Without spoiling anything, it is hard to explain how great From the Ashes truly is. The Detail is heating up and episode 2 provides it with the spark and breath it needs to last three additional episodes.

The Call of the Sea is one of the better Lovecraftian games in recent memory, thanks to its art, writing, acting and subtle defiance of some well-worn mystery conventions. In general, its puzzles are accessible yet challenging and the story is well told and set in a refreshingly unfamiliar environment. Less passive than a typical walking simulator but still not an action game, The Call of the Sea should appeal to gamers that appreciate beautiful art and an engrossing mystery.

After playing through Lego Star Wars multiple times the one thing that holds this game back from being extremely fun is, first the length which could have been longer, and secondly the camera, which at times did get in the way.

While frustrating at times, Signs of the Sojourner does a fantastic job of nailing the actual flow of communication in the form of a card game. It also provides an excellent sense of freedom. By the time I got to one of the game’s multiple endings, I really felt like my actions and choices had earned it. I only wish that it had gone on a bit longer. Just when I really felt like I was getting everything the game was throwing at me, it ended. Still, I appreciate a game that leaves me wanting more and the different paths I could have taken provide enticement for a second trip.

THQ presents the perfect game for younger gamers this holiday season, with refined platforming mechanics and co-op gameplay to further strengthen the Tak franchise.

Mechanically, Warlords is a great addition to The Division 2. Conceptually, many of the issues that have plagued the game are still present and sometimes worse. But there’s no denying that The Division 2 is an incredibly competent shooter, and it feels even better to play with the changes made to the loot/gear system. On top of that, the loose story threads used to create the new endgame makes me actually want to participate in it. Warlords of New York provides the best entry point to date for new and returning players. I really enjoyed my time with it but make no mistake, if you didn’t like the core game, this is still The Division 2. But it is easily the best version of itself.

In a crowded landscape littered with a few too many survival crafting games, The Forest makes a pretty strong case for itself. With an open-ended world balanced by a story that moves forward, The Forest contains both freedom and mounting tension and provides not just the means for the player to survive, but a compelling reason to do so.

When I first started it, I thought it would be a repetitive game that would lose my attention quickly. I’m happy to say this couldn’t be further from the truth. The fast pace meant I was able to jump in and out of the game with no problems. For being such a simplistic, the game is quite difficult to master as many of my runs fizzled out quicker than they should. The unlockable system keeps you always a step behind the curve, never giving you a chance to get too comfortable. In the end, Super Mutant Alien Assault is one enjoyable title that I definitely recommend.

There is no doubt that 3 on 3 NHL Arcade is missing some key features like a Season or Tournament mode, it needed something. Lucky for the guys and gals over at EA, 3 on 3 NHL Arcade works from top to bottom giving a really great arcade hockey experience.

Whether as history lesson, exercise in nostalgia, or appetizer to the upcoming fourth entry to the series, The Bard's Tale Trilogy remains engaging. It requires a lot of patience and attention to detail and a special love of character micromanagement and, although the rerelease is more colorful than the original, the graphics and core gameplay are still rooted in the limitations of 1980s technology. Playing The Bard's Tale Trilogy is a reminder that while games have achieved cinematic production values that rival anything from Hollywood, they don't always fire the imagination the way that the less graphically accomplished adventures often did.

Putting the poor Live experience aside, the game is really quite good combining a heavy dose of both action and strategy into one game, makes for an extremely enjoyable experience.

Katamari Demacy: Reroll alludes to an age of game development where larger publishers were still willing to make risky, experimental titles. It may not upend the industry, and it may be relatively short, but this a game so confident in its own style and unique mode of play that it is hard to ignore its considerable charm. It has aged well because aside from its many sequels, no one has attempted to make anything else like it. And sometimes the music swells in a way that makes you forget you are an uncaring cosmic being creating space garbage to cover for your dad getting wasted and accidentally destroying the night sky. Katamari Demacy is the type of singular strangeness that should be experienced at least once.

Sure Spore may not be the perfect game but its an amazing accomplishment and one that I think everyone should really check out.

When it comes to the writing of its protagonist and furthering the story, Smoke and Mirrors is a definite step forward, especially after a three-month drought of interactive storytelling.

