This game being a re-imagining of the first Ratchet and Clank makes it not only a great entry point for the series, but more importantly a truly great game.

If Dark Souls III is the final visit to this series, then it is the apex the series deserves and certainly one of the most worthwhile adventures we’ve embarked on in a long time.

A wonderful, demanding but rewarding, roguelike twin-stick shooter where the visuals connect with the gameplay and the music is getting you pumped to shoot more bullets at bullets. Enter the Gungeon does a good job of explaining its mechanics via tutorial and Ammonomicon, making it great first for anyone looking to get into this burgeoning genre. It doesn’t necessarily bring anything new to table, but what it does bring is extremely well done.

Ultimately Hyper Light Drifter is a great adventure game that begs to presented in a better way. A more clearly defined story and more intuitive exploration would make this game the adventure that it wants to be, but without those things Hyper Light Drifter falls flat.

That said, "Give No Shelter" is an improvement over the first chapter, which to be honest, wasn't that hard. Hopefully Telltale can continue riding this upward trend for the finale, and deliver a satisfying conclusion worthy of its protagonist.

Though Quantum Break doesn't always meet its own expectations, the results are spectacular when it does.

In an industry where shock value is often the king of the horror video game, it’s hard to imagine a horror game completely devoid of gore and sudden fright hitting all of the right notes of interest, but Albino Lullaby does the job admirably.

Adr1ft tries to break away from the tropes of bombastic violence and self-congratulation found in so many video games, and for that, its development team should be lauded. It’s too bad that this game set in the black void of space didn’t find anything interesting enough to fill the void of its barely-existent gameplay.

Into the Stars, despite some lack of variety, isn’t boring. Even for being a bit repetitive, it provides urgency, difficulty, relief and frustration in-game that runs pretty flawlessly.

As a story, Republique excels; its spirited techno-thriller story has plenty of meat for thematically-minded gamers to sink their teeth into. As a game, Replublique's meat could have used a little more spice.

The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD is a wonderful re-emergence of a wonderful game. The brand new HD visuals make the game look better than ever before, really capturing the beauty and majesty of Twilight Princess.

The periodic releases of smaller “target” events are a good way of keeping people’s interest in the game between episodes, but if server problems persist then those events will suffer the most. Still, the introductory episode of Hitman: Intro Pack - Paris makes a pretty strong first impression even when working with limited content.

It's a close-to-perfectly painted picture of the core MMA experience remixed into a tiny controller and super-realistic fighters on screen.

Far Cry Primal is an incredibly interesting game that really nails the feeling of danger and survival at times. The game’s nearly non-existent, thin plot and tedious crafting system however hold it back from being great.

SUPERHOT presents a fun sort of arcade/puzzle game that has plenty of materials to last well beyond its core experience.

It's beautiful to explore, its mechanics are easy to grasp, and before long, you'll find yourself pushing harder to make it just one more camp, just one more night and just one more week. Provided you can stave off the wolves.

Michonne is the big draw here, and Samira Wiley's performance alone makes this episode worth playing. We just have to hope the later episodes give her more to do that we haven't already seen before.

Street Fighter V's core skeleton is sturdy, but beneath those bones lies a barely beating heart. With almost no single-player, limited multiplayer, a tiny cast, and unstable online, this feels like an Early Access beta that Capcom had the gall to try to price as a completed game.

Garden Warfare 2 does nothing new outside of those new maps and the hub area, which really isn’t that much. This sequel feels like a “complete edition” of the first Garden Warfare only with different maps. The weak campaign and lackluster multiplayer modes outside of Gnome Bomb aren’t doing it any favors either.

The story feels on par with the works of Edgar Allen Poe in its abilities to bend fantastical and grotesque imagery into the expression of a natural human tragedy.

In the end, XCOM 2 has come into the world aiming to do what an XCOM is supposed to do best, which is supply a fun, extensive, and challenging hybrid of resource and time management and turn-based strategy combat.

Firewatch is at its best when it allows you just explore is captivating landscapes and spend some time on your own thinking about everything and nothing all at once.

In an industry that can sometimes feel cold and sterile, Unravel is a welcome injection of warmth and love. The insanely cute Yarny, the emotional story, and the vibrant worlds all radiate a serenity that can really change a person's outlook on life itself.

Fortified is by no means perfect, as it has a few quirks that really get under my skin. However, when it's time to lock and load against the Martians it's a challenging little game that tests my strategic mind just as much as my trigger finger.

