I found WildStar to be both a solid foundation of tried-and-true methods and an all-too familiar retread. If you've finally grown tired of WoW and want another hardcore MMO, this is it -- but everyone else may want to wait for a free trial period.

An amazing RPG experience. It falls a bit flat on characterization and writing on occasion, but nails just about everything else. It does a great job of compelling players to roleplay their on-screen characters, putting the "RP" back into RPG.

I still want nothing to do with microtransaction-laden Ultimate Team. Connected Careers is still dull in Owner Mode (halfhearted management sim) and filled with unnecessary gimmicks in the rest (don't worry about Confidence, just dump XP direct into player stats and win games).

What is good here is really good, but what is bad detracts enough that the entire package is a bit of a disappointment. A great piece of science fiction may ask a lot of hard questions and make the audience think. Halfway is not a great piece of science fiction, but it is a good strategy game for those willing to put some effort into it.

Warframe has a great foundation, but there's almost nothing unique or exciting about it. With a free-to-play scheme on top of how grindy the game feels in general (especially without a static group), it can wear on you even after a few hours of play.

Occasionally, it doesn't feel quite weird enough to carry the whole concept of a human schoolgirl at an all-bird high school, but there's still plenty of laughs to be had for a brief experience that you're going to have to play through multiple times to fully enjoy.

I'd love to see more add-ons like this in the future, and hope Blizzard supports Hearthstone for years to come. However you look at it, bare-bones or not, Naxx is a great start.

Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney is two great tastes that taste great together, even if they don't congeal together until the finale. But wow, what a finale it is!

Unfortunately, this is one instance where Compile Heart simply didn't produce perfection -- but if you just want to hang out with the girls when there’s not some sort of crisis going on, it might be worth a look.

As a standalone game, Mighty Gunvolt would feel a tad unfinished. Although all three characters are compelling enough to star in their own platformer, the distinct lack of worlds and exposition won't keep you invested very long. But as a free extra for Azure Striker Gunvolt, Mighty is a great gift to fans, and an even greater teaser to hold people over for what's to come in Mighty No. 9.

Azure Striker Gunvolt is a wonderful return to the technical Mega Man formula found in multiple subfranchises after the "Classic" series ran its course. Between mastering every stage, collecting every jewel, and beating Mighty Gunvolt, Azure packs in more than most platformers on the market.

Crown of the Iron King didn't blow me away, but it's a very nice zone that feels like a natural extension of Dark Souls II, and it's meaty enough to feel like a real DLC and not just a bonus area.

I really enjoyed Season 2 of The Walking Dead overall, even if its finale lacks bite.

Full stop, inFamous: First Light is more Second Son, which is a good thing. Although I wasn't nearly as invested in Fetch as I was with Delsin's story, this is a great way for fans to return to the super-powered world of Seattle, and an even better way for newcomers to get a taste of the series.

Aside from lacking robust online options and a few clunky menus, Lethal League is an amazing package. It’s my personal favorite of the revival of couch co-op games, and may be my favorite “tell a friend” game of all time.

CounterSpy nails its style. The angular art, the tight animation. Even the 2.5D cover mechanic stuff, the over-the-shoulder shooting, looks cool. But there is a weird tonal inconsistency to the whole thing that leaves it feeling unfinished despite the polish.

It's very close tonally to the anime and really feels like a natural extension of the show inside and out. Just don't expect a whole lot in terms of gameplay variety.

Hohokum may look bright and colorful, but it can feel awfully like stumbling around in a darkened room. It's a double-edged sword. Charting the unknown can feel as stressful as it is intoxicating. There's serenity to be found in the shadows, but it's just as easy to become agitated as you reach out into the black, searching for that elusive light switch.

When I first started playing Road Not Taken, I was completely enamored by its premise, style, and world. Slowly, bit by bit, I became more annoyed and started having a little less fun as the levels progressed and as the game's initial intrigue wore off a little more.

While every map so far has been a derivative of the "drill" mechanic found in the first stage (dragging a tool to each location to proceed), this one is set up a little more like Treyarch's zombies.

