If Found... is a visual novel that navigates its subject matter with care, its loose hand-drawn art immersing us in a world that we are forced to unmake. Its central metaphor of erasure is horribly effective, forcing us to destroy this fleshed out person's personhood. Through its thoughtful depiction of LGBTQ themes, bold presentation, and penchant for articulating all of the messy particulars of its protagonist's life, If Found... is a deeply moving coming-of-age tale.

Sony's MLB series goes from strength from strength, with a more refined controls and tiny improvements and creates a very satisfying and emmensely fun baseball title.

Sword & Fairy 6 felt like I had binge-watched 64 half an hour-long episodes of a Chinese fantasy drama TV series. Productions values may have been low and effects cheesy but the actors and actresses were beautiful and the story so gripping that I couldn’t stop myself.

With so much of the story left to see, it’s hard to make any definitive calls on the overall quality of The Raven: Legacy of a Master Thief. As for the first chapter though, I am waiting with baited breath to see where the story goes, and to continue on this adventure with Constable Zellner. For fans of the adventure genre, this is an easy one to recommend. For everyone else, there is nothing quite like a good mystery, and this, so far, is absolutely one of the good ones.

Now that Telltale has captured my attention with this entry, they've got the difficult task of keeping it. This episode is so full of smart character moments and interactions it seems impossible for them to continue it any further, but we'll just have to see what they have in store for us next. Of course it's a lot of pressure to keep the momentum going, but the series is starting to look more cohesive and it feels like it's actually going somewhere, which I appreciate after the second episode felt so aimless and one-off. For the first time since it started, though, I'm looking forward to the next entry in this series, and can't wait to see what happens.

One of the best hack and slash games of the year.

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

In closing, I'll say that Star Wars: The Old Republic is a game I never knew I wanted. Years ago, I was upset to discover that there were no plans to continue Revan's story after Knights of the Old Republic II and instead continue exploring the Old Republic universe through an MMO. After experiencing burnout with World of Warcraft, I had resigned myself to no longer play these types of games. However, I couldn't be happier with what BioWare has done with The Old Republic and the experience continues to be enjoyable. The bottom line is, after 42 hours, I'm still having a blast.

Overall, The Swapper is a surprisingly thought provoking sci-fi platformer that makes you think about more than how to get through it.

Just when I think Telltale has run out of places to go, and that I’ve finally figured out the hook to their plans with John Doe and his eventual transformation into full-fledged Joker-dom, they pull Crazy Ivan and give me a gift like Episode 4. Titled What Ails You, this episode is less a set-up of the finale then a stack of C4 primed to take out every story thread that’s been built up so far. Telltale continues to tell one of the best Batman stories out there right now. If you are at all interested in comics, or characters related to the Dark Knight, this is 100% not optional. Honestly, no one else should be sleeping on this either.

The lingering black humor relieves the dark subject matter (Agent 47’s deadpan delivery in disguises is so tip-top!) and no matter what, you can’t help but summon that sadistic smile you’ve been trying to hide. Granted, Hitman 2 doesn’t do much differently than the first season but it doesn’t even need to - it’s just so cool.

With a running time between 4-6 hours, The Descent is one of the strongest pieces of post game content Bioware has ever offered. Through a good story and inspired environmental choices, Dragon Age‘s Deep Roads becomes the dark and deadly place the Dwarves of Orzammar always speak of.

Pinball FX3 is a well-constructed platform for the old pastime. I appreciate Zen Studio’s take on pinball, favoring video game logic over a realistic one, while keeping consistent physics intact. Its online infrastructure and single-player progression are what keep me coming back and craving more, and this system can only continue to improve its appeal as more tables launch. But even as it is now, Pinball FX3 should be enough to make pinball wizards flip out.

If this episode is any indication of what’s to come, this short form adventure could prove to be some of the best work that Telltale Games has put out since the amazing first season of The Walking Dead. With improvements coming through graphically, and the story telling showing strong against the quickened pace of a half season, this small package has a lot going for it. Here’s hoping that it continues.

Just when you thought it was safe to store that PS2 away, Sony presents an absolute gem of an action game with genuinely jaw-dropping visuals.

Danganronpa 1-2 Reload takes two fantastic point-and-click visual novels and ties them up in one discounted package. Between both games and some surprisingly fun post-game alternative modes, Reload offers over 60 hours of content. If you’ve already played through these games, the only incentives to double-dipping are if you want both games in the same package and the ability to play it on your PS4. If you haven’t experienced the series, then this game is the best way to get your fix of high school murder mysteries, trigger-happy courtroom action, and psycho bears. Oh my!

The Live support is really what makes this game as fun as it is.

If you played through the campaign in Age of Wonders III and you are looking to get a jolt of fresh energy out of the game, then the Golden Realms expansion should have what you are looking for.

Whether you’re coming back to the game for a second time or you’re a new player, this is a game that has something to offer for everyone.

Knights and Bikes is an unique and genuine experience that was engaging from beginning to end. It’s a great example of a high quality co-op game. Thematically and mechanically, the game succeeds in highlighting cooperation. Foam Sword successfully delivers a great title that manages to be both fun and artistically inventive. Knights and Bikes is highly recommended for those looking for a captivating cooperative game to play with a friend.

Goodbye Despair is a perfect example of how a sequel should be done.

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.

Infamous is one of the best games so far in 2009 and if you have a PS3 you owe it to yourself to check it out.

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.

Like so many games before it, Yakuza Kiwami 2 does a great job of bringing players up to speed with previous events, which makes stepping into this pleasantly dense universe easy and comfortable.

It offers an appreciation of the smaller struggles during The Great War while exposing its horrors. The characters are charming, the gameplay is interesting, the storyline is gripping, and the visuals are full of heart.

There's no doubt F1 2012 is the best game in the series, in both content and execution, but it still feels to me like this franchise needs a year off.

Overall, I’m very impressed with the product Insomniac released, and it raises my expectations for what other companies are willing to put out with their names attached. While I have issues with some of the beats in the final chapter, I have zero qualms recommending it for anyone who enjoyed the main game. And for those that didn’t, well, they just don’t like fun anyway.