Those who already have Xrd may want to wait for a price drop since there isn’t a ton of new content, but if you’re jonesing for more Guilty Gear, then this is an outstanding entry in the series and well-worth your time.

It has some rough edges that will hopefully be ironed out in time and remains a must-buy for racing fans even with its flaws.

No current strategy title can give you the clash between horseback cavalry and industrial age tanks and howitzers as compelling as what Rise of Nations brings to the table.

Overall, FIFA 12 improves upon the ground work laid by the previous incarnations of the series. The level of immersion, of escapism, not to mention the level of online support for fans, is beyond impressive.

Overall, FIFA 12 improves upon the ground work laid by the previous incarnations of the series. The level of immersion, of escapism, not to mention the level of online support for fans, is beyond impressive.

No matter how you choose to play Burnout 2 – Championship, Chase, or Crash -- the ultra-responsive gameplay will shine through as the pinnacle of arcade-racing perfection.

Aside from the well-crafted plot, the intense action and the awesome atmospheric graphics and sound, Crimson Skies also features an incredible multiplayer experience.

I'm not exactly sure what Black Isle has for an expected gaming time, but I'd assume it's at least more than BG1 (over 150 hours).

BioShock is one of the best games of 2007 for any platform, not so much because it offers new wonders - there are a few - but as a result of meeting high standards, as any diamond should.

Unless you're genuinely lacking anyone to play it with though, Left 4 Dead is easily one of this year's must-have games.

Despite all of its problems, Diablo 2 is as much fun as any action game I’ve ever played and twice as addictive.

It delivers on all fronts: graphics, story, and especially gameplay. The only downside is that those with lower end machines are going to have to drop their graphics and resolution down quite a bit to achieve an acceptable frame rate.

A testosterone soaked soap opera. With a storyline that will keep you deciding who to trust and what really is going on right up until the end, it’s a great bit of entertainment.

Quite simply, Onimusha 2 is one of the year’s best offerings on the PS2.

Unless you're genuinely lacking anyone to play it with though, Left 4 Dead is easily one of this year's must-have games.

Another surprise to me was the great management of textures within the game.

Takes the solid premise of the first title, captures the good elements and radically expands upon them to create one of the best platformers ever seen on the PS2, and indeed all of platforming history.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is an impressive showcase for the Vita. Its sharp colors pop off the screen, and it controls better than ever thanks to the system's d-pad. If you love the game, or the series in general, this is a must-buy and delivers the goods in every way. However, if you've already got a console version, you might want to wait for a price drop since this is presently priced the same and can't be played on the big screen.

Square managed to capture most, if not all of the addictive, endearing qualities of the genre while retaining a decent amount of good ol’ fashion Fantasy elements.

It’s everything a role-playing fan could ask for. Decent graphics, a great story and endless possibilities with the Aurora toolset makes this a must buy for the hardcore RPG fan or even the casual in-between-classes RPG fan.

If you're a fan of the beautiful game then FIFA 13 is a must buy, once again!

As it stands, Fight Night Champion is the best in the series to date for me, making the sweet science all the sweeter.

As it stands, Fight Night Champion is the best in the series to date for me, making the sweet science all the sweeter.

This title boasts a very high replay value, an excellent soundtrack and some downright wicked tricks.

Donkey Kong Country Returns has a few flaws, but is still an incredibly fun plat former.

The grand environments create a fantastic stage for the adventure and the detail found in the textures, lighting and environmental effects are nothing short of superb.

BioShock is one of the best games of 2007 for any platform, not so much because it offers new wonders - there are a few - but as a result of meeting high standards, as any diamond should.

As great as Marvel’s Avengers was, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy takes the framework of combat there and fine-tunes it.

This is most definitely a must-buy if you’re a fan of the brand, but even if you aren’t, The Stick of Truth is an incredibly well-made game with a fantastic sense of humor, a unique art style — at least in relation to other games — and deep character customization.

A deep fighting game with loads of strategy involved, tons of game modes and memorable characters, this game showcases two of the fundamental tenets of the genre: addictive, fast-paced action and solid controls.

From the new modes and vehicles to the expanded level of destruction and rewarding progression system, it all lends to an open warfare experience that will have you returning to the battlefield for months to come.

One of the most atmospheric, creative and technically impressive titles to hit any console in quite a while. An engaging plot, combined with the right balance of stealth and action makes Butcher Bay one of those classic games that any owner of the Xbox should have in their collection.

