Helldivers’ metagame campaign and variety of gameplay are more than enough to keep you entertained, but only players with a tight-knit group of co-op buddies will be able to get the most from the experience.

Dissidia Final Fantasy NT finally brings Square Enix’s handheld “what if” franchise to the big screen, and the results are pretty fantastic for those who love chaotic, high-energy combat scenarios. Unfortunately, the game can be challenging to get the hang of due to a range of factors including class differences and controls, and there’s not much to do for those who prefer their gaming sessions solo. Still, for players who do click with this third Dissidia chapter, it’s a heck of an experience.

The vile, scheming, cursing Metallia might be too intense a main character for some, and the combat is more serviceable than outstanding, but Nippon Ichi fans who’ve felt a lack of innovation in some of the twisted Japanese developer’s more recent fare should find a refreshing change of pace here.

A competent and fun stealth experience brought down by some technical issues and the inexplicable lack of new game plus.

The Star Wars Battlefront name is holding strong, but if this is set to reboot the franchise, they could have packed a little more meat on its bones.

Penny-Punching Princess offers up a world where the heroine can solve (nearly) all of her problems through cold, hard cash, providing for some legitimately fun (and funny) scenarios to play out across the dungeon brawler’s various chapters. Unfortunately, a necessity for grinding and some wild spikes in difficulty cause the princess’ stockpile of coins to lose some of its shine.

Uncovering the secrets of Don’t Starve’s oppressive world is gratifying, but the basics of gameplay get too mindlessly repetitive once you’ve figured out what you’re doing.

While Magical Beat’s mix of puzzle and rhythm-gaming concepts won’t be for everyone, those who appreciate such genres will find a unique, enjoyable conglomeration of the two that feels as fresh as it does familiar.

nfinite Warfare is one step forward; two steps back for Call of Duty. The multiplayer is still fun, but suspect microtransactions have left me wary. The campaign also gets more wrong than right with shoddy storytelling overshadowing the usually tight FPS gameplay. At the very least, we got a Zombies experience comparable to what we’ve seen in the past—and Modern Warfare Remastered was a fun stroll down memory lane.

This strategy RPG is a clever way to let fans of the Sega, Capcom, and Bandai Namco library jump into their favorite worlds with ease since the events have little to no bearing in the canonical continuity. The cast is pure fun but is soon overwhelming, where normally standout characters can hardly get a word in on the already impenetrable narrative.

A horrendous learning curve, poor story flow, and shoddy controls take away from what could have been a superstar new IP for Nintendo. Instead, only the players who can look past the bugs and pacing problems will be satisfied in the end.

While it’s an unabashed Left 4 Dead clone that never extends beyond the conservative concepts and budgets that obviously constrained its development, World War Z offers up an enjoyable adventure that at times does a lot with the little it attempts. No matter whether playing the co-op campaign or competitive multiplayer, there’s enough good to the game to make the bad not feel as bad.

A story worthy of the franchise, Uncharted: Golden Abyss falls short in terms of pacing and controls, as the touchscreen gimmick takes the experience down a big notch.

A clear example of a studio going to the well with a franchise one too many times. Although highly polished and still entertaining for fans of the franchise, Ascension lacks the soul of its predecessors as it scrapes the bottom of the Greek-mythology barrel to try to deliver on a franchise that’s clearly run dry of fresh ideas.

For me, TrackMania Turbo just didn’t earn the checkered flag. If you love time-trials, however, this is the racing game you’ve been waiting for.

The content MGS: HD Collection offers is some of the finest of the last decade. But it's also frustrating that this collection could have-and should have-offered so much more.

Though hindered somewhat by game-design oversights and one hell of a game-breaking bug, Shadowrun Returns remains a satisfying strategy-RPG largely defined by its world and lore, but also as a platform for more and more standalone adventures.

The meager number of additions here—including the useless 3D gimmick—aren’t enough to make this worth picking up if you played Donkey Kong Country Returns the first time around on the Wii in 2010. If it’s your first time, though, and you’re still curious about checking out Donkey Kong’s latest adventure, this is a solid port.

While Fe is a pretty game with some touching encounters and spectacular views, it falls prey to its own over-complicated story and a world that, for all of its beauty, doesn’t provide much incentive to explore. Adding in a system to guide the player by the hand helps players navigate the confusing paths from zone to zone, but removes any desire to wander around or see what else the forests of Fe have to offer.

Agents of Mayhem is one of those games with so much potential that just doesn’t quite reach the heights it probably could. That being said, it’s exhilarating combat and unique character system have me looking forward to a more polished, more fully conceived sequel.

