Rock Band was just the opening act. Rock Band 2 is the real headliner.

Imaginative levels, great graphics, memorable enemies.

If you truly appreciate cars, though, and wanted to get just a glimpse of what it would be like to be behind the wheel of an exotic sports car or a Grand Prix racer, then GT4 will definitely deliver everything that you’re looking for and more.

After nearly 20 years of almost universally horrible games, the 16-bit icon has returned to his former glory and redeemed himself in the eyes of this long-suffering fan. Sonic Mania does a great job of reminding us what made Sonic great in the first place, while also FINALLY bringing the mascot into the modern era. Everything comes together - the music, the stages, the boss fights and the secrets - to form a package that is both appealing to the retro gamer and irresistible to anyone who enjoys a good game of run and jump. Whether on the Nintendo Switch or any other system, Sonic Mania needs to be in your collection yesterday.

A true masterpiece of a game.

A definite buy if you're a fan of the Dead Space series and even if you're not. If you are like me and had doubts about the game based on the demo that was released a few weeks prior to its release then just know that the full game is much better than the demo.

Moves the series forward by giant robot steps. MechAssault fans will love the enhancements added to the game.

It wraps up the other two stories nicely, even managing to tie things back to the original Dark Souls, gives you a great final boss to deal with and rounds out the complete Dark Souls II experience.

There isn't too much to say at this point other than Skate 2 is without a doubt the best skateboard game ever created.

So that's it; the series that started in 2009 with Demon's Souls is coming to a close. The Ringed City has its share of annoyances, but the story, lore and bosses make any complaints null and void. This really does feel like 'the end' but games are like Marvel characters; no matter how or why they die, wait a few months and ' surprise ' they are alive again. I highly doubt From Software is done with the Souls series forever, but if I'm wrong this is the perfect way to cap off the last eight years of living in a Dark Souls world.

Two points deducted from the original 91% for the paid DLC and the miniscule downgrade in graphics, but five added for Xenoverse story missions and the portability the Switch offers.

The levels are imaginative and at times surreal, infusing the game with a unique and compelling atmosphere. The cutscenes are excellent and if you've seen a scene before and want to skip it, the game uses an interesting mechanism to allow you to bypass it.

Overall, Mortal Kombat 11 is a fantastic fighter. If you love fighting games at all, be sure to check it out. It's going to be awesome to see how this game grows in content as the DLC characters are released and improvement is made on the fighting game engine and existing characters. I feel this game could easily be NRS's Street Fighter that they could update for years to come if they actually stick with it. It would be so nice to see a Mortal Kombat with loads of support like a Street Fighter.

This is a planet that you'll want to visit time and again, and that will be different on each return.

The most enjoyable arcade racer to come along in quite some time. It's not an easy game though, and the easily frustrated may give up on it.

Buy it if you have even the slightest interest in football.

It is just one great mission in a series of great missions that provide players with a thoroughly enjoyable and immersive gaming experience. If you ever wanted to be a part of a great war story, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault is a must.

For a gaming company's first survival horror game, Dead Space makes an excellent debut to the genre for EA.

It was the value added components like this that made Black Ops nearly impossible to put down, so even if the campaign is something that generally doesn't really appeal to you, I think you'll find it hard to walk away from everything else that Treyarch has included in this well-polished installment.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider brings a fine balance of exploration and combat to the origin TR series.

If you were satisfied with Mortal Kombat 9, then Mortal Kombat X will blow you away.

It's nothing revolutionary as far as Dawn of War II goes, but six excellent campaigns and great gameplay make this a must for both Warhammer 40K and RTS fans.

If you enjoy pinball, or are just curious about the game, Pinball FX2 is as close as you can get to the real thing.

Torchlight II is one of those games that may not be innovative on the whole, but that just gets so many of the little things right. Sure, it's a point-and-click action-RPG in the traditional mode, but it knows how to tap into everything that makes these types of games fun to play.

OK, so it's not a quantum leap forward in gaming, but so what? It's a heck of a lot of fun from the company that defined RTS.

The detail level is amazing, not just in the cars but in the cities and the crowds watching the races, I can talk about lighting (wait until you see your first night race!), textures, and the like, but it’s more effective if I simply ask: when was the last time you played a racing game in which you could see the instruments on the dashboard through the car’s rear window?

They don’t come any better than this.

If you're looking for a multiplayer shooter that offers more than twitch-based gameplay and is not strictly focused on kills, then you should definitely give Battlefield V a try.

Fall of Cybertron is the best Transformers game fans have ever seen.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is a great platform game in its own right, but what’s even more impressive is that it’s managed to capture the feel and spirit of its predecessors while adding new gameplay features that fit perfectly alongside the old. It’s both a great tribute to a storied franchise and a game that feels completely modern. Crash Bandicoot 4 will appeal to those with a sense of nostalgia for the bandicoot’s adventures past, as well as those new to the franchise who are looking for a challenging, enjoyable, and gameplay-packed platforming adventure.

