Sporting some of the best writing and voice work in years (as well as some deviously designed puzzles), Portal 2's single-player campaign is superior to its predecessor in every way. It's the co-op mode, however, that makes this 2011's first must-play game -- even for those gamers that don't like first-person or puzzle games.

Sporting some of the best writing and voice work in years (as well as some deviously designed puzzles), Portal 2's single-player campaign is superior to its predecessor in every way. It's the co-op mode, however, that makes this 2011's first must-play game -- even for those gamers that don't like first-person or puzzle games.

Sporting some of the best writing and voice work in years (as well as some deviously designed puzzles), Portal 2's single-player campaign is superior to its predecessor in every way. It's the co-op mode, however, that makes this 2011's first must-play game -- even for those gamers that don't like first-person or puzzle games.

Of course, if you're like the vast majority of the folks who wandered by my desk during the weeks that I played Mortal Kombat, you want to see one thing, and one thing only: utter carnage. And hey -- it's here in spades. Just try to remember that for once, Mortal Kombat is more than the sum of a few flying body parts.

Of course, if you're like the vast majority of the folks who wandered by my desk during the weeks that I played Mortal Kombat, you want to see one thing, and one thing only: utter carnage. And hey -- it's here in spades. Just try to remember that for once, Mortal Kombat is more than the sum of a few flying body parts.

SOCOM 4, like any new game in a series that has a near-and-dear fan base, is going to rub some people the wrong way. But it's really not a bad shooter; its biggest issue is going to be whether there's a there there, to quote Gertrude Stein.

Pressure -- be it from the oppressive ambient noise, to the sense of speed, to the just-on-the-edge-of-control grip -- is what made the original Need for Speed Shift such a shock to the system. Pressure is what makes racing fun, and Shift 2 Unleashed is fit to burst.

Crysis 2's shiny graphics are nice and all, but the Nanosuit is the true star of the show. Offering a true sense of power rarely seen in modern shooters, it helps to make this one of the most exciting games of the year.

The initial thrill of zipping around high above Wuhu Island's tropical terrain in full 3D fades well before you exhaust the meager amount of activities woven into the two main modes. What you're left with after that point is only a couple hours of flight time to breeze through -- assuming you feel like milking every last drop of fun hidden in these limited depths.

But the problem with Homefront isn't just that it sucks, which it certainly does. The problem is that it reveals just how badly many first-person shooters are starting to suck. It's a game that magnifies the preexisting trend of developing to the lowest common denominator.

But the problem with Homefront isn't just that it sucks, which it certainly does. The problem is that it reveals just how badly many first-person shooters are starting to suck. It's a game that magnifies the preexisting trend of developing to the lowest common denominator.

Crysis 2's shiny graphics are nice and all, but the Nanosuit is the true star of the show. Offering a true sense of power rarely seen in modern shooters, it helps to make this one of the most exciting games of the year.

Crysis 2's shiny graphics are nice and all, but the Nanosuit is the true star of the show. Offering a true sense of power rarely seen in modern shooters, it helps to make this one of the most exciting games of the year.

The problem with Homefront isn't just that it sucks, which it certainly does. The problem is that it reveals just how badly many first-person shooters are starting to suck. It's a game that magnifies the preexisting trend of developing to the lowest common denominator.

Okami fans will be spellbound with nostalgia while finding plenty new to enjoy, and fans of Zelda-esque adventures will be hard pressed to find another portable game so engaging in the twilight of Nintendo's soon-to-be replaced Nintendo DS hardware.

Trion's ad campaigns promised a revolution; Rift itself merely delivers commendable refinement.

A vast improvement from recent Total War missteps, and revitalizes the glory of the original Shogun, while adding so much new and interesting content that you might not even remember said original. And this one, finally, does right by newcomers, making things as easy and as polished as a game of StarCraft II.

For a standalone expansion pack, Retribution does pretty much everything right; it has a ton of content, and it makes that content more accessible and more fun than it was in DoW2, although it's still probably not going to appeal to gamers who are fans of a more traditional, gather-build-rush RTS formula.

My biggest critique comes in the form of companion customization; you can't upgrade armor for your party members.

Definitely one of the most unique shooters I've played in some time. The combination of its over-the-top story and inventive, addictive gameplay make it a memorable experience from start to finish. Most of all, it's downright fun -- something lacking in too many games these days.

MvC3 tends to emphasize flash over substance... and that's totally cool, for some folks, as MvC3 is going to divide the fighting game audience, including series faithful. Some will like that it's more accessible (if a bit stripped down), while others will decry the dumbing-down of their favorite series and its lack of arcade sauce.

MvC3 tends to emphasize flash over substance... and that's totally cool, for some folks, as MvC3 is going to divide the fighting game audience, including series faithful. Some will like that it's more accessible (if a bit stripped down), while others will decry the dumbing-down of their favorite series and its lack of arcade sauce.

