Captain Toad is an experience that doesn't attempt to really wow you, but instead delivers consistent puzzle experiences at a rapid pace.

Fire Emblem Echoes could have been held back by its need to usher the second iteration back into the fold, but it still feels like a fresh new entry. It is weaker than the last few games, but those bars were set so high that I won't hold that against it.

All I can say after finishing Ghostrunner 2 is that I want more. Considering that was my reaction at the end of the original Ghostrunner, I can say One More Level created a solid follow-up. Both titles might have had “meh” narratives, but the core gameplay is so fantastic I honestly didn’t care while I was playing. At its best, Ghostrunner 2 is the first game but better, and at its worst, it’s just a little less polished than its predecessor.

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.

I enjoyed playing Everhood and the music was extremely enjoyable, but before we could apply for the marriage certificate, I realized how loudly it breathes when it sleeps and now I just want to suffocate it. I’m still giving it a recommendation, because not everyone is going to share my grievances with the narrative and the technical issues can be ironed out. There’s some definite high points here, but I don’t think it’s going to achieve immortality.

Unrelenting and brutal, Helldivers delivers fast-paced combat, epic standoffs and a comical approach to death. Its enemies are varied, powerful and a constant threat to the players. While the full impact of the larger multiplayer experience remains to be seen, it still adds a nice little scratch to the progress itch.

What it does to differentiate itself from previous entries in the series is mostly superficial, but Layton fans and puzzle lovers do not really need or want a great departure for the series. All we want is a puzzle-solving adventure, and Azran Legacy delivers a good one.

Although I'm still not sure if this new cast is going to top Lee's old crew, A House Divided is a great second offering, and I'm sufficiently hooked.

The writing is as sharp as ever, with plenty of laugh-out-loud moments. The end of the episode has just the right amount of cliffhanger to it.

Above all, I like the way that Boomerang X sprinkles in combat abilities and just-fussy-enough enemy types. It’s all layered on without needlessly complicating the whole thing. This game starts fun, and it ends fun. There’s no time for your mind to wander, or get twisted up trying to remember the controls, or feel too stressed out. It’s a great flow.

Sunset Overdrive may have a few flaws inherent to many open-world games and lack an engaging narrative, but it's an incredibly fun, vibrant game that's a nice break from the overly gritty tone we see far too often in today's market. After Fuse, this is exactly what Insomniac Games needed.

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.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is an entertaining, nostalgia-fueled retro beat-em-up romp that ends way too quickly and doesn't have a ton of playable content outside of its core game mode.

Toy Soldiers is a great tower defense game for fans of the genre, and a pretty solid experience even for those who normally don't like such titles. Well worth checking out and could easily provide a day's distraction at the very least, with potential to become addictive for those who just love watching plastic army men burn.

My favorite story beats in Ties That Bind are unquestionably classified as spoilers, but they all spring from the same place: drama motivated by logical character action. Javi and the gang are proactive and well-defined, which makes their struggle to survive all the more compelling. If the first two episodes are any indication, A New Frontier will be a worthy follow-up to The Walking Dead, even if there's no chance it will be quite as revolutionary.

With tons of weapons to find, a great co-op system, fantastic art, and a whole bunch of exploding bodies, Borderlands is worth your money. Even when I feel that the game is starting to get repetitive, there's something about it that keeps me playing.

By no means is RAGE not worth your time -- it looks stunning, the combat on both wheels and foot is fun, and there's a tremendous sense of atmosphere that deserves to be experienced. However, RAGE's quality only makes its lack of ambition more painful in the long run, as it could easily have been better than it is. It's a good game, most definitely, and one that id fans will enjoy ... just don't expect it to do half of what it looks like it can do.

For just a bit over $13 a game you're getting the best version of three PS2 classics, each packed with tight platforming, great characters, hilarious dialogue, and a huge range of gameplay styles. And with the HD and 3D upgrades, these games have never looked better.

Samurai Shodown proves that SNK still has its fighting spirit. King of Fighters XIV wasn't an accident and it seems like any future games won't be, either. Now we just need to get Capcom back on track.

A tight, taut human tale well worth the trek.

Ugly Chompii aside, Babo Crash is a fine puzzle game. If you like Bejeweled, I feel safe in saying that you'll probably ditch it for this one after trying it. It's that good. And for $0.99? Come on!

Bit.Trip FLUX is perfect.

Wave manipulation is a neat concept -- one I don't recall encountering in this form before -- but despite admirable attempts to introduce slight tweaks to the formula, it is eventually stretched to its limit. Even still, Waveform is a solid, highly polished game that's very much its own thing, and very much worth checking out.

It's still huge and uncompromising, but there's no better way to experience Victoria II. The improved combat and naval mechanics were oft-requested, and Paradox followed through, while the new features make the studio's vision of Victorian war, politics, and economics all the more believable and grand.

Little Nightmares could use better pacing, perhaps more build-up in the first chapter, but even in its calmer moments it retains your interest with its macabre world and simple yet goosebumps-inducing gameplay. You constantly feel like a crippled gazelle limping around a lion's den. I'm excited to watch others play and panic the way I did.

Emily is Away Too is basically the first game expanded beyond a simple gimmick. It may not be the best piece of interactive fiction ever created, but quality-of-life changes to the original formula make the journey feel more personal for individual players. The multiple endings really seal the deal, meaning you’re in for heartbreak or everlasting love.

The Hex is a really solid game that does a lot of very creative things. It’s definitely worth the asking price. However, it certainly won’t set your loins on fire and leave you dry humping the air for more. It’s an enjoyable jaunt with some cool ideas. Nothing more, nothing less.

It might be because its anarchic and chaotic design is an antidote to the impersonal and overly polished games that make up the largest sector of the market. There are enough “inspired by” games that try to replicate the successes of others and few that are as nakedly human. Judero says a lot in its tumultuous mix of sadness and whimsy, thoughtfulness and playfulness. What it’s saying is a bit of a mystery to me, but I hear it talking, and I could listen to its voice all day.