Dungeon Defenders is a worthwhile addition to your game library with plenty of content for the price. Although the combat falls short, the tower defense gameplay, RPG elements, and the challenging game modes will have fans of tower defense delighted.

Easily the best Sonic game since the hog's Sonic 2 glory days. Surprisingly, modern Sonic's levels are the more impressive and fun and, while low-speed control is still clumsy, the wealth of quality action scenes cherry-picked from the past two decades make the overwhelming majority of Sonic Generations an absolute blast.

It's not perfect, but it's shooter purity in an electric-glowing bottle that may not go down easy, but it sure tastes delicious with every gulp.

As short as it is, InFamous: Festival of Blood is enormously fun while it lasts. The Shadow Swarm power is a ridiculously enjoyable addition, the Halloween plot is interesting (and spiked with a visually arresting shadow-puppet cutscene) and the new UGC features make it a must-have for mission-builders.

There's no other way to slice it: Disney Universe is for kids. Or perhaps for you and your kids. Much like the brand itself, the gameplay in Disney Universe is timeless, in that it's widely accessible and easy to understand. However, if you're looking for something deeper and more satisfyingly complex, there's not quite enough on the disc to stand on Disney fandom alone.

Stronghold 3 is a bizarre third outlier, clinging to an aging formula but making changes that actually feel like a step back. The real crime here isn't that Stronghold 3 is a bad game, it's the disservice done to a series that has provided so much joy in the past, ruining our nostalgia. Somewhere, a child in a tree fort is weeping.

The best expansion released since the series first launched in 2009.

You should interpret this final score based on what you really want from a shooter. If you're a resolute campaign player who avoids multiplayer like a shark with a gun, BF3's single-player is simply not up to scratch in a year that has already given us Resistance 3 and Deus Ex. But if online is where it's at for you, Battlefield 3 is going to be one of your games of the year.

The Random Encounter is just, well, bad. Seeing our favorite enemies rendered in 16 bits is really just not worth even the very small amount of time or money you'll spend playing this game - particularly when there are other worthwhile demakes or Flash games available for free.

Its biggest flaw is that it lacks spirit, which is ironic, since the game is actually trying to take your character's soul. Without a spark, though - even a stolen one - The Cursed Crusade has ended up damning itself.

In style, class, and atmosphere, The War of the Worlds nails it. There are exciting setpieces where you run from gigantic walkers as buildings collapse and heat rays vaporize civilians around you, and strangely those sections usually aren't difficult or plagued with control and checkpoint problems. It's sad to say that those sections make up the minority of the game. The rest is composed of dying repeatedly due to poor controls, poor visibility, cheap enemy ambushes, and ambiguous clues as to where you can hide safely, and then randomly getting screwed by checkpoints.

Kinect Sports: Season Two might be worthwhile if it is one of your first sports game compilations, but for those who own or have played any other motion controlled sports game, it would probably be a good idea to let this one pass.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land makes absolutely no concessions in its quest to appeal to a wider audience. Newcomers will still feel welcome, but at the same time, longtime Kirby fans will also feel fully respected too. It perfectly integrates old Kirby staples with new features like the super abilities, and despite the Wii's graphical shortcomings compared to 360/PS3, it couldn't be more visually appealing.

Because a large part of its charm is seeing all our favorite Pokemon in action, Pokemon Rumble Blast will only really appeal to Pokemon fans. It helps that it's pretty too, with or without the 3D turned on (the soundtrack is great too). The problem is that the gameplay itself is too simplistic for more sophisticated Pokemon players who love the series for its deep strategic gameplay. Younger, less discerning Pokemon fans will undoubtedly love it though.

While it never quite reaches the highs of Uncharted 2, Uncharted 3's slick, relentless action, beautiful visuals and beefed-up multiplayer ensure that it stands well enough on its own.

While Heroes VI isn't a new book, it's an immensely satisfying sixth chapter.

It's when you get into the tedium of every activity that you realize a game that only does a few things well holds more value than a game that does a dozen things poorly. Variety is supposed to be the spice of life, but let's be honest, everything has its limits.

