The game is incredibly accessible, but it's also incredibly deep. It's the warm shore of the Pacific Ocean, with a teeming coral reef 30 feet below the surface. A reef made up of hideous demons and, when PVP is released, ruthless, hardcore players, of course. But they will find it beautiful, while casual fans and curious semi-gamers will be perfectly content splashing around in the shallows.

Despite some minor issues (and a couple that aren't so minor), Max Payne 3 still manages to be a first-class third-person shooter and is thus one of the better games of the year. More importantly, it's a welcome return for one of the shooter genre's better series. The years may not have been kind of Max, but it seems he hasn't missed a beat.

There's clearly room for improvement, including a more aggressive AI, but over 30 hours later and I'm still playing it. Not bad for a simple take on Civ with some dragons thrown in.

Despite the constant worry of carrying too much loot around, and even with some small interface issues, The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition is a marvelous game. It's more focused and has a vastly superior combat model than Skyrim, is more realized and contains better writing than Dragon Age, and treats sex like a mature theme and not a juvenile goal. It's not to be missed.

It's short but sweet, which I personally prefer over games that overstay their welcome. It's also a pleasure to play, with a satisfying mix of action/platformer pizzazz and puzzle elements with a steady, addictive progression from those simple first stages to the devious concoctions of the late game.

If you opt to try it out, beware that this is the sort of thing you really do need to play with others. Playing is fun, watching others play is fun – but flailing through a bunch of Kinect minigames alone in a darkened apartment is not the Happy Action way.

SSX is a worthy addition/reboot (whatever we're calling it) to the series, although the whole Survive It shtick isn't nearly as robust as it was originally played up to be, and probably explains why EA dropped Deadly Descents from the name. While some feature are questionable, or questionably absent, as in the case of multiplayer, shredding the slopes in outlandish fashion is as enticing as ever.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 is close. It's so very close to being a truly great golf sim and the Kinect support is far and away better than I could have possibly imagined.

Raccoon City isn't the next real Resident Evil game (though its improved controls do bode well for that game). Instead, it's a mostly solid third-person, cover-based shooter set in the same universe. Granted, it's a little too Evil in spots for its own good, and not Evil enough in others, and certainly not as good as Left 4 Dead unless you don't play well with others. But overall, it's a fun spin-off.

Silent Hill: Downpour is not for gamers who've gotten used to having the path pointed out to them over the last generation of survival horror games. Its moments of brilliance tend to shine through the fog of frustration. Having played through the game a single time, I feel like there were many, many things that I missed. Diehard Silent Hill fans shouldn't miss this one, and anyone else hurting for a new horror game could certainly do worse.

In the end, Mario Party 9 remains what each game in the series has been: a party game. Part of me wants to berate Nintendo for making nine Mario Party games in little more than a decade, but I've got to applaud them in this case. There's no flashy new control scheme or extraneous microphone peripheral in Mario Party 9. No, in lieu of any fancy new hardware, Nintendo simply gave the old gang the keys to the company car and actually changed the rules of the game for once-and it works surprisingly well.

Fighting game fans have been blessed with an embarrassment of riches over the past few years, and SFxT is definitely a top shelf example of the genre.

For the right person, Puddle will get in your head and refuse to leave until you've unlocked every damned Au in the game. That's precisely what makes it an excellent puzzler – and a completely pure experience.

In the end, though, none of this simplification really matters all that much. Sure, this smaller scope may diminish the game's scale, but it doesn't diminish its impact, as Mass Effect 3 is ultimately only slightly - and not always that noticeably - less fun than Mass Effect 2 (and is still a slight bit better than the original).

Just like the big budget, small brained sci-fi action movies it emulates, it won't leave you with any lasting memories, but it will entertain you nonetheless.

THQ has, once again, put together a strong MMA fighting game with the UFC license. UFC 3: Undisputed will, ultimately, please MMA fans. Its attention to detail and inclusion of many likable fighters and big personalities from the sport will draw you in and the hefty fighting system will keep you coming back, despite its flaws.

This is a brilliant game, a masterful work by the people at Paradox. Perhaps the biggest praise I can give it is that I plan on playing it on a regular basis far beyond the time it takes to review it. It's rare when a game captures my imagination to this degree, but Crusader Kings II still has its hooks in me.

