Mafia II is a great game, crafted with incredible care by its developers. If you're looking for a game with a strong story and a great shooter component, don't think twice about buying it. Just don't expect a myriad of side missions typical of other free roaming activities: this is a very story-driven and linear experience.

Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is a good and entertaining Arcade game, especially if played in local co-op. Too bad the game doesn't support (yet, at least) online co-op too.

A crude, violent and enjoyable game, even if somewhat monotonous in its many firefights. Too bad for its really too short duration: you'll end up shelving it after few hours of play.

Uber Entertainment did a good job on creating Monday Night Combat, wisely mixing many of the best elements of online multiplayer shooters and adding a strong co-op component. It's an entertaining and energetic game, and it'll be able to conquer every shooter fan.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a valuable game, especially for its multiplayer co-op and survival modes. But if you're looking for a deep and fascinating single player experience, you'll be disappointed by the extremely high difficulty and complete lack of any plot.

Very variegated tracks, many play modes and a good selection of boats make Hydro Thunder a good game, thanks to the online multiplayer too.

One of the most genuine Live Arcade titles around, Limbo has to be bought just for the great experience it offers, even if of short duration. If you appreciate originality and artistic freshness in a game, you have to try it.

DeathSpank maintains Gilbert's creative and ironic vein, making a parody of many of the fantasy RPG clichés. The co-op mode, great graphics, very enjoyable gameplay and a very good longevity (for an Arcade game) make DeathSpank a worth buy.

DarkStar One fails in every aspect, even if we have to acknowledge it the merit of having introduced some potentially interesting mechanics.

This new FPS by Zombie Studios is enthralling, original and frenetic: a different shooter with a good online mode, even if partly ruined by campers.

Crackdown 2 doesn't do anything particularly bad, but either doesn't do anything to shine above the other games. Chaos and destruction are everywhere, even after we've cleaned up an area of the city, making it impossible to quietly explore the city in search of secrets and orbs, like in the first game. It's a fun game at first, but it wears quickly into a repeated more of the same.

Singularity is revealed to be a very involving game, with some interesting ideas and capable of smoothly bringing us all the way to the end without ever being boring. The only letdown is its bare online multiplayer: we'd have preferred for Raven to focus on extending the single player experience, rather than delivering a too basic multiplayer.

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 is definitely the best LEGO game to date. More varied, reflexive and visually beautiful than its precursors, it's still inheriting some genetic defects from them, like a slight repetitivity and the absence of online co-op and online user-created maps sharing.

Sniper: Ghost Warrior isn't flawless, mainly due to a sub-par technical production and some mediocre run-and-gun shooting sections; nevertheless, the developers managed to bring us a very involving and atmospheric game, suited to everyone who has always been charmed by the sniper profession.

A somewhat exciting and absorbing game mainly thanks to its frenetic action and huge combos. However it's only suited for fans of this genere.

Naughty Bear shows some good ideas and a great ironic violent vein, but it isn't enough to overcome the general dullness and the lackluster technical realization. It would have surely benefited from more time spent on polishing and adding deeper gameplay.

Definitely one of this summer's surprises. Transformers: War for Cybertron is a very enjoyable shooter, with good graphics and a very nice artistic approach, using the classic Transformes look rather than the new movies one. Telling an untold story on the Transformers homeworld, it's a great game for every fan of the Hasbro license.

Toy Story 3 is a great family game, to play alone or in local co-op. Like two games in one, the Story and the Toy Box modes will deliver you many hours of enjoyment with your kids.

A very good golf simulator, with a high variety of gameplay, even if somewhat complex for newbies. We would have liked a better graphics, not in par with the nice environments offered by other games.

Alpha Protocol is the best example as many good ideas can't save a game with a mediocre gameplay and technical side. Obsidian made some good things with the dialogue system, but the shabby visuals, a bad aiming system and a ridiculous AI can let down even the more passionate spy stories and RPGs fan.

Thanks to Bizarre's passion and expertise, Blur brings some welcome freshness to the arcade racers genre: it's great for online drivers, while it could have used some more depth for the single player experience.

UFC Undisputed 2010 is an astounding fighting game, with an extremely deep gameplay experience, many play modes and, most importantly, many gameplay changes. The only downside could be a higher difficulty level, so confront it only if you're willing to spend some hours to master all the controls and the fighters' moves.