Now that I’ve finally had a chance to play Year Walk I know exactly why everyone was so fascinated by it when it came out. Hauntingly atmospheric, clever and interestingly presented, it surprises at many turns and rewards players for being smart and attentive. It’s a bit of a short run, but it ends right when it needs to, leaving itself in the player’s mind for long afterwards.

In the end, Mad Max’s ability to create a good time far outweighs any problems it has.

Dusk's core gameplay is just what you'd expect: a zippy shoot and strafe loop with minimal story and lots of little secrets to find. Lots of games have tried this before, but Dusk realizes that the appeal of those early 90s shooters was largely in the level design and environmental details. They made the worlds seem more real than you might imagine, given their primitive processing. Although it isn't quite yet a complete package (additional chapters are coming later), Dusk comes eerily close to feeling like an undiscovered sibling of the classic shooters.

Puyo Puyo Tetris is supported by the weight of its juggernaut puzzle franchises. A game with both Puyo Puyo and Tetris in one package would have been acceptable, but the modes that uniquely integrate the two transform this from good to stellar. The bite-sized puzzle battles are incredibly well-suited for portable play on the Nintendo Switch, and marathons of endless play will appeal to puzzle lovers whether on the big screen or on-the-go.

The underrated Grandia RPG series gets its third game, and wows us with its engaging story, superbly involving battles and sleek visuals.

As with all console ports, the Platinum Games bundle represents a fine opportunity to experience company defining titles you might have missed the first time with the added convenience of not having to dust off last gen’s console.

If you're a fan of the franchise or just WWII shooters I would still give a strong recommendation to check this game out.

When all is said and done, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night delivers on its promise of bringing Castlevania back. Though I had various issues with the game, it still manages to provide that distinct Metroidvania experience. From the forgettable and dull story to the unbalanced gameplay, Ritual of the Night can’t compete with the best of the series. However, based on its own merits, it still provides a journey worth playing at least once or twice. Without a doubt, the game’s release is worth celebrating for, though it’s missing that creative spark Castlevania series has had in spades.

Iron Harvest shines the brightest when it focuses on its imaginative alternative history milieu, incredibly well-designed robots, and even its story, which is much more engaging than simply being a premise to get the mechs on the battlefield. One could complain that it doesn’t go far enough in changing the mechanics of the genre, but it isn’t like gamers are inundated with Company of Heroes-like titles. Expansive and worth looking at for its setting and robots alone, Iron Harvest is, if not an instant classic, a welcome reminder of just how fun small-scale RTS games can be.

Fans of strategy games and those looking for something a little different would be interested in the title. For beginners, there is a bit of a learning curve to get through and with an adjustable difficulty setting, you can easily take things slow. I just wish certain aspects of the game were explained a bit better.

Terraria is an enjoyable, combat focused alternative to Minecraft that doesn’t ape Mojang’s game for the sake of taking advantage of consumer confusion. It has its own spirit and soul, allowing it to stand on its own two feet.

If you enjoyed the first game, you will most likely enjoy this game because it's very similar.

The teams at EA Sports are undeniably having a hard transition to the next-gen, but FIFA 15 has weathered the transition quite admirably.

Don’t bother with Nippon Marathon if you don’t a have company to play the game with or if saying “keep it real, keep it Nippon” makes you irritated. Everyone else, though, forget cheap production values and throw yourself broad-mindedly into the craziness of Nippon Marathon!

EA rejuvenates the genre with the brilliant execution of team play via voice recognition, and rounding it off with a solid Xbox Live support.

Star Command is a very unique iOS experience that I hope to see a lot more of in the future. The biggest problem I have with this game compared to FTL is that you aren’t going to see a lot of variety in your play experiences because, unlike FTL, there is a full story here that takes about four hours to run through so you’re pretty much tied to the same path every time you play with very little branching.

Fancy trying a spot of golf in your living room? Wii's unique motion controller does somewhat of a decent job, with plenty of fun and exercise to boot.

Even with a plot that never meets its potential, the beautifully designed enemies, superb gameplay and terrifying environments all come together to give horror fans a fascinating, memorable experience.

