An evolutionary leap not just in RTS, but for video games in general.

Civilization IV has a ridiculous amount of strategic elements packed into it.

This is a phenomenal achievement on virtually every level.

The game comes together so well and with so much polish and fun, that Wii owners should not let Super Mario Galaxy slip them by.

Otherwise, it's the absolute pinnacle of the Smash Bros. series and a fun game to boot.

While playing offline or split-screen isn't as fun as playing with a two or three friends online -- Left 4 Dead thrives on camaraderie -- so that's probably your only consideration when purchasing the game, because everything else is too awesome to miss.

Succulent and juicy sweet gaming goodness – The Orange Box is waiting to be unpeeled.

Portal can be bought separately or as part of the Orange Box package – Half-Life 2, Episodes 1 and 2, and Team Fortress 2 – but either way you get one of the best gaming experiences of the year.

I can't recommend Arkam Asylum enough.

This isn't just the best game released this year, or even the best Playstation 3 game yet, it's one of the best games released during this generation of consoles.

When the storms kick up on Hard Rain making it really easy to startle a wandering Witch, escaping the mall in Dead Center, running around a rollercoaster track in Dark Carnival, running a gauntlet of abandoned vehicles across the bridge in The Parish, reviving a dead Survivor in Swamp Fever as a Tank could be heard somewhere behind me and managing to down the Tank with the guy I just saved. Even just writing about it makes me want to jump in and play some more.

In the end, Super Mario Galaxy 2 has done an excellent job of bringing back what players loved about the first Galaxy game, while steadily building upon the experience.

NBA Jam is good for you. Find it, play it, love it.

Undead Nightmare, as a single-player upgrade, is an exceptional bargain for the amount of new gameplay that it provides. But including the highly entertaining Undead Overrun multiplayer mayhem makes this a cannot-miss DLC purchase for Red Dead Redemption gamers.

Adding to the story is some of the best voice acting to ever come to a videogame. The entire cast did an absolutely top-notch performance.

If you haven't already, go out and buy it now! It's an instantly classic redefinition of an already classic title from the Golden Age of gaming.

After "finishing" Morrowind, I'm left wordless to describe the experience...This game is about as linear as a bowl of spaghetti.

The depth of Morrowind's gameplay and overall design is matched by the audio-visual presentation. Hands down, Morrowind's soundtrack should be released on CD – once you've heard the opening chords you'll be humming it for hours after first booting it up.

Perfect: from the Latin "perfectus"; entirely without fault or defect (flawless); satisfying all requirements; corresponding to an ideal standard or abstract concept; lacking in no essential detail... Add Metroid Prime to that definition.

Pile on the "Oh, yes!" moments of solving some really great puzzles, and there's every reason to start thinking about Game of the Year accolades. It's that good.

L.A. Noire is on my personal Game of the Year list. The game appeals to me on so many levels and delivers on the same that overlooking the occasional graphical glitch and annoyance with some of the chases is easy. I'm really looking forward to what Team Bondi comes up with next to fill-out this already fantastic world.

Yes, the actual game has never looked or played better and the game stands tall more than dozen years after its release.

Batman: Arkham City is one of those games that rightly garnered much attention with the end of 2011 Game of the Year lists. Maybe it didn't get as much attention from PC gamers, but it should. If you want to have the definitive Arkham City experience, I'd say PC is the way to go.

Overall, this is the best experience I've had playing a Zelda game since Ocarina of Time and I'd have to say they are pretty equal in my opinion. Either way, you won't be disappointed getting this game, it's a masterpiece.

Skyrim is definitely one of the best games of 2011, but if the DLC holds out, it might just be one of the best games of 2012 as well.

The Hawk series soars to its highest echelon in its Xbox incarnation by besting the other earlier releases on the PS2 and GameCube, especially in the graphics department and giving meaning to the old saying "saving the best for last."

A stunning, involving experience that, though not for everyone, will appeal to both the gamer looking for a long, structured action/adventure game and the one looking for loosely organized chaos.

A spectacular game.