Resistance: Retribution ends up being a great game on a platform that is extremely tough to make a good shooter on.

In video games there are still times where you're going to be surprised, and I was pleasantly surprised with Hot Shots Golf: Out of Bounds for the PS3 as it really gives a great arcade golf package.

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

Dragon Quest Builders is an engaging sandbox craft game that appeals to players who desire a more structured Minecraft campaign. It’s satisfying to build entire towns, and the RPG elements and addictive feedback loop may keep some playing for hours on end. Although I was disappointed with the segmented chapters and limited free build mode, I still had plenty of fun with the core campaign. The Switch version may not be the ideal version for everyone, but it’s still an excellent option, especially for newcomers. My only wish is that Square Enix can craft an even better experience with Dragon Quest Builders 2.

Proclaimed as one of the best Xbox 360 launch titles, Monolith's effort shines with its hyper-realistic gameplay and super-creepy visuals.

Although this is a great game of basketball, its improvements over last year aren't as significant as you would probably expect. Instead much of the experience felt like a tune up of last year's game, with some more features and modes added on the side.

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.

In the end, if you have enjoyed the wave of Kickstarter PC RPGs so far, then you will enjoy Torment: Tides of Numenera too. It will likely be a game that you want to finish, but it likely won’t be one that calls you back for a second or third journey.

It was truly one of the perfectly executed platformers that I have played thus far.

The cause-and-effect puzzle elements are clever but require too much trial-and-error to be truly intuitive.

When I gave The World Ends With You Final Mix a perfect score, I did so because it reflected not a flawless game, but one that overcame its blemishes and left you feeling positive. That’s why I’m once again granting a perfect score. The end result of playing Atelier Arland trilogy is equivalent to finishing a strong book series. The individual pieces are engaging on their own, but together they craft an experience that is of S quality.

Stunningly beautiful as it can be, Manifold Garden can also be mentally exhausting after long stretches. As much as I never wanted to put the controller down, there were moments I had to take a break whenever I felt it difficult to concentrate on the growing complexity of what I needed to accomplish. Manifold Garden is complex, gorgeous, intelligent, and without any doubt, one of the best puzzle experiences you can have on the PlayStation 4.

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.

To The Moon's charming sense of humor and unabashed ease with tossing around pop culture references (from Dr. Who and Animorphs down to Dragon Ball Z) kept the serious, and at times quite gloomy overtones from feeling too self-serious. And so, with John and River's tale being told, restructured and sent to the moon in a heartfelt and memorable way; I am able to walk away from To The Moon satisfied, and looking forward to the next installment in this world.

This might be the best all-around Madden game in the last ten years.

It’s frustrating how close to a masterpiece Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is. It has the looks, the atmosphere, the swordplay and the heart. If only it had more focus on the storytelling and gameplay. First, it’s the burdensome narrative that almost drowns all the sensibility stored in Senua’s tale. It takes far too long to actually care for her. When the narrative finally starts to ease off towards the end of the game, it’s the repetitive gameplay that gets in the way. The game drags on for its own good, making it too often boring and laborious. All the same, Senua’s trembling journey is a one that needs to be seen to the close to get its true meaning. I realize I might have sounded quite harsh in my critique but my heart told me to rate the game better. After all, Senua's cry for help made me shed tears.

If you are a huge fan of this series, then you will no doubt get some enjoyment out of this title. You should keep your expectations in check, however, because it probably isn’t the type of compelling, lasting experience that will top your favorites list when all is said and done.

It's the kind of game that ends with someone punching a woman in the face. The kind of game where good guys don't look at explosions. The kind of game that results in an absolute, amazing sense of chaos when it can get all 4 players in and, despite a few flaws, it's the kind of game that reminds you that games don't have to be high art, philosophical ideals, branching paths and morality systems.

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.

Sharing some similarities with the celebrated GTA franchise, THQ's actioner adds some original elements and some fluid controls to make this a winner on the 360.

PSP gamers gets a royal treatment as the sequel to the highly acclaimed puzzler is improves in every aspect by this hugely enjoyable sequel.

From a block of tofu to squid kids, Nintendo put their best foot forward in developing their new franchise.

Super One More Jump is a simple single-button game with an excellent execution. What could have been a generic mobile port is a well-crafted autorun platformer instead, with sleek presentation options. The fast pace of the game may not appeal to all, but hardcore players who seek an adrenaline rushing 2D roller coaster ride may want to seek out this hidden gem. This is an addictive experience that leaves you wanting one more jump.

A downright solid game.

