As a whole, Lair of the Shadow Broker is amazing. They mix up the pace and give the game a fresh feel, while still holding true to what makes it one of my top choices for my game of the year.

For those of you who own all the Halo 3 content, your still getting a full single player experience, and a great co-op multiplayer add-on. For the rest of us the value is only bigger, for me I got dozens of new maps, Firefight, and the story all of which have so far been a blast to play.

The epitome of how to remake a game for the next generation. If you were a fan of the original you will love the attention to detail and classically epic soundtrack. If you are new to the series you will grow to love the swinging mechanic, once you get the hang of it.

Simply put, Zuma's Revenge is a blast. While lacking the difficulty of the original's adventure mode, the score challenges, iron frog mode and boss battles more than make up for it. New mechanics and some terrific powerups combine with excellent gameplay to make a great, fast paced strategy game. The combination of simple gameplay and strategy make it a classic "just one more" game, and something all types of gamer can enjoy.

This is easily my vote for best downloadable game of the year.

With all of its improvements FIFA Soccer 09 is by far the most impressive upgrade to any sports title this year. If you are even remotely a fan of the sport FIFA 09 is a must-buy.

Metallica songs just seem to lend themselves to this type of game. The note charts are a blast and the presentation is top-notch.

With all of its improvements FIFA Soccer 09 is by far the most impressive upgrade to any sports title this year. If you are even remotely a fan of the sport FIFA 09 is a must-buy.

An interesting conundrum. For what it is it is flawless. The representation of the famous foursome is impeccable and dripping with fan service. The selection of songs is disappointing, but with future DLC you will likely be able to enjoy all of your favorite tunes for a price. Beatles fans need not even hesitate; just buy the game.

Metallica songs just seem to lend themselves to this type of game. The note charts are a blast and the presentation is top-notch.

An interesting conundrum. For what it is it is flawless. The representation of the famous foursome is impeccable and dripping with fan service. The selection of songs is disappointing, but with future DLC you will likely be able to enjoy all of your favorite tunes for a price. Beatles fans need not even hesitate; just buy the game.

Like nothing else I have played.

Dead or Alive 5 has been a long time coming, but I definitely feel it was worth it. Fans of the series are likely to be satisfied with the amount of content within. The new characters are great, the guest characters are fun and the new mechanics create a new way to play without sacrificing familiarity. This is a supremely polished title outside of the questionable online portion. Hopefully, they can clean that up shortly after launch and continue supporting it with future costume and stage DLC. This game has legs if things come together, and being a fan as long as I have I can say, it feels good to be back.

Bayonetta is the kind of game that makes me appreciate why I love videogames. It really defines a time when things were not taken too seriously and the focus was more on style and gameplay than anything else.

Fans of the series should really pick this one up, and from the stories I heard from players of the previous games, it sounds like this is one of the best ones for newcomers. I would have to agree. I had no idea how to play this game, but I was in, and addicted to the timer within an hour of booting it up for the first time. This is one Switch game I think anyone should add to their library.

Each game has a wicked atmospheric soundtrack, subtle creepy effects, and downright scary moments, though the first game will still be considered the best by many players. I personally enjoy all of them in their own way, but the gameplay and length is definitely preferred overall in Amnesia: Dark Descent. Visuals didn’t seem to get much of an upgrade from the PC but it does appear at least the first two games run at 60fps to match it.

Definitely an improvement over its already incredible lineage. The Champion mode is fantastic, and nearly worth the price of admission on its own. Couple that with the rock-solid gameplay and suite of great online modes, and you have a game that's fit for not only huge boxing fans, but anyone that likes to beat up on their friends a bit.

Fire Pro Wrestling world has so much to offer that I cannot recommend it enough. From top to bottom the game is a tremendous love letter to the sport and to its fans. Veteran players will find plenty of new content here to justify a purchase and new fans who are willing to commit to the play style the franchise demands will find a wrestling experience deeper than they can get anywhere else. With a host of additional content on the way in the form of DLC and endless combinations of matches through the incredible edit tool this game should be at the top of the purchase list for all wrestling fans.

With so much focus these days on polygons and lighting effects it is nice to see that some developers can still create a gorgeous experience using traditional methods.

I can’t stress enough how much I love the look and feel of Sunset Overdrive. The style alone was worth the price of admission. Everything about it feels fresh. It isn’t derivative of other games, even though it borrows heavily from several.

Iconoclasts is a pretty fantastic game. The story is fun and interesting, the controls are tight and near perfect, the art and animation is beautiful, and many of the puzzles and traversal are both fun and challenging at the same time. If you’re into the Metroidvania style games and don’t mind a bit of backtracking, this is the game for you. I can’t suggest it enough to fans of the classic SNES side scrolling shooters and action puzzle fans.

Definitely an improvement over its already incredible lineage. The Champion mode is fantastic, and nearly worth the price of admission on its own. Couple that with the rock-solid gameplay and suite of great online modes, and you have a game that's fit for not only huge boxing fans, but anyone that likes to beat up on their friends a bit.

It's not a difficult game, but with bolts, Zoni, Skill Points, holoplans, Constructo Mods, space missions, Trophies and Challenge Mode, there's an abundance of gameplay. It's a robust single player experience, and I particularly love that Insomniac has kept their signature Skill Points, with their own quirky requirements, separate from Trophies.

For those that own a Vita I suggest picking up Vanillaware’s entry on the machine. It is gorgeous, with stylistic and deep combat, and just plain enjoyable. Anyone clamoring for more software on Sony’s portable should look no further.

Definitely the best of the series, and easily the most streamlined of the genre. The option for importing songs is disappointing, but everything else is finally up to par with that other music game.

Hollow Knight will stick with me for a while. It blends a Metroidvania and Dark Souls in near-perfect fashion. Its tight gameplay as well as its fantastic look and music immersed me into caring about a mysterious civilization of bugs. If Soulsvainia is a new sub-genre, then count me in. Also, count me in for the next thing that Team Cherry releases.

After a long, grueling wait, the Legend of Heroes makes its triumphant return and I am more than happy to report that the wait has been worth it as Cold Steel III delivers on all fronts with improved visual fidelity, performance and a slew of meaningful new mechanics. Led by a cast of unforgettable characters and an intriguing story arc that will have you begging for more when the credits roll.

HD Remix is a superb edition of a timeless game complete with nearly flawless online gameplay.