Saints Row 2 is undeniably rough around the edges, blatant with its recycling, and exhilarating in its craziness. It's a game that your brain knows has problems, but your heart doesn't care.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2 doesn’t feel much like a sequel. The limited development time has allowed for few improvements and a truncated, forgettable campaign. The good news is that the formula is so strong that it remains a compelling play.

Quotation forthcoming.

An example of misappropriated resources. The things that weren't broken have been changed, and lingering issues have gone untouched. With that said, there's plenty of game here.

Advanced Warfare is Call of Duty’s true starting point for a new generation.

The Witcher, in all its facets, screams quality. There are a few places where ambition exceeds feasibility, and it’s quickly becoming apparent that there’s not a lot of wiggle room left within the genre, but The Witcher delivers one of the most intense and rewarding role-playing experiences this year.

The best moments arise when you stop to let it all sink in. It asks for attention rather than reflexes, and serves as a reminder that so few of these experiences exist.

As both the counterpart and conclusion to Knife of Dunwall, The Brigmore Witches doesn't innovate as much as its predecessor, choosing instead to sharpen the point and deliver a killer blow for those who have stuck with Dishonored. If you know who Daud is, and what he's capable of, you'll certainly want to see his story through.

Virtual Fighter 5 Final Showdown shines in its utilitarian simplicity, delivering a premium experience that's focused on the fighting at an economical price. If you've ever wanted to see what the hubbub was all about in the arcades of Akihabara, consider this your ticket to find out.

The reincarnation of the original Fire Emblem isn’t the best in the series, but it certainly does enough to make it a worthy addition.

Toy Soldiers marshals no small amount of personality and polish, and the thoughtful and detailed presentation never misses its mark as it lampoons and celebrates its goofy what-if 80's scenario.

The first half of Assassin’s Creed is a truly clairvoyant experience. You’ve never played anything like it. The sagacious story, incalculable crowd interaction, and unprecedented freedom to traverse the environment how you choose are landmark moments. Over time, repetition rears its ugly head, combat becomes a necessary routine, and dimwitted foes snatch you out of the third crusade and remind you that you’re playing a game.

It’s a rewarding game that constantly revs up the creativity and challenge to keep you addicted while also throwing in a decent amount of extras to bring you back for seconds. It’s charming presentation and clever puzzles give it a special touch that sets it above other similar games. And frankly, there’s little else out there that’s like Captain Toad.

The tried and true formula might taste stale for some veterans, but it’s still an engrossing game well-suited for those seeking a solid RPG experience.

With an expansive city to explore between levels, LEGO Batman 2 can easily be a likened to an Arkham City-lite. The promise of playing with other DC Super Heroes isn't brought to its full potential as the story remains laser-focused on Batman, Robin, and Superman, but there's a fun family-friendly adventure for these three leads.

The last episode was a tough act to follow, but similar to season one, episode two is even better. The stakes are higher and the consequences steeper. Telltale has once again proved that adventure games are not only still alive, they’re as strong as ever. We can only hope it’s not long before we find out what's next.

There’s a lot of greatness within Sunset Overdrive, but it’s obfuscated by a lack of difficulty and an aggravating tone. Ultimately, it’s worth dealing with the game’s worst moments to enjoy the many things it does get right. When you’re darting around the world like a ninja in a denim jacket, there’s nothing quite like it. If there is a next time for Sunset City, and hopefully there is, maybe things will come together more smoothly than they have here.

For the mouse-and-keyboard crowd, this re-release will serve as little more than a target for negative comparison to the original. However, if gamepads serve as your peripheral of choice, this $20 download is an easy recommendation.

Just Cause 2 is an amazing world rich with gameplay possibilities with a merely decent game tacked onto it.

We never imagined that the RPG elements would be so vast or deftly handled, resulting in a pleasant surprise. A near-perfect mix of first-person shooting and role-playing, it's a nice fit for those who felt too detached from the gun play in Fallout 3 or Mass Effect.

Campo Santo has taken one of the most boring jobs in the world and turned it into an absorbing tale of fear and regret.

The lack of any online functionality hurts the bottom line, but the series has never been renowned for its multiplayer components. This is the perfect chance to get acquainted with StarFox if you've missed out after all these years, but this classic game from the 90's is merely a good game today.

Gran Turismo's biggest weakness is its inconsistency. Its best parts are so great that it's shocking to come across elements that are so far below standard. Still, many of its faults are purely cosmetic. Where the rubber meets the road, it's still fantastic.

GoldenEye 007 has a surprisingly impressive single-player campaign that remains true to its roots despite deliberately rewriting the script. The multiplayer doesn't break any barriers and it's weighed down by performance issues, but it's still fun for a few rounds in the living room or online.

The challenge level in the Dishwasher is nearly pitch-perfect, skillfully walking the fine line between punishment and reward.

One of the most eye-catching games to come along in a while, MadWorld is stylish, bloody, and a great fit for the Wii's controls. Though there's a surprising amount of incentive to replay it, it's barely seven hours long, so if you aren't persuaded by the novelty of extreme violence buy with caution.

Even with its rough edges, Dragon's Dogma still feels like one of a kind, years after its initial release.

Providing a delightful glimpse of the past in more ways than one, Skulls of the Shogun is a tactical treat for fans of old school, Japanese-style strategy games. Equal parts quirky and complex, it only comes to prove that the glory days of this often forgotten genre aren't quite gone.