This is just a fantastic game and I hope people can look past its arcade racing roots.

If you love 4X games, this is the game to get. Due to all of the content, this game is the king of the hill in this genre.

Superb to look at, listen to and play. It's just too bad online couldn't have had more meat to it.

A wonderful package. Don't wait on the bargain bin for this one, as it is worth the price from the get go.

Overall, Rock Band 2 may be mostly incremental in upgrades and seemingly more of the same, but from where I sit on my drum throne, that isn’t a bad thing at all.

As the credits roll on this 11 hour journey, I’m pleasantly surprised to see such a great title come out of a brand new studio. The team at DONTNOD Entertainment have brought something unique to the table, giving us not only beautiful graphics and incredible sound, but also a new combat approach wrapped around a very engaging storyline.

MLB 09: The Show was a great Next Gen restart for the franchise, and MLB 10: The Show delivers nicely on that promise.

The control is simply phenomenal with the Logitech Driving Force Pro... A force feedback wheel where it pushes against you as you go into a turn at high speeds is just spot on.

Shivering Isles is an excellent addition to the Oblivion world, and it isn't just a small set of quests or a building that you can use during your travels. It is a fully realized realm for you to adventure in, with a story all of its own.

From mind blowing graphics and lighting effects and the brilliant experience of speed. The enormous amount of vehicle choices and racing options. Music choices out the whazoo, and stellar sound effects.

Overall, the game looks like it has been rebuilt from the ground up. The removal of the guitar portions, a slick new interface, a more evenly distributed soundtrack, and a few new tricks to keep you on your toes make this a far more polished product.

The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword is not only one of the best Wii games of the year, it's one of the best games to hit the system ever.

PvZ succeeds masterfully at simplifying the tower defense genre into a game that nearly everyone can enjoy.

THQ and Rainbow Studios have really hit their stride with the MX vs. ATV franchise. Not only have they managed to address every minor issue that plagued previous incarnations of the series, the addition of persistent terrain deformation and Reflex rider control absolutely take this game to the next level.

With sharp execution, uncounted hours of gameplay, and gorgeous sound and video, you'll be hard pressed to beat this game.

Ultimately though, RIFT has had one of the smoothest launches in MMO history, and Trion Worlds has shown publicly that they're willing to own up to their mistakes as soon as they're made, and are quick to enact change to prevent things from recurring, as shown by their near-instant creation of the coin-lock system and their authenticators, as well as their reaction to the end of the River of Souls event.

So much fun and so well made that it completely obliterates the insultingly awful "Call of Duty: Finest Hour." This is the game that war gamers have wanted on a console, and it delivers the thrills and entertainment in ways I did not think possible.

The game is realistic and fun, albeit an on-rails shooter at the core. Some parts of the game just beg to be replayed while others have you scratching your head why they aren't longer to begin with.

The game makes a lot of headway in terms of story quality, and the customization is beyond what we’ve seen in any sandbox title to date. While Saints Row 2 doesn’t reinvent the genre by any means, it brings more than enough big pimpin’ gameplay to keep me busy for a while.

As with every music game, it's all about the replay value, and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock has plenty of that. I can't say enough good things about the quest mode, Party Play is shaping up to be more user-friendly than ever, and the amount of competitive and co-op gameplay options are all great fun.

Bowser's Inside Story takes a lot of the great things about the series, ratchets them up to 11, and leaves them there the whole time.

Yuke's and THQ set the bar quite high with last year's rendition of this franchise, and they could have easily taken the year off and rested on their accomplishments. It is quite impressive to see that the development team has stayed hungry and added some key elements to this franchise that fans are going to go absolutely wild over.

Yuke's and THQ set the bar quite high with last year's rendition of this franchise, and they could have easily taken the year off and rested on their accomplishments. It is quite impressive to see that the development team has stayed hungry and added some key elements to this franchise that fans are going to go absolutely wild over.

I loved every minute of it.

It fits squarely between "Need for Speed: Underground 2" (a game I didn't like) and "Burnout 3: Takedown" (a game I loved), but tends to lean very close to Burnout 3 on the scale.

Replay doesn’t get any better than this… 5 Pro bikers and Create-a-character with this type of game make replay value as high as can be.

While Operation Fallen Star is the third booster pack, it is definitely the most feature rich and game changing booster pack yet.

I'd say there are about 15-20 hours of play here, but I'd probably double that just for me as I kept replaying so many of the boards due to the fights I got in (and that next to last mission that I so vehemently despise).

So if you loved Demon's Souls, or like games that sadistically punish you for your mistakes, go out and pick up Dark Souls right now. If you like those types of games, and haven't played Demon's Souls on the PS3, then go get both (if you have a PS3). While it's not perfect, it can be a hell of a lot of fun and is definitely worth the purchase price.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 is a completely crazy tour-de-force that carries you through trenches all around the world, as well as giving a great refresh to the multiplayer mode that has all but defined Activision in the console market.

A phenomenally awesome RTS, and stays true to all the games before it.

This game has a metric ton of playtime in it and it is a heck of a lot of fun to play.

