This experimental puzzle-music game is both hypnotic and addictive.

World of Tanks is a great, accessible shooter that you'll probably end up spending some money on even though you don't have to.

GoldenEye 007: Reloaded is mostly unchanged from last year's Wii version, but it's still a fast and exciting shooter that doesn't rely on ancient memories to be great.

Despite a forgettable story and some constricted level design, The First Berserker: Khazan's excellent combat is more than enough to cover for these missteps. It's challenging, engaging, and consistently satisfying, complemented by a cavalcade of dynamic enemies and a versatile progression system that extends beyond the typical XP-based approach. It can feel derivative at times, yet The First Berserker's confluence of ideas and influences makes for a thrilling souls-like that stands out in what has become an increasingly crowded genre.

The PC version of Darius Burst allows you to recreate the arcade experience by stretching the game across two monitors, creating an ultra-wide image. Otherwise, you have to accept the game's letter-boxed format, which squeezes the ultra-wide image to fit your display, leaving black bars on the bottom and top of the screen. The one exception to this rule is Chronicle Saviour mode, which is tailored for a standard 16:9 screen. Though four-player local coop is available, the lack of online multiplayer is a disappointment, especially given that there are some missions that can only be cleared with four players.

Zombies Chronicles takes a good combination of maps and upgrades them with great attention to detail. Newer Zombies features keep the collection modern, but its greatest strength is in the lighting and audio upgrades, which make the Zombies experience that many fans obsessed over before feel creepier, more tense, and more exhilarating than ever.

There's a lot to love about Marvel's Midnight Suns. The combat offers a rewardingly tactical experience, with a deckbuilding card system ensuring that randomness challenges the player, not frustrates them. Plus, the mission variety and cast of diverse playable characters keep combat fresh across dozens of hours. But I most enjoyed the role-playing elements and giving The Hunter a chance to connect with the members of the Midnight Suns and Avengers, forging friendships that resulted in powerful abilities I could take back to the combat side of the game.

RetroRealms' first two "cabinets" arrive in style with excellent platforming gameplay, an authentic '90s vibe, and an interesting first-person 3D wrapper of a hub world that reminds you the game isn't just mechanically tight; it's also horror-obsessed. Boss Team and Wayforward prove to be a compelling tandem with this game, and given the team's intentions to build out its arcade with additional famous (and sometimes masked) faces, I'm hopeful RetroRealms can go the way of the slasher series and get several sequels of its own.

F1 2011 is a great sequel that faithfully represents the thrill and difficulty of driving the world's best racing cars.

PES 12 may lack new modes, but substantial improvements to its AI, speed, and controls make it an exciting football game that's a lot of fun to play.

FIFA 08 makes small tweaks to last year's game, adds some new controls, and introduces new gameplay modes such as Be-a-Pro.

Forza Horizon 6 is a gorgeous open-world game that is as much about racing as it is about taking a virtual vacation. Moving the series to Japan is an overdue high note, giving players the best map to date, while the hundreds of cars once again look and feel incredible, no matter the type or terrain. The customization options and an obsession with showering you in positive stimuli make every mile feel worthwhile, but if you're very familiar with the series, you might agree that some of the formula has become predictable by now. There's still lots of tread on these tires, though, and it's enough to make Forza Horizon 6 another joy ride in the most adaptable and enjoyable racing series out there.

Medal of Honor Heroes 2 for the Wii combines solid online play, sharp controls, and fast-placed gameplay into one of the best first-person shooters for the Wii.

This game of exploration and city building hits the occasional rough patch, but it's a captivating adventure nonetheless.

Between all the minigames and the inspired addition of a younger creature for your own creature to look after, you'll find that Creature Isle is a great place to visit.

This compilation is about a place. It's a place where you can hear the laughter of children long since dead, and the screams of aircraft passengers moments before their incineration. It's a place where you must fear both the hideous mutants that prowl as well as humankind--and yet it's only with humankind that you might find safety.

Mr. Shifty isn't a huge game in terms of length, but the three- to four-hour campaign is ample. It's like a shot of adrenalin, offering an exciting, intense experience, and it's easy to forgive the game's performance flaws when it so consistently makes you feel like a badass.

Outstanding depth and tactical challenge have been preserved, although not at the expense of the strong storytelling needed to emphasize the sense of awe and wonder in galactic exploration that’s always been a huge part of the genre’s appeal. Amplitude has done a masterful job combining these two elements into a single game, where the quests and strategy and politics and economy are all tied into a whole much greater than the sum of its parts.

If you're into the classic RPG motif, or if you just like a challenge that goes beyond crafting armor and performing endless fetch quests, Grimrock is worth your dime.

Trenched is a humorous tower defense game that incorporates fast-paced action and a rewarding loot system to great effect.

It's a layered, complex system, and even now, 20 hours after I started it, there are upgrades I haven't found, techniques I haven't practiced, and possibilities I haven't considered. Galak-Z pummelled me, knocked me to the ground and kicked me when I was down. But when I finally got the upper hand, and beat the final season with only a sliver of health left, the victory was all the more rewarding.

It's that ebb and flow, that movement in and out of danger, and the panic you feel when danger finds you even when you think you should be most at peace, that makes Metro Redux such an excellent tour through the best and worst of a society in ruins.

An engaging and addictive game.

Mr. Shifty isn't a huge game in terms of length, but the three- to four-hour campaign is ample. It's like a shot of adrenalin, offering an exciting, intense experience, and it's easy to forgive the game's performance flaws when it so consistently makes you feel like a badass.

The addictive gameplay and stylish design of N+ fit almost perfectly into the tight confines of today's handhelds.

For every addition, like the backtrack feature, Collinsworth, or improved visuals, there's a problem that rears its ugly head, like the unchanged Superstar mode, poor pass coverage in the middle of the field, or underwhelming online leagues. Newcomers will still face a steep learning curve, but if you're a football fan or series veteran, you can't go wrong with Madden 09.

An excellent tour through the best and worst of a society in ruins.

Despite a frustrating difficulty level, the deep strategy and undeniable charm of PixelJunk Monsters will keep you hooked for hours.