The brilliant part of this concept is how it imbues every activity with purpose. The world of Inquisition is immense, and a freeform structure means everything you accomplish, no matter how small, feeds your larger aspirations.

With a mixture of open-world exploration, entertaining combat, and top-tier characters, the team at BioWare has found a winning formula that isn’t shackled to either Dragon Age: Origins or Dragon Age II. Inquisition is not defined by the traditions it returns to, but by the new directions it forges for this magnificent fantasy universe.

Tales of Hearts R is an adequate RPG, but it doesn’t do much to make itself memorable.

The total package of Halo: The Master Chief Collection is massive and intimidating, but none of it is crammed in or hastily included. Even the modes that appeal to a small dedicated group of Halo fans have received attention.

Fans of Shantae's previous adventures will likely find more to love with Pirate's Curse, but there are enough superior retro-inspired games (Shovel Knight, Strider, Azure Striker Gunvolt, etc.) to make this one hard to recommend unless you've already played them all. However, there is fun to be had if you're a tenacious enough pirate to dig for WayForward's buried gold.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s single-player campaign is a ridiculous summer movie romp with sobering visions of the future of weaponry. Bring popcorn, because the real fun begins with the multiplayer, where the wealth of customization options should have players coming back for game after game.

NBA Live 15 may not be ready to stand shoulder to shoulder with its competition, but with much improved presentation and mechanics the series is trending in the right direction. The remaining gameplay issues and lack of mode depth, however, makes it tough to recommend this particular version.

The Legend of Korra is a great TV series that is ripe for a strong video game adaptation, and Platinum has laid the groundwork for an interesting combat experience. However, missteps in balancing, combat timing, and level design add up quickly, and even Korra’s sassy quips can’t pull the game back from the brink.

This version of WWE 2K15 works if you’re not planning on buying a new-gen console anytime soon, are a big fan of the careers of the four leads, would like to play the exclusive Who Got NXT mode, and like the mechanics just the way they are. Custom creators, on the other hand, might as well continue to build up their creations on 2K14.

A surprisingly solid title that wasn’t even on my radar. While it borrows heavily from the Souls franchise, it’s done well and with its own signature flair. I highly recommend this game to anyone that enjoys that series, and if you haven’t gone down that road before, it might be a more forgiving entry point into the action RPG.

The overall storytelling of Episode 3 is the strongest so far. The ending especially strikes a chord, and has left me more intrigued for the next episode than any of the previous cliffhangers.

Outside of the mission monotony, Sunset Overdrive is an immensely rewarding experience that has a look and style all its own and a great gameplay package to complement it.

Natural Doctrine isn’t noteworthy outside of it’s combat, if you feel like strategy games have grown stale, Kadokawa Games’ curious take on the genre is an interesting change of pace.

This is a must play for strategy fans, and if you’ve always been curious about the genre but never jumped in, your opportunity is here.

Fantasy Life starts off enjoyable, but it nosedives quickly, leaving you with an experience disconnected from the potential of the world and its inhabitants.

If Harmonix’s latest project at times fails to find footing as a traditional game, it makes up for it by invoking a novel experience of discovery, creation, and involvement with music.

Project Spark offers an impressive collection of tools for tinkerers, or even someone who might want to try prototyping an idea, but the experience is what you’re willing to make of it. It won’t make a designer out of everyone, but if you’re eager to invest and study, it can be a versatile and enjoyable tool.

A City Sleeps is an intriguing take on shoot ‘em ups, but the limited content and out of reach powers keep it from reaching its potential.

Horror fans shouldn’t let the disappointing story deter them one bit, however. Few Paranormal Activity fans care how these malevolent demons come back again and again – what truly matters is that the audience’s nerves are frayed until they’re raw.

The Evil Within excels at keeping your palms sweaty while delivering a harrowingly rewarding gameplay trial. Watching the credits roll with a sigh of relief doesn’t feel like winning; it feels like surviving.