This direct sequel isn't an improvement in every single way, but it's a huge step forward that corrects many of the most glaring mistakes the fan base took issue with. What of Lightning and her gorgeous Valkyrie-inspired costume? You'll have to play to find out, and I recommend that you do.

I loved Alan Wake, but American Nightmare makes me more optimistic for its future and I'd really like to see Remedy pursue future installments on a smaller, episodic scale like this.

The mechanics are solid, the quest is meaty, the graphics and animation are beautiful, and the world is a pure pleasure to spend time in. Plus, we're talking about a game based on the voyage of discovery of a badass little girl with an octopus for an arm – what's not to like?

Just because Shank 2 isn't terribly innovative doesn't mean it's a bad game. In fact, it's a total blast. It's ridiculous and goofy and completely over-the-top. If you want something that delivers a totally original gameplay experience, don't bother. But, if you want something that's just a lot of fun, look no further: This little gem will keep you grinning like a maniac. Just like Shank does when he revs up his chainsaw.

It's also an important game for the 3DS in particular because it demonstrates the viability of a hardcore-oriented franchise as well as how powerful the 3D effect can be in creating a game environment.

From the opening attack on the restaurant that evokes the car chase that opened the original, to the game's focus on storytelling as much as killing, it's clear that the developers knew not to mess with a working formula. Even if some of the narrative moments fall short of the original, the new content and new powers more than make up for it. The Darkness II didn't knock its predecessor from the top of my list of favorite narrative shooters, but it comes in as a very close second.

This game is definitely a case of one step forward, two steps back. It's a modern, fresh SoulCalibur but it doesn't offer anything that you can't get from previous incarnations other than the more robust online offering.

The game is cute, well designed, well implemented and just the thing to show off your big brain to all of your friends.

TNT Racers is a great little racing title that feels like it's something out a Saturday Morning Cartoon thanks to its goofy tone, lush visuals, and over-the-top action. It's not perfect, but it'll provide you with an incredible amount of bang for your buck.

This is precisely the sort of game I'll bust out every time I find myself on a long flight: it's addictive, challenging without even a whiff of frustration, and packed to the brim with content. I honestly have no complaints about Pushmo, and fully believe that unless you are deeply offended by baby-rescuing sumo wrestlers or block puzzles somehow killed your firstborn, you should download it immediately.

In creating such an enormous experience you'll need to devote a huge swath of your life to it, and yet it does remarkably little to make that moment to moment grind even moderately fresh. This is a must play for fans of Star Wars who want a traditional MMO experience with high production values and a lot of spoken dialogue. If you're looking for an innovative MMO set in the Star Wars universe, you will likely be disappointed.

Once beaten, there is little cause for repeat playthroughs, but the initial experience is so captivating that this hardly matters. Too many people missed out on the first game, and I hope that they don't make the same mistake twice. Trine 2 is easily one of the year's most enchanting puzzle-platformers.

It's excruciating, mostly because Skyward Sword is such a rare, utterly wonderful game. It fully deserves to be thought of as a modern classic and a masterpiece, and it's so good that even controller frustrations couldn't keep me from sinking a completely crazy amount of time into it.

There's no question – if you own a 3DS, this is the best game on the platform, and instantly worthy of a purchase. It's one of the best portable platformers I've ever played (and I've had my fair share), and an almost shockingly good Mario title on any platform.

In spite of its slow pace, Fishing Resort has an awful lot going for it. It's beautiful, it's charming, and it's got a ton of content to explore. Most importantly though is that the game is simply a relaxing a good time.

However, for all its posturing, the add-on is an extension of an experience you already enjoy. For even casual fans this is a worthwhile grab, but anyone who's already had their fill of muscled necks and chainsaws will probably find this indistinguishable from what they've already played.

Batman: Arkham City is the best superhero game ever produced and it's a title well earned. It manages to capture the very essence of The Dark Knight and transform not just him, but his entire world into a playable experience.

Dungeon Defenders has a vibrant, cartoony look and feel while providing an addictive and solid tower defense gaming experience. Reinventing tower defense is a tough chore but Dungeon Defenders manages to pull it off.

But if you're doing just fine with non-Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and you can live without Ghost Rider, Nemesis, and Vergil, then I wouldn't recommend this for purchase at all. Hardcore fans and competitive players will likely feel that they need to own it and that's understandable, but they're on the short end of the stick as well. I love the game, I love the new characters but this is the kind of iterative nonsense that should not be rewarded with consumer dollars.