Sacred 3 feels distinctly average. The game works well enough at what it presents and is largely annoyance-free (though the checkpointing system could be better and I had a save-game issue where my progress wasn't saved from one session to another) but there's better and more rewarding games out there right now that you should seek out first.

The 3D effects and dual-screen interface simply aren't enough to warrant a full $20 upgrade, but the fact remains that the game is as classic as ever and worth playing. If you're a shoot-'em-up junkie you likely won't feel the sting of the price tag, but everyone else will want to wait for a sale.

This is a unique game, presented as a traditional point-'n'-click adventure title but more focused on strategy and planning instead of puzzle solving. If you push on and don't give up, you'll be rewarded -- just expect a few heartbreaking moments first.

Beyond the threadbare narrative and vacant cast are some interesting battle systems and lovely aesthetic qualities. Unfortunately, it has almost as much unfulfilled potential as it does promise, never managing to separate itself from the crowd or do much of note to truly demand your attention.

In a word, Sokobond is elegant. It is elegant in its concept, it is elegant in its aesthetic direction, and it is elegant in its puzzle design.

Although Amid the Ruins doesn't really go for many jump scares and is clearly a table-setting episode for the explosive finale, it's very much worth playing through multiple times over.

Dark Souls II: The Crown of the Sunken King is not a "must have" add-on, but it does its job of delivering more Dark Souls.

The basic gameplay concept is fine, and it works as a way to pass time in short bursts. It seems like it could work better if it were a pure skill game rather than the hybrid it is, and it surely would work better on mobile or handheld.

Roughly the same frequently soul-crushing, yet unique and rewarding game it was back in the 90s. Even if you hated it back then, it's probably worth investigating the remake just to see if your puzzle skills have improved, even if there aren't a whole lot of extras ready for you this time around.

A very standard action game that won't excite masters of the genre, but it has more than enough charm to make up for its simplicity. It also certainly helps that it's an original story, so hardcore fans of the manga or show will want to get in on Red even at a discount just to experience more Straw Hat action.

In a game like this where mastering the mechanics is key, there's a lot to learn early on in Abyss Odyssey and it can feel slightly overwhelming.

If you've got no ties to the themes 4PM is attempting to address, especially considering its short length, you might not find that it resonates as much as it could. However, if you're wanting to have a short and dramatic interactive story, 4PM is a mature and refreshing story.

All in all, I was quite pleased with this entry into the Dynasty Warriors Gundam series. However, I’m a Gundam fan and have been for a decade or more. I would have no problem recommending the game to other fans of Gundam or mecha in general, but for players who haven’t heard of either of those things, I’d be hard-pressed to even broach the topic.

Over the four hours it takes to see the end, and additional time to complete entirely, it never overstays its welcome. The concept behind it is solid, and it has been developed well past that initial idea.

I don't want more Wolf Among Us -- I need more. It delivers a tone unlike anything Telltale has given us before, and really shows us how they've matured as a studio.

Ignore the taboos and give it a shot, especially if you’re looking for something a little different than a dungeon crawler or traditional role-playing game.

Intercept is a surprisingly enjoyable experience that entwines havoc, synergy, and drama into a lovely bundle. It's a tad repetitive and light on content, though, so I certainly hope Guerrilla Games continues to support the expansion as it nears the standalone release.

With too many enemies present, Sir, You Are Being Hunted would simply be an open-world shooter, but with too few, it would be boring. While many might find its empty spaces dull, they always carry with them a hidden threat that a pipe-smoking robot has you in its crosshairs with its steely finger on the trigger.

Armillo is a charming platformer that manages to do just enough to differentiate it from some of its predecessors. Although it didn't blow me away by any stretch of the imagination, it has a ton of content packed in it to the point where I'll be spending quite a while to find it all.

If you're a die-hard fan of the Transformers film series, I would recommend picking up Rise of the Dark Spark when it's heavily discounted (like, under $10) with a group of friends just to play Escalation.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II is a much better showing than the original. It's what a sequel should be; it improves on nearly everything while adding brand new ideas to the pile.

It's a very by-the-book rhythm game that's been done many times before, but the unique pairing of SNK properties and the included tracks mesh together better than it would seem at first glance.

