Multiplayer puzzle games aren’t exactly plentiful on the PS4 right now, but that fact doesn’t make Tiny Brains more appealing. Its short, easy and unimaginative. The Worms and soccer-inspired mini game diversions don’t help its cause as a game to break out with friends, either. Even if this sort of couch co-op experience is your jam, I can’t recommend it.

Despite not really achieving anything with its barely-there story, SteamWorld Dig is an excellent surprise from an independent studio putting out a game that is more than the sum of its parts.

Archeblade feels fresh and interesting at first but it soon degrades into a crazy melee of characters jumping around and attacking as clunky animations prevent the game from really capturing what is so unique about it. Overall it’s hard to recommend a game that feels so lacking, both in terms of quantity and quality.

Galactic Starfighter shows a lot of promise and there’s a great deal of potentially awesome additions outside of new maps and game mods (like dogfighting!).

Redshirt is an incredibly fun and interesting game mired in small problems that prohibit it from becoming a must buy.

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.

Girl fight is a difficult game to recommend. It’s clear to see where the developers were drawing their inspiration, however they have succeeded only in creating a game which emulates the bigger budget titles on a very basic level.

Dedicated fans who want to know what happened to Clementine (Read: everyone who played the first game) will not be wasting their time with episode one.

I wouldn’t recommend the Vita version of Atomic Ninjas. The game itself is fine and could be exciting when played against a full compliment of human opponents but that’s a guarantee the game can’t make.

What started as an original take on war turns into your standard run of the mill action game, and at that point, well, there is no point. Super Trench Attack ends up as a casualty of its own war.

FIFA 14 exudes polish from every pore. It’s a great all-rounder, able to entertain players of all abilities. Until Battlefield fixes its problems, there isn’t a better multiplayer game on PS4 either. Sports fan or no, there aren’t many more complete games you can pick up this launch window.

While the enhanced edition isn’t bad, its new features don’t do enough to make it the quintessential version of the game to own, at least not when the original is still so damn good.

This is a functional but mostly joyless and aimless game whose design maximizes the most tedious parts of its dungeon crawl, and not even local co-op for four can make things more palatable. Adventure Time deserves more respect than this.

The sandbox mode is the only thing that keeps Adventure Park from being total hot garbage. Unfortunately, cheating the economy doesn’t make the broken mechanics, lack of content or dismal performance any less rotten. If you’re in the market for a game like this, you’re best off sticking with the classics.

Once players overcome the initial learning curve, Europa Universalis IV will prove a memorable strategy experience that provides as much fun stories as it does sheer tactical complexity.

Montague’s Mount really tries to aspire to their level only to fall quite short.

For what it brings to the table, PixelJunk: Monsters Ultimate is a great package. Tons of content, engaging gameplay, and a cute look really set it apart from other entries in the genre.

Amazing Spider-Man on Vita, while impressive in scope, is more disappointing than broken.

Even if you already bought the last-gen edition, the stunning visuals and accompanying glimpse into where this series is headed are worth the upgrade.

As a labor of love to design that’s long gone by, Spuds Quest serves as a reminder that sometimes it’s best not to revisit your memories; you may not like what you think of them now.

Above niggles aside, this is a game definitely worth adding to your collection. Combining elements of 3D physics-based puzzle solving with a well-established gothic horror narrative, Magrunner presents unique and addictive challenges.

This is a remarkable game, and there isn’t a Vita owner in the world that should pass it by. It’s a sublime experience and, especially at its budget retail price, is dense with gameplay mechanics that involve you as the player directly into Tearaway’s loveable little dimension.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a game I enjoyed immensely. It controls and plays better than Assassin’s Creed III and its hard not to enjoy causing all sorts of mayhem on land and sea.

FM2014 is a refined, tactically-rich game which gives you countless tools to play with in an infinite sporting sandbox.

Defence Technica in its current state is by no means perfect, so it’s very encouraging to see the developers actively listening to feedback from their audience. Working with players has enabled them to patch the game on the fly, rebalancing to make it more appealing to a casual audience, but also ensuring hardcore fans are still tested.

Need for Speed Rivals’ boisterous and brash open-world driving design gets enormous mileage thanks to some amazingly fluid online functionality. This is a stand-out launch game in every regard, and if you have any interest in this sort of action-heavy racing, here’s the best way to experience it this year.

