Rain is not quite the model of refinement that some of its PlayStation Network peers have been, but it's an overwhelmingly amiable, effectively cultivated little adventure. Calming and scary, amusing and sorrowful, Rain is a game that jogs calmly through a gamut of emotions, rather than sprints headlong into mood whiplash, and it's incredibly difficult to ever dislike it, even during its twitchier moments. Rain is, above all, a most balmy experience.

As a pseudo NES-era throwback, it nails the careful balance between cruel and inviting. As a tribute to the Nerd, it does a decent job covering his entire career, although repetitive dialog lessens the humorous impact on repeated playthroughs. As an authentic Nerd "experience"... well... your mileage may vary, but I'd like to think it is.

A deep and hugely rewarding 3DS RPG that I'm more than happy to recommend.

The true tragedy of it all, however, is that when you cut through the glitches, the mediocrity, the sensation of standing on a fragile boat, and the design's lack of commitment, one can actually find a quasi-competent first-person shooter attempting to happen. When it's not breaking itself for no reason, Alien Rage does work.

If you're a huge fan of boxing games and have been itching for something to fill that void, Real Boxing may do it for you -- otherwise, just keep waiting.

Like a drill sergeant, Volgarr the Viking is here to yank us out of our comfort zone and put us through hell unending. If you survive, you'll feel like the biggest badass of all time.

If you absolutely hate the IP, the concept, and the sound of them yelling as they fly through the air, this won't do much to change your mind, even if the Star Wars factor will help ease in Jedi junkies a bit. But if you don't mind spending a few minutes a day just having some silly fun, Angry Birds Star Wars II delivers once again.

Indeed, The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker suffers from some archaic mechanics, its fundamentals not having aged quite so gracefully as its aesthetics. Its unwieldiness and occasional sluggish pace can, in fact, grow temporarily infuriating. However, the streamlined menu system and map access go some way toward making up for any setbacks, while the unmistakable Wind Waker charisma ensures you won't ever stay mad at it for long.

Barring a few antiquated (but manageable) mechanics that are still in place in the first Kingdom Hearts, HD ReMIX captures the essence of the franchise quite wonderfully.

All three characters, in their respective ways, feel representative of the Grand Theft Auto series as a whole, and contribute to making GTA V what it is -- the ultimate culmination of Rockstar's beloved and despised series.

If you've ever spent an evening huddled around a table telling tales of crypts and wyverns, I highly recommend that you give Card Hunter a shot. Even if you eventually hit a paywall, you'll have a ton of fun, and may even recall some of your fondest role-paying memories in the process.

With a Boards Of Canada-esque ambient soundtrack and a simple but colorful and distinctive palette, MirrorMoon EP is a game you can lose yourself in -- both in a good and bad way.

Killzone: Mercenary could have stood to provide more content, but that which is on offer is all very well polished and plays almost impeccably on Sony's latest handheld venture.

The Wonderful 101 is one of those rare games that keeps getting more and more fun the more that you play it. If you have the dexterity to handle the controls and the patience to deal with a few momentum-killing platforming/puzzle bits, you're in for a heck of a time.

If you want to be told a vexingly bizarre story presented with a real sense of style, The Chinese Room may have exactly what you want. If you're a massive survival horror fan who wants to be made to scream, however, you probably want to stick your snout in someone else's offal.

Just as how The Bureau: XCOM Declassified was a watered down focused tested version of Mass Effect, Lost Planet 3 feels like a watered down Dead Space. Any redeeming qualities of the Lost Planet franchise are dead and gone, leaving a husk of its former self.

Above all, I'm most charmed by how honestly Puppeteer wears its influences on its sleeve. From classic platformers like Mario to more recent excursions such as Rayman Origins, Sony Japan's sidescrolling adventure is littered with nods to the very best in platform gaming -- a genre so criminally underused these days.

At the very least, Conquistador's acceptance of player failure makes it possible to experience its excellent writing.

The story and characters are delightful, and an engaging battle system rounds out a mesmeric package. Simply put, Tales of Xillia is one of the finest role-playing games in recent memory.