But if you're doing just fine with non-Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and you can live without Ghost Rider, Nemesis, and Vergil, then I wouldn't recommend this for purchase at all. Hardcore fans and competitive players will likely feel that they need to own it and that's understandable, but they're on the short end of the stick as well.

For the most part, those who've played either Assassin's Creed II or Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will know what they're getting. Revelations does very little to change Ubisoft's golden goose and in this case that's mostly a good thing.

There's nothing to complain about aside from the plain visuals (the up-rez helps, but it also serves to show how visually spartan the Wii game had to be to run so well on the hardware). This was a very good game last year, and it still holds up, despite not being the truly impressive achievement that it was on the Wii. There's no need to re-buy if you have already experienced it, but if not, this is a solid reboot of a true classic.

In the last couple of years, Nintendo has absolutely spoiled me (and other platformer fans) with amazing 2D games. While this year's crop cannot compare to Christmas 2010's unbeatable combo of Epic Yarn and Donkey Kong Country Returns, Return to Dreamland more than holds its own in a crowded arena. This is exactly what you look for in a Kirby game – and I know I'll be hopelessly addicted to it well into the new year.

The biggest problem with Modern Warfare 3 is that it doesn't surprise, aside from the fact that there's more for the solo player to do than you might expect. It feels very safe, which is understandable given the budget and its sales expectations-as well as the rabid fan base that doesn't necessarily want innovation.

Given a little time, Tropico 4 proves itself an excellent strategy title, which makes it a rare gem on the 360. It's not the perfect port of a PC game to the console, but if you can slog your way through clunky controls and a somewhat steep learning curve, it provides an incredibly deep, rewarding experience.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is a remarkable achievement that despite from a few niggling bugs is an undertaking unlike any other. This could quite easily be the only game you purchase for the next several months and still provide you with a complete sense of satisfaction. There are few titles that offer such an incredible level of value without resorting to multiplayer and for that I applaud Bethesda. Skyrim is a role-playing masterpiece.

Volition has done an excellent job of giving you a place to play and toys to play with, so grab a partner, an SMG, and start making your own stories.

I know that it sounds like I'm giving you two very different pieces of advice, and I am, but it's not as duplicitous as it sounds. House of the Dead: Overkill is a great game that you should play. If you already have, you're not missing anything by skipping the Extended Cut.

Speaking for myself, I'd rather play through Cave Story again five times than have a second run through the tedious and dated Ocarina of Time, and discovering this game's unique world in a new 3D format has been surprisingly rewarding. It may very well be the 3DS' best game to date.

Ultimately, though, it's about the basketball on the court and that's where NBA 2k12 truly shines. It doesn't make any huge leaps from last year's version to this year's -some of the carryover problems are frustrating and it does need more precise control- but that doesn't stop it from being one of the best sports games on the market and a must buy for any NBA fan.

Uncharted 3 isn't a bad game, there's plenty of visual style and action to be seen, the characters are likeable, and there are a few puzzles that will make you think. The problem is that Uncharted 3 sometimes doesn't feel like a game at all, but a movie I'm watching play out without my participation.

Despite the story in this outing leaving me lukewarm, I'm still interested in seeing where the story takes Layton, Luke and Emmy. Level 5 has done such a great job making the characters so delightful to hang out with, that even a subpar addition by Layton standards still makes for a good puzzle game.

While gamers new to (or averse to) anime style may not enjoy Atelier Totori, the committed JRPG audience will likely be pleased with what the game has to offer. For us JRPG enthusiasts, a good game means beautiful anime-style graphics, expressive musical scores, eccentric characters and dialog and complex gameplay mechanics; despite its somewhat simplified approach to combat, Atelier Totori scores on all points.

As a complete package Battlefield 3 absolutely delivers and if you don't have some angry agenda against Origin it's a must-play. The PC version in particular ushers in a new era of graphical magnificence and the disparity between the consoles begs Sony and Microsoft to up the ante. Shooters don't come much better than this and it's a great way to kick off this year's holiday game rush.

It's far from the best-looking game on the market, but it's also far from the worst, and the gameplay makes up for it anyway.