With development teams like Criterion and Black Rock constantly raising the bar, it's unfortunate to see a racing game as passionless as Test Drive Unlimited 2. Ambitious map size and amazing architecture (seriously, some of the purchasable homes are incredible) can't make up for lackluster racing.

Oh, and it's taken three games, but the team at developer Guerrilla Games has finally provided players with the definitive Killzone multiplayer experience.

SOE tried, and failed, to straddle the line between action game and MMO. Think Crackdown -- but with all of the concessions, limitations, and annoyances of a mediocre massively multiplayer game.

The hero's newfound voice adds an emotional impact and resonance that the original game sorely lacked, and I genuinely wanted to see Isaac conquer his inner demons nearly as much as the outer variety. In such an intense game (one of the most intense I've ever played), it's funny that the quiet moments were the one that really stood out.

The hero's newfound voice adds an emotional impact and resonance that the original game sorely lacked, and I genuinely wanted to see Isaac conquer his inner demons nearly as much as the outer variety. In such an intense game (one of the most intense I've ever played), it's funny that the quiet moments were the one that really stood out.

BioWare took the existing narrative and didn't just continue it, but built it into the framework of this sequel. Games like Quest for Glory and Baldur's Gate tip-toed in these waters years ago, and Dragon Age: Origins showed us real consequences just recently, but ME2 creates true continuity, where every decision truly matters.

Now, if the story mode were the only thing available, you'd find a noticeably lower score up at the top there. As it is, though, so much is here for both players and creators, that it's impossible not to praise the whole package.

Cataclysm effortlessly mixes the casual focus of Wrath of the Lich King with the decidedly more challenging endgame prospects of classic WoW.

Short games aren't immediately terrible, but even the short ones ought to have something to justify their length as much as the long ones.

None can deny that it's a huge step forward.

None can deny that it's a huge step forward.

Though I still don't know what a perfect game of DX looks like, the fact that I'm still glued to it (despite -- at this point -- finishing what I estimate to be maybe one actual five-minute game in any given hour) should give you a pretty clear idea of how I feel about it.

If you buy one PSP title this year, Ghost of Sparta is a safe bet for the best game you're going to get.

Though I still don't know what a perfect game of DX looks like, the fact that I'm still glued to it (despite -- at this point -- finishing what I estimate to be maybe one actual five-minute game in any given hour) should give you a pretty clear idea of how I feel about it.

All about the thrill. Whether you're immersed in a tense, low-speed cat and mouse standoff, praying you don't nail a spike strip at 200 MPH, or simply drinking in the carnage you hath wrought, you'll find little else like it.

Online or offline, GoldenEye is easily one of the better first-person shooters on the Wii, and its online experience is great by any console's standards.

A (mostly) pleasant surprise and a return to form. Considering how poorly the original trilogy aged (if you ask me), that's pretty... well, bananas.

Although it's certainly got Infinity Ward's fingerprints all over it, Black Ops is definitely Treyarch's baby. As a fan of the franchise, I'm happy to see that the future of the series is in good hands, and it'll (hopefully) be nice to see the folks at Treyarch finally get some respect from hardcore gamers.

Although it's certainly got Infinity Ward's fingerprints all over it, Black Ops is definitely Treyarch's baby. As a fan of the franchise, I'm happy to see that the future of the series is in good hands, and it'll (hopefully) be nice to see the folks at Treyarch finally get some respect from hardcore gamers.

Even though I cursed and swore my way through the bulk of the game, the characters and the story moved me in a way that very few games do. But, epic disappointment or epic tale, it definitely earns its name.

A great racing game wrapped in a series of bad design decisions.

What makes the multiplayer so much fun is the constant balance between being the hunter and the prey. Stalking enemies around the map is a lot of fun (even when I end up on the business end of a blade before I can make my kill), and patience has never been so important.

What makes the multiplayer so much fun is the constant balance between being the hunter and the prey. Stalking enemies around the map is a lot of fun (even when I end up on the business end of a blade before I can make my kill), and patience has never been so important.

I've never played anything quite like it, and I think I'm ready to retire my DDR dance pads permanently, because this is the real revolution.

Too bad money is so ridiculously easy to accrue that Fable III's silly shift into a morality tale about the burden of the crown falls flat.

Ultimately, whether or not you enjoy Fallout: New Vegas depends on your tolerance for handling bugs. Personally, I didn't find them distracting enough to ruin the experience for me, and a few crashes over the course of 80+ hours felt like a small price to pay for one of my favorite games of the year.

What we get is an amalgam that is best labeled "Battlefield Warfare" -- an admittedly entertaining concoction, but one that tastes awfully familiar.

