If you have the choice, I’d recommend the VR version slightly over the traditional display, but not to the point where anyone should pass up a fascinating experience because one is more immersive. [VR Tested]

Between its unforgiving nature, unbalanced difficulty, and humdrum puzzles, I wouldn't have pressed on through Dokuro if I wasn't reviewing it. Rarely did I feel that fun "a-ha" moment that makes puzzle games exciting; instead I found tedium and frustration. I surely wasn't as devoted to this game as Dokuro was to the princess. Add me to the list of Dokuro's unrequited loves.

Hyrule Warriors Legends is still a solid action game featuring Zelda characters and worlds, and the added mechanics, levels, and characters for 3DS are fun and worthy additions. Unfortunately, the game’s technical performance drags it down significantly.

Though some quirks might unnecessarily keep players at arm’s length, those willing to grapple with the more arcane aspects of Stardew Valley are in for a world of delight.

With myriad improvements to both the feature set and the core gameplay, UFC 2 takes the series from prospect to contender in just its second entry.

UFC 2 improves over its predecessor in the ways it needed to. The improved ground game and deeper career mode are the biggest draws, but Knockout mode is a blast to play with a friend, and Ultimate Team offers a unique twist on the popular mode from other sports games. If 2014’s EA Sports UFC was a promise being made, UFC 2 is its deliverance.

Ubisoft now has a solid foundation for operating its first persistent open world. If Massive and co. make smart additions to the end-game content and keep a steady stream of new activities for players to enjoy, I could see this game going strong years into the future. But if the Dark Zone and PvE environment don't evolve, I'm not sure many people will be left in New York City come the winter.

If you can accept its myriad tonal inconsistencies and buy into the bullet-sponge combat, The Division is an intriguing social shooter that taps into the addictiveness of loot grinding in a novel setting.

Ubisoft now has a solid foundation for operating its first persistent open world. If Massive and co. make smart additions to the end-game content and keep a steady stream of new activities for players to enjoy, I could see this game going strong years into the future. But if the Dark Zone and PvE environment don't evolve, I'm not sure many people will be left in New York City come the winter.

For Pokémon fans, it’s a hard recommendation for its self-imposed separation from the grand Pokémon universe. For the person in the middle of the Pokémon and fighting game Venn diagram, however, enough depth exists to encourage heated, practiced competition to earn it a spot next to Super Smash Bros. on the shelf.

The short cutscenes that bookend the level do little to set up the overarching narrative, and would be forgettable even if you didn't have to wait a month for the next few minutes of story. This simply isn't enough, even for devoted fans like me. I'm still optimistic that Hitman will end up being a good game, but you very well may have to wait for the full bundle in January to play it.

When all is said and done, Revelations winds up feeling more like “more Fire Emblem Fates” than its own distinct campaign and is easily the weakest of the three. However, for those looking to spend more time with Fates’ rich cast of characters and explore relationships unavailable in the either Conquest or Birthright, this DLC campaign is one quality encore.

If you can handle popping in and out just a few times a day to crack your chests, collect some crowns, and summon some archers, you’re in for a great time.

I half expected this game to be a shallow vanity project, but it's got more substance than that. The number of tracks and the career structure expose you to more content than most rally titles, even if the racing itself isn't tight enough to compete with the top dogs.

Superhot is a short-but-sweet experience. Its basic mechanics don’t evolve much after the first few levels, but the unique brand of bullet-time proves that games don’t have to be fast to feel action-packed.

The Flame in the Flood has a beautiful aesthetic and a strong structure, welcoming a larger audience with its accessibility options. The trip down the river is a rocky, dangerous one, but there are rich treasures and exciting tales waiting to be discovered by those brave enough to take the journey.

Garden Warfare 2 is active and engaging throughout. Finding challenges to take on, even when you don’t want to play online, is easy, and everything feeds into your leveling and unlocks regardless of where you are playing. The new classes add worthwhile abilities (and character designs), the new modes keeping things moving (and are often weird), and the combat is interesting, without venturing into the cumbersome or complicated.

While this first episode is a bit rocky and uneven, it ends strong, raising the stakes and setting the stage for the other two episodes. The Walking Dead: Michonne still has time to hit its stride, make something out of its supporting cast, and creating a journey worthy of its fascinating protagonist.

Don’t let the lack of a number fool you: This is a full Far Cry experience, with top-notch production and another massive open world to explore.

Despite some creative visual tricks, Layers of Fear doesn’t have sharp enough teeth to maintain its bite.

