First up was Bioshock (Xbox360/PC), one of this year's best games. With a deep storyline and a completely immersing and detailed game world, it transports you to an underwater utopia gone awry where you battle to survive and learn about your own mysterious past.
In honor of rally star Colin McRae's passing, we took Dirt (Xbox360/PS3/PC) for a test drive and walked away with a new appreciation of the variety and depth of rally races.
The Darkness (Xbox360/PS3) throws players into a gloomy urban gangland drama, expanding the Top Cow comic book property into a fully realized and exciting shooter.
Heavenly Sword (PS3) is deservedly a top release for PS3 this holiday season, presenting a hack and slash adventure similar to God of War, including killer sword combos and a unique application called aftertouch that allows you to guide thrown objects with the motion control feature of the Sixaxis controller.
Warhawk (PS3) lets you engage in multiplayer skirmishes against opponents online. Players can fight on foot, in tanks or in the air and matches scale up to 32 players to ensure there are always plenty of targets available.
Lair (PS3) has strong production design, but disappoints as a gaming experience. Players control flying dragons via subpar motion control, causing far more frustration than exhilaration.
Folklore (PS3) is a new fantasy action-adventure from the makers of Genji, transporting players to a lush world where they attempt to solve murders with the help of Pokemon-like "folks" collected along the way.
The biggest release of the year fully lives up to its hype, as Halo 3 (Xbox360) delivers a thrilling first-person mission and customizable multiplayer matches that will keep the Halo nation entertained for years to come.
Stranglehold (Xbox360/PS3/PC) is a welcome return to the world of Hong Kong film classic Hard Boiled, reuniting John Woo and Chow Yun-Fat in a new shooter that's weak on graphics but strong on fan boy wish fulfillment.
Call of Duty 4 (Xbox360/PS3/PC) moves the previous WWII franchise into modern combat, with an exhilarating first-person adventure as well as a compelling online mode that rewards players for achievements in battle, allowing them to advance in rank and unlock new weapons and abilities. -Steve Geise