EA DICE's flagship military combat series continues with Battlefield 3, a first-person shooter with destructible environments, large-scale maps, controllable vehicles, and online support for up to 24 simultaneous players. The single-player campaign, which the publisher estimates to be 12 hours in length, features multiple playable characters in a structure similar to Activision's Call of Duty franchise.

In a storyline set in 2014, you'll play as a Russian agent sent to stop a terrorist attack in Paris, a Marine corporal in the Tehran desert, and as others in missions set in Sarajevo, New York, Wake Island, Oman, and Sulaymaniyah. The Frostbite physics engine introduced in the Battlefield: Bad Company spin-off series has been enhanced, now allowing for the complete destruction of buildings and scenery objects as well as vision blurring or blinding effects. Soldiers can also shoot from the prone position.

The multiplayer game features a choice of team-based options. Conquest has your side trying to claim and hold different areas of the battlefield, while rush involves one team trying to quickly advance across a map as the other team defends. Team deathmatch is also included, and there are four available classes in the game: assault, support, recon, and engineer. Both the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 titles are designed to run at 30 frames per second at 720p resolution. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Developer Rocksteady Studios returns players to its dark vision of Gotham, where the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane has been replaced with a walled-off expanse of city streets and abandoned buildings, ruled only by deadly mad anarchy. From a familiar third-person perspective, players resume the single-player role of Batman, for missions of infiltration, assault, recovery, and rescue. Gruesomely outnumbered, the hero's survival still relies largely on stealthy ninja tactics, although open environments occasionally call for cape-aided hang-gliding or grappling-hook acrobatics.

Although the territory of the new Arkham City is nearly five times larger than the old asylum grounds, Batman's path is sometimes limited by outbursts of gang warfare, usually best avoided. The game also regularly presents puzzles for the Dark Knight to solve, in the gadget-enhanced "Detective Mode." The combat system has been refined, allowing Batman to counter attacks from multiple opponents at once, and to access his gadgets in the middle of a fight.

Set only a year after the events of Arkham Asylum, the game's story begins with Quincy Sharp, the former warden who is now mayor of Gotham City. His plan -- to shut down the asylum, move the inmates to a walled in section of city slums, and hire private security to guard the new borders -- has created a zone of pure lawlessness in the heart of Gotham. It is a city within a city, where inmates are free to roam the streets, stealing and killing as they wish, so long as they do not attempt to escape.

Control of this urban wasteland is now contested by two rival gangs: one led by the Joker, with the help of Harley Quinn, and the other by Two Face, who has called for the public execution of Catwoman -- much to the delight of the other bloodthirsty residents. Side-stories involve more of Arkham's most famously devious and demented recidivists, including Mr. Freeze, the Penguin, Poison Ivy, and the Riddler. Kevin Conroy again voices Batman, with Mark Hamill as the Joker. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

In Forza Motorsport 4, the premier Xbox driving sim returns to race around 360 tracks with enhanced graphics, a more diverse selection of cars, and support for Kinect natural-motion controls. As in previous Forza games, detailed physics models re-create the power and handling characteristics of different cars in different conditions, to provide hardcore enthusiasts with a realistic driving experience. With various optional driver-assist features, casual players can compete as well. Motion tracking allows players to look left or right in the game by turning their heads. Kinect players can also choose to steer with hand motions. Forza 4 incorporates a new lighting system and adds camera angle options.

Meticulously re-created automobiles from more than 80 manufacturers are available, although many of the most coveted cars must be unlocked for play. The game's World Tour mode allows players to drive to the top of an international auto racing career. Other modes and racing styles are available, including autocross and drift. Xbox Live Gold players can race online against rivals, even when they are not on at the same time. Car Clubs and custom-car sharing also return. Previous players can import credits and gifted cars from their Forza 3 save files. Forza Motorsport 4 was developed by Microsoft's Turn 10 Studio, creators of previous games in the series. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

Spider-Man: Edge of Time places players in the roles of two different iterations of the web-slinging, wall-crawling superhero, crossing back and forth between two fateful eras, a century apart. The game's third-person action features fast-paced combat, escape sequences, platforming, and situational puzzles, as each hero endeavors through explosive set-piece missions to aid the other. In the role of Peter Parker, the modern-day "Amazing" Spider-Man, players help to stop a monolithic mega-corporation from taking over the world, 100 years in the future. As the future genetic researcher, Miguel O'Hara -- better known as Spider-Man 2099 -- players reach backward through the space-time continuum, to help prevent the untimely death of the original Spidey, 100 years earlier.

Separated by a century but united by a common cause, the Spider-Man of today and the Spider-Man of tomorrow embark together on a mind-twisting quest to repair the unraveling fabric of reality itself. Although they can't meet in person, the two heroes find a way to communicate across the edge of time, in order to provide one another with mission-critical information. Many of the puzzles and tricky situations in the game require Spider-Man to take present-day actions that alter the future reality for Spider-Man 2099, and for the future hero to use his knowledge of the past to guide his predecessor from otherwise certain peril. Edge of Time was created by Activision's Beenox, the studio that developed 2010's well-received Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

NBA fans can take a break from lockouts and labor agreements to focus on in-game action and legendary careers in NBA 2K12. The brand new "NBA's Greatest" mode lets gamers experience some of the defining moments in the careers of 15 NBA legends, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Julius Erving. There are also 30 classic teams to unlock, including the powerhouse Celtics of the 1960s, the "Showtime" Lakers, and the "Bad Boy" Pistons; and the in-game presentation has been tailored to each specific era, complete with short-shorts and black-and-white video feeds.

