This is the "Rosemary's Baby" of video games, a video-offspring of demonic potential...the best multi-player game of 2000, bar none.

Madden 2004 for the PS2 may be the most complete game I've ever played, period. There is more virtual football reality available in this game than you could ever hope to find on TV, in the newspapers or on the internet.

A fantastic single player experience, with reliable and customizable multiplayer support...what more could a FPS fan ask for.

Bar none, the best FPS game to come down the pipe in quite awhile...By successfully blending the RPG and action elements, System Shock 2 has assured its place in gaming history.

Just about the best game yet released on the system and one of the most impressive console titles we've ever seen. And I ain't blowing smoke up your tailpipe.

The hundreds of beautifully rendered monstrosities, items and labyrinths will keep you on your toes for months. Blizzard is also one of the first software companies to offer FREE MULTI-PLAYER GAMING.

The depth of this game is unparalleled; there are hordes of side quests and missions and cool little easter eggs. You need to follow the main story in order to open up the whole city and gain access to property acquisition, but you can still spend hours just wandering around getting into trouble.

When it's all said and done, when your eyes have completely dried up after spending 7 straight hours obsessing over massive rail grinds, THPS 3 comes through on its promise to do next-gen justice to the series. There simply is no better skating game available, and for that matter, very few other games that compete, period.

This is, without a doubt, the closest thing out there to actually getting together with a bunch of your friends on a Sunday afternoon, taking your characters into a dungeon, and using you own BOO to find out if that bottomless pit was actually bottomless.

It's the sort of game that comes around once every few years and totally changes the gaming landscape.

Freedom has always been the GTA hallmark, and in that regard, San Andreas piles on the features to ludicrous proportions. Comparing San Andreas to any other game is like comparing King Kong to the other monkeys; it is the Overgame.

This game is a masterpiece and is worth every single penny. If you've been excitedly waiting for Riven, never fear, you'll love it. This game has proved itself in all aspects, the only way someone could not like it is because it's too intellectually challenging, or they simply don't like these types of games.

Sure, the instant replay feature was left out, but this is a mostly untouched Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, one of the best games ever made, and now a version of it can be played on the PC with the best controls and graphics available.

Bioshock is that rare game where the plot, environment, and combat are all steps above the normal video game experience. Games at their very best, like this one, can create amazing alternative worlds for us to inhabit, doing those things we can't do in real life. This is one product the free market should be very happy to have.

Okami’s single player campaign is one of the most ambitious we’ve ever seen, and with its score of collectible items, trees to save and animals to feed as well as characters you like and a story you’ll want to revisit, this is a game you could easily wind up playing twice or thrice.

It’s got megatons of style, inventiveness, playability and replayability…and all the while, it still manages to feel like sunshine, candy and the glory days of 3D console videogaming yore.

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots is the best in the series, the best in its genre, and the best game on the PS3.

Bioshock is that rare game where the plot, environment, and combat are all steps above the normal video game experience. Games at their very best, like this one, can create amazing alternative worlds for us to inhabit, doing those things we can't do in real life. This is one product the free market should be very happy to have.

Little Big Planet is just what Doctor Sony ordered: universally appealing gameplay with an appealing everyman hero that is connected to streaming delivery of new content. Sony should be lauded for such a gamble, and Media Molecule should be praised. This is a rare toy that has the capacity to inspire the inventor, the explorer, and the gamer.

That’s the beauty of survival, and this world of fallout: It feeds on adventure and breathes in freedom, yet it dreams of order and the safety of the Vault. I can describe it, explain it, tell it in finely chosen words, but I can never make you fully understand for as long as you sit and listen. But even if I die, I do not worry. There will come a time when you will seize that lever and open that metal door, and it is then I will return. And the Wasteland will greet you, the birth of a legend.

That's the beauty of survival, and this world of fallout: It feeds on adventure and breathes in freedom, yet it dreams of order and the safety of the Vault. I can describe it, explain it, tell it in finely chosen words, but I can never make you fully understand for as long as you sit and listen. But even if I die, I do not worry. There will come a time when you will seize that lever and open that metal door, and it is then I will return.

That’s the beauty of survival, and this world of fallout: It feeds on adventure and breathes in freedom, yet it dreams of order and the safety of the Vault. I can describe it, explain it, tell it in finely chosen words, but I can never make you fully understand for as long as you sit and listen. But even if I die, I do not worry. There will come a time when you will seize that lever and open that metal door, and it is then I will return.

