A performance of power. Naughty Dog realizes their profound technical ability, showcases a relationship between gorgeous locales and engaging level design, and executes a progressive yet agile and animated narrative. The viability of Uncharted's action—safe but nimble platforming and brisk cover-based shooting parallel to limitless coincidences and explosions—can feel out of sync with 2016, but A Thief's End is easily the best it has ever been.

Exploring the destructive psychosis of a plaintive individual is a noble, if not precarious, responsibility. The Park, however, can't decide if its manic behavior is either a means of identifying with its troubled protagonist or a symptom of its own decent into chaos.

If a colorful, morbid, corporeal, dungeon-crawling Punch-Out!! isn't sweet enough to sell Severed, consider it a vision of a world where the PlayStation Vita remained a stronghold of original and endearing creation.

Looking for a fun, engaging racing sim? Look no further than Dirt: Rally. The game offers plenty of challenge, and even requires a new mental approach to racing games.

Dark Souls' tenacious pursuit of gaming idealism, even at three (or five) entries deep, remains a virtuous enterprise. It's also a show that, no matter how well executed, loses potency with each consecutive performance.

tar Fox Guard's class of tower defense is an exemplary validation of its platform's unique hardware. Like Super Mario Maker and Splatoon, it proves the Wii U's gamepad isn't a superfluous novelty, but a prudent force against an entrenched position.

While there’s a lot to like about Zero, its gameplay innovations seem sometimes obstructive and the presentation fails to impress in some regards. It’s still a great game, but measured against other timeless Nintendo classics, its shortfalls hold it back from standing in the company of giants.

Ratchet & Clank on the PS4 might not be an entirely new game given that it's based on the 2002 version, but Insomniac has done such a masterful job modernizing an already classic game that I would consider it one of the best releases of this console generation.

Overall I enjoyed my time with Project X Zone 2. As a first time player of the series, there was a lot I liked about the core combat mechanics and even some of the story elements. However, I felt as if the game relied too much on players’ previous knowledge of the series’ story, and often felt lost when references were made throughout.

Quantum Break is an enjoyable game with high replay value, but it underwhelms in several key areas.

Overall, Mario & Sonic Rio 2016 Olympic Games feels like many of the event based games that came before it: full of events, but shallow in substance. The lack of an online multiplayer mode, and the inability to play as any Mario or Sonic character in any event makes this entry in the Mario & Sonic games a bore.

Slain is what happens when naiveté and enthusiasm rampage through ability and execution. Unfortunately, it's the latter pair that measure proficiency, leaving Slain so hostile, broken, and boring that it's hard to muster a sympathetic response.

Catlateral Damage is a simple gaming experience that doesn’t offer up much variety outside of swiping items off shelves, but it does occasionally offer up some cute humor. Nothing really more or less than that, though.

Spinning back to Republique's greater problem; the whole project feels disconnected. Terminus is an OK episode with a generous amount of content, but that's all it feels like; content. It's absent. It's empty. There's nothing here. Releasing five episodes over two years creates problems that are impossible to solve, and trying to work a passable narrative inside a challenging game was a task too herculean for Republique's development team.

Tom Clancy’s The Division is almost everything that was advertised in 2013. While the visuals have certainly been pulled back a bit, probably because of hardware limitations, the gameplay has been delivered as promised.

A great game and a top quality remaster, consider it a must-have.

A clever premise and nice presentation along with sound point-and-click adventure design give Heaven's Hope good reason to belong in any adventure gamer's digital library.

Into the Stars is a fun adventure with a bit of everything (strategy, action, adventure). It would be just a bit better with improved UI, though. Regardless, it's certainly worth a look.

EA's second stint with UFC's license shows some positive growth.

Pokken Tournament is a well crafted, yet simplistic fighting game. It won’t compete against the Tekkens or Street Fighters of the fighting world, but it does enough to cater to the Pokémon crowd. If there was a bit more balance and a lot more characters, then this game would have been phenomenal. As it stands, it’s still a good fighting game with lots of potential for growth.