The story of the Half-Life universe is propulsive in its own right and the sheer zeal Valve has for this world and the characters in it is a joy to experience. Partnering with a truly responsive AI also has to be seen to be believed.

It is a great deal of fun with only a few instances where you feel like you are in over your head.

Citadel is fan service at its worst, but Mass Effect at its best. Clever dialogue, heart-warming callbacks, and enough content to make it worth the $15 price tag make Mass Effect: Citadel a worthy goodbye to a cast of characters that forever shaped gaming history.

The Story Mode will make you laugh out loud.

While it does share many of the same themes and gameplay styles, Darksiders is truly its own game, with its own set off high points and low points. Whether it’s the engaging combat or the surprisingly complex puzzle solving involved in many of the levels, Darksiders manages to consistently impress. This is absolutely a title that you do not want to miss.

The graphics, sounds, and controls are almost spot-on perfect replicas of their console counterpart. This is the best portable version of any Tony Hawk game to date.

It’s not for everyone (even one of our own editors described it as “barf-tastic” at one point) but if you let its hooks into you, you will discover one of the most addictive, rewarding, crazy-ass games of recent memory.

I’m sure that it took a lot of convincing to get Activision to sign off on moving to a modern setting instead of the wildly successful World War II model that has performed so well since the game’s inception, but it has paid off in spades.

When all is said and done, Serious Sam 3 is just plain refreshing. It's nice to have a game that relies so much on flat-out enemy decimation, and which does it so well, so beautifully, and while providing at least the opportunity to share the experience with friends online.

If you've played CT before and never "got it," or if you've avoided it for whatever reason, now's your chance to give it the shot it deserves. It will be well worth your time.

Call of Duty: World at War is a fantastic title.

The Sly Collection is a great game for kids and adults who grew up with Mario will no doubt appreaciate the platforming gameplay.

Fans of Motorstorm will love Pacific Rift.

Ninja Theory has done a great job capturing the action of the Devil May Cry games, and you'll be hard pressed to find a better action game.

While I was cautiously optimistic in starting up Assassin's Creed 2, within the first three hours it had it's hooks in me.

The big things presented here are no slowdown, nice graphics, co-op Story mode play, a good amount of single and multi-player options outside of the Story mode and a plethora of extras and cheats to obtain.

The amount of swagger and sheer fun in “Just Cause 2” is tremendous, and needs to be played by you right this second.

This game is cranked to a volume of 11.

With all of the great changes and smart moves made this year by EA Sports, Madden NFL 25 is a surprising success in nearly every facet of sports gaming. While there are still small issues that need to be worked out, Madden 25 is a vast improvement over the lackluster entries in the series over the past few years.

The Witcher 2 easily stands amongst the big boys in the CRPG crowd and is also the best Action RPG to come out since Mass Effect 2.

Even if you don't like strategy games, if you love action games and have an open enough mind to try out something a bit slower-paced, you will be rewarded with one of the most thrilling, thought-provoking, and heart-pounding games of the year.

This is a rock solid, genuinely excellent first effort by this developer. It's a title I intend to continue playing for the foreseeable future, and one I definitely recommend to those willing to give it a shot.

I’m sure that it took a lot of convincing to get Activision to sign off on moving to a modern setting instead of the wildly successful World War II model that has performed so well since the game’s inception, but it has paid off in spades.

For the rest of us, for those who just love playing good games with a great sense of style and high production values, Sly Cooper is not to be missed.

At 1200 MS points it’s a small price to pay for the madness, and certainly lives up to its Castle Crashers pedigree for polish, poise, and preposterous premise.

Doom 3's visuals are an amazing testament to Vicarious Vision. They have taken a PC benchmarking staple and turned it onto an impossible console port.

The variety of missions/gameplay types is refreshing.

The biggest change to this game is the lack of a world map, and I was surprised by how much I missed it.

It may be too kiddie for some, but it’s a solid platformer with a great looking world and really inventive puzzles, and above all else it’s a lot of fun. Plus, the voice acting is stellar and I’ve been busting a gut at some of the lines.

But if you’ve been craving an action game which offers up the unique satisfaction of defeating big, truly difficult monsters and carving a new set of armor out of their salvaged skull, get this game now. You won’t regret it.

The level cap has increased allowing for more spells, talents, and power for individuals with the insanity to chase them. This is a whole new world.

When it comes right down to it, if you're a fan of any of the NIS titles or a fan of roguelikes, you owe it to yourself to buy this title. At $30 it's an absolute steal given the amount of gameplay you can get out of it. It's not flawless, but then again, no game really is.

Fable 2 is an outstanding game that can't be missed this overcrowded holiday season.

features a staggering amount of replayability, Live play, hours of unlockables, multiple gameplay modes, and far more than any other fighter since "Soul Calibur." To say that I enjoyed the game would be an understatement.

The addition of the Divas, the upgrades to the Royal Rumble, and being able to share all your custom creations with the rest of the gaming world take this from being a really good title to making it a really great title.