Bioshock is that rare game where the plot, environment, and combat are all steps above the normal video game experience. Games at their very best, like this one, can create amazing alternative worlds for us to inhabit, doing those things we can't do in real life. This is one product the free market should be very happy to have.

The sheer amount of stuff to seek out and do in this game makes it utterly enjoyable.

The sheer amount of stuff to seek out and do in this game makes it utterly enjoyable.

Among Thieves is all about constant movement. And even movement on top of movement. It grabbed me from the beginning and didn't let go for twelve hours. Once I finished, all I could think about was playing it again. More than a defining game for the PS3, Uncharted 2 is a defining game of this console generation.

While no game will ever be perfect, Halo: Reach is as close as Bungie is going to get with the series, and I think they knew that going in. So they did their damndest to make sure it lived up to its namesake, probably even more so than Halo 3 did.

With a campaign worthy of sequel status and a multiplayer mode full of fresh, entertaining ideas, there isn't enough praise I can lay on AC: Brotherhood.

With a campaign worthy of sequel status and a multiplayer mode full of fresh, entertaining ideas, there isn't enough praise I can lay on AC: Brotherhood.

A great game and a must-have for anyone who is a fan of old-school, classic games.

Champion mode is so good, in fact, that the more traditional Legacy mode feels hopelessly archaic and soulless by comparison.

Champion mode is so good, in fact, that the more traditional Legacy mode feels hopelessly archaic and soulless by comparison.

Using graphics that are (pardon the pun) light years ahead of the competition, Colony Wars has the best graphics ever seen on the Playstation to date. Graphics aren't all, however, and Colony Wars is not just another pretty boy. With gameplay as fun and addictive as any other good game, Colony Wars is the brightest star in the galaxy.

I just don't have the words to describe how much fun this game is. Rarely does a game captivate the stoic and hypercritical Game Revolution office, but Driver has done just that.

The amazing part is that GT takes all of this into account and represents it in the performance of your car. This includes traction, weight, load balance, gear ratios, downforce, and lots of other technical racing jargon. For example, buy a racing suspension, and before each race you can modify the car height (front and rear), spring rate, shock damping and camber angle.

This is exactly the kind of revolutionary title that we applaud. Sure, others like it will come along, some will even surpass it, but hats off to Resident Evil for getting there first.

Just plain fantastic... One the best Japanese ports ever.

The fact is that Tomb Raider for the PSX/Saturn looks like a 64-bit game on a 32-bit machine. It is incredibly good (revolutionary, in fact).

It's a breath of fresh air to play such an entertaining and well done video game. Since I'm a fan of skateboarding, I truly appreciate the quality of work put into this product, but skaters and non-skaters alike will find this game a joy to play.

It's so good it should come with a warning label -- or at least some methadone.

An improvement in nearly every way over the original, which was arguably the best racing game previously made for the PlayStation... This game is beautiful, even hypnotic to watch, and fun to play.

You'll be laughing with delirious glee the minute you lay down 50 bucks and walk out of the store with two of the best console games ever made. Sure, they're older. Sure, they already came out on the PS2 and the PC. Some people prefer GTA III; others (like me) think Vice City is the better game. But what do you care? You get both!

Halo has totally revolutionized how we look at console FPS games. Before you go to that big sweat-stained sofa in the sky, you absolutely have to play this game.

Strikingly beautiful technologically as well as aesthetically... From its fantastic delivery to its tense gameplay to its innovative multiplayer, Splinter Cell: Pandora Tomorrow is an absolute femme-fatale of a game.

But unlike the PS2 and PC versions, the Xbox port comes with that rarest of GTA treasures - a replay feature.

The sense of being Samus is really found in the details. With just the right flash of light or glare against the visor, a thin, hazy reflection of Samus can be seen against the inner glass. It's quite cool... A fantastic, top-notch effort.

The N64 is a 3D workhorse, and Zelda proves it with great textures, lighting, tons of little environmental effects, and smooooth framerates with no slowdown. Faces, the toughest graphical challenge on 3D characters, are fantastic in Zelda. Characters blink, look around and change expressions with surprising grace.

The graphics, by the way, are brilliant. The textures are realistic, the framerate hauls, the characters look great and there's very little pop-up.

From its incredible multiplayer to its fantastic options and gameplay, this is the premier sports title for hardcore and casual gamers alike.