If you're looking for a game with a great story, dense with mystery and suspense and capable of keeping you in constant distress for hours, Alan Wake won't disappoint you. It isn't a perfect game mainly due to the somewhat repetitive action sequences, but its core is in the fantastic plot and storytelling. It undoubtedly is a great and unique experience, and as such it's highly suggested.

Red Dead Redemption is one of those one-in-a-generation games capable of setting a new bar in its genre. Absolutely unmissable by anyone.

Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands successfully manages to represent the great platforming gameplay and level design of the first Ubisoft game: unfortunately it will end in less than eight hours, and this is its main shortcoming.

Black Rock managed to create a new contender in the arcade racing arena: Split/Second: Velocity brings us a good combination of stylish graphics, spectacular gameplay and perfect difficulty balance. If you're looking for a distinctive and unique racing game, you won't be disappointed.

A good action game with a straight and easy gameplay, suitable for the whole family.

Due to some very drastic design choices, Lost Planet 2 is a very peculiar game: Capcom sacrificed a strong story and main character in favour of a more co-op oriented gameplay. If you're the kind of gamer who loved Left 4 Dead, you'll probably love this too: otherwise, if you're looking for a more story-focused action game it'll be a bit of a letdown.

Probably calling this game Skate 2.5 or Skate Online would have been more fair. Skate 2 show too less innovation on the previous game, except for the strong push towards online support. Nonetheless, just because it builds upon the strong foundations of the previous game, Skate 2 remains a strong and entertaining experience for every skateboarding lover.

A mediocre game in every aspect: even if you're a great Iron Man fan, prepare to be disappointed by this shoddy tie-in.

A great fighting game: it's got everything made SF IV great, plus new characters, new moves, new online modes and a greater gameplay balance thanks to some subtle but very important gameplay tweaks.

FIFA World Cup 2010 isn't a revolution but the developers managed to make it very interesting evolution on the already great FIFA 10, making it a must buy for every soccer lover.

Despite the evident technical limits, this was an entertaining game with an interesting mix of first person view and point-and-click gameplay. If you're missing the old graphical adventures you could evaluate buying it, maybe at budget price.

A great candidate for the title of best game in the series thanks to brilliant graphics, great attention to detail, a very immersive story and some well thought-out gameplay innovations. A must for every stealth action lover.

Prison Break: The Conspiracy offers nothing new under the sun, with a lackluster gameplay and a forgettable story. Lovers of the TV series should keep watching it instead of playing this game.

The nice characters cast can't save the game from its too reductive game structure, its surpassed technical making and especially its repetitive gameplay.

An immense game, with a lot of things to do that will deliver you many hours of surprising gameplay.

Penalized by a too arcadey approach, a non-existent physics simulation and other flaws, this game looks like a flop for Capcom, unable to revive the MotoGP franchise.

Supreme Commander 2 could have been one of the best console RTSes around, but it fails due to a really substandard technical side. However if you can turn a blind eye on the shoddy visuals, you'll like the deep units management system, the very immediate and dynamic control system and the good online support.

Metro 2033 looks like a missed chance: it had all the premises to be a great game, but several flaws heavily undermine it, making it a sometimes frustrating experience.

Resonance of Fate's strength resides in its deep and satisfying combat system. Notwithstanding, this isn't a game for everyone and is very different from other jrpgs on the market. Get it only if you aren't afraid of a particularly high complexity and you aren't specifically looking for a visually spectacular game.

Square Enix took a great risk changing all the series core mechanics, but it turned out to be a winning bet: a great technical realization and an over-the-top combat system make this game worth the buy for every Final Fantasy and JRPG fan.

A great FPS with a very solid engine, astounding sound design and great care for details. Its major flaw is the small number of multiplayer maps available, but as they're very big they'll guarantee plenty of online entertainment.

Immediate, entertaining and fulfilling even for the most exacting players, Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing is a very good alternative to Mario Kart on non-Nintendo consoles.

Risen manages to be, especially thanks to its gameplay and story, an involving and exciting RPG guaranteeing may hours of entertainment. Suggested to all the fans of classic RPGs, while all the others should prepare for some hours of difficulties and frustration before seeing it shine.