Regardless of its imperfections, if you're wondering about getting Payday: The Heist, simply ask yourself: did that scene from Heat get my blood pumping? Did those robberies in Point Break make me want to don a president mask and go buckwild on some bank tellers? Your answer will steer you in the right direction.

There's a good foundation here and some simple fun to be had if you're willing to put up with the bugs and methodical pace.

This probably would have been better suited to the PSP, considering its minimal cutscenes and a story not as gripping as previous entries.

While Hardboiled Chicken loses out on some fundamentals, it does get a fair bit right. Best enjoyed in bite-sized chunks, players can find a lot to enjoy if they're simply looking for something to pick up and play. If you're a fan of side-scrolling shooters and have a weekend to spare, Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken may be just what you're looking for.

Like the rest of the Layton series, it's hard to imagine anyone who likes to use his or her brain not enjoying Professor Layton and the Last Specter. If you liked any of the other games in the Professor Layton series – nay, if you've ever enjoyed one brain teaser in your whole life – The Last Specter will undoubtedly delight.

Between the price, the modes, and the online play, it's a gem.

The game's main failing is its short length, mostly because it's so fun while it lasts.

With the inclusion of multiplayer, Dance Central 2 has become the definitive dance game on any console far surpassing its competitors. Thoughtful and intricate choreography that is still fun but accessible, a song list that is familiar and current with a depth of gameplay has made this title both challenging for previous Dance Central converts yet still welcoming for newcomers.

Batman: Arkham Asylum was the greatest superhero game of all time. The sequel, Batman: Arkham City, is five times bigger and about a billion times better. You do the math.

But for instant pleasure, a deep and meaningful career mode and constant fan-pleasing cosmetics, such as the little camera men turning where the action is, PES 2012 is back on song. Looks like there is room for two top football games this season after all.

What it all boils down to is this: if you're hurting for a Metroid-style adventure on a handheld, this might be your cup of tea. If not, then you'll probably be just fine skipping over this good-looking, though clunky 2D adventure.

A great educational game that children can enjoy with their parents or on their own. The intuitive controls, easy-to-follow story, varied gameplay, and impressive dedication to the tone of the source material make this a great choice for young gamers, especially those who are already in love with the Sesame Street franchise.

A great game for those out to revisit Dead Rising 2 and those who avoided the series until now. It fixes or at least improves on several major issues with the series, making Capcom's zombie slayer more fun than ever.

Ace Combat Assault Horizon walks that dangerous line many modern franchises are attempting these days: make an old formula more accessible and streamlined without alienating the hardcore fans.

The story is serviceable for moving you from one puzzle to the next, but not particularly engaging, and there isn't much to do in the world except tap through dialog and receive the next puzzle in a fairly linear fashion.

While Just Dance 3 may not take the prize for the most challenging of rhythm games, its a good party game for groups and accessible enough for all skill levels.

Crysis was, and still is, a brilliantly designed shooter that anyone who enjoys FPSes should play.

It may look unassuming, but beneath its well-crafted RTS-lite design, Eufloria speaks to a much more powerful message than many games attempt. It subtly explores the very basic themes that RTSes take for granted, and asks players to find that meaning. In that, it's extremely successful.

For the devoted, Edge of Time is a nice rental with a weekend of passable web-slinging, but we hope, for Peter Parker's sake, that this one marks the end of the character's downward trend.

Forza Motorsport 4 is a big step forward from Forza Motorsport 3 in almost every way. The only flaw is the nonadjustable, overaggressive AI that occasionally makes the game overly frustrating. The pros far outweigh the single con though, and this is the new standard for racing sims.

An enormously entertaining experience. For those not daunted by challenge, in the market for a game that's quick to jump into and a great deal of fun, The Binding of Isaac is a fantastic way to spend five bucks.

The combination of sublime gameplay, unprecedented level of compelling historic team matchups, and an excellent update to My Player puts NBA 2K12 at a level no hoops game has ever been. The absolute mountaintop.

Rage is many things: open-world driving and racing game, meticulously designed first-person shooter, stunning realization of a living post-apocalyptic wasteland, and it does all of these things well. It ends just as the party is really getting going, but even the pre-party is fantastic.

