Though it has the odd rough edge, Mass Effect pushes BioWare's trademark character development, dialogue and storytelling to new levels.

By and large the shooting sections are fun and the enemy AI keeps things interesting by actually trying to flank you.

The game play is fantastic, intuitive and engaging with the best graphics I have ever been witness to in a PC shooter. If you love first-person shooters and are jonesing for something to play on your shiny new rig, this is the game for you.

This is designed as the first game in a new Ubisoft franchise, and I do hope there’s another. The little miscues can be fixed, the stealth tweaked, and I’d be up for free running through the French Revolution next time.

The game is so consistently fresh, it's desperately hard to stop playing.

The single-player campaign is shorter than other games of its kind — I stomped through it in about 8 hours. But it was so action-packed, I didn’t feel cheated at all.

Although it stays true to the Ratchet & Clank formula and doesn't try to get too creative, this is easily one of the best PS3 games so far.

At the end of the day, however, you just can't beat the value being offered here and though it's not perfect, the sum of "The Orange Box" is greater than its parts.

Though it starts off slow, Folklore turns out to be a surprisingly deep and visually lush experience, with novel new twists on familiar gameplay standards.

A few niggling flaws — or maybe just impossibly high expectations — keep Halo 3 from perfection. But on the whole, it’s a heartfelt and worthy conclusion to one of the most beloved video game series of all time.

There's more than just running and gunning, too. Sometimes you'll have to solve puzzles, while other levels are more of a carnival shooting gallery. The overall experience is one of exploration, puzzle-solving and action that kept me wanting to push farther.

Simply put, BioShock is a must for anyone who’s over 17 and has a 360. So far, this is the best game of 2007.

"Picross" is an elegant, alluring option that will keep you coming back for more.

The controls on the PS3 Sixaxis controller work extremely well.

Though the story mode provides a compelling 12 hour experience, you won’t be rushing out to play through it a second time. Still, these minor gripes aside, The Darkness is one of the best games you’re likely to play this year. I’ve seen the light and it’s dark, very dark.

It’s the little fun touches that end up elevating The Bigs from being just another yearly baseball installment.

Despite its literary background, “Shadows of Angmar” doesn’t rewrite the rules for massively multiplayer online games and instead sticks to the same safe, proven formula. It does, however, deliver a rich world that stays mostly true to Tolkien’s vision. [Associated Press]

While naysayers can decry the repetition, the strength of the handheld series continues to be that nobody will whip through the games in few weeks. Diamond’ or ‘Pearl’ are worthwhile investments because they represent months and months of gameplay.

While naysayers can decry the repetition, the strength of the handheld series continues to be that nobody will whip through the games in few weeks. Diamond’ or ‘Pearl’ are worthwhile investments because they represent months and months of gameplay.

Blending classic platform game elements with a humourous storyline and a cool dimension-flipping gimmick makes this one of the most satisfying Mario games in years.

When you can finally crack a song that initially seemed far beyond your skill level, and not just play it but perform it - arched back, windmilling arms, grins and grimaces and devil-horn salutes - it transcends a mere video game. It’s interactive entertainment taken to an entirely new level.

What it comes down to, though, is that this package is full of what are some fantastic, fun games. All the extra stuff is cool, but even without it all, the games stand on their own.

The first full-fledged expansion for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion takes you on a trip to a skewed and psychotic Oz, full of odd people, new magic and killer creatures. And chances are you’ll love it there.

While the story and gameplay are identical, the PS3 iteration of Oblivion is slightly better than its Xbox 360 cousin from a visual and technical standpoint. Standing on the top of a tall hill and gazing at the landscape below is even more breathtaking than before, thanks to a greater level of distant detail in the environments. Loading times have also been shortened a bit, making transitions between areas a little smoother.

Don’t be put off by this oddball mixture of a casual puzzle game and a fantasy role-playing adventure. Puzzle Quest is stellar as both, and amazingly addictive.