Hitman’s improved world, which includes smarter NPCs and versatile ways to complete goals, has brought the series onto a higher level of entertainment. Definitely worth a go.

Shardlight is another excellent point-and-click adventure game from the small but fiercely dedicated and skilled bunch at Wadjet Eye Games.

While Ori and the Blind Forest’s style and construction were unassailable, its subscription to its declared genre was prudent if not passive. Great art shouldn’t be afraid to go outside of its lines. Definitive Edition, arriving nearly a year later, expands Ori’s content but delivers a parallel message.

We Are The Dwarves is not the best RTS game out there, but its difficulty is addictive enough to suck any good PC gamer in for more than a few hours.

If you've waited this long to enter the tournament of Mortal Kombat, wait no longer -- MKXL is a stellar release, combining exquisite fighting with a massive amount of content.

Overall Klaus is a solid linear, story-based platformer. Hardcore players of platformers looking for a challenge should look elsewhere. From a mysterious story to solid yet fun gameplay, Klaus is a game that should be enjoyable for anyone.

Although there isn’t much more to the 3DS version than there was to the original releases six months ago, Mega Man Legacy Collection nevertheless remains the definitive compilation of the NES originals, bolstered by wonderfully accurate emulation and a nifty host of nostalgic extras—not to mention a great value.

Its age is apparent in open-world areas and questionable pacing, but its clever puzzles and thick fan service are just as appealing now as ever.

Blade & Soul is a great MMORPG experience. It’s big in scope, easy to pick up and play, and it’s fun as hell. It’s not perfect, but it has a solid formula to possibly achieve such a feat.

It's tough, addictive, and offers a lot of content for the cost of admission. While not a traditional Hitman game, it's a smart entry into the franchise that I would encourage Vita owners especially to strongly consider.

A strong game in many respects, but also lacking in a few key areas to put it over the top.

Plenty of shooters (and plenty of games) have played with bullet time, stopping time, or some otherworldly manipulation of time, but none have married its passage to movement quite like Superhot. It not only adopts and plays with this idea; it pushes and refines it to its logical extremes by discarding anything that might get in the way.

Street Fighter V is loaded with meaningful changes and improvements to its namesake's divine infrastructure. As a game—a full-priced package sold under the assumption of a finished product—Street Fighter V is destitute and disappointing. Its value and service will expand and evolve over time, though one has to question the wisdom and motive of releasing Street Fighter V in its present condition.

Compared to recent Far Cry games, Primal is neither a relief nor a disappointment. It's really good at being violent open-world base-conquering simulator and it has a smattering of neat toys. Far Cry Primal is another One Of Those with a few wild tangents stretching and searching for new limitations. It's a predictable, albeit competently constructed, status quo machine humming along through another entry.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 brings a lot of variety and fun to the gaming table. Multiplayer options and single player experiences aren’t in short supply with this sequel. It isn’t a perfect game, but there is enough stupid fun packed into it to make it worth your time.

Interesting and immersive, Layers of Fear isn't a masterpiece per se, but it's an excellent experience you shouldn't miss if you have any inkling of interest in the exploration and horror genres.

Fire Emblem: Fates offers an unprecedented amount of content without falling victim to the temptation quantity over quality. Each of the three total games here features its own vivid branch of the story, and everything from the gameplay to the presentation shifts with it. This is a massive and highly enjoyable addition to the epic franchise that really does stand as one of the most prolific and memorable amongst its contemporaries.

NARUTO SHIPPUDEN: Ultimate Ninja 4 sets new standards for the series. It excels in nearly every aspect, while merely stumbling here and there on minor issues.

Overall, Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth is a great turn-based RPG.

Unravel is a unique piece of art in a gaming world filled with first-person shooters and epic AAA titles. It’s not perfect, but it does a great job challenging one’s brain, while delivering some visually stunning scenery to make you forget you’re working hard to progress and push through.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a very accessible, captivating, and fun game that mixes up a few genres very nicely to provide a robust and enjoyable experience.