Teslagrad takes the single premise of magnetism and stretches it out through a good three to four hours of gameplay. The main character’s abilities to manipulate the environment pave the way for incredibly clever puzzles. Controlling the boy and moving objects aren’t always predictable or intuitive, making some challenges feel artificially difficult. Nevertheless, the title has made a positive jump over to the Nintendo Switch and is recommended for fans of 2D Metroidvania platformers.

At this point in the lifespan of The Sims 4, there are so many expansions and add-ons that the amount of content is a bit overwhelming, and allows the player to craft a world that is grounded in reality, full of magic and fantasy or somewhere in between. The Sims 4: Discover University is definitely weighted towards the real-world experiences and lessons of college life and in addition to being highly entertaining, might just possibly have some educational value of its own.

A mediocre story and weak protagonist may keep Tokyo Mirage Sessions from going down as an all-time classic, but phenomenal world building and addicting gameplay still make this a game I know I'll remember for years to come. If anything, it may stick with me more because the reasons I like it are so different from why I normally connect with its genre. If you have any interest in any of the franchises involved here and you missed the game the first time on the Wii U, don't make the same mistake again.

Saints Row 2 is not without its flaws, but the game is so deep, and has so much content that any fan of the previous game or GTA games will have a lot to look forward to in Saints Row 2.

Whether a big fan, or just someone who is interested to see what all the fuss is about, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 delivers a stellar experience.

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.

Although not everyone will love its visual style, players looking for a decent baseball experience -- especially on the Xbox One -- should definitely give Super Mega Baseball 2 a few innings. It isn't without some issues, but overall it manages to capture the rhythm and fun of the sport in a pretty addictive way.

I enjoyed my time with Paradise Killer quite a bit as I do love the mystery/visual novel genre of games quite a bit. The game has a fresh look and a killer soundtrack, as well as a fairly good story with plenty to look into. As good as that might sound, I would still recommend any of the Danganronpa or Phoenix Wright titles over Paradise Killer, as the unpopulated world gets tiring to explore and back-loading all of the trials makes for some poor game pacing overall. Still, if you love the genre and are looking for your next fix, Paradise is waiting for you with open arms.

Downwell‘s a very slight game based around a great, fast-paced mechanic.

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.

At the end of the day, Superflat Games have triumphed in creating an original title that both plays and looks as you expect. The way the story progresses is interesting, and there's enough gravity to player choices that it's worth a second play-through. If you've been longing for a survival horror experience that reminds you of the genre's glory days, you can't do any better for a budget price of $9.99. That is, if you're confident survival horror is just as immersive and fun to play as you remember it…

It has done a great job of moving in the right direction in this game, but you still feel it could have been much more in the future. However if you're a fan of the series and need your college football fix for the year, this game is a great option for you.

Overall, The Lion’s Song presents a poignant narrative adventure that aims to invoke strong emotions. While not every tale was fun to play, they each told fascinating character pieces focused on passionate creativity that actually drove me to introspection. Even for a point-and-click game, it is light on interaction and more akin to reading a book with dialogue choices. The drab presentation and dry plot may bore some, but those who appreciate good historical fiction will find there’s more to this game than its cover.

There is truly no other game for twenty dollars that gives you this many great arcade classics in one package deal.

Kentucky Route Zero is a beautiful and artistic piece of of work and I haven’t felt so strongly about a game since Silent Hill 2. After The Walking Dead made a case for powerful episodic narratives I found myself wanting something similar. I’m incredibly excited to see what the next four episodes will do.

Hats off to Artifex Mundi for having guts to make a diversion into point-and-click adventures. Irony Curtain: From Matryoshka with Love could easily have been a leftover turkey that wasn’t tasty even the first time it was roasted, but it sticks its landing right through to the very last scene. Despite being an indie title, the game is crafted deceivingly professionally. That’s especially highlighted in the script that has been properly edited to sharpen its impact with only minimum slack. In these days of mostly grim entertainment, it was so liberating to laugh with the game and be constantly amused by its many wonderful twists and turns.

Stygian isn’t that long as it takes some 15-20 hours to see its horrors through, depending on your willingness to search every nook and cranny of its warped world, and the story paves the way for more adventures in the doomed Arkham. However, the replay value is strong due to different character archetypes and what gameplay options they will bring along, adding to the multiple ways to approach quests. In many ways, the game was an eye-opening experience. It sets the bar high what comes to meaningful content and depicting an atmospheric game world and also reminds of what is still possible to achieve in its well-worn genre when given enough effort, heart and thought.

Marred only by a relative lack of content, Fast Racing Neo more than ably fills a void left by other futuristic racers and just looks and sounds incredible as well.