Don’t be put off by this oddball mixture of a casual puzzle game and a fantasy role-playing adventure. Puzzle Quest is stellar as both, and amazingly addictive.

As good as it was, the PSP’s UEFA has everything FIFA has and with the new Treble mode, way more fun in variety.

Aside from a few frustrating spikes in difficulty and a slower-paced final act, God Of War II is about as perfect an action game as you could ever hope for, and a worthy sequel to one of the PlayStation 2’s crown jewels.

Rocky Balboa smacks hard with the love its authors must have for the series of movies it takes its inspiration from. One wonders why on earth it’s a PSP exclusive when it could’ve been done so much better on a platform that allows for more scope than a portable but given the circumstances they’ve done a fine job.

Absolutely worth the purchase for old and new fans alike. There’s no reason why someone looking for a third person tactical shooter should opt for the original game (unless they’re looking to save a bit of cash), and fans of the first GRAW will find all the same modes, but with more customization options and ramped up clan support.

This is the most well-rounded DDR version yet and with Xbox Live downloadable content coming in the future, its appeal will last even longer.

MLB '07 still reigns as the premiere baseball title it is just that there aren't enough perks this time around to warrant trading up.

If you are the type of person to get easily flustered, stay away from the Metal Slug Anthology because it will eat you and your entire family for breakfast and pass you all by lunch.

A truly fantastic experience that is so much more than just a mindless shoot-em-up "GTA" clone. The developers almost force you to think outside the box and not spend an hour running over hookers and throwing molotov cocktails into a crowd on the beach (as fun as those things are).

Don't get me wrong; it's nice when the PSP gets a little star-power, but what could have been a full-fledged performance feels more like a cameo. Nevertheless, R&C:SM's mix of platforming action, entertaining cast and an abundance of mini-games makes it an honorable addition to the series.

It should be no surprise that such an original title was conceived by Kojima, the talented peeps who brought us the Metal Gear Solid series.

If you play Rogue Galaxy in a straight-line you can beat it in the average-RPG time of about 50 hours. Should you take your time and see everything it has to offer, however, you’re looking at a good 100 hours of gameplay.

If you’re looking for something new and fresh, Hotel Dusk fits the bill and then some. It has superb graphics featuring hand-drawn characters, a great storyline and very interesting characters that constantly had me wanting to find the next conversation to see what would happen next.

What's refreshing however in these times of relentless retro makeovers, is that despite the simplicity, there's considerable depth and longevity here, thanks to the varied outcomes of your every action.

Smooth Moves is everything we hoped it would be and then some – it’s quite simply a must-have for any Wii owner.

Great visuals, over-the-top enemies and white-knuckle boss battles help overcome Lost Planet's handful of glaring flaws. It's almost as cool as it is cold.

It's not an essential purchase, but certainly one that makes more inventive use of the hardware than some other Wii launch titles.

If you weren't a fan of the original on the Xbox 360, don't expect this sequel to set your world on fire. But there are enough tweaks and perks to keep car combat fans happy, and it's an overall improvement on the first game.

It has slick visuals and a more-than-memorable soundtrack. It’s too bad the whole dual-player thing wasn’t played up a bit more but it’s still an enjoyable title that’s worth a buy.

An expertly crafted game, that’s almost completely at home on the handy Playstation Portable. With the exception of the lack of camera control, Portable Ops does almost everything right in translating the Metal Gear experience to the handheld platform, as well as adding some significant elements from both a gameplay and technical perspective.

It’s a great demonstration of all the things that can be done with the Wii controller, although it’s still amusing with a conventional PS2 joystick.

It’s a huge game with an enthralling storyline and a huge mix of different gameplay elements that will keep players from ever being bored.

Excite Truck is as boisterous and cantankerous as your mother-in-law was when you forgot to call on her birthday. It's engines roar. It's music snarls. There's nothing sedate or stately about it. And, that's why it's simple but thrilling mindless fun.

