If you are a fan of the series, you'll likely enjoy the new mechanical improvements. If you are a newcomer to the series, you'll enjoy the diverse roster and online play. My only suggestion is to avoid the single player mode and don't get too hung up on cranking down the difficulty level – Project Soul is trolling you by calling it 'normal'.

Final Fantasy XIII-2, like its predecessor, takes bold chances that pay off in nearly every way. It is clear that the folks at SquareEnix have listened to their fans and have made a great many changes based on that feedback. While there are some aspects that could use some shoring up, Final Fantasy XIII-2 is very worthy of the mantle of this long-standing series.

Need for Speed The Run is a game that has just enough issues to make it an average game. It is filled with potential, and it eventually could have made a really great game. The cross-country race is a great story-telling mechanic and the cutscenes are well done. The progression of the Driver Level to gain more bonuses could have been given out more consistently and some of the cars could have handled better. If you don't mind driving for a while to unlock cars and abilities, then you should find a satisfying experience.

While Battlefield 3 was aiming to be the biggest name this holiday season, and while it has made strides towards knocking off Modern Warfare 3, it misses the mark. That's not to say it is a bad game, it's a very good one, but the polish and excitement that is found on the Call of Duty series feels missing here. Still, there are much worse games you could end up with this holiday season, and the competition between the two series should heat up significantly in the next few years.

As it stands Assassin's Creed: Revelations is worth playing, but not as a premium title. The content is thin, the game isn't as interesting, and Ubisoft shouldn't have diluted the game to make a yearly cycle. In a glut of other games to buy during the holiday season, it just doesn't stand out as a must-have.

The Old Republic hasn't raised the bar for MMOs, it completely reinvents the genre entirely.

It offers a fantastic adrenaline rush, great mood and dialogue to go with it, all while providing a considerable number of post-campaign and co-op challenges for those who want more.

But if you're a person who doesn't want to wait around for patches and who likes a gaming experience you can glide into rather than struggle through, I sadly suggest either giving this one a pass or at least giving it time to get patched up in time for a steep Steam sale.

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.

While there's definitely some fun to be had in the game, it's heavily tempered by frustration and boredom caused by the camera distance and the yawnfest that is the Voltron levels. Also, given how big a show Voltron was, twelve levels in three 'epsiodes' for 800 Microsoft Points ($10) seems a bit lacking.

Super Mario 3D Land is the first 3DS title that really takes advantage of the 3D capabilities of the system.

Even with the plot issues the series has, Naughty Dog has done a tremendous job with Uncharted 3 and they should be proud of it. It's an excellent game, and definitely one of the highlights of 2011.

Half-Minute Hero is a fun and quirky gem that is worth a second look.

Having covered this game since it was announced I was really hoping to find a great DBZ game. After all, the graphics look great and the presentation during the fight scenes is top notch. The problem is that the actual gameplay is so bad that I can't recommend Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Tenkaichi to even the most hard core of DBZ fans.

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.

The game makes you feel like a badass from the word go, and it just gets even more out of control as things progress. Sure, there are some hiccups graphically, and sometimes things can be a little clunky mechanically, but there is no doubt that Saints Row The Third is crazy fun from start to finish.

Skyrim delivers a mind blowing level of content wrapped in a package that would be worth the experience at twice the price.

If you enjoy open-world RPGs with real-time action-based combat, it's definitely worth considering a purchase of the Velvet edition once it's released.

There's something here for you guys who like the general approach of solving problems with a whole lot of sword-swinging, experience upgrades and looting – but the gameplay gets a bit worn the longer you play. So is the story enough of a draw to push this into the buy column for you? How about the prospect of having a game experience you and your friends can share? If neither of these things would push you from the undecided column to the must-buy column, approach this one with a bit more trepidation.

From the opening cinematic to the garage to the customization to the races, you can just tell that the developers just love cars and they have poured that into Forza Motorsport 4.

Those looking for a good turn based strategy RPG with a lengthy campaign will find a lot to like with Heroes VI

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.

There is no doubt that Battlefield comes with some warts courtesy of a few mission features and the forced inclusion of Origin, but once these are ironed out we should have a title worthy of carrying the series name.

I had high hopes with Spider-Man: Edge of Time after last year's Shattered Dimensions. I thought that having two Spider-Man characters instead of four would bring about a more cohesive story and more refined gameplay. While the story was tighter and the effects of making changes in one universe to affect the other were interesting, the gameplay didn't grab me as much as I thought it would.

In the end, Skylanders knows exactly what it trying to be – a family friendly affair featuring cool creatures.

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.

A fantastic romp with the Dark Knight through a suitably dark and depressing city, with your fists, your toys and a fantastic new take on the story. While it engages more sandbox gameplay, it ultimately is a true sequel to the Arkham Asylum in both feel and presentation and is a worthy purchase, even if it isn't that long or that large.

If you've never played Resident Evil 4, then the $20 price of entry is worth it and I highly recommend you experience the survival-horror genre at its finest. Especially considering that the genre has become something of an extinct race, particularly on consoles. If you're already familiar with the game it really comes down to how fond you were of that first experience.