Mass Effect 2 improves in almost every way on its predecessor by offering smoother and more action-based combat while still retaining the quintessential interactive storytelling that's always been the hallmark of Bioware games. This seamless melding of genres results in an unparalleled sci-fi epic.

Modern Warfare 2 is an intense ride from start to finish with varied environments and fast paced action in true Infinity Ward fashion. Though the single-player campaign may be only a few hours long the improved multiplayer and Special-Ops co-op missions will keep you busy for months.

God of War III delivers the same riveting experience as its predecessors. While there isn't much innovation beyond the stunning visuals the core concept still remains sound. It's the most refined entry in the series and a worthy conclusion to the epic God of War saga.

Forza 3 is undoubtedly the best racing game for the 360, and the one with the most depth also. The career mode is far from perfect however, and it demands a shockload of hard drive space in the end. Still, if you're after a racing game this year for this particular format, there's no competition really.

Batman Arkham Asylum is by far the biggest surprise this year. This is not only a great game based on a license, this is one of the top titles this year. Rocksteady has put everything that's cool with Batman and his villains in this game, and it all works astonishingly. However, this epic tale is surprisingly over before you know it, not only because it's a short game, but also because you're having so much fun while playing it.

While overtly similar to its predecessor, this is far and away a better game. The dearth of content which made the first game so frustratingly repetitive has been remedied and Assassin's Creed 2 is jam-packed with fun stuff to do. Renaissance Italy has never been this engrossing before.

If you're into rpgs, or rather if you love roleplaying in general, there's really no need to waste time reading any reviews of this game. The same goes if you regard games like Planescape: Torment, Fallout 2 and the Baldurs Gate-series among the best computer games ever made. Because this game is everything a person like you look for in a game, and so much more. Be aware though, Dragon Age: Origins is not a revolution of the genre, rather it is an evolution, where Bioware has refined everything that made them into a formula as close to perfection as possible. Without a doubt one of the strongest Game of the year-candidates so far this year and a game we will remember with warm feelings many years to come.

Non-stop climax action.

The concept of Marios action rpg Paper Mario/Mario & Luigi are known to be good. The latest title takes place inside Bowser's body and, of course, makes it a bit different from the earlier games. But it's a fun twist of both story and gameplay, and with all the qualities in the game it makes Bowser's Inside Story one of the best games for the DS 2009.

The world's greatest football game just became even better.

The Ballad of Gay Tony is the colorful climax to the GTA4 trilogy and it really makes Rockstar's latest part in the series go out with a bang. Rockstar has really nailed the concept of episodic gaming.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 is too cool for it’s own good, but underneath the tacky surface the same, brilliant racing experience is found. The rally courses are especially brilliant and the variety of game and track modes leave little to desire. It’s simply excellent! A steering wheel is needed though.

A game that in it's essence manages to pay tribute to one of the best games ever made, Super Metroid.

NHL 10 delivers on all fronts, much like it's predecessor. In fact, this game is very much like last years edition, only with new rosters and a couple of new gameplay features. If you already own NHL 09 you're better of waiting for the price to drop a bit. Still thou, this is as close as you get to the perfect sports game.

With the MotionPlus feature Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 gives you the most entertaining and advanced golf game experience ever. It’s level of realism gives every hole that extra touch which up’s both the excitement and the pure joy of golfing. Simply a must for every golfing gamer out there.

Plants vs. Zombies is not just one of the best tower defense games out there, it also gives you a tremendous value for the mere 10 euro you pay for it. PopCap has really surpassed anything they have done before with this game’s beautiful graphics, depth and modes that will keep you busy for months. You’ll love every minute of it.

Football Manager 2010 is the best edition in Sports Interactive's manager series so far. It’s almost perfect because of delicate improvements and perfectly weighed new additions. All that it lacks for a perfect 10 is a better 3D engine. Perhaps next year then.

An incredible atmospheric experience that has no equal in the gaming world.

Platform magic on the highest level for the Wii. While the game offers almost everything you could ask for, it falls just a little short of perfect for a few small reasons. The main reason being that's it a tiny bit short in playtime, and the second being that while Wiimote-controls work great, you can't help but wonder if it wouldn't have worked just as good with a normal control. But considering how much gaming joy the game offers, there's no point in getting stuck on those details. This will probably be a given game on any Nintendo Wii-owners wishlist this Christmas.

