The good news is that the basics, such as its over-the-top style, four player functionality, and diversity of tracks have returned. The bad news is that the opportunities this series has had to improve, like their unhelpful dance cards, crummy menus, and sometimes shoddy motion-tracking have gone unfixed.

The ability to customize characters, arenas, and just about everything else in the game is a testament to how well Yuke's and THQ know what wrestling fans want. It's just a shame that the game didn't have just a bit more polish. Non-fans like myself might want to put their money elsewhere, but wrestling fans will probably really enjoy what WWE '13 has to offer.

By far their greatest success lies in a more nuanced realization of the series' main protagonist, Master Chief, and while the campaign works exceptionally well as a stand-alone narrative, it leaves our hero in a place that opens the story to exciting new possibilities in the next two installments.

Formula 1 2012 is a great F1 racing simulator, but it's only an okay game. For a title that aims to be approachable to all audiences, it has failed in that regard, but for those who are racing fanatics and crave a realistic immersion into the F1 world, F1 2012 is the game for you.

There are two types of people I recommend Painkiller: Hell & Damnation to: those who were huge fans of the original and want to experience the game again with updated graphics, and those who are looking for a throwaway experience that doesn't require much of a commitment to enjoy.

While the team has definitely put in a good effort to use all the features of the Vita, a few technical issues weigh it down. Still, it is a unique experience well worth owning, especially for any fan of Assassin's Creed that owns a Vita.

Criterion has done the impossible – they've taken what is, arguably, the best race-and-chase game made for this generation and somehow made it so much better.

Freerunning has taken on new life with Connor's ability to flit through the trees, and the new weapons hem nicely into the freedom and wealth of options of the series...I can personally guarantee it'll see the top of many Game of the Year lists, perhaps even our own – Assassin's Creed III is a masterpiece.

Tryst seems to be targeting people looking for an RTS experience at a lower price point, and I think there might be something here for those gamers. Meanwhile, the game's developers are promising bug fixes, fleshed out tutorials, and DLC to make the game worth the price for the rest of us.

Medal of Honor's reboot in 2010 was high speed, low drag, but this year's title just feels like a rush job – a little 6P (Proper Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance) could have gone a long way.

Sports Champions 2, if nothing else, has shown just how the Move can be effective on a new set of six game types. While Tennis fell flat, Archery remains strong, and the Bowling portion was an absolute blast. I know that I just added bowling to our Sunday family game night, and for that I can certainly recommend Sports Champions 2.

Do you like competitive multiplayer games with an emphasis on giant maps, team play, and vehicles? Then grab the demo. Tell your friends to grab it too. It definitely warrants a look, and if the community grows and stays active this can easily be a game to go back to again and again to get your online FPS slaughter fix.

What value you get out of Skylanders Giants is tied directly to how much you'll be willing to spend on it and while it's definitely pricey, the added value of a physical product that is actually a pretty well made and exciting piece of tech softens the blow a bit. The game itself is way more fun than it has any right being, and while it doesn't pull off its concepts perfectly, it does manage to stay interesting throughout, with tons of clever little ideas and nods to other games.

007 Legends lets us see Bond, but never actually be the suave, debonair, brash, and ultimately human British Secret Agent. Instead we are forced to watch as our generic agent shoots people in the face and then punches them in the sides for a few moments.

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.

If you're a die-hard Sherlock Holmes fan and can look past some significant flaws to experience an authentic Sherlock experience, then by all means, go for it. Otherwise, stay away.

But getting behind the wheel of one of the most realistic driving engines and booting around, challenging racers, and having all kinds of fun adds value to all cars – not just the ones that are ridiculously fast and expensive. I've played the game at numerous difficulty settings both with 360 controller and MS Force Feedback Racing Wheel, and have come away impressed.

Dance Central 3 isn't just the best reason to own a Kinect; it is the reason you need to own one.

Overall, the puzzles in this game are great, but the loose, floating controls really hamper what would have been a great puzzle-plaformer. I'd only recommend this game for people who really-and I mean really-enjoy challenges.

If you've got a Kinect gathering dust, you need to get it plugged back in. While Fable: The Journey has its fair share of issues, it is certainly one of the best non-dance games for the Kinect.

Whether you like to sneak, like to slay mercilessly, or somewhere in between, there is something here for you. Dishonored is very easily a contender for Game of the Year.

DOA 5 could easily get overlooked in the deluge of upcoming titles, but it shouldn't. Despite the departure of Itagaki, Team Ninja manages to take DOA 5 up a notch. While it doesn't reinvent the wheel, the counter system adds a new layer of depth. Toss in the upgraded stages and the accessibility offered by the story-lead training and you can almost forgive said story for making almost no sense at all. The game remains accessible, pure fan-service, and most certainly the best looking fighter of this generation.

Pokémon Conquest's replay value is through the roof. After the first campaign is completed many more stories that allow the player to control different warlords open up. These different stories have their own objectives that the player has to complete in order to win. After 33 of these stories are completed, a campaign similar to the first one becomes available. In addition to these, more stories can be downloaded from the Nintendo WFC. All of this, combined with online multiplayer, will leave one with hundreds of hours of Pokémon themed turn based strategy excitement to enjoy.

Zen Studios clearly has a lot of love for pinball; it shows in every facet of this game.

If you like piles of guns, lots to do and shoot, and a robust leveling system with a natural coop multi-player aspect and aren't put off by the cel shading, it's a no-brainer.

Probably the worst thing about Dogfight 1942 is that it costs $15. Many downloadable games cost far less and have far more to offer than this sub-par flight simulator. The entirety of the game is no more than three hours and has zero re-playability.

Torchlight II represents the perfect iteration of a series, combining solid innovation from Runic along with a deluge of feedback courtesy of fans and player mods. Runic and Perfect World have given us everything we've asked for – I can't think of a single game that can make that claim in recent memory.

With all that in mind, FTL remains a great game – not perfect, not legendary, but a great indie title that offers up something pretty unique as opposed to a cheaper version of a game that mainstream devs already do and do better.