The game is fantastic, a true work of art, and should be owned by anyone who considers themselves a fan of video games. Grand Theft Auto does so many things right that calling it a "sandbox" title is doing it a harsh disservice. It does shooting better then many shooters, driving better then many racing games, and has a better, more involved story then half of the most popular RPGs.

The words “cinematic experience” have been used to describe the game so often that they are probably cliché by now, but it’s something that simply must be said. I found myself saying “just one more chapter” for hours; I never wanted to stop playing, and I never wanted the game to end.

Mass Effect 2 is easily one of the best games of the generation, blowing away its predecessor in just about every way, and removing the "flawed" attachment to the "masterpiece" title.

It’s fantastic, fun, beautiful, creative, and unique—pretty much everything you would want from any game and everything you would expect from a game that came with so many months of hype and excitement. With unlimited replay value and potential, you will probably be playing it for months—if not years—to come.

It’s not quite perfect, and at times it can be repetitive, but the developers do so much right here, it’s easy to forgive the miscues. There is simply no excuse to miss out on a game this good.

While I do enjoy the game's score quite a bit, it doesn't pack the emotional punch that Ennio Morricone's once did.

This game is nearly perfect.

Infinity Ward has managed to outdo themselves with this sequel, a tremendous feat in its own right. If the games of 2009 were stacked up against each other, there’s no question that Modern Warfare 2 would be incredibly close to the apex, fighting viciously for the top spot and, for many people, getting there and continuing upward. This is what gaming is supposed to feel like.

Mass Effect 2 is easily one of the best games of the generation, blowing away its predecessor in just about every way, and removing the "flawed" attachment to the "masterpiece" title.

BioShock presents moral choices that haven’t been successfully achieved in gaming before. It takes risks, demolishes taboos, and is still one of the most impressive titles ever released. While the game is not perfect I cannot bring myself to give it any less than a perfect score. It is easily one of the best games ever made, and one of the most entertaining experiences ever created. The plot rivals great novels and the voice acting and animation trump some of the best movies.

The story is compelling, the multiplayer is addictive, and Special Ops mode comes out of the gate swinging, prepared to shock gamers with a feature most likely didn’t know existed. The package, on the whole, is spectacular, there’s no two ways about it.

It feels like Kojima couldn’t figure out how he wanted to end the game, and decided instead to fulfill every possible outcome that fans could want. It seems sloppy, amateur, and almost satirical.

Never before has there been a game with more replayability then Super Smash Bros. Brawl.

Rockstar has done a downright amazing job of bringing one of gaming’s most ambitious, innovative and expansive franchises to a handheld console that seems like it simply shouldn’t be able to handle it. It looks great, plays great, and feels every bit like a fitting entry in the series.

With Pac-Man Championship Edition DX, Namco Bandai has done all this and more, crafting an utterly addictive Pac-Man experience that will thrill, challenge, and consume players of all ages, skill levels, and experience. It's the best Pac-Man game to date, and a must-play for anyone who has thumbs and likes playing video games. It's really that good.

Braid is a game cut from the same cloth as "BioShock" and "Portal," erasing videogame norms and reimagining the way we look at the medium. It does things with gaming that are usually reserved for novels and films, while also adding elements that would be impossible in any other form. It’s is a game that makes you think about your own life as much as it does about gaming.

Though I finished the game in less than a week, it was the first game in long time that I couldn't get out of my head when I wasn't playing it, and didn't move from my chair when I was playing it. Simply fantastic.

It’s an extremely tight, well-paced fighter that allows for widely varied fighting styles, but also serves as a fair and definitive test of skills for long-time fighters. Seth, the game’s biggest drawback, along with some long load times and a lack of variety in the Super and Ultra Combos are the only things keeping the game from receiving a perfect score.

It's an experience every gamer should enjoy, and is a game cut from the same cloth as BioShock and Portal, erasing videogame norms and reimagining the way we look at the medium. It does things with gaming that are usually reserved for novels and films, while also adding elements that would be impossible in any other form. It’s is a game that makes you think about your own life as much as it does about gaming.

Fallout 3 gives an incredibly bleak outlook on our future and humanity, all the while roping me in closer than just about any title has in the past few years, despite it’s faults. It’s a game everyone should play, if not just to find out who they really are, and to learn what life would be like if we finally had to duck and cover.

There’s enough content to consider it a true sequel, and not an incremental upgrade, and it’s an overall better game. The expanded story and new multiplayer modes confirm the purchase, and for fans there’s no way to avoid something this good during the holiday season.

Kratos is given a wonderfully epic farewell that would truly be a shame to miss, and every aspect of the game, from the controls, to the combat, to the presentation, is as close to perfect as perfect can be. Even if you've never played a single game in this series before, God of War III is a game you must play if you have the opportunity. You owe it to yourself, and the team at Santa Monica Studios, to play this game.