The game is challenging, visually stunning and is truly a unique experience not found anywhere else. Although you can use the controller, playing with the Move and its use of vibration makes the PS3 version of the game truly a unique experience.

Axis might not be the best Tetris of all time, but it's filled with so many features that its $29.99 price tag is be easily justified, no matter how many times you've bought this game already.

The cure for the common Triple A title, Dark Souls takes every gloriously strange and punishing moment from Demon's Souls and expands and improves upon it. While its fundamentals hew closely to the original's, Dark Souls is a completely unique experience with no direct competition on the market. For those who get it, it's undoubtedly one of the year's best.

A solid RPG, but it's far from an excellent one. It's like the party you'll attend because you don't have much else going on.

The passing has been given an overhaul to eliminate the ping-pong passing that plagued online games and made EA sad as it didn't represent a real game of football. But I fancy they've gone too far in the opposite direction.

We would have liked to see more inventive uses of the clingy-liquid properties of the element, but the game manages to fling a decent number of twists at the player throughout its generous helping of levels. This mercury may not heal your wounds, but it certainly won't poison you either.

Pictures don't do Rochard justice; it's gorgeous and overflowing with color from beginning to end. If you've got free time and ten bucks to spare, Rochard is worth its weight in unobtanium (or whatever obscure space rock they were looking for before Rochard started shooting people in the head).

Some boss battles are absolutely thrilling, and the plot, while somewhat convoluted, definitely feels like a proper X-Men story, but the dull, monotonous battles and lack of polish hamstring the game.

Just don't expect to slip into the gameplay as easily as you might have done with Resident Evil 4 HD. Code: Veronica X may provide many hours of zombie-killing fun, but they're difficult hours, and playing it requires accustoming yourself to the gameplay norms of an increasingly distant era.

Solatorobo is a carefree, fun experience, a portal directly to our childhood. There's something endearing about the characters and their growth that still holds a special place in our heart.

The lack of tutorials, tedium of grinding, and huge investment of time required will likely scare off a lot of new players not interested in playing through the entire original game first. But for a certain breed of obsessive RPG fan there's a lot here to enjoy, and giant quantities of it.

You'll especially enjoy the additional "Separate Ways" missions featuring Ada Wong, the spicy Chinese secret agent who manages to kick ass without ever ripping her slinky, split-leg wardrobe. Just don't expect anything brand new, aside from Achievements, Trophies and a return to the GameCube's difficulty setting.

Quite a pleasant surprise. It's short, sweet, and compulsively addictive while it lasts. Better still, if you're all about chasing high scores and roundhouse-kicking your friends off the winner's pedestal, you can ring quite a bit of value from this one.

While the leveling mechanics are a little too shallow to keep true RPG fans invested, the dark cel-shaded visuals and easy-to-pick up combat system can make for a fun weekend with friends. Just be sure to make the right choice if you're only willing to buy one character.

Like most games by developer Treasure, Radiant Silvergun is an acquired taste, but this version is a fantastic port of a classic shooter. It's still worth experiencing today – especially now that you don't have to sell a kidney to afford it.

Joker 2 is one of those games that's fun in short bursts, but isn't all that memorable. It does borrow some of the great parts of Pokémon while carving out its own identity in the rich Dragon Quest world. But of all the things it had to borrow from Dragon Quest, why, why did it have to be the endless grind?

Kirby's newest and likely final DS outing is one of his best in years. It might not reach the heights of adorability that Epic Yarn did, but it's definitely a stronger game when it comes to gameplay and longevity. There's a ton of replayability, numerous unlockables, and more than enough content to justify a purchase.

Every major issue in F1 2010 has been addressed, making an already great game even better. We'd still like to 'live the life' a bit more off the track, but in terms of racing, it's just an absolute blast, whichever skill level you approach it from.

Gears of War 3 boasts the best co-op and multiplayer of the series, by far, easily making up for the less-than-satisfying campaign. The end of the trilogy may not live up to your epic expectations, but somewhere in the tenth – or hundredth – hour of Beast and Horde 2.0 modes, you'll forgive it.

