Windlands' swinging and soaring facilitates a manic relationship between serenity and stress. It's either a holiday bounding across lush vistas or a white-knuckled, vertigo-inducing parkour utopia. Windlands isn't terribly inventive, however, its considerable accessibility options and presence inside virtual reality's honeymoon do well to suppress effective objections.

PlayStation 4 owners can now experience one of the best Tomb Raider adventures ever made. Plus, they get some worthwhile content to boot. Not a bad deal for a year’s wait.

Batman: Return to Arkham is a good collection that has considerable upgrades in a lot of areas, especially with DLC and other nice value add-ons. It does fall short a bit with graphical issues and frame rate, but nothing that would detour you from playing both games again on the PS4. The two original games are still some of the best adventures out there and worth any sort of graphical trouble, especially for those who have never tried them.

With Dark Souls' formidable reputation undisputed, other characteristics slip into transparency. Humor, long rumbling under the surface, receives a more stable focus in Ashes of Ariandel. Expectations are bent, defied, and destroyed in ways that are designed to simultaneously humiliate and impress series veterans. After five games and six pieces of downloadable content, it's hard to imagine a more suitable approach.

PlayStation VR Worlds is intended to raise belief in its accompanying hardware. And it does; once for each of its five technical showpieces. Afterward that high is only reached through a vicarious transfer from newcomers, positioning VR Worlds' potential as a dramatic flash instead of an imposing statement.

The gameplay certainly isn’t perfect, as the younger audience Tose and Square Enix are trying to reach rears its head once in awhile through the gameplay’s flow and simplicity, but World of Final Fantasy is diverse and deep enough to keep the excitement going from beginning to end.

Pixel Gear seeks enrichment from the path of least resistance. Its virtual shooting gallery is adequate enough to qualify as a game, but its vacant ambition prohibits sustained engagement or durability. The bare minimum is a discouraging target. Pixel Gear's gunplay is not capable of aiming any higher.

DICE made a perfect game with Battlefield 1. It has a competent campaign that properly does justice to The Great War and a deep, fun multiplayer experience that reminds us why Battlefield does it better than anyone on a massive scale.

Ace Banana demonstrates that virtual reality experiences can be as creatively bankrupt and technically destitute as the most cynically conceived mobile games. It's an untended facsimile of wave-based survival that specializes in unreliable control, dubious assembly, and the induction of nausea.

Competent virtual reality creates a profound shift in the way games immerse players. Past the novelty, however, comes the demand to have a material effect on the virtual world. Being a witness is fine, but becoming a participant is better. Job Simulator, perhaps more than any other PlayStation VR launch title, neither dwells in abstracts nor resides in stasis. Its cartoony confines are genuine, and player agency, however modest, feels authentic.

Virtual reality is an apt home for Battlezone's class of tank busting pandemonium. Appropriating its arcade doctrine, filtering it through 36 years, and then projecting it as a full-priced product may have been a reach. As an experience, Battlezone VR is neatly matched to its hardware. As a game, however, it doesn't (yet) have quite enough firepower to oppose any presumed opposition.

When Arkham VR works, I am Batman breathing in the ambience of Gotham City. When it fails, I am a human being in my basement struggling to convince suspicious technology to behave correctly. This creates a curious dichotomy, one that actively embraces virtual reality's capability to magically transform the world while also bearing the burden of hardware in its infancy.

SuperHyperCube leverages virtual reality as a space for three dimensional thinking. It may be the most straightforward game of PlayStation VR's launch, but its intelligible nature makes it no less effective at creating panic. SuperHyperCube is fast, smooth, and, right now, an ideal entry point for virtual reality gaming.

WWE 2K17 has clear focus with what makes for a good wrestling experience. The visuals, the options for gameplay and the beautiful atmosphere of the game make this wrestling title worth your time. The controls do bring the gameplay down a bit, though, as they feel stiff and linear for the most part. Regardless, the rest of the game shows that Yuke’s and Visual Concepts has certainly started to point this series in the right direction.

Gearbox did a fine job here and the new goodies and content are a huge plus. I do wish the other content from the Megaton Edition were here, but this is still a great addition to your digital library.

Chase is a very brief but also really enjoyable game that is worth picking up.

Thumper wraps a trip through spectral hell, the sensation of travelling down an interminable barrel of a gun, and a pounding rhythm game into an articulate package. It condenses to a sensory rampage that feels as concerned with survival as it is as consumed by perfection. Hitting notes on highway isn't a new concept, but performing it under the threat of phantasmal horror, and somehow empowering progress, positions Thumper as a modern apex.