While some developers develop for the console platforms and then hand off their PC port to other people, Infinity Ward holds onto their PC roots by handling this title personally. The result is a PC version that is as solid as its console counterparts, and we the gamer reap the benefits no matter which platform we choose.

Monaco: What’s Yours is Mine is yet another game that illustrates just what kind of gems can come out of the indie gaming scene. It’s refreshingly original in terms of visual design, unique in its approach to the stealth game genre, and it offers a load of co-op fun that makes it an absolute steal at the default $14.99 USD Steam price, to say nothing of the price you get with the 4-title bundle option.

Clearly Bungie's efforts were focused on the multiplayer facets of this game; and that alone makes it worth owning.

If you must have only one NFL football game, I say spend the $50 on Madden NFL 2005. I think you will find yourself playing it for far longer than you would the $20 "ESPN NFL 2K5."

THQ and Rainbow Studios have really hit their stride with the MX vs. ATV franchise. Not only have they managed to address every minor issue that plagued previous incarnations of the series, the addition of persistent terrain deformation and Reflex rider control absolutely take this game to the next level.

Acclaim Cheltenham has successfully combined graphics, sound and game play into a racer that has heart-pounding speed, dizzying visuals, great control and excellent multiplayer functions.

It's the updated version to the best sports game of last year and brings a bit more to the table such as better defensive backs and more control on the offensive side of the ball.

A stunning and wonderful conclusion to a magnificent storyline.

Much like the other more music-centric peripheral based games, RIDE offers up both a fun casual experience as well as a strong technically challenge at the higher difficulty levels. The game shines in a social environment and might even provide some a nice little workout.

Wow, for a small startup developer like Starbreeze (whose only other released game was "Enclave" on the Xbox and PC) this is like dropping an atomic bomb for one of the first games you bring out.

Along with FreeStyleGames critical examination of every bit of DJ Hero and their effort to improve everything, they have succeeded beyond measure and created a title that no music fan should pass up.

With a great control scheme, graphics that don’t look ported, fantastic humor, and a whole lot of races to complete, this quality title is worthy of being a member of the Tony Hawk franchise. This is a safe Day-1 pickup for the Wii, just make sure you buy the three spare Wiimotes for your friends!

No frills, no gimmicks, no nonsense, Out of the Park Baseball 14 is such a true-to-form sports experience that its complicated gameplay and plain-jane delivery becomes refreshing and exciting in a world of big graphical spectacles. While OOTP will never take the place of games like The Show and MLB 2k, it can supplement those gaming experiences and provide a different take on what the baseball world is all about.

While the game does have a few flaws, there is simply nothing else out there like Oblivion. This is your early contender for Game of the Year, regardless of platform.

You could certainly play through this game again and get a good bit of fun out of a repeat, despite the fact that it takes roughly 12 hours to beat the game.

I can find fault with anything.

If you're a fan of one of the previous games, you probably have this already, but if you're new to The Sims, this is a great way to jump into the water. Just make sure to climb out for air from time to time.

Whatever your gameplay preference is, Call of Duty: Black Ops has you covered and is a must-have title for any shooter fan.

But, if the only console you happen to own is a Wii then you owe it to yourself to check out Call of Duty: Modern Warfare – Reflex. Sure the graphics can’t compare to the other versions, but somehow the developers have managed to squeeze everything else that was good into this Reflex edition.

This is a game that has serious potential to grow into something amazing, while being fresh and fun enough right at this moment.

While short, grabs you for those few hours and won't let go. The game is such an improvement over the first installment that those who didn't like the first game will probably like this one.

If the technical issues can be ironed out, the Vita version of The Walking Dead could indeed be awarded as the definitive one. But even in its current state, this version of the lauded title can stand proudly beside the rest.

3D settings have always been kryptonite for the Castlevania series. As well as nearly every 2D entry in the franchise has been received, the attempts at 3D have almost always been panned. Castlevania: Lords of Shadow breaks this curse completely by excelling in nearly every way a game can be measured. The excellent voice acting, the suitably grand score, the gorgeously crafted vistas, the compelling plot; everything just clicks when it comes to this game.

The funny thing is, it isn't even the 3D effect that makes this game so awesome, it's everything else.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood has everything you loved and hated about AC2, but it has shined up the positives to a sheen I didn't expect. Toss in the fantastic multiplayer with its persistent experience and leveling system and you have a solid and worthy successor to an already great series.

Fast, furious, funny, and a breeze to play through so it’s perfect for the weekend gamer.

While the single player portion of this title might be dull, if you happen to have three other friends and have 4 GBA consoles between you all, this is the perfect purchase. Never before has a game that highlighted teamwork come along like this.

Like any Femme Fatale or Private Dick who spends too much time in the bottle, L.A. Noire has its fair share of flaws and stories to share. Missing out on this game would be a crime.

15 hours worth of dungeon-crawling fun. There are enough challenges, random things to do, and sheer fun to keep people entertained for the entire length.

Whatever your gameplay preference is, Call of Duty: Black Ops has you covered and is a must-have title for any shooter fan.

Monster Hunter Tri is a fantastic trip into a strange world, and a trip that you'll definitely want to take.