Mario and Luigi: Paper Jam is a silly little romp through the Mushroom Kingdom with classic JRPG fun and a few less-than-stellar tricks up its sleeve.

There are still some small annoyances preventing Lego Marvel's Avengers from being an outstanding game, but TT Games has shown it still has some magic up its sleeve to keep improving upon its long-running franchise.

The world is bewildering, the mysteries are thrilling, and the characters are so well-realized it's hard not to fall deep into Oxenfree's embrace.

I cannot recommend this to everyone because of the sheer difficulty of the experience, but I nonetheless challenge anyone who has lost a loved one or faced great trouble in their life to take this journey, share in human togetherness with the Greens and their friends, and observe the beauty that blossomed from the life and death of Joel Green.

Considering its price, Amplitude is an solid alternative for those who don't want to break bank for the new Guitar Hero or Rock Band games and their pricey peripherals.

It’s an odd approach, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a lot of fun with this game.

There's a good game in there somewhere, it's just fighting to be free for most of the time.

Rainbow Six Siege isn't exactly the full return to form we were hoping for after seven years of dormancy, but it's still worth the wallet breach if you're willing to dedicate yourself to the craft and are able to find a few friends.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is one of the most disappointing games I’ve played this year. The tennis part is pretty fun, but the rest of the game is so light on content it’s hard to recommend this to anyone outside of children or tennis fans.

Once the Jedi Mind Trick of nostalgia and Star Wars love wears off, you'll realize there are plenty of better multiplayer shooters out there that aren't as far, far away.

The match variety and creation suites are awesome and the 2K Showcase mode is a great trip down memory lane, but the overall "WWE Universe" experience that the game touts doesn't quite translate yet. WWE 2K16 is a solid competitor, but it's not a main event talent.

It wouldn't be a true Game of Thrones tale without some dramatic twists at the conclusion, and Telltale's story has a few that were true eye-opening moments.

With an amazing campaign, phenomenal multiplayer, numerous gameplay options, satisfying story, nigh-infinite unlockables, and tons of nooks and crannies to explore, Legacy of the Void stands as one of the proudest entries in the Starcraft legacy.

Even though some of it feels more of the same when compared to Advanced Warfare, Black Ops III's unconventional experiments sits atop refined shooting mechanics and smooth controls, resulting in some excellent gameplay. Toss in a ton of replayability to be gained from both the short campaign, Zombies Mode and multiplayer, and this is one of the strongest entries of the franchise to date.

Rise of the Tomb Raider isn't setting a tremendous new bar for all of action video games to follow, as much of this game stems from things we've done before, but it's still a neat little adventure buried in the God-forsaken wilderness.

The magnitude of the world is awe-inspiring, and even with the lukewarm additions of crafting and building, Fallout 4 manages to be as enthralling an experience as any open-world adventure to date.

Nevertheless, Need for Speed looks and sounds great, excluding the random frame rate hiccup, and there's a ton of fun to be had behind the wheel. Need for Speed floors it in the right direction for the most part. Unfortunately, not everything was right under the hood when this racer left the garage. As we all know, this can cause some major problems when you're trying to peel out.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water's full price tag might shy away some would-be buyers since it's only available in North America as a digital release, but veterans of the series or survival horror fans in general will certainly have a good time having an otherworldly photo shoot at Mt. Hikami.

This is a great entry point if you’re looking to jump on the D&D bandwagon as it does a good job of easing the player into this deep and dense universe.

The game's high production values were a bit diminished by the series' longstanding fallacies, such as random lag and instances of poor texturing, but London remains a gorgeous place to visit.

Guitar Hero Live brings Activision's former fan-favorite franchise back to the fold in new and impressive ways. Handing over the reigns to the DJ Hero team was probably the best decision the publisher made in the rhythm game department since agreeing to publish the very first Guitar Hero a decade ago.

Triforce Heroes is a fantastic Zelda experience that combines the hectic nature of Super Mario Bros.

Though the story is a draw for longtime fans, most people will be stopping in to check out Halo 5's multiplayer, and it's there 343's direction really shines. Warzone is a lot of fun, and Arena's classic inspiration is made all the better thanks to 343's latest twists to core mechanics. It's gorgeous, it's fast-paced, and it's a blast to play regardless of your skill level. Halo 5 is absolutely the flagship title the Xbox One deserves.