Even during the game’s most frustrating and devious puzzles, I really enjoyed my time with Transpose. It looks great, with its dream-like atmosphere and abstract art skyboxes. And for as potentially confusing as the gameplay can sound like on paper, it’s easy to settle into a rhythm and really get into creating multiple copies of yourself running through different routines and movement patterns. Transpose is an attractive and creative PSVR puzzler that’s easily recommended.

In the end, for anyone with any love for classic Japanese role playing games, Studio Ghibli movies, or just want a charming adventure in a wonderful colourful world, Ni No Kuni will see right by you.

If anything it got me off of the couch and doing something productive, and for that you have to give EA Sports Active 2 a lot of credit.

Like any good puzzle game, MouseCraft tests the wits of its player by gradually increasing its level of difficulty as the story mode advances.

If you're looking for a good puzzle game for your Switch, this should definitely be your first stop. Most of the puzzles are bite-sized and easy to stop when you're on the go, but it's also meaty with so many puzzles (over 150 and double that if you count the Megas) that it can easily eat up hours of your time. While I miss the simplicity of the touch controls, it's a small quibble when there's still so much to be enjoyed from this game.

Xanadu Next would have been just a relic from the past if it wasn’t such a blast to play. If you can overlook somewhat dated graphics, the lack of voice-acting and the quiet demeanor of the silent protagonist, there’s a gripping and enjoyable action role-playing game awaiting in Xanadu Next. Easy to grasp nature of the gameplay mechanics and effortless controls tell about respecting the player but the game doesn’t underestimate its adventurers either. It’s easy to get into Xanadu Next but hard to leave its dungeons and secrets until they’re fully revealed.

If you love picross and are looking for a slightly different experience, Depixtion is a game you should consider. The twist on the picross formula gives avid players a new challenge, while being easy for newcomers to pick up. The amount of content and ability to play in handheld or docked mode make this game a no-brainer for picross fans.

While it isn’t a perfect game, Wintermoor Tactics Club delivers a memorable cast and great presentation that does a lot of heavy lifting. Solid strategy gameplay also makes it easy to recommend, especially to those who are new to the genre as this would be a fantastic introduction for those interested in this sort of title. For those with a little more experience, the game might not be quite as interesting, but the engaging story should still seem them through this all too brief adventure.

From a technical standpoint, the game is a real darling and can compete with the best of them. And yet it’s that the game doesn’t really break away from any of the pre-existing molds that I believe hold it back from being the breakout hit of 2017. It feels almost too conventional. Whether it’s the Ubisoft style side missions, the Batman Arkham vision or the by the numbers storytelling. There’s nothing about Horizon Zero Dawn that breaks out into its own unique experience. I absolutely loved this game. I think it’s a fantastic adventure full of amazing experiences to be had and fully recommend it to anyone who owns a Playstation 4. And yet it does feel like the first game in a series that needs to discover its own unique identity to help it stand out amongst a vast array of open world games that it competes against.

This simple pool sim is as polished as a cue ball and belongs to anyone who likes the game.

It’s fun, but if you really stick with it, then it turns into something a lot more challenging and enjoyable.

Summer Catchers is a perfect pastime for the days when the summer is past us. During grim autumn and winter evenings, the game’s jolly escapism will no doubt be at its best.

In a normal year, this game would still be an easy one to recommend, but with 2014 being the strongest year for RPGs in at least a decade, there is a lot of competition. It might not be one to set aside time for immediately, but it might be one worth revisiting later once you have a lot of time available to put into it.

Outlast is the pinnacle of a less is more design philosophy. While other horror titles use jump scares and musical cues Outlast utilizes startling imagery and precision timing to make you call for mommy.

I was prepared that ECHO is perhaps agonizingly hard, given its unique gameplay mechanics. But it wasn’t, as I completed it somewhat effortlessly. Maybe it was due to my anticipatory play style. I confess, I watched several streams of PC version of ECHO a few weeks before the PS4 release. So I kind of knew what not to do in the game. Thank you, you all pioneering Ens on PC streams who clanged too much to their guns. ECHO is intelligent sci-fi without any artificial provocation or emotion manipulation. It’s cool and enigmatic to the end, and much like Kubrick’s movies I referred to earlier, it takes a certain state of mind to appreciate its fearful symmetry.

