If you play Assassin’s Creed primarily for the single-player experience, The Tyranny of King Washington is definitely worth it. Think of it in terms of Marvel’s alternate-storyline What If comics: It’s fun for what it is, but it doesn’t surpass the original in terms of enjoyment.

The last of the “Operation Rainfall Three,” Pandora’s Tower borrows heavily from Shadow of the Colossus—young lad must rescue his beloved from a gruesome fate by felling massive beasts—but you can’t help but think you’ve played a far better version of this game before. Hardcore Japanese RPG fans might forgive some of the glaring flaws here, but Pandora’s Tower certainly won’t have the mass appeal of Team Ico’s 2005 PS2 classic.

Sega 3D Classics Collection is a hard release to judge. On one hand, it’s a mixed selection of M2’s fantastic library of classic Sega games reworked for the 3DS. On the other, it offers up stellar versions of every one of those games, which fans will especially appreciate.

Bright, colorful worlds brought to life by a unique art style, coupled with challenging, diverse gameplay highlights yet another successful Kirby spin-off that is as good or better in many ways than its predecessor.

While I still don’t know that the world needs dancing games based off of the Persona series, it’s obvious that Atlus could do way worse than Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight and Persona 5: Dancing in Starlight. Both games show clear effort in terms of visuals and animations, and if there’s any RPG franchise with soundtracks you’d want to groove to, it’s Persona.

A bundle that embodies the worst grinding elements of popular RPGs with a lackluster match-three gameplay mechanic. This version of Puzzle & Dragons tries to use the gold standard that Super Mario Bros. represents in order to bolster the façade that this is an interesting, worthwhile gaming experience. It’s not.

The concept might seem a bit gimmicky at first glance, but Baller Beats is a well made, respectable peripheral-driven rhythm game in the tradition of Dance Dance Revolution or Guitar Hero. Some technical limitations keep the game from outright greatness, but there's a lot of fun-and real world benefits-to be had here.

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.

Scribblenauts Unlimited is a perfect match for the Wii U's hardware, making brilliant use of the GamePad controller to deliver a wonderfully creative sandbox puzzler.

Kirby Star Allies hits all the perfect nostalgia notes you expect from a full-blown Kirby adventure, and adds just enough new twists to make something so familiar at this point feel fresh and fun again. The pink puffball has never played so well (particularly with others) before.

Martha is Dead starts off strong, with an intriguing story amid a tumultuous backdrop, and a main gameplay mechanic with a ton of room to evolve. Unfortunately, the game squanders every opportunity it has to develop its story or gameplay in interesting ways, instead relying on overplayed tropes and unnecessary mechanics. While Martha is Dead's disturbing imagery might not deserve censorship, its creators betray the trust that it asks of its players, ultimately delivering a shallow experience that does more harm than good.

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.

Tri Force Heroes is a Zelda game in name only. When you dig just past the surface, poor gameplay mechanics and key missing elements for a Zelda title tarnish what is otherwise a serviceable adventure game.

Solid action-RPG gameplay is elevated by the meta-puzzle that is the game’s branching storylines. The entertaining trial and error of trying to find the one “good” ending channels Choose Your Own Adventure books, and lends itself to a story that you’ll love playing again and again.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is easily the largest undertaking, outside of Dimensions, for a Lego game yet. More characters and more worlds to explore are punctuated by a humorous story that’s enjoyable for gamers of all ages. Increasing the scope of the Lego games has opened the door for some less than enjoyable bugs to sneak their way at times, though.

5th Cell does some remarkable things with the still-evolving cover-based shooting mechanic, but Hybrid is ultimately hindered by lingering matchmaking issues, dumb AI companions, and limited multiplayer depth.

These challenges fall into four different mission types: stealth, combat, mobility, and puzzle. Some are a lot of fun, but some are just time-wasters. For $5, the value is here, but this isn't the Dishonored DLC that fans really wanted.

Katrielle Layton takes the stage as a brand-new puzzle-solving star. With twelve short cases to solve, Katrielle’s adventures are ideal for those who want to solve a quick puzzle, though somewhat lacking for fans that enjoy the build-up and twists of past Layton games.

Get Even is better as an experience than as a game, but it’s an extremely evocative experience. Even still, what could have been a completely unique gaming experience is hampered by its desire to be a more action-oriented, generic thriller.

The Surge’s engaging risk/reward combat system and obsession with gear will compel you to want to fight your way through a cataclysmic sci-fi hell. But the repetitive enemy types, uninspired visual design, and unfortunate lack of polish leaves the game feeling soulless.

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.

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.

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.

Unexpectedly, First Light’s story campaign ends up being its weakest link. Compared to the depth and replayability of the score-driven combat arenas, Fetch Walker’s origin story proves to be a bit of snoozefest, especially in the context of Second Son’s respectable storytelling and mission design.

In terms of size and scope, Freedom Cry is paltry compared to the main adventure of Black Flag. But its story is easily the most powerful, poignant tale we’ve seen from the Assassin’s Creed universe, and that alone makes this story DLC worth checking out.

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.

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.

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.