With plenty of accessories to outfit your pet, an island brimming with secrets, and all the niceties of a "regular" pet sim, this adorable adventure has a leg up on the competition, but does falter a bit in its execution.

Shovel Knight is one of the best platformers I've ever played, period.

It not only gives us a rewarding and engaging way to see the horrors of war as it pertains to this particular likable cast of characters, but it also educates us on one of the most significant events in history. Ubisoft Montpellier could have just delivered a good game and called it a day, but they went above and beyond the call of duty to add context to the proceedings, and that is quite the commendable effort.

Ultra Street Fighter IV looks and feels fantastic, and despite the fact that many of its "new" pieces of content have been seen and used before, it's still very much an exciting riff on an already-solid fighting game.

After everything was said and done, I wanted a bit more variety -- not just in the form of more songs -- but in some new modes or even online multiplayer. The good news is the core formula is very solid, so if you're looking for a new puzzle battle game, this is it.

The whole production is imbued with stunning environments replete with this trenchant sense of beauty. It's just really a pity the gameplay is rarely as cogent as these ornate landscapes or the gauzy, resonant soundtrack. There's obviously something special at work here bubbling beneath the surface, but it's too subtle and poorly realized to merit delving into.

I would recommend anyone with a little bit of interest in the sport and a lot of patience check out EA Sports UFC. There is a fun game in here somewhere -- it's just behind a lot of barriers.

Capcom clearly had a lot of fun designing this DLC, as even the title pokes fun at its tendencies and strategies throughout the years. While it's clear that the company has let more than a few of fans down over the years, every so often it has been known to surprise people, and this is one of those occasions.

This is a game that will have you thinking about how intense, perplexing, and perfect it was for days. Like a tiny mouse says early in the game -- "the harder the victory, the greater the joy of success".

In all, Tomodachi Life is filled with pure, unbridled joy. It puts a stupid grin on my face and keeps it there through its duration. Some might complain that it is "not a game," but they can go on hating. It does require the player to put in some love, flair, and wit, but what comes out is magic.

So long as you haven't tired from the core formula yet you won't be disappointed, and genre-fans who haven't played the series in general should pick it up.

Extinction mode is as strong as ever, but the real star of Invasion is the collective of welcome maps. Infinity Ward has finally learned that in order to charge $15 for five levels, it has to put forth more than a minimal effort. I'd go so far as to say that this is one of the strongest map packs in Call of Duty history, and that the Season Pass has cemented its worth already.

I truly wanted to like this game. It combines several of my favorite tropes and ideas into one cohesive whole, and I respect what it was trying to attain. But combining a half-baked hide-and-seek operation with a ghost story that seems ripped straight from a casual game isn't the way to hold my attention.

This is one of my favorite shoot-'em-ups in years, and fellow STG enthusiasts would be remiss to overlook such a gem. Astebreed is a masterstroke. Spread the word.

Like most Worms games, you'll need other people to play with or risk monotony. Enemy AI still isn't the sharpest tool in the shed even this far in the game, and they can take far too long between turns, leading to boredom.

Despite its impressive audiovisual presentation, it fails in the areas that make a game a game. It is beautiful in its own dismal way, and the story it tells is decent, but I could not wait for it to end so I would not have to deal with the frustrating control and dull design decisions.

The Wolf Among Us: In Sheep's Clothing isn't a wholly satisfying penultimate episode, but it's about on par with its predecessors in terms of quality. You'll get enough answers and confrontations to be entertained throughout, but it most definitely leaves a lot to be resolved in the final episode.

Despite the fact that Watch Dogs hasn't made any meaningful impact on the genre, I found myself having a ton of fun with it. Between the deep levels of customization and the sheer breadth of content, there's no shortage of things to do. If Ubisoft can take the game's core fun factor and marry it with an actual "next-gen" experience the next time around, they'll have something truly special.

There are plenty of other more meaty and fulfilling visual novels out there that may be a little more expensive than this budget indie release, but you'll come out of those feeling much better about your purchase than you would about World End Economica.

