The RPG elements and advanced combo system immerse players into the game - letting them make Death into their own unique killing machine. Improved NPC interactions and side quests make this larger world feel not so bland and desolate. Darksiders II outshines its predecessor in almost every aspect.

Sleeping dogs is a fantastic game that you need to play.

Wreckateer gets a lot of things right. The gameplay is accurate, responsive, and fun. It challenges advanced players that want to get gold while maintaining the fun factor for a younger audience. A little more variety with the structures could've taken the repetitiveness out of destroying familiar variations of the same castle. Wreckateer is a diamond in the rough.

Spelunky is probably not for everyone. For all my attempts to romanticize the game's difficulty, it still demands patience from its players, and that might be too much for some. Those that stick it out though, or have an affinity for similar punishing trials like Dark Souls or Super Meat Boy, will find a game that rewards the time you spend with it with nearly infinite amounts of replayability. It all adds up to make Spelunky the best port of a mining related indie PC game to hit the Xbox.

The presentation is top-notch, the game feels like you want it to never end while you're playing it, and the multiplayer gives it longevity that will stick around for a good while.

The high bar of visuals is followed by a good score, and descent acting, some of the spell and combat audio has a edge to it that sounds lower quality then the rest of the audio landscape.

Other franchises do an admirable job of capturing the spirit of fighting, the spirited back-and-forths of a good brawl. But with Virtua Fighter, you get the very essence of fighting, the true artistry in martial arts. And it's a total knock out.

Some of the pay-offs for using a single Shepard from the first game through to the end of the third game seem thin. Not bad, just thin. Seemingly huge choices from the first two games amount to less then a full minute of screen time and an email sometime later.

The presentation style in Wrath suits the storyline and characters almost perfectly.

Fantastic art direction. Great fidelity to the comic-roots of this universe.

There's nothing better than completing a multi-million point combo after tricking off of a helicopter while being chased by a massive avalanche – it's reasons like this that we're happy to say, "Welcome back, SSX, we've missed you."

A massive step in the right direction for the series, and helps repair some of the damage done to the brand's reputation over the past few years.

If you love any or all of the following - RPGs, rich fantasy worlds, action games - Reckoning is a rich action RPG with a deep narrative, even deeper character customization, and plenty of content right out of the box. Go get this game.

My friends and I are going to have a ton of fun playing it, and playing it for a very long time. There are definitely some head-scratching design decisions from where we sit, but it remains that we can sink hour after hour into the game without even feeling the time pass.

NFL Blitz is one of the best, if not the best arcade sports experiences on the market.

A source of great entertainment that is easy to pick up. Whether you're a dedicated Marvel fanatic or just someone who likes pinball, you shouldn't have too much trouble enjoying the game. For 800 Microsoft Points, or roughly $2.50 per table, it's not only cheap, but lots of fun.

A great bang-for-buck ratio happening right here. An engaging, well-written story with gameplay that is just as accessible to casuals as it is challenging for the hardcore, Trine 2 will give you an experience that will leave you with a look of satisfaction on your face all the way through.

RAAM's Shadow is worth your $15 investment. The campaign will take you 3 - 4 hours to complete on the Normal Difficulty.

Tropico 4 is an enjoyable and well-polished strategy experience that's accessible and highly addictive, and for that reason we have to recommend that strategy fans pick this one up. After all, it's (probably) the closest most of us will get to becoming any kind of tyrannical dictator.

The environments alone almost justify the cost of admission! In this massive world the sound and presentation mix to keep you engaged throughout the storyline and leave you wanting more at the end. This is definitely a game to check out.

The strong cast of characters, each of them with their own unique look & feel, really gives KOF XIII a certain appeal. Fans of Anime will absolutely adore the artwork.

If you've had the urge to sneak around in Snakes shoes once more than heed the call. The Metal Gear Solid is the standard by which future HD collections should be judged.

This is an incremental update with a lot of fresh paint.

Like Saints Row II, but bigger. The game concentrates on giving you fun, which helps mask some of the flaws. Saints Row: The Third may not have a huge improvement in terms of mechanics over its predecessors, but it is far more fun.

If you haven't played through the campaign that redefined console FPS then there is no better way to do it than with the new HD graphics and remade maps. Unfortunately, long time fans may be disappointed with the small selection of maps on the disc and the removal of the original multiplayer component.

It's not a particularly complex or challenging game, but it is charming, addictive, funny, and a joy to play.

The multiplayer is the strongest it has ever been, and the coop mode has been expanded from an addition to a full-fledged mode. Modern Warfare 3 won't blow away anyone looking for anything new, but it will deliver enough thrills and quality to keep players engaged and coming back for more.

This is easily one of the best RPGs to come out in this generation of consoles. You must own this game.

Daytona USA will make for a welcome trip down memory lane for fans of the original, but newcomers to the franchise won't find much to entertain themselves here.