The updated visuals, re-orchestrated soundtrack, added content, and ease of access make this compilation a must-have for any Kingdom Hearts fan.

Despite stepping away from the tone and play style of its forbears, Tomb Raider is an entertaining adventure and a great jumping off point for the new direction Crystal Dynamics wants to take.

All in all, I found it to be a rather fun game. Though that’s not to say it wasn’t rough around the edges in spots. With plenty of loot to grab, a nice variety of weapons, big bosses, scaling difficulties, and the ability to craft powerful gear, I’d definitely say it would be worth looking into for fans of the genre.

The Last Day of June is closer to a work of art than a game. It does more than just entertain. It imprints a lasting impression and a distinctive experience, like one special day you’d share with your loved ones, embolden with a compelling story, blissful music and exceptional art direction, and only slightly marred by the repetitive nature of the gameplay itself. I strongly recommend this title to anyone who’d like to enjoy an exclusive experience that only a work of art can offer.

The Serpent’s Heart is the usual fare with a new ability for Lara (loot more money from felled enemies), a new weapon (yea, that will be the God’s slayer!) and a new outfit.

Although maybe not as deep of an experience as you could find on the PC, if you are looking for The Sims on a console this is a great option.

Maybe it doesn't have gore-drenched animated encounters between knights or copulating pawns, but Chess Ultra VR manages to check off just about every fundamental requirement, at least to some degree. Overall, though, it seems a bit bare-bones, with VR being its niche feature. It isn't necessarily a great tool for learning the subtleties of chess, but in most ways, Chess Ultra VR rises above baseline competence to something much better. And owners of virtual reality headsets can dust them off and enjoy a game that never loses its challenge.

Despite my issues with Puzzle Quest: The Legend Returns, the game is still one heck of a great experience, twelve years later. Battles are as exciting as ever, while the new wealth of classes and quests ensures that even series veterans will be able to get lost in this world all over again. The game shows its age in the visuals department, and the presence of difficulty spikes is bound to frustrate some. However, those willing to look past The Legend Returns' flaws are in store for a rich and rewarding experience. And for 15 bucks, where else are you going to get a sprawling RPG/puzzler like this?

Modern Warfare 3 is a good game, and Call of Duty fans will be happy. Those who are getting tired of Call of Duty will even be able to appreciate the changes in level progression and unlocks. At the end of the day, Modern Warfare 3 sticks to the safe formula that has worked for years, it's just that it is starting to get old.

Excellent port and great value for nostalgic gamers.

The mighty AoE RTS gets ported to the DS, and manages to retains much of the classic's gameplay charms in this much addictive turn-based game.

Flood of Light is a beautiful and fascinating game with a story that feels new and effectively told through pieces of text and mystery. The puzzles are fresh, and gain challenge and new mechanics as you progress, never feeling old or exhausted. The hand-drawn art style combined with amazing audio will allure you into the enchanting Hope City while you search for answers. If you enjoy puzzle games and subtle but intriguing stories, then you should definitely play Flood of Light.

UFC Undisputed 3 is a fantastic fighting experience. THQ did right by allowing the developers more time to polish the experience. For me the next step has to be to get a deeper more engaging career mode that allows the player to really feel part of the experience rather than just fighting match after match without any real hook. With that being said UFC Undisputed 3 on its own merits is a great game and worth a look if you're a UFC fan.

While I wish Namco had rounded out this package more, there's a lot of value for a very fair price here. There's a great mix of titles that range from all-time greats to at least mildly interesting. Namco Museum Archives Volume 1 is well worth your time if you love the classics or are merely interested in them.

Art and glitches aside, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is a surprisingly enjoyable platformer, and the developers have done a lot to breathe life and personality into a series that was never really allowed to live in the first place.

The second Space Elite Force is the superior gameplay experience, but if you get a lot out of it, then the first one may also be worth your time. I love seeing more games experimenting with adding elements from other genres. Space Elite Force 2 is a great example of a game taking risks that pay off. If you want something just a little bit different in your next shmup, it's worth a look.

