Skyrim is sprawling, generous, gorgeous and ambitious. It does what few games can: thoroughly follow through on its ambitions. It could be possible to play only this game for the next year and still not discover all of its mysteries.

Though it falls slightly short compared to other Mario titles (aka some of the greatest games ever made), it's certainly a release worthy of the character's legacy. It expertly builds on franchise history, has tons of clever ideas, and even with the rare control hang-ups, it stands tall in the realm of 3D platformers, especially compared to the paltry library of games the 3DS currently has.

Each season presents even more new additions and mechanics that will delight series fans. If you can get past the excruciatingly long first season, Two Towns will keep you entertained for a very long time.

It's Pixel's dream realized on a new platform for the masses, and in a form anyone can appreciate.

A great value, even if you only plan to play one of the three games. That it has three you might want to play, plus a bunch of fun extras, just cements this as the best multi-game compilation since 2007's Orange Box.

If you're looking for a new kind of shooter, look elsewhere. Modern Warfare 3 succeeds by doing more – much, much, much more – of what's always worked spectacularly for the series. We still can't get enough.

At its core, Rocksmith is wildly cool, innovative technology sitting on top of a tired formula many of us have played to death. Had the story mode been anything other than the tried-and-true Guitar Hero/Rock Band "play a few songs, unlock new venues, rinse and repeat," it would have been infinitely more fun. Even so, Rocksmith is undeniably interesting, and the potential for greatness in the franchise is there.

GoldenEye lost some charm moving from being one of the few first-person shooters on the Wii to the shooter heavy PS3 and Xbox 360, but there is something here for Bond fans with a variety of gameplay modes each with something to offer – if you can get over a few bumps.

Both an insult to gamers and a step backward for the Kinect. We didn't even get to mentioning the recycled dialogue and animations, the horrendous texture popping, or the out-of-sync subtitles. And a $50 asking price? Must... not... smash... keyboard.

While it doesn't reach the heights we wished it would, War in the North is still a solid experience with more than enough content to justify checking it out. The combination of action-packed combat, RPG elements, and iconic Tolkien vibe make it worth a look for anyone looking for a bloody good time, even if they don't typically care about the stories of Frodo, Gandalf, and the rest of the fellowship.

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.