Despite some creative visual tricks, Layers of Fear doesn’t have sharp enough teeth to maintain its bite.

Journalism is far from a glamourous job, but stories that make a difference are the most gratifying part. Unfortunately, The Westport Independent never made me feel that was possible.

The campaign is a grueling challenge all the way through, but every time I snatched a win from the jaws of defeat I felt an undeniable surge of satisfaction and pride, one that made my victories that much sweeter. If that sounds fun to you, Conquest is the ideal way to play Fire Emblem Fates. If you want all of the fantastic gameplay with less pressure, don’t feel any shame about sticking to Birthright. You can’t go wrong either way.

Birthright is a grueling, fantastic experience that not only matches the quality of its predecessor but possibly outshines it as well, more than earning its place at the table of must-play strategy/RPGs.

The gameplay of Street Fighter V is excellent, and no matter what mode you play, the superb mechanics follow. Unfortunately, the content isn’t substantial, and omits several standard offerings that we’ve come to expect from the genre. It’s a shame that the structure presents so many frustrations, because the gameplay itself is entertaining.

Project X Zone 2 gets a lot of mileage out of its huge cast. Characters interactions stand out where storytelling falls apart; seeing everyone’s impressive animations keeps combat alive when things get tedious, but the total package isn’t consistently interesting.

Crashlands unfolds a structured progression and ongoing story in a branch of games that often feels too freeform for many players; that framework is what makes this the crafting game that could finally appeal to those who’ve never grasped the genre’s charms.

I played through the game once and was disappointed by its unsatisfactory ending. After running through it again and making different choices, I have a better appreciation for how well the dialog is crafted and delivered, even if the mystery’s resolution was just as flat the second time around. My initial feeling of “That’s it?” gave way to a bittersweet feeling that, just as in real life, “That’s it?” is sometimes all there is.

With just a dozen levels, Unravel's brief six-hour runtime still proves too long for the basic puzzle mechanics. However, the satisfying platforming, thoughtful story, and adorable protagonist make it a worthwhile journey. I grew tired of repeating the same puzzle solutions, but seeing Unravel through to the end was still a treat.

Hex lacks some of the features initially promised in the Kickstarter campaign, like multiplayer raids, guilds, mercenary allies, and “endgame” PvE content. Even without those features, it is a well-designed, robust digital trading card game with a wealth of exciting content offerings.

You're constantly under the gun in XCOM 2, and the deck is often stacked against you. Firaxis' masterclass in strategy design has you second-guessing all your choices and analyzing your smallest decisions. It might sound stressful, and at times it is, but XCOM 2's battles are so compelling that it's easy to pick yourself up after defeat and jump back into the fray. Successfully navigating XCOM 2's storm of difficult choices is enough to make you feel like a true legend.

An experimental and novel experience with some memorable surprises.

I can recall many times I involuntarily smiled as I saw what the level designers came up with. Those exhilarating moments of discovery and excitement – the moment you see the approach the designer took – are what will stick with me when I look back on my time with Klaus.

Deserts of Kharak is a single-player focused RTS game designed for lovers of the waning genre. If that’s what you’re looking for, it won’t disappoint, but the campaign is rather short, and the multiplayer options don’t do much to keep your interest piqued.

Seeing how TT Games pokes fun at Marvel’s films is worth the price of entry alone. The gameplay is also quite good, but it is a little rough around the edges. The biggest strike against it is secret characters aren’t as noteworthy as those in Lego Marvel Super Heroes.

Final Fantasy Explorers never fully captivated me. Building up your character is fun and the Final Fantasy fan in me enjoyed all the callbacks, but it didn't keep me invested. It gives you plenty to tinker with, but doesn't have the meat to back it up.

The opaque world might be disappointing for some players, but The Witness is about a different kind of discovery. It steers your mind in unconventional directions, and makes you feel clever as you build on your knowledge and uncover new layers about the game’s language and logic. Even when I wasn’t playing it, I was thinking about puzzles that had me stumped. Some puzzles are tough, but all of them are fair, and the fun of solving them is only topped by seeing what awaits you on the next series of monitors.

Paper Jam doesn’t disappoint while not dramatically changing the formula previously established, but it ranks high in the Mario RPG pantheon thanks to its improvements in pace, willingness to trust its players to figure out the mechanics, and its goofy multi-Mario-verse premise.

Trails of Cold Steel may not turn the genre on its head, but it does almost everything well. It is the first game in a trilogy, and Xseed has already confirmed the next game is coming to North America. After this delightful entry, I'm on board to see the next move.

