Indie throwbacks to video games of the early ‘80s are a dime a dozen, but Yacht Club Games successfully rises to the top. The tried-and-true game design principles and elegant checkpoint system make Shovel Knight worth a try no matter which era of gaming you prefer.

Kero Blaster plays like an ode to the simple 2D Game Boy games of yesteryear, and while it doesn’t do anything glaringly wrong, it’s not some remarkable reimagining.

It may not be challenging or action-packed, but Valiant Hearts provides some thoughtful and sobering looks at what life was like on the front.

An ambitious game that’s fun while it lasts. Unfortunately, it lasts a little too long, especially if you’re dying to see what Annie looks like dressed up as a Breath of Fire character.

Overall, if you’ve never touched a Pushmo in your life and don’t have a 3DS, this is a good place to jump in. Unfortunately, by reverting to older mechanics, Nintendo offers little for longtime fans to get excited about.

It’s clear that EA’s UFC team bleeds martial arts. Everything about its new title – from the integration of UFC-branded videos to a roster including everyone from Jon “Bones” Jones to Ronda Rousey – has been painstakingly shaped into one of the most realistic depictions of the sport to date. The attention to detail makes the experience feel authentic, though not highly approachable.

EA Sports UFC isn’t the easiest fighter to learn – it’s a complex beast that rewards dedicated warriors who are driven to succeed. Each match plays out like a chess match where combatants feel out their opponents’ strategies and exploit openings. EA’s attention to detail might feel unnatural to fighting fans weaned on titles like Street Fighter and Smash Bros., but UFC’s methodical pacing will knock out MMA enthusiasts.

Entwined’s experimental nature reminds me of similar games that I’ve enjoyed, but there’s always a “minus” in the comparison; it’s like Journey minus the community, like Flower minus the message, like Rez minus the action. It is a stylish feast for the eyes and ears, but one that ultimately leaves you hungry.

The most interesting of the mechanic additions is the implementation of red focus – a souped up version of a regular focus attack. Red focus cancels moves that you normally could not, creating more aggressive playstyles. Additionally, you can absorb more attacks, giving characters a defensive boost.

The handful of new characters and modes won’t entice newcomers, but considerable changes and balances have been made to the engine. It isn’t groundbreaking, but it keeps the venerable Street Fighter IV on top of the fighting game hierarchy.

If you thought Animal Crossing was too sparse on the gameplay front, Tomodachi Life’s superficial interactions may stretch your definition of the word “game.” In spite of the repetition, this island is a pleasant place to visit, even if I’m not ready to take up a permanent residence.

This is one of those games that I find myself raving about one second, and dragging through the mud the next. Is it worth your time? I think so. Despite its numerous shortcomings, I was entertained to the point of not wanting to put it down.

It’s a short experience, clocking in at only a few hours, but it’s an adventure I enjoyed taking.

The scares may be lacking and some of the puzzles are dull to a fault, but this studio has expertly crafted a game that lets players unravel its story in a meaningful way.

Ultimately, however, the main draw of any open-world game is the gameplay, and while not perfect, Watch Dog's hacking abilities add an engaging and unique twist to the third-person action. Ubisoft has another deserved hit on its hands...During our playtests, the PC version of Watch Dogs was the best looking of them all.

The overall story is still intriguing, but this disappointing episode won't be a tough act to follow.

Watch Dog's story works as a basic revenge tale, and the final few missions provide some gravity to the characters. Ultimately, however, the main draw of any open-world game is the gameplay, and while not perfect, Watch Dog's hacking abilities add an engaging and unique twist to the third-person action.

The main draw of any open-world game is the gameplay, and while not perfect, Watch Dog's hacking abilities add an engaging and unique twist to the third-person action. Ubisoft has another deserved hit on its hands, and I look forward to seeing where the new series goes next.

Tropico 5 is a polished sim game, the only downside being that city development begins to lose its luster because so many of the game modes feel so similar. But if you’re looking for an accessible, fun, and fresh city builder, Tropico 5 is an excellent choice.

It simply doesn’t have enough to redeem itself from its laundry list of flaws.

From its surreal setting and enigmatic characters, to its surprising upgrade system and combat, Transistor is a game that is happy to let you discover its charms over time. For players willing to accept a slightly more opaque experience than many games, Transistor offers an escape into a strange and enchanting world.

Transistor is as much about what is left unsaid as what is explained. I find that openness to interpretation refreshing; I suspect I won’t be the only one.

A positive step forward for the series after the last dud. Machine Games presents a competent shooter with more polish and a better array of characters, but ultimately the game feels more comfortable recompiling established conventions than it does striving for innovation.

Wolfenstein: The New Order is a positive step forward for the series after the last dud. Machine Games presents a competent shooter with more polish and a better array of characters, but ultimately the game feels more comfortable recompiling established conventions than it does striving for innovation.