FIFA 16 is not a huge step forward for the franchise. The play on the pitch continues to get better and better and the refinements this year are all welcome. I especially was impressed with the overall flow of a match. It continues to get closer to feeling like the real thing while still being one of the most enjoyable sports games on the market.

Like many VR games, Ghost Giant is relatively short but this is a case where the scale of the experience is in sync with its story and characters. Ghost Giant has a solid emotional core that resonates with many people’s experience. It has amusing and appealing characters and a lovely world to explore, and while its puzzles are generally logical, they also are locked by single solutions that frustrate creative thinking. On the whole, Ghost Giant is an excellent story that could only be told in VR.

Before We Leave is a civilization management game that’s relatively stress free, calming, and really charming. Its low-key nature and philosophy make it great for those who feel overwhelmed by the laundry list of responsibilities of 4X-style management and development. The design is sound, the presentation is fantastic and I’m a huge fan of the hex-gridded world map represented as a 3D globe. The individual models of the Peeps and their architecture are so charming, and the soothing soundtrack that plays when running the time at max speed is really nice. There are areas of the game that feel a little rough around the edges but the updates show a commitment by the developer to bring in the right amount of polish that’ll lead it toward greater heights of inventive fun.

It's a dream come true for many Marvel fans, as this RPG really thrills with an engaging plot, solid team-based gameplay and huge cast of characters.

SteamWorld Dig isn’t ground-breaking, but its tight action platforming and satisfying gameplay hook will easily keep you entertained for several hours. It’s perfectly designed for a handheld experience, allowing you to pick up and play for a few minutes here and there, progressing a little further each time.

As a conclusion to the franchise (no doubt pending an awkwardly justified fourth game and spin-offs), Resistance 3 manages to send it off as gracefully as possible.

I guess, when it comes down to it, I was one of those optimists that was hoping for a real transformation that would make Dark Souls feel truly new again. Remaster doesn't do that, but from the vast number of players that are putting down their summons signs, a lot of new players are diving into this incredible game or maybe like me, easing back into that familiar rhythm. Dark Souls Remastered doesn't do anything but give us the best version of one of the best games ever made.

Still, it’s hard not to see the missed potential within Banished. It’s an excellently crafted city building and survival game, made even more impressive by the fact that it was created by one man.

The fighting is fast and entertaining, the visual style is bright and well detailed, and the roster doesn't leave any major gaps. All in all if you're a fan of the series this is a worthy addition and one you should pick up.

The first game feels like an early build of the second game, with a lot of quality-of-life improvements added to SEF 2. One weakness of the first game is that the bosses have way too much health. Boss battles are endurance tests, great for a challenge but too tedious to be fun. The developers recognized this and greatly reduced the bosses' health in the second game. SEF 2 also added health and shield pickups that occasionally spawn in the level. This is a traditional shmup element that makes a welcome return.

Empire's release slips under the radar, but manages to surprise us with its incredible ragdoll physics and smashing damage system.

In the end, Betrayer is still $20 well spent.

RTS based on the LOTR franchise seems like a perfect fit, and the fact that it plays so good on a console makes this one a clear winner.

My hope after playing through de Blob 2 is that it's not overlooked like its predecessor. Although not a perfect platformer, de Blob 2 is a game that reminded me of experiences I had when I was first just getting into video games over twenty years ago. For anyone who may have missed the original or even for those that didn't this is a game that is at the very least worth a rental.

Overall, Vermintide 2 suffers in the minor aspects of its design, but its core combat and basic structure is strong enough to make up for most of the frustrations. Not every implementation is well executed, but it succeeds in the areas that it needs to.

The game in general though is just a whole lot of fun.

The feeling of conquering the Wyv and Keep world will only get you so far until you realize that the characters are reliving the same puzzle as you struggle to come up with a solution.

Despite its short run and lack of replayability, Clustertruck is a fun little title for the Nintendo Switch. The simple gameplay allows for some truly hectic moments, while varied level design keeps the action interesting from beginning to end.

For all that I have said about Bulletstorm thus far I can wrap it up by saying that Bulletstorm is flat out good game. Although not the cream of the crop Bulletstorm has enough going for it that if you're a fan of the genre its definitely worth a look.