Faeria is a solid card game that has enough depth, and unique features to make it standout in a overcrowded genre. Despite a low total number of cards, the vast singleplayer options, coupled with a generous economy and very interesting mechanics, makes this one of the better games in the genre.

There are many gamers, I’m certain, who will not only enjoy Ghostrunner’s challenges but be perfectly happy with its demanding and repetitive mechanics. I enjoy challenge, too, but I also want to learn from my mistakes and maybe even succeed the first time around. Ghostrunner is a well-made game with a very specific intention, and there are players for whom this title will be Nirvana. Just not me.

Assassin's Creed is an amazing accomplishment by Ubisoft Montreal. Make no mistake, this is a fantastic game, it has so much to offer.

Overcooked! 2 is fun, exciting, and keeps the joy of couch co-op alive. The formula and flow of the game are fantastic and I was constantly delighted by the challenges posed by unconventional kitchen layouts modeled around different themes and mechanics. This is definitely going to find a place among the games to break out when I have friends over.

Hunt: Showdown doesn’t try to do a lot of things beyond its core mission, and the challenging gameplay and limited selection of maps — though they are expansive and interesting — might be a barrier to long-term enjoyment. Assuming the developers keep infusing the game with content, Hunt: Showdown is a fresh take on the genre that has already become a bit stale.

I think Strange Loop Games had a lot of nice and genuinely cool ideas that were decently executed. For the most part Vessel is fun, creative, and deals very well with fluid dynamics (congratulations to the programmer[s] responsible). It's a shame that such a crucial component of the game is executed so poorly. However, as the new studio's first product, Vessel succeeds more than it fails and shows that the studio has the potential to make a truly fantastic game in the future.

Visual Concepts feeds the gaming public's hunger for fast and edgy college basketball action, with this feature-rich and rock-solid game.

Dream Team‘s bright and friendly world is an easy one to fall in love with, but by the time you reach the end, that love will have been tested repeatedly by uneven design and a lack of narrative follow-through. Many of its flaws could be reduced to its strict following of the series’ formula without expanding on what makes it endearing. Much like Luigi’s dreams, AlphaDream’s latest is a little pre-occupied with expectations of Big Bro.

Despite those small story issues, Helldivers conquers its fair share of stars.

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.

The all too familiar Quick Time Event mechanic, featured prominently in “Catch A Ride,” is old and its age is made all the more noticeable because of the weak story. It’s also unfunny, hurt by technical issues, and fails to inject excitement in its own narrative, one that I still have no idea of where it’s planning to go.

Personally, I don't see it winning any awards at the end of the year, but if you like high fantasy and games that will keep you busy for hours with a great number of quests and activities, Amalur is certainly well worth your money. However, if you're already entrenched in Skyrim, holding off on this one for awhile might be a good idea, lest you suffer from open world RPG burnout.

Sunset Overdrive is the definition of the word “fun.” Insomniac has created something special here. The hilarious plot, unique gameplay, stunning art style and massive, explorable world translate to an unforgettable journey into Insomniac’s not-so-serious apocalypse.

Crysis has been a graphical benchmark to which PC games have been striving to reach for four years. Now it is on consoles and it is an undeniably good time no matter what platform it is on because despite having lauded graphics, that is not what makes the game great. The gameplay is fantastic too. Though not without its shortcomings, Crysis for consoles is an experience to be had by anyone that cannot play it on their PC. And since its only 20 bones, what are you waiting for?

My advice would be to rent Rage, it can be completed within a weekend and has a few great moments, just keep your expectations to a minimum.

Rockstar bounces back from their Hot-Coffee fiasco in style, with a fresh take on table tennis. Think of it as Pong for the 360, a truly fluid and fun budget title.

The Jak and Daxter HD Collection is a nice little piece of history coded onto a disc.

In bringing the series back from the dead to today’s competitive scene, Samurai Shodown not only chooses to honor the series legacy but dares to be old-school. Instead of flashing extra frosting to attract attention, the game trusts that its basic gameplay is enough to keep the players coming back to it. There’s no trendy character customization and all the collectibles are just gallery items, such as sounds, artwork and movies, you unlock by playing, not paying. Samurai Shodown is like a Chinese checkers to more showy and easygoing fighting games out there but not any less engaging. It’s not how fast you can hit but when you hit that matters. Uncompromised and dignified, Samurai Shodown might be a niche title in its genre but it does its own thing and succeeds in it.

When faced with challenges of a certain magnitude, many people seek escape through emotional-altering substances, mindless activities, destructive relationships or even by escaping physically to someplace remote and isolating. Eventually, they come to realize — perhaps suggested in Firewatch — the ultimate futility of trying to escape that which they carry with them all the time and they begin to accept and understand themselves a little more clearly.

