With achievements, goals and a goofy storyline there's so much to love about Risk: Factions.

Hardcore fans will get it for the new characters alone. But if you've ever been interested in DOA, and might be intimidated by its unique fighting mechanics, Ultimate offers a great platform to take the leap.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 nailed it in 2011 with great gameplay and all of it still stays relevant and fun five years removed. I wish more fighting games took heavy notes from this title and started to craft their own experience after it because this is how you make a fighting game.

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.

Othercide does not want you to fail. It wants you to learn, to accept loss, to make bold sacrifices. Lightbulb Crew has designed a beautiful game with truly stunning imagery. But just as striking is the attention to detail in its gameplay. This dark, broken world is meant to be tamed by players who seek out the boldest strategies to purge evil forces. Caring for the Daughters, understanding their quirks and randomly generated names and looks will create an inseparable bond that lasts not only for the first run but every subsequent one. There are several secrets to unfold in Othercide but it’s little secret that it is one of the best strategy games to have graced us in years.

The Capcom Arcade Stadium is a wonderful trip down memory lane that may not contain everything that you want or love, but has enough variety to justify the price and keep you entertained when you need a break from today’s big titles.

Shu is a simple, pretty game that presents a tough challenge for even the most seasoned gamers. Its design is built for running and thinking on the fly, while at the same time asking the gamers to keep an active eye out for some collectible goodies. It’s definitely more than it seems on the surface.

LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes is pretty solid on the Wii U. While there is some control issues that create frustration when the Wii remote jumps into the mix, the game still defines what a LEGO game should look and play like.

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.

The branching storylines and miles-deep character and world customization are soul food for players yearning for experiences similar to 90’s cRPGs like Baldur’s Gate or Icewind Dale. Obsidian Entertainment is a master of this craft, knowing that the best way to draw in players are vivid worlds unlike any other and unforgettable stories. Console players shouldn’t be intimidated by a game with its roots in anything but a controller. Menus, combat, and controls are surprisingly easy to navigate and the game runs incredibly well. Having all the updated content only further adds to the value of an already valuable package. If you’re willing to wade in these salty waters, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire Ultimate Edition is worth its weight in gold.

Shadows of the Damned has a lot going for it, and a few drawbacks as well, but the point to take away is that it's just a really fun game to play through.

I can still say without a doubt that I have enjoyed Morrowind better than the initial release of ESO. The world seems a bit more alive and explorable. There also seems to be more polished adventure/quests going on in the initial release of Morrowind, which tells me that ZeniMax has learned a few things from past ESO lessons. Despite my disdain for some of the boss fights that are incredibly difficult when going solo in the game, the overall package of Morrowind really does provide an upgrade to the ESO family in several areas. If you haven’t played ESO, but have enjoyed The Elder Scrolls series, then this might be the right time to jump in to see what it is about.

Akabaka made a fun dating simulator based on a crazy narrative with Sucker for Love: First Date. Much like in real life, as each date occurs the game gets better and better, but also like in real life, it is still flawed in some areas.

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.

Kaze and the Wild Masks starts off as an innocent platformer from the 90s but goes from first to fifth gear quickly in difficulty. Ramping up to large amounts of difficulty and enjoying the scenery is what made platformers in the 90s good. With Kaze, the difficulty is such a dramatic shift that you’re stuck not having the ability to stop and smell the flowers that PixelHive has worked so hard to grow.

If you're looking for a strong follow-up from the Crysis 2 storyline then you're going to be heaven. Crytek brings a very powerful story that fits just right with the previous titles and compliments it with a fast-paced gameplay experience. Sure the campaign might last 6-8 hours, but you'll enjoy every minute of it.

Despite another year of development, EA FC 26 remains plagued by bugs. The main menu continues to give me issues. At times, I’m unable to navigate it at all because it simply bugs out. Considering how often this issue has been raised across multiple installments, it’s frustrating to see so little progress.

Blasphemous is a delightfully dark game with superb style. This Kickstarter success pairs magnificent world-building with clever combat mechanics. A player must have precision timing, as every hit point is vital. One wrong move could be a fatal error. This intense game feels very much like a 2D platforming version of games like Dark Souls or Bloodborne.

The Fabulous Fear Machine from developer Fictiorama Studios is a test of skill as much as it is a test of patience. It’s a complicated game that is RISK-like and presents a wickedly good time in classic horror comic book form.

If you’re new to fighting games or Naruto, this might not be the game for you. Being new to fighting games is already difficult as is, but then throw in a confusing story line and you might not be enjoying yourself. Start with the original game and work your way up. Jumping right in might not be the best idea. If you’re a Naruto fan or have played one of the previous games I would suggest picking this one up. Other than being short, this Naruto game follows suit with its predecessor and is sure to make any fan of the series very happy.

This game was so much fun to play. Something about being scared and literally running for your life makes for such a good game. With plot twists along the way that keep the story fresh there is no lack of entertainment within the game. Red Barrels really knows how to get under your skin. Play the game, you will understand. The dark undertones of the game set up the story throughout and constantly make you think wtf, yet you still want more. Buy Outlast 2, be scared, you won’t be disappointed.

Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus from developer Squid Shock Studios is a beautiful game that features all the right magical moves to make this a challenging precision platformer but stumbles badly with imprecise controls that make what would be a good experience frustrating.

Motorstorm Apocalypse delivers an exhilarating experience that you will want to visit again and again.

Fans might have preferred compilation of Sonic's 16-bit greatest hits, but a career-spanning retrospective is what ended up on the track list. And you know what? Against all odds, Sonic Generations feels adequate.

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.

At its core, Scott Pilgrim is still just an upgraded version River City Ransom, but its polish and sense of style aims to keep players engaged, nostalgic, and smiling. Never trying to do more than it sets out to do, the game offers a fine balance of presentation and gameplay mechanics.

I have been, and continue to enjoy S:A enough that it’s hard to find much fault with it. That said, for some genre veterans looking for a stout challenge, the default difficult setting is likely much too easy. Additionally, some quest and puzzle design could be considered a bit repetetive, but for me, these concerns were greatly overshadowed by the positives of the experience.

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