As a free to play game, ÆRENA is well worth your time if you enjoy turn based strategy games.

Squids Odyssey is very lengthy and may get repetitive, but for the times in between games or while watching TV it is the perfect fit.

There are points were the game could have been more refined, such as the ‘Dig-Dug’ inspired levels, giving more attack options or not forcing the player to collect diamonds to progress through stages. Yet, PixelJunk Shooter Ultimate explores a different territory in the twin-stick shooter genre.

Its varied level design, gratifying gameplay, vast amount of content, and palpable tension make 1001 Spikes a must-play for people seeking a challenge.

Overall, the game was pleasant, refreshing and frustrating.

Although the gameplay is sometimes too light for its own good, the relaxing nature of the experience, and the likable cast of idols makes the experience worth trying to some degree. Producing Perfection is such a unique title however, that most gamers will probably want to pass over this experience to something with a little more substance.

Although the controls are a little stiff, the new boss battles, multiple game modes, and the Hypernova ability all add to what makes Triple Deluxe a really fun game to play.

Constant C are is a game that is too difficult for its own good. It has little to no room for error, especially near the end. Lacking a tutorial system forces the player to figure everything out on his or her own. It started off very fun with just the right level of challenge. As more is introduced it quickly became overwhelming.

With new characters, stages, modes, and careful tweaking of the entire roster, Ultra Street Fighter IV is without a doubt, the definitive version of Street Fighter IV. It provides a plethora of new content and a staggering amount of detail, all for the modest price of $15. Its greatest feat, however, is that everything culminates into a package that casual fans will enjoy and fighting game enthusiasts will appreciate.

As far as licensed products go, you could do a lot worse then How to Train Your Dragon 2. There are good bones here, a nice foundation built on a satisfying flying mechanic, and some excellent work to capture the sights and sounds of the movie and its characters. It, like most other movie games, falls apart where that license meets the tight structure of a modern game under the strictures of a tight turn around. While you apparently can train a dragon, no amount of training can save this game from itself.

The fighting is solid but I still think the ground game needs some tweaks in order to make it up to par with the stand up game.

60 days was more then enough time for me to determine that I would rather spend my time elsewhere.

Life of Pixel could have been something more ambitious, like Evoland, but instead chooses to play it as straight as possible.

With nothing to call its own, other turn-based strategy games have a distinct edge over Panzer Tactics HD. Make no mistake, the game is by no means bad, but there are plenty of other more memorable entries in the genre to keep you busy.

Sparkle 2 has some fun moments in the form of color matching addiction, but little else makes the title worth playing.

If you want a real survival horror then find something else because this one is not worth your time.

With its delightful graphics and impressive lighting, detailed environments, challenging puzzles, and simple gameplay that generally works, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a gem that is definitely worth your time and money.

Transistor isn’t perfect, there are issues with the combat system and sometimes the art gets in the way of the combat itself but that isn’t enough to deter this masterful execution of storytelling.

No character differentiation, the lack of arenas, the frustrating gameplay, inconsistency of AI and the unheard of lack of online for a car game makes this game feel incomplete. After about three hours you may never pick this game up again, unless you have a game night with friends.

All in all, I think Bridge Constructor Medieval is a pretty neat little game that is only held back by its core mechanic.

If you are down for mayhem, down for a great story and feel up to a difficult challenge The New Order has you covered on all bases. What it lacks in online play it makes up for in collectables and story length.

Despite its issues, Fable Anniversary is the best way for players to experience the original Fable. Just keep in mind that action RPGs have a come a very long way since then.

If you’re interested in a fun card game that plays out in a Japanese role-playing fashion, then definitely consider Monster Monpiece. But if the forced and repetitive rubbing mechanic is too much for your tastes, then pass over this title that is centered around fan service.

Ultimately, if you’re bored for a couple of hours on a weekend then Skydive will give you something to do. But once you’ve done a few races and some of the challenges, there is very little to keep all but the most dedicated completionists from coming back for more.

While its 8-bit action RPG fusion fulfills a baseline addictive quality, frequent missteps and repetitiousness pushed me too far away to ever get hooked.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing was a treat, and hopefully, we’ll be able to have more in the future.

If you are a fan of the movie, then this game makes a good companion for it.

Trials Fusion isn’t a bad game at its core, but its design doesn’t take advantage of the best parts of the series well enough, and the technical issues surrounding it all are a bummer.

Wolfenstein 3D changed how we looked at first person games in 1992 and The New Order, while not as big of a step, may be just as important of one for the future of the genre.

Watch Dogs is far and away the best game to released for the new consoles.

Out of the Park 15 is clearly intended for those eat, breath and live baseball.

Bound by Flame is an exceedingly interesting game. It attempts to join the ranks of games like The Witcher and Mass Effect with its combat and social elements but ultimately falls short.