When it works, NBA 2K15 offers a triple double worth of compelling content, from its accessible but deep gameplay to the deep MyGM and dramatic MyCareer modes. Unfortunately, the connectivity issues continue to box out players from its engaging experiences.

When it works, NBA 2K15 offers a triple double worth of compelling content, from its accessible but deep gameplay to the deep MyGM and dramatic MyCareer modes. Unfortunately, the connectivity issues continue to box out players from its engaging experiences.

I wanted to love Pier Solar HD. I grew up playing the titles it emulates, and seeing the look and feel so authentically captured gave me high hopes. However, I grew increasingly bored with Pier Solar once the initial wonder wore away.

Ultimately, those who just want more Borderlands are getting their wish. The Pre-Sequel offers plenty of missions, completely new environments and playable characters, and one of the more interesting story threads of the series. If you're looking for more from Borderlands, however, The Pre-Sequel falls short.

Fluid and satisfying combat remains the centerpiece of the experience. No matter what you do, Bayonetta 2 makes you look and feel awesome while doing it.

I clearly wasn’t as smart as Sherlock Holmes, but the game sure made me feel like him – something I haven’t been able to say about the other games bearing his name.

I hate feeling like a buzzkill here, but I can’t recommend this to anyone who wasn’t evangelical about the original Costume Quest. The changes to the game are a stride in the right direction, but it still has quite a ways to go if it wants to be seen as anything other than a series of funny skits divided by boring combat intermissions. I don’t feign enthusiasm when I see a kid wearing a mediocre costume, and I’m not going to do it here.

DriveClub works as advertised, and despite the seamlessness of its single-player and online features, the game's not wildly more captivating than most other racers out there.

Tense, certainly, and I jumped at more than a few surprise xenomorph encounters, but the environments and action fail to instill the sense of dread that the movies or other horror games have inflicted on fans. Despite taking more than its share of inspiration from the Alien series, I found Dead Space to be scarier than Isolation, even if playing through the genuine article is far more appealing.

Unlike its titular organism, Alien: Isolation is decidedly imperfect. The story falls flat, your objectives lack a sense of accomplishment, and the campaign drags on longer than it should. When the gameplay is at its best, however, Isolation delivers the thrill of being in the Alien universe, something fans like me have waited a long time to properly experience.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter won’t challenge your brain like it will challenge your daring, but it offers up plenty of thrills and tells a crafty story that fans of dark fantasy and pulp horror won’t want to miss.

Trap Team is an expensive proposition (see sidebar), but one that pounds out thrills and gives fans plenty of reason to visit Skylands for a fourth time.

Ultimax makes small tweaks to the fighting system, but it also keeps things fresh with new characters, an intriguing story mode that Persona fans will adore, and plenty of modes to keep you busy.

Atlus and Arc System Works have succeeded in creating another solid fighting game. Ultimax makes small tweaks to the fighting system, but it also keeps things fresh with new characters, an intriguing story mode that Persona fans will adore, and plenty of modes to keep you busy.

The sliding backgrounds and other elements are initially clever, but they ultimately don’t gel or grow in any interesting ways. You only have a handful of different backgrounds to choose from at any given time, so finding a way past the next obstacle is only a matter of trial and error – if the obviousness of a solution doesn’t hit you immediately. Finding that balance is tricky, and Murasaki Baby’s superficiality is further dragged down by the annoying controls.

There’s definitely a charming old-school spark to this reboot, but without anything beyond the constant monster mashing and levels that seem to blend together, you may find yourself needing excitement badly.

Neverending Nightmares is an emotionally resonant experience. I felt fully empathetic towards Thomas’ struggles, which is an impressive feat. The limited interactivity holds it back from taking full advantage of its medium, but I understood and was affected by Thomas’ inescapable depression.

Super Smash Bros. has KO’d my assumptions and renewed my enthusiasm for the series.

Shadow of Mordor is an unabashedly challenging and complex experience, sometimes at the expense of accessibility.

