The Sims 3 proves more evolved and less repetitive than its predecessors. Given the graphics restyling for granted, we have found – and mostly appreciated – an improved management tool: forget the slow obsolete processes of the previous iterations and welcome a smoother gameplay, a wider freedom and an overall better experience.

One thing one could blame Guitar Hero for is its difficulty level – that is of course if you were an absolute beginner… Guitar Hero 5 is the proof that game designers do listen to players’ opinions: the game is now more adaptive to one’s skill level, welcoming casual gamers as well for the first time in its history.

Madden NFL 10 doesn’t leave anything to chance. All NFL fans will most certainly appreciate the work done in developing such a feast of graphics, gameplay, statistics, and presentations. The game is fun to play throughout, thanks to the easy to master but thorough tactics system.

An easier gameplay doesn’t mean a worse gameplay, especially when you have so much more on offer in terms of storyline, action, interaction and graphics. Splinter Cell: Conviction marks a new beginning in the Splinter Cell series.

If you have the Wii and love fighting games and Tatsunoko characters as well, you must get this game! Otherwise, you must still get Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars! Got it?

Red Faction Guerrilla uses its Geo-Mod 2.0 engine quite flawlessly, obtaining a stable frame rate and a good level of detail. Its wide support of animation routines recreates a realistic experience, especially when collisions are involved. Going around its open-world system destroying environmental elements is quite a pleasant experience of its own! This game came definitely as a nice surprise.

Sucker Punch Productions have done a great job with inFAMOUS. First they have created a proprietary engine, that manages – quite naturally – a vast and detailed environment, where particle effects and exquisite textures make you indulge on the surroundings more than you should; then they have put an action-packed game into it.

Unlike its predecessor, UFC 2010 Undisputed didn't cause us any astonishment. The graphics weren't much improved and the animation routines still show some of the past glitches. Hing said that, this is still an excellent game, enriched by a deeper Career mode and new fighting styles.

No More Heroes 2 is a violent yet elegant Anime-style fighting game, filled with action and supported by an intense storyline. Also, it has an impressive number of secondary missions and old-style arcade games.

Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box is a game suited for everyone. With more than 150 among riddles and conundrums, it places you into a nicely drawn world full of extraordinary characters, with an involving story worth unraveling one puzzle at a time.

Split/Second is everything but an arcade driving game. It’s challenging, involving, entertaining varied, technically stunning and… fast and furious!

DJ Hero has won the bet! It is indeed possible to enjoy the “Guitar Hero formula” while scratching and mixing like a real DJ.

Need For Speed: Shift is a great racing game. At last! A top quality game from all perspectives, it can suite both expert racers and rookies. It is also quite involving thanks to the new cockpit camera views, and has a superb multiplayer mode.

Put an FPS, an RPG and a Sandbox game into a deep pan, mix gently and then add a pinch of Fist of the North Star and abundant Fallout flavouring. Stir and cook for a while then add cel shade graphics, plenty of blood and weapons and a solid multiplayer structure, and you’ll have Borderlands. Although at first it smells a bit like frozen pizza, give it a bite and you'll see that it tastes oh! so good!

UFC 2009 Undisputed is a deep sports gaming experience. Extremely realistic and aesthetically polished, it reproduces its 84 athletes with an extraordinary level of detail. Sweat, face expressions and movements are as close to reality as polygons and effects can be. It is not an easy game though, so expect to be spending quite a few hours on it before you can call your-self a true fighter!

The long wait since Battlefield 1942 was well worth it: Battlefield 1943 is real value for money. It is a quality shooter, finely made and highly enjoyable thanks to its gameplay solutions and the flawless on-line experience. It’s available via digital delivery, and it’s cheap!

Yet another expansion for Fallout 3, and yet another success! We particularly enjoyed the new settings and characters, and the fact that we did not encounter any glitch whatsoever. Unfortunately, the main story – well worth playing – and a few side missions won’t last you much more than 4 hours.

Far more than a simple expansion, Halo 3: ODST offers an intense gaming experience, and an unusual one too for a Halo game, with a well-balanced switch between action, exploration and strategy, where the player is always the main character.

Less to do and much, much more to see. Final Fantasy XIII preserves the usual depth of its storyline, adding stunning graphics and sound, which make this a game worth playing. Yet, the lack of any typical RPG action and the technical differences of the PS3 against the X360 version left us quite confused, if not upset.

Darksiders puts on the plate loads of action and a well-varied gameplay. The fact that most of its ideas and some of its characterisation and character design were inspired by other successful games – living little room for originality – doesn’t affect the overall fun.

Less splatter than before, and yet much more enjoyable, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 manages to save the NG series from oblivion. Good settings, good graphics, good animations, good control system, good AI, good gameplay. No need to add more.

In spite of the inevitable signs the long development times have left on its gameplay structure, Alan Wake is still one of those titles every psychological action-thriller game lover can’t miss out. But it is also an intense story, with a dense atmosphere, that any videogame lover should at least try once.

Dead Space Extraction is a clear example of how game portings should be made. In spite of the Wii’s technical limits in comparison to the X360 and the PS3, this game looks good, and most importantly it feels good, thanks to the control system excellent implementation. Although quite linear, its gameplay is like an offer you cannot turn down.

When the best improves, there isn’t much more to say other than go and get your copy of the darn game! At once!

The only reason why we didn’t give our best vote to this game is because it is closely related to an event after which the title could lose part of its attractiveness (there are no league teams and there is no substantial change in the multiplayer mode). Other than this, the best just got better! FIFA World Cup 2010 is just a few inches from perfection.

Blur was made to entertain. And that’s what it does. Its textures and polygons are clean but with no excess, while the frame rate is smooth and constant. Battling on the streets is amusing whether you’re in the career mode – thanks to a good AI – or playing against 20 other players online. Plenty of power-ups, speed and destruction at your service!

Although it is affected by old looking graphics and some technical shortcomings, Brutal Legend is still a game to be played and enjoyed throughout. Humor, action, open world exploration and an extraordinary sound compartment – more than 100 track by the most important Metal bands out there, and Jack Black’s interpretation – are well worth the ticket!

Monster Hunter Freedom Unite is a quality product. It offers a thorough and interesting gameplay - albeit not so various - thanks to a considerable amount of collectibles and monsters. It does have some minor glitches here and there, but technically speaking it is worth the money. It also boasts an excellent co-op mode worth hours of shared fun.