The inability to die and the glowing trail that points us to the next objective makes the game easier than we'd like, but Fable II is one of the best adventure games you'll play this year.

If you rarely play online or have a slow Internet connection and hate micro-managing, stop reading now and go buy last year's game instead. If you don't fit into either of those molds, then this will be the most satisfying experience playing virtual sports ever.

While there are a few things we could've done without (frustrating recharging, camera issues, worn-out voices), No More Heroes 2: Desperate Struggle is incredibly entertaining.

Seeing as how most military first-person shooters take themselves dead seriously, it's refreshing to see Battlefield: Bad Company's dark sense of humor.

DJ Hero is without question Activision's coolest rhythm game. The turntable has its drawbacks (it's a bit small for larger folks), but that soundtrack will give you a new appreciation for music and perhaps satisfy your DJ fantasy. Just don't pass this off as another game with a useless peripheral. It's one of the sweetest, most original games we've played in a long time.

Despite Halo 3's overall greatness, we can't help but feel somewhat let down by the narrative's lackluster conclusion (but stay tuned after the credits roll for a coda that hits just the right note).

Need for Speed: Shift is a wonderful re-imaging of Electronic Arts' classic series and one of 2009's best racing games. The combination of exquisite graphics and hardcore crashing delivers an adrenaline shot to players who drool over squealing tires, burnt rubber and exotic muscle machines.

It also has some of the best graphics and audio on PlayStation 3. All of the textures, from a sun drenched African landscape to Sackboy's realistic looking burlap skin look amazing, as do the various special effects.

It's tough to choose between this and NBA Live 10, but in this reviewer's opinion, NBA 2K10 wins at the buzzer.

Gorgeous and horrifying visuals, combined with spine-tingling audio, immerse you in an interstellar nightmare of blood and bone. While it leaves a lot of unanswered questions, an obvious ploy to get you to read the enjoyable comics and watch the animated film, Dead Space is still a terrifying game, whether you're bathed in darkness or playing in sunlight.

This jaunt away from the Capitol Wasteland is a welcome addition to the three adventure add-ons that build on Fallout 3's awesome adventure.

An innovative traits and title system, unique social-networking -- like an in-game music system and player-driven Wiki -- and the rich storylines and subplots that stay true to the source material easily make this name-brand role-player a hot contender for PC game of the year.

An immensely entertaining shooter that demands your attention. Single player doesn't measure up to multiplayer (a potential deal breaker for the loners of the world), but taken as a whole, this is a gun firing, tank crushing good time.

We could nitpick the small things (returning courses, the developers force players to repeatedly race on the same tracks), but none of those issues affect an otherwise incredible racing experience. Forza Motorsport 3 is without question one of the best racers and a surefire contender for 2009 game of the year.

The puzzle design is fantastic, though it leans a bit on trial-and-error. The graphics are vibrant, even if the heroes don't have a memorable spark. The game has long-term replayability too, with a neat little co-op game and hidden treasures to uncover. No Wii owner should miss this.

Twilight Princess stands out as one of Nintendo's more attractive games, thanks to its fabulous draw distances, breath-taking imagery, life-like animations, imaginative character designs and dramatic action sequences.

The online mode could use some work, and we wish the controllers were wireless, but even that new tangle of wires in our living room can't keep us from living this virtual rock 'n' roll fantasy.

Full of creative weapons, the uneasy chaos of battle and some scary moments, this part-military, part-sci-fi shooter's single player campaign will keep discerning gamers busy with multiple difficulty levels and unlockable weaponry.

Dragon Age: Origins is a fulfilling, involving adventure that is worth picking up. The choices you make for your character, along with the twists and turns that follow, will keep you engaged. Furthermore, the controls are well done, even without the standard PC and mouse combination. This is one adventure you'll keep coming back to for months to come.

Some of the missions prove incredibly difficult, especially when players need to defend a position against overwhelming odds, but the fast-paced battles and great multiplayer features make it all worthwhile.

With expansive lands and quests, the Shivering Isles brings forth a landscape that adds further dimension to the already impressive world of Oblivion. Players can find much sadistic joy in going mad.

It looks gorgeous, with wonderfully drawn levels and a captivating soundtrack. It ends sooner than expected, but the ride Braid takes you on is worth it.

The at-times awkward Wii-mote controls and a tacked-on co-op mode keep the game from reaching perfection, but gravity-bending levels still manage to keep the game fresh from start to finish, while familiar characters and soundtrack hit all the right nostalgic notes.

Even though the PC version runs faster, Unreal Tournament III for the PlayStation 3 is an outstanding first-person shooter. All of Tournament's frenetic action stays intact, both in the jam-packed single player campaign and numerous multiplayer modes. The graphics explode onto the screen with little loss in detail.

For the third year in a row, 2K Sports has the best basketball game available. NBA 2K8 has vast improvements, tweaking an already capable engine with fresh animations and change-ups.

It's damn near impossible, but you'll feel a great sense of accomplishment if you manage to beat the final boss. The replay value is high, thanks to additional challenge and time attack stages, along with promising downloadable content.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 has more than enough guns, modes and "oh-my-god" moments to propel it to the very top of your must have list, with astounding visuals, crystal-clear (and at times, frightening) audio and enough plot twists to make you second guess everything, so gear up, hop onto your snowmobile and haul ass to the nearest store.

Bottom line, The Bigs 2 is everything a sequel should be, a game that adds to the previous edition while retaining its magic. Unless you despise unrealistic and arcade style sports, we highly recommend it.