It's mad. In fact, it barely makes any sense at all. But for all its wonky bits, there's an odd charm to Volition's decision to leave nothing on the drawing board. It's not the largest sandbox, but it is packed full of brilliant toys. Saints Row: The Third's commitment to unrestricted, ridiculous fun is unflinching, and the product is a city full of glorious slapstick debauchery.

An overhaul of the match engine and lively attacking play bring PES back into contention, but don't expect much from the AI.

Spectacular player collisions and tackles, and a far more realistic pace make FIFA 12 the best football sim yet.

Satisfying, suspenseful multiplayer is more than the sum of its parts, but marred by bugs for now. Ignore the single-player. [Holiday 2011, p.64]

A generous, history-respecting rethink that adds weeks of fun to one of 2011's finest strategy titles. [Holiday 2011, p.70]

When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die--there is no middle ground. [Holiday 2011, p.74]

However, it's telling that the best of the Black Ops DLC packs is 80 percent recycled material. [Holiday 2011, p.75]

And that's about all you get, aside from a few new toys, some forgettable items, and another unnecessary boost to the level cap. [Holiday 2011, p.75]

The simple building system is very slow and expensive, often taking years, and enemy ninjas can destroy guilds or religious locations with ease. [Holiday 2011, p.77]

Not since lemmings has a game so seamlessly mixed humor, cutscenes, and cruelty. [Holiday 2011, p.77]

A challenge mode extends the shelf life of this strategy snack, but its appeal is likely wear thin after a few days of happy hooliganism. [Holiday 2011, p.79]

This is a game about smashing up artwork with a big rock, and there's nothing wrong with that. [Holiday 2011, p.79]

Hardly the drive of your life, but easily one of the most memorable--and a great one-time gimmick done well. [Holiday 2011, p.78]

Hard Reset isn't just a reference to what you're expected to do to the killer robots infesting the city, but what the developer tries to do to the shooter design itself. [Holiday 2011, p.80]

The Cartel's finest feature is a mess. Everything else is merely bland, repetitive, and dull. [Holiday 2011, p.80]

Now that it's saddled with a price tag, a bare minimum of polish, and one new course, I'm not even sure just telling you to avoid it is enough. [Holiday 2011, p.81]

Almost everything you'd want of a TrackMania, but as a TrackMania 2 it leaves a lot to be desired, and hopefully fixed. [Holiday 2011, p.76]

Rage isn't a complicated game. Despite what the developers might have suggested and we might have assumed, it's still set in a corridor. Fortunately, id still make some of the finest corridors in the world. [Holiday 2011, p.72]

A fine RTS in the classic tradition, but it takes players far too long to get to the good parts--even if you pay. [Dec 2011, p.76]

Beautiful graphics and fantastic controls are wasted due to a lack of content and an abundance of bugs. [Dec 2011, p.72]

CMBfN is a very good tactical wargame saddled with pre-alpha looks and controls. [Dec 2011, p.74]

When it comes to RTS design fundamentals, Achron is frustratingly primitive, which depreciates its brilliant twist. [Nov 2011, p.81]

For $5, you could do worse than this brief-but-bewitching platformer. [Nov 2011, p.79]

Earns points for originality, but with better pacing and a heftier casting budget, it could have been a much better zombie game contender. [Nov 2011, p.79]

It's a slick mix of Total War and Panzer General, but the strategic map is far too chaotic and implausible. [Nov 2011, p.77]

I endured a lot of frustration in some of the more challenging levels, but for the quick-witted and cool-headed, Vertex is full of cerebral, frantic fun. [Nov 2011, p.77]

Well-formed and horribly addictive. [Nov 2011, p.75]

A really good parody. [Nov 2011, p.76]