Pokkén Tournament was a brave experiment, and it succeeds in many areas. However, it fails in some others—whether from lack of depth or outright poor design—that keeps it from reaching that upper-tier of the fighting game genre’s elite entries.

Sims fans have been worried about all the cuts of longtime features in The Sims 4, and while some critical elements are indeed missing, the core addiction remains. Plus, with the addition of the online Gallery and the ability to share and download creations, it’s easier than ever to liven up your little virtual world.

It’s great to see the iconic Phoenix Wright back in action after six years, and his segments are definitely the high points in Dual Destinies. But when he’s inexplicably MIA—like during the game’s interminable second and third acts—the proceedings slow to a crawl. Still, the story, characters, and courtroom drama are strong enough to draw in newcomers and satisfy lapsed fans.

Its Beyond Good & Evil pedigree elevates it above the standard movie tie-in, but Tintin's still a bit too simplistic for hardcore adventurers.

Although the new Longshot mode shines, Madden misses the mark with a few of its gameplay additions this year—so if you don’t immediately take a liking to them and choose to ignore them, the experience will feel a lot like last year’s. Meanwhile, the additions to MUT feel unnecessary, and like a desperate attempt to get more people playing—and potentially investing in microtransactions.

There’s a legitimately interesting and enjoyable top-down shooter experience present in Sky Force Reloaded, but it’s tainted by an overall package that still has far too many connections to its free-to-play origins. Those longing for a game that’ll last for a while will find the most enjoyment here, but most others may find progression to be a total slog.

It’s sad that Fru came out so long after the Kinect was a viable gaming peripheral. Had it released closer to the Xbox One’s launch, we might’ve been able to laud it as a reason to own a Kinect. As is, it’s a solid little puzzle-platformer that might be worth a look if you haven’t packed your Kinect away—assuming you ever got one in the first place.

Sega's budget price and DLC structure make Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown an extremely attractive offer, especially if you didn't play the original. Hopefully, the netcode improves, though, as playing worldwide opponents right now is an outright chore.

This carny simulator's as simple as can be-but it's surprisingly fun and definitely helps bolster the Move's casual appeal.

Resident Evil: Chronicles HD Collection is a solid pairing considering the price tag, but with nothing new besides the HD facelift, there's little here to entice veteran players.

Madden NFL 19 is, in pretty much every way, less exciting than its predecessor, at least on a conceptual level. Last year’s game had a new engine and a completely new mode to boast. This year’s biggest selling point—Real Player Motion—definitely makes running a more viable offensive option. Otherwise, all you’re getting is part two of what’s becoming an unnecessary trend in EA’s sports-related telenovelas and a whole lot of advertising for Madden Ultimate Team.

Just Cause 4 has so many good systems in place, but it seems to have lost sight of what to do with them. While it’s a relatively decent game in its own right, it continues the series’ decline.

Blue Reflection is a game that displays a heartwarming amount of beauty and grace even in the face of some tragically ugly flaws and mistakes. On a gameplay level, it never reaches the heights it wanted (or deserved) to, but as an overall experience, it feels like something special in a way few other games do.

Some long-forgotten issues from way back in the day crop up again in this throwback action-plaformer, but even if you aren’t playing it through the nostaliga of someone who grew up with Banjo-Kazooie or other adventures like it, you’ll still find a solid game to play in Yooka-Laylee.

If Slightly Mad Studios wanted to prove they could build an engine to compete with the likes of Gran Turismo and Forza Motorsport, Project CARS is a definite success, with driving that feels as realistic as anything else out there. If they wanted to compete with the polish and robustness of those bigger titles, though, they’ve come up slightly short.

Project X Zone brings together more than 200 characters from various Namco Bandai, Capcom, and Sega properties—and then proceeds to have them engage in some of the most tedious, drawn-out battles in strategy-RPG history. Yes, it’s great fun in short bursts, but the game rarely lets you experience combat that way, unfortunately.

Grid 2‘s racing once again succeeds at offering a nice balance between true simulation and accessible arcade handling, but the lack of depth offline and a repetitive, punishing second half wind up holding it back.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE promises spectacle, and boy does it deliver—but all the flashy scenes, Fire Emblem cameos, and J-Pop in the world can’t cover up cramped world design and loads and loads of loading.

