I feel conflicted about Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, because while it’s never been more interesting to play as a game, the fact that its narrative is typical of latter-day Sword Art Online stories has actually become something of a liability.

The big adventure of Demetrios isn’t all that cynical, but it certainly is forgettable. I can’t say the game is bad, because it’s not, but also I certainly wouldn’t tell you it’s good. Instead, it’s nothing more than a name added to a list of titles I’ve beaten, and it will never be anything more than that.

I can really get lost in the world of Let it Die, and I think I'll be playing it off and on for the next several weeks at the very least. It begs you to come back, and given the platform in which it's been distributed, it's something that can easily evolve into a better game in the future.

Tyranny is most certainly a tale of two halves. The first half is immediately gripping and combat starts off a bit challenging due to the lack of abilities and options. As the game enters its second half, the plot starts to feel rushed and gameplay becomes an issue of "been there, done that." The world and lore built here are worth exploring and I anxiously await another excuse to return to this setting, but at the same time, I really hope it comes with improvements to the AI and combat in general.

The emphasis on freedom is undermined by the game being a series of challenges. The allure of exploration is undone by the ability to teleport anywhere. The loose and wacky physics system belies the real-world setting. These are all disconnects that Steep can't reconcile, and it's a stranger and more off-putting experience because of it.

Things end a little too neatly wrapped. While I'm glad that there isn't some major cliffhanger that cheaply leads into Starcraft III (whenever that might be), everything concludes too nicely for the otherwise grimdark Starcraft universe.

Depending on how skilled you are with puzzle solving (and how good you are with your hands if you're using the Touch), I Expect You To Die could last you several hours or a few days. But what I can really get down with is that even after I had finished the handful of scenarios, I anxiously wanted to see how others would approach the same concepts, and tried out a few new tactics of my own.

As a lower-key alternative to the high-octane flying games in the VR space, How We Soar has found its niche, and it'll serve those players well. It strikes a good balance between letting you unwind and also making sure you're adequately challenged and engaged. The story doesn't quite do enough to draw you into the author's plight and keep you hooked, but the flying alone carries this game far.

For now, I'm confident in saying that although it isn't their best work, there really aren't too many directors out there like Fumito Ueda, and I hope for our sake, he continues to keep making games.

It may not be the second coming of retro gaming or an outright classic, but it does still have the potential. If Interceptor Entertainment can make this a success, I have a feeling that the eventual World Two and beyond will iron out all of the bugs and turn this adventure into a must play for old-school fans.

For those of you who have been scared off by Dead Rising in the past, maybe this is your time.

There's not much going on in Maize. As a video game it fails on both the technical and interactive fronts. The gameplay is so simplistic that it may as well not even exist. Breaking the fourth-wall is cute, but never really amounts to anything other than a cheap laugh. The story is a decent experience thanks to its humor, but everything surrounding it drags it down.

A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV isn't anything special, nor is it essential to understanding the main game you're buying into, so don't bust the doors down tonight trying to get a pre-order in. But at the same time, proponents of old school beat-'em-ups will enjoy a few hours of fun, which counts for something.

I think the combination of Minecraft and farming is a winner, but more attention needs to be paid to the activities outside of planting and pulling crops if Harvest Moon ever wants to compete with the superior farm sims out there.

Even if you don't buy into it, most will admit that Square Enix has master-crafted this world to the point where it feels like anything can happen out in the world map. Whereas a lot of JRPGs have stilted transitions between exploration and combat, XV does it effortlessly. One moment you're in an abandoned building talking about a quest, and the next a seamless conversation pops up and you're in the thick of a battle. The same goes for setting up future events -- just like how a Pokémon game might hint at future legendary additions early in the game, so does XV.

Less-discerning players with a tolerance for bad localizations, or maybe Matsue residents, will find a pleasant diversion in Root Letter, but for everyone else, it's difficult to recommend, especially at its current price tag.

f you’re a dedicated follower of Akira Toriyama’s work, then you’ll find a lot to enjoy with this title. It takes some risks and offers a complete compendium of characters from each installment of the anime. It also puts an emphasis on creativity with the fusion system, but lacks focus. I want to love it, but I can’t fathom sitting through that story again.

Like any multiplayer-centric game, a little extra solo content goes a long way. While I didn't have any major issues finding matches during my review session (a lot of people seem to be playing it after getting their Touch remotes, as this is the marquee game for it), one day, I probably will. Not only is the premise a little wacky in the first place but little is done to characterize the universe it's in -- so it's going to be a really hard sell when the Touch is $200 on its own.

