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.