Impatience aside, Portal 2 is an exceptionally well-crafted, intelligent, entertaining, humorous game. You will laugh. You will feel like a freaking genius. You will want more. And yes, you will probably be hearing quotes from Portal 2 for the next three years.

Impatience aside, Portal 2 is an exceptionally well-crafted, intelligent, entertaining, humorous game. You will laugh. You will feel like a freaking genius. You will want more. And yes, you will probably be hearing quotes from Portal 2 for the next three years.

Impatience aside, Portal 2 is an exceptionally well-crafted, intelligent, entertaining, humorous game. You will laugh. You will feel like a freaking genius. You will want more. And yes, you will probably be hearing quotes from Portal 2 for the next three years.

Rocksteady's heavily modified Unreal Engine is a sight to behold as well. I'd go so far as to say the developer has beaten Epic Games at its own technology with Batman: Arkham City handedly surpassing Gears of War 3's highest visual achievements. The entirety of the open world is detailed, vibrant, and packed to the gills with content.

One of the most technically impressive adventures you can find, matched with a detailed and unique multiplayer, all while making it easy for a newcomer to pick up and enjoy. Drake's Deception is why most gamers play video games-experiences that keep us awed and engaged, and extra content to keep us coming back for more.

A testament to the strength and importance of games that create living, breathing worlds, while affirming the value of long-term commitment over instant gratification. The absence of companion control, though a glaring flaw, ultimately does not spoil its purposeful, refined, and genre-defining design. Endlessly replayable and a phenomenal landmark in gaming, Skyrim deserves a place in every true gamer's collection.

Super Mario 3D Land is one of the best Mario games in recent memory. It's better than New Super Mario Bros. and just about on par with Galaxy. A few months back I stated that Ocarina of Time 3D was the premier reason to own a 3DS. That is no longer the case. Mario is still Nintendo's man to move hardware, even if he is a bit late to the party.

The best Rayman game in the series and one of the best games this year.

The game is also huge. There isn't a staggering amount of terrain compared to other titles in the series, but Skyward Sword gets every last ounce of mileage out of each area. It takes a few hours just to complete each sub-section before reaching a new dungeon, followed by a few more for the dungeon itself. There's a strong 30–40 hour adventure here before even considering the multitude of sidequests you can take on.

I haven't been more captivated by a video gaming in years. There were moments in Journey that I stopped pushing the directional stick because I was too busy taking in my character's surroundings. Should you play Journey? Yes. You should play Journey. Right now.

There is an endless amount of replay value, thanks to the brilliant tracks the community is already hard at work on. The simplicity belies a brilliance developers have yet to touch on Sony's new handheld platform.

With the game's mix of a hugely interactive open world, a compelling setting, and a finely tuned combat system, I'm eager to return to delve even further into the Animus.

Unless Black Ops II or Far Cry 3 manage to revolutionize the genre in astronomical ways, Halo 4 is the clear frontrunner for best first-person shooter of 2012. Heck, it may very well be the best game you play all year.

The Wii U version of Assassin's Creed III doesn't endanger what has made the game a masterpiece, and adds a few neat tricks of its own. The GamePad's map and horse calling features are useful tools that you'll enjoy, and being able to play it away from the television can't be understated. If you're going to purchase Assassin's Creed III for a console, the Wii U version is the king of the hill.

Armored Edition comes with all the pre-existing DLC as part of the game, and the player can jump right into Harley Quinn's Revenge from the start screen (though it warns you that this is likely to spoil a great deal of the story). This, plus the awesome immersion of the Wii U Gamepad makes it so, I can't imagine wanting to play this incredible game on any other system.

When I finished the final episode of The Walking Dead, eyes welling up with tears, I started thinking about the possibilities of where Telltale might take the series in Season Two. The series only got better with each subsequent chapter, so I can't wait to see how the studio plans to expand the franchise further in 2013.

The PC version of Assassin's Creed III has been injected with eye-popping enhancements that bring its compelling story to life. It's like personally participating in the American Revolution without the consequences of death. The ticket price of traveling back to the fascinating period of America's battle for independence, and the fictional story that Ubisoft Montpellier has layered within it, is just a copy of Assassin's Creed III and a high-end PC. Just remember that you'll have to leave your social life behind.

Frankly, this game is heroin to its fans. Though seemingly simple, its complex depth will lead to many lost hours.

Take a combination of realism and arcade action, add a large helping of 1930's romantic attitude and a healthy dose of humor, and you've got all the pirate treasure you'll ever need.