Eurocom has done a fantastic job of bringing back one of the multiplayer experiences of all time – which was not an easy task. Reloaded has the power to stand on it's own as a engaging first person shooter and play with the big boys. It's just a shame it had to be released right between two of the biggest boys of the year.

If you go into the game expecting a rush of nostalgia backed by solid gameplay you will not be disappointed.

The formula that Rocksteady started with Arkham Asylum has been all-but perfected in Arkham City. This game hits you hard, hits you where it hurts and leaves you begging for more.

During our review period the servers for online matchmaking crashed twice and locked out all players. The singleplayer also has its limitations in terms of storytelling but none of this detracts from the AAA multiplayer experience offered. For any other game these hiccups may have affected the overall score but even those who have only played BF3 for a few hours should be able to tell the game will have a bright future.

Namco Bandai should be proud of what they have here. Sure, there are a few hiccups in play here or there but it is nothing that is so bad as to turn you off from the experience.

The visual finery, combined with the faithfulness of the driving experience and Forza's trademark attention to detail make this game the finest simulation racer available, in our opinion.

Charming and full of content.

There are issues that need fixed – online being the most severe – but that doesn't undermine the fact that it's still an incredibly fun game to play.

Solid gunplay combined with powerful but balanced Nanosuit abilities, plus plenty of replayability thanks to the open nature of many of the game's levels.

It's hard to imagine what EA can do to improve this series even more for next year's offering.

While the game doesn't necessarily introduce any kind of ground-breaking gameplay elements, what it does is perform some tried-and-true FPS staples (and some newer concepts too) at a very high level, and hits the mark an overwhelming majority of the time.

If you're looking for some explosive fun on Xbox Live, it is hard to go wrong with Renegade Ops. The gameplay is tight, the experience polished, and the game plays out like a 80s action movie.

The excellently crafted encounters, tons of extras and story are well worth the price of admission.

Gears of War 3 is a must own and chances are once it gets a hold of you it will be hard for you to let go.

NHL 12 offers a ton of options and improves on key areas like control, artificial intelligence and the number of game modes.

Rock of Ages might not be the most taxing or deep strategy game out there, and with only 23 missions available, it won't take you long to polish off the single player campaign. However what's there is fun, simple and accessible.

If you're looking for a competitive tower defence/strategy hybrid game, Toy Soldiers: Cold War is tough to put down.

Did I enjoy this game? Absolutely. Did it scare the crap out of me at times? 100%. Was there a real feeling of survival horror (as opposed to just jumping-scares) that has been sadly lacking from other contemporary zombie games? You bet.

It is this flexibility which keeps Bastion fresh from beginning to end.

The game is engaging and atmospheric, and you'll find yourself compelled to explore every inch of it just to see what it offers.

The game's single player is short, clocking in at about 4 or 5 hours, but when you factor in the ability to play the game cooperatively with a friend from a completely new vantage point this gives it some much needed depth.

The immersive Kinect controls are worth keeping the game around, especially as demonstration for what the Kinect is capable of. Even playing Child of Eden for 10 minutes leaves you with a sense of happiness.

If you are looking for an action-packed game that is reminiscent of some of the best side-scrolling action games of yesteryear, you can do far worse than Moon Diver.

Gameplay-wise, little has changed since the 1995 original, and in many ways the series seems a little too eager to cling to the past.

Truly this is the most mature game that Rockstar has been a part of. In the end it is something that will go down in history as one of the most innovative games of our time, and for good reason. You are simply supposed to have this game in your collection, if you consider yourself a gamer by any definition of the word.

The gameplay in Top Spin 4 is almost unrivaled. The amount of customization, options and fluidity the control scheme gives really heat up the competition. If you've never played a tennis game before Top Spin 4 will change how you look at the sport.

Even though some of it feels familiar, there's enough new here to keep you coming back for more.

Offers a staggering [amount] of unlockable content and a solid campaign mode.

It is engaging, clever, genuinely funny, and all-around unique. The puzzles are always a challenge, but none of them go into the realm of the impossible – clever thinking and analysis is always enough to solve them, and gives a sense of accomplishment when you get it right.

Overall I'm not just impressed with the game as it's presented, but I'm also impressed knowing that one guy did pretty much all of it. That blows me away as I'm sure it will do to you too when you get a true feeling of the style, the story, the over-the-top action and replayability that lies beyond the opening menu.

At 560 Microsoft Points, the add-on is a bit steep with its lack of content and for the casual player, but for the completionist who want to absorb the complete canon of the series and prepare for the next game, it's worth a stab.

The helmet-cam is a revelation of exciting perspective in a genre who's main innovations come in the form of physics-tweaking or creative power-ups on the arcade side of things.

Nothing Crysis 2 has to offer will revolutionize the genre but the customizability of the nanosuit and multiple ways to play the game make it a unique experience for every person who plays.

It has charm and polish that elevate it beyond a simple Diablo clone to something special in its own right.

Full House Poker is easy to learn, easy to get into, but challenging and increasingly rewarding so I'm pretty sure you'll be seeing me hitting the tables once the game releases on March 16th.