It is impossible not to admire and be impressed by Xenoblade Chronicles X, to not have many hours of fun with it, but it’s a hard game to love.

Konami ups the ante with more songs, even bigger Live support and more challenging gameplay. Nothing too revolutionary, but a fun DDR sequel nonetheless.

A creative arts-and-crafts artstyle synergizes with innovative mechanics to produce the game’s impressive interactive diorama courses. There’s a little something for everyone, from a mellow mode for casual gamers as well as completionist challenges for the hardcore. It’s style over substance, however, and a harder base difficulty would have vastly improved the adventure. Also, the heavily advertised flip side mode didn’t quite meet its potential. Regardless, the uniquely designed set pieces are engaging to uncover. Yoshi’s Crafted World may not make waves, but it’s a solid choice for younger players and fans of the lovable green dinosaur.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a remarkable game. Even with the frustrating controls, Starbreeze Studios has managed to craft a superb puzzle-adventure game with mature themes, while still capturing those crucial moments that makes the relationship between two young brothers special.

Once again this is a quality piece of downloadable content for Skyrim which adds at least another ten to twenty hours worth of playtime. It would be nice to see some more interesting quest types than simple dungeon crawls through the same environments and more emphasis put upon Solstheim and its inhabitants. Dragonborn is worth the price if you just can't get enough from the Elder Scroll's universe.

To many players, these sorts of persistent issues can damage their enjoyment in significant ways, but the dense tactical gameplay manages to shine through more often than not, and if you really get in deep, this may be the last game you need for months. And if you’re completely unsure about the genre or heavy online teamwork, it couldn’t be cheaper to give it a shot.

While The Bug Butcher won’t be amazing gamers with its unique premise anytime soon, it’s a game that is well worth playing for a handful of hours.

While not every promising idea Tomb Raider has is pulled off successfully, it nevertheless turns in a tense and memorable ride that combines modern game design with its forebears’ adventurous spirit in some exciting ways. Some of its missteps may well come at the cost of your enjoyment, but most can’t hope to hurt the adventure in the long run. Although it never fully finds its identity, this is a game and a story worth seeing through.

I feel like as an ending for the franchise, as an end to Clementine’s story, we’ve gone out as well as it could have. This is The Walking Dead, after all, so any hope we are left with is automatically tempered against the death and despair of the world, and the fact that we are, as we always have been, the true walkers in a dead world. But for an ending, I think one will do.

Last year I said that MLB 11 wasn't a monumental step forward. I would say that MLB 12 is only a half-step forward for the series. Sure the competition within the genre is weak but that is still no excuse to leave much unchanged from last year's version. MLB 12: The Show is a fantastic game of baseball there just isn't enough new to make it an outright purchase recommendation.

Yooka-Laylee doesn’t branch too far from its obvious Banjo-Kazooie roots. It simply takes a bigger is better approach that doesn’t always work in its favor. Despite the flaws, it's a joy to explore the worlds and collect every goody. Yooka-Laylee may not be the most polished platformer around, but Playtonic Games has created an enjoyable love letter to 90's collectathon platforming. Hardcore fans of the genre will want to set their googly eyes on this one.

With a solid storyline and pretty good gameplay mechanics, we are given a game that really does help strengthen the PS2's RPG market.

But by far the most exciting portion of NHL 2005 has to be the dynasty mode which is something EA Sports is getting very good at creating. There are just so many different customization options that you can choose from that any hockey enthusiast who is bored to tears with the lack of hockey this season could really spend hours in this mode.

If you like Game of Thrones, “The Lost Lords” is solid, and expected given the ebb and flow of the show it follows. If you don’t, on top of thanking you for bearing with this so far, I would advise you to watch the show first, and then go back to Episode 1.

For the most part, the Shadowrun reboot has been a success, but not a resounding one. If you played the old SNES or Genesis game and wanting that same experience, you will be pleased by what Shadowrun: Dragonfall has to offer.

However in the end if your wondering if its time to upgrade to the Playstation 3 version of Singstar, this first entry is a great start and just show’s all of the great that is to come from Singstar on the PS3 in the future.