The new art direction, investment in physics technology, and better animation sum up to a huge aesthetic improvement over previous games, giving GTA IV a level of visual appeal it strained for in the previous generation.

There’s such a great deal of diversity throughout Super Mario Galaxy’s level design that it’s hard not to get excited when a new area opens, knowing that there’s a whole new set of puzzles and obstacles designed around the theme of the level...It’s because of these moments that Super Mario Galaxy generates a consistent level of excitement throughout the entire experience that few games can replicate.

BioShock is one of the few games that I’ve reviewed in my entire career that I feverishly want to go back through and play again to not only enjoy the dynamics of the gameplay, but also appreciate all of the effort put into a great story and an amazing underwater city named Rapture, which sucks you into its world the second you step through its doors.

After playing through both the old and new stuff, I realized that there is one word that perfectly summarizes Valve: craft. Never mind that ballyhoo about whether games are capital-A art or not. Instead, put someone in front of a Valve game, and watch that person experience sheer craftsmanship. It seems that Valve just can't make a bad game.

After playing through both the old and new stuff, I realized that there is one word that perfectly summarizes Valve: craft. Never mind that ballyhoo about whether games are capital-A art or not. Instead, put someone in front of a Valve game, and watch that person experience sheer craftsmanship. It seems that Valve just can't make a bad game.

BioShock is one of the few games that I’ve reviewed in my entire career that I feverishly want to go back through and play again to not only enjoy the dynamics of the gameplay, but also appreciate all of the effort put into a great story and an amazing underwater city named Rapture, which sucks you into its world the second you step through its doors.

COD4 grips the imagination and finds a way to impact the player's emotions. And though we've seen a ton of games on similar subject matter, COD4 distinguishes itself with a washed-out gritty look and profound attention to detail. That same level of detail carries over to the online campaigns, which are just as vast and in-depth as anything found in the single player missions. From beginning to end--especially the end--COD4 is an amazing immersive experience.

Gears of War satisfies that deep yearning for a vigorous, bloody, and action-packed shooter on Xbox 360, and it does so with style. Epic's team has handled nearly everything (except the story, really) with great craft, technical genius, and completeness.

COD4 grips the imagination and finds a way to impact the player's emotions. And though we've seen a ton of games on similar subject matter, COD4 distinguishes itself with a washed-out gritty look and profound attention to detail. That same level of detail carries over to the online campaigns, which are just as vast and in-depth as anything found in the single player missions. From beginning to end--especially the end--COD4 is an amazing immersive experience.

It's well-tested, well-honed, and polished--all qualities you'd expect from Bungie, but the developer's talented and hard-working team shouldn't be taken for granted. Halo 3 may look OK and play similarly, but it will stand in the top echelon of Xbox 360 games for years.

You might find that mastering some of controls can be a bear because Brawl's fighting game controls are being mapped over to a side-scrolling action platform game.

If anything, Rock Band serves as an almost perfect example of a game that caters to everyone, provided there’s interest in playing virtual instruments.

When you get past the stealth-themed missions early on, and move onto missions with full use of tanks, helicopters, rockets, and airstrikes, the tactical gameplay plus the production values turn Crysis into a love letter for military combat.

I’m pretty calloused when it comes to videogame stories—they’re usually too overwrought and overly complicated and repetitious to actually be good--but Chains of Olympus does have one of the more heart-wrenching moments I’ve seen in a game. I didn’t tear up, but I <I>did</I> feel a little twinge where my heart would be if I had one.

It's the very definition of "widescreen sci-fi," with its alien vistas, far-out music, and giant ideas. It begins with an ominous opening and ends with a fantastic finale that expertly intercuts between your individual actions with a massive space battle. It's the rare title where the first thing I did upon finishing was to select "new game."

Whether it’s making notes on the map screen using the stylus and yelling into the mic to expose the weakness of a sound-sensitive enemy or drawing symbols on doors, the Phantom Hourglass is a great way to show the kinds of things that the DS can do.

While a few minor things may have been lost in the port, I’d argue that ultimately this is a more important game for the Wii than it was for the PS2.

When it comes down to it, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption can best be described as the sci-fi, first-person shooting equivalent of The Legend of Zelda series.

You can't knock Forza 2 for its technical wizardry and depth, but if this were ice cream, it would be flavorless.

The downside to Rez is that while designed to be played repeatedly to get different aural sensations, the levels play out exactly the same way--with enemies appearing in the same sequence--so truly getting a new experience each time isn't exactly accurate. That doesn't mean it isn't fun or unique, but replay value isn't as deep as it might initially seem.

Despite single-player quirks like the crap AI or the sameness of the three factions (the only differences between U.S., NATO, and Russian units are the visuals and the accents when selecting units), the pure focus on tactics plus the FPS-style pacing make WIC a standout. It doesn’t hurt that it has the best visuals of any RTS to date.

It's rare that a game critic feels the way I do about this game, but in all honesty, I find it really difficult to find something that's not to like. The controls feel great. The graphics look great. The score sounds great. The weapon selection alone make me want to play the game over and over again, just to test out all the cool offered.

And this is where the 360 version has a distinct edge over the PlayStation 3 version; you can actually show off your customized creation in online fighting, which gives players an all-new reason to play the quest mode religiously.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Burnout Paradise is that the barrier between online and offline play is almost invisible. You can be playing along by yourself, and then with a click of a button, you can invite another friend to join you in an event. It's one of the most organic transitions I've seen yet, and Criteron is definitely a pioneer in how online gaming will continue to evolve.

This game is one of the most immersive gaming experiences I've had this year, and it's definitely a great reason to own a PS3. The mix of platforming and gunplay worked really well and left me craving the next title in the series.

And while it all seems a little hokey or emo (as the kids call it these days) at first, The World Ends With You is actually one of the most interesting and gratifying experiences I’ve had with an RPG in years.

The camera issues can hurt, but not enough to ruin the entire experience. It would be cool if normal difficulty felt more like a true mid-range challenge, but easy difficulty is still hard enough that you feel like you accomplished something by the end of the playthrough.

From the wireless versus mode to the intriguing approach to the cutscenes, this classic revision really shines. And I've always said that turn-based games are well suited for handheld gaming.