[It] blow chunks. It's bland, it's repetitive, it's looked the same since it went to PS2 the first time around.

Civilization 5 remains a threat to my productivity and household happiness. Though not quite the complete triumph it could be, Firaxis has shown how a twenty year old design can still be tweaked and improved in the hands of a team unafraid to break things in the interest of progress.

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.

The campaign in itself offers a good deal of play time, but in a flash of brilliance, the developers also added unlockables, which can only be purchased by completing certain goals in the game (scanning objects, etc) and getting currency. These range from simple art books, to playback options for the game’s epic musical score, or even cool little novelties like bumper stickers for Samus’ ship (which I’m still working up to try and purchase).

As a PS2 shooter it's the best I've ever played - I can't emphasize that point enough.

Regardless of your level of familiarity with the nuts and bolts of real world racing, this is a game that not only captures the competitive spirit of wheel to wheel racing but does so in a way that is genuinely fun and somehow skirts the mundane feeling that plagues other games in the genre. Forza Motorsport 2 has officially set the bar.

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.

Wonderfully animated backdrops, inventive enemies, and difficult boss battles set Viewtiful Joe apart from the pack as a truly incredible game and a must have.

The crowd doesn't just scream the entire game, it cheers louder when the home team is winning on on a run and less if they are not.

Either playing solo, with friends or against them, Shogun 2 is the pinnacle of the Total War series. This is how you pay homage to a brilliant game that started a franchise, and I wouldn't be upset after seeing what the developer has done here if we saw remakes of Rome or even another Medieval Total War.

My baby, my sweet, precious little FF8. How I love thee, let me tell the ways; Triple Triad, Rinoa, the incrediblly sweet and fresh magic system and Junction, the beyond jaw-dropping FMV's, Rinoa, the biggest surprise Air Ship yet in any FF..

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.

After a day of intense gaming with the Coagulation Cabal, it is clear the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack is a welcome addition for the Halo 2 player and will help keep the multiplayer experience fresh for some time to come.

Persona 3 is everything you want a PSP port to be: just as good as the original and customized to make PSP owners feel like thy need the new game even if they played the original for weeks on end.

As you play the game you just can’t help dropping your jaw in amazement at what you’re seeing and getting to do.

For me, Burnout Revenge is more of the same – new tracks, new cars, new events, but same basic gameplay.

The ease of play and deep gaming experience are a perfect blend for whiling away far too many hours, and marathon sessions with this game are going to be commonplace. It is just really hard to put down.

The most amazing thing about this game is that the controls are incredibly simple while the gameplay is quite detailed.

It is unyielding and relentlessly unmerciful. A single stage will take hours of repetitious practice and cautious progression to complete. The reward is pride.

This is an engrossing, attractive, dramatic, and entertaining game and one that you simply shouldn't miss.

The only thing holding it back from being a perfect conversion are the sound effects, which seem muffled and slightly off key. Ignore them and play the game, the new text is so worth it.

Once again the developers at Harmonix have shown the gaming industry how it’s done.

It amazes me that a game of this caliber – that is to say, a game that is ridiculously good in spite of its missteps – comes just one year after its predecessor. It improves a lot, adds even more, and changes nothing I already adored. It's a shorter game than Assassin's Creed 2, if that matters, but aside from the storyline it's better in almost every way.

Left 4 Dead 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of zombie games. The momentum has clearly swung in favor of the bad guys. But also much like Empire, this is clearly the best of the bunch and is a required purchase for fans of the genre.

The online-focus and lack of plot are sure to rub some people the wrong way, but FPS-fans and zombie aficionados have never played anything quite like Left 4 Dead. It is a near-perfect mixture of decayed ambiance and relentless pacing that pushes the boundaries of sanity to the breaking point.

The online-focus and lack of plot are sure to rub some people the wrong way, but FPS-fans and zombie aficionados have never played anything quite like Left 4 Dead. It is a near-perfect mixture of decayed ambiance and relentless pacing that pushes the boundaries of sanity to the breaking point.

Left 4 Dead 2 is the Empire Strikes Back of zombie games. The momentum has clearly swung in favor of the bad guys. But also much like Empire, this is clearly the best of the bunch and is a required purchase for fans of the genre.

Granted, the lack of indepth stat-management or extensive character customization may offset hardcore RPG fans, but those looking for an action game that offers much, much more than simple "action" will definitely want to check this out.