To not pick this up for any reason is almost foolish.

With strong voice acting, a solid array of weapons and abilities at your disposal, a great score, wonderfully creepy atmosphere, beautifully detailed environments, nearly unparalleled art-design, solid game-play and an engine that runs smooth as silk, BioShock stands testament to just what the term "next-generation" should mean.

No matter how one looks at it, The Orange Box is an astonishing deal that should be considered a mandatory purchase for any real fan of the genre.

Halo 2 has delivered and conquered every front it set out to take. No other game is as cinematic. No other game sounds like Halo 2 does and no other game plays as fantastic as Halo 2 plays. You will not find a better multiplayer game on any platform.

If you feel like team based action, it’s all there; and if you feel like going on a psychotic rampage, it’s also there for you.

Its gameplay, graphics, and auditory value are all off the chain. In addition, its replayability will provide hundreds of hours of wholesome fun. My only personal complaint is this: due to the immense worlds, obscene amounts of terrain, and overall hugeness of this software, I found myself becoming nauseated and oftentimes lightheaded and dizzy. You’ve been warned.

At the end of the day, Call of Duty 4 is a superb accomplishment that has already shown it has what it takes to at least get a Game of the Year nomination. The single player may be rather short for a Call of Duty game, but there’s plenty of reason to keep coming back over and over.

The game is definitely far superior to its predecessor and is just about on-par with the original, maybe even more so since it feels more complete.

A blockbuster. If you don't buy this game you don't deserve to own an Xbox; it's that good. Everything about this game is top-notch, from the gameplay, to the graphics, to the sound; it's all tremendously well done.

If the first Modern Warfare wasn’t your cup of tea, then it’s unlikely the numerous additions and small tweaks will do anything for you here. Yet for anyone else who’s a fan of console first person shooters with plenty of replay value, this is a game that’s definitely worth signing up for.

Braid is a wonderful game. It costs a little more than your average XBLA title, true, and you’ll probably beat it in 4-5 hours or so, but those 4-5 hours will be extremely well-spent.

Bethesda has done an excellent job at creating a living and wheezing post apocalypse world. Combining RPG elements and gory action orientated combat flawlessly.

Gears of War 2 manages to be everything that the sequel to an intense, violent shooter should be.

With its almost unbelievable length, incredible depth, fantastic audio, and just about everything else a good game needs, this game is incontestably worth every penny it costs.

An amazing game. There is no better party game on the 360, or any console for that matter. I found myself getting up early just so I could rip a few tunes before I had to leave the house then just as quickly getting back on as soon as I returned.

At the end of the day (or night even), Rock Band is easily one of the best party games ever made and one of this generation’s best, most enjoyable experiences.

Forza Motorsport is like a dream for car lovers. Not only does everything play great, everything looks and even sounds great via the custom soundtracks feature. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

With the addition of Playmaker controls, Owner Mode, custom sound tracks, and much more, it is clear that Madden has set a new high for games to follow.

Overall, Batman: Arkham Asylum is a fantastic, exceptional, and an extravagant video game, and revitalizes both the comic-book and Batman video game based genres.

The game’s still plenty of fun, offers enough challenge without being unbearable, has a couple great additions and will still bring out the inner rocker within you.

The action is fast paced and fluid on every character model, boss, and Ryu himself. The difficulty in the game is pretty tough, yet fair and very enjoyable.

Player models are impossibly detailed and each street has a gritty, lived in feel to it. Enemies ragdoll as one would expect a corpse to after being blasted with a three shot burst, and the explosions you just have to see for yourself.

Despite the questionable change to the graphical presentation, The Lost and Damned is a very well developed piece of content for one of the best games of last year.

At the end of the day, as I've said many times before, this is an amazing game.

There's truthfully nothing wrong with this package. If you have any interest in dual stick shooters, Geometry Wars 2 is definitely the cream of the crop.

While FIFA may have the licenses, Winning Eleven 8 is on top of the soccer game world in every other area that matters. Gameplay is superb, the graphics are impressive, the top players are included and it's thoroughly enjoyable.

Boasting over three-hundred vehicles to modify, upgrade and eventually auction off, Forza Motorsport 2 is the most customizable racer ever released.

It couples some extremely well executed facets such as its great sense of realism and lovely visual effects, with its rock solid presentation.

The game provides a ton of fun with its addictive gameplay, solid visuals, outstanding audio, and great control scheme. It may not add as much to the series as its previous installment, but it does have a lot to offer.

In closing, Fable 2 seems to be a light hearted, witty, casual role-playing game offering you more of an experience than an actual challenge.

It is by far one of the most satisfying cooperative experiences out there at the moment and completely overshadows its predecessor.

With extremely high production values, an open-ended story, and just about everything else a good RPG needs, Jade Empire is a brilliant experience.

The gameplay is as fun and addictive as ever, and the visuals were some of the most impressive I have seen in any sports game.

This version is just as fun and exciting as before, but it isn’t an incredible leap forward.

It’s scary at first, but once you get a bigger gun it becomes a Horror Action game, with no real threat present. That being said, Dead Space is an excellent game that’s worth checking out, even if you don’t like horror games.