While nothing about this is extremely challenging on one of the easier skill levels, trying to beat your high score and making some awesome combos while playing a seasoned human player or computer player on difficult is what will separate the newbies from the true pros.

The only real fault with Resistance is that its inspirations are sometimes too obvious. It’s a little too much like Call Of Duty here or Half-Life there, and one of the later tank-driving segments feels like it was lifted straight out of the original Halo.

Like "Wii Sports," it is the perfect title to show off the Wii to friends, family and an excellent game to have in your library for those times where you just want to sit back, have a little fun and some laughs.

At present, this is the closest you will come to knowing what it is like to step inside a WWE ring. Here’s hoping THQ and the WWE will move past their business disagreements and continue producing superb wrestling games.

With its smaller scope and missions, New York doesn't eclipse 'Ultimate' as the benchmark Spider-Man title for the DS but it does sure as heck give it a run for its money.

Vibrant and charming, Viva Pinata is family friendly fun that engages a child's imagination with its ever evolving gameplay. The more kids play, the more they will be drawn into Viva’s virtual world. Parents be warned though. Keep those ear plugs handy. The migraine-inducing theme song is enough to have you reaching for that bottle of Tequila.

For such a short game, a Little goes a long way as far as we’re concerned.

Rarely do games with this much fanfare actually live up to their talked-about potential, but Gears does something that almost none do - it exceeds the hype. It looks almost unbearably gorgeous, it sounds out of this world, it plays as smooth as butter but most of all - it's fun. Pure, unadulterated, blood-spattered fun.

But it’s also immensely fun and satisfying to blow yourself and numerous other things on the screen up "real good", over and over again. Visually, Every Extend Extra (got to love those Engrish translations) is gorgeous, mesmerizing and quite varied.

The visuals and sound design really do drive the package well enough to create what's hopefully as close an experience to the real thing as any of us would like to have.

As one of the few distinct differences from the original, Lumines 2 features full, non-animated music videos as backgrounds on certain levels. The videos are pretty cool on their own, and yet actually add another degree of difficulty by being yet another visual distraction- something that should please veteran players of the first game.

Sometimes frustrating, but relentlessly entertaining, Death Jr.2: RoE marks a successful return for the franchise.

It’s a game more accustomed to hardcore players who really crave a challenge. For these people, Konductra should be right up their alley.

Its streamlined and action oriented gameplay fit the PSP well and it has been given an exceptionally nice graphical polish.

If you liked "X-Men Legends," you'll love Marvel Ultimate Alliance, with its roster of two dozen playable heroes from every corner of the Marvel universe. But please, let's see She-Hulk in the sequel, OK?

An absolute must for any retro gamer or PSP owner.

Kim does not miss[] a step in the leap to bigger and better things due to the ingenuity of the BVG developers who decided to take the series in a different direction while still maintaining all of the components that have made it so popular.

But considering the title, it's a strangely sweet and charming little thing, so much so that anyone looking for cheap, violent thrills will quickly tire of Bully's mostly pacifistic tone.

Double Agent's level design and scenarios will keep you on your toes while blowing your mind at the same time.

So despite the course deficiency the 360 has compared to its cheaper and older rivals, EA has produced the golf outing they should¹ve released a year ago.

Those who consider themselves puzzle game connoisseurs or armchair detectives will have their skills severely tested and unlike the finale of "Missing: Since January", the conclusion is worth all the time and effort.

If you are looking for a compilation of mini-games to pass the time once and awhile, Clubhouse Games will fit the bill quite nicely.

With each level presenting it own unique challenges to overcome, what you have with 'Mario Versus Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis' is not only one of the longest game titles of the year but an accessible and thoroughly addicting puzzle game for thinking gamers of all ages.

If you enjoy the gunplay aspects of the GTA-style genre more than the driving and open city concept, then The Godfather is likely to be a highlight of the year for you.

