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Uncharted 2: Among Thieves was wonderful, somehow bettering its awesome predeccesor in every way with hilarious writing, unbelievable graphics, excellent gameplay, great multiplayer, the latter being the biggest surprise of the year. The single player experience translates fantastically not only to co-op but competetive as well. I could go on for days about why exactly this game is so good., but instead I’ll explain it in clichés; it’s a jaw-dropping non-stop action experience from start to finish, and a very likely candidate for Game of the Year. Sunk 30 hours+ total over three playthroughs and co-op / competitive mutliplayer.

+ Outstanding graphics
+ A blast from start to finish
+ Very enjoyable online components
[10/10]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 also topped what came before, again in every field. MW2 is everything that came before but better; ridiculously diverse and thrilling in its set piece design as the single player campaign conducts a perfect balance of battle and hollywood spectacle. To add to this cinematic feel, Hans Zimmer produced a wonderful score to accompany the action, drama and intensity of war for MW2.
CoD geeks such as myself will be thrilled to know what Infinity Ward removed from the sequel to 2007′s amazing – not to mention refreshing – FPS. Staples of Call of Duty such as infinite respawning enemies and grenade spamming are out, giving way for an incredible game which can be enjoyed unhampered by these game-killing mechanics.  New co-op mode Spec Ops is fantastic as well, letting two players play out the best moments of both modern warfare games together. It’s also nice to see IW refusing to rest on their laurels and add so much to their competitive online component, despite it being as good as it was. It remains king of its kind.Sunk 20 hours over 1 veteran playthrough, half the spec ops missions and plenty of multiplayer. Will undoubtedly be playing more.

+ The best competitive FPS mutliplayer out there
+ Perfectly paced, constantly kick-ass single player career.
- Storyline is very poor
- Competitive multiplayer maps are weak and unvaried when compared against the outstanding maps from the original.
[8.8]

The Beatles: Rock Band is everything I could have hoped for and more. There’s not much to say – it’s rock band but with an entire setlist of Beatles songs and wonderfully designed graphical representations of the Fab Four’s march through music history. The love and care that went into making every aspect of this title is ludicrously apparent. Compared with other band-specific offerings we’ve seen (from the Guitar Hero series) The Beatles really comes through on top with its personality, craftsmanship and that distinct Beatles feel that pulses through every line of code. Anyway, You’ll already know if this game is for you, and probably already purchased your copy if the answer was “Yes”. Sunk many a hard day’s night into TB:RB since it’s Sept. 9th release date, also purchased Abbey Road DLC and highly recommend it.

+ It’s the Beatles
+ Wonderfully produced by Harmonix
- Would have loved to see a bigger setlist, (45 tracks is so 2005) with a few more of the obvious songs that were strangely absent.
[9.5 / 10]

Guitar Hero 5 gives a much needed kiss of life to a dying series. Sure there are still a few problems; online is hit or miss, the store is pretty weak compared to the competition and the music studio still produces poorly-sampled, tinny sounds. But GH5 manages to do a lot right, and it does this by focusing on whats important; the setlist is diverse – and thats a good thing -, the look and feel of the game is finally in tune with what a rock simulator should be, Gone are a host of problems World Tour brought to the table and in their place are great new features – Instrument specific challenges on every song in the career are a stand-out for me, and – most importantly – they nailed the elusive ‘drop-in, drop-out’ accesability music rythm games have been chasing for years with its outstanding ‘Party Play’ mode which boots up immediately upon startup. Finally, for the first time since the fantastic Guitar Hero III, a return to form – and you can’t help but smile when you remember just how great that form can be. Sunk 20+ hours over career, quickplay and online.

+ Guitar Hero is back to it’s former greatness with an awesome setlist
+ Party play is a great addition to an already robust system
- Music store is still weak compared to Rock Band’s library
- Online can be hit or miss.
[8.5 / 10]

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 fixes nearly every problem the original Ninja Gaiden II had on the 360, and adds more than enough to warrant a second purchase from veterans of the title. Three new playable characters, new chapters, new weapons, considerably less missile-spamming, online co-op missions and all together a far, far better package. Shame about the censorship concerning the brilliant gore from the original. If you’re new to this series Sigma 2 is a no-brainer for any gamer who enjoys a challenge.
Sunk 40+ hours over two playthroughs, online co-op and a variety of extras.

+ A lot of new content
+ Co-op mode is a really great addition and works surprisingly well for a formula I thought could only work single player.
- aformentioned online can be very laggy at times
- Complete lack of gore is seriously detrimental to the style and look of what is supposed to be an uber-violent game
[8.9 / 10]