An overall solid sequel and a great game, with some evolutionary game design from previous titles in the series that may or may not appeal to you.

The death of the Dreamcast. The birth of PlayStation VR. Rez's singular orbit stays outside of a mercurial industry and remains as powerful and as relevant as it was fifteen years ago. By its architecture and through its nature, there isn't a time when Rez won't be beautiful. PlayStation VR, as it happens now, is the best way to experience it in 2016.

Would you prefer a tenacious coach who encourages you to do better or an obstinate teacher who seems aroused by failure? Necropolis expects its audience to compose the latter. No one needs their games to be nurturing or complimentary, but the decency to spotlight meaningful content and abandon waste is a manner Necropolis could stand to learn.

Atlas Reactor is an impressive turn-based tactical game that has ground work built on fast action and a steep learning curve.

A fantastic release that brings some new value to the series through gamer Skylander creation and great gameplay in the main story. Toys for Bob and Activision are certainly keeping this series fresh with good ideas and execution.

Dragon Quest Builders is a stunning balance of build and adventure. I was incredibly skeptical that the two genres would ever evenly mix, but somehow Square Enix found the right spots and put together one helluva package for Dragon Quest and Minecraft fans to enjoy. It’s really quite good and addictive.

Rise of Iron is a rather fitting end for Destiny and is worth the purchase for those who've followed the game thus far. The changes made by Bungie over the course of its lifespan have made the game a much more fun place to be. There are still the old drawbacks of the grind for gear but given that it's something so integral to the game it's not surprising this hasn't changed.

Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor is a hallucinogenic merry-go-round of oddities operating at dangerous speeds. Some passengers will be bored to tears at its perceived mundanity while others will find themselves charmed by its stylish construction and otherworldly performance. A select few may be eaten by the ride. In any case, riders will find their expectations carefully challenged.

Campaign is worthy of its ancestors and will probably prompt more than one play through for hardcore fans. Versus and Horde 3.0 both add tons of replayability and the presentation package is the best in series history and is contemporaneously adroit.

It’s no Thousand-Year Door, but Color Splash really does provide an overarching sense of consonance which was conspicuously absent from Sticker Star and even Super Paper Mario. It’s a good balance of humor, environment, variety, and casual puzzle elements.

God Eater 2: Rage Burst’s gameplay is driven by a bevy of missions, some great enemies and a variety of different, interesting loadouts to help make the experience fun and somewhat deep. The shortcomings are outweighed by these positives, though those shortcomings come in the form of linear landscapes, plain graphics and difficult controls.

Clustertruck posits a world in which a mysterious force must fashionably break the will of a congregation of sentient eighteen-wheelers whom do not care if they live or die. This is exactly as fun as you think it is. A detectable absence of precision and available control may disappoint those hoping for a more air-tight platformer, but also this game is called "Clustertruck." It performs as advertised.

Severed is a short adventure that has a lot of major gameplay elements packed into it. Its unique art style will keep your eyes engaged, while your brain will be firmly occupied with the puzzles and sword play. There’s not a lot more you could ask for from a $14.99 game.

If this is a usual 12 month purchasing decision for you, absolutely no reason to stop now.

A worthy addition to the Destiny expansion family. It brings more fun, better balance (risk/rewards) and a tough raid. Definitely a step up, but still contains some old caveats that the series can't quite shake in PvP that hurt it just a bit. Overall, it's a great expansion for the series.

The complex nature of videogame creation usually precludes exclusive compositions. When allowed, however, you're likely to find a piece of the designer's soul buried in the experience. Memoir En Code: Reissue embodies this sentiment with its delicate recreation of tense and peaceful moments of its author's life. It's funny, painful, relatable and, unfortunately, a little heartbreaking.

A perfect enigma is a perpetual struggle between tenable doubt and informed speculation. This is difficult to produce in any creative medium, let alone one that relies on personal interaction. Videogames almost never attempt to do this. Virginia does. The fallout could have been an obtuse curiosity, but it succeeds in throttling tension through subdued parlance, laying out a series of clues and challenging the player to organize them into a cogent (and personalized) picture of the story.

Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is more positive than negative. It is developed to tap that deep nostalgia that Sonic fans have for the series, while bringing in some new elements that make it more than just an arcade platformer. While it isn’t perfect, especially the controls, it’s still a very entertaining experience that should satisfy the Sonic the Hedgehog fanbase.

