Rock Band 3

Landon 7/10

Harmonix really wanted to up the anty with the next Rock Band game. Keyboard, pro guitar, pro drums, karaoke mode; they pulled out their biggest guns to make the experience more realistic. And they actually do a very impressive job with it. The keyboard is complex, but ultimately fun. If there is any problem to be had with any of the Rock Band games, it's always the music taste of the player. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't quite so impressed with the song choices. While classics such as "Bohemian Rhapsody," "Fly Like an Eagle," and "Roundabout" made their appearances, I just wasn't satisfied with the overall selection. Still though, if you happen to like most of the songs put into this game, you should have no problem having a great time with it.

Logan 8/10

Rock Band 3 isn't really my kind of idea for "the perfect music game," but Harmonix really tried to make it be. What I like about this game, unlike the Guitar Hero series nowadays, is that they strive to be different. Rock Band 3 now has a keyboard that adds to the multiplayer, and pro mode that teaches the players how to play all the songs on real instruments (not all downloadable songs though). Although that's about all that Rock Band 3 differs from all the other games in the series, it is now the ultimate party game on the block.

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep

Logan 7/10

Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep is an interesting game for me to review, that's because, yet again, it's a side game to the Kingdom Hearts series. While it didn't get my attention that much, I admire that the gameplay is different from the other games. You play as three characters. They are companions who go on seperate journeys to new Disney worlds to defeat the evil that has spread to other worlds. It's the best side Kingdom Hearts game, but nowhere near as good as the main ones. Though I did beat the game, the only thoughts that came to my mind were: "Give me Kingdom Hearts III!"

LIMBO

Landon 8/10

"LIMBO" is a very strange, yet incredibly unique game. It's a very short game, but does a lot in that small amount of time. It has a great artistic style, interesting puzzles, and terrifying, yet unforgettable moments. It's also absolutely gruesome. You will die. A lot. It's very disturbing watching yourself die over and over again. Now does the game have a story? I don't know. After the ending is revealed, it's quite unsure of what actually really happened. With all this being said, "LIMBO" is a very cool game. This is one of the best Xbox Live Arcade games out there.

Professor Layton and The Unwound Future

Logan 9/10
I've always been astonished by the Professor Layton games for the DS, this one is definently no exception. The Unwound Future has Professor Layton and his friend/apprentice Luke go on another crazy journey, only the plot is connected to "time." The story in this game is one of the best of the year with compelling characters and many strange but unimaginable twists, plus a couple of tear-jerking moments. There really isn't much to say about gameplay other than the many puzzles you come across, each one of them is complex, yet creative and might help you with others puzzles in the future. The overall quality of the game is imaginative compare to the others in the series, the package is an incredible adventure making this game my favorite DS game I have ever played.

Landon 8/10

Like Logan, I find the Professor Layton games fascinating. The first two games were filled with ingenius puzzles, supported by storylines that make you second-guess yourself and twists that you will never see coming. "The Unwound Future" is definitely no exception. With the above pros listed, this one manages to through in an ingredient that makes it different from the others. A backstory to our protagonist Professor Layton. And it has an ending that will absolutely break your heart. This is a great game. I'd recommend it

Assasin's Creed: Brotherhood

Steve 8/10

When I heard this game was coming out I didn't know quite what to think of it because the series is so up and down. Going through this game, you're intrigued by what's happening because it picks up right where the second game leaves off. I really loved the game play and they even added some extra surprises so that you can get in and out of combat really easily. The graphics hadn't changed much and that was a dissappointment, and the story seemed pretty lazy. With that said, this game is still really fun. There's no reason that you shouldn't get this game especially since this game makes killing people in different ways fun. Definitely worth your time.

Donkey Kong Country Returns

Landon 8/10

"Donkey Kong Country Returns" is a very cool game, and maybe the best in the series. It has very addicting game play, awesome mine cart levels, and couple of cool new ideas for the series. However, it doesn't stray too far from the original "Donkey Kong Country," and it is a super hard game. But this is a super fun Wii game that I believe you should all own yourselves.

Logan 8/10

Not knowing what to expect from Retro Studios pulling off from the Metroid series, I was a bit nervous seeing what this new Donkey Kong game was going to be like. Luckily I wasn't disappointed. "Donkey Kong Country Returns" has anything you could ever want in a platforming game. It has challenging but addictive gameplay, fabulous level designs, and a cooperative mode that doesn't have a big impact on this game, but is fun nonetheless. Not platforming at it's best, but definentely one of the best for the Wii.