Quite a disappointment for nostalgic gamers who recalled the great 90's PC game. Even the most rabid AvP fans will find it hard to accept the game's many flaws and brief longevity except for the quite entertaining online multiplayer.

Tropico 3 is a deep, complex and though game, packaged in a very good technical realization and catchy music. Missions are much varied and never boring, but they get sometimes ruined by the complex and unclear menus. If you like managerial games, this is surely a suggested game.

Many new features, a great longevity and a vast and varied characters roster makes this the best game yet in the Dynasty Warriors franchise.

Deeper gameplay mechanics with an added layer of tactics, a great story and a very original multiplayer experience make BioShock 2 worthy of the first game, and a must buy for every gamer.

Dante's Inferno is entertaining and a good variant to the usual Xbox 360 line-up. Great storytelling, very solid graphics and an atmospheric soundtrack make it worth the purchase: only its low longevity and the too repetitive combat system keep down our rating of the game.

The greatest achievement of Blood Bowl developers has been staying uber-faithful to the original board game rules, delivering us a deep and very rewarding game that should meet the tastes of every turn-based strategy lover. Unfortunately, the game stumbles on an bad user interface, complete lack of online leagues support and a too basic tutorial that fails to explain the game fundamentals to newcomers. If you're already a fan of the board game you'll surely like it, but everyone else should consider buying it only if willing to dedicate several hours to learn the game basics.

Mass Effect 2 maintained the promise of delivering a worthy sequel to the first game, improving it with a tighter shooter component and the brave choice of streamlining the RPG one. Our only complain is the sub-par story, lacking the complexity and intrigue of the first one. Despite this, it remains a game capable to amaze any sci-fi lover.

Dark Void shows some good premises, but Airtight couldn't manage to let its wings spread open, delivering us an uninspired game lacking any truly memorable moments.

Army of Two: The 40th Day is a missed great game, mainly due to the extremely short play experience, while the whole game appears as very solid and improved in many areas. If you liked the first game, this sequel will surely win your hearts, even if for a short time.

A disappointing game, ruined by a too short longevity and the complete lack of charm.

Divinity II: Ego Draconis left us with a bitter taste: while being a quite good PC game, the console porting leaves much to desire. The charm of being able to transform into a dragon and the nice plot aren't enough to save the game, undermined by a shoddy technical side and a frustrating gameplay.

Darksiders is revealed to be a very good game and an authentic surprise, showing the true passion of the developers for many classical gameplay mechanics, managing to avoid any "clone effect". The game is only lacking that magic and pathos that could have guaranteed it a place in the games pantheon. It is however an unmissable title for every action-rpg lover.

Extreme, provoking, enthralling, adrenalinic and a bit kitschy. Bayonetta is the new queen of stylish action games, with inspired and flawless graphics and a beautiful and crazily irreverent main character: it's always a pleasure fighting the magnificent enemies thanks to a perfect control system and a very balanced difficulty. A perfect game to kick off 2010.

The Saboteur contains several good ideas with a nice mix of several gameplay styles, but due to a lacking technical realization stays in the group of half-succeeded games.

James Cameron's Avatar revealed to be enjoyable even without the attached movie license, offering us good visuals and gameplay; it isn't perfect, mainly due to the repetitive missions design and some control problems, but if you're looking for a sci-fi action game to play after the holidays big hits, this is your best bet.

Every race in MX vs ATV Reflex shows us how solid and well developed the game is. The only problems we had were related to the online multiplayer, with lag and connection drop problems: except for this, it is a milestone game for every off-road racing fan.

Assassin's Creed II is all the first game should have been if the authors developed more deeply plot, characters and gameplay: being able to rely on a well proven engine, they focused this time on a making the game more interactive and varied, even if it’s missing some of the wow factor the first game had two years ago. A fascinating action-adventure, full of things to do and moved buy an intriguing story: a must buy.

Left 4 Dead 2 is strongly suggested to everyone who prefers to play cooperatively with friends, sharing an adventure of horror and fear rather than fighting in the usual multiplayer FPS's: to complete the five different campaigns you'll have to act tactically and in strict collaboration with the other players.

The game is visually nice like all the previous LEGO titles, but we didn't like the removal of some important scenes in Indiana Jones saga and the by now stale gameplay.