Tuned ever-so-slightly in "race trim" for more consistency doesn't hinder the uproarious, maniacal wild side of free roam. In a vacuum, it plays just as well as the first two.

An old classic revitalized and modernized in the right ways, preserving its core and best features while streamlining other elements to make it not only more enjoyable, but also more penetrable for the average player. Highly recommended.

Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is a tough, uphill experience that might have a few things going against it in terms of frustration, but the game also has a lot going for it in terms of challenge. Gamers generally cry about games being too quick and easy, so Bandai Namco Studios has created something that goes against that grain. Certainly this is the Dark Souls of the Pac-Man series.

In 2011, a faintly redressed model of Dead Rising 2 and a replacement hero in Frank West may have seemed crass. Now, with both Dead Rising 2 and Dead Rising 2: Off the Record released simultaneously and priced identically, it's a simple matter of choice. Do you want Dead Rising 2 as it was conceived, or a genetically modified clone that's less inspired but, technically, a lot more fun?

What was once an assembly of divergent systems is now a finely tuned machine, one that enables a man to combine a bull skull with motor oil and use it to liquidate scores of zombies. Dead Rising 2 brought focus and direction to an experience that used to be defined by chaos and disorder. Pandemonium isn't completely wiped out, but this time it works with, rather than against, the player's objectives.

In 2006, Dead Rising's clever assembly of ideas rampaged against comfort and cohesion. Time has been kind to Dead Rising's sharp edge of nonconformity, though some of its quirks feel frustrating after two (and a half) sequels provided a better defense of its thesis.

Axiom Verge is a solid game with very little to complain about. In the case of it arriving on the Wii U, it's definitely a case of better late than never.

Thunder Lotus has done a tremendous job with Jotun leaving very little in the 'con' column of the equation.

NHL 17 is a game that overwhelms you with variety of play as well as feedback aimed at making you a better, happier player. Outside of a collection of new game modes including Draft Champions, Franchise Mode and the World Cup of Hockey, everything here is largely the same. The game still looks great. Still feels great. And most importantly, it still plays great. Little refinements throughout yield small but noticeable improvements on the experience.

Spirit of Justice has an even balance of good writing, new gameplay design and fantastic presentation. Bringing back familiar faces to push the story and containing a healthy dose of difficulty, which is what most fans of the series adore, only helps its overall case. Definitely a worthy addition to the Phoenix Wright family.

Another wonderful feature of the Tobii tech is the ability to look around and move the camera in any direction to reveal more of the screen. I know, I know, that sounds like a simple thing, but it does provide a bit more visual girth to the already big world. I’m the type of gamer that doesn’t like to feel claustrophobic when it comes to visuals. I like seeing a big bulky world around me, so this option is good and it doesn’t get in the way of things.

Its impact can not be understated. With that said, the lack of tweaking and adaption with the controls made the 2016 experience on the PlayStation 4 a bit tough to love. It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s tough to recapture RE4’s magic when you’re fighting with the controls. In the end, a classic is still a classic, despite its flaws in this generation.

Hue presents an accessible, familiar, yet unique-enough experience that is absolutely worth checking out if you're a fan of this genre. I would even suggest that if you got burned out by similar games that got too hard too fast to give Hue a chance.

Alone With You sometimes suffers inside of its medium, an understandable impedance of a small project that simply can't be good at everything. Its eagerness to sidestep conventional challenges with singular objectives, however, will last longer than some of its prosaic mechanics. Valuable science fiction maintains a crucial element of humanity, a facet of storytelling Alone With You embraces with, of all possibilities, relatable human beings.

It may not be the Metroid Prime sequel you were looking for, but if you keep an open mind and give it a shot, you're likely to be pleasantly surprised overall, especially if you have some friends to play co-op with.

Annual franchises can be tough to get excited about and to differentiate, but Codemasters has made some great decisions with F1 2016 to make it a clearly superior version to last year's, and quite possibly the best version in the franchise to date.

A strong release for 2D fighting fans and an overall successful return for one of the genre's most legendary franchises.

The developers seemed focused on bringing the best Madden NFL title in the last 10 years and they have very much accomplished that feat. This is a must-have, folks.

A stellar sequel and an outstanding game in its own right, Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a AAA experience worth your attention.