With surprisingly good graphics for a GBA title, the gameplay is never boring since Phil and his friends are shuttled around quickly from one Blah emergency to the next.

Not surprisingly, some liberties were taken to reconcile logistics with gameplay. Call in the airborne and your paratroopers arrive immediately, with no need to plan the air drop in advance. But that is where the suspension of disbelief ends.

It’s safe to say that any fan of old-school Mega Man games will love ZX. Whether you’re familiar with the series or not, though, be sure that this is a must-have for anyone looking for a superb platformer on the handheld DS.

If you're looking for awesome graphics, revolutionary game play and realistic hockey, and don’t mind some sacrifices due to oddities in the game that EA happened to forget about and a lack of a major online component, this game is a hands down winner.

It’s a huge, solid package all wrapped up in a slick presentation with enough added features to make it a big step ahead of "2K6."

It's all cute and Lego-y, yeah, but this is also a thoroughly charming, satisfying and faithful tip of the plastic hat to the original Star Wars trilogy. The Force is strong with this one.

Most NASCAR fans will enjoy this year’s version, but if they have 06, which they likely do, there might not be much reason to upgrade.

As adorable as it is eccentric, and as addictive as it is challenging, it still may not be everyone's cup of tea. But if happy, singing blobs navigating trippy technicolour worlds sounds like fun, you need this one in your PSP library.

Undeniably the best-looking PSP release since "Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror". The floating spectral faces, the tidal wave of blood, the massive beast masquerading as a temple are just some of the early "wow moments" that show off the technology that is packed into the PSP device.

It won't replace Grand Theft Auto in your carjacking, hooker-beating heart, but Saints Row is a surprisingly good clone, and it even manages to do a few things better than the games from which it shamelessly borrows.

Just saying the word 'strategy' may turn off some gamers who aren't typically into that genre, but even if you're not, at least give a shot. We have a feeling many people will be pleasantly surprised.

Even if you decide to skip all the ‘extra’ modes like Superstar and Minigames, you’ll still get a lot out of Franchise. It never becomes too overwhelming – a problem with many sports games in recent years.

A lot deeper and a lot tougher than it seems at first glance, Dead Rising is an old-school game posing as next-gen zombie slayathon. It can be frustrating as hell, but like the swarms of undead who don't know any better, you'll keep coming back for more.

If you like a challenging preconstructed scenario, some with historical overtones to them, you will find this expansion pack a great addition to a great game.

The other big reason for shooter fans to check this game out is because of the online multiplayer, which is surprisingly well done.

Again, like 'Resident Evil', 'Monster House' is not all about eviscerating hair-raising beasties. There are puzzles throughout the levels too but most are of the find-and-place-an-object-here or push-this-crate-there variety.

What could have been a run-of-the-mill shooter is elevated by an interesting plot, wild environments and shifting gravity that sometimes makes you wonder which way is up. Not for the faint of stomach.

Its easy controls, addictively simple game play and variety of game modes are likely to appeal to all but the hard-core soccer enthusiast.

This really is only for a defined group of hardcore football fans, but those fans won’t find anything close to this anywhere else.

And the expansion pack is a step in the right direction. It's a good upgrade if you're willing to shell out for it.

Younger racers won’t really care too much about the auto-reset and lack of sliding all that much and should be engrossed in the unfolding storyline.

What really leaves all the other modes in the proverbial dust though is the free-roaming aspect of 'Cars'.

But given that we gave Half-Life 2 one of our very rare five-star ratings, it would be pretty tough to improve upon perfection. The mere fact that Episode One comes close to matching the greatness of the original is impressive.

Players new to Texas Hold 'Em poker will learn the game, get to play without losing their shirts and have some fun. Experienced poker players also get a half-hour session with a pro.

Trigger-happy players and those who prefer stealth will both be able to enjoy this game, though those opting for stealth will get a lot more enjoyment in the long run.

There's nothing radically new here, but it's got the best variety of missions and the best storyline of any of the Hitman titles.