Firewatch distinguishes itself through integrity of its structure and preservation of its characters. Allowing control over Henry and Delilah's perilous connection provides a sense of ownership over the narrative and creates an important bond between action and place. Other story-focused games suffer from a damaging disconnect between agency and intention, almost as if they don't trust the player to act reasonably in accountable situations. Firewatch proves this dynamic not only to be valuable, but necessary to go forward.

Fortified is a cool game that gets a lot more right than it does wrong. I wish it supported local multiplayer in some form as solo play just doesn't pan out, but if you've got some buddies that want to take on a virtual Martian army, this is a great way to do it.

A significant amount of new content and a new home on the Vita makes the Plus version of one of the best Atelier games a compelling release for Atelier fans as they await the next release from Gust.

Awakening is worth the price of admission. Treyarch has always done well with creating a solid multiplayer experience through creative MP maps and Awakening just reaffirms that notion.

As a whole, LEGO Marvel’s Avengers will entertain the young gamers in the household, while providing short spurts of entertainment to seasoned ones. Avengers may not be the best in the LEGO series, but it does fit firmly within the LEGO gaming family.

Slice It! has a lot of the check boxes for a good eShop title covered, but I found it too challenging and simultaneously not fun enough to want to play for more than a few minutes at a time. Your mileage may vary though, especially if you're into puzzlers and geometry.

I like what Square Enix has done with Final Fantasy Explorers. It has some real potential to be great, but as it stands, it might fall short slightly with a more seasoned Final Fantasy adventurer.

Gravity Rush is captivating early on and maintains that level of interest throughout. It's addictive, well-paced, fun as hell, and has a nice steampunk world with a great soundtrack. The remaster is good, although straight-forward, and at $30 it's a purchase well worth considering.

Oxenfree is here to tell a story, and it doesn't lose sight of what contributes to making that story feel relatable and consequential. Alex and her friends are in a time when every move is called into examination from a jury of ruthless peers. Oxenfree responds not by accepting or escaping from resolution, but accurately relating the tension of a time when every answer is on one side of zero. Whether the context is supernatural or merely personal, Oxenfree makes it feel powerful.

Another fine Capcom Resident Evil series HD Remaster that's worth the time and money to add to your collection.

I'd recommend this game on any platform, but the PC version is overall the best in my experience. Well worth adding to your RPG library.

The Deadly Tower of Monsters is the latest in ACE Team's Ghastly Menagerie of Interactive Curiosities. Inventive ideas with perspective and the concept of ascending a lavishly decorated outdoor tower put some distance between The Deadly Tower of Monsters and genre conventions, but, really, it's not why you're here. You came for an ambitious descent into Chilean pandemonium and this game holistically satisfies that urgency.

Time will tell if God's Acre is the portion of Republique you skip over before getting to its fifth episode. Before—and, hopefully, after—Republique has done much better.

Yakuza 5 is a response to the complacency of Western development. While previous Yakuza games dabbled through extraneous minigames, divergent player-controlled characters, and eccentric sidequests, none sewed its threads together with the consequence and commitment of Yakuza 5. Bloat is the inevitable negative, and Yakuza 5 shows some superfluous heft, but it's such a mountain of effort and arrangement that it's tough not to stand in awe of its accomplishments.

The best way to play a classic FPS that can still offer an engaging and fun experience for those willing to give it an honest chance.

A well priced rhythm game that has its issues, but is worth a look for anyone with a passing interest.

On a base level his (and by extension Just Cause 3's) explosive areas of expertise remain impressive, but his application falls well short of expectations and ultimately becomes inert. What good are the world's greatest explosions when you stop caring to see them?

Spelunker World relies a lot on gaming nostalgia to pull it through, while trying to mask the world of microtransactions. It works to an extent, but not completely. There is still too much simple, not enough modern and far too much room for frustration from failure. It’s not a horrible game by any means, but it is limited in its capacity for fun in long stints.