It's overly simplistic, but the constant amount of positive reinforcement and sheer amount of content unlocks may keep you going should you charge through the monotony.

The deciding factor for Hammerwatch depends on if you’re planning on playing it cooperatively. If you've got a buddy or two who would play through the game with you and you enjoy some mindless hacking and/or slashing, then it will not disappoint.

Outlast simultaneously reminds me of the grainy slasher flicks of the '70s, the gruesome body horror of Clive Barker, and gratuitous modern torture porn. It manages to squeeze a great deal of diversity into what is quite a small package of around six or seven hours, but it doesn't burst or struggle to reconcile the different elements.

If Revolution was the best that Worms had ever been -- and it was, because I said it was last year -- then Clan Wars is now the definitive version.

KickBeat's polarizing soundtrack is perhaps its toughest sell, but if you can overcome it with an open mind and dig into Beat Your Music, there's a really solid rhythm game underneath it that'll have you tapping your feet (and your fingers) for quite some time.

It's simple, yet challenging, and although it seems low-tech, it actually gives you some rather high-tech contraptions to overcome. It's not just one of the best AR games available, but one of the most fun, challenging, and satisfying puzzle titles on the Vita in general.

Sadly, two remakes practically no one asked for, and two maps that do nothing to transcend the typical formula aren't enough to justify the price unless you're a hardcore zombies fanatic.

Rayman Legends is occasionally flustering, and sometimes seems to demand more than a conventional controller is capable of. The surprisingly slapdash jury-rigging of Wii U features on other systems is glaring in its inelegance, too. However, we're still left with an impressively designed platformer that proves itself a worthy followup to Rayman Origins, making a few notable omissions, but adding some excellent new ideas of its own.

The action isn't truly technical but it works, and the cast and narrative don't have that Suda quality charm, but they're interesting enough to compel you to keep playing. If you're a pure action fan, this is just another game to eat up -- for everyone else, there's not a whole lot for you to enjoy in Killer is Dead.

Paradox Development Studio has shown that it understands grand strategy like no other studio. Europa Universalis IV is the defining game in the genre, laying out the whole world in front of players and just letting them have at it. It's a polished, almost terrifyingly vast title that gets its hooks in you the moment you click on that first country, and simply refuses to let go.

So long as you're willing to put up with some rather elementary action gameplay, Disney Infinity is a solid choice for families, younger gamers, and gamers who are young at heart alike.

Divekick! sits in perfect balance between the new wave of deconstructed fighting games like Nidhogg, and Samurai Gunn, and traditional fighters like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat.

Madden 25 is an improved version of the clumsy Madden 13, which was better than any Madden game that released on this generation of consoles. The physics are good and make manipulating these hulking brutes in a fabricated 3D space feel comfortable and occasionally interesting. Ultimate Team is still nothing I want to do, ever.

There is a genuine allure to SteamWorld Dig, you just have to clear out the rubble to find it.

The good news is, if you're up for some cooperative stealth and mercenary antics, Splinter Cell: Blacklist is right up your alley. If all you desire is more Sam Fisher action, however, you may come away feeling a little shortchanged.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified desperately wants to be liked, but by failing to satisfy in any direction, all it succeeds in being is a disappointment. It wants to be a strategy game without being a strategy game, it wants to be a shooter without being a shooter, and it wants to be XCOM without being XCOM. As such, it is nothing. It's an inconsequential waste of time that does nothing for anybody, and saying that makes me feel guilty because its cloying pleas to not be hated are worthy of pity.

PAYDAY 2 is undeniably rough and needs a couple of updates to fill in a few blanks, but the thrill of robbing banks, smashing jewel cases, and cooking meth is too great for the asking price not be returned to the player in spades.

Layton Brothers: Mystery Room is a fine companion to the main Layton series. Unless you really, really miss those Highlights brain teasers, that is.

All I really wanted was more Dishonored, but what I got was something that surpasses it. Intricate level design, nuanced worldbuilding, and gameplay that demands a thoughtful approach even when resulting in flashy, bloody violence -- The Brigmore Witches is setting the bar very high for future stealth romps.

