Games that are this thought provoking and enjoyable are rare. Rarer still are those that imbue this level of pride and honor upon completion.

It features a stellar multiplayer suite with practically limitless replay value and a mostly forgettable campaign. The coop missions are a nice addition, and to be fair, the single-player is the best in series history, but it still falls short of its contemporaries. Online warfare is intricate and rewarding, but it also presents a learning curve and a strong reliance on team coordination.

Rock Band 2 will be disappointing if you’re looking for drastic changes. Most of the upgrades are subtle, and you’re basically getting a ton of downloadable content at a great price. For our time and money, it’s worth every penny.

While some core mechanics could still be improved, Black Flag's story, world, and systems come together to form a markedly better and more cohesive game than Assassin's Creed III. It's not only the best Assassin's Creed game to date, but also one of the best games for pirate fans to embark on as well.

This is a game that demands more from its players, and treats them as capable thinkers. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing The Swapper.

StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void is a fitting conclusion to the story that began sixteen years ago. It lays a solid foundation for multiplayer which we expect to be tweaked and balanced for years to come. It offers multiple ways for new players to learn in a less intimidating environment, and the emphasis on micro-managing individual units keeps experienced players on their toes. Whether or not this is truly the end for the series, StarCraft II doesn’t leave you wondering what could have been, but establishes a legacy that will be worthy of honor for years to come.

The learning curve is steep and the squad AI could stand a few classes, but the truth is you won't find a more realistic, feature-filled shooter. Toss in a nice bump in visuals and you'll get your money's worth and then some.

If you’ve got that 70 collecting dust, now is a good time to unfreeze that account. The king is back.

With the challenge of bringing such a distinct franchise to a brand new platform while retaining all of the things that have made it great, including the hard work of the community, all things really were considered.

It's incredibly familiar and a bit brief, but God of War III still stands as a herculean achievement. A lot of TLC went into its creation and it comes shining through at every turn. The tweaks to the gameplay are minimal and the lack of titan interaction feels like a missed opportunity, but when Kratos is swinging his hypnotizing blades it's easy to forget that the rest of the world even exists.

It’s the kind of game that can only work this well on the Nintendo DS, and despite a rather simple puzzle element, ends up being better than the sum of its parts. If you’re looking for your next DS fix, this one will have your head buried in it for days.

It’s easy to have fun with TowerFall, and there’s a lot to like on the surface, but players who put more into it will certainly get more out.

The fact Last Light is absolutely stunning on the PC and packed full of crisp detail makes exploring and fighting through this hellish, dimly-lit realm an affecting and exhilarating experience. A few years and a lot of spit-shine make a huge difference on the visual front.

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.

Stripped bare of accessories, its all-business approach will thrill some and frustrate others. Less whimsical and more weighty, it proves that clever level design and tight gameplay trump all, and perhaps most importantly, that motion gaming can truly be for everyone.

The campaign could use some creative spark, but it’s the staying power of the multiplayer that wins the day. If you look to get the most out of your money with video game purchases, you can’t go wrong with Battlefield Bad Company 2.

Meaningfully expands on the original game's deep interactive story and dynamic battle system, showing as much respect to prospective players as it does to its source material. Remake or not, this is the rare game that can sustain and reward months of play.

Cribbing the best of Zelda and mashing it with a killer aesthetic that’s both justified and gorgeous, yields a lengthy, legendary quest.

XCOM makes a complicated design feel smoother and more elegant without losing the feel and nuance of the original work.

For lack of a better phrase, the gameplay in Gears of War will keep you on the edge of your seat--primarily because the enemy AI is so impressive. Just like the Halo series, you’ll see the same four or five enemy types over and over, but their intelligence and ability to navigate the environment makes each battle feel completely fresh.

A rare shoot 'em up that successfully draws in the entire spectrum of players, and it's hard to get too frustrated with the frequent deaths you'll suffer in arcade mode when it's all wrapped breathtaking in a presentation that swings effortlessly from 2D to 3D perspectives. Above all, it's simply fun.

Many driving games have tried to straddle this line between accessibility and reality, with varying success. Forza Motorsport 2 is one of the first driving games to really nail it.

When it comes to voice work, though, you can't touch BioWare. The production is great, and astoundingly comprehensive.

Proof that truly excellent games are timeless. The bump in visuals is nice, and the added content makes it worth playing even for those who have already achieved Ryu’s vengeance on the Xbox.

One of the true steps forward for the franchise. Some annoying issues have finally been rectified, the presentation has received an overhaul, and the brand new GameFlow play calling requires some work, but provides a worthy payoff. Couple all this with great running and tackling and you have a product that's worth full asking price.

If you enjoy really digging into a fighting system and mastering its intricacies you'll be astounded at the depth on display here. The lack of online play is a huge disappointment and it's definitely light on the modes, but Virtua Fighter 5 is still the gold standard that other fighting games will be trying to top for years to come.

Crysis 2 takes the ideas and technological prowess of the first game and focuses them into a multifaceted experience that encourages you to go to town with its tactics and physicality. The nanosuit is what defines the Crysis 2 experience, and once you get familiar with its features, it feels as natural as a second skin.

Both visually and mechanically, Rayman Legends consistently sparks the imagination. The co-op play on the Wii U is something that really must be experienced.