PC

CHICAGO – After months of build-up in which we were promised a game that would finally merge several game types (single-player campaign, co-op, and multi-player combat) into one glorious package of endless hours of entertainment, Bethesda’s “Brink” is finally here and it’s… just OK… I think.

CHICAGO – Traveller’s Tales clearly seems 100% unconcerned about exhausting their “LEGO” brand as they have released “LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4,” “LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars,” and, now, “LEGO: Pirates of the Caribbean” in less than a year.

CHICAGO – “Portal 2” feels so unlike any of the dozens of games that I play every year for review that it’s nearly hard to put into words. Video game critics train themselves with their approach to shooters, sports games, mini-game collections, etc. But how do you approach something this original, this unique, and this clever without sounding hyperbolic? It’s impossible. “Portal 2” is an amazing achievement.

CHICAGO – Having played racing games since the days when I would go to the arcade and drop quarters into a “Pole Position” game, I’m at the point where I’m somewhat exhausted by the genre. There’s some variety in style, but racing games aren’t really that different from one another, especially ones that take the art of driving as seriously as “Shift 2 Unleashed.”

CHICAGO – As the Tiger Woods controversy has subsided and fans of golf wonder more about whether or not he can reclaim his glory on the links instead of his personal life, a question for gamers has been whether or not the game franchise that bears his name could elevate its game after a few solid-if-unspectacular efforts.

CHICAGO – Like most hardcore gamers, I’m not as easily impressed as I used to be. From the beginning of “Crysis 2,” and several times during my experience with the game, I was simply blown away. Whether it’s from the stunningly beautiful graphics (the best yet in the history of the Xbox), the deep customization that makes the game unique, or an incredibly deep multiplayer experience that is the most addictive since “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” this is a title that I know I will be playing on and off for the majority of 2011. It’s incredible.

CHICAGO – I have defended the 2K Sports baseball games in the past, even personally preferring the “Major League Baseball 2K10” edition for gameplay during last year’s baseball season over Sony’s “MLB 10 The Show,” but this year my denial defenses have fallen to an incredibly faulty release, one full of glitches and generally annoying design decisions.

Video Game Rating: 2.0/5.0

CHICAGO – As more and more successful games are developed and released, it becomes difficult not to have a mental rolodex of comparable titles as you play a new game. Who doesn’t compare new war-set shooters to “Call of Duty”? Who is not going to remember “Dead Space 2” the next time they play sci-fi? And the world of the fantasy RPG has seen some gems recently including “Dragon Age Origins,” “Elder Scrolls IV,” and the “Fable” series. “Two Worlds II” fails in comparison in every single category.

CHICAGO – If you play games as a way to relax and unwind after a long day at work or school, “Dead Space 2” might not be for you. It is the opposite of relaxing. Rarely have I literally felt my heart rate increase or my hands become a little shakier than my average caffeine buzz as when I was playing this riveting, terrifying, great game, a must-own for single-player fans held back only slightly by a few minor disappointments in the multi-player realm.

CHICAGO – “Battlefield: Bad Company 2: Vietnam” is the best multiplayer DLC ever released. With some of the best-designed maps, period, DLC or disc-based, along with new weapons, vehicles, trophies, and even music, this is simply a must-download release. Even if you haven’t picked up “BBC2” in months and have departed its world for that of “Call of Duty: Black Ops,” this amazing release will suck you back in.