If you enjoyed the previous Age of Wonders games and you had any reservations about this game, then rest easy – it is a very good one.

It is not a bad experience, but it is probably not the one that should be at the top of your wish list.

I probably don’t need to say this but Nintendo knows what it’s doing when it comes to the Mario Kart franchise. Time after time, they come back with exceptional racing games and Mario Kart 8 might be the best we’ve ever seen.

As I said before, I came into this game with no knowledge of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure series and it had no effect on me other than wanting more from the series. I would urge fans of the Dragon Ball Z or Naruto fighting games to check this out, if they want something similar or if they have been burnt out on the other two.

If you haven’t yet gone on the Child of Light journey I implore you to stop reading now and go play this game.

Clearly, it is the fans who will get the most out of Tesla Effect. Designed specifically for them, they will appreciate seeing the gang back together for one more noir-fueled adventure.

It absolutely nails the mechanics for a city-builder and makes it super easy to jump in and build a great city.

A classic Batman story in some less then stellar trappings, Cold, Cold Heart is worth your time if you are in the mood for more of the Dark Knight.

While the first The Amazing Spider-Man could have been a great launch point, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 feels like the same thing all over again with, at most, half steps taken to improve.

World Tour is a fun experience, and while I do miss the deeper RPG mechanics from previous games, this version offers more than its share of fun, whether with others or alone.

For an adventure game, Ether One does some pretty interesting things that allow it to break free from the genre’s mold.

The fun runs out after a few levels of beating up enemies and mid-air combos.

It’s a fully featured game of FIFA that has been branded beautifully for the World Cup. If you can’t wait for June for the World Cup then I’d highly recommend checking out this game, it’s really well done.

If you haven’t played Resident Evil 4, it’s still absolutely worth playing. It’s a definite classic that stands along with the likes of Half Life 2 as one of the best games of its generation.

At this point you would be far better off picking up a copy of RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 then dishing any money out for this one.

Overall, King Oddball is a great game to turn on one in a while, perhaps after a rough game of Battlefied 4 or Titalfall, as it offers a fun, relaxing, and laid back experience.

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.

All Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is (aside from a terrible name that feels super stitched together) is a boring game in a great franchise that reminds you how to not translate a game from 3D to 2D.

There’s a comfortable progression of difficulty, with the game’s initial stages easy enough to understand and later stages that require a good deal of thought, planning and timing.

It all adds up to make this the most functional version of the game yet, itself one of the most exciting and polished MMOs around.

If you can bank on one thing, it’s that the essence of Strike Suit’s space-flight combat is solid enough to warrant multiple approaches, and addictive enough to ensure that you won’t be leaving the black vacuum of space anytime soon.

This is the game that should have come out two years ago, and while it’s sad that we didn’t have it then, it’s great to enjoy right now.

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

You get a sense that if they had focused more on one of the mechanics or the other, they’d have made a better game; it was just too difficult to balance. But the idea of an interactive sitcom is kind of novel, and the writing is fine enough that in the spots you can actually read it, you can get a good bit of entertainment out of it.

Those without a Nintendo handheld system that want to know what the Fire Emblem noise is all about will find this to be a decent and competent, though not overly compelling, PlayStation analog.

For me Kinect Sports Rivals is a passable Kinect game that does little to nothing to push Kinect game experiences forward. If anything it might do the exact opposite.

In no way should that inevitable feeling stop your from playing this, though. The joy you’ll find from the craziest dogfight you’ve ever engaged in will far out weigh the point when you will want to put it down. So suit up, and when you’re ready, press up to Raus.

Even with MLB 14: The Show not adding a ton it still remains one of the best sports games on the market today.

Infamous: Second Son continues Sucker Punch’s super hero/karmic choice formula well.

There was a promising idea here but nothing in the game came together to make for an interesting experience. Instead, I was left frustrated and underwhelmed as I tediously hopped from platform to platform, wondering if I’d live to see the next checkpoint or die trying, and shaking my head as the latter became true.

It’s a constant thrill, one that can steal away a whole afternoon but still satisfy you even after a couple of rounds.

You might enjoy the time that you spend with Violett, but you should approach it with modest expectations and a good deal of patience.

The things that Insurgency does well can already be found in its original Source mod form while the new changes are not substantial enough to really make the game something worth trying out unless you’re completely wet behind the ears or looking to scratch an Insurgency itch.

Basement Crawl has been out for just over a month and still suffers from crippling online issues. Not a good sign.

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes is a fairly brief but exceptionally well-crafted stealth experience that’s well worth the time of any fan – or anybody looking for a great action game, for that matter.