What you're getting is basically more of that classic Plants vs. Zombie experience, with just enough tweaks to keep it interesting -- and that's more than enough for me.

The beautiful graphics, evocative soundtrack, selective but effective use of voice acting, excellent story, and occasional fart joke make Attack of the Friday Monsters worth keeping in your permanent collection.

Beyond the bugs and pesky purchases, Ultima Forever is actually a pretty solid touch RPG.

What I love most about IV is how it puts the player first -- absolutely every new feature and ability gifted to the player seems designed purely to make the game more convenient to enjoy, and more fun to play.

If you're up for tackling a long, sweet, silly retail-sized RPG for a fraction of the price, the Denpa Men are sure to please.

DuckTales Remastered makes some minor missteps in the attempt to revive one of the greatest NES games of all time, but then again, the latter is a pretty tough act to follow. Mechanically, the game holds up great, and I had a smile on my face nearly the entire time. So long as you can overlook a few fundamental issues, old and new fans alike shouldn't miss re-experiencing this lovingly crafted classic.

A prime example of a game being bigger than the sum of its parts. The RTS elements are a bit rough, but at least it's possible to control a dragon with a freaking jetpack to blow stuff up, while the boardgame-esque territory map requires players to think of the big picture.

Despite having a virtual d-pad and buttons, Mikey Hooks is a great addition to any platformer fan's portable library. Although I don't think it surpasses Hook Champ as an absolute must-buy, it's a really fun game in its own right, and a perfect example of a serviceable platform game on iOS.

Even if the game isn't particularly deep, Pivvot knows what it is and feels like a complete experience; there are no in-app purchases to be found here. You'll need to unlock extra modes the old-fashioned way: by trying over and over again until, just when you're ready to call it quits "forever," you finally overcome the challenge.

Despite the uneven feel, there's a solid foundation underneath Charlie Murder, and fans of beat 'em ups will find plenty to enjoy as they bash their way through hordes of the undead while listening to a pretty kickass soundtrack.

If you're in the mood for an interesting game based around electronic music though, you can do a whole lot worse than spending a few bucks on Double Fine's latest foray into the mobile market. Just don't expect a whole lot of depth, or a lasting impression.

With its weaker writing, less compelling action, and many moments where the game just drags its heels, Dream Team manages to retain a basic level of enjoyment that just comes natural to this series, while sadly representing a noticeable step down in quality.

That's precisely what makes Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons so endearing -- the undeniable contrast created by the highs and lows that come with the entire experience being driven by love. It's so strong that it even dwarfs the game's core mechanical flaws, making them feel trivial when they should sully the whole affair.

Although it has a high degree of visual charm and the controls actually work, there's something about the design of the stages that feels off and underwhelming.

Cloudberry Kingdom is a strong effort, but the lack of overall polish is impossible to overlook.

If you're looking for a lighthearted, challenging afternoon of fun, look no further than Kid Tripp. It not only offers up a charming world that feels familiar, yet different, but it also puts your platforming skills to the test with pixel-perfect touch controls.

In the hands of another developer (Infinity Blade's Chair Entertainment or Epic Games, perhaps?), The Drowning would have been something special. Without the energy mechanic and constant drip-fed weapon and item parts, I could easily see myself destroying an entire afternoon blasting apart zombies. But that's not what happened.

It offers up a simple combat system that can easily be enjoyed in spurts, a captivating world, and a cheesy veneer that will have you laughing constantly at your ridiculous face in-game. But with the online requirement and microtransactions on top of the existing issues and premium price, it's a bit hard to recommend.

It stays true to the original with its design philosophy and retention of some of the original assets, but it also brings modern conveniences to the forefront without all the pay to win or over-saturated downloadable content nonsense.

Teleglitch: Die More Edition expands upon the greatness of the original game in every way possible.

Dragon's Crown is quite literally a crowning achievement in the beat 'em up genre. Utilizing some of the best design concepts of the past 20 years, Vanillaware succeeds in creating a captivating world that you just can't help but experience over and over.

The Pikmin series does things that no other games do, and Pikmin 3 does those things better than ever before.

What we have here isn't just a great game, but the potential for even greater ones.

