A truly awesome, memorable gaming experience! [Dec 2012]

A stylish homage to old video games. It's just not particularly fun to play. What could have been a great game ends up just okay. [Dec 2012]

Professor Layton's first appearance on 3DS is one of the best entries in the series. The puzzles are grade A and the main storyline is compelling. The technological advances are somewhat minor and the game doesn't really benefit from the 3D effect. [Dec 2012]

A technically sound and entertaining sandbox for arcade racers. The name should be Need for Burnout, though. [Dec 2012]

Tightly designed version of the eternal struggle, aliens versus space marines. Maps make it too easy to lose one's bearings and biting/hitting a marine could use some visible feedback.

Mark of the Ninja is an excellent 2D-platformer, which cleverly combines stealth with explosive action. The striking visual style is also worth a mention. [Dec 2012]

One could think that Sony is trying to ride on Mario Kart's reputation, but fortunately Sackboy's own karting game stands on it's own two feet. The feel for driving is great, there are plenty of tracks and the easy to use editor makes sure that there's legions upon legions of race tracks to play in the future. [Dec 2012]

Hotline Miami is a gem of a game. It has satisfying gameplay, an atmosphere that is both disturbing and gripping, and it provokes thoughts like no other game this year. What more could you want? [Dec 2012]

Hitman Absolution sure isn't the classic free-range Hitman, but in its limited way is a pretty entertaining, very pretty sneak'n'shoot. The worst problems are the plot and non-working disguises. [Dec 2012]

Giana Sisters may seem to be an ordinary brightly coloured platformer, but behind the beautiful surroundings there is a devilishly difficult old-school game, that takes nothing for granted. [Dec 2012]

Quotation forthcoming. [Dec 2012]

With freedom comes great responsibility. With a lush world for free-roaming and with freedom to execute your objectives Far Cry 3 delivers. The story missions and characters are not of the same standard but are also not a big annoyance. [Dec 2012]

A visually quirky throwback to retro Disney, but under the unique surface it is a frustrating, dull and entirely mediocre platformer. [Dec 2012]

Fallen Enchantress improves on the first Elemental game by leaps and bounds, but still fails to enchant. Heroes and armies are fun to play with, but the mediocre empire building lacks that something which really would hook you in. [Dec 2012]

Dead or Alive 5 is a solid beat'em up. It has great visuals, and the intricacies of the gameplay entice both the novice and the expert alike. [Dec 2012]

Excellent multiplayer slasher, full of sound, fury and blood. More object maps, please. [Dec 2012]

Call of Duty Black Ops II is saved by its multiplayer, as the campaign has surprisingly too many bad sections. Maybe now it's time to move on? [Dec 2012]

Black Ops II is a mixed bag. The single-player features the most coherent and engaging storyline seen in the series so far. While the story really shines, the campaign itself feels over-scripted and underwhelming. It's hard not to enjoy the multiplayer, though. While one could argue it's the same old Ground War, it's still a lot of fun. [Dec 2012]

This mix'n'match of brands is by far the best adaptation of Angry Birds. It combines all the best sides of the game series and throws in a really nice set of characters. The force is strong in this one. [Dec 2012]

A bit of an ambiguous case. On one hand it delivers pretty solid and fun rallying, but on the other hand it feels a bit disappointing because it could have been much better. Handling could have been improved to more extreme realism and the career mode could have been refined instead of dumbing it up. [Nov 2012]

A good start, but needs more levels and a 1st person view. And some lessons from Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. [Nov 2012]

The Unfinished Swan is more than just black and white. The Unfinished Swan is simply a fantastic fairytale adventure. [Nov 2012]

Skylanders: Giants is pretty much the same stuff as last year. The new giants are fun, but are not nearly powerful enough to justify their price tag. Still decent fun, just without the flair of freshness the original had. [Dec 2012]

Pokémon Black and White 2 are the best Pokémon games thus far. The amount of activities you can participate in is delightful, the storyline surprisingly engaging, and the new gym design fun. The biggest complaint stems from the horrible implementation of new difficulty levels. I loved the idea of having a harder difficulty for my quest, but implementing it only in one game of the pair, and even then unlocking it after I've actually played through the game, is simply old fashioned and bad game design. [Nov 2012]

Pokémon Black and White 2 are the best Pokémon games thus far. The amount of activities you can participate in is delightful, the storyline surprisingly engaging, and the new gym design fun. The biggest complaint stems from the horrible implementation of new difficulty levels. I loved the idea of having a harder difficulty for my quest, but implementing it only in one game of the pair, and even then unlocking it after I've actually played through the game, is simply old fashioned and bad game design. [Nov 2012]

A mixed bag: mostly entertaining, yet still a bit frustrating experience. Slowed down tempo, refined attacking AI and new defending controls are welcomed additions. However, Konami should forget the dribbling controls and keep on improving passing, AI and physics engine. [Nov 2012]

Of Orcs and Men might seem like a traditional role-playing game, but it turns the roles of heroes and villains upside down. Orcs and goblins are oppressed while humans enjoy the good life. The game gets a bit repetitive towards the end and the AI is downright awful, but it is still a worthwhile play. Highly recommended to players who are sick and tired of knights in their shining armor running the show. [Nov 2012]

NBA 2K13 is not only excellent basket ball game, it is one the best sports games of the year. [Nov 2012]