Though the Be A GM mode needs a major overhaul and the new Legends feature falls flat, NHL 12 is still strongest where it counts – on the ice. Just like a well-rounded power forward who can dominate in all three zones, you can't deny the benefit this brings to the club.

Though the Be A GM mode needs a major overhaul and the new Legends feature falls flat, NHL 12 is still strongest where it counts – on the ice. Just like a well-rounded power forward who can dominate in all three zones, you can't deny the benefit this brings to the club.

The network is the only place Disgaea 4 breaks much in the way of new ground, but it's a wonderful complement to yet another iteration of an already slick design. Absent a major rework of Disgaea's foundation, this is about the best that we could ask for – even if you have to remind yourself that you're not playing the same PlayStation 2 game from 2003 once in a while.

With no reason to connect with these characters and little in the way of action to separate itself from the packed FPS crowd, Resistance 3 makes it clear that the series doesn't belong amongst the triple-A competition in the genre.

New games featuring the walking dead have trouble standing out from the horde, but Techland's first-person, open-world, action/RPG entry Dead Island distinguishes itself. After kicking and slashing my way through the infected island of Banoi, I can say the game has tons to offer.

New games featuring the walking dead have trouble standing out from the horde, but Techland's first-person, open-world, action/RPG entry Dead Island distinguishes itself. After kicking and slashing my way through the infected island of Banoi, I can say the game has tons to offer.

Tropico 4 is the top simulation game I'll be recommending to genre newbies and fans alike.

It's clear that the team didn't have the time and resources to really do Bodycount right, and the departure of at least two high level people during development didn't help either. What's left is a bland and essentially incomplete game that fans hoping for more Black, or simply a decent shooter, will be disappointed in.

It's clear that the team didn't have the time and resources to really do Bodycount right, and the departure of at least two high level people during development didn't help either. What's left is a bland and essentially incomplete game that fans hoping for more Black, or simply a decent shooter, will be disappointed in.

Independently, Chains of Olympus and Ghost of Sparta were standout efforts that helped make a name for Ready At Dawn. When you put them together in the Origins Collection, you get two amazing and upgraded adventures in one $40 package that no fan of action games should miss.

It's disappointing that many of the new features fail to bring value to the table, but elements like last year's excellent motion system are at least in place to make the game exciting from moment to moment. Although I wasn't in awe of the new player hot/cold streaks, I liked the player roles and how they changed from year to year and gave your players a career progression arc. Other bright spots are the online communities that help weed out the riff-raff from your online multiplayer (thanks to stronger griefing rules), and the accompanying leaderboards also offer a larger structure to the experience. This is especially useful since the online franchise feature is still a bust.

It's disappointing that many of the new features fail to bring value to the table, but elements like last year's excellent motion system are at least in place to make the game exciting from moment to moment. Although I wasn't in awe of the new player hot/cold streaks, I liked the player roles and how they changed from year to year and gave your players a career progression arc. Other bright spots are the online communities that help weed out the riff-raff from your online multiplayer (thanks to stronger griefing rules), and the accompanying leaderboards also offer a larger structure to the experience. This is especially useful since the online franchise feature is still a bust.

The problematic gunplay and annoying stealth takedown mechanics keep the game from greatness, but if played a certain way, Human Revolution captures the spirit of its predecessors and can be a blast. Even if it's not a masterpiece, this entry lays the groundwork for a promising future for the series.

The problematic gunplay and annoying stealth takedown mechanics keep the game from greatness, but if played a certain way, Human Revolution captures the spirit of its predecessors and can be a blast. Even if it's not a masterpiece, this entry lays the groundwork for a promising future for the series.

The problematic gunplay and annoying stealth takedown mechanics keep the game from greatness, but if played a certain way, Human Revolution captures the spirit of its predecessors and can be a blast. Even if it's not a masterpiece, this entry lays the groundwork for a promising future for the series.

If you don't own a Wii or want to start from the beginning, this HD upgrade of the original No More Heroes is a solid but flawed brawler that will introduce you to the goofy plight of Travis Touchdown. For everyone else, don't hesitate to skip right to the far superior Wii-exclusive sequel. [Sept 2011, p.94]

Whether you loved the first game or you're looking for something new, Cold War is a great place to jump in to experience one of the best tower defense variations on the market.

I feel proud for beating BloodRayne: Betrayal, but I can't recommend it for anyone who lacks an ocean of patience. [Sept 2011, p.93]

I feel proud for beating BloodRayne: Betrayal, but I can't recommend it for anyone who lacks an ocean of patience. [Sept 2011, p.93]

A visually arresting experience I wholeheartedly loved...A rare treat of a game and a celebration of video games as an art form. [Sept 2011, p.88]

A visually arresting experience I wholeheartedly loved...A rare treat of a game and a celebration of video games as an art form. [Sept 2011, p.88]

If you're having fun, does it really matter if you're sitting in your living room or on a bus? It may be that if a game is entertaining then it's doing its job, and Fruit Ninja Kinect gets that job done.

It's worth playing for any fan of the genre, but it isn't the brightest star in the sky.

With a great variety of maps and tons of secrets to uncover, From Dust's amorphous sandbox ensures a consistently entertaining journey.

The game is generic at best, broken at worst, and falls short in its attempts to innovate cooperative play.

The game is generic at best, broken at worst, and falls short in its attempts to innovate cooperative play.

The game is generic at best, broken at worst, and falls short in its attempts to innovate cooperative play.

Dungeons of Dredmor is a solid success in those terms, and easily exceeds expectations for its five-dollar price tag.