The wealth of content and addictive nature of collecting loot and replaying levels with increased challenge make Victor Vran highly recommended for action RPG fans.

Overall, Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare lives up to the franchise's expectations.

Rainbow Six Extraction offers players a surprisingly new experience, a more stealthy take on co-op shooters than is found in the competition. With blistering difficulty, tension to spare, and a delicious argument-inducing bug out mechanic, Extraction uses shooter mechanics in ways that feel utterly unique and original. Perhaps a bit light on content, but we all know that more will come in time. A stress-filled creepy good time, even for non-shooter fans.

Riftbound is a total nailbiter of a game. Barrel Smash Studios takes the Plants Vs. Zombies model and elevates it to something that requires speed, strategy, and precision at its highest levels, ultimately showing what heights this neglected genre can achieve. Show up for the casual fun, stay for the hardcore gameplay and irresistible addiction.

The game is very accessible.

It may take a few rounds to warm up to, but Frozen Synapse Prime proves to be one of the year's best turn-based strategy games.

If you're interested in experiencing a story that isn't just the standard fantasy lore, then Blackguards 2 is worth a try.

The original game is a classic. The “Enhanced Edition” is a near-clone, with some additional content. If you haven't played it before, or would like a deep RPG to put on your tablet, this is a good buy.

Pentiment is a slow and deliberate novel of a game. Though quite lively at times, this is still a game that asks players to read long, intricate conversations and remember scores of characters in a historic setting. The mystery is interesting, and the history is fascinating, but if these aren’t enough to pull you through, you might want to look elsewhere. For patient players, Pentiment is a game like no other, teaching lessons on history, community, and the nature of life itself.

Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak tells one of the better science fiction narratives I've seen in a real-time strategy game. While the campaign is short, I enjoyed most of the Homeworld-inspired gameplay. Skirmish and multiplayer modes beef up the content, but the overall content-to-price ratio doesn't quite even out. Minor gripes aside, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is one of the more compelling real-time strategy games I've played in some time.

Soul Sacrifice is as rewarding as it is twisted. It is very similar to Monster Hunter but with a much better framework to the experience and gameplay that rivals some of the most popular action games on the market. There is a ton to do and love here, but you have to work for it, which may turn some people away.

This is a gaming thoroughbred that will demand you feed it over the holiday season. If your first priority this week is the DS, make your second one a copy of Spider-Man 2. It’s the game that will show your friends what the hardware truly can do.

Atlus one-ups themselves with the first real sequel in the Trauma Center series.

With a robust story mode, a deeper grappling system and the addition of online play, this is the best wrestling game available today.

It’s one of the few games where I’ve had a ton of fun even when I m losing a match. I’ve had many cool experiences playing it and a lot of “did I just see that” moments but all of that is crapped on by the bugs and quirks in the game.

PGA Tour 07 for Wii adds realism without compromising gameplay.

I enjoyed all the unique aspects of terraforming, unit transformation, and using the Perimeter field, but for some this may just be too much complexity in an RTS.

A very fun, and very strange, take on the 2D platformer. Yet another example of why we need to continue to support our independent game developers.

A return to the complex, deep Dominions world of fantasy turn-based strategy. Dominions 3 is a heavyweight game, but one well worth the effort to delve into.

A solid entry into the fast-paced, gritty and darkly-humorous Dawn of War series.

If you're willing to take a chance I'd say that you should bench Madden and take "NFL2K5" for a spin. In our opinion, it's the better football game this year.

A near perfect expansion pack. It gives gamers more levels, more bad guys, and more multiplayer content. What else can you ask for in an expansion pack? Not much.

United Offensive is a lot more intense in action than the original Call of Duty. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. You’ll rarely get a chance to rest in this one and I, for one, did enjoy the constant action.

Transformers Prime is a fun game and I do recommend it for younger fans of the series. However, experienced players might find it too easy as the main story only takes a few hours at most to complete if you don't have any problems.

Witty, and with a wink and nod to the limitations of the point and click style adventure genre Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes gives gamers an adult experience while providing the necessary cover for a teen rating. Recommended for old school gamers looking for a reminder of the past, or those who enjoy quirky plots.

Forget Darkstalkers, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max is the must-own fighting game on the PSP. In many ways this is the best version of the game yet, despite having a few quirks associated with the system's D-pad.

The Hulk is a bit of a loner, though, so there's no multiplayer. That's a bit of a shame. I think it would be a blast to play Hulk vs. Villian, raining terror and destruction on the battle arena, similar to the mess Godzilla and whatever mutated monster he's fighting make of Tokyo when they clash.

It may not have the productions of "Resident Evil," but Call of Cthulhu is easily one of the scariest video games ever made. It's also a great story full of mystery, intrigue, and a few twists and turns you won't see coming!