It's by no means Windows 8's killer app, but provided you have access to a Windows 8 device, you could do much worse than Spartan Assault.

For some, the promise of a genuine noir adventure will be enough to capture their interest, but absent a love for the genre, its strange mix of cynicism and romanticism. Even staunch adventure game fans might find that Face Noir has a few too many problems.

With zero cost to play and one of the highest skill ceilings of any game I've ever encountered, Dota 2 is a modern multiplayer masterpiece.

If you're a fan of adventure games, this is a no-brainer -- just don't be surprised if you spend an entire afternoon tearing through it, longing for more.

Dusty Revenge is a solid effort by PDDesignStudio, but it lacks the polish to really be put into the pantheon of brawlers. The good news is there's tons of promise, the art style is gorgeous, and as a general rule, the technical systems are in place to really make things pop with a sequel. With a little more polish, Dusty Revenge would be a pretty decent recommendation, but until then, only the hardiest of brawler fans need to apply.

Dynasty Warriors 8 feels, in several ways, like an answer to criticisms fans have had of the series all generation.

Time and Eternity is a wasted opportunity. The premise of a Japanese role-playing game that looks and feels like an interactive anime is a sound one. But this game is anything but sound. A vapid story, obnoxious characters, and heaps of unrealized potential awaits those that fall for Time and Eternity's glossy veneer.

If you didn't pick up Gods & Kings for some reason, I really suggest skipping it unless you can grab it for cheap on Steam. Brave New World is the expansion you need to get instead, and I highly recommend it to fans of the series.

Deus Ex: The Fall works far better with touch controls than one would think, and it offers up a lighter, if a little bare-bones Human Revolution experience. In many ways though this experiment feels like a waste, as it would really be stronger as either a PlayStation Vita game or even a downloadable console title.

Shin Megami Tensei IV may have been developed for two little screens, but it's a massive, uncompromising game that feels just as big as any console RPG release. It's as deep and gratifying as you'd expect from Atlus' original key franchise, and now it's fully portable (with a save anywhere function). In fact, the only real problem you're going to have with Shin Megami Tensei IV is keeping your 3DS battery charged up, because it's the best RPG for 3DS to date.

As much as I loved Project X Zone, it's not for everyone. The story is incomprehensible. It can be pretty repetitive. And those lacking a strong attachment to Capcom, Namco Bandai, and Sega's iconic characters might want to stay away. That said, this is a love letter from Japan that just any RPG fan should seriously consider checking out.

As long as you don't come in with any expectations above a simple arena combat game, Gun Monkeys is a great way to spend a weekend. It takes the basic idea of competitive 2D platforming and runs with it, which can result in some pretty high-octane skill-heavy matches, which, in short spurts, I had a blast with. Just keep in mind that you may need to fall back to local play when the server population slows to a crawl.

Despite this, The Walking Dead: 400 Days is a worthwhile, bold narrative experiment. It throws away most of the trappings of the adventure game genre that the first season still hung onto; it's more directed, which perhaps makes it less compelling to play, but just as wonderful to experience. If The Walking Dead is more about dialogue and choices than the occasional puzzle and cupboard searching, then 400 Days is an excellent addition to the series.

NCAA Football 14 is in a weird position and it shows. There are some mild performance issues -- start menus that take an extra few seconds to pop up, slowdown after a turnover, a crash or two -- that feel like the result of the waning console generation.

Rush Bros. just isn't fun. The platforming is bland and uninspired, the multiplayer feels more like simultaneous single player, and the rhythm-based elements are almost an afterthought. Though the idea of a platformer that runs on custom soundtracks is a grand one, the execution here is extremely disappointing.

In light of the announcement for Call of Duty: Ghosts' dynamic maps, Vengeance really doesn't feel like enough to justify a purchase on its own, even if core fans will find themselves satisfied, and it's not a bad way to supplement the Season Pass.

It's hard to overlook the shoddy boss battles and the lack of online co-op, but if you've got a PC set up that allows for couch co-op, you could do a lot worse than taking Fist Puncher for a spin.