This HD remaster of Resident Evil 0 is an easy recommendation for anyone who enjoyed the original GameCube release and has enough patience to navigate the sometimes tedious inventory management.

Darkest Dungeon is an incredible take on the classic dungeon crawl. The game brings Lovecraftian lore to new heights with cool classes, powerful narration, stylish art, and addictive gameplay that will keep you crawling back to battle slithering monstrosities even as your favorite heroes become corpses.

As much as I loved parts of the overall experience, others let me down. Even so, I enjoyed learning about these characters and seeing them grow through my actions.

As much as I loved parts of the overall experience, others let me down. Even so, I enjoyed learning about these characters and seeing them grow through my actions.

Without reinventing the concept, Badland 2 strives towards new mechanics and variations on its core design. Precision-focused gameplay make this a deeper experience than it might first seem, and Frogmind once again manages to rise above most mobile competitors.

Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is a disappointment. Outside of the gorgeous, painted art style, it has few redeeming features.

Despite the grievances I have with the action and impact on the story, this is an enjoyable and evenly paced episode that effectively wraps up the Wither Storm arc for Minecraft: Story Mode, and delivers an ending that tugs on players’ heartstrings.

Devil’s Third is not an unplayable game, but it may as well be for all it offers. From the action to the environments, the experience is devoid of personality. The story is a joke, the combat is simplistic, and it only gets worse the deeper you get. If you enjoy playing games that are terrible for a laugh, Devil’s Third is a great candidate – but please don’t interpret that as a recommendation.

Rubble Without A Cause is a small step backwards for this new vision for King’s Quest, but the series has enough momentum and potential that I’m not scared off yet. King Graham’s endearing self-doubt mixed with the collection of oddball puzzles helps carry this episode, despite some early stumbling blocks.

In spite of SteamWorld Heist’s limited inventory system, I recommend making space on your 3DS for this charming title. Its unique 2D strategy never feels as deep as something like XCOM, but I never grew tired of ricocheting a pistol shot off a wall and into the red eyes of a villainous space thug.

It’s hard to overstate my enthusiasm for the original Amplitude. While I have reservations about some of the music selections and progression, that doesn’t stop me from enjoying this revival. Amplitude is a taste of the past, but it’s far from outdated.

Dirty Rally can be unforgiving, unrelenting, and seemingly as high in its demands as the infamous hill climb at Pikes Peak. But the journey is sublime.

Fast Neo Racing is a pretty game with solid racing and a fantastic sense of speed. It’s a sparse experience without much to engage you outside of straightforward racing, but works as a quality reminder of the high-speed sci-fi racing genre that we thought had been forgotten.

Nuclear Throne somehow manages to be both fun and frustrating at the same time, making for an interesting roguelike shooter that will keep you coming back for more.

Fans of the well-crafted, single-player campaigns of previous Rainbow Six games will find nothing of value in Siege. The short tutorial missions lack replay value, and the popular Terrorist Hunt mode, which can be played with up to five friends, gives players little options other than ramping up the difficulty. Locking players out of selecting the map they want to play on is a curious decision, as are many of the battle tactics you see the enemy A.I. employ.

The tactical demands Siege puts on players is unlike anything else on the console market today, and may prove enough for those seeking this flavor of first-person shooter. However, Siege doesn’t do enough to unite players who understand the importance of communication or provide variation in rest of the package.

The multiplayer core at the heart of Rainbow Six Siege is a great foundation. But given its lack of infrastructure around the mode and severe lack of meaningful modes to buttress it, Siege feels slight when compared to its past entries and the other big-name first-person shooter franchises it competes against.

A better, more focused sense of humor and combat tweaks help move the action along at a better pace, but Pokémon Super Mystery Dungeon still pales in comparison to the core RPG installments.

Players may find their enthusiasm flagging at times, but it’s hard not to cackle with glee after watching yet another base bloom into a fiery blossom.

Avalanche does a good job of giving players access to new tools just as it seems the novelty is close to wearing off, right until the end. By the time I finished clearing out the final outpost, however, I was definitely ready to move on. Medici’s a great place to visit, but I’m not prepared to make it a new home – certainly not considering the state I left it in.

I began Xenoblade Chronicles X filled with enthusiasm for its intriguing world and gorgeous visuals. But like the hackneyed songs that play ad nauseum throughout, the gameplay doesn’t have enough depth or entertainment to sustain such a prolonged experience.