Despite the abrupt ending in Guardian, Batman: A Telltale Games Series has been one of the most consistent works the developer has put out to date. I still get the occasional audio or jerky animation issue on PC, but at least on my machine, nothing in the first four episodes rang any major alarm bells. With just one chapter left, I think you're in the all clear for going all in on this.

It'll be a grind, but I'm still eager to do it. There are just so many recognizable monsters that hold special places in my heart, it seems like it would be a disservice to neglect them. Plus, there are the post-game bonus dungeons that aren't going to conquer themselves.

Despite having a small number of grievances, none of them were significant enough to detract too severely from the overall experience. Simply put, Steins;Gate 0 is both a fantastic visual novel and more than a worthy follow-up to the first game.

With the length ranging from 10 to 15 hours, Xanadu Next packs the right amount of content anyone who’s in the mood for a title that mixes action-RPG and puzzle elements. Like with many games that revolve around obtaining a legendary weapon, the Dragon Slayer is a blade that’s worth wielding.

It's not often that I stick with a multiplayer game for any length of time, but this one has its hooks in me deep. At the end, yes, you're fighting the same enemies with the same weapons over and over again, but the level of challenging chaos keeps me coming back.

Pokémon has never felt more alive to me than it does in Sun, and while I did have high expectations coming in, I can't say I saw that coming. This series is catching up with our imaginations.

For every issue I found with Pokemon Moon, whether it was an old problem that just caught up with the series or something new -- I found solace in the indomitable likability of a cast member, or the thrill of finding another party member that I would battle with for years to come. I'm already seeing myself playing for several hundred hours before the end of 2016, and I haven't even fully experienced all of the online features yet. Such is the power of Pokemon, and I hope we get to see Alola's influences linger as Game Freak gears up for its next adventure.

This is a game I was so ready to fall in love with, but it ultimately comes up short. After a couple of hours, I began to wonder, "Is this it? Dinosaur planet sight-seeing?" Basically, yeah. And at its high price point, that's going to be a tough sell.

Dishonored 2 tries to take on so much that it can't actually keep up with itself, even on PC. If Arkane can get a handle on the optimization and delivers a DLC campaign that's on par with the original's take on Daud, it'll be one of the easiest recommendations I've made all year.

I expected Watch Dogs 2 to be a paint-by-numbers sequel -- more guns, more cars, a bigger playground. Instead, it gives players freedom to play with the world with hackmagic the way they want to, and crafts a memorable, mostly light-hearted story that's just a lot of fun. Considering the heavy subject matter woven in, that's even more of an accomplishment than it seems like.

It might be a little difficult talking about this one with your friends...but then again, maybe not. If you like teenage girls with large chests, food, and rhythm games, then Senran Kagura Bon Appétit! - Full Course will deliver for you.

Seriously, though, this budget-priced cash-in should be avoided at all costs, even if you're a die-hard fan of the shows. And parents, please don't ruin your kids' childhood by buying them this piece of trash. Instead, just loudly have sex in the next room over. Trust me, that one leaves a mark.

While Star Rush isn't the horrible 'car' wreck of the past two titles in the series, it is hardly recommendable due to a lack of mini-games and thus content, even if four players can play nearly the full game pending one other in the same room has the game (there is no online play to speak of, in case you were wondering).

Disney Magical World 2 feels like an intro class into video gaming. There's a little bit of everything here, all of it aimed at younger, inexperienced gamers. For an old crust like me, it's easy to point out its flaws with the frame rate, inventory management, excess of load screens, and simplicity, but I don't think that will matter to younger players. And after helping plan a most wonderful party for the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood, it really didn't matter to me either.

Maybe a little bit of polish on the controls or some fine tuning with the difficulty curve, but Super Rad Raygun is definitely worth a playthrough. As a love letter to the Game Boy era and classic games, in general, you’d be hard pressed to find another game made with such passion and style.

A lot of love and care went into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Remastered, and I hope other developers (including some of Activision's own studios, I'm looking at you Marvel Ultimate Alliance and Prototype) take note.

This game does show signs of promise for the future, and that with more polish and refinements to the formula, we could have a much better game to succeed Exile's End. As is, it's a decent-enough experience that can be really rough around the edges. Only the hardcore metroidvania fans who are starved for games in the genre will find much here.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare does just enough to stay above the curve and somewhat make up for the appropriately soulless Ghosts. The zombies team did an incredible job with Spaceland, and the multiplayer still ticks all of the right boxes with an ample locomotion system that has since been surpassed by Titanfall. But if you were expecting anything totally new, including the non-inventive space campaign, look elsewhere.

