Graphically, it's a masterpiece. [Jan 2006, p.136]

This is everything I've wanted the franchise to become. [Dec 2005, p.161]

London Life will ensure plenty of gameplay to bridge the gap to the next 3DS Layton chapter.

Wasteland 3 is a solid CRPG, tasking you with decisions both minute and massive as you carve your legacy into Colorado. Will you serve the Patriarch for the greater good? Will you join forces with his psychotic son? His rebellious daughter? Or will you just roll around in the snow looking to pick fights with Scorpitrons? They’re all worth doing, so suit up and roll out for some wild times in the wastelands.

As a fan of the Guardians’ comic books and movies, I thoroughly enjoyed Eidos-Montreal’s unique take on this supergroup. The nonstop character banter and nicely designed choices make this a journey worth taking, even if the gameplay takes a little too long to highlight the team’s true potential.

Mirror of Fate takes its cues from MercurySteam’s 2010 console title, Lords of Shadow, and mixes in some light Metroid exploration elements. Once you’ve got your head around that, you’re in for an adventure that successfully fuses Castlevania’s new flavor with the franchise’s 2D roots.

As cool as the horror bits are, they are somewhat counterbalanced by the story, which adds nothing to the experience. Because these horror elements worked so well, I wished all the more that a compelling story were there to complement them.

Humanity strikes a delicate balance between challenging me at every turn and allowing me to feel like the god its narrative props me up to be. It’s an imaginative experience that provides a rush I imagine computer programmers feel when dozens of commands and lines of code finally work together to create a desired outcome. Its puzzles come wrapped in a beautiful package, from its minimalist visuals to its excellent clicky electronic beats. And best of all, these elements work together to emphasize a simple but effective message about what it means to be human and why life’s most intricate puzzles are easiest to solve when we work together.

Thanks to its vibrant art, music, and storytelling, I had a wonderful time with South of Midnight. Its narrative goes to some surprisingly dark places, yet it still brims with whimsy, making it a fitting adaptation of the source mythology's similar tone. I couldn't have told you what a Rougarou was a few weeks ago, but thanks to this game, I've got a catchy melody of its name that plays on repeat in my head. It's fitting that, like the stories and songs it seeks to honor, South of Midnight has successfully passed Southern folklore on to a new, wider audience.

Without exception, the four tables are excellently designed, and fantastic ball physics make the game worth repeated play. [Jan 2011, p.81]

MLB The Show 22 doesn't put up an all-star performance this year, but continues to be consistent in all avenues of play and finds new ways to make you want to spend time at the ballpark. Playing with friends in cooperative play is the standout feature if you can use it, but the on-the-field play and March to October also impress.

For the core game, I wish more of the action was in the hands of the player, but I can’t deny how enthralling the choices are, especially when they lead to absolute chaos. Once the frantic running through the woods begins, the dark mysteries and thrill of keeping people alive are powerful hooks that will keep you glued in suspense until the credits roll.

No prior knowledge of the series is required to jump into Oath in Felghana, though a fondness for 16-bit-era RPGs helps.

"Rogue Leader" looked fantastic, but Jedi Starfighter outperforms it with ease. [Apr 2002, p.71]

Swansong is this year's Forgotten City, a distinct narrative adventure that soars from the chances it takes. Player choice is front and center, and it’s nice to see these decisions turn into little games that carry significant narrative weight. Rarely have I played a game where I wanted to restart a scenario to undo bad decisions as I have here. Swansong makes you pay for your missteps and should be an excellent game for watercooler discussions with others who have played it.

It's a rare sighting of a beast that's increasingy hard to find in the wild: the pure third-person shooter. [Nov 2003, p.156]

Sword of the Sea moves at the pace of a magical swordsperson speeding across sand dunes on a floating blade at 170 miles per hour, and it never gives you a reason to look away.

Starbound is a satisfying space sandbox that rarely disappoints, with occasional minor bugs or mandatory missions offering minor quibbles with unbridled, endless exploration. This ambitious indie project has something for everyone buried within its retrograde graphical framework.

While the game lacks the feature depth of other Battlefield titles, 1943 is a fairly priced, solid core to build around with more downloadable content. If EA introduces weapon packs and additional maps from the franchise’s storied past, I’ll be playing right up to the release of Bad Company 2. [Aug 2009, p.89]

A complete game package that has been meticulously constructed to draw you in like a missile to an afterburner. [Nov 2001, p.102]

Evolve's matchups offer a lot of replayability and competitive thrills, and I can see myself returning to it consistently in the following months – even if those play sessions do inevitably end with me lusting for more to do in the world.

Wheelman has enough explosive thrills that you’ll be yelling and laughing the whole time.