Crackdown 3 is just more Crackdown. For some players, that will be enough. But compared to what Crackdown 3 initially promised, what we ended up with seems lacking in depth and destruction. When it’s good, like with its boss fights, there’s nothing like it. Unfortunately, there’s just too much filler, and with its most exciting feature demoted to a fairly minor multiplayer mode, Crackdown 3 just isn’t the step forward that it could have been.

You’d be hard pressed to find an automaker willing to take an extra year to reset their car line much like Ghost Games did here with their second run on Need for Speed. What we get is a more focused and competent racer but one seemingly unwilling to risk standing out from the crowd.

Star Fox Zero’s status as a love-letter to the past is solidified. While it does a good job channeling a lot of what was great about Star Fox 64, it fails to really build on it in new and exciting ways, and stumbles because of the Wii U Gamepad.

While all of its pieces could definitely benefit from more production and polish, Rune Factory 4 is a fun, addictive game that enjoyably combines taming the earth with taming the creatures that walk upon it.

30 Years of WrestleMania will be a fun stroll down memory lane for older, more diehard WWE fans. Otherwise, WWE 2K14 feels like a mailed-in effort before next-gen hits, especially as the WWE Universe mode starts to show its age.

Star Wars Battlefront II still tips more toward the causal side of multiplayer competition, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t a fair amount fun to be had. That said, the game’s potentially pay-to-win progression model doesn’t do it any favors.

Shadow Fall serves up decent sci-fi themed first-person-shooter action complete with teases of what the new console generation has in store for us. It’s not particularly inspired, nor is it anything to write home about, but as something to make your early adoption feel justified, I think Killzone does the trick.

Although the core of Batman: Arkham City remains intact, new glitches and tacked-on gimmicks take away from the overall experience enough to make this a clearly inferior version of one of the great games of this generation.

Sushi Striker: The Way of the Sushido has all of the trademarks of an inventive Nintendo title, including its odd but bold story, memorable characters, and easy to pick up gameplay. Unfortunately, once you bite into it, the experience isn’t as developed as it could have been. There’s an attempt to expand on the action-puzzler format, and while some of the choices work, there are some ingredients that make the entire meal less than satisfying.

Gears of War: Ultimate Edition does a fine job of remastering the original, but a new coat of paint and some minor upgrades can’t disguise the fact that the gameplay experience hasn’t aged particularly well.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus represents a decent—though overpriced—sendoff for the second generation of R&C action-adventure titles. Into the Nexus mostly plays it safe by remaining largely familiar, introducing only a few new mechanics that, while not overtly bad, seem underdeveloped and are definitely underused.

As usual, the gimmicks quickly become evident and tiresome, especially for folks familiar with the comic arc this game's story is based off of. However, there is some surprising polish here and you might have more fun with it than you'd expect as it is one of the few Kinect games where the controls actually work.

Lords of Shadow 2 runs into a classic sequel problem. By trying to do more and to fix the few issues of the first game, MercurySteam actually does less and creates more problems. Despite this, they’ve still crafted a competent tale with solid core gameplay that should entertain longtime Castlevania fans, even if it’s not quite everything they’d hoped for.

Like Minis on the Move, Tipping Stars won’t draw the kind of crowd Mario’s other extracurricular activities (kart racing, tennis, golf) might, but it’s no less a quality way to kill time while on the go.

Showdown probably isn't the sequel DiRT fans were anticipating, but if you can look past the dramatic shift in tone and the overly aggressive AI, you'll find plenty of unpretentious arcade fun.

Like all Intelligent Systems games, Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. is absolutely worth it for strategy fans—but this one’s got a few more warts than usual.

Castlevania Requiem: Symphony of the Night & Rondo of Blood offers two of the best experiences from the long-running Castlevania series in one convenient package. While both games still hold up extremely well, the collection as a whole doesn’t introduce anything new to fans, making it feel like nothing more than a slapped together port. Still, both titles are worth the time of fans and newcomers.

While this update of the classic action-RTS hybrid is far from perfect, there's a certain undeniable charm to Gaea Mission's deep, open-ended gameplay that manages to overshadow the flawed AI and poor pacing.

What Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege lacks in content it makes up for in intense, fast-paced, heart-pounding action and tight gameplay. If tactical multiplayer is your thing, there may be none better. If not, though, you’ll likely find the experience to be a bit bare bones.

With a confusing and frustrating jumping-off point, it may be hard to break into Metal Gear Survive. Those that manage to stick around, however, should expect to find something worth surviving for.

The content added to Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen over the original Dragon’s Dogma might not be enough for previous players to be able to justify buying the game for a second time. For those who missed out on Dragon’s Dogma the first time around, however, this is a great way to finally give the game a shot.

