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.

Starhawk gives you a wonderful set of toys and just enough incentive to use them, and with a will to learn and experiment, hardcore players will find a deep and engrossing multiplayer experience. It may be rough around the edges, and it's certainly not perfect, but Starhawk is definitely fun.

Moments of blissfully smooth combat are followed by awkward bouts of running away. Just when you start to get bored by doing the same "go slurp us that scientist" mission for the fifth time, it throws you a curve ball. Which means that anyone who thought the original fell short, or was dull, or got trumped by inFamous, Hulk, or any number of Spider-Man games, is not going to be swayed by this. But for those who enjoyed the original, this sequel does not disappoint.

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.

I appreciate Team Ninja's attempts at revisionism and editorial design, but I think most Ninja Gaiden fans- myself included- would have been happier with an elaborate, over-the-top design like the first two games rather than such a pared down, over-simplified one.

Binary Domain is a decent third person cover shooter with great set piece fights and a few fun boss battles trapped inside a gimmicky command structure and a story that disintegrates near the end and turns what should have been a surprisingly good shooter into one that is tough to fully recommend.

The single player is a complete waste despite the hefty amount of content put into it. If you're going to enjoy Kid Icarus: Uprising, it's because you can stand the awful controls and really badly want something to play online. If you're considering the game for any other reason than that, I highly recommend catching the next updraft and tossing it into the sun.

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.

As an Undead Nightmare-like DLC pack for Yakuza 4, Dead Souls makes sense. As a full retail package, the combination of the zombie theme and the recycling feels desperate and ill-advised.

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.

This is a game for people who feel "regular" soccer is too slow and methodical. It's like watching those old And One basketball tapes or going to a Globetrotters game. It's technically soccer but it's faster, looser, not terribly realistic and ideal to play against a buddy when there's 30 minutes to kill and you want to get in a handful of matches and talk a little smack in the process.

While the game's story alone probably wouldn't make for a tremendously successful anime series, and the competent but repetitive gameplay might not suffice without the narrative absurdity, the two elements combine with terrific production values to produce an experience that's definitely worth a look. There aren't many games quite like Asura's Wrath and there aren't a lot of heroes quite like Asura. He may have anger management issues, but it's still worth getting to know him.

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.

It's difficult to shake the feeling that Tekken 3D Prime Edition is a lazy, perfunctory product with little to offer longtime fans other than a terrible movie, 3D graphics, and mobility.

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.

But the reality of a game in this class is that gamers may leave the whole thing to die, waiting for price drops or getting their fill of it over the course of a weekend rental.

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?

It's a $10 download with a decent amount of content so that's hardly a liability, but it's impossible to shake the feeling that it's a very minor title with a short shelf life. It's perfect for a rainy day but most players will likely warp out shortly after the credits roll.

The game is set up almost on a freemium monetization model, but it's a $15 download. And at that price, it does feel a little thin on content- particularly when you're practically asked for your credit card if you want to put a cape on your guy or to buy one of those notorious XP-doubling pills. Granted, most of what you can buy with real money is nothing that any sane adult would care anything about- video game clothes, in-game "mascots", and so forth- but the concept points the way to a future where we'll be paying for FPS games by the bullet.

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.

Had Amalur been stripped down to its bare essentials it would be a much easier game to recommend. This would make for an excellent 12-15 hour action game with its cool combat and fun player progression and a main story that's certainly no worse than most other videogame fare. However, as an especially long RPG masquerading as an open world design it simply overstays its welcome, it feels soulless, and tries to juggle too many balls at once.

All I wanted from King Arthur II was more of the great lore mixed with a degree of difficulty that was challenging but not sadistic and better tactical battles. I got the great lore.

However, Mr. White's wild ride isn't the only thing included in this package – there are also a few new schematics for making new weapons. These can be accessed in the regular game as well as the DLC. This is a cool feature if you're new to Dead Island or are on a new playthrough, but there's not really enough there to warrant paying for the DLC. Dead Island is still a game that deserves to be played if you missed it last year – but Ryder White can be safely skipped.

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.

Nano Assault is shallow, pretty, kind of fun but repetitive. It's the kind of game that I tend to play intensely for a couple of days and then put away, never to touch it again.

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.

I'm all for developers extending the life of their games by offering post-release content, however in this case, the Genkibowl had the exact opposite effect. Once I finished it, I didn't want to play more Saints Row 3, much less buy more content for it.

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.

It is a fun game, and by jingo when it's at its best it's totally the updated Choplifter that I wanted to play.

