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.

With it’s stunning graphical presentation and Indiana-Jones-ish-1930s-serial storyline, players will be compelled to complete the entire experience.

It’s one of the most impressive and purposeful pieces of DLC to date and I for one can’t wait to see what the guys at Rockstar have in store for us in the next episode.

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.

The 3DS incarnation of this classic adventure is in some ways, the definitive entry and yet falls short in others. Visually, this feels more like what the game was intended to look like - but it doesn't look as good as it seemingly could given the character models still looking like something between the N64 and GC. Still, it is the biggest single adventure available on the 3DS. But, given that it's available on other platforms, including the GC and Wii via Virtual Console, it's tough to recommend this as a full-price purchase if you already have it. If you don't and have never played it, then definitely give it a shot.

With a tighter emphasis on control, the racing experience and addressing the timeless online issue of newcomers versus veteran players, MotoGP 3 is the best racer of the series.

Overall, Valkyria Revolution does many things differently than Valkyria Chronicles and will be quite divisive. As a fan of Chronicles, I found that game to be better overall and yet the faster pace of Revolution makes this more fun to play – the story just doesn’t hold up as well and the graphics are less impressive here than Chronicles. The action RPG shift works at keeping things interesting on the battlefield at all times and keeps you on your toes too. It does suffer from some iffy textures, but the game is greater as a whole than the sum of its parts. It’s a fantastic gateway game for the franchise for newcomers and offers veterans a completely new gameplay experience in many ways while also keeping some elements similar enough to make for a smooth transition.

Overall, Battletoads succeeds far more than I ever could have imagined going in. It’s a great time for beat ‘em up revivals with both Streets of Rage 4 and now Battletoads bringing the goods. Battletoads is packed with even more variety than the original series and features smoother action, with a couple of small caveats that hurt the gameplay slightly. Still, it’s a gorgeous-looking and sounding game with top-shelf voice work and a surprisingly successful turn to a comedy-heavy story that works far better than prior, more serious tales. The revival of the Battletoads is a huge success when it comes to offering up a high-quality experience, and it’s a fitting entry in a beloved series that winds up being one of the best brawlers ever.

Dark Souls is a twisted, depraved, unforgiving bundle of death, hopelessness, and despair, and I mean that in the best way possible because if you can overcome the many, many obstacles it will throw at you over the 20+ hours it takes to complete, you will come away with a sense of accomplishment that few other games can match.

Its open- ended nature lets you mold the game into whatever you want it to be.

Dark Souls is a twisted, depraved, unforgiving bundle of death, hopelessness, and despair, and I mean that in the best way possible because if you can overcome the many, many obstacles it will throw at you over the 20+ hours it takes to complete, you will come away with a sense of accomplishment that few other games can match.

Overall, I've got to say that once again Firaxis has proven itself to be a house of very smart game developers. They've grabbed a great franchise that has lay dormant a very long time, and done an excellent job modernizing it while staying true to the original vision. Whether or not modern audiences flock to a game of this kind of difficulty level of course remains to be seen.

With brisk, action-packed deathmatches online, easily controlled game hosting and clan setup, SOCOM is one of those games that the online experience was tailor-made for.

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

Madden 2005 takes player emotions into account on just about everything. Akin to the emotional meters found in EA’s MVP Baseball (but much more in-depth), the members of your team react to everything from the size of their paycheck and the chemistry of the team to the lack of playing time and number of losses you’ve accrued.

Saints Row 2 retains everything that made the original a great addition to the sandbox-city crime genre, and tweaks it even further.

Monster Tale is a must-have for anyone who loves either the 2D Mega Man, Metroid, and "MetroidVania" games.

Anyone who has wanted a new fighting game to play should give it a shot – especially if your PS3 is filled up with them, as you’ll find a lot to enjoy here thanks to its combination of a fairly robust roster and tight gameplay.

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.

If Jeanne d'Arc was a PS2 game, it'd be one of the last great games on the system. As a PSP game, it's definitely a reason to own the system, although it has a surprising difficulty curve that may frustrate some players.

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