It's still impressively open, but once you actually reach your objective marker, it morphs into a shallow experience with shaky writing. Mod support will naturally help grease the wheels a bit, but make sure you stick to Xbox One if you're going the console route and stay on the beaten side path.

Despite its brisk pace and sparse storytelling, Small Radios Big Televisions manages to feel like a complete handcrafted package. The game shines when you're weaving between corridors and virtual worlds hunting for keys to a mystery among forgotten places and glitchy spaces.

There isn’t a shooter on the market that can compare with Titanfall 2 when it comes to imagination, inventiveness, and flat out spectacle.

While Halloween Forever is simple, I think the developer achieved what it set out to do, which is to make a fun, pick-up-and-play platformer that would feel at home on the NES. As someone who loves the console and still goes back and plays its games, I can appreciate this spooky little game. It's cute, it's easy, it's colorful, it has a decent chiptune-ish soundtrack, and it illustrates perfectly how we all feel about candy corn (barf).

It packs in pretty much everything past games have offered, and then brings in several great new characters and one of the biggest stories in fighting game history.

This is a playground that doesn't feel overly gamified. It's something I'd want to periodically return to just to roam around in it and take in the sights.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, despite its issues, is still an improvement over the original Xenoverse, although minimally.

Valkyrie Drive: Bhikkhuni reminds me a lot of Senran Kagura Burst in that it feels like a rough draft of greater things to come. The combat is there, and the game looks amazing, but with an overabundance of uninteresting plot and a lack of original or compelling personalities, I found myself skipping over more of the game than I should have in order to keep myself entertained.

Even with its flaws, I think many people will enjoy Earth's Dawn, but I don't expect it to be a hit or even a cult classic. If anything those starved for something similar to Odin's Sphere or an RPG-style beat 'em-up might get some enjoyment out of it, while most will find the repetition a bit too much.

Owlboy is a special game. Almost a decade in the making has certainly allowed for a rarely seen amount of polish and effort in an industry brimming with day-one patches and rushed deadlines. I'm at a loss when trying to think of critiques, honestly. I can't even say that I wish there was more of it because what is here is just so damn satisfying from start to finish, and I wouldn't want to ruin that.

The narrative picks up the slack, and despite a slow start, it builds into a nice crescendo and naturally, a cliffhanger.

King's Quest: The Good Knight is a satisfying narrative conclusion to Graham's saga and is a unique approach to storytelling that we don't see often. It's not a return to the first chapter's exploratory focus, which many of you have been pining for since last July, but if you enjoy the narrative stylings of the previous two tales, you'll be sure to crack a smile (or shed a tear) in turn.

The old Civ mantra of “one more turn” is stronger than ever. The additions make for a much deeper strategy game and the inclusion of most of the features from previous entries makes for a remarkably well-rounded launch. It will be interesting to see where Civ VI goes, but I have a feeling there won’t be nearly as dramatic a change as Civ V saw.

From beginning to end I was completely entranced by these kids' quest to escape the horrors of Heavenly Host. Corpse Party has a timeless story built around solid characters and a genuinely creepy setting that is able to buoy its sometimes outdated gameplay.

If anything, Attikus and the Thrall Rebellion whets my appetite for more like this. It's quick enough to play just a round or two and still make progress, and it's varied enough to play several in a row without getting too bored. But now I'm looking more forward to the other four Story Ops releasing so we can have that same solid gameplay with even more variety.

VR needs more than Damaged Core. It's a good thing to add on top of the pile for people who are already fully invested, but as what essentially amounts to a novelty XBLA game, the asking price is a tad high. [Tested with Oculus Rift]

It somehow manages to be a good amalgam of the staple formula DICE has relied on for years, with a bit of anime (flashes of Metal Gear Solid V and flowing shonen capes) sprinkled in for good measure. I'm really not looking forward to spending $50 on the DLC to get more maps, but for now, I'll be coasting along in Operations for the next few months.

WWE 2K17 is a poor simulation of the WWE product, often because it seems ashamed of pro wrestling.

There are some glaring balance issues for Rebellion to work out, and Battlezone is far less advisable as a solo game, but damn if it isn't thrilling when everything comes together and your team perseveres against all odds.

The level design is dull, the platforming is simplistic, the graphics look a few generations old, the RPG elements are basic, the music is forgettable, the enemies are pushovers, the difficulty is turned all the way to easy – I'm honestly at a loss for words.

