Adol Christin is one of the oldest heroes in Japanese RPGs—and he may have aged more gracefully than any of them. Ys: Memories of Celceta reimagines his previously Japan-only PC Engine/Super Famicom quest from 20 years ago and delivers one of the Vita’s best role-playing experiences, infusing the classic concept with modern sensibilities and respecting the player’s ability to chart their own course of adventure.

Fighter Within was buried under the rest of the Xbox One launch lineup for a reason. This one-on-one fighter is a throwback to the problems of the first Kinect—and does nothing but sow seeds of doubt that the next-gen Kinect sensor is any different from its predecessor.

LocoCycle is a next-gen debut that’s uncomfortable to watch and boring to play from a developer I honestly expect better of. That it isn’t outright broken or unplayable from a technical perspective is just about the only accolade I can muster for what has otherwise been a miserable first experience on the Xbox One.

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

For those who enjoy a simple hack-n-slash game, Ryse: Son of Rome fits the bill. This is no deep adventure, but rather a chance to burn your aggression by chopping your way through hundreds of barbarians, slowing only to enjoy the carnage during the brutal executions. Still, the stunning visuals and compelling setting will keep some gamers engaged throughout, making Ryse a flawed-but-interesting addition to the Xbox One launch lineup.

Forza Motorsport 5’s Career mode is a shell of its former self, giving little reason for players to keep coming back. Couple this with a dismal launch lineup of cars and tracks, and this is a surprising step backward for the Forza franchise as it helps kick off Microsoft’s next-gen console.

Tearaway follows in the footsteps of Gravity Rush as an example of why you should own a Vita. While it isn’t always perfect as a game, it’s an amazing experience, providing an exciting and emotional journey through a world of beauty and personality.

Contrast offers one of the most interesting gameplay gimmicks in recent memory, but the lack of engaging puzzles and interesting levels prevent the concept from being put to good use.

For any Mario fans worried their favorite paesano plumber wasn’t about innovation anymore, Super Mario 3D World shows the franchise that created the platforming standard continues to set the bar. The new Super Bell and Double Cherry power-ups augment the Mario experience in a brilliant, meaningful way, and the Wii U’s HD capabilities deliver the prettiest-looking game in series history.

All the DLC of the original—including costumes and more STAR Labs missions—plus a little nex-gen shine makes a great fighting game even better.

While I’m still not a fan of Killer Instinct’s dial-a-combo mentality nor its eclectic cast of characters, Double Helix’s efforts to bring the series back from the dead are commendable—and while some mistakes were made along the way, this is probably the most interesting and enjoyable the franchise has ever been.

Another expertly produced retro-inspired shooter from Housemarque, Resogun gives players an immensely impressive level of depth, challenge, replayability, and graphical prowess that stands as one of the best ways to be introduced to the recently launched PlayStation 4.

Knack, while conceptually interesting, never rises above being an OK platformer without any real positive memorable aspects, but plenty of frustrating ones. If you’ve ever wondered what a tech demo turned into a full-fledged game would be like, Knack is—or very much feels—like that.

Like its predecessors, Dead Rising 3 offers good, dumb, fun, with just enough story and structure to keep you moving forward and enough opportunities for zany antics to maintain your amusement throughout.

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.

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.

A Link Between Worlds recognizes that it’s not tacked-on stealth segments or waggling a controller to roll bombs that makes Zelda tick—it’s the unbounded exploration and freedom found in the NES original, and it’s finally back in full force here. Every Zelda fan needs to play this game.

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 far as expansions go, Enemy Within takes a relatively safe approach, opting to flesh out Enemy Unknown with new maps, enemies, and upgrades rather than redefining its core. Thankfully, it works, because the additions are every bit as smart and enjoyable as the main game.

A waste of potential, Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate is a broken, boring game and a stain on the Metroidvania genre. Its positives are few and far between, buried under a mountain of glitches, tedious gameplay, and poor level design.

Simple and to the point, Rayman Fiesta Run follows proudly in its predecessors’ footsteps. The endless-run dynamic is a nice change of pace for fans of the franchise—I just wish the party could’ve lasted longer.

Narrative issues and a lack of ingenuity in multiplayer plague what could’ve been an all-time great Call of Duty game. As is, Ghosts is still an enjoyable experience and shows that Infinity Ward can still hold the line—but the concept falls short of its true potential.

Regular Show: Mordecai & Rigby in 8-Bit Land sounds good on paper, but it falls apart in execution. Between uninspired level and art design, a rash of irritating issues, and less playtime than your average movie, there really isn’t much value to be found for fans of the show—let alone anyone else.

Enter the Dominatrix, as a new batch of downloadable gameplay content, is short, disjointed, and not especially challenging. As an entire experience, however, it’s an utterly fascinating look at what was left on the cutting-room floor in the making of Saints Row IV—and a must for any serious fans of the latest adventures of the 3rd Street Saints.