Forza Horizon 2 may not be the perfect sequel, but it still delivers stiff challenges, fun racing moments, and a variety of experiences. Hopefully another few years on the Xbox One can create a clearer direction forward for the series and enable it to continue being a worthy branch of the Forza brand.

I have nothing against mega-difficult games, there are just better ones to spend your time with than Fenix Rage.

The narrative hooks are numerous and capable of sinking in nice and deep. I can’t wait to see where this crazy tale goes next in the forthcoming episodes. Hopefully less of my time is spent on needless action, and more of it is focused on the case and characters.

Playing it makes me believe I can do just about anything with the ball at my feet, and this self-assurance is powerful. If you have the desire, FIFA 15 meets the challenge. It does not disappoint.

FIFA 15 takes the series into a whole other level with gameplay that betters the surmounting hype that threatened to engulf it.

Wasteland 2 feels like a perfect execution of what inExile hoped to accomplish with this Kickstarter-fueled project, not only an excellent retro nod to the computer RPGs of decades ago, but a great RPG of today After a 26-year hiatus, this long-awaited sequel is a worthy successor to the CRPG throne.

The end result is a tale of two games: One that crushes the dreams of people hoping to wear spandex or a cape, and another that gives artists and creators more power. Stay away if your hopes lie with finally playing a great Avengers or Guardians of the Galaxy game. Come play if your ambitions lie mostly with building worlds.

The repetition of Dynasty Warriors pervades throughout Hyrule Warriors, but this unexpected crossover with the Zelda universe works. It might not be the Zelda game we expected for Link’s first original Wii U debut, but it will happily hold us over while we wait for the console’s first true Legend of Zelda experience.

Bungie’s new game is not as gigantic or revolutionary as that hype may have led some to believe. In fact, it has several features that feel like missteps or problems. But that doesn’t change the fact that the more I play it, the more I love it.

Even with its stumbles, the initial release of Destiny is a colossal achievement in interactive design, integrating a number of differing genre elements into a smart and unified whole. Bungie’s latest futuristic opus is one of the first true event games of this new generation, and while it still has room to grow, it’s worth your attention right out of the gate.

For those who already tapped through the 70-plus immortal tunes of the original and felt satisfied, this expanded song selection and the extra modes may not be enough to justify a return visit. However, Curtain Call is a good choice for those diehard Final Fantasy fans that couldn't get enough of the original.

When you’re dancing Spotlight is fun, but it is easily the weakest game in the Dance Central series.

Don't let the allure of authentic arenas and improved NBC-branded commentary fool you - NHL 15 is a colossal disappointment. Missing modes like the six-on-six EASHL, GM Connected, and Live the Life, NHL 15 starts the game down a man. When you add the fact that existing modes like Be a Pro and Be A GM have been fundamentally stripped of essential features, it's downright insulting to hockey fans everywhere.

With the startling amount of missing content, kneecapped modes, and uneven gameplay in NHL 15, either EA Sports isn't giving EA Canada the same level of resources as its other sports franchises or the development team is woefully incapable of negotiating a console transition. If the publisher doesn't care to put a winning effort into its NHL series, hockey fans have no reason to jump over the boards and buy the game.

Azure Striker Gunvolt is a worthwhile adventure, even if it's wrapped in a disposable sci-fi story about telekinetic adepts. Azure Striker Gunvolt delivers some of the fun you remember from older Mega Man titles while injecting a jolt of new gameplay.

Futurlab’s stellar game is challenging and unusual, and its complex controls are demanding. For that reason, Velocity 2X may not fascinate novice gamers, but experienced players will delight at its varied gameplay, spare design aesthetic, and daring speed.

I feel like I'm playing a game that's half-baked. The core formula is still fun, but The Sims 4 isn't an improvement.

As a fan of both, I didn't get all the bells and whistles I expect from both sides, but I’m pleased with how the strongest elements from the Professor Layton and Phoenix Wright games came through in the end.

If you enjoyed the first entry, you absolutely owe it to yourself to play Goodbye Despair. If you who weren't enamored with it, you won't find anything here to change your mind. Nonetheless, you still won't find a series out there that messes with your head like Danganronpa. It sticks with you long after you've watched the credits roll.