Dead Rising 2's replayability is a testament to the fully realized burg that is Fortune City. I want to meet more nutjob Psychopaths; I want to try more games of chance scattered around the casinos; I want to spend an afternoon shirking my in-game responsibilities to create new tools of destruction with my hard-earned Combo Cards.

Kirby's Epic Yarn is, at its quilted heart, an enjoyable 2D platformer that anyone who understands the language of fun can pick up and play, and it has an aesthetic that you can marvel at -- stress-free -- from beginning to end.

What we get is an amalgam that is best labeled "Battlefield Warfare" -- an admittedly entertaining concoction, but one that tastes awfully familiar.

Dead Rising 2's replayability is a testament to the fully realized burg that is Fortune City. I want to meet more nutjob Psychopaths; I want to try more games of chance scattered around the casinos; I want to spend an afternoon shirking my in-game responsibilities to create new tools of destruction with my hard-earned Combo Cards.

Extended stretches of confused incredulity, punctuated now and then by bursts of intense anger. And yeah -- I just equated FFXIV with a filthy bathroom.

Suffice it to say that while it's not a perfect game, it's definitely the best Halo game yet and a fittingly epic goodbye to fans from Bungie, the developer that helped to launch a million Xboxes.

Other M is a sum of imperfect parts and compromised ideas.

But really, apart from the wooden voiceovers and the somewhat-blocky graphics, VC2 has everything going for it.

For such an intricate setup, Mafia II doesn't quite deliver on the promise of making you feel like a gangster until the last few chapters. You spend a lot of the game watching things develop slowly from behind the glass, as Vito makes a name for himself in action sequences separated by a little too much downtime.

But I do know that, unlike most years, I really feel the improvements instead of just reading about them in a press release or seeing them on the back of the box. And when it comes to Madden, that's as big a difference as I've felt in half a decade.

But I do know that, unlike most years, I really feel the improvements instead of just reading about them in a press release or seeing them on the back of the box. And when it comes to Madden, that's as big a difference as I've felt in half a decade.

The multiplayer is so smooth, so challenging, and so much plain-old-fun that I can only think of one RTS I ever played that is outright better. The single-player is weaker, in many ways, than that of other RTS titles -- but hey, you don't have to play it, after all. And so, the line you've all been waiting for: Yes, Blizzard has indeed done it again.

It's inevitable that Limbo will be compared to 2008's Braid, but I think this game's sum takeaway is more in line with Portal -- an intricate and internally consistent world that communicates itself through simple mechanics and a creative, minimalist structure on which to hang events that happen to a vulnerable protagonist.

This amounts to way more than the Super Mario Galaxy 1.5 you expected.

Unfortunately, the most fitting literary comparison is that several long stretches of repetitive gameplay will make you feel like you're wandering aimlessly through the woods of an unedited novel.

With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar succeeds in creating one of the most impressive open worlds I've ever seen in a game, and it's telling that -- even after playing for over 30 hours -- all I want to do is get back on my horse and gallop back into the wilderness.

With Red Dead Redemption, Rockstar succeeds in creating one of the most impressive open worlds I've ever seen in a game, and it's telling that -- even after playing for over 30 hours -- all I want to do is get back on my horse and gallop back into the wilderness.

Between this and MM9, it's clear that Capcom's cybernetic mascot's still got some kick. I don't know about you, but I could do with annual 8-bit meat-grinders from now until 20XX.

Straight fights in C&C4 play a lot like a boxing match between two guys with iron jaws and teensy weensy hands. You and your opponent can pound away at each other till you're both spent like an addict's last dollar, but nobody's knocking anybody out.

And again, I repeat: This game is really goddamn hard.

Even with the lack of balance between staying pure and choosing the filthy coward's route of Corruption, Chaos Rising is another great addition to Relic's library of RTS games.

Thank goodness for the battle system, then, because it saves the game while you're wincing through the saccharine banter and waiting for the training wheels to spin off.

It's kind of like DICE has trained for a game development biathlon, resulting in its first game where the single-player mode is just as good as the multiplayer.

It's kind of like DICE has trained for a game development biathlon, resulting in its first game where the single-player mode is just as good as the multiplayer -- and that says DICE has what it takes to be among the best in the business.

It's kind of like DICE has trained for a game development biathlon, resulting in its first game where the single-player mode is just as good as the multiplayer -- and that says DICE has what it takes to be among the best in the business.

SupCom 2 is a pretty darn fun time... it's probably just not what SupCom fans expected.

It's not quite up to the shining standards of Mega Man 2 and the extremely underrated Mega Man 5 (and I'm dead serious about that -- go play it before you knock it), but it's definitely nowhere near the bottom of the bin that Mega Man 4 and the non-NES installments so squarely define.