Resogun is great for spontaneous, quick play. Anything longer than that starts to give me a headache.

Even if the game’s challenge or the appeal of having a shiny new toy tempt you to acquire this game though, you are better off leaving it alone.

While the combination of frustratingly underdeveloped combat and a short length weigh the experience down, there’s definitely enough worth seeing here, at least from a visual and narrative standpoint.

With lackluster looks and a lame story serving as ballast, the combat would have to be spot on perfect to carry this game out of mediocrity. It’s good, far and away the best part of the game, with the scoring system adding challenge, thought and tension to the proceedings, but it’s not enough to push this into “must have” status.

By publishing the game three days before the launch of the PS4 without any hoopla, Sony has all but guaranteed that sales of this game will be abysmal. It really is a shame, because it is a game worthy of the top billing that an excellent first party game should get.

Keep Killzone: Shadow Fall in mind if you’re looking for a multiplayer shooter that shows off what the system can actually do. If you’re one of those that are lacking the subscription to Playstation Plus, needed to access the multiplayer, then you will likely leave the game disappointed at a poor single player experience and you can do much, much better in the launch lineup than this.

Super Mario 3D World is both gorgeous and about as enjoyable as a video game can be. There is an immense amount of depth that kept me coming back for more, time and time again. This is the rare type of game that I believe ten years down the road we will be coming back and playing again and again. It’s that good.

Its a shame that the core basketball game still feels like it needs another couple of years of polish to even come close to its competitors. For now we are left with a solid lineup of features and a game of basketball thats just not worth anyones time.

With an industry full of dark and brooding violent games, Lego Marvel Super Heroes is an amazing palette cleanser and an extremely fun time.

The challenge and personality of old-school shooter or adventure classics is totally absent. It’s one of the most creatively bankrupt games I’ve played this year. And you should not play it.

Carnivores: Dinosaur Hunter HD is a real mess. I didn’t pay for this, so I don’t feel like I have lost anything other then time, but I feel actual sorrow for the people that have. Avoid this like an extinction-level meteor.

The narrative that runs through that world isn’t always focused as it could be, but Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies is a largely excellent visual novel adventure.

Players who enjoyed 2012′s XCOM: Enemy Unknown already know whether they will enjoy Enemy Within. For devotees still playing, or folks who want to pick XCOM back up after focusing on other things for a while, Enemy Within introduces compelling new ways to combat the alien invasion that are well worth the asking price.

Blackgate should be a good time for anyone willing to pick it up as long as you can look past some speed bumps.

While still a good game, it remains overshadowed by those previous entries. Rocksteady got right all the little things that WB Montreal seemed to miss.

With a fantastic roster and just greater polish overall, WWE 2K14 is a great addition into the WWE video game franchise and is a must own for any wrestling fan.

Going into a new generation of consoles this was the opportunity for Infinity Ward to really push the series forward. From a pure visual standpoint they do a pretty good job of that. However from a mechanics standpoint this is a very competent Call of Duty game that plays things safe. Everything about this game is solid, but does nothing from a narrative or gameplay standpoint to move the franchise forward.

This “game,” if it can really be called that, is a niche one. It will only appeal to a very select few train enthusiasts and so for those folks I’d recommend this as a nice entry into the world of train conducting. For everyone else save yourself some time, money and frustration and just say no.

So, while the game’s rough edges may be off putting, you should still check out Salvation Prophecy if you are looking for a change of pace, or if you are starving for a space combat game, of which there have been very few lately.

If you have a PS3 and can roll with the kind of plaintive adventure Rain revels in, it’s one of the year’s most interesting peculiarities.

Once you get past the odd control timing I think anyone can really enjoy Full Bore. The world feels unique and fresh while the gameplay feels familiar enough to be comfortable, but different enough to feel innovative.

It’s a shame some of the weird recognition stuff gets in the way, but if you just want to solve some puzzles, it’s more than adequate, and if you can solve them fast enough, even the time trial modes are easily overcome.

If Battlefield 4 were billed and priced as a multiplayer only affair, I’d give it a higher score. Unfortunately, the quality of the single player campaign really brings the overall experience down.

For a $10 game Orc Attack is decent for the price. You get what you pay for in this case. Go in for a cheap game and you’ll get is a cheap game. It will hold you over for a few hours, maybe more if you have some friends you can bribe/guilt into joining you, but don’t expect to come back to it once you’re finished.