Older fans might need a little more substance in their platformers, but even they would agree that Yoshi's Woolly World is a fun little game with a lot of personality bursting from its seams from beginning to end.

I didn’t know exactly what I was missing until Rising Tide filled in the blanks, but now Beyond Earth is more engaging than ever as a Civilization sci-fi experience.

Story Mode is fun and light-hearted, and rekindles those feelings of excitement and adventure you had with friends when you were a kid. It may wear its influences on its sleeve, but that's not such a bad thing when it's handled so well.

Transformers: Devastation is the game most Transformers fans have been waiting their entire lives for.

Rock Band 4 hasn't been a prominent fixture on the scene for half a decade, but it's return shows that Harmonix hasn't missed a beat since the last entry.

Armikrog is a love letter to old-school style of point-and-click adventure and the peculiarity of its wonderful predecessors.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 5 is a failure in almost every way a game can be a failure. Terrible level design, rampant glitches, minimal content, janky gameplay, and a complete lack of polish all mar what's (hopefully) the final entry in a previously great series.

Skylanders Superchargers went a long way in trying to change itself up from its predecessors and it did a pretty good job.

This is the first true expansion for Destiny and it’s the culmination of all the potential the original game showed when it first released.

Persona 4 Dancing All Night is a delightful departure from the series norm, and even fans that only have a passing knowledge of the franchise will get a kick out of how fun P4DAN really is to play.

Ultimately, SOMA provides a unique tale of sci-fi horror that is unlike any of its contemporaries.

Everyone from the classic Mario Bros. era to the current wave of video games will feel right at home with Super Mario Maker, and I would encourage everyone to don the yellow hard hat and get cracking.

Mad Max is not without its battle scars, but there’s a hell of a good time to be had in the wasteland.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain might not be the perfect game, but it's as close as any title has ever gotten.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime tried for a bold experiment with its control scheme, and though this sets it apart from other similar games, it’s ultimately an experiment that needs to go back to the drawing board.

A spectacular machine that makes perfect use of all its components. It incorporates familiar elements with those that may have seemed superfluous, but only serve to solidify this franchise as a frontrunner in the genre. Packed with content, modes and customizability, Forza Motorsport 6 is a grand evolution of a decade's worth of racing under the Microsoft banner.

While the Definitive Edition doesn't particularly bring anything new to the table, nor does it enhance the original game as much as other titles that made the jump from last-to-current-gen, Dishonored luckily has a great foundation that helped ease this transition.

Ultimately, Until Dawn is a bold experiment that pays off far more than it doesn’t.

The bite-sized stages really help keep the game moving, even when I'm performing poorly, and the aesthetic is incredibly easy on the eyes. There's some zany good times to be had with the multiplayer as well, and I'm sure Runbow will soon find its way into the rotation as a go-to party game in my household.

Despite a few technical shortcomings, Mega Man Legacy Collection is a love letter to one of the best franchises in retro gaming history.

While Gears' campaign will offer an entertaining (and sometimes frustrating) 5-7 hours of gameplay, most players will get the most out of this remake from its addictive multiplayer.

The humor has been continually hilarious, the storylines and characters have been compelling, and most of all, Tales From the Borderlands has been fun to participate in.

Volume is a strong game that is not without its flaws, but finds a nice home in the class of stealth games this year has already offered.

Those Xbox owners starved of realistic baseball action will find plenty to like about Super Mega Baseball, and that's doubly true of even more casual baseball fans just looking for a fun new game to try out.

It's a great trip down memory lane, one that I bet will bring a lot of smiles to faces young and old.

Acting as both sequel and remake through the use of Grandpa Graham's reminiscing, "A Knight to Remember" offers a fresh take on a classic franchise with some profound production quality. Unfortunately, King's Quest's gameplay isn't as spot-on as it should be, especially when compared to its contemporaries in the adventure game format.

Despite feeling rather hurried, "A Nest of Vipers" brings the adventure to a head.

Godzilla provides an experience soaked in nostalgia that simply isn't fun to play after putting in time with it. Sure, hearing the roars, tearing through towns and beating up on Rodan were entertaining for the first few minutes, but it all goes downhill quite quickly.

For something that tries so hard to test your reflexes, Spectra ultimately tests your patience more than anything else.