If you can buy into the idea that the ending you get is your ending, and that your characters are really your characters, then you just might find yourself feeling moved by a videogame.

While the strategic level is an admirable attempt at something halfway between the elegance of Civilization and the historical specificity of Europa Universalis, it doesn't have the benefit of letting a human player take over. Here, once again, the game falls apart when it breaks out of the strict scripting of the story-based missions.

Try it and you'll probably end up like me, telling your friends to play the game not just because it's a stylistic novelty, but because, like any good pie, it has both a delectable crust and a delicious filling, which make P.B. Winterbottom a memorable treat to enjoy.

If this new AvP were like a grapefruit, and you were like the Dole Fruit Company, you would probably buy it only for use in juicing, not to be eaten on its own, as it just doesn't have enough meat. And by "buy it only for use in juicing" I mean you probably wouldn't buy it at all, because it isn't very good.

It's a bit ironic, to me, that I'm now complaining about an Ace Attorney game being too easy, but hey -- given how arcane the adventure games of old often got, I'm glad this is the worst thing I can say about AAI: ME.

Whatever your inclinations, Tropico 3 is an enjoyable city simulator that offers the same sort of replayability that others of its kind do; this one just emphasizes experimentation with moral behavior rather than perfecting a building grid.

While BioShock 2 largely addresses the shortcomings of its predecessor, it also bears the curse of familiarity. Traipsing around Rapture is certainly still enjoyable, but it's kind of like a magic trick you've already seen -- not quite as impressive as it was the first time around.

Sure, the wonder of experiencing Rapture for the first time is gone, and yes, the engine is really starting to show its age, but the most important element -- BioShock 2's narrative -- lives up to its heritage.

The first time was rapture, the second time's been solid, but a third visit to the depths would make me wonder if creativity's been lost to the abyss.

Despite its flaws, Dante's Inferno is definitely worth checking out, if only because it presents a unique visual take on one of literature's greatest works. It's occasionally shocking and often annoyingly repetitive, but the action is good enough to keep you engaged through what is a thought-provoking experiment in converting classic literature to a game.

But as the third game in a trilogy, it feels too much like a common scene presented uncommonly well. The Zone is still as ashen and eerily alive as ever, the NPCs still sling out more "bros" than a frat boy, and the Major's path through the carnage remains largely unchanged from Strelok's, complete with the apparently requisite oddly abrupt final sprint through a horde of well-armed opposition.

Trek fans are meant to salivate at the sights and sounds of their favorite universe made manifest, like a dog hearing the chime of a chow bell. And publisher Atari is banking on the hope that -- like Pavlov's pups -- consumers will be content with the same ol' kibble day after day. The result is a shallow, poorly paced, and repetitive game that, divorced from its storied source material, wouldn't warrant a second look.

Though the game features several imaginative environments, the same can't be said for its pedestrian, trope-riddled story.

It's the way that Mass Effect 2 expands upon the narrative established in the first game that marks a true breakthrough for interactive storytelling.

A brilliantly twisted love letter to the videogame medium, scrawled in blood and pixels.

Unlocking all the characters requires beating the single-player arcade mode no less than 16 times, a mind-numbing chore that borders on Super Smash Bros. levels of grind-ness.

MAG, much like actual war, is often an ugly, confusing mess that tosses a group of people into extraordinary situations where they can overcome through teamwork or die as frustrated individuals. If you're looking for just another game to see your name on top of a leaderboard then keep on walking.

The ideas weren't taken to their logical conclusions; the designers stuck their toes in the water, pulled them back, and decided they needed to gather a little more gumption before they could dive in. Maybe in Dark Void 2, in which a brash, headstrong pilot gets a hold of a jetpack created by an aging engineer and uses it to fight zombies, we'll see the full-fledged realization of this game's genuinely interesting designs. Until then, however, jetpack fans will have to settle for half-baked.

Maybe in Dark Void 2, in which a brash, headstrong pilot gets a hold of a jetpack created by an aging engineer and uses it to fight zombies, we'll see the full-fledged realization of this game's genuinely interesting designs. Until then, however, jetpack fans will have to settle for half-baked.

Maybe in Dark Void 2, in which a brash, headstrong pilot gets a hold of a jetpack created by an aging engineer and uses it to fight zombies, we'll see the full-fledged realization of this game's genuinely interesting designs. Until then, however, jetpack fans will have to settle for half-baked.

Take away the armored masks and you'd have a hard time telling Army of Two: The 40th Day from a glut of other third-person shooters. It's not bad enough to be especially memorable, and it's not good enough that people will talk about it for very long.

Take away the armored masks and you'd have a hard time telling Army of Two: The 40th Day from a glut of other third-person shooters. It's not bad enough to be especially memorable, and it's not good enough that people will talk about it for very long.