Ultimately, this is the type of title that will live in my handheld for months, like Honeycomb Beat and Planet Puzzle League before it – a simple, wildly addictive puzzler with great presentation and a boatload of content. It brings a nice twist to a classic game, looks great in 3D, and totally distracted me from the massive release field this October – not bad for a "little port" from Japan.

Battlefield 3's multiplayer earns top marks because it is almost exactly what any fan of that series would want-a new edition of a classic game that brings forward its best assets while introducing meaningful new elements. If the single player game were at least competent, this would easily be a no-brainer solid "A" game and one that I would recommend to any shooter fan.

Still, even with these marks against it, Aliens: Infestation is worth playing and is an example of a game that really, truly cares about your lives-even if it cares about your deaths just a teensy bit more.

Those looking for big changes to the series won't find them here, but the music is great, the choreography is well designed and appropriately silly, and there are enough extra modes to keep things interesting.

Arkham City, on the other hand, is a game about saving a city, Gotham City, and the experience is all the better for it.

I have to stress that this is not a "pick and up and play" game if you're new to rugby. There's a lot of learning involved as rugby, turns out, is a pretty complicated sport. Still, Jonah Lomu Rugby Challenge, from the perspective of a novice rugby fan, is a great starter game.

Uncertain futures aside, Rocksmith is a breakthrough title not just for the music genre, but for gaming as a whole. It's the first time a developer has been able to deliver a game that makes learning fun and deliver something meaningful in the process.

Ace Combat: Assault Horizon turned out to be quite a nice surprise considering that I didn't have very high expectations for it and it wasn't exactly on my radar this jam-packed Fall release season.

A decent core game despite its stripped down status.

Once you get past the inevitable Pokémon comparisons and let Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 serve up its own brand of monster hunting mayhem, there's an enjoyable combat model and monster synthesis system to be had here.

Forza Motorsport 4 may not be perfect and there are still some things that last year's Gran Turismo 5 either does better or that Forza doesn't do at all. But for the core driving experience, technical achievement, and level of accessibility, Turn 10's effort is nothing short of superb.

Dead Rising 2: Off the Record is in the weird limbo land between update and full release. There's plenty of content here, but most of it isn't new.

Treasure hasn't tampered with the overall mechanics of Radiant Silvergun, and doing so would have been a mistake.

This is a charming, incredibly well designed title with a truckload of replayability (still a rarity for smaller downloadable games). Don't miss out on this in the glut of "holiday" releases.

NBA Jam: On Fire Edition's online, downloadable release and lessened price point will make it an easier pill to swallow for budget gamers and make it a no-brainer for fans of the series. It's the defininitive version of NBA Jam.

Between the medals, the tasks, the mini-games and the levels themselves, there's more than ten Kirby's worth of content here, all wrapped up in the charming and creative wrapper that the Kirby franchise become known for. Kirby may never reach the same level of gaming fame as some of Nintendo's other properties, but if the pink puffball's status as a second tier character allows him to show up in such innovative, out there titles, I'm all for him staying out of the spotlight.

In Orcs Must Die! a split-second of inattention can mean the difference between victory and defeat-but that's part of why it's such an exciting game.

That's Dark Souls in a nutshell. The stakes being as high as they are adds a level of excitement all too rare in the hold your hand games of this generation. Without the punishment, there's no real fear, and without the fear there's no thrill. And in Dark Souls, much like Demon's Souls before it, you will most definitely fear.

Hector: Badge of Carnage is without question, one of the best new adventures-in fact, one of the best game properties-to come out in recent memory. With its likeably slobbish anti-hero and the possibility for endless story setups, we adventure fans would do well to cross our fingers that the collaboration between Telltale and Straandlooper continues well beyond the current trilogy.

FIFA 12 isn't perfect; the franchise still has some work to do in the AI department and the new physics model, which is a significant leap forward, needs its kinks worked out. However, this is the future of the series and you can see how it's taking shape. Despite its shortcomings it's absolutely worth the upgrade if you are coming in from FIFA 11.

The handheld format suits the Bit.Trip beats well, and although these games are available elsewhere the 3DS package is definitely one of the better and most concise ways to experience them regardless of a couple of omissions.

Hard Reset clearly shows that the team knows what makes a good shooter tick.