Modern Warfare 2 was super-hyped, but Infinity Ward didn't disappoint: this is undoubtedly the most spectacular FPS around, made with extraordinary care and attention to details. If you're looking for an astonishing single player experience or a deep and enduring multiplayer, this is the game to buy.

Dragon Ball: Raging Blast manages to recreate with great fidelity Dragon Ball's anime series. The great richness of characters, modes and other contents makes it the best game in the series, absolutely suggested to all Toriyama fans, but not only: it's a good fighting game suited also for every lover of this genre.

LEGO Rock Band made some steps to make music games more accessible to families and children, but it gets lost in the songs list, too small and poor of real pop hits, at least for us Europeans. It's a nice gift for a kid (you'll have to separately buy the instruments, too), but not very interesting for music games hardcore fans.

PES 2010 isn't the final soccer simulation, but it surely manages to entertain us with our friends. It lacks on novelties and the graphics feel a little bit dated, but a couple of very long and involving online modes, the new cards system, a deep schemes creation editor and a finally playable online multiplayer, make PES 2010 a title to not undervalue, which definitely deserves to be enjoyed.

BioWare partially failed to port to console a very classical PC RPG. The Xbox 360 version of the game is ruined by bad graphics and a flawed combat system, while some aspects like the great, multiple-branching story will delight many players. Despite its problems, Dragon Age: Origins remains the only good "old style" RPG on this platform, so if you're looking for something like this you should give it a chance.

DJ Hero revealed to be very entertaining even for people usually not into the DJ and hip-hop scene: we've got a long tracklist full of little gems, with a well projected and solid controller. The downsides are the too few playing modes and some weird freezes when in the songs selection menus. However it's a good start, upon which the developers will be able to build a successful franchise: if you're tired of your plastic guitars and batteries, this will give you a breath of fresh air.

Turn 10 managed to improve an already great title, offering us the best racing game available today on consoles. This game bursts with passion for the motors world, conveying it to the player and immersing him in a great experience. A must have.

Fairytale Fights showed how the Playlogic team contains some exceptional artists and developers, capable to realize some wonderful worlds: unfortunately, it highlighted too some great problems in their game design and QA divisions. Great visual and a very intriguing base idea have been ruined by a very repetitive and unchallenging gameplay. It's a real pity, because this was one of our most watched games and it deserved a better treatment.

Borderlands is a successful experiment, managing to introduce some fresh elements in the quite static FPS landscape. The gameplay mechanics and its original graphics make it fresh and entertaining, suitable both for FPS fans and the people who loves Diablo-style RPGs. If you're willing to play it cooperatively with (up to four) your friends, Borderlands will shine in its best shape.

WWE SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 is a solid and well made game, capable of delivering hours of entertainment to all the fans of this sport. It isn't the best in the series and the splendour of Here Comes the Pain is still far away, however we consider it the best Wrestling game this generation.

EA Sports nailed almost every aspect of the game: FIFA 10 is pure soccer, or at least the nearest thing we can find in a video game. 25 championships, new modes and a perfect multiplayer make it a must have.

A delusion in almost every aspect. The free-roaming gameplay, which should have been its strength point, revealed to be instead one of its main shortcomings. Other than the fascinating environments, there aren't many more reasons to buy this game.

An easy forgettable game, too repetitive to be considered even by Bakugan fans.

Brütal Legend revealed itself to be a very entertaining and somewhat original game, with a very charismatic star that we hope to see again in the future. A real must-have for every Heavy Metal fan thanks to the great soundtrack, but very enjoyable from all the others too. Our only complain is with the game graphic, a little bit unpolished and with a precarious frame-rate.

Magna Carta II revealed to be a good J-RPG, especially thanks to the excellent combat system: pleasant, deep and never frustrating. Unfortunately a mediocre overall realization and quite boring dialogues pulled down our evaluation of the game. If you're used of this kind of games, you could be surprised by it.

Codemasters tried to bring on console a real military simulation and we can say it succeeded, giving us more depth in firefights. But it’s a tough game, unsuitable for classic FPS lovers and demanding much patience, dedication and tactic thinking. On our final opinion weigh the IA and technical problems we encountered, coupled with a lackluster online multiplayer. It’s a good start on which we hope the developers will build for a more solid and polished sequel.

