Though Ruzzle Adventure’s core gameplay makes for some delightful word-making action, its free-to-play trappings and lackluster presentation drag the experience down considerably, leaving you with a niggling feeling that you’d be having more fun playing Bejeweled, Bookworm or any number of similar, but better-executed, titles.

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.

This first rate app is an absolutely gorgeous title, and it’s one of the few physics based puzzlers that moves the heart and the mind.

The only thing that really holds the game back is that the cases can be solved pretty quickly.

Baby Nom Nom will tease your brain and fingers into satisfaction while at the same time making your heart feel nice since you’ve contributed a little bit of good to the world.

Still in its infancy, PlayStation VR is waiting for its killer game. Superhot VR is a solid contender, but one that falls short of the mark due to the hardware's imprecision. It's a puzzling game that rewards you for patience and thoughtful approaches to difficult situations, but those tracking limitations spoil the fun more often than not. All that considered, the challenge is addictive, and the implementation of virtual reality into the world of Superhot makes the game nearly as enjoyable as its original release.

Amateur Surgeon 3 should have been an engaging operation that kept you glued on your device for more than a couple of minutes, but it’s a total freemium mess. Take your scalpel elsewhere and use your skilled hands for another app that’s actually worth of your time — and your money.

Marrakesh is the best area and mission in Hitman so far. It rewards patience and a slower pace of gameplay than any previous mission. The attention to detail and level design are a step up from Sapienza and Paris as well.

The episode serves as a nice introduction to Max’s world and powers, but it also feels very introductory.

Despite not doing anything big or particularly new, Grow Home is an enjoyable, compact experience that knows what it is and offers it in a neat little package.

The secret to its success is that it looks deceptively simple, so each time you fail, it makes you furrow your brow and want to solve it just to prove something to yourself. That’s the kind of hook that gets players coming back for more.

With that said, it doesn’t stop Costume Quest from being an addictive experience that oozes with humor and good-hearted fun. The $4.99 asking price might seem a little steep, but you’re getting a console-quality game with the “Grubbins on Ice” downloadable content. This should ensure that you’ll have a sugar rush for a long time.

It’s a shame when you come across something like Pocket Titans; with more polished gameplay and aesthetics, this could have been a really fun game. As it stands now, it is likely destined to be forgotten among the many mundane apps available for the unwary gamer.

It’s a worthy download for the puzzle-solving treasure hunter in all of us.

Despicable Me: Minion Rush proves that, if handled the right way, there’s still some life left in the endless runner genre.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2’s first episode is a welcome return for the franchise, but it’s a little lacking in the depth department.

Deer Hunter 2014 may not be for everyone, especially for detractors who see hunting as a bloodsport. On a purely gaming level, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

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.

God of Light is a total keeper, and don’t be surprised if the Source of Life is a portal you’ll continue to tap into.

The gameplay is a bit repetitive, but the strong story more than keeps you interested.

Colossatron: Massive World Threat is an immensely fun game that features action that almost never stops.

While no changes to the game's story mode, this is just the HD remaster of the already Ultimate version of Dead or Alive 5.

Evolve stands as a testament to Turtle Rock's unique approach to online multiplayer, and is one of the most enjoyable competitive and cooperative experiences we've had so far this generation.

Ultimately, what prevents Block Block Block from achieving puzzling glory is not in its gameplay, but everything else.

Fans that haven't yet experienced the Arkham series might not get quite as much out of the story as those who've invested years into Rocksteady's version of the Bat-universe, but this is still one of the first "can't miss" titles of PlayStation's foray into virtual reality.

It's easy to dismiss video games as escapism, and often they provide just enough of that to forget about the troubles and trials we all encounter in our days among the living. When a game has more to say about the world and our place in it, it can often be a frightening prospect to have to confront those topics when just trying to forget about world beyond the walls for a few hours. Telltale's The Walking Dead: A New Frontier has been much more of the former, but we wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes you have to be hurt to know what it's like to be alive.

Superhypercube is a terrific puzzle game in and of itself, let alone as a launch title for the PlayStation VR. It checks all the boxes for a rewarding and exciting VR experience, with the only real drawback being its singular mode.

It’s all do-able, for sure. But you really have to be ready to get your grind on in order to progress without paying money for coins. Fortunately, SlamBots offers a fun grind.

Marvel Puzzle Quest: Dark Reign isn’t completed at the moment but is still fun to try out for the time being. There will be a lot more levels and things to do as the game is continually updated in the coming weeks, but for now the it’s good enough to give a try.

Skip this game with extreme prejudice.

If you like match-three puzzle games and light, strategic role-playing games, then Cavemania should send you into fits of elation

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is not a bad game. It is, however, a bad sequel.

Sqwords boasts about the replayability of the game focusing on improving your time, but where’s the fun in that? You already know where the letters go, of course you’re going to improve your time so it’s kind of pointless. There might be some replayability there, but it’s of a low quality, keep-you-busy kind of replayability.

