This one is worth your time if you’re simply looking for a unique take on the classic sandbox genre. Otherwise, it might not be a bad idea to lay low and wait for a price drop in the future.

The love and care that was poured into this title is obvious, and translates into a terrifically entertaining experience that I encourage everybody to try out.

It's gorgeous to watch in action, accessible to newcomers, and offers depths of variety that that the competitive and hardcore will be mining ambitiously for years to come.

Despite these technical faux pas, XCOM 2 has many grand elements to praise. It is the countless little touches, such as your troops whispering acknowledgments while in stealth, or ducking when within the line of sight of a comrade’s shot, that truly show the commitment and effort the team at Firaxis poured into this stunning sequel.

Plain and simple, Black Ops III’s Awakening delivers and is worth your 15 bucks if you’re looking for some fresh maps with solid architecture and an additional Zombies offering for you twisted freaks that love the heart-pounding scary stuff.

If you enjoyed the original Dying Light, The Following keeps its base gameplay but adds a fresh perspective with the wide-open rural setting, mysterious story, and the dune buggy.

I was absolutely delighted by the trademark TT Games humor and playfulness, and I absolutely intend to spend many hours in the game's free mode playing with my favorite superheroes and looking for Stan Lee in every single stage (he makes several priceless cameos). Several obtuse, tedious, or otherwise frustrating objectives and some level flow issues keep me from giving this an unreserved recommendation, but like the movies on which it's based, Lego Marvel's Avengers is a wild ride that many will come to cherish and want to revisit again and again.

It certainly succeeds in providing a forum for building personalized heroes to show off in cooperative missions, and has enough content to supply hundreds of hours to those interested. It doesn't, however, have the strategic girth, the environmental depth and detail, nor the quirky and engaging story and characters that Capcom has perfected with its series.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam has personality. There's a little bit of extraneous filler here, in the form of papercraft battles and optional amiibo cards, but people who chose to focus on the delightful story, fantastic battle system, and assortment of mini-games will be more than happy to join Mario, Luigi, and Paper Mario on their adventure.

All in all, Resident Evil Zero doesn’t even come close to being called a remastered version because it offers nothing but minor visual upgrades.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is the ultimate game about exploring and conquering a hostile alien planet. Its design hitches, though occasionally annoying, simply cannot take away from the triumph that is the planet Mira and its fantastic creatures.

Stakes and tensions run high whether playing solo or in a group, but the game truly shines when you’re working with a coherent team, so pick this game up and find one.

The game does have its glaring flaws in the atrocious shooting mechanics, repetitive main missions, and turtle-like loading screens. However, the title definitely shines where it needs to, and Just Cause 3 might very well be the most underrated title of 2015 - this is one wild, testosterone-infused adventure you’ll want to check out for yourself.

Think of Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon as a title where the endgame is the reward for enduring a plot where the dialogue is repetitive and lackluster, characters take way too long walking you through every little thing, and you have to spend about 20 hours earning your right to do whatever you want. Once you do get over that hurdle, Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon can be one of the best entries in this series, but you really have to earn your freedom.

Wild Run isn’t lipstick on a pig, it’s a frog become a prince. It’s proof that for almost a year now Ivory Tower and Ubisoft have been listening to fans and incorporating their feedback into an expansion that finally gives The Crew an identity of its own. Without your own crew, though, the streets of America feel barren and lifeless.

Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash will do ya if you're big on using buttons instead of swinging Wii Remotes or if you absolutely must perform fancy shots. Just know that this is a full-priced game that says, “Here, play some tennis,” and not much else.

A game that provides some much needed Star Wars nostalgia on the cusp of the franchise’s latest theatrical release. Unfortunately that’s all this game provides, with the exception of a few high points in the beautiful visuals and the Walker Assault multiplayer offering. Ultimately, it doesn’t capitalize on the phenomenal infrastructure DICE created – weapons, vehicles, planets, landscapes, and the resurrection of everyone's favorite cast of characters is all lost without any sense of direction.

StarCraft II: Legacy of the Void is a very solid installment to the already critically-acclaimed series.

My hype to see how Bethesda would interpret all these innovations and incorporate them into the Fallout setting turned to disappointment when I stumbled through a game that features the same poorly-implemented combat and all the same old Gamebryo engine annoyances and glitches we've been dealing with for years.

Rise of the Tomb Raider delivers everything you would expect from an archaeological action-adventure game, and deserves plenty of cinematic praise.

For as much flack as the Call of Duty series has rightfully received over the recent years, Black Ops 3 completely destroys every preconceived notion - it’s far from a recycled version of the previous installments. From top to bottom the game is excellently crafted with a series of new features to complement a robust campaign plot with all types of crazy twists and turns.