If you absolutely must have a new combat car racing game, go for it. Otherwise, maybe hold off until the mood strikes you… or it’s on sale.

There’s an old school vibe that permeates through The HD Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character. Its simplicity, difficulty and colorful, Japan-inspired visuals are a call back to a bygone era of games.

There’s a good game in Pokemon Y, and fans looking for another game near-identical to the ones before it likely won’t find issue with a lot of the dusty trimmings and transparent battle system. If you want to get into into the new stat rebuilding features and grind out tons of easy battles to prep for high-level online multiplayer, it’s never been easier to do so. But for all else, the game’s excellent visuals belie the frustratingly old-fashioned design. RPG folk can find better times on their 3DS.

There’s a good game in Pokemon X, and fans looking for another game near-identical to the ones before it likely won’t find issue with a lot of the dusty trimmings and transparent battle system. If you want to get into into the new stat rebuilding features and grind out tons of easy battles to prep for high-level online multiplayer, it’s never been easier to do so. But for all else, the game’s excellent visuals belie the frustratingly old-fashioned design. RPG folk can find better times on their 3DS.

Everything feels so shallow because of this, nothing hooks the player in for hours on end, instead serving as a timewaster for a few minutes before finding something else to do. Seeing as this game is available on mobile phones that would be the ideal platform to play while waiting for a flight or bus.

There will be a small audience for this game I’m sure but most should just let this game pass them by.

Unless you’re dying for a game set in Vietnam, there’s no great need to play this.

The PC’s Komplete Edition is the best way to experience this game, technically. A modest gaming machine can run it with a nice smooth framerate and settings set high. The game has never looked more detailed and crisp, and timing your movements feels a little easier with the improved performance.

Despite some technical hiccups, I actually think handheld is a better version of the game than a console experience, and if you have the system for it, definitely get this one on the go.

What impresses me more then the visual/gameplay updates is the fact that Wind Waker HD still can compete with any new game on the market today. The story is charming, the characters warm your heart, and the game remains as one of the best 3D adventure games to date. With the lack of killer software on the Wii U, The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker HD is one of the only great games currently available to date.

Overall, it’s the same game as before but on a handheld, which worked very well for the gameplay.

Plus R is a fine tune-up of one of the most technical fighting games around, but its skeletal packaging makes it all but impossible for non-fans to get excited. There are untold hours of value here that will be all but impenetrable to most. Unless you know the game and have a local community of like-minded opponents ready to go, I can’t recommend it.

It is the first game from this studio that I have enjoyed not just because I was intrigued by it, but because it executes its concepts well and puts forth an all-around solid package.

Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims is a simple game that’s easy to pick up and play, though I don’t recommend playing it in long stretches (which I did), lest you grow bored with it entirely.

Competition in the 4X space might seem quaint to some, but Stardock easily proves that there’s more than one great ruler who deserves fealty.

In all, The Wolf Among Us has a superb introductory episode.

Regardless of whether you choose to partner up or go it alone, Foul Play is a grand ole adventure. Easy to pick up and fun to master, the combat alone would make this a worthwhile venture, but adding in the game’s theater aesthetic and unique visual style makes this an easy recommendation.

As an ode to Agatha Christie, The Raven does a more then fair job. As a mystery charting it’s own ground, it ends up as little more than middling.

While it’s alright in quick bursts, it gets tiring very quickly, and it won’t be too long before you find yourself wanting to go back to main series games and play something more fulfilling.

This is the essence of FIFA 14 – a great package but a hefty sidestep, rather than a leap, as some of its predecessors were. The menus are fantastically designed, accessible and simple, which isn’t a mean feat considering the sheer amount of different modes and ways to play, and make it seem a shinier, fresher product than it is.

If you’re looking for a game with good music and not much else than Beatbuddy is your jam. Otherwise, look for the soundtrack and skip the frustration.

Even if you don’t like the gameplay, the story and setting are solid enough to where you can get at least some minimum level of enjoyment out of the game. If you are the type of person who enjoys playing adventure games with puzzles like the ones found in The Inner World, then you may get more than that out of it.

Takedown: Red Sabre was supposed to be an eloquent love letter to the tactical shooter genre, but the final product ends up reading more like hate mail. There isn’t a single part of the game that rises above mediocrity, and much of it dips below that mark. Worst of all, the very fans who have been craving a new game like Takedown are the ones who will be disappointed by it the most.