The Gunstringer has a few hang ups, but it's fun nonetheless.The presentation, narration, and humorous world coupled with the simple, intuitive controls make it a game to consider for your Kinect collection. However, the shortness and laggy controls could be a deal breaker for the hardcore audience.

It's certainly got the "accessibility" part down, and – despite its lack of long-term appeal – it's a uniquely humorous city builder that's worth a look on the merits of its well-honed core mechanics alone. As a sequel, though, Tropico 4's just passable. If only its developers had time control powers; then maybe they'd have eased off the fast forward button and taken the time to flesh out their game.

Our only complaint is that EA should have let the Legends simmer for a season or two until a compelling, "holy crap this is awesome" way to integrate the greatest players in history could have been dreamed up. To be frank, the Legends detract from the game more than anything else.

Its most impressive feat, though, is that it throws down the gauntlet and laughs in the face of every competing developer. We're still trying to wrap our mind around this as an indie game, because, in terms of quality, it's on the same level as any AAA shooter out there.

This sort of inoffensive and undeniably unique bite-sized offering should play well with families, and for the rest of us, we can only hope it's but a stepping stone on the path to richer and equally affordable Kinect experiences on the horizon.

It sacrifices a lot of its character to focus on creating a solid core experience, but it's good dumb fun that will easily keep you entertained all the way up to its anti-climactic end.

These are brilliant, memorable, inventive and emotionally involving adventures, and the combination of remastered visuals, 3D options, Trophies and a $40 price tag make them more irresistible than ever.

Outside of a perfunctory multiplayer mode that's cute so long as you have friends nearby with a 3DS (there's no online play) , Star Fox 64 3D is a fine diversion, but at its full price of $39.99, it isn't a must buy.

Driver: San Francisco blows our minds; it's 100% more fun than we expected and immediately re-establishes the franchise front and center in the marketplace.

If you absolutely love to be beaten into submission by a game, perhaps BB will serve as your cruel mistress, but you will have to wrestle with the controls. Anyone looking for simply some 2D action to pass the time should stay the heck away, unless you think you have a secret masochist inside.

Fixes the stumbles of its predecessor, reinvigorates the excitement factor, and has exemplary pacing in its single-player (and co-op) campaign. The Chimera are the most terrifying they've ever been, while you control the most empowering arsenal yet. The multiplayer is as tight as ever, rounding out a complete package of polish, mood, and adrenaline.

Could have been a passable romp through a zombie-infested castle of terror, but the frustrating controls, lack of horror elements, and sub-par presentation make it a game that's difficult to recommend, especially for the mature audience it's meant for.

The game's foundation is utterly unique, hypnotically compelling, and seriously scary in weird ways horror games don't normally pull off, and if it had been more polished I would have given it a higher score. It really is an unfinished game, though, and its problems are not minor annoyances. I really, really enjoyed playing the game for most of its humongous play time, but it also brought spectacular bouts of frustration.

Simple in design, but almost to a fault. The tower defense mechanics just don't work as well as we had hoped, but we did enjoy crushing hundreds of buildings and townsfolk with our rolling rock of doom. Oh, and steamrolling your friends so hard that they cry themselves to sleep? That's pretty neat, too.

There's a lot to love here, but gamers with hatred for Laharl and company won't find anything to change their minds. At the very least, those who appreciate the series for all that it is will find this entry more than satisfying, as it does everything better than before.

Aside from the enjoyable and well-weighted multiplayer, pretty much everything around that core experience of destroying things with big weapons is flaky. Big time flaky. But thankfully, happiness really is a warm gun, even if it is on the 50th respawn before that damn warehouse.

There's something special with Innocent Sin, but only the most dedicated RPG fans will ever be able to truly appreciate it. At least they can finally experience the part of Persona 2 they never knew.

Taken together, the games make for a slick, compelling package that offers a much more attractive way to play two important chapters of the God of War series.

While we're happy overall with Madden 12, and it's a notch better than last season's game, it remains a far-from-perfect experience. Those of us that plan on spending a hundred hours or more playing online franchise and community games will surely compile an enormous laundry list of issues – but in the end, we'll still play all those games. Even so, we're left wanting much more than we're getting from EA's venerable football series.

