Gears of War 2 is like running across an old friend. You might not remember every little detail about them right away, but with enough time memories come flooding back, and soon you're yelling Cole Train at your TV as loud as you can. Gears of War 2 is a great single-player game and co-op experience, but when it comes to the multiplayer you'd be better off taking a chainsaw to it (at least when it comes to Epic's matchmaking system).

It's hard to call Fallout 3 just an RPG. Players still roam around, grab quests, and level up after they've gained enough experience, but it's so much more about the experience and downtime rather than the linear goal that drives you forward. You see, Fallout 3 isn't just an RPG, but rather a life simulator of what it must be like if the world actually did suffer an apocalypse. I've too often found myself slowly shuffling towards a nearby city, my bag packed with so many items I can't run anymore, and a crippled leg holding me back. It's not an easy way of life outside the Vault, having to survive fights with mutants and scrounging all the items I can. I walk towards the salvation of a walled city and must remind myself it's just a game, because if I don't the bleakness starts to eat away at me and I feel the sense of hopelessness that surely plagues the citizens of this new world. It's hard not to be moved by the game. Throughout it all, however, it's still a phenomenal achievement as both an excellent game and benchmark in the history of gaming.

I'm amazed by anyone who can take Line Rider and make those absolutely fantastically created tracks, which feature things that look like actual portraits rather than a bunch of lines haphazardly thrown together. I'm impressed by their creativity, but also by the sheer fact they can create anything with the controls of this game. The latest Line Rider console release – Line Rider: Unbound 2 – is an episode in frustration, which shows that if at first you don't succeed, try and try again. If that doesn't work, try and try again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again…

The first Path of the Ninja was a decent RPG that took the Naruto characters and led them through the history of the series, retelling stories that fans were already familiar with. Path of the Ninja 2 is overall a much-improved game, including a brand-new story, 30 characters, and an online battle component. It isn't perfection, but it's an enjoyable time.

The people over at Gametrailers always do a great job at putting retrospectives together, and their latest is a primer for Fallout 3. In the 15-minute video you'll get a history of the series' beginnings and a recap of the first two games' story. It's a great primer for people who can't wait to play Fallout 3 this week (that should be everyone) and never played (or forgot) the first two games.

It's always a treat whenever a news Brothers In Arms game comes out, as I've come to find out that it's one of the only videogame franchises out there that I actually feel emotionally invested in. I didn't even know this myself until sitting down to play Hell's Highway, and suddenly all the good times spent playing the first two games came back to me, and the emotional weight of the plight of Sgt. Baker and the rest of the 101st Airborne hit me full on.

Dead Space should be a crime. It's just inconceivable that a brand new IP can come out, nailing a perfect mixture between science fiction and survival horror, and have nary a fault in sight. What happened to the good old days when a game had to go through growing pains until it finally reached a level of perfection? Oh well, at least nobody can hear you scream in space, because otherwise people would hear you wailing like a little baby.

Many people were worried about the original Mario RPG when it was first released, because surely an established franchise mascot couldn't fit well into the RPG formula. As history has proven, however, that wasn't the case. The latest mascot taking to the RPG circuit is Sonic, starring in his first RPG called Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. It's a strange amalgamation of a game, blending typical Sonic characters with Elite Beat Agents and a little Knights of the Old Republic for good measure. It's an amusing game, but one that is ultimately hampered by its uniqueness.

RPGs have a habit of staring emo guys as the main protagonist, so it's actually refreshing to find a game that flips the formula on its head, this time featuring a young, teen girl helplessly in love with a prince, and who must save her prince if she's to live happily ever after. Rhapsody is a weird musical adventure, and though it's short and easy, it's a sweet little adventure game that will charm the pants off you.

One of Square Enix's best, but often-overlooked series, has always been the Dragon Quest franchise. Continuing their trend of constant remakes, Square Enix has just recently brought out Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen, a welcomed change from all the remakes the company has been producing, since this time around it's a game not many people have played since it was originally released back in the day on the NES. Diehard turn-based fans will likely find themselves in heaven, but others will find a good game, but marred by tradition.

The MMORPG market is a crowded one and World of Warcraft is undoubtedly the king of the crop if going on sheer numbers and pop culture recognition. It's also not a great time to be releasing a new MMORPG, considering Age of Conan was just released not long ago, World of Warcraft will have its second expansion releasing shortly, and even Lord of the Rings Online is set to release their first expansion before the year is done. Despite the crowded market and stiff competition to come, Warhammer Online releases with a bang, and shoves its way through the throng of gamers in order to stand tall as one of the premier games worthy of your time.

What if you were a god and had the ability to single-handedly create and mold a race of creatures to your liking? Would your creature be a religious worshipping vegetarian or a power hungry carnivore? Would your creature have four eyes and two arms? Would your creation look like a giant penis? In Spore almost anything is possible, as you work your way from the primordial ooze and eventually into the dark recesses of space. Though there are some problems, it's still a fun look at evolution and user creativity.

Looking back on the history of the Digimon and Pokemon franchises, I think Digimon wins out with a cooler mythology and more interesting creatures. The last Digimon game I played, which just so happened to appear on the DS as well, was a decent RPG adventure. So you build onto that formula and create something amazing the next time…right? Normally…yes, but if you're Bandai Namco you do the complete opposite and instead make a frustrating game that will please hardly anyone.

A deer rocket powered by exploding diarrhea. I mean, come on, nuff said right there. What more do I have to tell you about Xbox Live Arcade's newest treasure – Castle Crashers? Okay, fine, I'll talk more on the virtues of this beat 'em up brawler meets RPG fantasy freak fest after the jump. But come on! Exploding diarrhea!

Besides Duke Nukem Forever, perhaps no other game has been in development hell and a state of flux for so long as Too Human. The game has seemingly been rumored for every console since the Playstation, only for it to emerge briefly and then retreat back into its hole like a groundhog. The game has finally been released, and despite the many rumored rumblings of its quality and the process it has gone through, through it all it has emerged as a solid game, and one that could've been truly epic…had it just had a little more development time.