Episode 3 gets the series back on track and make any fears I had stemming from Episode 2 feel like a distant memory.

The Old Hunters has questions, has answers, and has some glorious new secrets to be uncovered. If you have already experienced Bloodborne, this add-on is absolutely essential. If you haven’t, it’s the perfect time to join the Old Hunters and journey through the streets of Yharnam and the new nightmares that follow.

The extracurricular activities are severely lacking, but the core tennis is good. Hitting a ball back and forth has been a fun video game pastime time since the medium’s inception, and responding to your opponent’s volley with the appropriate attack and pulling off powerful Ultra Smashes and jumpshots is fun. I just wanted more reasons to keep playing.

DICE succeeded in creating a Star Wars experience I always wanted to be a part of, but it didn’t hold my interest as a gamer long. It’s a game I plan to revisit often, but not for extended periods of time. Forthcoming DLC could certainly change this approach, but for the time being, the thrills out of the box are extremely limited.

Despite a couple of missteps in the narrative, I enjoyed Telltale’s addition to Game of Thrones’ lore. As this episode clearly illustrates, Telltale is quick to swing its sword when it when it comes to character-defining moments.

Rebel Galaxy appears complicated out of the gate, but it hits a steady pace after some acclimating to the ship controls and menu-based features like upgrade shops and the commodity market. The progression loop of grinding out missions, earning credits to beef up your ship, then taking it back out again is fun, but the mission design felt too familiar to keep me hooked for the long haul.

Overall, it’s still an impressive experience with powerful protoss style and flavor, a handful of cool levels that play with the genre in unique ways, and a cache of fun multiplayer components come together to create a solid conclusion to one of the most iconic real-time strategy games of all time.

Playing through Broforce’s campaign may have given me heartburn, but it’s an adventure I’d make all over again without hesitation.

While WRC 5 offers a decent experience, it lacks bite or any distinguishing characteristics.

It feels less like an emulation of a puzzle box and more like a traditional adventure game, but Fireproof Games hasn’t lost touch with what makes this series exciting: a rich atmosphere and a series of clever puzzles.

Fallout 4 didn’t blow me away like the previous iteration did, but it did keep me thoroughly entertained and fully vested in journeying across the wasteland.

Rise of the Tomb Raider captures the thrill of being an adventurer and leaves you thinking about Lara's next move. You have daredevil sequences, heroic moments, fun exploration, and exciting fights that even Indiana Jones would envy. If Crystal Dynamics keeps raising the bar from here, I can't wait to see what's next for Lara.

Downwell is at its best when you’re bounding from one enemy to the next, blasting through obstacles, and frantically scanning for a safe path through the chaos. This moment-to-moment challenge is fun, and the later levels (and final boss) put your skills to the test. Unfortunately, the journey to that level of proficiency feels like a grind. Though each run is technically different, they all start to feel the same.

The new Zombies mode is the most interesting offering, which places up to four players in a co-op survival experience against a legion of zombies and other nasties in a wave-based trek through a fictional film-noir city. With smooth jazz tones and a unlockable city full of secrets, your cast of characters with checkered pasts come together to try to escape the nightmare by acquiring new guns and gumball-fueled powers as they use currency to unlock new areas of the city and buy new weapons.

Despite a campaign that struggles with occasional mundane shootouts that bring the out-of-this-world story down to earth, the overall Call of Duty: Black Ops III package is incredibly strong, with something for everyone. Whether you’re into traditional multiplayer mayhem or zombie survival, you’ve got lots of choices that are fun solo and even better with friends.

Comparing Yo-kai Watch to Pokémon is more than fair as the game borrows from the series that helped establish what has become its own genre, but there’s no reason to pick one over the other. Yo-kai Watch is a worthy competitor that stands comfortably next to Nintendo’s monster collector as a distinct peer.

Need for Speed checks off the boxes for the series, but unfortunately it's not a revaluation that necessarily improves on what's already come before.

When you reboot a franchise, it's done with the tacit understanding that it needs to move to a better space. Need for Speed checks off the boxes for the series, but unfortunately it's not a revaluation that necessarily improves on what's already come before.

Due to last years’ visual overhaul, these wrestlers continue to look better than ever. Unfortunately, WWE’s gameplay hasn’t made the same strides as its graphics. Reliving Steve Austin’s career will likely appeal to a lot of wrestling fans, but it’s more fun to watch than to play.

Sword Coast Legends has some great ideas and a wonderful world to draw upon, but struggles to live up to its potential.