Unlike the last Tales sequel, 2008’s Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World, Xillia 2 is a worthy entry in the pantheon of Bandai Namco’s flagship RPG series. Unfortunately, the game’s ill-advised debt-payback system to unlock new areas and story chapters sabotages the overall enjoyment at times, and some other curious design decisions make Xillia 2 a less compelling adventure than it should’ve been.

It's been an impressive run, but after a decade of the same basic experience, I can't escape the feeling that Halo needs to try a bit harder. Fans of the game will have a blast here, and the multiplayer is something special, but if you expected Halo 4 to keep up with the Joneses, you might be disappointed.

Windjammers is really fun while it lasts. But how long it lasts depends on how long you’re willing to play the same mode. Its tight, responsive, strategic gameplay doesn’t quite hide the fact that it’s lacking in areas that contemporary multiplayer games almost instinctively include at this point, such as character and match customization.

With the most puzzles in series history, Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy will force players to rack their brains, and the Professor and his crew are as lovable as ever. Unfortunately, the prequel limitations really put a crimp on the overall narrative.

Resident Evil Zero HD sees the return of a weird chapter in the Resident Evil saga, one that feels clunky and frustrating in its low points, but which also shows some uniqueness from the legacy it helped bring to a close.

LawBreakers is a tight, comprehensive shooter experience that stakes its claim in the crowded class-based shooter genre with fun anti-gravity gameplay, but occasionally frustrating gameplay and poor controls hold it back at times.

Sonic Forces mashes together everything from Sonic’s history, from 2D/3D mechanics to over-the-top action spectacle pieces. The new customizable hero feature breathes fresh life into the franchise, but the 3D gameplay it uses overpowers the game’s attempt to combine what has made the different eras of Sonic work.

NBA 2K19 had a real opportunity to learn from last year’s mistakes, and in some ways it did. The Neighborhood is more convenient, the Prelude is way more interesting, and the gameplay has seen some subtle but important improvements. Unfortunately, all this is marred yet again by the game’s predatory microtransaction system, which turns the MyCareer stuff into a grind-heavy, pay-to-skip farce.

An ambitious game, No Man’s Sky allows gamers to play space-captain across an entire universe of planets. Unfortunately, numerous glitches and monotonous gameplay options make the game frustrating for those desiring something more serious.

Lienzo’s Mulaka is an equally engaging and frustrating experience. The action-adventure game excels in its efforts to teach players unfamiliar with the Tarahumara people about the community’s culture through a beautiful narrative and exploration mechanics. However, the action aspect needs to be completely overhauled, as it offers enough issues to turn off prospective players.

While the driving is superb and the visuals are stunning, the inherent limitations of Rivals‘ AllDrive concept begin to hamper the experience near the end. The result is a game that’s three-quarters great fun, one-quarter miserable, frustrating slog.

The explosion-happy, pixel-art world of Not a Hero can be fun for short bursts. However, its inability to take anything seriously—paired with an intense objective system—leaves it somewhere in the middle.

This app stays true to Ridge Racer’s arcade roots, but the lack of content coupled with the grind of unlocking everything—which is only conveniently alleviated by microtransacations—is a major speed bump in this otherwise smooth ride.

Fester Mudd delivers an entertaining point-and-click-adventure experience, but given the game’s earnest devotion the genre’s sometimes-frustrating tropes, you might only want to give it a shot if you’re particularly nostalgic for the days of Guybrush Threepwood and Roger Wilco.

The Wolf Among Us is novel but, as of its first episode, not really all that captivating, either as a game or a work of fiction. There’s a wealth of potential, though—enough that I’m entertained and looking forward to plot progression in Episode Two.

If you’re measuring with the typical genre yardstick, Affordable Space Adventures isn’t a particularly great or noteworthy puzzle game, but as an exercise in designing to the Wii U’s strengths and delivering an entertaining, one-of-a-kind co-op experience, it’s a pretty solid success.

Bugs and clunky controls can often stop an experience in its tracks. Fortunately, the beautiful world and strategic stealth of Ghost Recon Wildlands manages to overcome its hiccups usually and still deliver an adventure that is both fresh and familiar.

Heroes of Ruin is a pretty game by 3DS standards, with a compelling story wrapped around unoriginal combat, quests, and leveling.

Code of Princess is a fun and frantic action adventure for the 3DS, one that often provides plenty of excitement-but which, at other times, feels limited either in design or by the hardware it calls home.