The worst and pretty much only snafu with NHL 2002 is the lame fighting. I didn't think that last year's rock 'em, sock 'em fighting could get any worse, but it feels like it has.

Rune kicks butt. It's easily the best hack n' slash game out there, chock full of bladed mayhem.

Heavy duty item customization, a superb setting and fun, tactical strategy leads to a must-have for fans of the genre.

It's got great action from two perspectives, mind-bending puzzles, and enough Force-powered Star Wars action to keep you up 'til the banthas come home.

After you've played a game you'll feel like you just participated in a real NFL game and that's addictive to any football fan. I've got the controller blisters to prove it.

Encompasses just about everything a pigskin fan could want in a football game, from the outstanding presentation to the solid mechanics. Though it isn't perfect, it's very good.

It is far more co-operative [than "Ultima Online"], and there is much less player-killing. But this comes at a price. There is also much less interaction with the environment.

Clever, innovative, deliciously creative, and just about the prettiest thing I've ever seen. The graphics are simply astounding and remarkably scalable to work on older systems... If it wore a bikini, I'd put a poster of it in my garage.

If they can just clean up the fighting and add some extra fire to the Franchise, we’ll definitely be seeing this series' “A” game.

The main problem with Virtua Fighter has always been its relative inaccessibility, and VF 4: Evolution clearly represents an effort to introduce new gamers to the franchise.

More than anything, Tiger Woods is an addictive game. The immense single-player experience will have you staring at the set for hours, just trying to win more money, unlock more gear and establish yourself as a legend.

The result turns what should be an engaging, clever and straightforward story about a super-agent out to save the world into a never-ending, philosophical after-school special. Luckily, the gameplay is still so good that we'll surely forget Kojima's ego and his lack of tact when Snake's next course is served.

There are still countless hours of fun to be had with Halo. If you couldn't stomach the control pad and the lack of online support (or Xbox itself) really turned you away from the Xbox version, then this Halo is sure to please.

With such simple and smart gameplay, Call of Duty rocks in all the right ways. It looks outstanding and plays well without any needed patches. The single-player is very engrossing, really the best thing since "MOH:AA."

A masterful adventure game. Although not incredibly impressive technologically, it encapsulates all the elements of a good adventure and is an absolute must-have for any adventure gamers out there.

The Hunter S. Thompson of car carnage, a hardcore title teeming with brilliance, flair and just enough attitude. And it works great with a few drinks.

The game is still frighteningly addictive, constantly dangling new accomplishments in front of players who, at 3 am, are still planning on playing "just one more turn."

With excellent graphics, great level design and fast, furious action, this is sitting firmly at the top of the PS2 mountain.

Overwhelmingly good. This game is one of the finest gridiron products on the market with great gameplay, smooth graphics and options that would take all day to describe. While perhaps not a perfect football game (if there is such a thing), NFL 2K3 definitely raises the bar.

A real gem. It offers carefully balanced, elegant gameplay that will challenge your brain rather than your double-click speed.

A great game. It's got all the goods you’d expect, from solid gameplay to smooth presentation. But where the game comes up short is giving you things you don't expect, and considering that the series is in many ways unchanged since it first hit the PSX back in 1997, that’s a shame.

The snow effects are unrivaled, the framerate is consistently high and the colors are vibrant. Add to that great animations (particularly during tricks) and an intense sense of speed, and you wind up with one of those rare games that can be as much fun to watch as to play.

Not really a revolutionary game, but it is almost perfect at what it does. This is the definitive straight multi-player first person shooter. It is an amazing game that never fails to impress or entertain.

The most amazing part is the environmental audio. The intermittent background music is great and the background noise is fantastic.

From its amazing level of detail to its fantastic game engine, this is one that fans of strategy should not miss.

It is, as a game, everything you could ask for... and it's absolutely a blast to play.

Older graphics aside, Thief 2 is a great game. Though I'm sure some sociology professor might decry the glorification of breaking into people's houses and stealing their stuff, there's no denying that it's a lot of fun.

Despite its random flaws, the game's gorgeous graphics, solid gameplay and top-notch Franchise mode make it an easy All-Star.

Despite the somewhat niggling flaws, Armored Core 2 simply amazes. Out-of-this-world customization, great gameplay and tons of depth place Armored Core 2 atop the current list of PS2 games.

The new ships, new weapons (such as the extraordinarily nasty TAG missile...you'll see), the unbelievably large cap ships, and just the sheer joy of playing this title makes it an easy pick for space combat sim of the year.