Without question a solid game experience, but you still can't wash off that feeling of the Zelda-franchise getting a little exploited here. As a direct sequel to Phantom Hourglass it does it's job good, but maybe too good since it's almost a carbon-copy of the previous game. The railroads are a new addition of course, and the time-limit is gone, but in all other aspects this is the same game more or less.

DiRT 2 has almost everything we want from a rally game and codemasters has really shown now what they are capable of with this game. If you enjoy your rally then you won't get disappointed when you put this disc into your machine. Gentlemen, start your engines!

The universe of LittleBigPlanet is translated well onto hand-helds. Although I miss the fantastic multiplayer, it's still a great game with fantastic level design. Also, the higher difficulty is a nice touch, and will keep the most skilled players on their toes.

A well crafted and entertaining addition to the series. Nothing more, nothing less.

The unique control, the great graphics and the hard hook make Fight Night Round 4 the best boxing game you can get at the moment. The layout and structure for the Legacy mode could however, have been more well done, but won´t change the fact that Fight Night Round 4 is a must-buy.

One could argue that Bash Party is simply a matter of reinventing the wheel, but why fix what ain't etc. Considering the innovative and successful past of this particular IP we just can't complain that what is on offer is an already known formula that has been more or less perfected.

The latest incarnation of Electronic Arts sandbox game is also the best so far. The Sims 3 takes the core of the series and wraps great graphics around it, as well as an open town and more playability. That makes you forgive the lack of real news in the game.

A near-perfect reimagining of the NES classic with gameplay that still rings true, the only caveat being that the original game is available on Virtual Console for far less.

Modern Warfare 2 is the best Call of Duty game ever. Thus it's also the best action game multiplayer experience ever. Hence it’s also a must buy. Don’t listen to the haters who claim that Infinity Ward has ruined the experience for PC gamers. The truth is that Infinity Ward has made the multiplayer experience tighter, better and more intense. For once you don’t have to pay heed to the famous Public Enemy quote ”Don’t belive the hype”.

Like every other year, the Madden-series exceeds the limits of what a sports game can do. Stunning graphics and great, addictive game modes makes this one an instant buy for every Madden-fan, but the stinky decision of selling player upgrades for real money really hurts the overall score.

The total destruction and mayhem you can cause brings joy above anything else ever seen before. Along with an outstanding campaign Red Faction: Guerrilla sports awesome multiplayer modes which are spiced up with the addition of backpacks that gives you special powers. Sheer gaming joy!

Despite its rough edges and somewhat lacking story, inFamous manages to grab the player and offer a compelling and action filled gameplay experience that surpasses most other super hero games out there.

Splosion Man is an old school platformer that is more related to Sonic and N+ rather than Mario but still manages to be as charming and colorful as the Italian plumber. Though the game is low on new gameplay elements towards the end, it never gets boring or monotonous. It's an instant buy for all platform junkies.

Neversoft could have gone the easy way with Guitar Hero: Metallica, it would sell anyway. But instead, they make one of the best music games ever with a reform of the career mode and a lot of great music. Not just from Metallica. The result? A must-buy-game for everyone, not only true Metallica-fans.

Despite the really small amount of content you get when purchasing this game it's really hard not to like it. The audio and graphics are really good and the destruction made possible by the frostbite engine really lifts the game. The only thing that's really missing is a couple of free downloadable maps.

The professor's second adventure is just as good as the first one. Level-5 has managed to maintain a high standard of puzzles as well as a superb storyline with memorable characters and great dialogue.

It may share its name with the guitar-oriented brother, but DJ Hero actually enters the stage with a few new ideas up it's sleeve. The turntable is a nightmare for everyone allergic to plastic, but it works, and it works well. The game is really fun to play, and some poor mixes doesn't matter when Daft Punk enters the stage with a blistering set. In all, this is the most exciting music-based game this year.

The campaign is as short as it is entertaining, and as usual, the online-component is here to save the day again. Firefight is simply the most fun you can have with any Halo-game, period. Other than that, this package, stuffed with maps from previous DLC-packs, is still pretty expensive for its length in the campaign.