While the controls are technically inferior to the 360 and PS3 version due to the lack of analog buttons on any Wii U control method, they still work really well and don’t make the game hard to control – it just takes some time to get used to controlling a modern racer with purely digital buttons.

An incredibly satisfying brawler, with levels you can clear in a few minutes each. It's got a few drawbacks, and it's by no means easy, but it's an extraordinary game from a developer that I'd written off as mediocre.

With improved graphics, better animations, and a control system that, like their commercials say, allows players to fully express themselves anyway they want, Live 2003 is unbelievably solid.

If you’re a fan of science fiction or horror, you owe it to yourself to have Dead Space in your collection.

Beautifully crafted. The story-driven gameplay is compelling and the atmosphere is a visual and aural masterpiece.

With an extremely realistic presentation, augmented control system, and additional attention paid to the overall gameplay, MVP 2005 could be one of those games baseball fans keep returning to in the upcoming years of exclusive sports games.

If you loved Origins, you’ll definitely get $60 worth out of this even with some Origins content being present here, while those who’ve never played Origins should give the demo a shot and see if they like it. If you’re won over by it, then snatch it up ASAP.

All three titles have been given visual facelifts and their execution on today's gaming systems is excellent.

Overall, Prejudice is a vast improvement over the original with new modes to experience, polished controls and an even deeper customization system. If you're looking for a fun time alone or to share with some friends, for $15 you really can't go wrong here.

All three titles have been given visual facelifts and their execution on today's gaming systems is excellent.

If you spent any time at all on SF2 as a kid, on your SNES or Genesis or down at your arcade, this is a must-have nostalgia bomb.

It’s one of the most consistently, thematically dark games of this console generation. This isn’t something you plug in to cheer up at the end of a long day. Yoko Taro is the closest thing that video games have to an Ingmar Bergman, and you should only jump on this ride if you’re in a mood to grapple with some heavy questions about life, death, sacrifice, and humanity.

The bottom line here is that this is still The freakin’ Beatles in a triumphant rhythm game début. The music is fantastic, the presentation is out of this world (sometimes literally), and all done with the utmost respect and care.

The bottom line here is that as true hybrid games go, Borderlands is as great a success as there has ever been.

The core of what made Shenmue so special before is retained, and Yu Suzuki’s ability to keep the story flowing seamlessly for 20 years is remarkable. If you loved the first games, get this as soon as you can. If you haven’t tried the series, then the remastered version is the best way to start and then grab this when you feel ready.

As I said, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a more polished and better-organized version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08.

Overall, though, the biggest problem with Lollipop Chainsaw is its length. There's no way to justify picking it up at a full sixty dollars unless you're going to get absolutely one hundred percent of everything in it, from achievements to high scores, and that might take you a week.

If you’re looking for a Bioshock type of storyline with endless plot points to discuss and debate with others, this is not your game. If you’re looking for a solid reason to blow up some buildings and stand there wide-eyed at your explosive accomplishments then by all means pick yourself up a copy and get your ass to… ahhh dammit.

I almost want to hang myself for thinking this, but in effect, Warhead delivers because it's exactly what its developers promise: more Crysis.

The gameplay is extremely solid, the managerial mode is surprisingly deep and the additional features make FIFA 06 a great sports addition for fans of the sport.

All in all, an absolute treat for the eyes and the ears... that is if you can stomach the content. Anyone interested in L.A. Noire must understand that this is a game for an adult audience. The grisly crime scenes can be very off-putting to some, and considering the subject matter of the game is to solve serial killings and clean up a town notorious for being the Sodom & Gomorrah of the era, players should know what they are getting into beforehand. The dialogue is also quite strong and this title may actually be the first video game title to use a specific acronym for "see you next Tuesday" so liberally (or at all).

Sunset Overdrive’s blend of shooting, grinding, parkour, fetch quests, and tower defense makes for a complicated soup, but it still delivers a satisfying meal at the end of the day.

All in all, an absolute treat for the eyes and the ears... that is if you can stomach the content. Anyone interested in L.A. Noire must understand that this is a game for an adult audience. The grisly crime scenes can be very off-putting to some, and considering the subject matter of the game is to solve serial killings and clean up a town notorious for being the Sodom & Gomorrah of the era, players should know what they are getting into beforehand. The dialogue is also quite strong and this title may actually be the first video game title to use a specific acronym for "see you next Tuesday" so liberally (or at all).

I wouldn't complain if they'd given us a little more, though, but this is definitely a stellar start.