The game is just as mysterious and obtuse as before and puts the onus on the player to figure it all out. Therefore, players fond of the rich and complex challenge of From Software’s games are going to get the most out of it. To those, I say that Dark Souls II gives more of what you’ve enjoyed from the last two games. With new places to explore, enemies to fight and lore to uncover, it offers a significant amount of content to keep players busy for a great while.

This is not the second coming, and despite the trumpets blowing, they herald not that which would save us from the rest of First Person Shooter-dom. We find instead, quite simply, a damn fine game and one hell of a good time. And for my money, that’s enough.

A dash of Terraria mixed with a pinch of Dig Dug, SteamWorld Dig is a colourful delight that is equal parts wit and charm.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is designed with the South Park fan in mind – the one who doesn’t mind gags and gameplay sequences featuring abortion, homosexuality, farts and alien anal probes.

Simple to grasp and difficult to master, Out There is a dark but richly entertaining story of survival.

The Metroid-style design could be a great fit for Strider, but this first outing comes up a little lacking.

The 21 tables that you get are a great value for the $30 price tag too. Nothing will ever replicate the actual experience, but this simulation comes about as close as anyone has.

It probably isn’t fair to classify Beat Blasters III as a “music game”, but rather a quality action game that thrives on music. If this sounds like something that you would like to experience, then you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

Under the auspices of creating a “hardcore RPG experience,” Daedalic has instead created a rage inducing time waster.

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.

Garden Warfare on the Xbox One is visually impressive and PopCap did a great job translating the color palette and aesthetics of the mobile game to this third person shooter.

That beauty is just so fleeting, though. Dustforce doesn’t give you these moments enough and often it felt more like attrition instead, where the game and I just beat each other down until we were both bloody messes with me as the last one standing.

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy may not reset your thoughts on the series, but it’s still an excellent game in a long-running series, and even people who’ve never played a game in the franchise can enjoy their experiences with the game.

As reboot, it does everything it needs to, to bring the core mechanics to 2014. As Eidos Montreal’s second game, it shows that the studio learned much in the process of making Human Revolution (especially in regards to boss battles). But as a game on its own, Thief a fantastic ride and great game in which to merely be a thief in. It’s just a shame that it exists in such an uninteresting and disjointed world.

Perhaps if it had taken a page from Gone Home and had been developed as a horror-themed exploration game sans enemies, then Outlast would have been more effective. Take away the tedious patrol route study and stealth conventions and Outlast could be the cause for many, many sleepless nights.

Go in dark and enjoy the ride while it lasts.

For a short adventure that took around 5-6 hours to complete, it’s a refreshing change of pace from the grit and grime reality normally sought by today’s modern game. Planet collapsing tragedy aside, this adventure is not one in need of rescue.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes represents Traveler’s Tales finest work with the LEGO property. All of the requisite hooks are there: a fun story, good humor, solid gameplay and healthy challenges. The studio’s reverence for the source material really pays off in the end, with content and character options that should be more than enough for any type of Marvel fan.

Left Behind is how story DLC should be done.

With a shallow combat system and boring mission structure and unbalanced online function, Battle of Z is not for the faint of heart and can easily be skipped, but if you REALLY want to play a Dragon Ball Z game you could do a lot worse.

If you’re interested in a return tour or want to see it all for the first time, though, consider the Definitive Edition a great way to play a great game.

There are definitely some mechanics to be fixed, namely the monotony of the combat, but I enjoyed my time in this bleak world thoroughly.

While the idea of turning real world items into in-game ones is pretty neat, the game throws in everything it can to make the experience as uninteresting as it possibly can.

This first act of Broken Age is easily worth your time for the fantastic writing and brilliant presentation alone, but here’s hoping they can really go wild with interesting puzzles and challenges in the forthcoming second act.

Approached with the right mind-set, a little planning and a lot of patience, Farming Simulator 2013 offers a true evergreen challenge for the console gamer looking for a new experience.

Octodad: Dadliest Catch doesn’t always play to its strengths – mechanically or conceptually – but it’s still an enjoyable and unusual game whose charms ultimately won me over.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD fails to meet the same measure of fun that previous games in the series managed to accomplish.

There are a lot of worthy ways for you to spend your $50, and there are a lot more legitimate excuses to turn on your PS4.

When you bring a mobile game over to the PC you bring with it the compromises and shortcomings that are acceptable or even applauded and unforgivable in the PC realm.

If you’re looking for a fun few hours of casual gameplay I can honestly recommend Nimble Quest without hesitation, just don’t expect to beat the game as fast as you think you will. Hitting that wall can be a major bummer.

Ys: Memories of Celceta is one of the best games available for the Vita and a fine action RPG in its own right. Past some dated visuals and a sparse story are enticing battles and exciting exploration that can suck you in with a ruthless efficiency. If these kinds of character progression treadmills are your thing, don’t let it pass you by.