There's a ton of content here, and the various challenges are a blast to figure out. If you are the type of gamer who enjoys going through a game of this type puzzle by puzzle, Elements will engross you from start to finish. If you're not patient enough to deal with a few clunkers (or solve at least 50 stages before getting to the real meat of the game), you're better off elsewhere.

Monotony complaints aside, Serious Sam Double D's wacky world, crazy weapons, oddball humor and entertaining environments will keep you chuckin' and duckin' through time with Sam. Well, at least until the shine wears off.

Avalanche knocked this out of the park. Renegade Ops is a brilliant game and easily one of the best of 2011, downloadable or otherwise, and it's not to be missed.

Fact is, I haven't had as much fun with a racing game in a long time, and this is one even non-racing fans can look to for a good time. With any luck this won't be the end of the renovated Driver and we get to see the mechanic return in a sequel.

There's no shortage of puzzle games on XBLA, and structurally, Leedmees is competent and fun, but not revolutionary. However, given the art style and excellent use of Kinect controls – let alone the riotous multiplayer, Konami's awesome little experiment deserves a look.

Like Trenched before it, Rock of Ages offers a fresh, action-oriented twist on the tower defense genre, along with a welcome, zany aesthetic. It's a curiosity, for sure, but if you enjoy the offbeat, you cannot go wrong here. Hats off to Atlus yet again for bringing something new and interesting to the table.

There's a great game under all the rubbish, but you have to be willing to shrug off a bunch of annoyances to get there.

Regardless of these nitpicks, ClaDun X2 delivers on NIS's promise of providing twice as much stuff as in the original.

Overall the game is polished, the map is gorgeous, and the emphasis on goals other than war is a refreshing change from the vast majority of strategy titles out there.

To be fair there are a lot of changes and tweaks made to the NHL 11 design, but many of them are so small to be nearly unnoticeable. As great as NHL 12 is, and it is a great game, it's not a giant leap from NHL 11. Is that enough to warrant another $60? Only you can answer that one.

This is an exciting, adrenaline-pumping game that I think fans of everything from Hydro Thunder to Star Fox 64 could get into and enjoy, if only they knew it existed. Definitely a sleeper, and definitely worth your time.

It's certainly a game worth playing, but if you come into it without a love for the license, you are left with a competent, gory, exciting, but ultimately repetitive action game.

With deep, involving ethical questions, and systems that test players beyond their ability to pick the right gun, Deus Ex: Human Revolution is – in many, many ways – a game for thoughtful players.

It is fun and the combat system is smart, simple, and effective.

Disgaea 4 is a noteworthy edition to the popular strategy RPG series because it adds so much new content without destroying the familiar gameplay that fans have grown to love.

But suffice to say Space Pirates and Zombies isn't just a grand open-world space action RPG in the tradition of Star Control. It's also a rare expression of zombies that belongs alongside Dead Rising and Atom Zombie Smasher.

Madden 12 has an awful lot going for it and in many ways it's the best the series has ever been, but in others you can see it still trying to break the shackles of the past. In the end, you get a mix of the two: a lot of great new ideas combined with issues that should have been dealt with a long time ago.

Realistically, mistakes will be made, some boss battles will be more challenging than others, and a secret treasure or two will be missed that will add more time to your adventure. But whether you play for 10 or 40 hours, Chantelise is a delightful, whimsical action role-playing game.

I'm a history nerd splitting hairs about a game featuring toys blowing each other up at this point. Regardless, the two games together represent the best that the tower defense genre has to offer. I'm very interested to see where Signal takes this franchise next…as long as it's not World War II.

If you're looking for a fun, spaz-tastic diversion or ultra-simple party game, look no further.

You've seen these gimmicks in other games, so it's ultimately a familiar grammar involving water, gravity, light beams, and so forth. The charm comes from the execution and the funky artwork.

Panzer Corps has brought back a flood of wonderful memories for me and while I fully realize that I'm a certified Panzer General fan boy and that could possibly cloud my judgment of the merits of Panzer Corps, all I know is that my campaign ended in a German defeat.

With a colorful graphic update, five game modes and 150 maps to choose from, it's a good entertainment value...that is, if you're patient enough to accept the old school standards of difficulty and level replay.

Regardless of its hang-ups, Catherine is unquestionably a recommended game, a completely unique experience that is destined to be a cult favorite.