Black Ops is quite a pleasant surprise: On the one hand former second class developer Treyarch reaches the Infinity Ward's standard of gameplay quality and inventiveness for the first time. On the other hand Treyarch manages to set a course of their own through the unusual story and a ton of tributes to other masterpieces of action, be it movie or game. Plus Activision conceded the time and resources to Treyarch to aspire a really great game. And that's something you'll notice immediately. You'll recognize the passion and the effort that went into making this new episode. Black Ops delivers Call of Duty gaming at its best as well as a distinctly individual approach to the whole scenario. Infinity Ward will have to put their shoulders to the wheel to outplay Black Ops with the next CoD.

The console version offers a great and dark RPG-Story. The additional content from the PC version is already included. Only the menu in the Xbox 360 version is a little confusing sometimes.

The atmosphere of Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam is great. Sound and graphics are overwhelming. The maps are fun to play although there is nothing new in terms of gameplay.

The atmosphere of Battlefield Bad Company 2 Vietnam is great. Sound and graphics are overwhelming. The maps are fun to play although there is nothing new in terms of gameplay.

If you are driving fast the AI is driving fast as well. If you are slow the AI is slow as well. The graphics of Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit are nice. But the good old Burnout games were much more entertaining. Time trials and car chasing between the police and bad guys are somehow lame.

It is rare that a game combines such raw graphical force, such a keen sense for aesthetics, such a strongly built out background universe, and this much style and personality with all in all pretty shallow gameplay mechanics. Halo 4 has power, it has pride, it has a well-crafted personality, and above all, it has dignity. If it managed to find a bit more courage along the way now, it would be pretty close to perfection.

Undead zombies to enter the open wild west world? Sounds weird but it works extremely well. There are also mutated animals which are really cool animated. By the way: we couldn't find the unicorn.

The new battle system and the big new Poké-world feel great. There are a lot of new Pokémon to collect and train. You've got to get used to some of them. Poké-Fans shouldn't miss the new Black and White editions.

Dirt 3 is better than its predecessor. The Gymkhana mode is fun and offers some variety. The rally-racing is thrilling and challenging.

Dirt 3 is better than its predecessor. The Gymkhana mode is fun and offers some variety. The rally-racing is thrilling and challenging.

Too bad Lara isn't actually all alone on this gorgeous mystery island. Instead, she drags a bunch of wholly unlikeable characters around with her, which lessens the fun to be had in exploring and finding secrets. Apart from that, Tomb Raider is one almost flawlessly-executed action blockbuster with more than just a hint of Uncharted to it.

Donkey and Diddy Kong are back in an action-packed Jump & Run! Excellent gameplay elements and more than 350 hidden puzzle pieces make Wii owners happy. Some levels are TOO difficult. To play through all the worlds and to find all the secrets, you have to play very, very long.

Black Ops is quite a pleasant surprise: On the one hand former second class developer Treyarch reaches the Infinity Ward's standard of gameplay quality and inventiveness for the first time. On the other hand Treyarch manages to set a course of their own through the unusual story and a ton of tributes to other masterpieces of action, be it movie or game. Plus Activision conceded the time and resources to Treyarch to aspire a really great game. And that's something you'll notice immediately. You'll recognize the passion and the effort that went into making this new episode. Black Ops delivers Call of Duty gaming at its best as well as a distinctly individual approach to the whole scenario. Infinity Ward will have to put their shoulders to the wheel to outplay Black Ops with the next CoD.

The new battle system and the big new Poké-world feel great. There are a lot of new Pokémon to collect and train. You've got to get used to some of them. Poké-Fans shouldn't miss the new Black and White editions.

The game is offering a unique style and a new concept. But Kirby's Epic Yarn is too easy to get a 90+ rating.

Yippee-ki-yay: Max Payne 3 is the coolest action experience since Bruce Willis invaded a certain skyscraper in 1988. Rockstar's newest masterpiece captures the atmosphere of the legendary series - despite some annoying gameplay flaws.

Charming characters, stunning visuals, a vast world worth exploring, tons of cool things to do and a heartwarming story - these are only some of the reasons, why Ni No Kuni: Curse of the White Witch is a must-have title in 2013. Level-5 and Studio Ghibli have created a fantastic adventure reminiscent of JRPG-classics like Dragonquest VIII or the 32-Bit-Final Fantasys. For me this is clearly the best Japanese roleplaying game this console generation has seen so far.

Excellent sports simulation including a lot of new striking and submission moves. The deeper career mode adds more realism when developing your fighting alter ego. Choose your favorite fighter out of over 100 UFC stars and battle your friends online as well.

Stunning visuals and a great champion mode make Fight Night Champion the best game in the series.

Fantastic visuals, fast combat and clever nanosuit mechanics more than compensate for some linear level design, a mediocre story and unvaried enemy design. It's not as good as the first game in the series, but it's a great shooter nonetheless.

Forza Horizon is a great spin-off that delivers pure arcade racing fun in an amazing open world environment – but purists beware: this is not your kind of Forza anymore.

The fluid and intuitive controls in Marvel vs. Capcom 3 feel great. The graphic effects and the versus mode are truly great too. A wonderful game.

Mario Kart 7 could be the system seller Nintendo waited for. The online mode offers some great improvements so that you easily can join games of your friends directly from Nintendo 3DS friend list. The rest of it is pure Mario Kart fun.

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow is konami's first successful attempt to bring the legendary series into the third dimension. A great atmosphere meets gameplay in the mold of God of War. Only a few faults like a confusing camera and an uneven upgrade system hamper the fun. Lords of Shadow is a great restart for the vampire saga and has sleeper hit written all over it.

The detailed Pride Mode and the new control settings for beginners alone would make UFC Undisputed 3 worth the money. Add the great career mode, over 150 original athletes and a perfect UFC atmosphere and you have a dream product for every MMA Fan.

Fantastic visuals, fast combat and clever nanosuit mechanics more than compensate for some linear level design, a mediocre story and unvaried enemy design. It's not as good as the first game in the series, but it's a great shooter nonetheless.

F1 2010 is the first "real" F1-simulation. Not only with all the data from the season 2010 but also with almost all the rules of the FIA F1. Including flags, warnings, penalties and limited tire sets – only a pace car is missing. The controls are direct but not too sensitive, the graphics detailed and mostly fluid. Especially the wet races are great! Presentation could be better certainly.

Stunning visuals and a great champion mode make Fight Night Champion the best game in the series.