the integrated ESPN, amazing GameFace features for your characters and UCAP technology for the pros, and an enhanced True Swing and True Aiming system all combine to make this the best and most advanced professional golf simulation available.

With 7 stellar game modes and some insanely addictive gameplay in each of them, plus the added features of Achievements and Leaderboards Geometry Wars: Touch will keep you in a trance-like state for hours and weeks and months to come.

Despite the unfortunate length of LostWinds, it is a remarkably good game, an adventure with broad appeal that takes a simple idea and brings it to elegant fruition.

The complete package. There is so much content here that you won’t believe you are playing it on the PSP.

For ten dollars, there's really no reason for a fan of real time strategy to pick this one up and experience the experiment in combining tower defense and real time strategy tropes, nor for anyone who's curious about strategy games to turn this one down.

The idea that kids can play online and not be subject to cyber creeps is a compelling one and if Toontown succeeds I’ll bet we see more games like it. While most folks aren’t going to want to trade in their bow and broadsword for a seltzer bottle those with kids should definitely give Toontown a look.

You will be hard pressed to find another fantasy RTS game that has the engrossing background and storyline of Kohan II: Kings of War.

Episode III, while flawed, does provide a nice conclusion to the story, and provides enough decent gameplay to make the overall experience rewarding.

Sure, the levels and even the gameplay get a bit repetitive at times, but there is always great action and the potential to share that action with your friends, and that is what really make this game rise above its predecessors and a total joy to play.

A deep and rich strategy experience, and for a mere handful of Microsoft points, it can be a welcome addition to any player’s arcade who is willing to spend some time learning the few simple rules of this timed release gaming experience.

A wonderful achievement in storytelling, an experiment in horror if you will, that no “scary movie” fan or gamer should miss.

Quite simply, the best action flight game released for the PS2 this year for sure and quite possibly the best that has ever graced the console.

Fans of previous NHL Hitz games will still enjoy the easily accessible gameplay and hopefully respect the move into a more serious variation of the sport.

The control is excellent, the physics are perfect, there are loads of original tracks and landscapes, and the fun factor is off the charts. This is a must-own game for any MX fan who owns an Xbox.

The level of challenge and degree of difficulty ramps up smoothly over the course of the game, and all passage of time will slip by, as you become immersed and even hypnotized by the dazzling graphics and stunning music in Child of Eden; one of the most original games I've ever played this year on the PS3 and certainly a perfect fit for the PS Move.

I hate to look like I am fawning over a game – much less a sports game – but FIFA 08 is by far the best release in this long-running series, and one of the best sports titles on the PS3 thus far.

Sure, the levels and even the gameplay get a bit repetitive at times, but there is always great action and the potential to share that action with your friends, and that is what really make this game rise above its predecessors and a total joy to play.

It's bigger, it's badder and there's a whole lot of cutting... and hey, that's a good thing, for once. MKD is a can't miss game.

NBA Live 06 might have an overall prettier package, but I'll take better gameplay and a complete package of game modes over flash courtside graphics any day.

Quite simply, if you don’t have Xbox Live or you don’t enjoy online games then avoid Perfect Dark Zero like the proverbial plague. There is very little about this game that would make is fun or enduring for the solo gamer.

Skylanders signifies a new start for the franchise – a step back to Spyro's roots, yet a step into the future.

Despite the graphical flaws, poor mission design, and lack of a compelling story I still have to admit I had "fun" playing this game. Sure it was easy, sure I finished it in record time, and no, I probably won’t be going back and playing it again anytime soon.

The Warriors could have easily become just another repetitious street brawling title, but with a strong and original storyline that merges with the film plot, great combat action mixed with tactical strategy elements, and authentic 70’s style and flavor, this is one game that will keep you knocking heads for months to come.

As for Achievements, there are 29 objectives required to earn those 1000 points.

The 20-some missions will certainly give you a day or so of great entertainment, despite the poor story and shallow characters, but more importantly these missions will serve to train you for the endless combat that awaits you online.

The massive scope of the content, both cars and tracks, makes this an awesome opportunity for racers to sample a bit of all racing genres.

I have a feeling that some of the younger set won’t have such an easy time with the shallow, repetitive nature of the racing – especially compared to the similarly priced likes of Burnout 3, Burnout Revenge or Need For Speed Most Wanted.