Even with a few uninspired stages, Skylanders Imaginators manages to nail the childlike whimsy of the beat-'em-up genre so many of us grew up with. It's still a blast with friends, and even more-so now that you can share your creations and tweak them together. The series has shown signs of slowing down in recent years here and there, but it's not done yet.

You don't really need Ashes of Ariandel unless you've squeezed every ounce out of Dark Souls III already or thrive on PVP. I think the concept of splitting up their resources took away from the sum of both parts, but there's still plenty of challenges and surprises to warrant another bloody good time.

I can appreciate that Supermassive has figured out the fundamentals with Tumble VR and come in at such a budget-friendly price, but I also can't deny the times when I grew bored of playing. Don't rush through this one.

It is a damned good game by all measures with addictive gameplay, catchy music, a great art style, and just the right amount of challenge. If you're looking for your next favorite roguelike platformer, look no further.

If you don't care about unlocking all the customizations, achievements, high scores, or the few characters that hardly change the gameplay, then you'll probably get bored of this within 20 minutes. Even at a lower price, I wouldn't recommend it.

Long-time fans will find a warm familiarity in its cast and dialogue, but for anybody else, they might see it as nothing more than a breezy cop show experience.

Although they could have gone with the rote, grinding route, Eagle Flight actually is more about the journey.

While Job Simulator may not be my personal favorite virtual reality game, it is one of the easier titles to recommend given its intuitive design, effective comedy stylings, and broad appeal.

I still get chills thinking about my time with Yomawari: Night Alone. Whether it's a particularly scary moment that pops into my head or one of the many weird visuals that I just can't get out of my mind, this is a game that's going to stick with me for a while.

Even if the most essential features in Rivals won't be meaningful to a lot of people, this expansion represents Rock Band 4 at its best to this point.

Like the era it paints, Mafia III feels like a relic. It's dated, has obvious flaws, and doesn't hold up particularly well when compared to a lot of modern works.

There's a lot of value here for the price, and even if you could buy each of these games separately for five bucks apiece, I'd still recommend picking up all of them. You'll need to invite at least three friends over to get the most out of these games, but if you have the means and the opportunity, you'll get way more than your money's worth out of The Jackbox Party Pack 3.

For as frustrating as failure can be, though, I still greatly enjoy this game and what it's going for. I want to stick it out. Headmaster seems to be flying under the radar as a launch-window PlayStation VR title, but it's one of the most novel experiences out there and decidedly worth trying.

The chaos implied by 100ft Robot Golf’s wild, imaginative title never fully materializes, instead leaving players with some fine jokes, obvious anime references, and a kinda crummy golf game.

Definite flaws and a laser focus on making the game a more universally sellable experience hurt it, but if you want to shoot shit while shooting the shit with some buddies, you could do a lot worse.

If you're thinking about picking up DoDonPachi Resurrection, you're staring down the barrel of one of the best shoot-'em-ups of our time.

I was completely taken aback by how well RIGS comes together. Although it has some issues to work out with future patches (mostly related to a content drought), as a symbol for the tech it's one of the best virtual reality joints out there, and not just for the PlayStation VR. Hell, it might be the most justified virtual reality game I've ever played.

I don't know how this series keeps holding on, but I'm glad it does. Initially debuting as a Sega exclusive, it jumped ship to Microsoft, and now, Sony. I don't really care who gets it next, I just want more Rez.

Here They Lie is a successful use of the PlayStation VR, but outside of the novelty of transporting yourself into the veil of a unique hellish landscape created by beautifully tortured souls, the actual delivery and writing fall flat.

I got swept up in Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour, and although I had initially planned on just checking out the new chapter, I ended up beating the entire game over again. There's a reason that these classic games like Shadow Warrior and Rise of the Triad still hold up, and it's mostly due to strong level design that very few developers are striving for. If you like a side of getting lost in mazes with your shooter main course, Duke is ready and waiting.

Most frustratingly, Sister Location leaves its fans clutching at the same straws the last two games have. It ends asking the same questions as always - why are the machines evil (or are they just misunderstood), what is the nature of the Freddy's curse, and how exactly does this particular entry fit into the series' larger story and timeline and on and on.

Ultimately, Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters: Daybreak Special Gigs is more of Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters, for better as well as for worse. The changes to the systems aren't enough to alleviate some of the frustration of the original, but for players that are open to the experience (or who enjoyed things the first time around), there's a lot to like about it.