For a newcomer to the Pokémon world, this is a fantastic introduction. Despite its vast amount of gameplay and depth Pokémon Platinum is never overwhelming, but a wonderful and accessible gaming experience with much content.

Dead Space Extraction manages to keep the atmosphere from the original game intact, while still offering a completely new gaming experience with it's rail shooter theme. Visceral Games has exceeded themselves in many ways as they've incorporated the storytelling flawlessly into the gameflow itself, giving both a huge mix of good action and plot depth. It's the best horror game around for Wii at the moment and it looks stunning despite being on the console it is. Shortcomings are that it's a bit short, and that the boss battles all almost requires the use of certain weapons, which makes an otherwise flexible game harder.

Telltale continues to deliver top class comedy in gaming form. The story becomes more bizarre with each episode and it is hilarious to follow Guybrush's quest through the Caribbean (and through a manatee).

Darksiders does borrow most of it’s content from God of War but it can still hold it’s own ground. The story is interesting and cool, the environments are wonderfully designed and the action is almost flawless. Only small control and camera issues hold it back from higher grades.

Heavy Metal aesthetics, Jack Black and videogames in the best of all combinations, this is a must buy for any fan of heavy music or Tim Schafer games. The gameplay can be a bit unpolished here and there, but all in all Brütal Legend delivers a compact and unique gaming experience, unlike anything else you will play this year.

Just like with Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection this is a successful adaptation of the original game to the portable format.

An epic adventure that shakes things up quite a bit yet still manages to retain the elements that've made the series great.

EA brings adventure to the Sims series and it’s a joy even though the missions are quite repetitive. But this new path adds great value to the game and hopefully this expansion won’t be the last of it’s kind.

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite offers everything to everyone. There is no PSP game today that sports the same depth and amount of game time and even though you might think the genre of action role-playing isn’t for you, think again because this is the best thing that has happened to the console in a long time.

With Rise of the Pirate God, Telltale sums up a marvelous season with a great final episode. Now we can only hope for a second season.

There's blood on the asphalt. Well, the cell-shaded asphalt that is. Borderlands is without one of the biggest co-op happenings this year, and for those who love extensive loot tables with guns, guns, guns and guns in absurdum, this is the shit. It's a well balanced action adventure with a well balanced leveling system that only suffers a little from lack of variation. It is a perfect LAN-game however.

Still as brilliant as usual for the series, and some new nice features, but somehow lacking a bit in feeling.

The best Buzz! game to date offers everything its predecessors do (and more besides) but doesn't break any new ground.

Pain needs a mate and finds it in two grim dark tales of outlandish brutality. Escape from Butcher Bay gets a facelift and expands with the more versatile Assault on Dark Athena. The devil is in the details, and this devil is named Riddick.

With the fourth episode of the Tales of Monkey Island-series, Telltale manages to maintain a high quality of both puzzles and dialogue. With some interesting story twists and new characters, it will be really interesting to see how everything ends in the next episode's season finale.

For the first time in many years, EA seems to get it right. Simple controls, easy to pick up and play and a nice presentation. Sometimes though, it feels a little too easy, advanced dribbles and spin-moves are performed with just the touch of a button and it takes away some of the satisfaction you feel in other sports games. Still, it's a big step forward from previous titles and a must-buy for every basket-fan out there.

This times Bethesda serves us a more free gaming experience compared to the earlier downloadable material. The main questline is quite linear, but the area offers a lot to explore and enough hidden sidequests to please most of us. It’s a very different environment compared to earlier addons, and it features some of the more surreal and odd events and characters yet in the game. It’s not as deep in gameplay as The Pitt was, but instead it offers more diversity. Without question a big thumbs up.

The portable version of Rock Band utilizes some great ideas and is both addictive and fun to play. It's a shame that the game lacks multiplayer functionality. But it's still worth your money, and a great addition to the rather limited offerings on the PSP.

The return of the beloved Monkey Island series is something that most adventure gamers have been waiting for. And with the arrival of the first episode, it is safe to say that no one will be disappointed. Telltale Games have done a great job on capturing familiar aspects of the previous games, while bringing some new elements to it.