When we talk about bad tie-in games, we refer exactly to something like this: monotonous, boring, with a too simple gameplay and technically lacking: a failure.

Saw presents an interesting plot and an unexpected and shocking ending, being able to frighten and cause anguish in the player. Too bad all this is partly ruined by a very bad combat system, too few available weapons and flat enemies.

Except for some slowdowns during gameplay, and some online connection problems, NBA 2K10 has been made with astounding care: very deep modes, great graphics and an improved gameplay guarantee an excellent experience for every fan of this sport.

Halo 3: ODST maintains all the features that made we love Halo 3, bringing us a very good plot even if without introducing great gameplay or technical news. What we obtain is a highly enthralling experience that won't displease all the series lovers. We particularly liked the Firefight mode , which allows us to play with our friends without having to dive into the ultra-testosteronic Halo 3 multiplayer arena. The 49,99 Euros price is just right for the kind of content offered, so it's surely an advised buy.

Some interesting ideas, the grotesque violence and tarantinian movie atmosphere aren't enough to raise Wet over the average action games. The game is penalized from a mediocre technical production, awkward gameplay choices and a short longevity, making it suitable only for those of you fascinated by the nice main character and a lot of gratuitous violence.

We expected an overly simulative game, but Need for Speed: SHIFT revealed to be half-way between sim and arcade racing: nevertheless, we found id very entertaining and exciting. If you're looking for a proper sim you'll have to look elsewhere on the market, but if all you want is feeling strong and satisfying emotions, this game could be the one for you.

Great gameplay, very good graphics and a flawless online side make of NHL 10 a great hockey simulation, recommend to every fan of this sport. Little problems with the defense line management and somewhat clumsy goalkeepers keep it from obtaining an even higher vote.

Heroes Over Europe is playable without ever becoming too boring or repetitive, but some defects undermine its gameplay and the challenge level that people desires from this kind of games. If you aren't looking for an overly simulative experience, you could consider at least renting it.

A very entertaining and long game, thanks to many modes and a good online side, but with not-so-stellar visuals.

Even if Marvel super heroes are very popular, this game revealed to be a very niche one, mainly due to the inexplicable lack of any Italian translation even in the game menus, making it unapproachable by people without a good English understanding.

Probably one of the best music games yet: if you're The Beatles fans you'll love its great psychedelic style, and atmosphere. A real musical-documentary of the 60s, that allows us to imagine the years of a worldwide music revolution.

Mini Ninjas is clearly aimed to a public wanting to enjoy a game without many complications. The nice story and excellent art direction make it a very good game to be played in the family or with friends.

Gaijin Entertainment showed hou a very realistic game can be brought on console without the need of mapping the controls on a whole keyboard. The Sim mode is very challenging and entertaining, but the Arcade and Realistic modes allow everyone to enjoy the game without having to master all the aerodynamics laws. Our main complaint is about the missions variety, that start looking a little bit too repetitive at the middle of the game progression.

Colin McRae: DiRT 2 established itself as one of the best racing games of the year. Jawdropping visuals and an over-the-top care to detail characterize a game capable to entertain both the motors passionates and those of you who are simply attracted by the spectacle of this kind of race. In a period monopolized by clean and shiny asphalt racers, this is a great mouthful of fresh air.

Guitar Hero 5 confirms the overall good quality of the series: Neversoft successfully managed to improve and extend the game's interface, modes and "social" features, fully justifying the trailing number 5 in the title. An advised buy especially if you're used to play with friends, at home or online.

We hoped that with this second episode Warner could bring more variety to the game, but we found a bad product on many fronts, except the very good visuals. A questionable plot, short longevity and a very repetitive gameplay make this game suitable only to the Watchmen über-fans, just to have some more Rorschach and Nite Owl action after the movie.

Batman: Arkham Asylum has been a real surprise, delivering us a great action game, with a deep stealth/tactical gameplay, great loyalty to the original comics and a strong plot. Undoubtedly the best comics-based video game so far, and one of the best games released this year: a real milestone.

One of the best games on Live Arcade, capable of rivaling even many of the retail games out there. A great level design keeps the gameplay interesting and entertaining from start to finish, together with great visuals and very high overall production quality. Definitely a must buy.