Any control issues aside, Rayman Legends never ceases to be enjoyable. The game is so fully featured that it makes Rayman Origins seem like a prototype. From the game’s delightful tone to it’s gorgeous graphics and top notch level design, Legends is better than Origins quantitatively and qualitatively. Not only that, it’s one of the best games of 2013 and one of the best platformers of all time. Maybe even better than Rayman 2.

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.

For shmup aficionados and lovers of Japanese anime culture, Mamorukun Curse is a worthwhile play because it contains all the trappings of the genre with a few interesting twists.

In the end, Legend of Dungeon is a by-the-numbers roguelike with little to get excited about besides its unique style. Unfortunately, that style makes a promise of originality that the gameplay simply can’t deliver on.

Shadow Warrior won’t win any awards for complexity. It’s a shamelessly self-confident return to the whiplash, blood’n'guts symphony of 90s-era shooters, but it salvages the low concept, and it’s own checkered legacy, with ironclad mechanics and the likable, if oafish, story it tells.

It absolutely harkens back to my own time as a tabletop gamer, with both D&D and CCGs, and its story treats those memories like they’re a treasure, rather than a punchline. Will you enjoy it as much if you don’t have those memories to draw on? Well, if you like fun, and can stomach learning something new, then I don’t see how you get out of this without having at least a little.

If you are a fan of One Piece, or a fan of Dynasty Warriors, you owe it to yourself to play this game. If you’re not a fan, play it anyway.

Still, whether this is your first Splinter Cell or your eighth, you deserve to give it a shot because while it’s not the best Splinter Cell, it is one of them.

KickBeat was a really interesting idea that with a little better direction could have made for a great rhythm game on the Vita which, I feel, is a platform that can handle rhythm games very well.

Overall, this series is worth starting if you have yet to jump in, and it was more than good enough to have me looking forward to what I hope will be Season Two.

Grand Theft Auto V is everything you’d expect in a Rockstar product and once again, they have managed to significantly outdo themselves.

There is fun to be had in Megabyte Punch but just not to the extent of its obvious inspirations.

Call of Duty: Strike Team is an compelling experiment but held back by the touch controls. If this was made for a controller it could be more impressive. They packed a console-like game into Strike Team with leaderboards and challenge maps but it ultimately feels held back by its lackluster controls.

Its definitely worth a look and you might even find yourself enjoying it rather a lot, if you can look past a lot of the games obvious shortcomings.

If you’re willing to put in the effort and learn what Total War: Rome 2 wants to teach you then you’ll find a game that is deeper, more robust, and more detailed than any strategy game that’s come before it.

Overall, Game Dev Tycoon has taken over my weeknights and weekends with no hesitation on my part. If you liked Game Dev Story, The Sims or any others in the sim genre, this will keep your addiction going on for a while.

I’ve played dozens of hours of the game on PC, and after playing this version, I don’t think I’m going back to the keyboard and mouse anytime soon.

At its core, CastleStorm is a game about variety, and every mode and mission offered in this robust package is executed with style and precision.

I really enjoyed the previous versions of this game but the 3DS version is sadly just not worth anyone’s time.

Do Not Fall was a bit of a pleasant surprise, offering some nice challenge with an interesting mechanic.

To crack an old chestnut, Guardians of Middle Earth has the potential to turn newcomers into fans of the genre, but it certainly isn’t up to their standard.

The fumbling of the flashback, and the phoning in of the puzzle content, leaves the second chapter feeling sour in comparison.

Lost Planet 3 pulls off some genuinely interesting and entertaining things with its story and exploratory nature, but that potential is all but covered up by its middling action. It lies somewhere between the wants of series fans and the needs of those who have been playing these kinds of games for years, and I wouldn’t recommend you play it.

OOTP is a curiosity that reveals itself to be an addicting chess match, jostling for position against the 30 other teams while proving your worth as owner of the team. Interest in this game is almost entirely dictated by your interest in baseball, management simulations and strategy games.

NHL 14 is a great game of hockey, and technically speaking its one of the best playing sports games on the market today. Sadly its foray into the new career mode, Live the Life, was extremely disappointing, and left me wanting more out of this year’s game. So if you’re looking for some great hockey this is a good choice, but there is still work to be done to improve the modes within it.