It's not merely the fact that Rockstar have taken an already engaging gameworld and rebuilt it from the ground up, it's the fact that they've done that, and shoehorned in realistic weather systems, day to night transitions, realtime lighting, realistic character movement and animation, realistic physics and kinetics, incidental details, solid and well written dialogue, convincing AI and non-player characters and a multiplayer system that puts other games to shame.

The game has a complete stylish feel to it and considering that this… pretty much is just is a hack and slash button masher, the fact that the game is so much fun to play, leaves you not caring about sore fingers.

That rare beast, an Xbox Live Arcade title that offers fantastic value for money. An instant cult classic that reeks of coolness and belongs firmly on your 360’s hard drive.

The high replay value is central to The Club’s game play mechanic, as is the ability to play online with other people. Perfectly suited to those late night, competitive sessions where you fight to achieve the highest score.

Overall, Halo: Reach is an amazing title.

Thoroughly enjoyable, superbly atmospheric and deliciously detailed, it performs the enviable task of giving Rockstar yet another solid IP to produce a series of games from.

One of those rare instances where the developer exceeded expectations and over delivered.

Modern Warfare 3 succeeds in every area and the development teams at both Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games should be extremely proud.

Overall Bastion is an exceptional title and a tremendous start to the 2011 Summer of Arcade promotion. This is the first title from Supergiant Games and they have hit a home run with it.

Overall, L.A. Noire is an absolutely amazing title. The development team over at Team Bondi and Rockstar have hit a homerun here and have set the bar for any future titles in this genre.

UFC Undisputed 2010 has enough content for the hardcore MMA fan while at the same time it doing an excellent job of introducing newcomers to the sport.

You can tell that Ubisoft put an incredible amount of work into this title and the development team should be proud of what they accomplished.

If you are a racing fan then you need to give Dirt 3 a chance. Even if you are just a casual fan be sure not to overlook this game. You might be pleasantly surprised with what you find as this is a game for the hardcore and casual fan alike.

The campaign, while short, is epic and a lot more intense then the original Modern Warfare. The enemy A.I. is a lot smarter and will make you rethink your tactics from time to time.

Deus Ex Human Revolution is a pretty amazing game.

Epic really seems to have nailed how to get the most out of the Xbox 360 hardware and it shows with each new release. The bottom line is this: If you own an Xbox 360 Gears of War 3 is one of those games that you must own.

Overall, Mass Effect 2 is a title that everyone has to experience. As fun as the first title was it did have its own share of issues. It’s refreshing to see a development team take in all of the criticism from their previous title and use it to improve upon their concept for the sequel.

Overall, Portal 2 is an absolutely amazing title. Everyone (including myself) was disappointed when Portal 2 was delayed earlier this year, however, it was more than worth the wait. Portal 2 is a masterpiece that I can see myself playing for years.

This is a title that deserves a spot in your gaming library. The environments are stunning, the level of control you have over your own experience is amazing and, simply put, Skyrim is an epic experience.

Overall, Dance Central 2 is a pretty amazing Kinect game. Harmonix has packed it full with features and it should keep you busy for quite a while. This is by far the best Kinect dance game and a pretty good leap from the original Dance Central.

Not only is this a really amazing Batman title, it is a really amazing action adventure title overall. My only complaint is that some of the boss battles were a little annoying, however, the game overall is a masterpiece.

An unsettling horror-laden rollercoaster ride of a game, and possibly a contender for "best sequel of the year so far". Don't play it alone at night without a change of underwear!

It may not look or sound like much but N+ is nevertheless a beast of a game in terms of gameplay and challenge.

Though I slightly miss the facility to generate random landscape types, this is a tiny insignificant niggle. Worms 2: Armageddon is sublime and should definitely be high on your XBLA shopping list.

Overall, the Undergarden is a breath of fresh air. It's a fantastic puzzler that achieves what it set out to do.

Alan Wake is an absolutely fantastic title and it was definitely worth the long wait.

It is a breath of fresh air in a genre that tends to recycle the same old thing.

Fallout 3 is a triumph in almost every sense.

Toy Soldiers Cold War is a fantastic title.

Overall Mass Effect 3 is a pretty incredible game and a nice way to finish Shepard's story.

Quite simply put, this is probably the best way to spend 800 points on the Marketplace so far this year, and a game that offers a great deal of simple harmless gameplay with an addictive bite that’ll see you neglecting other more deep and meaningful gaming experiences for a bit of guilty casual gaming pleasure.

DJ Hero is an exciting new addition to the scene and one you won’t want to miss out on.

Overall, Pure is a lot of fun to play and that is what is important.

Overall this is a fantastic game to play with friends. If you can get a good group of guys together playing this you will have a blast.