If you have any fondness for the series, or if you're just looking for a solid side-scrolling shooter that's about as hard as can be, R-Type Dimensions faithfully re-creates the original experience and before long you'll be wondering why you did this to yourself.

Drakengard 3 is a bit unconventional at times (like its developer) with tales of extreme hair cutting and dragon piss, but action fans will want to seek this one out immediately. Within 15 minutes I was drawn into its world and its cast of characters, and I wanted to see Zero's journey through from start to finish. If you like games like Nier, you'll love Drakengard 3.

The new tactical combat is welcome and there's some real enjoyment to be had in tinkering around with all of the available Functions. However, if parts of Bastion left you cold, then you may find the similar structure of Transistor and its themes will have a hard time winning you over.

In many ways, Wolfenstein: The New Order is "First-Person Shooters: The Game," but it gets most of the important details right. It's weird seeing a Wolf game that's not developed by id Software (who is busy with Doom 4), but MachineGames did a great job adapting the franchise in its own way. With a few tweaks, the next iteration could be something truly special.

It's really difficult to give Moon Chronicles a strong appraisal one way or the other. It's far from a stellar experience, but isn't a bad one either. There just isn't anything here that hasn't been done better elsewhere, and I can't see anyone other than FPS-starved 3DS owners or hardcore fans of the original being too interested.

If Cave Story was Amaya's answer to Super Metroid, Kero Blaster is his Mega Man X. It's dense and perfectly paced, just begging to be replayed over and over. If I were to have to introduce someone to the genre of 2D action/platformers, it is probably the game that I'd give them, as it starts off easy-yet-engaging, and ends with giant bosses, swarms of enemies on screen, and everything else you could want in the genre. It's a game you may beat in a day, but will be playing off and on for a lifetime.

Overall, despite its shortcomings, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is a colorful spectacle that both fans of the anime and future fans of the anime will want to pick up and experience, even if just to watch a man use only his upper body strength after hopping off his horse to hold his own in combat. It's funky, gorgeous, and oozing with style.

Mario Kart 8 is my favorite series entry since Double Dash, and if it gets arena battle tracks at some point by way of DLC, it will be a near-perfect package. Its vibrant visuals will hold up for years to come, ensuring that the game will withstand the test of time, and it will be a staple in my household for a long, long while.

Ether One nails its puzzles, atmosphere, and sound (ambient and voice acting). It also nails its story -- whether or not you decide to fully unravel its world and its mysteries -- culminating in a, well, refreshing, smart finale that will stay on my mind for years to come.

Super Time Force is a satisfying run-and-gun game made even better with a fun (and funny!) take on time travel. It's as enjoyable to play as it is to look at. You'll likely be able to burn through the game in a few hours if you're not going for full completion, but it has such a winning personality that you'll find yourself coming back for more.

Episode three was probably my favorite from season one of The Walking Dead -- so far, I'm feeling the same way about In Harm's Way.

Really, the thrill of the crawl is this game's only reward. For me, that's more than enough as the dungeon crawling play fits the bill exactly as a Vita game. But if you're new to this genre, there are many better places to start.

It's frustrating to play and frustrating to recommend. I like the style, I like the parkour mechanics overall, but there's a lot of junk to contend with. The antagonistic design (minefields everywhere) is one thing, but the unforgiving checkpoints and limited lives lead to a lot of repetition.

Tex Murphy might be alive in 2014 but he'll need to learn a few more tricks if he's to stay around for another adventure.

I think right now, the most prudent thing to do is to wait for ZeniMax to iron out all of The Elder Scrolls Online's kinks (including how it handles post level 50 content to make it less grindy), and play the console version of the game. Not only will it arrive with all of the updates from the PC version in tow, but it'll also have full native controller support -- which feels more natural than a mouse and keyboard in this instance.

Bound By Flame is the midnight snack that sates, but leaves you wanting something a bit more savory. But when the snack is this tasty, you may find yourself coming back for a second helping a lot quicker than you might think.

It's not perfect, and it certainly won't appeal to everyone, but if you're jonesing for your next taste of the life of an assassin, Hitman GO is the hippest way to emulate everyone's favorite sharp-dressed agent.