So if you're looking for a fast-paced, fuel-injected bit of fun with no strings attached, there's really no good reason not to at least rent Need for Speed 2015. In my opinion, it easily beats out juggernauts like Forza for the top spot of racer of the year.

WWE 2K16 does so many things right that a little forgiveness is in order. Everyone involved seems to recognize that mistakes were made with WWE 2K15 and went out of their way to send the series in the complete opposite direction. The disconnect between character's appearances and occasional stiffness speaks more to a lack of polish than effort, and the result is a generally positive experience that helps renew faith in yearly WWE installments. In fact, WWE 2K16 is so comprehensive, I imagine people will have trouble finding reasons to upgrade to WWE 2K17 next year.

A game that leaves you wanting more, for better or worse. You want more loot, or at least confirmation that when you go through the same tedious level again, you'll find exactly the item you need waiting at the end. You want more of a balanced challenge, with a single player that feels like it could be handled alone or a multiplayer that performs perfectly under any condition and is worth replaying. Most importantly, you want a real reason to keep returning to the game and not just a prospect of a pretty new look for the Link-alike.

I'm so happy that Ubisoft remembered to put the fun back in Assassin's Creed. The series just turns out so much better with witty protagonists and lots of room for creativity.

From the groundbreaking graphics to the adrenaline pumping campaign and the online component, this game is a must-own for any shooter fan that is looking to see what the ‘true’ next-gen gaming experience should be like. If you have an Xbox One (with Xbox Live) and love competitive shooters, Halo 5: Guardians is a must-own.

Though I was a bit disappointed by the Guitar Hero Live portion of the game, Guitar Hero TV is onto something special with a lot of potential longevity.

There's always something new and fresh to discover, plus plenty of worthwhile collectibles to seek out.

Though a dedicated fan of the original series, I do feel the $49.99 price tag is about ten dollars too steep for the amount of content the game provides. However, the heart-pounding rush of playing iconic Autobots in their classic form is real, and very hard to resist for a fan, either old or new.

Regular adventuring is fun, but the second a player has to hop into a vehicle, it's a gamble as how good or bad the experience will be. If the vehicular elements were separate from the story and entirely optional, this would be the best entry in the series. But they're not and bring the rest of the game down.

NBA 2K16 tugs heavily on the Spike Lee promotion to sell its improved story mode. Beyond that, the upgrades are more on the technical side. There's still a ton of content to keep any fan of the franchise busy until next year's offering.

Most importantly, it plays well whether you’ve got a full group of four or going solo. The accommodations made to ensure the inputs are perfect for your setup, the ability to customize everything right down to the vocal parts, and crisp presentation make for a game that people will want to keep in their living rooms and enjoy for weeks, rather than play once then pop into storage.

Fans who have already played the PS3 games will be pleased with the improvements, and newbies interested in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End will have the perfect place to start.

Avoid this one like the Black Plague.

NBA Live 16 has a lot of promise but only comes in a little bit above average at its current state. Hopefully EA Sports provides gamers with an October patch or else the game will fall well below the ranks of its highly touted expectations.

If FIFA 16 can turn a hardcore fan of hockey into a newly minted fan of football, then you know the game has something special to offer gamers, regardless of their previous experience with the franchise.

NHL 16 came in way above my expectations. To see this classic title returned to its former glory is both relieving and wildly exciting.

The Taken King is a love letter to Destiny fans and an apology to critics who felt let down by previous expansions. Systemically, this is the game Destiny should have been from the beginning. Content-wise, it lives up to the hype, with huge additions to solo, group, and PvP gameplay.

Forza Motorsport 6 is the game everyone was hoping to have when they purchased their Xbox One the day it released.

For me, the monotonous grind is satisfying because each small measure of success reaps a tangible reward in the form of a personal or vehicular upgrade.

It’s a shame that this will be Kojima’s last MGS game, but for what it’s worth he set aside whatever ill feelings he might have against Konami to create one of his most ambitious games yet. Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the best entry in the franchise.

Super Mario Maker plays a Warp Whistle directly to the right hemisphere of the brain.

I'd definitely recommend Disney Infinity 3.0 for families with kids who adore Star Wars, as well as for gamers of all ages who love Disney and enjoy creating their own games and levels. If you don't fit into either of those categories, I'm not sure that the game holds its appeal past a few hours of play set fun, and that's a shame considering how much money you need to sink into the game's starter set and any additional characters and play sets you might want to buy.

Madden 16 feels like it is geared around simplicity. None of the systems from other Madden games were taken out, but the core of the game has been shifted toward simple mechanics interacting with other simple mechanics. This is a breath of fresh air to me.

