This is a sequel that’s more about refinement than innovation, and elements such as the weather effects and the robust Theater of War serve to make an already great franchise just a tad greater. A heavy reliance on the past keeps it from earning the legendary status of its predecessor, but appropriately, Company of Heroes 2 marks a dogged victory for Relic -- these guys have clearly been fighting the good fight.

Red Steel 2 has it where it counts, with a deep combat system that continuously improves as the game progresses. It could do with more interesting tasks outside of battle, but it nails the swordplay like no game before it.

The experience is a good length, without even engaging the replays, and its feel-good manner and attention to its source material is unmatched for a licensed game.

Wii Fit Plus adds a fair amount of content for a $20 expansion and includes all the content of the original. If you're looking to mix it up with new activities, there are some winners here, but if you stopped using Wii Fit after the first two weeks, Plus isn't going to get you off the couch for much longer.

Hopefully the online issues will be ironed out before the full-on release, but if you simply can't wait to get a horsepower fix then bite the bullet, pay the ticket, and put it to the floor.

Once you get into the rhythm of each faction's style of play, Natural Selection 2 opens up the throttle on one of the most interesting and intense multiplayer experiences you'll find on PC.

It's easy to recommend Fable III to anyone who enjoyed the second game. It's very similar, but the story is stronger, the decisions you make have more gravity, the coop is vastly improved, and the design forces you to sample everything the game has to offer.

The Skylanders concept still feels novel and you get the feeling that there's a lot of potential waiting to be squeezed out of the experience. However, it's clearly being held back by the focus on peddling collectible toys. There's a decent game in here, but it's ultimately hard to justify the substantial investment you'll have to throw down for all the figures required to get the full experience.

The single player game has its high points, but it's an inconsistent facsimile of its HD counterparts. Meanwhile, the multiplayer is a huge step forward for the platform despite the absence of a few features. Call of Duty: Black Ops delivers the Wii's best online experience yet.

A smart package of everything good about the series down to the last crumb of skeleton dust.

While still not meeting the revolution that 1942 was, the addition of Titan mode makes it feel more than “another year, another title” but it’s cutting it close.

A Boy and His Blob is a slow burn that requires patience, so those looking for a bit more action should stay mindful of this. However, if you're hankering for a great 2D platformer with clever, inventive puzzles, you'll find plenty to love here.

For a free-to-play game, World of Tanks offers a surprising wealth of entertainment, although you may feel the need to fork out a bit of cash for some armor upgrades. The best part of this armored adventure is that enjoying a few rounds of battle doesn't take the time commitment required by other MMOs.

Hunting down your prey as the police or getting to your hideout in the nick of time is exhilarating, and constantly sharing a social sphere with other players feels like a natural step forward for a series intent on putting players on opposing side of the law.

Mixes up the series' gameplay fundamentals in interesting ways without fouling up what makes it unique, reinvigorating the multiplayer game in process. It's a remarkably ambitious standalone expansion, and at a mere $30, it's a great introduction to those who've yet to take up arms.

It’s basically the same game we’ve been playing for the past five or six years, but it’s received a nice visual upgrade and it’s hard to knock a game too much for repeating such a consistently enjoyable performance.

The Wii controls are integrated almost seamlessly into the gameplay, making for a port that’s actually better than the original and worth at least renting for vets of the series. There’s no second opinion needed on this one.

Tiger Woods 08 will definitely give you your money’s worth when it comes to sheer play options.

It's missing a few elements that would make it an ideal starting point for anyone unfamiliar to the series and is unlikely to attract new fans with its straightforward approach, but in terms of value and quality, Broken Destiny is an excellent handheld fighting game.

Online play holds up admirably to the lobby features and netcode standards of the original, and dedicated pad players should find little trouble adjusting their links, loops, and launchers to the Vita's crisp controls.

The Last Story employs some bold mechanisms in an attempt to chart new territory. If not for a few undercooked components like the multiplayer, it would stand among the best on the Wii. Still, it's a strong RPG in its own right, excelling precisely where you'd expect such a game to. The Wii could have done much worse for a bookend to its storied history.

Strives to replicate the Masters, and it succeeds on an impressive level. It's got the sort of variety that'll keep you playing for a good long time, and its treatment of the Masters is slick and educational, doing honor to the venerable tournament.

While the omission of co-op play in this outing is an unexpected disappointment, Lego City Undercover is the best game in the series so far. It's consistently fun and surprising, offering the freedom of a great open-world game without all the guilt.

The real enjoyment in Luftrausers doesn’t really come from experimenting, it’s more about finding the right fit. It’s really about performance, not options, and the game’s longevity and value come from excellent tuning and feedback. You launch, then you thread the needle, push the envelope, curse your foes, and go out in a blaze of glory.

Though it leans a little too heavily on well-trod genre conventions, there's no denying that Reckoning has a whole lot to offer in terms of sheer breadth. Similarly, though the challenge tapers off dramatically toward the end, its combat is welcoming, gratifying, and hypnotic.

With so much to do, achieving 100% completion will take some real effort. It’s fair to say the game earns the Deluxe in its title, and almost everything here is well done. Charming and light like its hero, Kirby Triple Deluxe has some real substance under all the pink fluff.

It’s like a great amusement park ride: fun while it lasts. But peel off that shiny paint and pause the adrenaline rush and you see there are some core problems hiding in the shadows, like underlying structure and play that just don’t completely congeal. Even so, it’s a hell of a ride, and it’s hard not to be forgiving and embrace this darkness.

Thanks to a wealth of content, solid presentation, and overall playability, the new Duels of the Planeswalkers is an excellent way to enjoy a game of Magic.