This game is simply gorgeous. The lighting and mapping of the environments truly is a sight to behold.

While I was hoping the 360 version would add something entirely new (not counting the Peg Party), I highly recommend Peggle. It’s a casual game that appeals to everyone. For only 800 Microsoft points ($10 USD), you will definitely get your money’s worth.

So if you’re a skeptical Burnout fan, there’s nothing to fear. Burnout Paradise is another great edition in an already fantastic series.

Easily the best World War II shooter that has ever been released. With everything including innovative and fun gameplay, amazing visuals, great sound, simple control scheme, and enormous replay value, this game should make its way to the home of anyone who enjoys strategy shooters.

Simply put, Psychonauts is without a doubt, the best 3D platform game ever, yes I did say best 3D platform game ever, not one of the best, not second best, but best ever.

NHL 10 isn’t going to disappoint you, or for that matter, detract from your overall experience, but the miniscule changes to its gameplay and formula aren’t going to be reeling in any new fans.

Its competent story-mode, coupled with a variety of multi-player modes available online or off, Rainbow Six: Vegas is certainly a solid title, and one not to be missed by any fan of shooters.

If you are any type of boxing fan, you will love the smooth gameplay, stunning graphics, and great control scheme that Fight Night 2 offers.

The core game here is precisely the same as it was in "Project Gotham Racing 2" on the Xbox, but the addition of more Live functionality improves the game considerably. The graphics are utterly gorgeous, as well.

I can 100% guarantee that if the Doom name was not attached to this game, no one would pay this repetitive game any attention and it would hit the bargain bin like it deserves.

Quite possibly the best single player experience available on the Xbox. Outstripping even the mighty "Halo," it is fresh, unique, and unparalleled in its innovation of the genre.

This is a great game to have for people who want to get friends interested in fighting games, and is a fun party game in its own right.

The gameplay and replay value of this game is incredibly strong, and the control scheme and audio are icing on the cake.

GRID's delicate straddling of the line between arcade and simulation racing is one that works well for it, appealing to fans of either simulation or arcade racers, once you get used to its handling quirks.

The new additions of the Owner Mode and Hitter's Eye are substantial enough to warrant a purchase of MVP Baseball 2005.

It delivers with an innovative new mode of play and superb in-game additions. The overall presentation is drastically improved as well, and Madden 06 has the best soundtrack of any EA Sports game to date.

If you’re a fan of fighting games then BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger will make a welcome addition to your collection. If you’re remotely curious about fighting games and have been turned off by the steep learning curve of other games in the genre, give BlazBlue a chance.

Skate’s intuitive, but incredibly deep control scheme and extremely realistic physics model feel wonderful in motion. If you’re looking for a realistic approximation of skateboarding, look no further. Skate will not disappoint.

For what its worth, PGR 4 is the best game in the long running Project Gotham Racing series but sadly, this title isn’t sparkling with innovation and occasionally feels like more of the same. On the other hand, the core gameplay is good enough here that it doesn’t need significant changes.

All told, Guitar Hero 3 is another solid, worthy entry into an already highly-successful series. While not all of the changes and additions made benefit the game, the core gameplay is still there and that’s more than enough to make the game appeal to Guitar Hero veterans.

What makes this title so special? Well, let's see: you can use both third and first-person views; hand-to-hand melee combat; beautiful graphics; and amazing online multiplayer.

The gameplay is packed with features, the visuals and atmospheric feel is exceptional, and its control system is magnificent.

New gameplay and presentation tweaks and the all-new online franchise are welcomed with open arms, but disappointments from The Extra Point, online co-op, and the commentary don't make it the greatest Madden game ever.

Team NINJA has the Midas touch, and it looks as if Itagaki gave this one a one-hour massage before release. It has challenging, in-depth gameplay, the best visuals the console has yet to experience, and enough replay value to kill a Kasumi clone.

There isn’t much I can find fault with in this game. It’s certainly one of the best racing games out there and possibly the best in its little subgenre as well.

The thought, “taking a sledgehammer to a zombie’s face would really take the edge off of my day right now, I wonder how much I can get Dead Rising for” will creep into your head and again and again. Eventually you will own it. It’s just that simple of an issue and that addictive of a gameplay.

Luckily, the gameplay stays true to its roots, favoring fast paced action over realistic football. As a result, those who have been Madden fans in the past should definitely grab this one, and those who have not enjoyed past titles should hold out against the marketing tidal wave.

What is very clear to anyone who plays Red Faction Guerilla is that there is no other game quite like it.

There isn’t much to complain about in Far Cry 2. As I’ve already raved about before, the visuals are gorgeous, the use of fire is amazing and the gunplay is viscerally satisfying.

If you enjoyed Modern Warfare or FPSs in general, this is one of the higher quality shooters you'll find this year. If you're not a fan of grit and prefer your war games more sanitized, such as in Halo, then you'd do well to steer clear.

With addictive gameplay, varied achievements that despite a real lack of difficulty, help to keep the player engrossed in seeing more of the game, topped with unbeatable charm, Viva Piñata is definitely a fun title for people of all ages.