The Last Day of June tells an emotional story of loss and acceptance, though it can’t claim to have an entirely original story. An art style that’s half cute storybook Claymation and half soulless, eyeless faces may be pretty divisive, but the game’s time looping puzzles tie well into the feelings of repetition and despair.

From a mechanical standpoint, Zoo Tycoon works quite smoothly, but a ridiculously low agent cap severely detracts from the game’s longevity.

An inventive premise and surprisingly deep combat system sits at the core of what could’ve been a great game—if so many technical issues didn’t surround it and detract so much from the whole of the experience.

Rebel Galaxy is a robust trek through the stars, even if it is bogged down by a heavy reliance on repetition and a weak narrative. A host of systems that are all built to generate organic emergent moments, no matter what your play style, make Rebel Galaxy one of this year’s biggest surprises.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India learned from the missteps of its predecessor, as gameplay is more varied and its colorful, vibrant levels are both pleasing to the eye and fun to interact with in most cases. Open combat is to be avoided at all costs, however, limiting how you play the game—and some of the puzzle-platforming levels drag in term of pacing.

Grid: Autosport’s attempt to capture the spirit of five distinct racing disciplines pays off in terms of gameplay variety, but the experience feels stripped back in many of the ways that make the genre’s best titles feel like personal journeys.

Rise & Shine isn’t the deepest action-platformer you’ll ever play, but the tongue-in-cheek nods to the gaming industry at large, along with its stunning art style, will push you to the finish line even when the gameplay starts to let you down.

Imaginative, cleverly integrated online play helps to bolster Watch Dogs’ less exciting single-player offering, which fails to capitalize on its ambitious hacking concept in any truly memorable way.

If you can look past the fact that it's essentially ModNation Racers with a Sackboy-colored coat of paint, LittleBigPlanet Karting is an enjoyable enough vehicular romp. Still, it's hard to shake the sense that United Front has already made this game once-and they did it better the first time.

For those looking for a well-crafted, enjoyable tennis game, Mario Tennis Open will leave you satisfied. For those looking for a great Mario tennis game, you'll probably be left wanting more.

Dead or Alive 6 is a solid new chapter in Team Ninja’s long-running fighting game series that has rarely been satisfied with just being “solid.” All of the groundwork that needed to be built here was built, but upon it was placed a mostly by-the-numbers experience that is too often just as frustrating as it is fun. While a reworking of the game could leave it in a much better place in the future (and on newer consoles), for now it’s a good release for people wanting more Dead or Alive as long as they don’t mind its value is limited.

The new physics system, presentation elements, and graphics are definitely a step forward for the franchise, but the wholesale removal or scaling back of so many modes leaves you wondering how such a great series could struggle so mightily with the console transition.

Another unique look at the events of the original Resident Evil combined with a fun and inventive multiplayer should help Resident Evil fans look past the sometimes clunky controls and poor ally A.I.

Although the games may not have aged as well as hoped, fans of the series are still going to be getting their money worth with the convenience of having three games on one disc, nearly 100 achievements, and some behind the scenes bonus content.

If you’re hungry for more Game of Thrones content and can’t wait until the next season or book, then Telltale’s Game of Thrones is the perfect game to pass the time. It weaves an interesting narrative that intersects with the franchise’s main plot while still poking into unexplored corners. Unfortunately, there’s a distinct lack of any real choice, and a hugely disappointing ending leaves the story hanging on a sour note.

Tomodachi Life is a trip into a world where your Miis live out a never-ending series of bizarre and amusing adventures. While I’m glad that Nintendo of America decided to take a chance in bringing it our way, those adventures are unfortunately tainted somewhat due to a few gameplay decisions that really should be rectified in a future sequel.

Deadlight was a fantastic idea whose execution just didn't do it the justice it deserved. It's too short, its challenges too cheap at times, and it occasionally loses focus of what it wants to be-and yet, at the same time, Deadlight is also a surprisingly beautiful adventure through a world of chaos that does more right than it does wrong.

Game Freak returns to the non-Pokémon world with HarmoKnight, a music-infused platformer that will be a light-hearted romp for casual fans of the genre—but which might not be memorable enough for more dedicated rhythm-game devotees.

Yo-Kai Watch Blasters never manages to shake off that minigame feel, but its core gameplay, though shallow, is fun. Don’t go in expecting anything too deep (or expecting to go anywhere beyond the town of Yo-Kai Watch 2), and Blasters is an enjoyable enough way to pass the time.

Far Cry Primal really wants you to know that there are tons of things you can do in its prehistoric, open world. Unfortunately, you may not want to do any of them.