Halo: Reach

Steve 10/10

So my first impression of this game was "it could've been better," but that's because I played it and beat it in less then three days and had sleep deprivation. But then I got to fully immerse myself in the game play the second time around and realized just how great this game really is. The graphics are the best this series has to offer, and the game play, while familiar, threw in a couple of twists that kept it refreshing, and as always, "Bungie" delivers with a stupendous multi-player. The thing I loved most about this game is that you start the game knowing exactly how it's going to end but there are moments where it makes you think that it might end otherwise. This game might not be the best game of the year but it is a definite must own.
Landon 8/10

"Bungie" had told us that they wanted to go all out with their last Halo game. It probably wasn't on the level we all hoped it would be, but it still got a good shot. "Halo: Reach" is a pretty great game. It has great graphics, sweet music, and a cool story. However, it wasn't as different as I hoped it would be. While still plenty of fun, it was quite different enough. But it was the multiplayer that defined this game. It's incredibly addicting and has tons of new ideas and cool giant maps. It may not have been the best Halo game, but it was certainly a great addition to the franchise

Garrett 8/10

My first thought when I saw this game come out, was " Are you kidding me? Another Halo game......" and I refused to play it. After I was convinced to play it, I almost instantly ate my words. The graphics were incredible, and as Steve said, even though you know how the story will end, you end up questioning if it actually will. In previous Halo games, I kind of stopped playing after I finished the campaign, but in Reach, the multiplayer kept calling me back. To me, a lot of it seemed like all the other games, where they copied a bunch of stuff from previous games, and not a whole bunch or originality, but it was still an awesome game.

Logan 9/10

Well I was certainly glad that this would be Bungie's last Halo game after the disappointment from "Halo 3" and it's "spin-offs," little did I know was that this game would be great. "Halo: Reach" is a prologue to all the other Halo games with a more realistic storyline packed into it. The gameplay is second-to-none for other first-person shooter games and the campaign is fun to go through. But what I really have to get credit to is the multiplayer, it's one of the best multiplayers I've seen in any game. Ever.

Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

Steve 9/10

So your all probably wondering why one of the most anticipated games of the year only gets a 9/10. Well I'll be glad to tell you. Let me start first by saying that this game lived up to the hype in almost every way. Great graphics, a better way to tell the story, fun game to get you thinking; just flat out better than the first game overall. Now comes the "but." Yes, there is a but. There's only one element I did not like about the game and that is of course a very shallow cast of characters. Yeah I went there. There were so many new characters and not a whole lot of character development. With that said, a very fun game, intriguing story, and fantastic game play, and a very awesome multi-player. If you are a PC gamer in anyway, shape or form you will get this game. Definitely a must own.

Garrett 10/10

"Starcraft II" was incredible! I loved the graphics, but one of my favorite parts, was the storyline. The first Starcraft didn't really have a solid storyline, but Starcraft II fixed that. Not only was the story easy to follow, but it had me gripping at my seat, wanting to know what would happen next the entire time. The gameplay was great too. Blizzard introduced many new units to use, making the game much more interesting than the first one. Even after I finished the campaign, I spent hours playing multiplayer. This game is a must buy, and is easily one of my all time favorites.

Super Mario Galaxy 2

Landon 9/10

Nintendo hasn't done a direct sequel to a Mario game since the original on the NES. Naturally, you'd expect "Super Mario Galaxy 2" to be similar to the original. The answer? It is. But you know what? In this case, it almost doesn't matter. "Super Mario Galaxy 2" is every bit as fun and addicting as the original was. Stellar galaxy levels, gorgeous graphics, an epic, orchestrated soundtrack, and some of the best game play this generation. All this compiles to make one of the best games of the year, and on the Wii overall. Don't let the similarities with the original Galaxy prevent you from buying this game. You'll have plenty of fun with this one for quite a while.

Steve 8/10

This game was great. Addicting game play, beautifully done graphics, and incredible music. There's only one problem that I have with this game. The only difference is Yoshi. It's not neccessarily a bad thing because of how incredible the first game was. It wasn't a step up from the first game, but a step in the right direction. With that said the game is still incredibly fun and still one of the best, if not the best game on the Wii.

Logan 10/10

I personally had an incredible time with this game, sure it didn't seem as unique as the first one, but that didn't matter to me. Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of the best games of the year. It's got many of the formulas from the first one, plus a couple of new upgrades and level designs. Also, the music is just as good as the first one, if not better, spectacular graphics, and even riding on Yoshi is a lot of fun. I still don't think it's as good as its predecessor, but it's a close one.

Mass Effect 2

Steve 10/10
I haven't seen something this ambitious in gaming for a long time. In fact I haven't seen something this ambitious in an entire series ever. While I thought the first game was a good game this game improved on it in every way. The game picks up a few years after the first game leaves off, and you are immediately drawn in by the events that lead to Shepards reconstruction. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This game has a great story, epic gameplay, and breathtaking graphics and landscapes. If you don't already own this game go pick it up today. Defintely worth your time and money.
Landon 9/10
Bigger, better, and more attractive, "Mass Effect 2" better than the original in every way. While still fun, the original "Mass Effect" consisted of repetitive gunplay and awful side missions. This time around, these are the highlights for this sequel. Aside from its awesome combat and fun missions, it had appealing characters, a cool story with extremely well-written dialogue, and graphics that don't lack and hiccup. I'm now really excited to see what "Mass Effect 3" brings out. This is a game to be reckoned with.

Logan 10/10

I really enjoyed playing the first "Mass Effect." "Mass Effect 2" is Bioware's first sequel to any of their home console games. And you know what? It does everything more epic, ground-breaking, and just plain better. "Mass Effect 2" is one, if not, the best game on the Xbox360. It is filled with simple yet interesting characters, a more engaging story, and unlike the first one, it doesn't suffer from lagging. Choosing your dialogue certainly doesn't hurt either. Mass Effect 2 is an experience that happens once a lifetime.