It has plenty of great courses, fun characters, and just a very accessible and solid gameplay system.

EA takes basketball to the next level with the extreme arcade series, this time with solid gameplay and juicy visuals that does enough to keep you hooked.

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.

Are you in the mood for a unique puzzle game filled with ambient electronic music and want to feel good about supporting independent game development? Waveform may just be right up your alley. It is elegant in its simplicity, but don't let that fool you. The game quickly becomes challenging and with about eleven stages (filled with ten levels each), there's a surprisingly large amount of game and replayability to be had. I see myself coming back to this game often.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an excellent 2D platformer that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The humor is quirky, the gameplay is great, and it expertly crafts a retro-style game into a glossy and new coat of paint. Even so, it didn’t seem to provide the same sense of awe that Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse provided in the not-so-distant past of 2014. This is not to say that Half-Genie Hero missed the mark; it’s just different from what you would expect out of the series. Fortunately, that’s one of the best features about the series as a whole. Each game feels unique, bringing a whole new taste to the table every time. This is what always brings me back to Shantae, and it’s what makes Half-Genie Hero all the more enjoyable. Ultimately, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero manages to create a sense of old-school bliss in the modern era where there proves to be little success, and it’s wonderful.

Everything in the game adds up to the overall experience, making The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II one of the best in the genre. The third part of Trails of Cold Steel saga has seen the daylight only in Japan for PS4. I hope the western PC conversion doesn’t take too much time to arrive. I want to see what’s stored for Rean and Class VII in the future!

It's an incredibly solid game of football that hasn’t done a great job of putting it all together. I really like the tightened up player movement and all quality of life improvements in the franchise mode. But I can’t help but feel like the best of this franchise is still ahead of it. Madden NFL 19 is a fully-featured and well-playing enough and if you’re in the mood for some football, it's still the game to get.

In the seven years since Torchlight II was released, dungeon crawlers have both evolved into a more complex genre and toyed with mechanics pulled from outside them, such as roguelikes. However, complicated doesn’t always mean better and it’s hard to deny Torchlight II’s addictive and immediately accessible gameplay and overall, it seems like a natural fit for the Nintendo Switch.

Nintendo continues to dominate the handheld market with this cutesy but highly playable platformer. A must for Yoshi fans everywhere.

If you enjoyed the puzzle nature of Portal and the action of Shadow Complex, there is no reason why you shouldn't play Rochard. Even if you didn't particularly like those games, I feel that you should give it a shot. Not only is Rochard fun to play, it is incredibly well built and glistens with polish.

Catherine: Full Body is a curious remaster. After completing the original release eight years ago, I never really felt like this was something that would benefit from an enhanced re-release and yet, it kind of does. Both the character of Rin and new cinematics enrich the story in ways that give it more depth (even if it does venture into some really wild supernatural territory by the end). And at no point does Rin feel shoehorned into the story. I can’t imagine how tricky it must be to write in a whole new character to a pre-existing work but Full Body makes it look easy by fitting her in with nary an exposed seam. Catherine: Full Body might not be for everyone, it’s the very definition of a niche title, yet in the end, I find it hard not to appreciate it on an aesthetic level.

SnowRunner is both relaxing and laborious, although there is gracious video gameness to it, like the fast travel between garages. Elsewhere, if you make a mistake and tip your vehicle over, you won’t be paralyzed or have to pay millions in compensation for the cargo that was left loose and swept territory under it. To sum it best up, Snowrunner is a lifestyle game. There is no grand call to answer as you drive at your own pace and do what you want. The game is all about small triumphs. When you get out of some tricky pothole after an hour of trying, you feel like a winner!

Joe Danger 2: The Movie has its share of small problems, but the amount of stuff that is in this game and the overall quality will put any doubts to rest.

Overall, I enjoyed Crosscode much more than I thought I would. Despite the generic and cliched start of the game, it is full of great writing and a lot of heart. Couple that with solid gameplay, beautiful graphics and a solid soundtrack and you have an indie-RPG that is easy to recommend to fans of the genre. If you're a fan of action-RPG's and fondly remember the 16-bit era, you owe it to yourself to check CrossCode out!

Final Fantasy XV takes a lot of chances, with combat, story, characters, and its open world setting. More often than not it manages to hit that sweet spot nexus of innovation and familiarity: the game world is immense but not overwhelming, the combat is chaotic but manageable and exciting, and the story and characters equally endearing and unfathomable. Assuming that Final Fantasy XV is a template for future installments and not simply a one-off, ten-years-in-the-making experiment, the game may cry out for refinement but hints at an exciting direction as well. It definitely breathes new life into a franchise that was on the verge of irrelevance for many gamers.