Players looking to create legends of their own can once again do so via the franchise and "My Player" modes, guiding an entire franchise to the promised land or controlling a rookie from his first tip-off to his enshrinement in the NBA Hall of Fame. New features in "My Player" include position-specific attributes, the ability to play in only key matchups, and a revamped draft experience, complete with commentary from NBA Commissioner David Stern. Gamers can also choose to guide current NBA players to Hall-of-Fame status in the new "Create-A-Legend" mode. The in-game action and presentation has been updated with more than 1,000 new animations and new post-play mechanics, and multiplayer fans can once again head online for dynasty and league play. ~ Christopher Brown, All Game Guide

Gamers play and develop their own comic-book mutant heroes and villains in X-Men: Destiny. Set in the Marvel universe and featuring familiar friends and foes from Professor Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, the game focuses on three original characters -- teenagers whose mutant superpowers are just beginning to manifest. Each playable character has a basic mutant special ability, which players gradually custom-enhance as they earn upgrades throughout the adventure.

Although the looks and personalities of the super-powered teens are predetermined in the backstory, their destinies are to be decided by the player -- one choice at a time. Players lead their characters through a branching plotline, which ultimately has the young mutant choosing between the X-Men and Magneto's Brotherhood. Set in a future San Francisco, torn apart by a war between mutants and regular humans, the game's story features Cyclops, Wolverine, and several other well-known mutants and monsters from X-Men comics and movies. Playable heroes develop relationships with these established characters, depending on the actions they choose. X-Men: Destiny was developed by Silicon Knights, creator of original, story-driven action games including Eternal Darkness and Too Human. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide

EA's top-selling soccer series continues with FIFA 12, which boasts an all-new "player impact engine" designed to more accurately reflect real-life movement and interactions on the pitch. The physics model takes into account a player's momentum and direction when jostling for the ball for more realistic collisions, which leads to more authentic injuries. Other enhancements to the game include more precise dribbling, improved lighting effects, more tactical approaches to defense, and a refined computer AI designed to make onscreen athletes behave more like their real-world counterparts. FIFA 12 also includes a revamped online portal, where you can seek out friendly competitions, compare your stats with friends, share news via Facebook, and improve your overall ranking by earning experience points while playing matches. You'll participate in weekly challenges, follow updated storylines, compete against rival clubs, and more. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

The final chapter in Epic's Gears of War trilogy wraps up the story of the Delta Squad in its last-ditch effort to save what's left of humanity on war-ravaged Sera. New playable characters join protagonist Marcus Fenix and crew, along with a ghastly group of new enemies to battle. Additional weapons to master include the deadly sawed-off shotgun and digger launcher, which fires an explosive projectile that burrows its way into the ground toward your target. Gears of War 3 also includes both cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes via Xbox Live.

Online matches let you gain experience and earn rewards for participating in various game types and performing all-new actions such as weapon-specific executions. Matches now take place on dedicated servers, and various gameplay tweaks have been added, such as the ability to "tag" enemies in your sights for teammates to track. New map types vary in size and atmosphere, ranging from a grocery store and freeway overpass to a courtyard and sports arena. Play modes include Team Deathmatch, Capture the Leader, King of the Hill, and more. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

A tropical island resort becomes a place of nightmares after a mysterious epidemic turns the majority of inhabitants into bloodthirsty zombies. As one of four playable characters, your goal is to complete missions necessary for your survival, which means battling throngs of the undead with a variety of customizable weapons and finding a way off the fictitious island of Banoi.

Dead Island features an open-world environment in a campaign that supports up to four players for drop-in, drop-out cooperative action. The two male and two female characters have different strengths and weaknesses, which can be offset to a degree by leveling up. Experience points earned in combat can be used to improve a character's attributes and fighting skills.

When firearms and ammo are in limited supply, you'll be able to engage enemies in hand-to-hand combat with axes, machetes, knives, clubs, and similar edged or bludgeoning weapons that will degrade over time. Explore the island's urban areas, forests, mountain highlands, caves, beaches, and other locales from a first-person perspective, or utilize an over-the-shoulder view for melee combat. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

Based on Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 universe, Space Marine is a third-person shooter that pits elite human soldiers against two deadly factions: the feral Orks and the shadowy Chaos. You take command of Captain Titus of the Ultramarines, who must defend a strategically critical weapons-producing planet from falling into enemy hands. Both shooting and melee combat are supported, with players able to seamlessly switch between fighting styles simply by tapping a button. Defeating enemies will earn your character "fury," which can be used to trigger more powerful ranged or melee attacks. In addition to the single-player campaign, Space Marine includes co-op play as well as competitive multiplayer game types. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide