It's easily one of the best looking games we've played this year, but thankfully there's plenty of strategic depth and engrossing gameplay to back it up.

It's still not the prettiest game on the block, and frankly, the lack of the German league is a huge peeve, but the core gameplay is very much intact, and razor sharp as ever.

If you don't break into a big, dopey grin while running around shattering LEGO Battle Droids into their component parts, then you should just put videogames down for good -- you've outgrown them.

It delivers a portable rush of addictive high-speed action. And you can't really ask for more than that.

Combining a haunting story with astounding visuals and sound, Syberia is the best adventure game since "The Longest Journey."

The awesome character designs by Japanese artist Mitsuru Nakamura (who is primarily known as simply "326") certainly add to the game's appeal.

So many play styles can only translate into one thing -- boundless replay value.

Although it's true that the QB Vision system changes the game dramatically, it's not always for the better, especially when you're still trying to learn how to use it properly. If you can get over the steep learning curve (and trust me, it's a doozy), you'll probably learn to love it, as it makes the game feel much more realistic.

Few other games feature such effortless charm, refreshing originality, or just plain sharp character design. Sly 2 is a feast for the character-action connoisseur.

While it offers some nice additions to an already winning franchise, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 is the first game in the series that doesn't fully deliver the goods. One can't help but feel like the series needs a shot in the arm to get players excited again.

The single-player game features some welcome additions (pipe bombs are a lot of noisy, nasty fun), while the multiplayer is even more fun than it was the last time out. This is undoubtedly one of the Xbox 360's best titles.

It's not a flawless package; some of Paradise City's terrain could be easier to navigate with do-it-yourself waypoints, and the inability to restart a race is irritating. However, there's so much to do and wreck that you'll invest tens of hours in single-player before you even tap the d-pad to jump into the online experience. Paradise is undoubtedly the first must-own racing game of 2008.

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.

PlanetSide 2 shows the PC off. From the gorgeous lighting and huge draw distances, to the intense, multiplayer battles. It's based on something old, but that was so far ahead of its time that even now the template feels new. Exciting. It feels like the next generation has just landed.

Its kiddy facade hides some terrifically fun gameplay with a lot of meat on its bones.

Since just about every trail is unlocked from the beginning, you won't get to feel the satisfaction of making your way to a new mountain (one of the best parts of "SSX 3") and exploring it for the first time.

A deep Dynasty Mode and some cool new gameplay additions ensure that you'll be playing the game for months to come, and while we can't say yet if the game will be able to gain ground on its biggest rival, we can say this: NBA Live 2005 is the best EA Sports basketball game ever.

If you don't break into a big, dopey grin while running around shattering LEGO Battle Droids into their component parts, then you should just put videogames down for good -- you've outgrown them.

While the combat's a bit bland and the challenge could stand to be higher, the fact remains that Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a wonderful rebirth of a classic franchise.

One of the most uniquely imaginative horror games ever created... Despite the fact that there are some frustrating elements (namely the save system and AI), Dead Rising is a straight-up blast from start to finish.

The formula it's created may be multiple years old, but DICE isn't just cashing in here; it's distilling its concept down to the core of what's important: fun.

It strikes a near-perfect balance between painstaking realism and flat-out fun.

The biggest difference between 2K3 and its competition, though, is the game's physics. Players move like they're actually on ice.

'Splosion Man will probably prove too difficult for a lot of people to want to play through in its entirety, but I urge you to at least try.

The best skating game ever made, and while it isn't nearly as groundbreaking as the previous game, it takes everything that made it great and adds some new tricks and a dash of juvenile potty humor, leaving you with the best time you'll have at a skate park this year.

One could easily say that Bad Company expands the genre itself with its combination of great story, destructible environment and surprisingly deep single-mode multiplayer.

It's one of the finest crossover titles I've ever played; mainstream gamers will enjoy it for its excellent use of the movie license, sharp visuals, and easy-to-pickup gameplay, but it also has enough challenge and variety for hardcore players to soak up.

Between the game's multiple endings and its awesome character creation, it's definitely worth playing this 20-plus hour game again just to get a different feel for its compelling story and tight gameplay.