Combining a real-time strategy game with a first-person shooter is a great idea, but I feel a bit like Savage is two separate, decent games rather than one great one. [Nov 2003, p.175]

The amount by which it expands the game in every direction is truly epic. [Feb 2004, p.110]

War for Cybertron isn't a perfect game, but it fulfills my youthful fantasies in a way that has me believing the developers had a window into my boyhood imagination.

Persona 4 Golden's greatest strength is that everything fits together seamlessly, from the connected battle and social aspects to the fresh changes. Newcomers are sure to find plenty to love, while series veterans can revisit fond memories and experience new content. This game still remains one of the best RPG to date; don't miss out on your second chance to experience it.

Early levels are frustrating when going solo, but bringing a few friends along makes it a significantly more manageable and fun experience. [Sept 2010, p.92]

I enjoyed the consistently pleasant mix of environmental puzzles and combat, as well as the crash course in Hungarian folklore.

Without exception, the four tables are excellently designed, and fantastic ball physics make the game worth repeated play.

Luftrausers is one of the most satisfying, enthralling arcade shooters to hit the market in recent memory.

At long last, the final game is here, and remains true to what we've seen before; Evolve is a concentrated and highly replayable experience, if you can accept the limitations of its unique format.

Planning gets you ahead, but making choices in the heat of the moment is just as important. This dichotomy makes Sanctum 2 some of the most fun I've had with a tower defense game in a long time.

A good fighter..., SC II just doesn't elevate the series the way I had hoped, and even takes a few steps back in some single-player respects. [Oct 2003, p.112]

It may not be as ambitious as the original, but it is a fun, clever, and intricate strategy title deserving of your divine attention. [Nov 2005, p.172]

If you have yet to play this series and like card games or RPGs, Lost Kingdoms II is a no-brainer. [June 2003, p.107]

As it is, Evolve does its one thing remarkably well, and the few other gripes I have – including long, multi-stage load times and the inability to customize A.I. teammates when playing with friends – don't dampen my enthusiasm for playing more.

One of the most satisfying, enthralling shooters to hit the market in recent memory.

Sanctum 2 shines brightest when it's forcing you to think and consider all the options it places in front of you, from tower choice to which enemies to gun down to what perks are the most advantageous.

Once Upon A Monster is the educational game I've been wanting since I first had kids. It's approachable and easy for them to grasp, while still remaining enough of a game to keep me engaged, too. If you're a parent whose kids already know their ABCs, Double Fine's game is a fantastic way to reinforce often-neglected (but critically important) skills like empathy, responsibility, and friendship. Plus, you can make Grover flap his stringy little blue arms like nobody's business.

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.

Outside of this, through its array of innovations, Major League Baseball 2K6 blows the doors off of what you could expect from a baseball game. [Apr 2006, p.116]

It delivers new experiences with its gameplay, offers rewarding bonus content (playable minor league teams, and collectable baseball cards), and improves upon its already robust online play with an array of sorting options that will allow players to find the appropriate match-ups. The only area that needs work is Franchise mode.

For a first-time entry into the firts-person market, Black is impressive. [Apr 2006, p.112]

I was a bit worried that moving toward a slower, sim-based game would hurt the experience, but I found that it’s just as intense.

If you like the genre or really graphic material (the first three hours are especially disturbing), Clock Tower 3 is a no-brainer. [May 2003, p.82]

Valkyria Chronicles II is the best PSP game I've played in years. [Sept 2010, p.95]

Thimbleweed Park revels in its humor, and succeeds in its efforts toward better puzzle design. The narrative takes some twists and turns that didn’t always hit home with me, but I enjoyed the whimsical journey nonetheless. With its stellar characters and smart puzzles, Thimbleweed Park is a joy to play from beginning to end.

All That Remains delivers by providing answers to lingering questions from season one and setting up new obstacles for Clementine to face. My biggest reservation is that it features many similarities to the first season; I have to wonder how many zombie fights and new camps of people I can find before they all blend together.

Quotation forthcoming. [Aug 2005]

Artifact pulls a ton of flavor from Dota 2, but it’s not necessarily a game for Dota 2 players. Artifact is instead a highly cerebral card game of push and pull, with intense resource allocation and randomization management. Artifact is absolutely not for everyone, but it excels at creating a crazy strategy cocktail pulling from every bottle on the shelf. For card game fans, Artifact is not to be missed.

Dying Light’s combat is at its best during melee fights due to the sheer brutality of the hand-to-hand animations, as well as the satisfying nature of hitting an attacker with the weapon you looted or crafted.

As ball physics and control go, it's dead on. [Oct 2003, p.145]

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.