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.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag doesn’t move the franchise forward as a whole—but it doesn’t need to. Instead, this is probably the best pirate simulation in gaming history that successfully lays the groundwork for what’s to come in the series.

Anyone hoping that Battlefield would finally get a respectable single-player campaign will be sorely disappointed, but if you’re looking for a worthy evolution of the franchise’s sweeping multiplayer battles, you’ve come to the right place.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut artfully blends the action-oriented appeal of first-person shooters with the tension of a solid stealth title and the exploratory wonder of role-playing games. Honestly, it’s a rare gem, and one that offers a little something for everyone without compromising on any one aspect—both the sum of its parts and yet greater than.

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.

Batman: Arkham Origins is a massive step back from Rocksteady’s Arkham efforts due to countless technical problems, poor gadget balancing, and a needless addition of versus multiplayer.

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.

Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi brings the world of Japanese girls’ romance games to English-speaking 3DS owners in a game that’s a fascinating experience into typically uncharted gaming territory.

Some technical shortcomings aside, this is a tremendously fun experience that will appeal to LEGO and comic book fans young and old alike.

At its best, Sonic Lost World delivers some of the best platforming the series has seen in years, with an intriguing fusion of classic design and innovative 3D worlds. Unfortunately, the game simply can’t maintain those temporary highs, resulting in an uneven, frustrating overall experience.

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.

Just Dance 2014 has a lot going for it. The tracklist is solid and offers a varied selection of musical stylings (though it never strays too far from dancey, which is to be expected), and the choreography is accessible, but still provides something of a challenge for anyone looking to really nail a routine down to its details.

The potential from a reunion of the original three Disgaea protagonists is betrayed by the lackluster execution here. The core strategy is still enjoyable—though several holes are evident even in that aspect—but the disappointingly subpar story, packaging, and writing aren’t worthy of the Disgaea name.

Thanks to a script that shifts gears too often and too rapidly, Beyond: Two Souls never really hits its narrative stride, but David Cage’s latest effort is still worth a look if you’re a fan of his singular approach to interactive storytelling.

The best main Pokémon series entry in years, X and Y sees several new features breathe life into a process that had grown stale and stagnant. Newcomers and longtime trainers alike should be able to find the joy in catching ’em all once again.

On the surface, Etrian Odyssey Untold may look like a retread, but the enhancements made to the 2007 DS original are substantial enough for veteran players to give it a whirl, and the barrier of entry has been lowered so that anyone who calls themselves an RPG fan can find enjoyment.

Rain is a creative and charming adventure that provides a refreshing set of twists beyond what we’re used to. Nearly everything it does it does with a sense of style and grace, but it’s also easy to feel as if Rain’s ideas could have been fleshed out even more had the project had a bigger scope to it.

While certain elements will appeal to DC Comics fans, there simply isn’t enough substance here to make Scribblenauts Unmasked worth a purchase—the gimmick wears off way too quickly.

Several design flaws are noticeable a decade after the original release, but with a host of minor, welcome gameplay tweaks and a gorgeous HD upgrade, this is the definitive version of perhaps the most original Zelda adventure.

Grand Theft Auto V expertly blends the best aspects of the last two major releases in the series, GTA IV and San Andreas, to set a new standard in open-world action. In a year already packed with titles that have pushed aging console hardware to new extremes, GTA V might stand as the crowning technical and design accomplishment.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is a more robust, refined version of Team Ninja’s work on Dead or Alive 5, providing a fighting-game package that’s a better starting point for players new to this iteration of the series. Current Dead or Alive 5 owners, however, will have to pony up the exact same amount of scratch to join in on the fun.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMix successfully brings a PS2 classic to the modern age with a noticeably impressive visual update, improved camera controls, and, for added fun, secondary and tertiary Kingdom Hearts content all contained on one disc (as opposed to spread across disparate platforms).

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.

One of the best hockey sims to date. A couple of minor adjustments are always needed, but this is as close as its going to get for you short of lacing up skates and donning pads yourself.

It’s rare that a game can succeed at offering something for all audiences, but Puppeteer manages to accomplish just that. With a charming story, innovative gameplay, and a theatrical visual style that’s impossible not to love, this platformer’s a great fit for parents, kids, and everyone in between.

Serving as little more than a proof of concept for the Wii U controller’s NFC technology, Pokémon Rumble U is a boring, pointless game that should just be chalked up as another failed Pokémon spinoff.

There seem to be the beginnings of some good ideas in TMNT: Out of the Shadows, but none of them are properly fleshed out. Instead, these shortcomings are simply covered up with more half-followed-through mechanics, resulting in a mess of a game.