Forza 3 may split its focus between simulation, accessibility, customization, visual splendor, and commercialism, but none of those aspects suffers or feels underserved. It’s an incredibly realistic racer with options that make the game fun for just about anyone, sublime pacing, a massively deep customization suite, spectacular visual presentation, and a groundbreaking online storefront that makes the game almost infinitely replayable.

A phenomenal achievement, and I can’t wait to see what Rocksteady has in store next—personally, I’m hoping for a sequel set in Gotham City. Arkham Asylum is the kind of game you can’t stop playing, yet don’t ever want to end; it was almost a shame to have to review it, because I really wanted to take my time and enjoy every inch of Arkham Island.

Chrono Trigger DS is a remake done right, and both longtime fans and new players should pick it up.

"Rock Band" seemed like the definitive music game experience when it came out, and Rock Band 2 has taken it even further, fixing the few things that were wrong with the first and adding a little bit extra to boot.

If you weren’t a fan of the original IV, there’s really nothing here to sway you, but for fans of tight, accessible fighting action with a great deal of depth, it’s an excellent bargain, and a game that many are sure to be playing five years from now.

LittleBigPlanet 2 is everything I'd hoped it would be. Every new inclusion improves the way the game plays tremendously, and with the ability to create more than just an endless array of side-scrolling levels, there's more reason than ever to learn the intricacies of level creation.

FIFA 10 also comes complete with an overhauled AI for the rest of the computer players, making them more reflexive and aggressive.

Just about every issue from the first game has not only been addressed, but almost entirely eliminated.

Probably one of the best games ever made for the PSP. As a God of War title, it falls in third place, but that’s not a bad thing, those games are just really great.

This is the absolute pinnacle of baseball video gaming, and I dare someone to do better.

Without the blu-ray disk drive and its ridiculous storage space, the textures couldn’t be as high-resolution and photorealistic as they are. Without the cell-processor and its amazing power, the game couldn’t support as many light sources as it does at once. Without the PlayStation 3, you cannot get the Killzone experience anywhere else. If that was the game’s goal, to prove that point to gamers, than they’ve done their job, and given PS3 owners one hell of a title in the process. The single player definitely hurts without cooperative play, but the multiplayer and overall stunning presentation should earn Killzone 2 a spot on any gamer’s shelf.

Nearly everything about this game has been improved over its predecessors, and though the campaign won't take you too long to complete, the hours you'll spend with the multiplayer more than make up for it.

Absolute bliss for fans of the genre.

Assassin’s Creed II isn’t just a step forward for the series, it’s a leap. The improvements are immediately obvious, and it isn’t a stretch to say that Assassin’s Creed II feels like a game two or three sequels away instead of one that was just two years from the original.

What Blizzard has excelled at is taking ideas from other places, refining and improving them, and making them their own. With Cataclysm they've done something that has never been done before on this scale: they took one of the most popular and successful games in history, and utterly changed it. I, for one, love them for it. If you already love WoW, chances are you own Cataclysm already and have reached 85.

An undeniably enjoyable game that mixes lighting-fast action and deeply satisfying combat with outrageous character design, inspired storytelling, and exceptional visual presentation.

In terms of new content, Lost & Damned is bursting at the seams.

As long as EA Canada remains in charge of this title, I don’t think there’s a chance any other game can knock FIFA from the top spot.

An outstanding achievement in gaming. There’s no question that this is going to be one of my top games of the year, and any fan of JRPGs should be playing it when it’s released next week.

Despite a few flaws, this game is quite possibly the best baseball video game to ever grace a living room.

It's a brilliant take on classic conventions, and the way in which it's presented only adds to its genius.

The multiplayer modes are a blast to play, and open up a world of possibilities for future installments.

At a length of around 30 hours the game has more punch then the average adventure game of its kind, and while it feels a little long and can be frustrating at parts, I definitely place Okami near the top of the Wii releases, and possibly on the top of all adventure releases.

Super Meat Boy is without a doubt the new frontrunner for downloadable game of the year. From top to bottom, the game is a near-perfect experience. There's a great deal of challenge, but it never feels unbeatable.

Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars is essentially an improved version of the DS release with a few new side missions, a couple of new characters, and a completely overhauled graphics engine. Despite the fact that the game was built specifically for the DS, porting it to Sony’s less popular, but more powerful handheld has actually improved its playability.

There are a ton of new additions in this sequel making it more than worth the 800 MS Points, but somehow the game still felt like an add-on, and not a new game.

This game has nearly everything you could ask for in a world conquest simulator, and if you plan to dive in it may be best if you let your loved ones know you are going to start writing a novel. Or training for a triathlon. Just pick something that takes a really long time and sounds hard. You're going to be busy for a while.