The controls are spotty, all the good stuff is hidden behind a byzantine unlock structure, and the graphics are a notch below par for the Xbox.

In closing, while Devil May Cry 4 seems to be a hard fit in the series due to Dante’s significantly reduced role, the gameplay is as tight, stylish and entertaining as it ever was.

At the end of the day, Guitar Hero: Metallica is essentially what it sounds like: a Guitar Hero game for Metallica fans; by the fans, for the fans in the purest sense.

Borderlands isn't perfect. Far from it. But its addictive gameplay and unique features makes it different from the pack.

The characters are memorable and the storyline is great, even if it gets a bit "out there" towards the end. It's games like this that deserve to be called art, instead of just "games". If you buy one more Xbox game this year or ever, make it Indigo Prophecy.

Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike doesn't just add some new modes, maps, and eye candy; it actually improves its gameplay formula, making it an all around better game than Ghost Recon 2.

ProControl and On-The-Fly Coaching are ground-breaking innovations. And as mentioned before, they've allowed for innovation without forcing you to break the bank to experience it.

Despite the less-impressive graphics, the game holds its own with its balanced fights, new punches, and replayability.

Need for Speed Shift sets out to try and accomplish a number of goals, with the primary two being to deliver an authentic racing experience and potentially revitalize the series. Although it doesn’t quite manage to fully accomplish either of these, this is still a valiant effort that, had it given some more development time, could’ve been a far superior package.

The cop AI is ingenious and will regularly outwit you without making you feel as if they are unfair.

If there was a game to dethrone Halo 2 as multiplayer king, it'd be TimeSplitters: Future Perfect. This game's multiplayer is just incredibly fun, offering tons of variation as well as multiplayer bots to fit whatever your heart desires.

I’ll admit I was hooked for the first five hours, but as the game waned on, so did the entertainment of the game.

UFC 2009 Undisputed has the flash, the look, the gameplay, but doesn't have the style and easy pick-up-and-play feel to make it that undisputed, unbeatable champion.

If you simply can't get enough Fable, then by all means give the developers and publisher some more of your hard earned cash.

Pac-Man CE is a solid arcade title. It doesn’t revolutionize the game but it does add some new elements to keep it fresh. 800 points is a tad pricey for a game with slight variations on game modes, but at least you know what you’re getting into with Pac-Man.

You will fall in love with the police-chases immediately, and you are still offered the great racing aspects that you already know and love.

In short, if you’re a fan of the original Vegas or have more than just a passing interest, then by all means, check this one out; just don’t expect profound amounts of innovation.

If you have not played Viva Pinata, then it's most unlikely this release will do anything to change your mind to the contrary. If you expressed an interest but did not make the plunge the first time around, I would highly recommend this as your first foray due to all the excellent additional features included.

While The Darkness may not hit the mark on everything it tries for, it's not nearly enough to knock the experience off track. Even for an average 10-15 hour campaign, The Darkness hits a lot of nails, and only bends a few.

Probably the most boring racing game I’ve ever played. While some folks may find driving virtual exotic cars around a bland replica of Hawaii relaxing, I find it frustrating. Especially when the cars control like they are on ice.

Doom plays quite well in single player on the 360 thanks to tight controls, crisp (but definitely dated) graphics, and a smooth frame rate. Split screen is also flawless and it’s a blast to play with four people in the same room.

Mega Man 9 is definitely a challenging game and designed for the hardcore gamer that remembers a simpler time consisting of two button controllers, cartridges and 8-bit graphics.

The Behemoth has made one of the best games on Xbox Live Arcade, and it's a 2D beat 'em up that feels fresh from an early '90s arcade.

Hardcore fans of the Prince of Persia series might want to pick this one up if you’re curious as to how the series began, but don’t expect a stellar experience like Sands of Time.

Command & Conquer 3 is proof that the 360 is just as able to deliver a solid RTS experience.

It has exceptional gameplay, tight controls, beautifully scary graphics, and a soundtrack to wet your pants to. Unfortunately, a lack of replay value is just inexcusable when there are so many basic ways they could have enhanced it.

The controls don’t put a strangle hold on the gameplay, the graphics only have a few hiccups, and the audio is near perfection.

A must-buy for both fans of plastic bricks and the “real” Star Wars movies. Combining a humorous take on the classic films with simple controls and tricky puzzles, this game is a standout in the seemingly never ending avalanche of repetitive Star Wars titles.

At the end of the day, Saints Row 2 manages to be a mostly satisfying sequel with a few key issues holding it from true greatness.

Phantom Dust is worth every dime and nickel you put into it. Ironically it's only $19.99, so Phantom Dust won't be busting your wallet. Don't let the card-collecting stereotype scare you away.

Everything from the graphics to the gameplay to the sound, it's just great!

Assassin’s Creed is by no means a bad game; it’s fallen to the fate of many other games by having too much hype surrounding it. If you’re expecting a ground breaking Game of the Year quality game, you won’t find it. If you’re expecting to play an average action game, then you’ll find yourself very pleased with your purchase.