Fat Princess prevailed through idiosyncratic charm and relative exclusivity. Fat Princess Adventures applies a similar style to a much more crowded space. Diminished returns were all but guaranteed, but, with a few friends, Fat Princess Adventures soldiers on as an enjoyable hack 'n slash.

Earth Defense Force 4.1 is a lesson in how endearment can turn into exasperation. Like the best magic tricks, it's astounding the first time you see it, but a waste of time when the performer can't figure out how to move on.

Gaming has a long standing tradition of making what is (ostensibly) one person's job into another person's preferred means of escape and relaxation. BigFest's approach to multitasking your way into and out of resources isn't especially unique, but its application to the riotous music festival scene is a welcomed novelty.

Xenoblade Chronicles X is a boundless exhibition of the relationship between scale and structure, and its myriad of frenzied ideas are willed into cohesion only by the congruence of its supporting systems. Xenoblade Chronicles X may be obsessed with scale (and proudly so), but it doesn't leave the player feeling consumed by it.

The game takes current generation consoles to a new level with visuals, even setting some graphical benchmarks for online play, but it drags it down in sustainable substance that is required to keep a game going beyond a two month mark of the release.

Ironically, The Old Hunters gives Bloodborne players more of what they want by obscuring its own nature. It's attractive because it still delivers a feverish unknown to a ravenous base.

For the diehard Nintendo or Mario Tennis fan, Ultra Smash is worth a look, but if you're looking for a satisfying new Wii U title this holiday, this probably won't do it for you.

A strange, compelling game that the more you read about the more you're going to want to play it -- and there's no better way currently to do so than this HD version.

Normally when you think of a mobile version of the game, it's a stripped down, "flimsy" version of the console version, but Superchargers on iOS is quite impressive. The Starter Pack is a solid value for anyone that does not have the option or interest in playing on consoles, and I think you may find as I did that the portability of playing on iOS is very convenient.

The initial adventure in Rise of the Tomb Raider is around 6-8 hours, but every minute of it is fun, especially with retooled gameplay controls and unlockables for incentive. Adding to that time frame is a large amount of worthwhile exploring and wonderful backtracking once the campaign is completed. If you’re into that, then this game is going to make you happy.

Fallout 4 is another amazing achievement from Bethesda Studios. It encompasses the beauty of its brethren, while introducing a bigger, better world for gamers to explore and reside in. It’s everything people were expecting, possibly a bit more.

The first episode of Albert & Otto finds difficulty moving between the demanding world of mechanics-focused platformers and atmospheric dives into subtlety and tension. With three episodes left, Albert & Otto has time to find an identity, provided it also hastens its pace with more inventive puzzles and dependable platforming.

An outstanding game gets bigger and better, adding massive new features; simply put, it's a must have for RPG fans.

It's still an excellent game over three years removed from its original release, and having all of its content in one place here with spruced up visuals and tweaked loot distribution is nice -- but the graphical hiccups are a disappointment, although likely patchable. Still, for $30 or less, this is one of the best buys in gaming this holiday for anyone that hasn't played Darksiders II before.

Perhaps not as deep and full featured as some previous Anno games, 2205 will nonetheless scratch the itch for most city builder players, whether they're new to the series or returning.

At $60, it's almost too good to be true. Black Ops III is the deepest Call of Duty ever. That I do know.

Despite the few gripes, I had a fun time playing this game. WWE 2K16 brings a bigger roster, more creative options for gamers, a revamped career mode that is mostly good and a bevy of other improvements to make the experience worth it. It’s a nice step up from last year’s game.

There's the racing, which benefits from better customization, diverse handling models, competitive visuals, and assorted racing challenges. These are the things that you expect, and Need for Speed delivers. Then there are the full motion video sequences, which thrive on first-person fist bumps, Monster energy toasts, and people saying the word "hashtag" without irony.

So many games either waste or misunderstand their medium as a storytelling device while Cibele thrives inside of its own technology. By no coincidence, it’s one of the most human and relatable games, too.

So good to see Night Dive Studios revive this classic and make it purchasable and playable again. If you've ever uttered the words 'cyberpunk' or like games that have the word 'shock' or "Deus Ex" in them, give this one an honest try -- it may not look the part in screenshots, but it's a legend.