Despite technical and parkour missteps, the rewarding combat mechanics, well-executed narrative, and excellent cooperative multiplayer bring players a delightful time in the shadow of the impending apocalypse.

This sequel went wide, and while that comes with benefits, like new ways to explore this beloved world and its various sights, it also comes with drawbacks. They aren't unlike anything fans of the genre have experienced before, and playing as cherished characters certainly eases the pain, but the tedium and bloat of the open-world checklist can sometimes get in the way of where Rebirth truly shines. The best of Remake exists in Rebirth, but the various open-world areas surrounding it – the parts that make Rebirth unique from its predecessor – sometimes miss the mark.

While the combat isn’t anything special and the puzzles wear out their welcome, Eastward’s characters, setting, and sounds craft an unforgettable experience. If you’re looking for something quirky, captivating, and somewhat surreal, you’ve found it.

Tropico 4 is the top simulation game I'll be recommending to genre newbies and fans alike.

Even the many vehicle-based levels are solid enough that you can't ask for much more in a platform game. [Nov 2003, p.159]

Combining the progress made with the WiiMotion Plus peripheral with an expanded online footprint, five new courses, four courses of actual mini-golf, and more, Tiger 11 is a full-fledged game with a motion-based swing and not just a slight curiosity.

For the second year running, "NHL" best encapsulates the play and and authenticity of the sport. [Sept 2004, p.103]

The features are there, and I’m glad that the on-the-field play is making strides forward and that it captures the excitement of a college football program that isn’t dominant, but which is more than capable of thrilling its fans.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions lands just shy of being the full package, but it delivers a non-stop action ride with something new around every corner. Though its story leaves something to be desired, it's one of the best Spider-Man titles in recent memory, if not the best Spider-Man title to date.

No one person can sing the praises of this title's presentation enough. [Jan 2004, p.142]

Orcs Must Die definitely falls into the tower defense genre of games, but the speedy controls and solid third-person shooting mechanic make it feel more like an action game throughout.

Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions lands just shy of being the full package, but it delivers a non-stop action ride with something new around every corner. Though its story leaves something to be desired, it's one of the best Spider-Man titles in recent memory, if not the best Spider-Man title to date.

A new flying gameplay mode has players steer with the left analog stick and hit the X button to propel the blob like some wild rocket. Specific flying zones let you explore for pickups and also challenge you to maneuver through laser hazards and spike-filled tunnels. This gets extra tense when a creeping death wall gets thrown into the mix. It's a blast balancing speed boosts and the slower, fine movement propulsion to narrowly escape instant crushing death.

While I yearned for a little more in a few areas (difficulty curve and graphical polish in particular), the overall experience lies somewhere between the first "Underground" and the second...meaning it's easy fun, but not genre-defining. [Dec 2005, p.148]

It may not push your new hardware to the limit and is a little rough around the edges, but the latest Saints Row is everything it needs to be, delivering a wonderful comedic experience with plenty of depth. While a little irritating, I was never bored and wanted to see where my team’s goofy antics would take them next. The payoffs are often worth the time investment, and just veering off the beaten path pays dividends. I’m glad the Saints are back, hopefully for another long haul.

This title, unlike the other sports launch games for the system, really is able to sell itself via its graphics. [Jan 2006, p.147]

The one real problem I have with this game is that the ubertrick system doesn’t work nearly as well as it should. The new controls do add something new to the series, but almost the entire time I pined for something more traditional.

True Colors’ writing is so strong that it didn’t need a supernatural ability to tell this story. I laughed, I cried, and the things that stick with me are the moments where Alex is tested and comes into her own. And there’s something special in how True Colors gives you the power to decide her future and what her life needs, making for a memorable ending with a highlight reel of what you envision for the character. Due to all branching choice variations, you can probably get in a few different playthroughs, but the overall message never changes: Don’t give up. It may be a well-worn saying, but it means a lot in Alex Chen’s pained life.

The updated visuals are attractive and the new mode is interesting – especially if you want to spend more time in that world – but if you played the 2009 original and consider yourself satisfied with that experience, then the incentive to return is small. If you’ve never played Bowser’s Inside Story, this is a fantastic way to experience what is probably the best of the Mario & Luigi games.

This thing's sweeter than that beer with candy pieces in it; y'know, Skittlebrau. [Nov 2003, p.157]

This is a no-brainer for anyone who still has a yellow Hulkamania shirt tucked away in their closet.

A few minor irritations, most notably queuing up production in multiple buildings, don’t do much to mar the overall experience. C&C 3 is a shining example of how fun a five-year-old design can still be if it receives enough polish and tuning.

