Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate performs at its best when not feeling obligated to recreate the Arkham games before it.

Probably the biggest compliment I can give to the developers of Black Flag is that they did a fantastic job of refining the things that needed to be refined and leaving alone what didn’t.

Even on current-generation consoles, this game looks great. The sheer amount of on-screen action is astounding for this aging hardware to be capable of producing. Character models are easily the sharpest that they have ever been; the weapons look accurate and clean, and character animations flow through the environment without looking stiff or forced.

Though The Guided Fate Paradox is a very difficult game, with the danger of being overwhelmed and losing everything you've worked for constantly looming overhead, I can’t get over how streamlined, easy to understand, and enjoyable this particular adventure is.

Full Burst may not be as cinematic as games like Heavy Rain and Beyond Two Souls, but make no mistake, the whole purpose of this game is to watch the Naruto plotline unfold again… this time with funny costumes!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Batman: Arkham Origins. There is a ton of replay value here, and with a New Game Plus mode to explore, I’m ready to polish up my batarangs, throw on my classic Batman costume, and get to kicking supervillain ass, 60s style.

Like a good novel, each case is deep and filled with plot twists. If you loved the Phoenix Wright games of the past, you'll feel right at home.

It says on a piece of paper in the box that you can learn to play the guitar in 60 days by taking the 60-day challenge. While I am not going to say this is 100% accurate, I can honestly claim that if you have the drive to learn, then Rocksmith will definitely be the best tutor you’ll ever pay for.

It’s a LEGO game with loads to do.

Wii Party U definitely has the diversity to be enjoyed by anyone, and racing a zebra, a rhino, and a giraffe while inebriated could turn out to be the stuff of legend.

I thought after the growing pains of the first few levels, the game and I would fall into our groove and things would improve...Try as I might, it just never happened.

The story is gritty, the world is engaging, and the sheer scope of choices at your disposal makes for incredible replay value. All those standards aside, the GamePad functionality is where the cool factor lies. There's so much to keep your fingers busy, and the visual design of the interface makes you feel like you're wielding a futuristic, high-tech tablet with apps meant for a covert agent.

It is a great finish to a truly original tale, and a trilogy that anyone not already familiar with the series should absolutely purchase and enjoy.

The reward system and combat are a step above past games of the series, and the class customization gives you plenty of diversity and interesting combinations to play with. However, the game doesn't feel current, both technically as well as in the story telling. And most disturbing is the objectification of women.

Having taken huge steps forward in graphical, world, and interface design along with connectivity, Pokémon X/Y is a refreshing game to play.

The extensive single player adventure is complemented by accessible multiplayer trading and battle.

Even though there has been some strong competition, Skylanders is a wonderful example of pursuing substance over the flash of a few extra characters. At least I can continue supporting at least one franchise, knowing that it focuses on a progression of substance.

The Wolf Among Us is a fantastic adaptation of the Fables source material, and everyone should at least check out episode 1. Once again, the team at Telltale shows us that they know what makes a narrative great.

It’s great for experienced dancers who want to “just dance” and inexperienced dancers who just want to have some laughs. Anyone can enjoy this game.

Solid RPG with a classic feel and a combat system that puts the player in control of the action.

The team at Quantic proves that if games are made correctly, players will have an experience they will feel for many years to come. For this reason alone, I love this industry and those who constantly want to bring the best gaming experiences available, and Beyond: Two Souls is a perfect example of this.

A plethora of content plagued by a buggy release that can be ridiculously frustrating.

Simply put, NBA 2K14 is better than NBA 2K13, and worth buying even if you picked up last year’s release.

If you are looking for a game that’s a non-stop thrill ride, you should look somewhere else. But if you want to connect with a game in a way that you aren’t used to, want to feel something, or just love buckets of precipitation–rain is the game for you. At $15, there isn’t really anything else like it.

Millennium Girl serves as an excellent example of how to refresh an old game and introduce it to a new audience. It keeps the basics that give the Etrian Odyssey series its identity, adds in the many improvements that have appeared in that series over its four entries, and provides new content, such as the redone labyrinth and Story Mode, to make the game feel fresh and new even to gamers who played the original.

The stages themselves aren't large or interactive enough to allow your handiwork to shine. It's a cute interpretation with the most DC lore I've seen in a game, but the gameplay is just lacking in too many respects to keep you interested.

I’m not sure if it’s the best game in the series, but it kept me playing for hours on end, and that’s enough for me. The visual and audio competence supported by the rock-solid gameplay is a winning combination, and just goes to show how much EA has perfected the major-league game formula.

PES 2014 may not be the game that has the biggest advertisers, or the official licensing of the sport, but there is something very special and riveting about it. When other franchises are changing things just to change them, PES is holding onto tradition and, as any “Hooligan” will tell you, tradition matters most.