The Coalition takes the template and heightens its controls and visuals to a level that puts other games fresh off the press to shame. It's the same great game you loved nearly a decade ago, it just looks and feels a whole lot better.

Yes, the collection is missing a few of its best, but for a mere thirty dollars and hundreds of hours of enjoyment, it's a hard sell not to recommend adding this album to your library.

A huge game. It's the game to point to when asked what a remake should be. The amount of improved and original content added to the title is extraordinary.

Just don’t expect this episode to feel rewarding. Look at it as something you have to do for the inevitable finale.

It’s probably the funniest game on the market right now and I only want to play more. I can’t wait for Episode 4 to come out where, if my inclinations are correct, the adventure will continue into space.

Simply put, Batman: Arkham Knight is an awesome game for any fan of Batman, any fan of action games, and I would even say any fan that enjoys just good games.

The controller is a far superior input, the interface is much cleaner and more accessible, the voice chat is ideal for grouping, the subscription is now free, and it brings the MMO genre to the console platform that has few competitors at present.

The competitive ranks are locked behind pay walls or dozens of hours of grinding, but the grind is an enjoyable one nonetheless, with the lure to keep you coming back, especially with friends.

Kholat is genuinely scary, sometimes to its detriment. You will have to push yourself to continue playing at times.

It’s just unremarkable, which is disappointing after all the remarks we all made about it. It’s just a game. It’s mediocre. It’s run of the mill. It’s another indie game that uses another established formula to give us a few hours of repetitive gameplay that may or may not be to your liking. It doesn’t do anything grand and innovative, but it also doesn’t do anything wrong or heinous outside of its own overhyped controversy.

The elaborately designed monsters are often gorgeous to behold and have great pop-up book style animations.

The fact that everything I do just seems to be unwritten at the end of every episode, and not in any way that ever makes me triumph, takes me straight out of the action. I can’t get invested in this game, because I feel like I’m not doing anything.

Bungie hit a solid home run with this one.

For its merit, it has that simple, pure, fun factor that keeps me coming back, even after memorizing every nuance of each board. Yet with a sparse selection of maps, a single match type for each mode, and what feels like a dousing of turpentine on character customization and choice, in the end Splatoon feels like purchasing an expensive gallon of paint, only to crack open the lid and find just a quart of paint within.

Magicka 2 doesn't mess much with the formula of the first title. If the hours you spent traipsing through Midgård before grew tedious, the sequel may not wield enough magic to hold your attention. However, if you dropped the first game quickly due to the plethora of game breaking launch bugs, or missed this gem of series altogether, it is more than worth your time for an excellently priced $15.

I hated every single puzzle it threw my way, and couldn’t stand how I had to brute force my way through most of it. But the story was still so good and the ending was superb.

Even with these complaints, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one of the best RPGs I have ever experienced in gaming. There’s so much to this adventure, you’d be missing out on a great experience if you pass it up.

The story is more or less self-contained, which means the previous titles are not really a prerequisite. It’s a solid shooter which can easily fill that weekend itch if you need something to play off the cuff. It will also tickle the fancy of my fellow history buffs, as the alternate timeline brings a “what if” spin on a dark piece of our past.

It runs well, looks gorgeous, and does exactly what it advertises, which is a lot, but nothing more. I wouldn’t call it a breakthrough in racing design, but rather a refinement of the racing sim formula.

Broken Age: Act 2 may stumble a bit trying to be something it isn’t, but what it is, is still gorgeous and enthralling, and I’ll put up with some frustrating puzzles and backtracking for that.

In a world where most simulation games have moved to the mobile marketplace and include obnoxious timers and microtransactions, it's wonderful to see this good old series keep evolving and improving.

In short, GTA V is still a great game, that hasn’t changed, but the PC version doesn’t add a lot and introduces plenty of new problems that you have to contend with. If you are graphics-obsessed or are a fan of machinima, then pick it up. Otherwise, the last-gen versions will do you fine.

I’ve had a lot of fun with Mortal Kombat X so far, but as I said, my experience with the game is limited. The longevity of the game will largely be based on its online modes and new content, which as I said before was locked out at time of writing. But I can say that Mortal Kombat X is built on a very good base. It’s easily better than Mortal Kombat 9 and Injustice: Gods Among Us.

The pace really picks up this time around, and has pushed me to continue the series when I was about to give it up.

Episode Two of Life is Strange really hooked me. I still want to know more about this world.

I am a huge fan of psychological thrillers. But for what this game has in its psychological scare tactics, it totally lacks in the things that make a game one that you’d want to come back to and play again and again. So as the title implies, this game truly is thick on scares but slender on everything else.

It’s just a great package. For newcomers to the franchise, as I said earlier, this is a great jumping on point. For the older fans of series this is not much beyond what you already know, but it is definitely worth a look simply because of the graphic upgrades and the new four player split-screen option.

