The way the vehicles crumple, windshields shatter, and pieces of debris go flying in every direction is second to none, making you appreciate each and every impact. The only quibbles we have with the presentation are the absence of a driver, and one of the most annoying announcers ever.

Lack of character progression aside, this is a substantial chunk of DLC, lasting 12 to 15 hours and including some great payoffs at the end. You’ll find tantalizing mysteries to explore along the way, and a few more side quests unlock after the main quest. Assault on Dragon Keep is the funniest and most expansive bit of post-launch content for Borderlands 2. Fantasy nerds, this one’s for you.

Guerrilla Games needs to recognize that it's not plot points and politics that move its games, but the bullets and guns. If the campaign could take a step back from the spectacle to focus on core concepts and feedback loops, the qualities that make the multiplayer suite so flexible and entertaining could make the campaign even stronger. Killzone Shadow Fall is easy to recommend as a launch title, and it's also a fantastic shooter on its own merits, regardless of hardware or history.

The atmosphere is Metroid Prime, and the structure is Resident Evil, but everything else is all its own. The strategic dismemberment, mixture of weapons and supernatural abilities, and relentless intensity make for a game that you’ll be scared to keep playing, but won’t want to stop.

Serious wordsmiths may bemoan the lighter difficulty and more streamlined puzzle play, but it's hard to grumble when the simple act of noodling around with your wacky word creations is so blissfully absorbing on its own.

Though it can sometimes feel that the series is in a perpetual state of catch-up with Rock Band, Guitar Hero 5 strikes back with a considerable set of new features and improvements that truly count. The band experience is cohesive and party play is at its most effortless yet.

With an immersive world, crisp combat, and a venomous gameplay hook that refuses to let up, Diablo 3 delivers a slick revitalization of the action RPG, even if it isn't a complete re-invention of it. If you've yet to repent for your grubby, loot hoarding ways, consider this your next guilty indulgence.

Offering slick, fast-paced gameplay, white-knuckle multiplayer, a lengthy single-player experience, and more B-movie cheese than a plate of microwave nachos, there’s a lot to like about Command & Conquer 3.

The whole experience is even more remarkable at its price point of $10. Sure, clearing towns might get a little stale and the occasional blip of aimlessness is annoying, but the outstanding writing and attention to detail more than make up for any pockmarks on this putrefied gunslinger.

The only real shortcoming of F.E.A.R. is how repetitive it eventually becomes.

In some ways, Forza Horizon 2 doesn’t feel that different from the original, but its proficiencies are expressed in new ways as you joyfully tumble across wide stretches of terrain. It gets open-world gameplay right by continually encouraging you to explore, and you may climb a hill just to look out over the scenic landscape and watch the clouds roll in.

Beautiful environments, persuasively appetizing fruits, and a quirky personality are matched by thoughtful and challenging game design. Nearly a decade since the previous game, there's still nothing quite like Pikmin, and it's fantastic to see new growth finally take root.

The engine is a bit long in the tooth and some of the content isn't entirely worth exploring, but if you're looking for an unforgettable top shelf action/adventure, heed the creed.

The five or so hours it takes to escape this den of iniquity are rife with high caliber direction. It balances the new gewgaws with the series' hallmarks to deliver a fitting send-off of BioShock's under-the-sea story.

With its old identity stripped away you've left with a massive action game that tends to check all the boxes instead of creating new ones, yet measured against its contemporaries it remains near the top of its class. Big, brash, and full of memorable moments, Resident Evil 6 deserves to be played by any fan of the action genre.

Lumines II improves on its predecessor by offering up the same great core gameplay and a ton of new modes and features that are sure to keep you busy.

There's a certain straight-to-DVD feel with this sequel, which constantly evokes the original without ever eclipsing it. But perhaps it's callous to stack it up too harshly against its brilliant predecessor. BioShock 2 houses great combat, an entertaining multiplayer game, some truly standout set pieces, and a story you'll want to see through to the end.

"In Sheep's Clothing" nails it where it counts. Not since episode one have we felt so fascinated with The Wolf Among Us.

Normally games that borrow a lot of elements from others end up being less than the sum of their parts, but for everything Dead Space borrows it gives something back. The atmosphere is Metroid Prime, and the structure is Resident Evil, but everything else is all its own. The strategic dismemberment, mixture of weapons and supernatural abilities, and relentless intensity make for a game that you’ll be scared to keep playing, but won’t want to stop.

At $10, Bionic Commando Rearmed is a steal. It's one of those games that feels organic to play.

Despite the downgraded visuals, the Reflex Edition of Modern Warfare lives up to its heritage with a strong campaign and multiplayer that will keep you up until sunrise.

Requiring you to think a lot more than the average shooter and providing a wealth of online content, Rainbow Six Vegas is a great addition to the PS3 line up, even if it does come several months late.

It can be digested in small chunks making it perfect gaming for the on-the-go types, and there’s honestly no other handheld game like it.

While its action and playful aesthetic are easy to admire, perhaps The Wonderful 101’s best quality is evoking a child-like innocence.

There’s a whole lot of game here, but that was true last year, and for every gameplay improvement there’s something annoying to dampen the enthusiasm. It’s still an excellent football game, but the casual player is going to like it a lot more than the grizzled vet.

The action is high-quality, free-roaming stuff, and the game earns major points for its smart way of dealing with getting shot up, patched up, and bailed out. The story does keep you on a leash and your objectives tend to repeat without too much variation, but if you enjoy this line of work, Far Cry 2's dangerous African landscape is a great place to be a merc.

Despite its goofy title and questionable marketing tie-ins, Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed deserves to be taken seriously... just not too seriously. It's a fun, challenging, and easily enjoyable racing game that uses a lot of familiar mechanics and ideas but knows well enough to try and do its own thing. And it does that thing pretty well.

As with the first game, Infinity Blade 2 expertly plays to the iOS platform's strengths, rendering many, if not all, of its contemporaries in sharp relief. Future updates promise an augmented game experience that includes multiplayer raid-style encounters called Clashmobs, but for the present, this aspirant of the app store is more than equipped to deliver a deep and satisfying experience sure to bleed into multiple lifetimes.