In many ways, J-Stars Victory Vs+ is reminiscent of Dragon Ball Xenoverse, with its simple brawling, flashy anime characters, and even flashier special attacks. But while DBX was, at times, more fun and impressive, it was also much glitchier and more exasperating. J-Stars Victory Vs+ is more middle-of-the-road bad— it's never especially frustrating, but it's also never especially exciting.

Arkham Knight is a massive technical achievement on consoles, and as a final note on the character and franchise, it delivers in almost every way.

Some players will likely have a gripe with Her Story's format or even have the audacity to claim that it's not a game. I assure you, it is as engaging as any AAA, blockbuster title I've encountered... as long as you're willing to observe, think and research.

It's not quite as strong in every area as the preceding chapters were, but Tales From the Borderlands' third episode does a nice job keeping us invested, continuing to add new wrinkles to the adventure, and keeping us smiling.

If you've never played Devil May Cry 4, or miss the glory days of the series where Dante was fun, combat was deep and challenging, and things weren't so stupid edgy and serious, this low-priced special edition offers fun aplenty.

The tried-and-true Lego video game formula works well in Lego Jurassic World, but it’s not much better than the first Lego Star Wars was ten years ago.

It's strange to think about it in these terms, but Heroes of the Storm is the perfect MOBA for those who don't care for League of Legends and Dota 2. The removal of items simplifies gameplay in comparison to League and Dota, but the focus on teamwork, communication, learning the roster, speed and environmental objectives helps make up for the things MOBA fans may nitpick about Heroes (such as its lack of items).

If you've got some friends who like blowing each other up and don't mind wearing out their fingers punching in spell combinations, you could probably have a decent enough time. If you're looking for something with more depth to it, or are hungry for a solo adventure, Magicka 2 is one spellbook best left locked in the library.

For the first time in years, I was left wondering if my video game's disc was scratched, only to remember that I was playing a digitally downloaded game. While this is meant to be a proper sendoff to Street Fighter IV, intending to hold us over until the release of Street Fighter V, Capcom has given us the worst-playing version the game to date.

"Sons of Winter" moves the plot of Telltale's Game of Thrones a steady clip, and there were some memorable moments throughout.

Prior to this episode, the pace of Life is Strange was a bit all over the place with a very slow first episode and a rushed, but exciting, second chapter. With this third episode, Dontnod seems to have found the balance in character development and furthering plot points.

The new modes feel designed to give cooperative and competitive-minded players new challenges to tackle, which is great if you’re a dedicated player who has already logged dozens of hours playing the core game. On the other hand, casual players will feel left out with the continued lack of matchmaking, and those hoping for a more robust chapter in Destiny’s story aren’t going to feel fully satisfied fighting through Skolas’ rebellion.

Those looking for a more advanced shooter experience on Wii U have it now, but it's not so advanced that younger players won't be able to jump in, too. Splatoon is the shooter for everyone, and everyone will have a blast in Inkopolis.

There are times when Wild Hunt just can't live up to its own development team's expectations, but for the most part, The Witcher 3 is an amazing experience.

Galactic Civilizations III stays the course on the strong path laid by Galactic Civilization II— at times to a fault.

Whether its channeling your Khaleesi or rescuing Princess Peach from danger, Puzzle & Dragons Z + Puzzle & Dragons Super Mario Bros. Edition keeps the adventure fresh and exciting, and even if I'm easily resurrected from death a thousand times over, I'm more than happy to spend a little more time in the Mushroom Kingdom.

Schrodinger's Cat and the Raiders of the Lost Quark isn't terrible, but it's a far cry from being good. The randomized level designs are bland, the puzzle-solving elements are so easy they're barely puzzles, and the writing and sound design will grate on your nerves far more than they'll entertain.

Humanity in Chains' gameplay is obviously uninspired and riddled with poor design choices.

Nero holds a lot of promising ideas and a neat little story back with a smorgasbord of technical mishaps and slow, choppy gameplay.

Project CARS infuses its universe with hours of addictive gameplay that simply never lets up. Impatient players may be turned off by its high difficulty level (even setting the game to "novice" doesn't make your life any easier), but to paraphrase a Rolling Stone song, time is definitely on their side.

Ultimately, Not a Hero is a good game that gets in its own way with a poorly executed final third and increasingly hit or miss humor.

There are a few bugs here and there, but they hardly keep Dex from being an overall enjoyable ride.