Combining the sense of speed that the franchise is known for with a ton of replayability and the option to continually update the game with new machines and tracks, Pure has plenty of gameplay for any racing fan.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the pirate-themed open-world action adventure that I’ve always wanted. While the meta-story is little more than filler and Captain Kenway’s story could have been better focused, I still thoroughly enjoyed my time with these pirates, privateers and buccaneers.

Fast RMX doesn’t reinvent the series, but it does bring anti-gravity racing to a Nintendo console at launch for the first time in many years. It is a perfect pick-up for fans of the genre that grew up on F-Zero and wanted something to follow in its footsteps. It controls like a dream using the JoyCon grip and feels as natural as using a more traditional controller. It’s also one of the best-looking games on the system and takes what was already an incredible experience on the Wii U and improves it with more content. The online setup is flawed, but what little is there is executed well. Fast RMX is an outstanding game and one of the Switch’s best launch titles.

With an extremely realistic presentation, augmented control system, and additional attention paid to the overall gameplay, MVP 2005 could be one of those games baseball fans keep returning to in the upcoming years of exclusive sports games.

A monster of a package. I was expecting a cheap tie-in game and ended up playing one of the best titles that the DS has to offer, and one of the better games in the Tony Hawk series. Marvelous.

This is a robust collection that allows series completionists to enjoy the entire franchise in just a few compilations – which will become only two when the PS4 version of the 1.5 and 2.5 Remix comes out in March.

DJ Hero 2 improves upon its predecessor in every way.

Injustice 2 tells one of the best stories ever featured in a fighting game, and the folks at NetherRealm have once again shown that it’s something they truly excel at. As a core fighter, it’s really more of the same with the Injustice engine, and if you were to imagine that game rebuilt with much higher-quality character models, a new story, and an updated roster, you’d have this in a nutshell. That’s not really a bad thing; it’s just a sign that this is exactly what someone would imagine a sequel to that game being for better or worse. For anyone who loved that game, you should get this as soon as possible. If you didn’t play that one, then you’re better off starting there – if you dig it, then buy this too. The two games fit together perfectly like puzzle pieces, and are a lot of fun to play.

While this incarnation of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 doesn’t add any major content, it does result in the definitive version of one of the best fighting games of the modern-era. Despite time passing, it remains an outstanding game and an absolute must-buy for those who love the series and want to enjoy it on modern-day hardware.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy offers up a lot of thrills even with its different cast. It’s a testament to the franchise’s character strength that two side characters can carry the tale. It doesn’t change the formula up much, but the revamped combat helps things from feeling too repetitive. The story takes players to new locales , but the cast of characters just doesn’t gel together as well as past games, on both the sides of good and evil. It’s a very good game, but one that casual fans of the series can wait on. Series die-hards will definitely enjoy another exploration and combat-filled romp through the world as we get a large glimpse into the post-Nate era of the franchise.

After bringing the series closer to its roots in Tekken 5, Namco has continued that trend with Tekken 6 and the end result is a game sure to please fighting fans of any experience level.

While the gameplay is just as good as the previous title, there are a couple of things that detract from the experience. In particular, some of the recent modifications make a lot of the game much easier.

The audio design is superb in its relentless ferocity, yet quite detailed and subtle at times as well.

I was pleasantly surprised at just how good Guardian Heroes wound up being. The original game's gameplay has held up really well even if its graphics haven't, and the remixed version is outstanding.

Madden 25 is a fantastic culmination of a generation. There is plenty to do, and the game feels as good or better in all aspects. If you’re a fan of football and the series, you owe it to yourself to pick it up.

With an extremely realistic presentation, augmented control system, and additional attention paid to the overall gameplay, MVP 2005 could be one of those games baseball fans keep returning to in the upcoming years of exclusive sports games.

DJ Hero 2 improves upon its predecessor in every way.

Project Cars 2 is a worthy successor to the original game and fixes some of its issues. It still isn’t the most user-friendly game for newcomers, but in time you can get used to its quirks. The game definitely has a learning curve to it, so anyone looking to just jump in and dominate will be humbled quickly. You have to play with a nuanced style and can’t rely on assists to do the hard work of the race for you. It’s a challenging but rewarding experience and the dramatic increase in vehicle types and tracks, alongside new weather setups makes the experience one to remember. Project Cars 2 isn’t for everyone, but anyone who likes a good challenge and loves a finely-tuned racing game will enjoy it.

While I'm not a huge fan of the online co-op, Outland is a tremendous game overall and should be purchased by anyone who enjoys Metroid-style romps, 2D platformers, or even bullet hell shooters. For $10, you'll get one of the best action platformers, and one of the best-looking, sounding, and controlling games available.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has new stuff, at least to me, but keep in mind that I missed Origins and Odyssey and a slew of other titles. Still, it’s another AC game, at the core a lot like other AC games. If you’ve played the other 22 titles, and somehow (I can’t imagine how) want more, have at it. If, like me, you’ve missed more titles than you thought humanly possible, it’s not a bad place to jump back in. I’ve been enjoying myself. What more could you want out of a game?

The inclusion of the cutman mini-game between rounds is a great addition, and the Haymaker provides a phenomenal sense of drama with punches that can knock boxers out at any time. I personally can’t wait to see next year’s version.

Aside from those admittedly minor issues, Mortal Kombat is an impressive piece of work. It's got more than enough gore to satisfy the older fans, a deep combat system to draw in tournament-level players, and a huge amount of content. It's nice to see that after twenty years, the series can finally move towards being something other than a guilty pleasure.

Overall, Blade Strangers is a must-buy for fighting game fans. Switch owners will love having a fighter on the go that actually works well in that format – as the controls are such that you can comfortably play them in portable mode unlike the Street Fighter games. It’s a great-looking and playing game that has enough depth for die-hard brawlers, but is also easy to learn and fun to play at all skill levels. The robust roster may not be huge in number – but there is more variety in play types here, and it’s easy to find at least a handful of characters you’ll want to play as regularly.

FPS fans will be delighted, as will adventure game fans, horror genre fans and the generally quest-obsessed. On that note, if you decide to get this game, load it up, turn off the lights, crank the speakers and enjoy ... BOO!

Aside from those admittedly minor issues, Mortal Kombat is an impressive piece of work. It's got more than enough gore to satisfy the older fans, a deep combat system to draw in tournament-level players, and a huge amount of content. It's nice to see that after twenty years, the series can finally move towards being something other than a guilty pleasure.

The audio design is superb in its relentless ferocity, yet quite detailed and subtle at times as well. Naturally, everything in this title is about the smashing, crashing, and exploding, so those of you with subwoofers will find them getting quite a workout.

As it stands, however, it feels like I'm missing ten hours' worth of gameplay. It's a testament to the strength of the rest of the game that I really want those hours.

Though it degenerates into a lot of fighting at the end, and makes a fair number of mistakes in its execution along the way, there’s something entrancing about this game and each of the amazing things you can do.

While it’s slightly hurt by a few minor problems, Batman: Arkham Asylum rises above them to provide an unforgettable experience. Part of it is due to the well-crafted storyline, but it’s also due to the well-made gameplay that makes most things easy to do and certainly more than any Batman game released in the last 15 years.

If you're looking for a game that offers all the amazing things I've spent the last handful of paragraphs gushing over as well as one of the most interesting and original stories in a game this year, Enslaved won't disappoint.

From the new modes and vehicles to the expanded level of destruction and rewarding progression system, it all lends to an open warfare experience that will have you returning to the battlefield for months to come.

The sound in Homecourt is spectacular. From the excellent narration of the players’ tales to the on-the-court trash talk, the sound is awesome.

With an extremely realistic presentation, augmented control system, and additional attention paid to the overall gameplay, MVP 2005 could be one of those games baseball fans keep returning to in the upcoming years of exclusive sports games.

DJ Hero 2 improves upon its predecessor in every way.

This is, visually, the most impressive Star Wars title, par excellence.

If you're looking for a game that offers all the amazing things I've spent the last handful of paragraphs gushing over as well as one of the most interesting and original stories in a game this year, Enslaved won't disappoint.

Trials Evolution is a must-buy for anyone who loved either THD or any motorcycle racer pretty much ever. It's a blast to play, easier to learn now than before, gives you a lot for $15 and is one of the most replayable games on XBLA even with some rough edges. RedLynx could've just phoned it in with a glorified mission pack and it still would be worth buying, but they went far beyond that and really created something special.

In Fallout 3 Bethesda has made a very good thing, though it is somewhat hampered by the lack of variable scenery and a VATS that plays less than perfectly.

Considering the sheer number of songs presented, the game more than makes up for itself value wise, but if you then throw in all the specific choices you can add to a round of dancing, you’ll find yourself in DDR Nirvana.

As I said, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 09 is a more polished and better-organized version of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08.

With improved graphics, better animations, and a control system that, like their commercials say, allows players to fully express themselves anyway they want, Live 2003 is unbelievably solid.

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World: the Game is a must-have for anyone who has ever loved beat 'em ups - especially River City Ransom.