Simply fun. The exciting campaign and unique twist on first-person mechanics make it an exceptional addition for any shooter fan.

Capcom has provided players with a package that rivals any other fighter on the market and surpasses the best of them in terms of presentation.

The game is atmospheric, creepy and exciting throughout.

If you've never played a Keflings game, definitely start with this one.

It's all been done before one way or another, but the new style and story helped this score.

Run, jump, zap and boost. The game plays out in quite a simple fashion and you'll find yourself rearing to beat your friends' high scores.

Pac-Man Championship Edition DX is an extraordinary package that appeals to nostalgic arcade dwellers and newcomers alike. Namco has done an excellent job preserving the essence of Pac-Man while adding in new features such as bombs and ghost chains to spice things up.

While some graphical blandness and frustrating gameplay elements chip away at the game's overall experience, in the end this is going to be a game that appeals mainly to the flight simulator audience anyway.

The look and features of the four new tables in the Marvel Pinball pack are awesome works that must been seen by anyone with a pulse, and a penchant for Pinball.

I'd put it ahead of World at War but behind Modern Warfare 1 & 2, to talk recent history.

The real game changer is the Multiplayer experience which brings a tense battle of paranoia to the forefront and rewards stealth over open-attacks. There are subtle techniques to be learned and to succeed you need to play smart.

Kinect Sports is a robust package that offers a lot of variety on one disc.

It is the kind of title that can be enjoyed by a room full of people with just one person playing.

It's a blast when you have people over, because everybody knows how to play Pinball, and Pinball FX 2 is bar none, the best I've played without a coin-slot.

All of the immersion in the world can't stop players from being pulled away by the show stopping bugs. These issues should not detract from those interested in New Vegas from checking it out. New players and Fallout veterans alike will appreciate the long length and amount of lore present.

DJ Hero 2's gameplay is better, the mixes are fantastic and getting the ability to creatively control your own freestyles make it an experience worth exploring. It's extremely gratifying to cut back and forth between two songs at your own discretion and create something that sounds simply awesome.

While some elements are fantastically executed and the main campaign is quite compelling, there just isn't enough innovation or diversity in the multiplayer or beyond the story to pry people away from its behemoth of a competitor.

There are very few games that showcase this kind of creativity combined with a protagonist with a believable reason behind their cause.

The gameplay is exceedingly simple.

Sega has taken the classic Sonic formula and finally repeated it with success. In this case "less is more". Once you add in some small additions that were developed during the 3D era you get a solid entry in the sonic franchise.

The minor passing difficulty, negligible graphical stumbles and tough learning curve don't detract from the sheer quality of this basketball simulator.

It's an absolute must-buy from Xbox Live Arcade and should be found on every hard drive of every Xbox in existence. While this all sounds like high praise, Super Meat Boy earns every word of it.

While the early difficulty and repetition made it seem like the fully-formed experience would be a grueling affair, Comic Jumper really grew on me as the levels passed. By the time I was dancing to get Pling-Pling the unicorn to heaven with Star laughing at me, the smile on my face was wide enough to forget any elements that may have detracted from the full experience.

And when a downloadable game makes you keep thinking its a full retail release, it's definitely doing something right.

So if you've been pleased with the series so far and love the latest set list, you're going to have a blast with Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock. But for everyone else who hasn't been completely sold on the Guitar Hero franchise, there's nothing going on here that's going to change your mind.

In conclusion Halo: Reach is one of the most feature rich packages available on the Xbox 360 to date. Bungie has taken the time to ensure that every included mode, option and feature has been polished to perfection.

Drawing from such a huge universe of content, Shattered Dimensions does a great job at doing something new for the comic genre. While the normal fights are familiar, the tailored feel of each level to each boss is a nice touch.

While the game world is a beautiful testament to a bygone era, the full experience just needs...more. You're all but guaranteed to enjoy many parts of this game, but the full experience just isn't there.

It doesn't reinvent the wheel, but great co-op gameplay and solid action keep this title on point.

But the experience of playing Perfect Dark for XBLA definitely feels behind the times.

There’s much worse out there, and even though Scrap Metal may not rise too far above the heap, but it’s definitely up there, on pure fun alone.

This XBLA game signals a shift into something more hardcore video gamers could get behind: an action game that requires an itchy trigger finger to complement an itchy brain. With some exciting shooter action, solid strategy gameplay and a uniquely satisfying art style for the overall presentation, Toy Soldiers is proof of what XBLA was meant to do: bring us casual games in a hardcore games package.

Bad Company 2 is the best FPS I've played in longer than I can remember. While the presentation could be stronger in spots and DICE hasn't quite gotten the hang of checkpointing systems outside of the PC space, I don't see myself shutting up about how good Bad Company 2 is for quite some time.

Over on the PS3, MLB 10: The Show has just launched, and it likely still claims the crown in the video baseball showdown. But it clearly hasn’t experienced the same sudden improvement as the 2K line, which, now, can be considered a true competitor.