The Doodler is still cute, and kids might love frolicking around the camera for five bucks, so if you have children, this could occupy their time until they get frustrated with it. For everyone else though, stay far away unless controller support is patched in at some point -- and even then, it's probably best you stay far away anyways.

When the dust settles, Grid 2 serves as a solid enough racing game with generally strong opponent AI. What it does not serve as is a worthy successor to the first game -- instead offering a stripped-down version of itself that is filled with lazy design, unfair AI opponents, special ESPN 'live' broadcasts that no one really asked for, and to top it all off, its bizarrely irritating narrator and loudly drunk or completely apathetic fans.

If you've already played Muramasa to death, I doubt you'll find anything worth paying full price for in Rebirth (yet), but for those of you who haven't experienced it and haven't played a Vanillaware game, this is a great way to see that beautiful art everyone keeps talking about.

It's a good little game, and not really anything more than that. It's not as "awesome" as Deadpool himself may tell you, but hey, it's about ten thousand times better than X-Men: Destiny, and I think we can all be thankful for that!

What it does differently, it squanders, like the psychological horror aspects that devolve into indifference and annoyance. Even Cthulhu is rendered an inert set piece. The game looks gorgeous. Sometimes the puzzles are great. Sometimes the atmosphere is impressive. Unfortunately, Magrunner fails to live up to the sum of its best parts.

The visual glitches and lack of enemy variety do little to take away from what is a lovingly crafted game unlike any other I've played before. This is a game that won't just eat up your time, but it will devour it.

No word exists for the level of disgust I have for everybody involved in its blasphemous making.

In retrospect, I like having this unique story to tell. However, I found little joy in actually playing it. Frustration, irritation, and boredom, sure. But little joy. I might have been better off playing the slots in my local, dilapidated amusement arcade. At least then there would have been a chance I could have won a few quid, and with my winnings, I could just have bought a book.

[A] shining example of what an RTS game should be: a mix of classic mechanics with new features and technology.

The title brings a different vision to a well worn genre, and I’m really looking forward to Birgit Stock’s future efforts.

Looking back, although I did enjoy Captain Scarlett and Mr. Torgue, neither of them were nearly as in-depth as this DLC, which is a benchmark for future Gearbox add-ons. Although they could have stood to have gone a little farther with the concept, if you can only choose one campaign, this is easily it.

Whether you want to casually roll through and blow up some insects on the easy setting, or wrack your brain to test your mettle with manual shooting and an insanely difficult campaign, BUGS vs. TANKS! offers a little something for everyone.

Jak and Daxter is an excellent franchise and one of my all-time favorites, but the Vita collection doesn't really do it justice. If you're keen on experiencing these classics, whether it's for the first or fortieth time, it's probably best to wait for either a price drop, or just pick up the superior PS3 version.

Regardless of originality, all these games are well polished and fun, though none of them are going to please everyone. Considering the budget price and the amount of content here, you could do a lot worse. Just don't go into it expect Nintendo Land-sized production values or that frantic WarioWare feeling.

If you loved New Super Mario Bros. U., getting Luigi U is a no-brainer, as it features a collection of superior levels and an interesting re-work of Luigi as a character.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown has translated incredibly well to the iOS platform as whole.

Whether $10 gives you enough value for a mechanically simple, short game is down to you. It's rare to to play a game that has such simple mechanics but resonates in the memory for so long.

Chronicles of Mystara is worth the purchase for any fans of beautiful sprite-based artwork or classic beat 'em ups. It's only flaws come from the technical limitations of its time and the design decisions that defined the arcade era. Gauntlet, Golden Axe, and Cadash all suffer from similar issues. Thankfully, Shadow Over Mystara trounces them all. It's the king of D&D-themed arcade action games, and should be respected as such.

If you haven't experienced the Switch Force series yet, you're probably better off buying the original or the Wii U update for now. Mighty Switch Force! 2 isn't a bad game by any means, it's just more of the same sans an upgrade of the formula, and the level design is actually a bit weaker than the original (but still good).

Mutant Mudds has served its purpose as an unapologetic retro celebration, but at this point, I'm ready for Renegade Kid to build upon this foundation and pursue something truly original.