If you missed out on Persona 3 when it first came out, and skipped FES in 2008, then now is your chance to rectify that. Persona 3 Portable is one of the strongest games in the PSP catalogue, and a shining example of a role-playing game done right.

At 800 Microsoft Points, Rez is an absolute steal, and this HD remix is best way to experience one of the industry’s most unique games.

The enemy design is, simply put, wonderful, and so many different elements of Demon's Souls call out to me, demanding love and affection. Sadly, I cannot return its calls. It just goes so far out of its way to be difficult that it misses some key, important elements that would have made it a vastly better game.

Fable II is a game that should be enjoyed by gamers, no matter when they get a chance to play it, and it shouldn’t be taken for granted. There’s plenty of content, and even though the actual story is only ten to twelve hours long, there are dozens of more hours of content in the game on each play.

With five campaigns, more enemies, better weapons, and plenty of challenges, you will probably still be playing this game well into 2010. There are a few issues, but these are easy to overlook when the gameplay is so fun and satisfying. Once again, Valve has made the zombie apocalypse one of the best experiences of the year.

When playing with friends, Left4Dead gives the best cooperative experience in gaming, hands down. Nothing compares. The game is lacking a bit in terms of content, and more weapons and locations would definitely add to the experience, but nothing can take away from the sheer enjoyment value. Valve’s newest might be one of their most masterfully crafted, and the attention to detail is impeccable.

When playing with friends, Left4Dead gives the best cooperative experience in gaming, hands down. Nothing compares. The game is lacking a bit in terms of content, and more weapons and locations would definitely add to the experience, but nothing can take away from the sheer enjoyment value.

With five campaigns, more enemies, better weapons, and plenty of challenges, you will probably still be playing this game well into 2010. There are a few issues, but these are easy to overlook when the gameplay is so fun and satisfying. Once again, Valve has made the zombie apocalypse one of the best experiences of the year.

It’s a glamorous, larger-than life finale to a wonderful trilogy, taking the lessons Rockstar learned with the previous two games and expanding upon them to create something fabulous.

While Personality+ and the ability to play as a goalkeeper are nice new touches, they feel like incremental additions instead of revolutionary overhauls.

Dead Space is genuinely frightening, and should keep most gamers on the edge of their seat for at least eight to ten hours of gameplay time. After completing the game, a New Game + option is unlocked, allowing players to restart the game with all of their upgrades and equipment. This feature could be extremely fun, but the option to change the difficulty setting is absent, which makes it a little too easy, and misses the point of New Game +.

There is no doubt that it is on the short side, and even though plenty of downloadable content is on the way, I really think there should have been more songs on the disc. Also, despite the additions and changes, this isn’t quite the “built from the ground up” gaming experience that was originally described. The Beatles: Rock Band is exactly what the title says: Rock Band infused by the music of The Beatles. In the end, it is a terrific game that Beatles fans, regardless of gaming experience, will want to play ceaselessly.

Despite its difficulty at points, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is as close to brilliance as you can get on the PSP.

NBA 2K11 is, without a doubt, the best basketball simulator ever made. It offers more options on offense and defense than any basketball game ever made, and does it with an incredible sense of style and polish.

Purists may argue that Forza Motorsport 2 and Dirt are more realistic and offer better customization, but when it comes to being the most complete package with the most polished gameplay; Paradise is a true revolution.

The Beatles: Rock Band is definitely a fantastic journey through the career of what is possibly the world’s most beloved music group of all time.

Even when compared to other titles in the Summer of Arcade line-up, it’s more than worth the money, proving, once again, how much is possible within the limitations of digital distribution. It’s a must-buy for fans of the genre, and still worth investing time in for anyone else.

For the third year in a row, EA Canada has crafted a hockey experience that is seemingly flawless. As great as last year's offering was, NHL 11 marks an evolution for the series.

Dead Space is genuinely frightening, and should keep most gamers on the edge of their seat for at least eight to ten hours of gameplay time.

A nearly flawless title; only the most cynical and jaded gamers will take issue with any of the game’s extremely minor problems.

BioShock 2 may not be BioShock, but it doesn’t have to be. The world of Rapture is one I could revisit again and again, as long as there is some new wrinkle to the story to uncover.

With barely a visual hitch, exceptional presentation, engaging online, improved controls and an unmatched level of realism, there’s almost nothing to prevent a full recommendation to any fan of hockey or sports games in general. Even if you aren’t a fan of sports games, the game is so good it could turn you into one.

With barely a visual hitch, exceptional presentation, engaging online, improved controls and an unmatched level of realism, there’s almost nothing to prevent a full recommendation to any fan of hockey or sports games in general.

