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.

Right now, it's a lot of fun, and while lacking in some key areas, it also has the potential to grow into something that will keep players slaughtering each other for a long time to come. It's competitive, skill-based, I suck at it, and I know I'll be playing it tonight.

While I'd have a hard time recommending this game to casual fans of racing, those that like steep, technical challenges will be thrilled, as will fans of the sport. I want to be clear, though. You will have to have a lot of patience and time on your hands to make F1 2013 a rewarding experience. It's tough.

Any fan of the series will be more than happy with their experience and I can easily say that as a fan myself, I'm quite pleased. The developers have done a wonderful job in providing a title that lives up to the Contra name.

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.

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.

Quotation forthcoming.

Even without those extra options, I think Gotta Protectors: Cart of Darkness is a wonderful follow-up to an outstanding 3DS gem. It’s fast, fun, and genuinely funny with a real appreciation of ‘80s video game culture. I’ll admit I prefer the single-player-focused design of its predecessor and all the overwhelming systems that went along with it, but even with Cart of Darkness‘s simplified execution, there is still a great deal of fun to be had protecting that princess. Especially if you bring some friends along for the ride.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a really rock solid game, with a few visible creases that need to be noted before purchase. It captures the bright colorful fun of the Mario universe perfectly, pairing it with incredibly well-localized dialogue and a very strong combat system.

A nearly flawless update of a decade old title. While it’s unfortunate that the online mode isn't nearly as polished as the rest of the game, the true soul of the game has never looked so beautiful.

Its campaign is a thrill ride of rollercoaster-like set-pieces, huge boss battles, and consistently fast-paced action, and its multiplayer is a solid, enjoyable, anarchic complement. If you own a PS3 and you love first-person shooters, you would do well to add this one to your collection.

A definite must-have for Dead Space lovers, and worth checking out for the more casual mobile gamer, Dead Space is a great title that blasts through its interface issues to prove that console experiences can work on a mobile phone ... provided you've got the patience for it.

Although its core campaign is far too short, the game is a blast with other players, and the wide variety of challenges should keep you playing for hours.

Minecraft has proven itself to be quite the enduring and endearing IP over the past decade, and Dungeons is now partially responsible for that legacy.

A nice surprise. It's a party game with an role-playing twist, but it's still surprisingly easy to pick up and play. In fact, the only thing difficult about this title is putting it down. It's funny that this waggle-free Wii title makes for one of the best party games available for the system.

Its $10 price point may be the only thing that would keep someone from picking up Fruit Ninja Kinect. Even still, it's unquestionably enjoyable, and easily the best version of Halfbrick's popular title.

The King of Fighters XV represents SNK’s strongest efforts to reignite the flames of its most prestigious franchise. With fantastic fighting action, a compelling roster, splendid visuals, and revamped online options, KoF XV is a treat for both series veterans and the fighting game community at large, though newcomers may still find themselves dizzied by its myriad mechanics and steep learning curve.

Battle Chef Brigade is a delightful concoction.

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.

For those who are willing to put the time in and stick with it, Rust provides both a social sandbox and a deep, functioning crafting system. At times, it feels like anything is possible in Rust; like witnessing players double-crossing one another or stumbling upon a small sheet metal city in the desert.

From its irreverent, laugh-out-loud script to the spot-on comedic delivery of the game's voice actors, Comic Jumper still manages to be one the most distinctive and memorable titles of the year.

The Lost and Damned is a lot like the game which spawned it. Flawed in some areas but has a considerable amount of content for the investment. The gameplay improvements are welcomed but this is essentially the same game.

I’m hoping that TMA Games continues with the concept, whether expanding Waves of Steel with additional content and quality-of-life additions or if it moves onto a sequel that further explores the concepts they have put together here. In the meantime, I think it’s time I gave a closer look at the naval warfare subgenre. It seems like something I could sink my fleet into.

Given its strict adherence to an ’80s gaming mentality, Team Berzerk’s tough, visceral platform adventure might not be for everyone. But, for those who crave sadomasochistic challenges, doomsday storytelling, and absolute lashings of the red stuff, Infernax offers up a cathartic dose of 8-bit heathenism. Just run through a few FromSoft titles beforehand… You’ll need to warm up, after all.

You already know whether or not this game appeals to you. If you're a long-term Warriors hater, then nothing this game does will appeal to you. If you're even a casual fan, however, this is one of the best examples of the series out there.

For those who just want to see what that cute girl with horns is doing like I did, Momodora: Reverie Under the Moonlight is a brief, but highly enjoyable time. It can be over before it overstays its welcome and cracks start to show, but even then those flaws aren't enough to belittle the experience.

Over 15 years after their initial release, PATAPON 1 and PATAPON 2 are back in the PATAPON 1+2 REPLAY bundle, and they’re better than ever. Both games were already solid, but the small improvements and touch-ups included here give them new life in a repackaged format that puts them back in the spotlight again.

Zordon may have wanted "teens with attitude," but Chroma Squad and its unabashed, utterly geeky love-in for all things tokusatsu shows something even harder to find: A game with heart and soul. That heart shines through the rough edges, and in some ways even turns them to its advantage.