You’ll be utterly hypnotised by SF IV in full flight so do yourself a favour, pick it up and give your thumbs a real treat with one of the most satisfying titles seen so far in 2009.

Fun in spades, slightly easier and quicker to complete than previous episodes but with plenty of new stuff to bring a new sheen to those grubby city streets, The Ballad of Gay Tony is worth the 1600 points it’ll cost you, and if you’ve previously ignored the preceding tale from Liberty City, The Lost and Damned, you can buy both as a handy boxed catch-up package (probably a wise move if your broadband connection is as crappy as mine).

Overall this is another incredibly polished game by Valve. I know there were a lot of people worried because of how quickly this sequel came out, however, Valve seems to have hit a home run with this one.

Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock delivers on nearly all counts. A fix for the online issues and this could very well be the best of the franchise.

UFC Undisputed 3 offers a tremendous amount of content. It is the best UFC title to date and one you shouldn't miss out on.

Overall Infinite Undiscovery is a very enjoyable experience and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is either a Square Enix, Tri-Ace or just an role playing game fan in general.

Even if you are someone who tends to like their racers more “arcade-y” you owe it to yourself to give this title a chance. You might be surprised by how much you like it.

This is a game that everyone really must play and, hopefully, other developers will pick up on some of the ideas in this title, mainly the excellent cover system. Be sure not to miss out on Splinter Cell Conviction.

Battlefield 1943 should be on everyone’s list once the server issues are sorted out, and the game’s back end infrastructure expands enough to incorporate more players.

Huge, immersive and always intense, Battlefield: Bad Company proves that you may not need the prettiest graphics in the world or design the most original game in order to provide one of the most essential purchases on 360 this year so far.

Overall the development team should be commended for making another excellent skating title. Everything runs really smoothly and it seems to have come together really well. The new features add on to what was already a fun experience with the original.

The fighting physics and the technical aspect of this game have been done well. If I had a gripe it would be that the Tekken fighters are harder to use at first, but practice is key in this game. Go buy this, seriously.

Overall, Rock Band 3 is a fantastic game.

Overall, Final Fantasy XIII is an exceptional title. I really don’t have any big complaints about it and thoroughly enjoyed my time going through the world of Cocoon.

Race Driver: GRiD can be described as the pinnacle of Codemasters' efforts to produce a racing game that injects a breath of fresh air into the genre, coupling delicious visuals and sublime handling with a feeling that every successfully won race is truly earned, and every sneaky win at the expense of the impressively unpredictable AI is no hollow victory.

There is nothing groundbreaking here however Ubisoft did improve on what was already there.

It’s a deep multi-layered game that boxing fans absolutely should not miss out on, and even if you find boxing a little distasteful, you can’t deny that it’s one heck of a game.

If you are a WWE fan then this game belongs in your library. If you aren't a WWE fan you should definitely still check out this title. Even if you have no interest in watching the product on television this is a really fun title that you might find yourself enjoying. This is a title that has something for everyone. Be sure not to miss out.

Stacking is a delightful game. The team over at Double Fine have once again crafted a different kind of adventure that is enjoyable on all levels.

Shadow Complex takes a classic formula and brings it in to the high definition era giving us a beautiful experience, in more ways than one. It is well worth the asking price and a title that everyone needs to try out. Be sure not to miss out.

Overall, Splosion Man is a really fun title and a great start to the “Summer of Arcade”. It is a unique take on the side scrolling genre and definitely something everyone should experience.

Overall this is another fantastic title from Epic and it definitely lived up to the hype.

You will have a lot of fun playing it while at the same time getting into better shape and becoming more healthy without even realizing it.

Overall, this new Lara Croft game is a great accomplishment for the developers. I have really enjoyed all of the Tomb Raider games this generation, however, with that said, this breathes in some fresh air to a franchise some feel has gone stale.

Overall Madden NFL 10 is a fantastic title. It is one of the best Madden titles released in quite a long time.

Proving once and for all that two staples of videogaming – 2D and Platforming – are definitely not dead, and even proving that you don't need a garish palette of colours to convey a massive breadth of emotions, Limbo is technically polished, extremely playable and more than a little bit sick in the head in places, but as a 360 owner you owe it to yourself to get hold of this game.

Overall Battlefield Bad Company 2 is a fantastic title. It does have its share of bugs and glitches, however, the package as a whole is fantastic.

With Ms. Splosion Man Twisted Pixel took a formula that already worked and simply added more craziness.

The amount of detail that was put into this game is astounding and it is also, graphically speaking, one of the most beautiful fighters out there. Be sure not to miss out on this round of Mortal Kombat.

Overall, Fable 2 is a fantastic game. Lionhead did a great job in bringing the world of Albion to life on the XBox360 and you could spend many, many hours simply exploring the world of Albion.

