IGN

ArenaNet has built one of the most exhaustively detailed and rewarding MMOs in existence, one that never unfairly penalizes and fosters an incredible urge to explore through a generous reward system and achingly pretty environment design. It’s a virtual world that more than anything wants you to work together with others, and provides a huge number of possibilities for cooperation while minimizing restrictions.

NHL 13 may have some problems and inconsistencies, but they barely detract from the quality product EA Canada has put out this year, one that may just keep you warm on those cold, dark nights when you should be watching the real thing but are forced to play it on your console of choice instead. NHL 13 will keep hockey fans busy even if there is an NHL season this year. If there isn’t, expect to get lost.

Let’s address a sad truth nobody wants to hear: The brawler genre is not very good anymore. The beat-‘em-up was built on the back of arcade game design; difficulty didn’t come by design, but by consequence of clunky mechanics meant to scam kids out of more quarters. Double Dragon, much as we all love to remember it, exploited our love of games so we’d keep paying for it.

Wild Blood got my attention thanks to its incredible visuals, but it kept my attention thanks to its varied and satisfying combat. But frustrating camera and control issues hold the title back from greatness.

Mark of the Ninja illustrates how digitally downloaded games continue to be a breeding ground for some of today's most creative content. This is stealth done right, with the presentation prowess to match. It's easily a contender for Downloadable Game of the Year and it absolutely deserves a place in your digital game collection.

An action game that dares to teach us patience, and caution. A video game with respect for the player, that dares us to be an actual hero. Not once when you die does Dark Souls help you back up, not once does it let up in its astonishing quality or turn to padding, and not once do the ideas stop coming. Buy it.

Rock Band Blitz is great. The core gameplay will keep you switching and tapping like a madman or woman, and the inability to fail allows anyone to get excited and enjoy the experience. Once you master that, the high scores and bragging rights will call your name and get their hooks in if you're that type of gamer.

Escalation raises the bar on the now-requisite survival mode, and competitive matches—complemented by a strong character progression and customization system—do a fine job supplementing tried-and-true online melees with Transfomers-specifc gameplay and style. Fall of Cybertron doesn't pack the same “Oh my god, someone finally made a good Transformers game!” punch as its predecessor, but it's an entirely worthy successor no Optimus Prime fan should pass up.

Horn is the real deal. It looks, sounds and plays great. The adventure may a little too linear and repetitive, but it’s still a blast exploring this gorgeous and riveting world. The exploration, puzzle-solving and combat combine to create an enthralling adventure.

Sleeping Dogs did things that wowed me from the moment I started playing, and it never really stopped. A few finicky issues aside, Sleeping Dogs has proven itself worthy of joining the top class of open-world sandbox games revolutionized by the likes of Grand Theft Auto IV and currently topped by more recent additions like Saints Row: The Third