An incredibly rewarding game to play, and you can easily spend hours in training mode trying to master the tricky links and parries you'll need to win. It's been a long time coming, but 3rd Strike has finally gotten a console port worthy of its legacy.

If you're looking for a graphical powerhouse, you should buy something else, but Overclocked is something unique in the 3DS field: a deep adventure lasting dozens of hours. It's a great example of its genre, and even those that played it before have enough to pull them back in.

Intelligent, fun, challenging and beautifully realized, DX:HR is an incredibly polished game that lives up to the impossibly high standard of its predecessor.

We don't feel that all the pieces are in place just yet.

It's really too bad we had to give this version a lower score, but the game just doesn't live up to the potential of being a superior version of a beloved game. Instead, it's an inferior version due to the controls, and the graphical improvements are nearly nonexistent.

It paints so beautifully on its canvas that we feel anyone could enjoy that, though we wish the gameplay could always be as grand as the visual design. The combat never falters, but doesn't do enough new, and at times the platforming drags, though that shouldn't deter you from the overall experience.

It paints so beautifully on its canvas that we feel anyone could enjoy that, though we wish the gameplay could always be as grand as the visual design. The combat never falters, but doesn't do enough new, and at times the platforming drags, though that shouldn't deter you from the overall experience.

The battery packs offer a nice sense of urgency to controlling the vehicles in every stage, because as powerful as the fighter jet or the tank might be, there's a built-in shelf life they have now - you can either return them to the charger in time or risk them self-destructing and therefore waiting a few minutes before you can use them again.

It doesn't tie itself down by abiding to unnecessary console conventions. We hop in for a 60-second challenge, fail a few times and crawl to the kitchen for some water, leaving the game behind until we once again feel the irresistible urge to fuck up some fruit.

This game is arguably the best attempt made by an indie developer to bring the roguelike genre into the mainstream thus far.

The game is so short the included four unreleased television episodes last nearly as long as the campaign, and the humor is devoid of any Shrek-style double entendres to keep adults entertained. We can't stress enough that this game is perfect for a kid, but that's about all it's perfect for.

The biggest problem with Dimensions, is that is never feels like a full game. It's a couple of rehashes, with two elaborate gimmicks, only one of which feels close to a full game.

Is it fun to play for a few hours? Sure, but the novelty is bound to wear off due to all the repetition. As fun as it is to abandon the role of observer and actually jump into controlling your favorite character, not much here feels all that exhilarating.

The game is solid in its mechanics to the point where it would be worth playing even if it were butt-ugly. If Bastion isn't quite what you've been looking for in the latest download bunch, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet may turn out to be the blackest, shiniest gem in the Summer of Arcade for you.

For gamers looking for something well off the beaten path, From Dust is absolutely worth checking out. Its lush graphics, slick visual design and clever environmental engine are the big draws, but it's unfortunately bogged down by excessively frustrating later levels founded on trial and error, and irksome AI that undermines the precision the endgame demands.

Catherine is a breath of fresh air, an experience that is silly, fun, and serious all at once. Whether you're looking for a one-night stand or a long-term commitment, we highly recommend giving it a shot.

Catherine is a breath of fresh air, an experience that is silly, fun, and serious all at once. Whether you're looking for a one-night stand or a long-term commitment, we highly recommend giving it a shot.

The Cartel has some interesting ideas behind it. However, too many of them are dependent on co-op, and even with them, long stretches of the game feel like boring, soulless slogs. More damagingly, the charm and sense of fun from the earlier games is largely gone, replaced with what appears to be a desire to ape the low-fi look and grittiness of Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days.

This is the absolute nadir of the series. Harry Potter has finally devolved into a total cash-in and we can't score it low enough. Honestly, if you're a fan of the movies, avoid this and just go to the theater. Don't spoil the end for yourself with this half-baked mess.

As long as you're not expecting a profoundly original artistic vision, Bastion delivers on its gameplay. Bastion's main strengths are twofold – the combat is satisfying and varied, and the customization options are robust.