Fallout 4 is a good game, an absolutely solid work horse of a title that will, if you let it, carry you away for hours at a time to explore its depths. At a time when titles seem to be losing content, Fallout 4 has more then you can possibly consume all at once, and its host of options mean that when you come back for a second, third, or ninth pass, the experience can actually, honestly, be something different. That’s not something you can say about a lot of games, and in that regard, Fallout 4 is truly in a class by itself.

Rise of the Tomb Raider is all about its pacing. It’s a game that will throw you into a huge action sequence and then slowly ramp back up. You don’t have to worry about endless waves of enemies. Instead you will move from one area to the next, traversing the world, hunting so you can craft and upgrade, and scouring the world for treasure and tombs. Crystal Dynamics took what worked in Tomb Raider and made it even better. Rise of the Tomb Raider is one of the best games of the year. It’s absolutely beautiful and plays as good as any game on the market today.

I wanted to love this game, I really did; the first stage showed so much promise but the lack of content and variety cemented this as an average game with a killer soundtrack and lofty aspirations.

I think Regicide is a really cool concept and an interesting adaptation of an already turn-based game with entirely different mechanics.

It’s unfortunate that Corpse of Discovery can’t capitalize on it’s strong premise. Instead, it flounders, attempting to be profound and metaphysical but never managing to be anything more than “meh.”

Sure to be a fun, good natured under the tree gift this Christmas for kids and kids at heart.

Toy Soldiers: War Chest feels like a game that was rushed through without care or polish. Nostalgia can’t save this game from being an absolute disappointment.

The concept is outrageous, but it works. However, at the end of the day, it is a game about a piece of bread.

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

It’s a meaningful and beautiful creation far more entrenched in the human experience than any other game I’ve played.

The Coalition has done a superb job of reminding us why we fell in love with Gears back in 2006.

Despite its shortcomings, this game does something other games in the genre struggle to do. SOMA gives us an interesting setting to explore, terrifying, unforgettable moments, and a deep thought-provoking plot that asks its players philosophical questions that linger long after the credits roll.

Armello has a lot of potential but the interesting bits never come to the forefront in any meaningful way, leading to a rather bland experience.

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.

The PS4 version just isn’t up to the challenge and doesn’t deserve to be played as the PC version is clearly better in every way.

Its a simple expansion but brings with it several fun features and buildings, making an already great game even better.

While I enjoyed the character interactions and reveals in Vault of the Traveler, I couldn’t get myself excited for the episode’s action packed finale.

Colorful and surrounded by mystery, Dropsy is a nice twist from “normal” adventure games and worthy of investment.

I don’t think I’ve ever played a game like The Beginner’s Guide and I’m not sure any game will ever need to duplicate what it accomplished.

Players who want to complete the level and do so in the shortest amount of time will find a lot to love in this game and even more so in the game’s replay value. However, when the initial awe wears off, Shadow Blade: Reload comes across as a generic ninja-action game with an interesting art style, good controls and an otherwise underwhelming story.

All in all I’d say if you are a fan of JRPGs you should give this one a try. The journey was fun and the characters were likable enough with some character development along the way. The combat makes gives a twist to the standard turn based combat and slight customization of skills and magic are fun to play around with.

There’s so much visible heart and ingenuity in this product, but its fundamentally flawed mechanics and absurd, dismal story leave in my mind only the animation of a man hysterically bashing his own head in.

It’s clear that the developers have a lot of reverence for old games, but the work on the actual gameplay just doesn’t do well enough to pass on why we should feel the same. Instead you’re just going from one lesser version of a genre to another, a clear example of when less is more.

Even though I have my issues with Until Dawn, I was strangely absorbed into this beautiful, yet awful world where I was able to experience a Hollywood horror movie in video game format.

The forced dialogue, lacking visuals and boring gameplay do little to make The Legend of Kay: Anniversary worth the price of admission.

Elite: Dangerous goes against the grain of the Xbox One’s library of games. It’s not as frenetic and action packed as Call of Duty nor does it share The Witcher 3’s flair for engrossing narratives. Instead, Elite: Dangerous is a quest for the next big thing which, in this case, is a high quality ship outfitted with the best equipment that fits a chosen playstyle.

Clearly, Re: Hollow Fragment is designed specifically for stalwarts of Sword Art Online. If they haven’t already played the game on the Vita, the digital-only PlayStation 4 version offers more content and a whole new set of levels to conquer. Everyone else should tread carefully.

So don’t be deceived by the somewhat tired “retro indie puzzle-platformer” description; Adventures of Pip sets itself apart from the nostalgia machine in some interesting ways and it’s well worth your money.