Cibele shows an intriguing direction for games to become representations of their creators' real lives, almost like confessionals. As we've seen more in recent years, developers are confronting tougher topics, such as sex, depression, and death. This is an enlightening movement that's still in its infancy. Much like Cibele, these early lessons have revealed a few stumbling blocks, but I'm glad they're happening.

Tales From The Borderlands got off to more than a slow start, and while The Vault Of The Traveler doesn't redeem the entire experience, it justified my decision to stick with it.

Even with its brief length and scattered pacing, Episode 2 could have been noteworthy if it played to the strengths that propped up Episode 1. Instead, Assembly Required doesn’t bring the charm or the high level of action its predecessor does, and it ends up feeling like an epilogue rather than a full episode.

The Park is more unnerving that outright scary, though there are a few attempts at jump scares scattered throughout the game.

For the first time, Halo is fully embracing the broader fiction established in other mediums, drawing in characters and concepts of greater complexity. As a result, the universe feels more nuanced, even if some less devoted players may get lost in the jargon. Beautiful cut scenes lend a cinematic vibe to the ongoing adventure, which sees Master Chief chasing the one thing that can make him turn away from his duty, and a new generation of Spartans ordered to bring him back.

Sure, the project has had its share of missteps, but it's also been full of powerful moments that surpass your average experience with a video game.

For all of the familiar parts of Syndicate, it still feels inventive. It may draw inspiration from previous installments, but features like the zipline and revamped progression system demonstrate a willingness to cut stagnant elements loose. With a cool setting, memorable characters, and a wealth of content, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate has all of the hallmarks of a great Assassin’s Creed entry – but it also surprised me by challenging what I previously thought a great entry should be.

Tri Force Heroes does co-op well, but the repetitive gameplay loop simply isn’t satisfying.

I like Guitar Hero Live; FreeStyle has crafted an innovative and intriguing variation on the standard music game formula. But as I played, I couldn’t help feeling like my enjoyment was on a slowly burning fuse, and the inability to play my favorite songs was waiting to blow up the fun.

Some horror games skillfully wield repetition as a tool, letting players grow accustomed to the familiar to set up scares both subtle and cuss-worthy. Unfortunately, Maiden of the Black Water is waterlogged with repeated environments and monotonous phantasmagorical photo sessions.

Tales of Zestiria feels like a game from another time in many ways, and not in the charming type of way. It forces you through some the most boring and outdated elements from RPGs of yesteryear. If the series wants to stay relevant it needs to put forth a better effort than Zestiria.

Minecraft fans should enjoy the references to the game, while Telltale fans will enjoy the traditional storytelling elements they’ve come to expect from the studio. The Order of the Stone grabs your attention at a number of points and sets you down the path of actually caring about what’s going on in a story set in the player-driven Minecraft universe.

Yoshi’s Woolly World is the Wii U’s best-looking game, as well as the best Yoshi’s Island since the original Super Nintendo title. It has a great balance of challenge, exciting bosses, callbacks to the first game, and enough new mechanics and touches to make it easily stand above each attempt at creating a Yoshi’s Island successor of the past two decades.

Zip Lash isn’t the game that’s ultimately going to convert people into being Chibi-Robo fans; it’s a competent platformer, but it sticks too close to the genre manual and is missing a much-needed spark.

Rising Tide is an overhauled look at the core experience, and it would be difficult to go back to Beyond Earth without the myriad enhancements the expansion offers. As with Civilization V before it, Beyond Earth looks like it’s becoming all it can be as it evolves with these upgrades.

Platinum Games has been a bit of an inconsistent developer. The studio has delivered a number of high-octane action games, but then it releases lackluster licensed products like The Legend of Korra. Going into Transformer: Devastation, I wasn’t sure which side of Platinum I was dealing with. Thankfully, Devastation’s polished combat, gameplay variety, and affection for the classic brand make it a game that the studio can take pride in.

As far as musou-style action games go, Dragon Quest Heroes represents the most fun I’ve had with the genre. The added RPG layers, crafting, and tactical monster collection all help alleviate a total focus on repetitive combat. These, plus a fantastic art style, gave me plenty of reasons to be excited about jumping into battle.

Despite its rough edges, Prison Architect provides enough depth and customization to make it compelling. Every riot, escape attempt, and execution brings you a step closer to building the perfect prison – all accompanied by the amusing (and sometimes horrifying) moments that emerge naturally in any good simulation.