A great choice for anyone looking to start into the otome genre.

Guardians is a very good game. Campaign is very strong while adding a few items here and there that make it an independent experience. Multiplayer stands tall along side the best in series history, and time will tell where it ultimately ranks among H2 and H3.

A solid all around JRPG, Tales of Zestiria is familiar yet worthwhile.

Albino Lullaby creates horror not out of open defiance of genre norms, but from a place of genuine inspiration. "Scary" exists elsewhere, and it great supply. Albino Lullaby prefers to linger in a frightening sense of curiosity.

Sublevel Zero's novelty is how faithfully it resurrects concepts of a fallen genre. It's cool that Sigtrap Games made a game like Descent, but pressing those ideas inside the mold of a roguelike leaves a significant amount of empty space.

Add this to the growing list of compelling, niche titles in the Vita library. If you have never played an otome game and are curious, this is a great way to see what the genre can offer when it's at its best.

To the uninitiated, Soldiers' Soul is a bewildering amalgamation of expected clichés and probably not a fun thing to play. To Saint Seiya’s audience, however, Soldiers' Soul is an impressive rendition of a respected series augmented with a glut meaningful (albeit mostly salvaged) content. For better or worse, the latter group is all Soldiers' Soul has in mind.

Guitar Hero Live brings to the table some new ways to play, a new immersive mode that has been revamped from its original rooted concept and provides some hope that the game is only going to get better. I’m really happy that FreeStyleGames thought outside of the box with GHL, as the way it was going up to this point (or around 2010) was honestly quite stale. Credit them for taking some risks, praise them for achieving some of their goals, but feel free to be a tad bit cautious at the idea of paying for anything extra outside of the actual game.

Survival horror hit a wall, and Maiden of Black Water isn't the one to overcome it.

While Yoshi’s Woolley World sometimes becomes stagnant from level to level, and the lack of chances the game takes helps push that along a bit, it does have some great things going for it to make the entertainment prominent. The challenges, the motivation to explore and the overall theme of the ‘Woolley World’ help to alleviate the shortcomings the game contains. Yoshi’s Woolley World is fun, especially in terms of visuals and Yoshi’s added personality, but it’s not perfect.

Director's Cut is the right term for this release; Fargo and the crew at InXile have combed through both the finer details and the high-level ones of Wasteland 2, fixing, tweaking, and adding to take it from great to excellent.

Elite Dangerous is a very compelling and adventurous game. It's a story you get to tell based on your decisions. This is more than just a game. It's an ever-changing experience you get to participate in. Elite Dangerous is not for the Casual Gamer, and it's certainly not for everyone.

In the end, NHL Supercard is such a quick hitter with fun that it’s tough to hate it, even with the hockey moniker. Its fast gameplay makes for an addictive time. The added value of power-ups and enhancements, plus the motivation to acquire better cards, keeps the intrigue flowing long after interest might/should have run out.

While not as complete or all-around "perfect" as one might hope, this is still a must-have release for PS4 owners.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a huge step forward for Omega Force. This is the right formula for making future Dynasty Warrior-like games, as story, leveling structure and beautiful presentation form a perfect wrapper around typical/repetitive button mashing gameplay experience.

Ride's exhilarating character eventually fades into a tedious milieu of assertive persistence. The loop of wanting to complete races to get better bikes and parts eventually breaks into a dead end, and the speed and power of exciting motorcycles slows into a chore. Motorcycle enthusiasts are an exemption, but for others it's hard to look at Ride as anything more than Another Racing Game.

Chibi-Robo! Zip Lash is varied enough to keep every skill-level of player engaged throughout its 30+ worlds but isn’t as polished as one would hope.

A competent fighter with appreciable depth and complexity, but one that's not overly technical, either. Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax is a fine addition to the Vita and PS3 2D fighting library.

Armikrog is a missed opportunity, but despite its design flaws and technical issues, it's worth playing even if just for the unique visual experience.