Because of the technical ineptitude and the lousy level design, I can't recommend the game for those looking to have a good time with its mechanics. I suppose someone less desensitized could still find Postal III offensive in an enjoyable way, but the odds are if you've been through the previous games this will disappoint on that front as well.

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.

Just a couple of button presses away from Amy on both the Xbox and PlayStation marketplaces is a little game called Resident Evil 4 that does this idea brilliantly with a girl named Ashley instead of Amy. Sure, it costs twice as much but you'll be buying and playing one of the best games ever made-not one of the worst.

Even with a budget price, Earth Defense Force: Insect Armageddon is tough to recommend. The mediocre graphics and monotonous gameplay bring down an otherwise solid premise. This is only worth playing if you have friends to play with, solo players should take a can of Raid to this repetitive mess.

I honestly don't know why anyone would buy Tekken Hybrid. If you love Tekken Tag Tournament, there's no reason to drop $40 on this head scratcher when there's a likely superior, current sequel in the cards that will offer the online play and other mod cons that this remaster doesn't. The "prologue" should have been a free download.

It does a fabulous job of translating the Harry Potter universe into the LEGO vernacular, with all the frolicsome fun that implies; however, by implementing too many kinds of interactive prompt and by failing to provide enough player feedback, it sets the stage for an interactive experience that's equal parts fun and befuddlement.

For kids with a serious dinosaur affectation, playing Fossil Fighters: Champions will feel like discovering a buried treasure, and there's something to be said for a monster fighting RPG that doesn't require the same time commitment as the Pokemon games. For everyone else though, there are better monster battling RPGs out there, published by the same company, and once you've played them it's hard to see imitators, even ones with dinosaurs, in the same light.

All things considered, there is a place for Greed: fans of the point-and-click "Diablo" style of gameplay will find quite a lot to enjoy here, and for all of its quirks, it still does offer a pretty immersive universe to delve into and all for 20 bucks.

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.

All things considered, WWE '12 is a step backwards for Yuke's. Luckily they can return to the RAW vs. SmackDown brand next year and pretend like this game never existed. I encourage them to do just that. More importantly, I encourage you to avoid WWE '12 because games are supposed to relieve stress-not cause it.

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.

It may not stray from the original, and it may not do anything to convert those not already enamored with gem matching, but when the original is so good, there's no reason to change anything.

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.

Need for Speed: The Run is a true black sheep trying desperately to fit in with its siblings, but simultaneously getting so much so very wrong.

Say what you will about the 2005 Spielberg film adaptation turning the invasion literature into an explosive action romp, it probably would have been a better starting point for the game adaptation. Then again, maybe this is a project that should never have got off the ground to begin with; after all, some pages are better left unturned.

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.

It's still an important and hugely influential game and it should probably be played by anyone interested in first-person shooters. But unless you're part of the generation of gamers that are now in their 20s and you're looking to recapture your Halo heydays, this is definitely most gamers can skip even at its budget $40 retail price.

3D is used to good effect in some puzzles, but the same effect could be had by staring at a lamp and walking around it, furtively searching for hidden messages before finally quitting and seeing if there's any pie in the house.

Overall, the entertainment is there, but usability is lacking.

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.

Once you're finished, something that should only take about five hours, you can unlock the super hard Ragnorak mode, and maybe then your thirst for challenge will be sated, but at that point, why bother? There may be more moves to unlock and different costumes to flit about in, but by then you've seen all there is to see and honestly, hitting a giant with a hammer is only so interesting, regardless of how many different ways you can swing it.

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.

After communicating with the development team, they seem very attentive and are actively patching the game. So maybe in the near future the above-mentioned problems won't be an issue. Until that time, I can't recommend picking this one up. If the news of the HD release has got you itching for MDK2 again, think about hunting down a copy of the original.

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.

If Sega had spent some more time creating content for the game or giving its mechanics an overhaul, there'd be something here for new players to sink their teeth into. As it is, this is one of those titles that will likely only be appeal to folks looking for a quick drive down Nostalgia Lane.

There is not, however, any real drive or immediacy to the gameplay that you'll actually want to take Ultimate Tenkaichi up on its generous offer of playtime.

As it stands, if you want to get a swimming workout, take my advice and go sign up at a local YMCA instead.

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.

It's simply been done before and done better -- and will probably be revisited again in the future via Kinect or Move.

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.

More specific classes, skills, and specializations would have been nice. Matchmaking is sporadic at best, which stinks because the game is almost useless as a single player exercise. The ally AI won't touch any of the mission-specific objectives, which means you've got to babysit that drill by yourself.

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.

Sure, each faction has a special unit but nothing stands out to make this game feel like a game based on Martin's works and that's something that , more than anything else, many fans will have a hard time accepting.