A nearly flawless title; only the most cynical and jaded gamers will take issue with any of the game’s extremely minor problems.

Here's the only issue – if this game could be so masterfully re-created, so well crafted from a blend of original gameplay and much needed updates, all wrapped in a beautifully hand-drawn package that shines in high-definition wide-screen format – why can't every classic game be remade in such a way?

There’s little doubt that DICE has secured its game a spot as the best shooter of the first half 2010, hurdling the impressive MAG by a few dozen yards.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 10 isn’t the first perfect golf game, but it’s the closest anyone’s come yet. Despite some of the graphical hang-ups, and thanks to the immersive gameplay, EA has set a new bar for everyone to follow. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m late for my tee time.

A dream come true for many gamers of the 1990s, this is a remake done right, with the care and attention this property deserves. In fact, if other adventure games get the same treatment, I would likely re-buy all of them just to experience the new graphics and sounds.

The story might not be as impressive as some hoped, failing to match the humor of the prequel, but the multiplayer goes above and beyond the call of duty, providing the best competitive gameplay in recent memory.

The World Ends With You is definitely not a game for everyone. It takes chances, it's bizarre, it's different, and it's difficult to even explain. However, it's also one of the best new RPG experiences I’ve had in the last few years.

For the third year in a row, EA Canada has crafted a hockey experience that is seemingly flawless.

BioShock 2 had a huge mountain of unrealistic expectations to overcome the moment it was announced. Even though it's not quite as excellent as the first game was, BioShock 2 is one of the most enjoyable games I've played in a long time.

While Personality+ and the ability to play as a goalkeeper are nice new touches, they feel like incremental additions instead of revolutionary overhauls.

With the exception of some overly long load screens and a bit of snapback computer AI, there's not much about Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit that's hard to recommend.

Battlefield: Bad Company 2 isn't good. It's so good. There’s little doubt that DICE has secured its game a spot as the best shooter of the first half 2010, hurdling the impressive MAG by a few dozen yards.

The gameplay is tighter, the franchise is deeper, and the online and Be a Pro modes more than match anything Pro Evo puts on the table.

Quantic Dream puts forth some truly incredible ideas and concepts as to what a game can be, but they’ll stay ideas and concepts until gamers are willing to accept that they deserve more than another GTA or Call of Duty clone. Heavy Rain is without a doubt one of the most impressive games of the last five years, and it shouldn’t be missed by anyone.

Despite a few frustrations, this is easily one of the most addictive role-playing games on the DS, and catching, battling, raising, and breeding Pokémon could keep you occupied for months. There has never been a better time to catch them all.

"Undead Nightmare" follows in the tradition of "The Lost and Damned" and "Ballad of Gay Tony" giving gamers more than their money's worth when it comes to things to do. There's about five or six hours of story content, in addition to the wealth of hours you'll spend with the new multiplayer modes.

Other than the lack of online multiplayer, New Super Mario Bros. Wii is exactly what you want it to be. It’s a great mix of new and old, and though it’s not exactly innovative, playing though the game is just sheer fun.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is maddeningly frustrating. In fact, I've never been happier that I didn't have to play a game anymore than when I finished playing Donkey Kong Country Returns.

With a decent, if predictable, story, and an incredible amount of online customization, Black Ops is a can't miss shooter that fires on almost all cylinders.

Another great entry in one of gaming’s most prolific series. It’s not without flaws, but it also offers some of the most fun handheld gameplay this year.

Despite a few frustrations, this is easily one of the most addictive role-playing games on the DS, and catching, battling, raising, and breeding Pokémon could keep you occupied for months. There has never been a better time to catch them all.

Challenging, intelligent, whimsical - Little King's Story is a wonderful game, and one that should be mentioned in the same breath as nearly any other game of quality on the Wii.

For those willing to give it a chance, it will take no time at all to realize that there's a remarkable gem of a game inside the box, and one that should be experienced by every Wii owner. For fans of the series, it's a brilliant sequel, more fantastic than they likely ever expected to see.

The graphics are solid, the game plays incredibly well, and the story is reminiscent of the best summer action flicks. Add in robust online options and you have a title that belongs in anyone’s library.

LittleBigPlanet PSP may have taken the ambitious title and scaled it down, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have just as much fun playing it. It may not look as gorgeous as the PS3 version, and you might miss playing with your friends, but before long you will find yourself replaying level after level, trying to collect every last item.

When it comes down to it, there's no denying that Shooter is over too soon. Far too soon. Even for completionists, there's likely less than five hours' worth of play in the singleplayer, with the only real replayability in the local co-op. If there was online multiplayer this wouldn't be an issue, but it is. Not a huge issue, not a deal breaking issue, not something worth complaining about too much, but an issue.