Unto the Evil is a bit expensive, but offers some pretty good additional content for the multiplayer component of DOOM. If you're a fan of that, Unto the Evil is required to keep pace with the community, but otherwise it may be best to save your efforts for the next DLC which should cater to the more popular campaign mode.

Battleship is exactly what you'd expect it to be and whilst Clash at Sea provides a bit more to the game than just playing straight up classic it falls short due to it being, well, rather boring.

It brings a relaxing gameplay design that is geared more towards exploration, rather than sci-fi action. In addition to exploration, it has a healthy crafting system, an interesting monetary structure that adds extra motivation, and an endless amount of adventures and secrets to uncover along the way.

Scouring Abzu's marine paradise opens an argument for emotive communication and softened storytelling. Too often, however, Abzu is less a defense of its beliefs and more a negotiation out of a cornered medium.

Not unlike a poorly done Blu-ray release of a classic film, the Marvel Ultimate Alliance release on current-gen is just disappointing. The games are still great and fun, but this new release is off the mark in several major ways.

Quadrilateral Cowboy's fascination with precision is only matched by its fondness for personalized anarchy. Imagine the empowerment of executing a line of effective and largely improvised code combined with the ignorance that you're just moments away from shooting yourself in the head. At its best, Quadrilateral Cowboy is all of the fun and experimentation of retro-future cyber heists without all of the existential horror that comes with most definitions of mortality.

Headlander doesn't spend all of its time building a monument to Super Metroid, opting instead for a dangerous medley of absurdity that's nevertheless stable and, once you really start to look at it, kind of marvelous in its ability to stand upright and qualify as evidence of meaningful dissent.

Winning Putt is an interesting title that isn't perfect, as some gameplay elements need some re-thinking, but it's good fun as whole. Certainly an interesting spin on a typical golf game experience.

Sacrificed (somewhere) were elements of surprise and spontaneity, locking Tokyo Mirage Sessions to a rigid course, but its overall performance leaves little doubt of its capability; Nintendo and Atlus saved one of the best for last.

10 Second Ninja X is a wonderful test of strategy, emotions and patience. The game will last as long as your anger skills, so prepare yourself if you ninja your way into this.

The game offers everything that I personally enjoy in traditional JRPGs, however, I did realize that a lot of the content seemed “recycled” from other JRPGs (story, battle system, etc). While it may not be a bad thing for some, I am Setsuna delivers with a well-crafted soundtrack, great visuals, and even revived traditional RPG elements that we enjoy, such as crafting and tech combos.

Rhythm Heaven Megamix proves that there’s still room in the market for a well-made minigame collection—provided they’re unique enough. The series is still just as fun as it was back in 2006, and honestly, this is the best implementation of the concept to date.

Song of the Deep is a meandering lesson that not every reflection of Metroidvania has to be a grand odyssey. By that measure it's a serviceable decent into the great unknown with a handful of neat ideas. It's also too oblivious of its own limitations to leave a distinct impression in a crowded field.

LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens isn’t simply another movie licensed turned into a LEGO game. It’s a beautiful opus for the LEGO series that shows that Tt Games isn’t resting on its laurels enjoying the money rolling in. The developers have put a lot of love into the presentation, gameplay depth and overall experience to bring a top-tier game that should entertain both adults and kids. Kudos to them for keeping the series fresh.

Furi becomes essential by identifying and removing what it declares expendable.

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness is a beautiful game that is well crafted in some areas, especially in the menu and combat systems. Sadly, the game trips on its own inconsistent difficulty and poor or incomplete feel of the gameplay design.

Inside's quiet confidence is a maneuver invented to not only disarm the player, but also destabilize assumptions that seem inseparable from an entire class of games. Plenty of games have pulled the curtain away to thunderous applause. Only Inside has room for shock, panic, and the inconceivable notion that the nightmare isn't yet over.

Trials of the Blood Dragon is a bit hit and miss, some of the gimmicks work while other frustrate and fall entirely flat. Whilst die-hard Trials fans will have preferred to have had a more pure experience one can only hope this is just a way of keep the series in gamers consciousness.

As it stands, Umbrella Corps is a hard sell even at $29.99. The content just seems void of enjoyment and entertainment because of the broken feel of the overall gameplay design. I will give Capcom and its developers props for trying something different in the RE series. The idea seems to be built on good intentions.

Creating a candid simulation of a correctional facility is Prison Architect's purpose. Its power is allowing the player to decide if moral indifference—their own or Prison Architect's—is either a strength or weakness. Prison Architect's trip to the PlayStation 4 undermines its capability with an unnecessary layer of obstruction, but the interference it creates isn't impossible to overcome.