This is a title that everyone must experience.

Overall this is a tremendous addition to the Halo universe.

There is so much to do in Smackdown vs Raw 2010 that you will be kept busy for a very long time and it is well worth the price of admission.

Simply put, Trials HD is one of the best Xbox Live Arcade titles ever, and a seriously nice showcase for the machine too.

If you are not familiar with this series then you are in for a treat. It is a game that you can play solo if you want to unlock those ever important achievements, however, the game is the most fun when you are playing with a group of people.

Overall the Beatles Rockband is a fantastic title if you are a Beatles fan or even have a passing interest.

If you are a fan of arcade racers then make sure you don't miss out on this title. If you aren't a fan of that type of racer be sure to try out this title anyways as this might be the one that turns you into that fan.

The Signal downloadable content is essentially a brand new episode for you to go through and enjoy. The great work that Remedy did with the original game was definitely brought over to The Signal.

Ultimately, Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning is a game for the nerdiest RPG aficionado AND the regular Joe who wants just a splash of fantasy. Featuring wonderfully original graphics, gameplay that is fun and approachable, and a story that entertains without entrapment, this game is definitely worth a spin. But even in light of all it does right, Amalur's greatest accomplishment is boasting a very complex and intricate game while giving the appearance of something straightforward and effortless.

Overall, Guitar Hero 5 is an absolutely fantastic title and is the best Guitar Hero game in quite some time.

Innovative, extremely slick and thoroughly enjoyable. If you fancy something that feels like a gamer’s game, and are tired of disappointingly shallow XBLA releases, then Darwinia + should be on the top of your purchase list.

Overall Darksiders is an amazing game. They did borrow the best things from some of the most popular titles out there, however, they did a great job combining that with their own ideas.

Gunstringer is a fantastic title and definitely one of my favorite titles for Kinect. I was impressed with how well it controlled and how the whole package came together. It has the standard Twisted Pixel humor throughout the game so if you have enjoyed their previous titles then you should enjoy this one as well.

Overall, this is a fantastic off road racing title.

SSX has returned bigger and better than ever. You can tell the development team took great care to bring their vision to life and they have given us the best SSX game to date.

With the numerous customizable options allowing both casual and hardcore players to enjoy this title you won’t be disappointed.

The original GoldenEye came out on the Nintendo 64 many years ago and GoldenEye 007 Reloaded is a worthy successor. The development team over at Eurocom did a fantastic job bringing the game into 2011 and the game is still fun to go through.

Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is a fantastic game.

The cooperative system that EA have put in place works, and looks superb in action. Add to that, the fact that the enemy AI is intelligent and is not just going to roll over and die, and the fact that you can spend just as much time modifying weapons as you can do playing the game.

A fantastic update for a classic title. It is in widescreen so you don’t have to worry about the bars on either side of your screen like some other past titles. This is yet another stellar title in Microsoft’s “Summer of Arcade” and is well worth the admission fee.

Overall, taking into account the general atmosphere the game builds for you, the graphics and the excellent soundtrack, as well as looking at level layout, storyline etc. I’d personally (and I’m laying my life on the line here a little) have to say this is the best Halo game yet. Even if it is a bit short.

The mature theme, gameplay and compelling plot pull us through a story that creates a legend that you would be a fool to miss out on.

Even if you have grown tired of World War II be sure to give this game a try as the whole squad mentality does tend to change things up a bit. It is an enjoyable title that every fan of the genre should experience.

Overall, Skylanders Spyro's Adventure is a really fun title. The game is aimed at a younger demographic and kids should have a lot of fun with this adventure. If you are a Spyro fan you should still play this game no matter how old you are. If the game is properly marketed by Activision I can see this becoming a hot item for kids this holiday season.

Overall Shank is one of the best beat 'em up titles to come out in a long time

I enjoyed my time with Red Faction Armageddon. There will be some people disappointed with some of the changes that were made, however, in my opinion, it made for a really fun experience.

As it turns out, following the rabbit down the rabbit hole is a whole lot of fun.

Overall, Call of Duty Black Ops is a game that will keep you busy for quite a while.

Remedy has a masterpiece with Alan Wake and with each new installment I enjoy the universe more and more.

If you are a fan of third person cover shooters then you should definitely give Max Payne 3 a try. It is an entertaining and visceral journey through Sao Paulo and one I intend on experiencing again.

Overall, NCAA Football 11 is a fantastic title. A lot of improvements have been made for this year's version and it shows.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine is a really fun title.

Lego Pirates of the Caribbean is clearly the best Lego game to date.

Whether you want a blast from the past or an introduction to the genre, Hard Corps Uprising is worth a shot.