Blur is the thinking person’s death race – if there is such a thing – where your mind is racing just as fast as your motor.

No, it doesn't redefine the game, but it does provide more depth to the title's action foundation. [Mar 2002, p.82]

Despite a few setbacks, Puppeteer features all the entertainment and creativity I've come to expect from Japan Studio. Sony has another exclusive title it can be proud of, and while Puppeteer may not take center stage in the company's holiday lineup, fans of family-friendly adventures won't want to miss it.

Like its protagonist, The Artful Escape leans into its unique identity and comes out the better for it. The game is breathtakingly beautiful, rich in music, and makes you feel like an intergalactic rock star while examining some thoughtful, relatable fears.

Loop Hero is a creative and clever little game that should be on your radar if you enjoy strategy, RPGs, deckbuilders, roguelikes, or all of the above. While its novelty begins to wither the further you get away from your opening hours, the journey is worthwhile and engaging.

Much like the PC Call of Duty (which I should note is a completely different game), this console title features a brilliant targetting mechanism that allows players to zoom in and aim down the sight of the firearm. [Jan 2005, p.115]

Chemistry is an important aspect of any championship team--even more so if you're going to win The Double--and FIFA 10 brings its pieces together nicely. [Nov 2009, p.101]

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu & Eevee are strong remakes of the original games. The feeling of amassing a giant collection of monsters and customizing your team never gets old, and the timeless turn-based combat is still fun to this day. Shoddy motion controls aside, Let's Go is a great time whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the series.

Rytmos is short and sweet, and its minimalist visuals and zen-like beats left me feeling warm. Its puzzles match everything else the game is doing, and it all works together well to highlight the music, its inspirations’ place in history, and the instruments that create it. The audiophile pedigree of Floppy Club shines through in Rytmos, and it feels designed specifically with musicians and music enthusiasts in mind, but puzzle fiends will also find a chill afternoon of challenges to play through here, too.

For all my complaining, there is one thing about this game that does rule, and that is the combat. It is still amazingly fun to slice and dice as a Jedi. It just feels good on so many levels. [Nov 2003, p.173]

Its pure and simple action is a perfect antidote to the poory executed, overblown titles that clog store shelves these days. [Aug 2004, p.107]

Co-op is the most entertaining multiplayer mode I've played in a long time. [July 2003, p.115]

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu & Eevee are strong remakes of the original games. The feeling of amassing a giant collection of monsters and customizing your team never gets old, and the timeless turn-based combat is still fun to this day. Shoddy motion controls aside, Let's Go is a great time whether you’re a die-hard fan or a newcomer to the series.

Everything is a niche game, stubbornly and proudly so. It embraces exploration as its one and only supporting pillar, refusing to bring in any mechanics, like crafting or gunplay, to get in the way of that thematic focus. At the risk of alienating a larger audience, the systems strive to create an experience unlike any other I’ve played. Everything is not always firing on all cylinders, but conveys sheer wonder and ingenuity when it is.

For multiplayer fans, Resistance 2 delivers everything you could want from a game, but the single-player experience sadly falls short of expectations.

Delivers infinite replay value and a sound investment for anyone who has a craving for an aggressive virtual pet. [Jan 2003, p.122]

Basically one huge lesson in trial and error. [Dec 2002, p.140]

Huge chunks of LOTRO’s design are culled entirely from the "WoW" playbook, but that’s generally for the best.

Frustrations aside, Perfect Dark is a great example of how a remake should be done.

It took me a long time to fall in love with Starfield, and even after I did, certain aspects didn’t work for me. But the things I didn’t enjoy are vastly outweighed by my enthusiasm for this new, original science fiction universe, the breadth of its adventures, and the appeal of its many interwoven stories. Go in with the expectation that it will take some time to find your footing in such a vast gameplay space, and there’s a universe well worth discovering here.

Super Time Force is a fascinating design experiment, and deserves your attention if only for its innovative twist on the classic shooter experience. Goofy humor and nostalgic visuals might be what capture your attention, but the reimagining of how we perceive time in an action game is what makes it memorable.

Enter the Gungeon is an essential pick for those that are fans of the roguelike twin-stick shooter genre, and a great choice for those looking for an action-filled arcade romp as well. Even with permadeath threatening to ruin your fun around every corner, the vast selection of goofy guns and eventual discoveries keep you coming back again and again without any lingering frustration.

Ascension feels like an old-school shooter but is able to be nostalgic and innovative at the same time. Speed and scale are what set Tribes: Ascend apart from comparable shooters. There's a barrier to entry gaining access to all the classes, learning how to "ski" properly, and generally fending for yourself in the beginning, but it's worth the time investment.