The crowded control scheme, uninspired campaign, and limited multiplayer options are completely outclassed by most home-console shooters. If, however, you’re truly desperate to fill that gaping genre hole in your Vita’s library, you won’t have a totally miserable time here.

While the interminable wait between turns and overhauled user interface may be shocks for players flocking from Shogun 2, the overall experience still delivers a top-tier strategy epic.

Spelunky is the roguelike equivalent of training wheels attached with only one turn of the screw. It’s a great way to ease into the genre and a worthwhile entry in its field, but immediately following that “I think I got it!” moment, you’ll quickly be left having to keep upright on your own.

Strange though it may sound, this port is the definitive version of Diablo III. By removing the auction house and adding in offline play, local co-op, and an effective console control scheme, Blizzard has allowed the underlying gameplay experience to shine through like never before.

Despite my dislike for the Star notes that have been sprinkled into its gameplay, Project Diva F remains a fantastically fun music rhythm games for those hardcore fans of computers singing about being a cat.

Holds some legitimate moments of brilliance, and the game shines when it comes to character development and storytelling. Unfortunately, Lost Planet 3 then ends up sabotaging itself with gameplay so dull or tedious at times that it can’t begin to support the weight of its ambitions.

The decent core combat can’t hide the fact that this is Suda51’s most ridiculous, nonsensical plot yet, and an offensive “courtship” minigame is a further black mark on the proceedings. This one may even turn off Suda’s most hardcore fans.

EA’s given us a whole new running system—Run Free—that offers the game a whole new sense of balance...EA’s also beefed up last year’s Connected Careers, turning it into Connected Franchise while adding an Owner Mode for unprecedented control. All of this makes Madden NFL 25 one of the finest football simulations ever released.

There’s no sugarcoating the fact that The Bureau lacks much of the refinement we expect from modern triple-A games, but anyone who looks past the flawed surface will find a game bursting with brilliant ideas. With smart, engaging tactical combat and one of the most compelling sci-fi narratives the medium has seen to date, this one’s destined to become a cult classic.

The Play Set portion of Disney Infinity consists of average to slightly above-average platformers, with enough collectibles to send players with OCD off the deep end. Things get better in the Toy Box, where the potential for player-crafted adventures really opened up the experience. Overall, Disney Infinity is an excellent addition to the fairly new toy-enhanced game genre.

PopCap maintains the addictive tower-defense gameplay and cheesy humor that made the first Plants vs. Zombies such a phenomenon, while adding a plethora of new features that ensure this game will consume every free second you have—if you let it.

Blacklist’s bitingly topical campaign, huge selection of co-op missions, and wildly enjoyable update of the Spies vs. Mercs multiplayer make for the best, most ambitious Splinter Cell of this generation.

Volition did something it seems few developers are brave enough to do at this point: They were willing to reinvent the Saints Row series instead of just reiterating on it. The result is a game that I had an absolute blast with from beginning to end, but also one that—due to the escalation it exhibits—left me dumbfounded on what they’ll offer as a follow-up.

Payday 2 is pure first-person shooter fun that, while not about to turn any heads visually, is certainly a knockout as far as gameplay goes. Fans of four-player co-op will get a great deal out of Overkill’s heist-themed sequel.

Though a bit short, DuckTales still holds up where it counts, with tight controls, fun levels, and a story like a vintage comic book. The game might be straightforward and feel a little dated, but bouncing through the Amazon, the Himalayas, the Moon, and more will have you singing the iconic theme song in your head.

A fairly robust take on the classic RPG formula with trace amounts of familiar Mario gameplay. While it’s hardly anything new, it still tells a truly charming tale defined, more than anything, by its terrific cast of characters.

While Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons occasionally succeeds in tugging at the heartstrings, there’s a heavy-handedness that runs through a good portion of the drama—and that’s off-putting. The unique controls take too long to get used to (considering this is only a three-hour experience), and the puzzles are simple and repetitive. The aesthetics are definitely pleasing, however.

It’s an enjoyable experience, but it also discards several tried-and-true franchise conventions—such as a traversable overworld map—in favor of a smaller, more focused adventure.

The gameplay feels caught in a weird void between optimizing the experience for single-player and multiplayer, but this is as close to a trip to the old-school arcades of the late ’80s as you’re going to get on home consoles.

The controls are caught in a weird, nebulous void between being optimized for the Wii and Wii U, but the expansive miniature landscapes, excellent pacing, and varied Pikmin powers combine to overcome any technical issues or limitations.

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.

R.I.P.D.: The Game is really nothing more than a crappy movie tie-in game in the longstanding tradition of crappy movie tie-in games. There’s not much substance here, and what you do get is so unpolished and unrewarding that it’s not worth your time.

ImageEpoch attempts to try something quite different with the Japanese RPG genre, and while a lot of the game suffers from missteps, poor gameplay decisions, and terrible writing, Time and Eternity’s anime-come-to-life visual style makes it an experience that feels unlike anything that’s been released in recent memory.