Telltale has once again left me thinking and longing, and I hope they make these endings mean even more in the future.

Metro Redux may not offer much to entice players who have already played and enjoyed these games, but this remastered bundle is the best way for newcomers to experience the thrills and scares of this under-appreciated series.

Metro Redux may not offer much to entice players who have already played and enjoyed these games, but this remastered bundle is the best way for newcomers to experience the thrills and scares of this under-appreciated series.

Metro Redux may not offer much to entice players who have already played and enjoyed these games, but this remastered bundle is the best way for newcomers to experience the thrills and scares of this under-appreciated series.

Infamous First Light lacks some of the punch of Second Son in its campaign battles and familiar narrative marks, but is still a welcome addition to the series. Fetch is a fantastically written character, and the conclusion to her origin story is worth seeing in its entirely – even if you already know what happens. Sucker Punch did a phenomenal job with the finale.

Lichdom: Battlemage is an interesting and enjoyable take on first-person fantasy with lots of customization to dive into. I’m hoping this initial effort leads to an even more polished sequel for Xaviant down the line.

Naxxramas is an excellent addition to the core game, and an exploration of sorts to examine the potential for additional single-player Hearthstone content. While there is little replay value to the encounters themselves, the adventure provides a substantial amount of new content that spills over into ranked, casual, and arena mode and changes how you approach the game.

Sports games like Madden are often chided for being too iterative, but in this case I hope we're witnessing the first steps in a larger progression. Future Maddens need to support Madden 15's additions so we don't wonder why once-prominent features haven't evolved. The series can't withstand another rebuilding year or worse - an entire console generation thrown away.

Sports games like Madden are often chided for being too iterative, but in this case I hope we're witnessing the first steps in a larger progression. Future Maddens need to support Madden 15's additions so we don't wonder why once-prominent features haven't evolved. The series can't withstand another rebuilding year or worse - an entire console generation thrown away.

The Golf Club delivers as a course creator, and it's no slouch swinging the clubs, either. What's missing is the personality: the larger career structure and personal investment in your avatar to spur players on and elevate the experience from a nice set of features to the complete package.

Tales of Xillia 2 has its flaws, but it also has plenty of what fans of the series love: Challenging battles, great character interactions, and a story full of twists. I'm still continually lured in by the series, I just wish this entry felt like more than a sideways step.

The complete Diablo III experience is enjoyable played solo, but by allowing a combination of online and local cooperative play for up to four players and adding some fun new social tools, Blizzard has made this the cooperative game to beat on new-gen consoles. No matter your experience level with the game, this is an excellent time to dive in to the action.

I can't stress how much I enjoyed the game's art, music, and quirky vibe. Hohokum is one hell of a screensaver. As a game, it lacks depth.

Though it technically succeeds as a piece of functional software, Akiba’s Trip fails to be fun. Bland combat, unremarkable missions and sidequests (which are mainly fight/fetch requests), and an abundance of hollow cartoon characters in their underwear don’t deliver any thrills.

While Risen 3 doesn’t have great combat or an enthralling story, there’s a lot of content to delve into for those hungry for an open-world action/RPG, and that might be enough to entice fans to give it a try.

If you’re a fan of puzzle games, don’t miss Crunching Koalas’ brilliant remix. MouseCraft drops you into a series of challenges that will initially make you feel like a mouse trapped in a maze. But after working your way through these environments, you’ll feel like a mad scientist who can’t be stopped.

If you’re a fan of puzzle games, don’t miss Crunching Koalas’ brilliant remix. MouseCraft drops you into a series of challenges that will initially make you feel like a mouse trapped in a maze. But after working your way through these environments, you’ll feel like a mad scientist who can’t be stopped.

While I love that Metrico doesn't hold your hand, there were times when I felt I could have used a bit more to hang on to - especially the levels where some of the on-screen "hints" are actually obfuscating the true course of action. However, for every moment of frustration, there were greater feelings of pride and the thrill of discovery.