I had fun with this, but I could also see how it could get under the skin of some who are growing tired with hipster pixel art games. Case in point: developer I Fight Bears makes “Games For People With Beards.” Granted, that’s a joke. But I can’t tell whether or not there’s a line in Fist of Awesome that divides between satire or pandering.

Despite its flaws, though, Epoch 2 has plenty to offer. Lots of missions, lots of replay value, and lots of loot to unlock. Its twitchy controls, shallow gameplay, and brutally greedy in-game shop, however, detract from what could have otherwise been a solid gaming experience.

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.

Attack on Titan is a great introduction for the anime franchise into the world of console gaming, and while it's not perfect, it's a game that can be enjoyed even by those who haven't watched a second of the show.

Dying Light’s core gameplay is solid and offers a uniquely thrilling sort of fun, but for every moment you spend having a good time, you’ll spend just as many frustrated by its shortcomings.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier didn't just have an ambitious title, it also had a great deal of promise. The start of the third season was as memorable as anything Telltale had done before, but the story took turns in some strange directions that didn't have the payoff hinted at early on. Given Telltale's track record, we're not writing off the future of The Walking Dead, but A New Frontier's finish certainly raised questions as to whether or not Telltale has anything exciting left to say about this world.

What Telltale has been able to do from strictly a narrative standpoint is up to the company's usual high standards. Enjoying those moments is an absolute challenge though, as so much of the rest of the game just doesn't work properly. Telltale has earned our trust to eventually rectify these qualms, but Batman's adventure is still off to one of the roughest starts we've seen from the developer.

For fans of the franchise, Worms 3 delivers what you’d expect. There’s nothing here that succeeds or fails by leaps and bounds. Rather, this latest release is another solid, incremental inching forward of one of gaming’s longest-running franchises.

I still can’t figure out if Freak Tower has any kind of method to its madness, but at this point I’m ok with its crazier than thou swagger.

Nevertheless, Eets Munchies remains a decent entry to the puzzle genre and its charming presentation provide a much needed cover to its lackadaisical gameplay.

Kirby and the Rainbow Curse was obviously an experimental platformer in every sense of the word, and while some aspects of the experiment completely succeeded (the claymation looks so good), the most important parts fell short of expectations.

Acid Nerve's done a nice job crafting a game that provides a challenge without being overly frustrating, and more importantly, that's easy and enjoyable to play.

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.

If you’ve got a younger sibling who’s into the show, they’ll probably have a blast with Ski Safari Adventure Time… for a little while. Its repetitive gameplay and the prohibitive costs to its in-game shop will deter players for playing it too long, which is a shame given how fun-loving and imaginative the source material is.

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

If you have no care for kicking a ball on grass and only care for puzzle titles, Soccer Moves is still an excellent free-to-play iOS title worthy of your time.

My Coldfire Keep experience had its share of highs and lows due to the game’s horrific double tap flaws. Now that the issue has been resolved, my dungeon crawling days will continue in this kingdom. Hopefully the only further bugs will die by my sword and not from a future App store update.

Sky Gamblers: Cold War might be aesthetically pleasing, but its other attributes aren’t.

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.

While it adds some great extra controls, the game lacks in the customization found in most iOS titles.

Building on the base game’s careers is a time-honored Sims expansion tradition, and "Get to Work" is a worthwhile addition. It does make the doctor and detective career paths more fun, and managing a retail store is a much-needed challenge. It’s only when you try to do it all at the same time that "Get to Work" suffers.

Yooka-Laylee is a lot of goofy fun wrapped in a light and colorful retro package, a fine return to the platformers of old.

For just under four bucks, you’ll sail the high seas in an adventure that will keep you glued to your device. I’ve never collected toes or infested the ocean with environmentally dangerous gunk, but there’s a lot of things I’ve done on my iPad that will remain my dirty little secret. Add Pirate Legends to the pile of apps I’ll keep playing (and plundering), ’till the cows come home.

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.

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.

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.

With its role playing game structure, intermixed with card and MOBA elements, Demon Tribe gives us a first rate venture into this heart of darkness.

With four galaxies and over 80 missions to explore, I’m still a wide eyed space cadet who’s still trying to earn his wings. I have no idea if I’ll resuscitate the universe’s dying light, but maybe something just as important needs saving.

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

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.

Dead Rising 4 sees the franchise's original hero forced back into action in a sequel that's bigger than any entry in the series before, yet feels more empty and bereft of excitement than its predecessors.

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.

Type-0 HD's many technical shortcomings may have been forgiven if it were ported to the PS Vita instead of a current-gen console. Despite including stalwarts like chocobos, Odin, Moogles, Airships and a major character named Cid, Type-0 HD did not feel like a Final Fantasy product, especially in terms of quality.

If you’re hardcore into RPGs and want an experience from the past that still holds up some twenty years later, then definitely pick up SMT. If you’re just looking for another fun, time-destroying high school simulator, then patiently wait for the return of the Persona series to consoles.

It lasted for a little bit, but as with a lot of free-to-play titles out there, staying power was not its strong suit. While there are certainly things to unlock and grind for, it doesn’t feel like there will be any gameplay-related payoffs to work your way towards. But Giant Boulder of Death is certainly a good enough time to give it a look.

Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a great adventure with loads of replayability. It’s much more fun to play with friends, but you can still get some mileage out of solo play.

1968 captures the mood of the 60’s well and is a quality title that you’ll spend hours enjoying. The controls are decent, it looks great, but more importantly, it is something different and interesting.

Beyond Space is a gorgeous, competent and engaging space shooter that fans of Wing Commander and old space fighter simulators will love.

Yes, it has some padding in its optional missions, some of which just aren't very fun, but when you are free to just run with nothing else on your mind, Mirror's Edge Catalyst reminds you why you fell in love with the concept in the first game, and illuminates why so many people have revered this series for so long.

If you’ve already played through State of Decay, Lifeline and Breakdown, then you’re not going to find anything really new in the Year One Survival Edition. Luckily, its already solid gameplay and story eclipse State of Decay’s lack of new content and its ongoing presentation issues.

Overall, Escape from Doom is a lot of fun and a perfect compliment to your gaming regime this October. It provides you with some classic horror fun that I haven’t seen in a running game in ages. It is well polished title that would be welcome to anyone looking to have their nerves jilted and fingers pleased.

It doesn’t always keep the hits coming constantly, but Jotun is most definitely one of the more beautiful and enjoyable adventure titles we’ve played, with enough continuing challenge to ensure that impressing the gods will be no short order.

Some throwbacks don’t have to thrive on pure nostalgia, and thankfully R-Type II is a shooter that keeps all its guns firing on all cylinders.

That is the problem with Ooga Jump, it doesn’t have the staying power. The gameplay isn’t varied enough to be the full experience it wants to be.

If you’re hungry to play a real-time strategy game on your iPad, one not marred by free-to-play restrictions and the like, Machines at War 3 does an adequate job of translating that experience to a touchpad-based device and of providing a complex game for strategists to sink their teeth into. This complexity, however, comes with a lack of depth and a steep learning curve, both of which detract from what is otherwise a strong iOS RTS experience.

Rise of Iron is a strange hiccup in Bungie’s progress towards making Destiny a better overall experience. SIVA is an interesting villain that is ultimately never explained or explored. The majority of the content here is the actual Plaguelands themselves, and all there is to do is a couple of fetch-quests and patrol missions. Everything in this expansion seems to revolve around tedious grinding; grinding to finish the Iron Record book and get more rewards, grinding to get your light level up to do the raid. Whereas Taken King did so much to improve Destiny in every way, Rise of Iron feels like a big step back.

Battle Supremacy falls quite short of the standards set by World of Tanks.

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.

In the grand scheme of the tower defense genre, Defense Technica is near the top. It sets itself apart and is mostly an enjoyable experience. It has its quirks, but they are minor and overshadowed by the great visuals and gameplay.

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.

Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite has a lot of history to live up to, and while it doesn't surpass any of the previous entries, Infinite does make a strong case for being the most accessible game in the franchise.

To have an enemy offer words that, upon one’s interpretation, is either a threat or a form of encouragement, exemplifies Anodyne’s deliciously surreal tone.

Visceral's first attempt at a Battlefield game isn't a bad one, but there's little here to be excited about beyond an actual functioning online component.

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

Stack Rabbit’s freemium mechanic is a necessary evil to enjoying the app. Although you will probably sail by the first 10 levels without a hitch, you will lose energy and will have to wait a half hour to replenish one carrot.

Call of Duty: Strike Team is an amazing hybrid of two great gaming styles that just works on the mobile format. It may not fully capture the experience one gets from a console Call of Duty game, but it does pretty damn well on its own.

In short, while the Himmapan level is nice to look at and chock full of things to do, it's held back by a lack of defining features linking it to Bangkok and lopsided mission design.

For a penultimate episode, "Thicker Than Water" doesn't ramp up the stakes quite as much as some of Telltale's earlier efforts. With so little changing during the events of this fourth chapter in The New Frontier, it's hard not to be disappointed by the time seemingly squandered in this episode. Granted, the final moments accelerate things to a worthy climax, but save for those 10-15 minutes, everything that transpired in "Thicker Than Water" could easily have been folded in to the previous or upcoming episode. Hopefully Telltale was saving all the fireworks for the upcoming final chapter, as it would be a shame for A New Frontier's strong start to end with a whimper.

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.

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.

Fright Heights feels like a money grab from the get go, thanks to its game of chance mechanic and the frequent reminders of upgrade options. I would have shelled out a few coins if this app really gave chills up and down my spine. But currently I feel nothing but indifference, and that’s really nothing to be scared about.

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.

If you’re a Where’s My Water? fan, but crave a richer and grander experience, just open up your iOS device and strike a little oil.

So while it’s not an immaculate game, it still provides a great experience and is definitely worth a $4 price tag to play such an engaging and fun role-playing game. Those on the wall about Across Age 2 might want to give it some time and see how its issues get resolved in the long run before trying to step into this DeLorean of an RPG.

There are too many cars to drive, and unfortunately F1 Challenge doesn’t go the distance.