The studio is finding a way to improve upon the core tenets of the game while maintaining an episodic format, which many other developers don't tend to do.

It's a very uneven package in the sense that there could have either been a few more games and a few could have been better, but honestly -- $15 isn't a terrible price just for Joust alone.

While the Raiden series in general isn't my favorite collective of shmups, it's been a steady staple for over two decades for a reason.

My favorite MMO since World of Warcraft. It has a lot of things going for it, tons of content to explore, and best of all -- lots and lots of support.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 isn't a complete disaster, and I can easily see fans of Spidey enjoying it at a deep discount. It's just a shame that Beenox somehow got worse at making Spider-Man games over time, and that the powers that be insist on rushing them as movie tie-ins. Somehow, someway -- we will get our Arkham of Spider-Man games again. Until then, you can just pick up a used copy of 2004's Spider-Man 2.

As is the case with any free-to-play game, you really have nothing to lose but time by trying out Destiny of Spirits. It helps if you're a hardcore Sony fan and strive for some of the more unique characters, but otherwise the pace is far too slow, and the rewards are far too little for the amount of time you need to invest in it.

Overall I felt as if Daylight was made as a jump-scare machine with a loosely tacked-on plot.

Although it does not complete Borderlands 2 with a bang, it does a decent job of rounding out the series and setting up for the next one. Those particularly interested in the path of the characters moving forward will enjoy what this DLC does toward that end, but most other Borderlands fans would be just as well waiting for the release of the Pre-Sequel this fall.

Life Goes On might not start with the most mindblowing hook, but the idea is solid and Infinite Monkeys develops it well. By constantly adding new tricks into its repertoire and not dragging itself out unnecessarily, it maintains a good quality throughout.

Seeing the world fill up with sound and color is an amazing sight and it's something that should be experienced by all regardless of your level of music skill.

Child of Light will satiate pretty much everyone but the most hardcore of RPG fans, and even then, they'll find plenty of enjoyment. There are a few minor issues here and there that hold it back from instant-classic status that could be enhanced in a sequel or future work, but regardless, Child of Light is a noble effort from Ubisoft Montreal, and another win to put in the studio's diverse portfolio.

Kirby:Triple Deluxe is yet another winning entry in the franchise. It delivers the core Kirby experience alongside of a few very well done extras, which is pretty much everything a fan could ask for.

The LEGO formula may be finally getting a bit stagnant, and the new additions, while cool, may be too little, too late. If the final section had been included at retail, I'm not sure my opinion would have swayed much more in either direction, but it certainly is noticeable in it's omission.

It has been worth the wait, as Mario Golf: World Tour took that next step and brought us an outstanding online golf experience. The learning curve is steep, and there are some issues with the camera and aiming control, but working through them is worth it as the online play is outstanding.

If you have a child or a friend who loves Disney and just can't get into simulators, this is their gateway, but I have a feeling that a lot of hardcore fans won't really get their money's worth.

Cold, Cold Heart feels like a legitimate addition to the Arkham Origins lore, and not just a cheap cash-in. It's definitely a side story that's too big to be shoved into the core game, even if it doesn't really innovate in any meaningful way. While I wouldn't go out of my way to buy Arkham Origins just for it, I'd implore any current owner to take a look.

NES Remix 2 is a solid follow-up with more "must have" games and a few extras to sweeten the deal.

Trials Fusion is a good game -- and I can only see it getting better over time as user-made levels excel and DLC is released -- but what's there now, at launch, is a step down from Trials Evolution. It's disheartening, then, to see the game come in at a higher price point than its predecessor and also try to sell users on a $19.99 Season Pass in-game right out of the gate.

With its incessant jiggly boobs, drab story, naughty baby-making imagery, and harem tropes-a-plenty, I'd get why some would steer clear of Conception II. But I'm here to recommend it.

Steins;Gate is a taxing game, but it's also quite beautiful, from the talented Japanese voice cast (no English dub, unfortunately) to artist huke's unorthodox visuals. It's an exemplary visual novel with a thrilling premise, memorable characters, and a fantastic "true" ending that may very well move you to tears.