I genuinely enjoyed the charming early hours of Road Not Taken, but its rewards are a game of diminishing returns.

The more I played Road Not Taken, the more my hesitations mounted. Mixing rogue-like restarts with puzzle mechanics is an intriguing concept, and I like the opportunity to see new puzzles on each playthrough. However, the resulting problems and sense of repetition on similar (even if not identical) puzzles isn’t worth the trade-off.

I can see how Sacred 3 is going to upset purists and longtime fans; the latest entry has as much in common with Skylanders as it does with previous entries, to be honest. If you’re dead-set on an open world, this one’s dead in the water. If you liked last year’s Sacred: Citadel and want a slightly deeper take on it, however, it’s worth a shot.

Crimsonland feels like an incomplete game. It has all the gameplay mechanics in place, but its backgrounds, character assets, music, and general presentation look and sound like they were put in for testing purposes while awaiting the real art and music to arrive. The twin-stick shooting at the core is fun, but the experience can’t help but be diminished by nearly every other aspect of the game.

It will cost a couple hours of your life to finish Only If, and that price is too high for the few fleeting, interesting concepts buried in the wreckage.

Unless you're obsessed with speedrunning (and are just obsessive in general), this is one stray dog you shouldn't play with.

Like the best visual updates, Remastered plays like you remember it. If you played 2013's Game of the Year near release and have been dying to return to the dark tale, then this is a great opportunity. If you never played The Last of Us at all, this is absolutely the way to do it. But be careful - you'll never want to go back to the PS3 original again after reveling in all the improvements.

For some of the hardcore fans of the original, New ‘n’ Tasty may disappoint simply because it is different, but – as someone who saved every Mudokon in Abe’s Oddysee – I had a great time revisiting this classic.

From somber deaths to one satisfying slap, Amid the Ruins has a lot of memorable moments. As you approach the end, you're left in an unexpected place that keeps your head spinning. Telltale was smart to involve players in this final moment, forcing them to make a knee-jerk reaction to a complex situation.

The content of The Crown of the Sunken King seems small in comparison to the Artorias expansion for the original game, but with two other pieces coming to expand upon things (and the promise of additional secrets when all three have been cleared), I can’t wait to die again.

My time with Wayward Manor felt more like a trial than a macabre puzzle adventure about a haunted house. Wayward Manor isn’t frightening, but it sure scared me away.

Magic 2015 – Duels of the Planeswalkers is possibly the best of the series, and an excellent option for gamers that might be interested in learning how to play Magic: The Gathering.

Civilization Revolution 2’s flaws don’t detract from its addictive nature.

Despite all the good parts, the finale is underwhelming, which sums my feelings about the overall season. It has amazing moments, but the missteps along the way make them harder to enjoy.

Embrace the lack of handholding and complete freedom, and you have an incredible title that provides many hours of entertainment.

The aspects of Lifeless Planet that succeed elevate it past the technical shortcomings, but only so far. You will find a compelling world and a story worth experiencing, but you do so at the expense of well-polished animation and gameplay that hinders the overall experience.

If Activision cares to know, fans are indeed hungry for a new Transformers game – just not one that shamelessly tries to make us trade our hard-earned cash for junk.

If Activision cares to know, fans are indeed hungry for a new Transformers game – just not one that shamelessly tries to make us trade our hard-earned cash for junk.

If you can't get enough of dramatic, transparent shots of enemies getting shredded by sniper fire, Sniper Elite III has you covered in spades. If you're interested in more motivation beyond the glory of the kill, look elsewhere.

If you can't get enough of dramatic, transparent shots of enemies getting shredded by sniper fire, Sniper Elite III has you covered in spades. If you're interested in more motivation beyond the glory of the kill, look elsewhere.

Another World holds up well all these years later, and it remains a captivating must-play for sci-fi fans.

Mika Mobile has crafted a lengthy and uncomplicated action/RPG adventure, with just enough challenge and depth to draw in gamers of all stripes.