This is probably my new favorite title of next-gen consoles, but then again I could have just become assimilated to enjoy the pain. Now I just have to figure out if I should say thank you or just sit quietly until my next punishment.

Mario Party 10 has reminded me of the purpose and importance of gaming with friends. These are the games that stand out in a field full of tortured heroes, fallen worlds, and apocalyptic destruction, and it is these games people are in desperate need of to get back to basics of gaming – having fun.

The weakest episode yet, but worth it to see the ending.

Even if you haven’t picked up Episode 1, even if you've never played Borderlands before, pick up Tales from the Borderlands. You won’t regret it.

I have long been over Battlefield’s traditional military shooter roots, and since Hardline breaks from that formula, I enjoyed it far more than I have any other Battlefield title yet. If you are looking for something different and experimental, and you enjoy single-player more than multiplayer, then Battlefield: Hardline is a pretty good recommendation for you.

The pace is a welcome relief from other Sid Meier games, and the ship customization is simple yet multifaceted. However, the game has severe tactical balance issues, and is lacking any multiplayer component.

I loved the multiplayer far more than I expected to and look forward to many more hours playing it. The problem is a campaign that feels like it takes far too long for things to really happen, especially when all aliens move in real time and you have to clear multiple maps before you get a real stopping point.

The basic gameplay in this entry just seems uninspired, especially its main campaign.

This gem of a title will captivate your heart and test your skill, providing a soul-inspiring experience that will remain long after the game has been put down.

In the end, Resident Evil Revelations 2: Episode 2 is another “of course” purchase. If you liked Episode 1, picking this episode up will be a no brainer, and frankly the game is only getting better. If you didn’t, Episode 2 isn’t going to turn heads and convert naysayers. It’s just more of the same with a welcome tweak to difficulty, and honestly, that’ s exactly what I wanted.

Pneuma: Breath of Life provides an interesting male lead, a gorgeous backdrop, and unique puzzles solved through the powers of perception. However, it fails to provide a nuanced story, and the one it delivers finishes much too soon.

This is a hardcore strategic and time-management RPG that requires you to stick around for the long haul. Players will either feel compelled to do just that or will want to bail after a few generations.

I couldn’t ask for a more terrifying game. I wouldn’t call FNAF 3 fun. In fact, it’s pretty much the opposite of fun. It’s tense and stressful and sometimes makes you want to cry when it’s not wrecking you with just the right amount of gore to put horrible thoughts in your head. But that’s the point.

Homeworld Remastered Collection is a testament to game development done right, both in its original form and in the meticulously updated version, and one that should not be overlooked by any fan of the genre.

The game has some flaws, but for now it’s just a setup and as a setup, it’s decent.

You’ll get about 12-15 good hours out of Dragon Ball XenoVerse’s single-player and co-op missions, but you probably won’t touch it much after that.

The voice recognition controls are probably the best any video game as incorporated, and certainly recommended over traditional controls. However, the overly abridged story paired with limited gameplay can't help but mark this venture as a work still in process.

Kirby fans will be delighted by this series entry, especially if they remember Canvas Curse with fondness. Other gamers should definitely give this one a try. It has that good ol' Nintendo quality and sense of playfulness in spades.

If you want to upgrade to a next-generation version of this fun fighter, go ahead. If you really really want two new characters, go for it. But if you are looking for something truly new and different, you are unfortunately looking in the wrong place.

The premise is solid, the graphics are great, the voice casting is excellent, but in the end you have to ask yourself, are we buying games to watch them or to play them? This is something you need to ask yourself before picking up The Order. It’s a shame, too.

Otherwise it is an experience full of variety due to the complexity of each prison, and a challenge to escape that demands your time and instills pressure.

If you are looking for a new shooter that is like nothing else on the market right now, it’s definitely worth giving Evolve a shot.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is the perfect fit for portable play, allowing you to devour piled-platter entrees or saucer-sized appetizers.

It shows a lot of promise as an episodic game, but there are certain mechanics that leave me feeling a bit skeptical for this franchise’s future.

Personally, I think that Telltale's designers are spreading themselves too thin by including four main characters, each in a different setting, each with a different goal. Since they devote the same amount of time to each character, it ends up feeling as if very little is accomplished by any of them.

I am truly blown away by how gorgeous this game looks. From every angle and every vantage point, the sprawling, desolate city has been created in vivid detail and the lighting effects help to create a sense of realism to your plight that can even make you feel a little like this event could actually happen.

The best thing this game has going for it is its fun factor. It his all the JRPG notes that a good JRPG should, and if you ignore the rest of its downfalls, you will really enjoy it.