The storyline is classic X-Men fare, and little details like characters' lines and dorm rooms (Colossus has an easel in his room, for example) really add a lot to the fan service.

But I cannot fault the game for being clever, and at just under 3 hours total, the episode is over just when things begin to really mesh, leaving you wanting more from the second episode.

Once you master the learning curve and are able to manipulate and organize your team of ghosts effectively Ghost Master becomes more of a chore or at best an exercise in puzzle solving.

Island Thunder isn’t your typical FPS. It is more much calculating and often more about team management than blazing gunfire. You setup and execute elaborate tactical assaults working as a leader of a team.

While the additional content is a little light, the game still delivers solid strategy both online and off.

The ability to use updated roster files from the modding community is another great addition to this game as well.

There are a lot more good lessons to be learned in Bully than bad ones, especially the importance of time management, actually attending classes, and even getting an after school job.

Does a great job of extending the story started in the first game but it fails to wrap up a lot of details, indicating a possible third installment or simply poor storytelling.

Sid Meier's Pirates! has all the makings of the being the greatest of pirate games, but a few things hold it back, mostly because of the "sameness" it projects. Plain and simple, as deep as it is, Pirates! doesn't have the epic feel of many games of this type due to its similarities throughout.

Aside from the mediocre voice acting and shortness of the game I highly recommend Anomaly: Warzone Earth to everyone with a couple of hours to burn. You won't play through this game just once. You'll keep coming back just to make that one change to your route or upgrade to achieve that perfect score. The mayhem mode is a nice way to let us continue to get our fix after completing Tokyo's city story.

If you are already invested in the series then playing Revelations isn't even an option - it's mandatory. The story is just too important, and frankly, this is the best in the series when it comes to story and action sequences, and not even misplaced tower defense distraction and endless city domination missions can hold it back.

A completely overhauled and redesigned reiteration of the classic PC game. It’s a turn based strategy game that is similar to Nintendo’s Advanced Wars. This is different because the original was a real-time strategy game.

There were a handful of drawbacks – most notably the lack of some teams and absence of a team or player creation mode – but overall this is great fun.

If it were not for some annoying graphical glitches, this game would have received a coveted GCM Editors Choice.

The puzzles are not terribly hard but a few of require a little thought, though help is available if you desire it.

The audio presentation gets a serious boost with more ambient sounds coming out of every speaker in a crisp, clear Dolby Digital mix.

An excellent hybrid of systematic dungeon crawls and traditional RPG gameplay that will reward most any RPG fan with quality hack-n-slash gameplay, strategic inventory management, and thoughtful character advancement.

You’ve got a beautifully rich, engrossing sci-fi conspiracy story that suffers abbreviated cinematic story development. You’ve got a very cool RPG with futuristic upgrades, weapons and items that is hampered by a poorly designed interface.

Using the simple control dynamics to soar through a living, breathing, virtual New York City is as much fun and exhilarating as watching it on the big screen.

At the end of the blood soaked night, I was very impressed with the Condemned 2. Monolith continues to be an unstoppable force in psychological terror.

Until then, Driver: San Francisco is without a doubt, one of the most entertaining, innovative, and challenging racing games you can play on your console or PC.

I would highly recommend Lego Star Wars: The Complete Saga for anybody that likes the Star Wars universe. Period. It’s simple enough that anybody can enjoy it, but challenging enough that an experienced gamer won’t be bored by it.

When put against some of the other excellent Summer of Arcade games, From Dust isn't for everyone. It's a fully unique experience, with a pace and style that might turn some people off. But for people willing to play a more meditative game, a god game without much building or even very terrific amounts of power, and people who're interested in games as art, From Dust is a beautiful experience and one of the best ways to spend $15 in Microsoft Spacebucks.

Adding the nuclear arms race and using more modern forces adds to the fun of this well made RTS.

A game like no other. It almost rises above the definition of the word “game”, but you can’t argue that there is a lot of challenging fun and addictive gameplay to be found in this attractive package.

What makes it special are the breathtaking graphics, flawless character animation, great musical score, cool cut scenes, great story full of startling twists, and a unique card battle system that's surprisingly fun.