Civilization V: Brave New World is a stellar addition to an already excellent game that goes beyond the standard additions of new countries and Wonders by including additional game-changing paths to victory.

While it falls a little short of what I wanting for a long-anticipated new major chapter in the Shin Megami Tensei series, Shin Megami Tensei IV is still a highly enjoyable RPG that mixes Altus’ trademark flair for style with some new ideas and engrossing narrative twists.

The perfect bridge between Season One and Two of The Walking Dead, 400 Days expertly sets up new characters in fun, interesting bite-sized chunks that will do nothing but get fans more hyped for Season Two.

A few tweaks, a couple of tacked-on modes, and some better mechanics from the borrowed Madden engine can’t overcome the basic logic flaws and imbalances that seem to be annual staples in NCAA.

Between gorgeous visuals, engaging combat—on Chaos mode, at least—a sizable chunk of Genroku-era Japan to soak in and wander about, and a solid length (anything between eight to 12 hours, depending on how much exploring you do), Muramasa Rebirth is well worth any Vita owner’s time.

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.

Luigi deserves better than this truncated take on the Mario platforming formula. While the level-design enhancements are a nice touch, too much remains unchanged when it comes to boss encounters, and the ridiculously short time limit in every level destroys the real draw of a Mario game: patient exploration.

Don’t play Ride to Hell: Retribution. Don’t think about playing it. Don’t think about thinking about playing it. Forget it exists, and continue your life as though it never did.

It may be a bit rough around the edges, but Hotline Miami still makes for an immensely interesting addition to the PSN library, and its short, pick-up-and-play levels are an especially good fit for the Vita.

You’ll be fighting the camera sometimes as much as enemies, and the balance between guns and melee needs a bit more work, but most of the time, I was laughing too hard to care. The script is a love letter to Deadpool fans, so if you love the Merc with the Mouth, this game will hit your chimichanga-flavored sweet spot.

While there’s little new here to differentiate between titles besides the change of scenery to WWII’s Eastern Front, Relic once again delivers a premiere RTS experience.

While Marvel Heroes does some nice things, the Marvel license isn’t enough to cover up glaring technical and design flaws. As much as I wanted to like this game, I can’t recommend something that is, at its core, broken. In the end, you get what you pay for (or less, if you actually invested in this).

WarioWare fans have been waiting more than three years for the next proper entry in the series—and they’ll still be waiting after Game & Wario. This collection of minigames designed specifically for the Wii U doesn’t have the same style and panache of a regular WarioWare entry, but several entries do manage to re-create at least some of that classic magic.

Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara brings back two of Capcom’s classic arcade side-scrolling beat-em-ups—and while both indeed show their age, they still have an immense amount of fun and adventure to offer those brave enough to stand up to their challenges.

It’s easy to initially expect The Last of Us to be a game about killing zombies, surviving in a post-apocalyptic world, and exploring for supplies. Instead, it’s a game about two people, and the bond that forms between them—and that journey is far more exciting than any amount of infected monsters or food scavenging could ever provide.

New Leaf brings updates both major and minor, but the most important of them for me was the push for customization. You’ll now spend far more time making your town just the way you want it to be and personalizing your character to suit your specific tastes—and, really, that’s what Animal Crossing should be about.

Strikes the perfect balance between narrative exposition and gameplay. With expert pacing, the game offers an engaging cyberpunk story blended into a solid action-adventure that’s equal parts brawling and platforming. Remember Me utimately delivers the whole package—a very pretty, very pleasurable, very engaging gaming experience.

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.

It’s a technically solid game, but Fuse lacks a soul; the story and character development are bland beyond belief. The gameplay is a saving grace, though, and the experience can get quite addictive when working with a few friends—but it can also become a tiresome grind when playing solo.

While it doesn’t completely escape the shortcomings of its original outing, Capcom’s HD-ified version of Resident Evil: Revelations is still as fun and enthralling as it was on the 3DS—while now also benefiting from the improvements in controls, visuals, and audio that other gaming platforms can offer. If you previously missed this chapter of the legendary Resident Evil saga, this is the best way to rectify that.

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.

If you love a great story and some fun first-person shooter action, Metro: Last Light is sure to please. Only a couple of minor shortcomings hold the experience back, including the much-improved—but still not completely polished—stealth gameplay.

Minis on the Move is a welcome addition to Mario’s many offshoots, boasting smartly crafted puzzles that demand an adroit touch—well, tap.

If you expected some hefty gameplay changes to match Blood Dragon’s turbo-rad ’80s makeover, you’ll be sorely disappointed. This standalone expansion is essentially a pared-down version of the Far Cry 3 formula with a few minor innovations, but its hysterical take on the decade of excess is well worth the price of admission.