It wouldn’t be fair to judge Tekken 6 by its lousy campaign mode or broken net code. Because when it comes to the game mechanics, which is the most important element in a fighting game, Tekken 6 is so close to perfection that it’s actually hard to imagine how the developers are going to expand it further. Without a doubt, the most polished fighting game of the year.

Dissidia reeks of fan service, but still manages to be a good game. There’s a lot of content and replay value which makes up for the somewhat chaotic and unbalanced battle system. A solid action-packed rpg, primarily recommended to fans of the series, who’ll more than likely be attracted by the nostalgic charm surrounding this title.

A well done and extreme beautiful old school jprg. For Xbox Original it had been a system seller. Today we demand more from the genre. We need more than just a great look and cute characters and Tales of Vesperia fails to give us that.

Motorstorm Arctic Edge is close to the Playstation 3-titles with not so much news except from the icy feeling. But it´s a well done game that could entertain for many hours. Actually it´s a lot better than the last game for Playstation 3 and if you want to drive a car in winter landscapes, this is both the funniest and safest way to do that.

Prototype isn’t the type of game that shines despite of all it’s flaws. No, Prototype is the kind of game that surprises us that it isn’t in a worse shape just because of all it’s shortcomings. A mediocre game that tried so hard to be cool that it got lost in shallowness.

The game says it best itself in one of its loading screen quotes: “It’s good to be bad, but it’s better to be evil”. In Overlord 2 you are evil indeed and it’s damn good fun all the way through commanding your minions and wreaking havoc upon mankind.

Prototype is not only a deep and challenging action game, it is also one of the best superhero games out there. Moving through Manhattan with supernatural parkour skills is one of this years most satisfying experiences.

A really good platformer that sadly somewhere on the way lost some of it's original identity. The wiimotes does not really replace the drums as well as you'd hope, but the overall design and gameplay is still appealing and satisfying.

Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a promising western shooter that unfortunately is too short for its own good. Great replay value and excellent multiplayer saves it though and puts the game up there with games like Gun. A great game, especially for western fanatics.

Ghostbusters: The Video Game is true to the original movies in a lot of ways and manages to deliver a fun, yet somewhat shallow game experience.

Despite the underwhelming presentation, EA Sports manages to deliver a very authentic tennis experience. That is if you play the game with Wii Motion Plus - without it you're better of with something else.

With a tight control and excellent level design there's finally a worthy competitor to Mario Kart on the market.

Zeno Clash is not just a fantastic beat 'em up from a first-person perspective, it also delivers one of the most unique and attractive worlds you'll ever experience. The great action, controls and graphical design makes up for the pretty standard story and voice acting. I mean, who doesn't love a hermaphroditic giant man-bird?

The Siege of Spinner Cay takes off where the previous episode ended, and continues in the same fashion with great dialogue and a sense of humour rarely seen in games today.

A roleplaying game that wants to be something extra, but fails to achieve that goal. Decent, beautiful, but ridden with technical issues and weak gameplay balance.

The remake of Klonoa for Wii is a colorful and cozy game that's perfect for the younger generation of players. Unfortunately, the experienced player has not much to get here more than a dose of nostalgia.

While it's apparent that Arika doesn't know how to deliver a good story, you could argue that the story does help to relieve the past chore of progressing the gameplay. And while the added action is pathetic, the hypnotic exploring is as addictive as ever. Truly gorgeous, while under water, and ridiculously meaty content wise. A case of split personalities, indeed, but nevertheless a solid experience which will please fans of the series.

A Guitar Hero-game for kids, girls and people who love American Idol. Based on the Guitar Hero-core, it’s technicalyl a good game, but the horrible setlist and “girly” design are too much.

Codemasters manages to do what Bohemia Interactive hasn’t been able to do with its two ArmA games. Dragon Rising is a worthy sequel to the worlds greatest war simulator, although it’s not as good as its prequel. Bugs manage to spoil some of the fun, but with coming patches and player created missions Dragon Rising will hold its place on computers and consoles all over the world.

While the gameplay at its core remain faithful enough to the oh so loveable original the presentation is severely flawed. Add some technical issues to the mix and what you get is a product that feels as cheap as it feels soulless.