Like a bike without brakes or a toy with too many moving parts, Trials of the Blood Dragon is prone to self-destruction, but its cocksure embrace of 80's action cinema and good-enough mechanics don't quite violate its contract.

Ultimately what you get with One Piece: Burning Blood is just a variety of different ways to fight against other characters in different fighting modes - nothing more, nothing less.

Overall, I think the intensity and value added in terms of power-ups, how the design of the game works (moving Pac-Man quickly, while making tough strategic decisions on the fly) makes Pac-Man 256 a fantastic experience, as well as a replayable one. Drop the dough on this one, folks. It’s worth the price of admission and then some.

Edge of Nowhere is one of the more robust and better built-for-VR experiences available today. It has a few shortcomings, but the sum of these is still not enough to keep me from recommending this to anyone with an Oculus Rift that is looking for a comfortable yet still compelling game. [Tested with Rift]

If you enjoy puzzle games, especially ones with a nice story and multiple endings, Rooms is an obvious choice for Rift owners. It offers a lot of value for the price and it's comfortable enough to play for hours. [Tested with Rift]

Atelier Sophie offers a fresh start for the franchise on the PS4 and for a new trilogy. Some design changes from previous entries made this one more enjoyable for me, so if you were on the fence before, give this entry a closer look.

If you played Hard Reset before, there may not be quite enough here to make a return, but if you're otherwise down for a good FPS experience, this is a pretty solid choice.

An excellent fighting game no matter how you slice it complete with superbly detailed yet very accessible and inviting training modes that can take you from total newcomer to master if you put the time into it. Fighting fans can't miss this one.

In VR, ADR1FT is a compelling and amazing experience that I'm happy to recommend. [Tested with Rift]

It's got an impressive amount of quality content, online multiplayer, and it's a treat to play because it runs great, looks really good, and is super comfortable. If you have any interest in a RTS or MOBA on your shiny new OR, AirMech Command deserves your attention. [Tested with Rift]

The Climb is a cool and fun VR experience that takes an obvious VR concept and runs with it. The result is more positive than not and worth checking out if you have an interest in rock climbing. [Tested with Rift]

OXENFREE is an amazing story that doesn’t ask a lot of extra attention from its players other than listening and occasionally playing out some puzzles/problems/actions onscreen.

Total War: Warhammer is not only a great Total War game, but one of the greatest strategy games of all time.

When allowed composure, Mirror's Edge Catalyst becomes the colossal free running daydream that never seemed tenable. When pushed into conflict, either with its own systems or the demand of "content" in 2016, Mirror's Edge feels anxious and frenzied. Separating wondrous substance from obliged distractions isn't a distinction the game is capable of making, leaving gratification to the will of the player.

Skylanders Battlecast is probably one of the more entertaining turn-based card games that I’ve played. It's quick, addictive and strategic fun.

Darknet is one of the early VR games that should be on anyone's short-list of great titles. [Tested with Rift]

Hitman GO is a great game that is a perfectly comfortable and enjoyable VR experience. At $10, it's an excellent value, especially if you haven't played the game before.

A case of projection clashing against reality, almost a meta-level statement on Dead Island's inability to step up and perform on key. Unfortunately the only rendition that sticks is one of deteriorating enthusiasm. 2011 was charitable to Dead Island. 2016 almost holds it in contempt.

A well-executed mashup of two genres that's worth checking out if you're a fan of either.

Dreadhalls is worth checking out. It's a quick and clear example of how VR can take what would be a pretty uninteresting concept and make it much more immersive and effective. [Tested with Rift]

FATED: The Silent Oath is short and I didn't get invested in the story or characters, but I found it enjoyable and hope to see Frima expand upon it. [Tested with Rift]

DOOM is a masterful reboot of one of the most important and legendary franchises in the history of games; bravo to id and Bethesda.

Infinite Monkeys has done a fantastic job with this small title. They have wrapped up the complicated and well thought through gameplay with humor and simplicity. They have certainly made a unique flower in the typically weed-driven world of puzzle games.

Distorted textures and hulking polygons may not feel as chic or romantic as pixel art, but Back in 1995's paean to the 32-bit era extends beyond aesthetic cognizance. It's a vehicle for the sentiment and devotion of its author, and approach may be limited to a shared fondness of that time and place.