Darwinia+ is one of the coolest titles currently available in the XBLA library.

Gamers wanting to experience some of the bloodiest combat you're likely to see in any FPS this year, or those wanting to revel in perhaps the most visionary graphic novel-style presentation of the decade need only look as far as The Darkness II. It's a wild and non-stop ride of gore and carnage with gameplay that uniquely adapts to each person who plays it. It has surprising moments of heart and storytelling, but most of all; it's a bloody good time from start to finish, and a game you'll play at least twice just so you can experience it all.

Everything from the wake generation to the boat and boarder physics is flawless and you won't find a more original or fun game than Wakeboarding Unleashed.

While this new version still lacks a lot of the content (courses) you can still get playing on last-gen systems, it certainly is a huge improvement from last year’s “golf sampler”, and with the integrated ESPN, amazing GameFace features for your characters and UCAP technology for the pros, and an enhanced True Swing and True Aiming system, this is by far the best and most advanced professional golf simulation available.

Buzz! Quiz TV is going to provide countless hours of educational fun for you, your entire family, and a group of friends that will surely increase in size once they learn you have this game.

Angry Birds is a delight to play, watch, and listen to, and the endless replay potential for mastering the 60+ levels makes the introductory $1 selling price seem way too low when compared to similar titles, so act now and get this game while it's still half-price.

Great visual style, great audio soundtrack, great gameplay, and great technical add-ins make PixelJunk Eden is the best ten dollars that gamers can spend on their PS3 this year.

The multiplayer portion of the game is where Swat 4 shines and it is no different with the expansion pack.

If you’re a wrestling or a Smackdown fan, you’ll go nuts over this year’s Smackdown! vs. RAW. However, if you’re looking for an in-depth, stat-tracking online wrestling title, you’ll want to hold off for future installments and simply rent this one.

Despite its stripped down gameplay, Ground Control finds a perfect balance between action and strategy. The result is a game that will appeal to explosion-addicted gamers and tactics fans alike.

Whether this is your first or ninth adventure with Lara, it is one you won’t soon forget. With perfect controls, intuitive gameplay, stunning graphics, majestic music, and a totally engaging story, this is the type of adventure game Legends are made of.

There aren’t many titles that can come close to the glory of Tomb Raider. If you’re looking for some gun totting, cliff hugging action then look no further than Tomb Raider: Underworld for the PC.

With ample structured gameplay and the endless sandbox mode, there is limitless gameplay potential here, so if you enjoy this type of city-building and resource management game then it doesn't get any better than Virtual City HD.

By far the best movie-licensed game to ever be made. Not only does it outshine all other movie-inspired titles, it even surpasses the movie that inspired it. It’s a totally immersive experience with the no-HUD interface, amazing sounds, inspiring music, and a visionary artistic style that is totally unique to the genre.

Spellforce 2: Shadow Wars combines the best features of the fantasy RPG and RTS worlds, from strong character development, to massive, resource driven battles-all strewn across gorgeous landscapes. Throw in a wealth of online options-most notably cooperative play-and you have sleeper hit in the making.

While other titles may have a larger variety of chess boards to chose from, Fritz 8 offers some brain-twisting game play even on the lowest settings. There is also a strong online community who swear by this title, which is something not every chess title can offer.

Test Drive Unlimited was a bold experiment in seamlessly blending the solo and online racing experience and it worked great on the 360 and PC, and to some degree you get a small taste of this on the PSP, but I wouldn’t recommend this game to anyone looking for the next big thing in PSP online gaming.

EA has officially regained the top spot in the console soccer wars with FIFA '06. Winning Eleven will still be the choice for the unyielding hardcore "footballers" in Europe, but for the best overall appeal to gamers of every interest and skill level, it's hard to top FIFA 06.

Climax has taken an already near-perfect racer and polished it to a level of realism I didn’t expect this early in the 360 lifespan.

With a solid action core, innovative puzzles, teamwork concepts, and the clever integration of the endearing LEGO franchise, this would be a great game even without the Star Wars license.

With 60 levels and the likely possibility of more on the way, plus the obsessive quest for three stars on every level, expect to spend a couple of weeks tending to your droopy flowers with this highly entertaining and addictive new game.