While this portable Ultra-version of Kirby Super Star adds some new content as well as updates certain aspects of the game, it is still in its core the SNES-classic we got to know in 1996. Fun, unique, extremely graphically vibrant and way too easy for it's own good.

Demigod doesn’t give itself a fair chance on the gaming market. With the lack of a tutorial and even a description of the different game items comes a steep learning curve that demands a lot of effort from the player. For that reason only many people won’t realize how good it can be at it’s best.

Just as the previous episodes, Muzzled is a very good adaptation of Aardmans animated series. Telltale Games manages to capture the feeling of Wallace & Gromit perfectly, both in graphics and audio.

Even though it is a game falling slightly in the right direction, it doesn't feel like a serious attempt at making a proper sports-management game at all. It's way too much and way too little at the same time. EA seems to just have wanted to put as much stuff into the game as possible, without looking at the product as a whole. Fail.

A decent but shallow addition to the series.

EchoShift provides a puzzling twist to its predecessors problem solving. Using time-shifted co-op with oneself makes for exciting problem solving, but also makes brains hurt. The cooled presentation unfortunately fails to provide comfort for broken spirits. Well thought out puzzles gives EchoShift long legs but gaming sessions soon runs out of steam.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine may be one of the the best games based in the franchise, but the lack of impressive visuals, variation and a compelling story drags this game down. The game does nothing original and might as well be a worse version of God of War with sideburns.

Very similar to last years Xbox 360 release, but the new Japanese voice acting allays the worst part of the game - the exceedingly horrid English dub. All in all, the worst entry in the series but still a solid action-rpg.

Content wise ridiculously generous compared to its predecessor, but the modified physics will most certainly not please everyone. Once adjusted, though, there is really not much not to love about the game since it improves on pretty much everything, as well as adding tons of new stuff, since last time around.

A nice try at innovation, that sadly falls flat. Better luck next time.

Katamari Forver is just as whimsically delightful as its predecessors but those who've followed the series for a long time will discover that the charm is starting to wear thin.

Wolfenstein doesn’t revolutionize the genre but it does offer a competent and highly entertaining FPS experience. It’s easy to get sucked into the Indiana Jones inspired story - especially when you have hordes of nazis to kill. It’s not a revolution, but damn it’s fun!

A bland and un-engaging tactical shooter with the typical PSP-problem: lousy controls. Gray and boring environments in a fictional ex-soviet state, evil terrorists with weapons of mass destruction and, yes, we have heard it all before.

Despite the fact it really doesn’t live up to its name, Greatest Hits feels like a must for any Wii-owning hardcore Guitar hero fan.

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a big disappointment in so many ways. The first game had it's flaws, but was a good game for it's time. These days we expect more from a game, and this just doesn't cut it. An all to short campaign still feels repetitive, an multi player-component that lacks a distinctive feel. But worst of all is the controls, which will give you headache for a very long time. A swing and a miss, EA Montreal.

Pandemic's last bang is a skillful composite of equal parts third person shooter, sandbox, tactical espionage and a platformer with a beautiful occupied Paris as backdrop. Nothing revolutionary or perfect but lots of nazi-killing fun, sneaky tactics and destruction.

Midnight Carnival brings few newsworthy editions to the series. It's still a great game, with excellent music and a rather challenging campaign. But it's still the same game you've been playing for some time now, and to be honest, it's getting a little old.

An excellent Silent Hill adaption for the format.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a otherwise solid action rpg that sadly suffers from lack of variation and originality.

IO Interactive, mostly known for their Hitman series, has made a beautiful, wonderful game which goes straight to the heart. It’s impossible not to love Mini Ninjas and the only real problem with it is the difficulty level. It’s not genre unique, but it’s easy to love.

The idea is great, but the implementation doesn’t do it justice. As a puzzle game Trash Panic is great though, but it quickly becomes tedious, mostly because of a steep difficulty and a buggy havoc engine. It’s recommended only for sadists.

A great game that isn't that great. Might sound like a contradiction, but it's true. Shattered Horizon is a finely crafted game, well balanced and everything. But it's strengths are also it's biggest weaknesses and it is just too monochrome and lacking too much in diversity.