I'd still recommend Thumper, though. Readily. But I would also advise not to get too wrapped up in fully finishing it. This road is long and winding and brutal. It might just drive you mad. [NOT tested with PSVR.]

I adore how none of it feels contrived, forced, or packed-in for the sake of nostalgia. It all flows well, including the natural progression to new tools that mirror the discovery of new villages and vendors in a classic JRPG romp. There's a small sense of rote iteration, especially if you power through the questline with little exploration, but any of those feelings are quickly washed away.

This was a fine first showing but it'd be nice to see The Coalition carve its own identity for Gears of War. Using Epic's foundation is understandable and expected, but it often feels like a crutch. Marcus' boy had grown up just like him.

Paper Mario: Color Splash is a charming journey that will delight your senses, your funny bone, and the part of your brain that houses your nostalgic feelings towards Nintendo.

SuperHyperCube spices things up with the occasional rotating wall or gimmick, but you're just chasing the score dragon with leaderboards until you get bored of doing it. If you stared at Super Hexagon for hours on end, mesmerized by the visualizations within in your attempt to set a world record, have at it. Otherwise, spread your PlayStation VR launch fund cash elsewhere.

I'll be showing off London Heist and Scavenger's Odyssey to just about everyone that asks me about PlayStation VR, but those are worth about $10 each. Wait for a price cut before grabbing PlayStation VR Worlds, or better yet, just enjoy them with your PSVR bundle and skip the rest.

If Harmonix Music VR sounds like your jam, it probably is. Plopping on the helmet after eating your favorite comfort food can make for a really relaxing afternoon, but the other modes aren't even worth the time of day.

It sounds like a cash-in of the highest caliber, but the folks over at Supermassive managed to balance their IP and show restraint in a way that very few developers are capable of.

Arkham VR constantly walks the line between proof-of-concept and full game. It's legit in that it does feel like a real Arkham joint (Rocksteady was involved to boot) and not an outsourced addendum, but you can't actually move around -- instead, it feels more like an "escape the room" simulator, but if you couldn't actively walk around and investigate the environment.

Ultimately, it's my opinion that the randomness hurts Demon Truck more than it helps.

Although the occasional technical issue and odd mechanic put a damper on things, Aragami has its heart in the right place. It's strict adherence to stealth with no ifs, ands, or buts will turn some people off, but it'll speak to a lot of old-school fans who are sick of experiences that allow you to blast your way out of everything.

It may not be as tight of a package or have enough variety in its quests, but the additional multiplayer components and new Yokai make this worth picking up.

I absolutely fell in love with it. I love its simplicity, I love its music, and I love how well it accomplishes what it set out to do. This feels like a long-lost early NES title, right down to having to blow into a cartridge to start it up. With the map editor, I hope this becomes the type of game fans continue to support for years to come.

Clustertruck just about gets everything right. The high price kind of puts me off, but the game makes up for it with creativity and the ability to share user content. Sadly, the campaign ends on such a downer that I was more frustrated than anything. At least the game was hilariously fun for 90% of it's duration.

There's a lot to like about Star Trek Online, even for players who aren't hardcore Star Trek fans or crazy people like me, but it does ask to be put up with to a certain extent. As for the console versions, it's also not all there yet, almost literally. At the same time, it's hard to name a more overtly generous free-to-play title on the current market, and it's worth a shot, for both Trek devotees and the merely Warp-curious.

I think the most understated element of the new King's Quest though is that we get to see Graham grow up before our eyes -- from a young runt to a wise kingly figure on his death bed. It's a scope that we really don't see that often, contrasted with adventure games that typically take place across the span of a few days or weeks. King's Quest: Snow Place Like Home might be influenced too greatly by modern titles that are essentially interactive novels, but I'm more than willing to see this through until the end.

If you never got the chance to strap on a mask and make some dirty money, The Big Score might still be worth checking out. If you're a seasoned criminal wondering if it's time to get back into the life, you won't find much to pull you back in.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2's levels play things a little close to the chest, but the sheer breadth of tactics opened up by the inclusion of Copen make it even easier to recommend than its predecessor. It's a jolly old platforming time, and I hope it reaches the level of success it was destined to hit.

Aside from from the local-only consideration and some inconsistencies with the scoring criteria and stage layouts, man, what a game. Overcooked is the best co-op experience I've had in recent memory, and despite going back through to fully clear every level, I wish there were more. Don't overlook it.

Yo-Kai Watch also goes to some real crazy places that Pokémon wouldn't dare to explore.