Dragon’s Dogma Dark Arisen should be played by every fan of action RPGs.

If you’re looking for a roguelike with personality and wit, Going Under may surprise you. Mechanically, it won’t blow you away, but with so much character on display, this is one internship worth taking.

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.

Tiger makes his debut on Sony's new next-gen console, with the same solid gameplay and virtually unchanged visuals from the 360 version.

Overall, this is a fantastic "End of Saga" title, as Falcom calls it, even if the Trails name lives on (I'd still love to see the rest of the series localized in the West). Fans of the series certainly don't need a review to tell them this, but if you happen to be checking this game out for the first time, oh boy, hopefully, you know what you're getting into now! Welcome back to Erebonia, everyone!

Skulls of the Shogun requires patience and a knowledge of the gameplay. This is not a game that can be won by brute force or guesswork like some strategy games.

Fans who just want more Far Cry 3 or have particular nostalgia for the 80′s could certainly find worse ways to spend a rainy Sunday afternoon, but you’ll have to hear some terrible jokes to get there.

On the whole, Ni no Kuni II is a beautiful and well-made game that manages to make its combination of action-RPG and city-building seem natural. Despite some initial intimations of darkness, its tone is light-hearted and upbeat and its core combat is very satisfying throughout.

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

It doesn’t live up to what it could, what it SHOULD, be. It has some cool ideas, it has some that need work and it needs more content. It survives because it has a solid parent of a game to draw upon but it hasn’t done enough to distance itself far enough away.

In terms of long term use, if you are not motivated to work out EA Sports Active will not make you more motivated. Instead this is a game similar to any other exercise game that offers a quick and successful way to loose weight and get healthy.

Although not the optimal version of Plants vs. Zombies, I would say that this is a worthy entry into the Nintendo DS lineup. If you haven't yet tried this amazing game the DS is a good version to see what all the fuss is about.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is representative of Ubisoft Montreal taking a good, long look at the franchise and mixing things up. By moving the game away from its unique structure and into something within Grand Theft Auto and Horizon’s sphere of influence, it succeeds in upsetting the apple cart. The thing is, though, I found myself missing all the weird quirks that were indicative of an Assassin’s Creed adventure. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that I don’t have to wear out my controller’s R2 button anytime I wanted to run or climb (which is, like, 95% of the game). I suppose when you’ve stuck with something for so long, it is going to take some time to adjust. Assassin’s Creed Origins loses out on what made the series oddly charming however, I applaud the studio for trying something different and building an incredibly meaty and gorgeous action adventure title that’ll keep me busy through the rest of the year.

The five new levels are excellent additions to the game’s collection of puzzle box dioramas, although they do nothing to change the formula. The remaining 13 challenges aren’t as worthwhile, and it wasn’t very fulfilling to trek back to remixed levels just to hunt Boos and collect crown shards. The inexpensive DLC is fairly priced, at least, even if you’re only interested in the novel areas. Just don’t go looking for a substantially game-changing experience, but rather a solid expansion of what made the original so great.

Wrestling finally comes to Sony's handheld, and it's just like playing the console version on its smaller screens. Tons of fun for those always on the go.

Soul Calibur V ultimately feels rushed. The modes are shadow of their normally robust nature, the character list has been reduced severely, and the net code is not as good as it should be. It seems like Namco was desperate to get in on the fighting game revival and rushed this out. I expect better from this series and with so many fantastic and cheaper fighting games out, such as King of Fighters XIII, Mortal Kombat 9, and even Soul Calibur IV, I cannot recommend the game to anyone but the most hardcore of Soul Calibur fans.

If you have been looking forward to this game you may be a little disappointed with the Konquest mode, but the other modes help make the game a solid choice.

Wasteland 2, for the most part, provides everything that its Kickstarter backers and fans of the genre are looking for.

Anno 1800 is an incredible looking city builder that is packed with historical detail and graphical richness, supported by a complex and sometimes inscrutable collection of systems underneath the smokestacks and row houses. Getting everything just right is a challenge but playing in the Victorian-era sandbox is a lot of fun and the milieu is well represented in all areas of design and execution. Fans of city builders and economic sims will both find a lot to enjoy about Anno 1800, the best entry in the franchise so far.

With a lot more to do in it than you might first expect, Minit is eminently replayable and a highly enjoyable experience.

If you like College basketball and are looking for a new game to wet your whistle with, then I would highly recommend you checking out College Hoops 2K8 - it's an all around solid game of basketball.

There’s fun to be had if you look for it, but if it’s a matter of choosing one group of tables over another, its certainly something I would take into account.