Control in the game is excellent, and you'll never walk off a ledge because the controller is slow to respond.

Vanquish is an over-the-top, insane shooter with some fantastic graphics and enticingly entertaining gameplay.

It might have taken four Spider-Men to do it, but overall Shattered Dimensions is the web-slinging superhero's best game yet.

FIFA Street runs on to the court after four years with a shiny new look and enough moves to make your head spin.

BioShock 2 had some big shoes to fill, and while it doesn't quite fill those shoes it still manages to get around in them without falling all over the place. BioShock 2 is still an enjoyable game in its own right, though, and it is certainly recommended to anyone who enjoyed BioShock.

Homeworld 2 has established itself as the benchmark game in real-time strategy space combat. Its intense difficulty will be a turn off to many casual gamers, though.

Overall I found the game deeply fascinating, engrossing, and thoroughly enjoyable, and it comes highly recommended to fans of action games.

Soldner-X 2 isn't a perfect game, but it can be a lot of fun and even a stepping stone for those looking to hop into the genre.

Another round, another knockout for Fight Night.

A truly complete gaming package. The multiplayer game is excellent, the expanded Zombies mode is an enjoyable and very welcome addition, and the single player campaign is a fun ride that will have you yelling "Josephina!" at random times for weeks to come. About the only miss is the addition of the Strike Force missions, but they don't drag down the overall experience with them.

Plants vs. Zombies is great fun, and is one of those games that will have you playing just one more level until you find that you've played for another hour or more.

Galactic Civilizations 2 is this galaxy’s best space strategy game.

Clever, enjoyable, and just plain beautiful, Sly 2 is an enjoyable interactive cartoon for gamers of all ages.

Amnesia: The Dark Descent is the Exorcist of horror games, it will scare you and make you not real thrilled to go to sleep.

It's easily the best looking baseball title 2K Sports has ever put out, and with so many improvements under the hood you'd be hard pressed to pass on this one.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth took me by surprise the same way the Digimon TV show did a little while back. The evolution/de-evolution mechanic, the Japanese voice track and the surprisingly mature and deep storyline were my favorite aspects, but the game really has almost no weakness or faults.

What you are getting with Tactics Ogre is a beautifully told story, a game that plays quite well and, truth be told, is accessible to everyone thanks to the Chariot Tarot system.

I've played all of the major titles released with the Xbox One, and the one that I've had the most fun with, the one that I keep going back to, is Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. If you get only one game with your shiny new Xbox One console, make it this one.

The Frozen Throne adds an entire new game's worth of gameplay to Warcraft III, so if you enjoyed Warcraft III then you should not hesitate to pick up The Frozen Throne.

The single player campaign is visually interesting and enjoyable to play, but the multiplayer mode is where the game really shines.

Pure is just what the name implies, a game about pure fun.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a massive game set in an incredible recreation of an ancient world. I wish the special moves were a little less clunky to use and that assassinations always resulted in kills, but these are minor complaints when compared to the fun that I had in the game. It might not be an Assassin's Creed game in the strictest sense, but the journey across Ancient Greece that Odyssey took me on was well worth the ride.

Pure arcade racing that's pure fun.

If your eyes can take the color scheme, you're in for a top-tier shooter at a downloadable game price.

The story was very good overall. Crane is just such an interesting character and it really shows when we return to him. Aiden was good, but it’s so much more satisfying to return to an established character to see more of his story. You can honestly tell that the developers have more fun with Kyle Crane and Roger Craig Smith definitely does. Overall, if you’re a fan of the first game, go out and buy this game right now. It’s made for you. I honestly like every piece of Dying Light that I can get my hands on, so each game has been great for me. The Beast has a few bugs here and there but nothing like what Dying Light 2 had when it first released. The Beast runs at a VERY smooth framerate from the start on Xbox Series X and PC. No doubt, Techland will give this game support for years to come, just like they have done with Dying Light 2. The Beast stands out as my personal favorite Dying Light so far. It just has all the best of Dying Light combined into one – tons of zombie splattering, decent amount of parkour (not overdone), the Kyle Crane character and a great story. Bravo Techland!

Amplitude has two great qualities going for it: it's addictive to play and the music really pumps you up. This is one of those rare games where it is actually fun to go back and replay the levels you've already cleared.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection really sets the standard for all future re-release game collections.

Ancient gamer or not, the Disney Afternoon Collection gives you six decent-to-great retro platformers for a deeply discounted price, and that's really all I need to say. These games were fun then, they're just as fun now, providing a decent challenge and plenty of hours of Disney greatness for mere pennies. If running and jumping are as synonymous with gaming to you as they are to me, the Disney Afternoon Collection is more than a worthy download, it's a must-have.

Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror is not only the best action game on the PSP, it’s better than many console action games.

Masterfully blends the best of MMORPGs and collectible card games into a unique and enjoyable online gaming experience.

Slay the Princess is not for those looking to make their way through an adventure game to enjoy a tidy little story. It’s the kind of game that will get inside your head, make you contemplate ambiguous moral and philosophical matters, and leave you with unanswered questions to contemplate and answer on your own. If those types of games are as interesting to you as they are to me, you’re going to love Slay the Princess.

F1 2012 isn't without a small amount of bugs and areas to improve on (which Codemasters may have already addressed by the time this hits the site) but whether you're a current owner of an F1 title or are looking to jump in, this year's release is an easy sell.

The game's compelling narrative and magical world, and, yes, its challenging gameplay make Ori and the Blind Forest easy to recommend to most gamers, especially if they relish a challenge, and to all of those who can appreciate a well-crafted and beautiful game.

Overall, Warhammer Online is a thoroughly enjoyable game.

The bottom line is, online or off, Halo 3 is a game every 360 owner should at least try out

Outside of my complaint with the racing level and a few very minor issues, Mafia is a really immersive game. The story is very good, and the cutscenes and voice acting are of the highest caliber.

The UnderGarden's unique elements come together to make for an enjoyable and relaxing game experience.

Probably the best boxing game ever to enter the ring of console gaming. It will appeal to both boxing enthusiasts and fighting game fans with its great gameplay and innovative and intuitive control system.

If you have a high level character, it’s hard to find a reason for you not to buy The Burning Crusade. An entirely new continent filled with great content and with some really imaginative zones to explore make the expansion a must buy.

Resistance was one of the first shooters available on the PS3, and now its sequel is one of the best.

Does a good job of providing a realistic, squad-based shooter without letting that realism get in the way of the gameplay.

Far Cry Primal is such a unique and fresh experience that it just may become your favorite Far Cry game yet.

For the money, I don’t think you’ll be able to find a more current racing game that gets any better than Blur.

Word game fans should take up this quest because they will love the journey.

All in all Rock Band is thoroughly enjoyable experience and could easily become one of the top party games of 2008

Overall, Black Ops 7 is the best Call of Duty game I’ve played in a few years.

Whether you play Summit Strike for the single player campaign, the multiplayer action, or both, you'll thoroughly enjoy the game.

A natural for online play.

NBA Street Homecourt is pretty much a no brainer for anyone looking for a fun exaggerated game of hoops.

Still haven't played it? Well you should now! Okami has now arrived in HD on PS3!

Bangai-O Spirits is a great puzzle game, an extreme action game, a worthy notch on Treasure's belt and a discount priced experience with infinite replay.

Mankind Divided takes all the great ideas from Human Revolution and adds to them, making it just as good as the prior Deus Ex.

A Crooked Mile sets the Wolf Among Us on a straight path to an exciting conclusion.

During a somewhat dismal summer release schedule, Transformers: War for Cybertron is a bright spot and, like I said before, truly deserves a look.

A very enjoyable game with an intriguing storyline, a captivating environment, and engrossing gameplay.

Higher resolution graphics and a better automap feature would make this game rate even higher.

Grasshopper Manfacture and Suda 51 have dropped a true gem onto Xbox Live, and it's one that is well worth your time and money.

The control is top-notch. Some of the moves you do rely on very precise movements and you always feel that you are in total control.

Xenoverse 2 is a noticeable step up from the original and, even though its clich�, is a Dragon Ball fan's dream title. Between this and Fusions, the Dragon Ball series is on a win streak and I can't wait to see what's next.

Great Shooter.

Ratchet: Deadlocked has a lock on exciting, over-the-top gaming fun.

Multiplayer aside, Freedom Force is a thoroughly enjoyable game. You'll often find yourself wanting to play the next mission just to gain one more hero, or see what happens next.

The game looks fantastic, plays great and gives the player a ton of stuff to collect and unlock. I might hate the source material, but this is the 3DS gem everyone has been waiting for. If nothing else, it will keep you occupied until Nintendo's wave of June releases.

Indigo Prophecy may very well be the best adventure game for the Xbox...not much more needs to be said than that.

Even though the light is dying for the people of Harran, this zombie game's light couldn't be brighter with this new enhanced edition of Dying Light.

A must-buy in every sense of the phrase. A high challenge level, two games for the price of one and some very rewarding unlockables make this one of the best PSP games to date.

A top-tier fighter in spite of the best efforts of its lame protagonist.

The game's only real misstep is the wildly inconsistent graphical presentation, but the gameplay and amount of features and things to do more than makes up for some occasionally shoddy visuals.