The Vita is a great home for many games, but this is not one of them. As a standalone product, this version of Borderlands 2 has little value, living in the shadows of its superior iterations. It gives dedicated vault hunters even more ways to spend time on Pandora – but if you love the core gameplay that much, its implementation on Vita is bound to disappoint you.

Mario Kart 8 should certainly be added to the list of top-tier entries, and none of the previous titles can boast the rock-solid total package that this one offers. Say what you will about Nintendo sticking with the tried and true, but I have no problem with that as long as it stays this fun.

Episode 3 takes on an even more somber tone than previous episodes, and some of the situations are downright twisted.

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.

When you invest the time to master the challenging combat and explore the world, Bound by Flame is a solid romp with rewarding tactical action supported by rewarding boss battles and plenty of ways to see your choices reflected in the world around you.

I wouldn't say that you're missing out if you play it on PS3, as both share the same content (even the same problems in the online component), but the PlayStation 4 version is a slight step up. The visual upgrades do come with a slight price, however. Load times are significantly longer on PS4.

Despite my thoughts on Episode 2, I’m eager to see if the next installment of République changes things up in the environment and opens up more of the overarching story. This series still has plenty of exciting potential, and I think Camouflaj and Logan Games have what it takes to nail it in the end.

It's not Agent 47's best performance, but as always, he gets the job done.

This formula was a blast back in 2004, but history has been repeating itself for a decade. Unfortunately, Spider-Man’s open-world shtick has been overplayed so many times that his puns look fresh by comparison.

The combat is dull, the side missions are uninspired, and swinging around New York has been done to death. Activision probably hopes to attract a crowd of Spider-Man fans who are simply happy to squeeze into the hero’s spandex for a stroll through Manhattan, but even they don’t need to bother with this title, because they’ve probably played it several times over the years.

I’m sad to see that the Spider-Man games have fallen this far, because the formula once worked exceedingly well. Beenox’s Amazing Spider-Man 2 is trying to cash in on its film’s popularity while emulating many of Treyarch’s touchstones, and in nearly every area, this game is inferior to a title that came out nearly a decade ago.

Battles in War of the Vikings can be quick and enjoyable, but those flashes of fun aren’t enough to keep the experience interesting.

I also ran into a series of technical problems, including crashes, falling through the ground, and audio glitches. These technical missteps are distracting, but they aren’t the most serious problem. Daylight’s inability to terrify you and present a world you want to explore is its ultimate undoing.

Child of Light isn’t a top-tier RPG, but its solid mechanics and visual flair ensure that it also isn’t a forgettable one.

Triple Deluxe does a better job than most Kirby games at retaining a consistent upward slope of challenge throughout.

I enjoyed my time with NES Remix 2, but it’s ultimately a shallow experience.

Despite some of the missteps, World Tour's bedrock gameplay remains a reason to check out the title. The 3DS' touchscreen is used to add draw, fade, loft, and drive to your shots, and it works well. Additions like this and online play show that the series hasn't remained stagnant in its long interval, but they aren't entirely unexpected, either. Mario Golf: World Tour is a welcome but not irrefutably triumphant return.

The PC version of Dark Souls II is the definitive one to own. It’s a good step up in the graphics and performance departments, annoying load times are drastically reduced, and players can even opt to play with the mouse and keyboard if they so desire. It shows that From Software spent a considerable amount of time attempting to come up with controls that would feel natural on the PC.

Even so, FTL is richly imagined and hard to put down, and an impressively deep and complex game for the iOS platform.

It feels like a lot of a sizzle for such a small piece of steak. If this had been packed in with the Xbox One to demonstrate the new Kinect, it would seem like a nice extra. As a standalone game, it's just not compelling.

Trials Fusion, like its predecessors, is a bundle of fun packaged in frustration, repetition, and memorization. If that kind of punishment is your cup of tea, Fusion offers more of what you’ve come to expect.

Trials Fusion, like its predecessors, is a bundle of fun packaged in frustration, repetition, and memorization. If that kind of punishment is your cup of tea, Fusion offers more of what you’ve come to expect. The existing formula is an awfully good one, but with few meaningful steps forward, it’s easy to feel like we’ve crashed down this road before.

Trials Fusion, like its predecessors, is a bundle of fun packaged in frustration, repetition, and memorization. If that kind of punishment is your cup of tea, Fusion offers more of what you’ve come to expect.

Age of Wonders III's wealth of unit types and leader abilities leads to some engaging battles. I just wish as much thought was required for its strategic empire-building sections. If you can put up with the toil of running an empire, you are treated to some compelling and rewarding combat. Unfortunately, you have to do both, because you can't play only half a game.

World Cup Brazil has its advantages, but it's stuck in an awkward position. It's not the best representation of all the tournament encompasses, and in some ways it's not even better than FIFA 14.

If the gameplay is a zero-sum when compared to FIFA 14, the title's World Cup-related accoutrements are welcome, but not significant.

Some of the most exciting RPGs work with relationship building, like Persona and Fire Emblem, but this just takes it in a bizarre direction. Merely giving players a chance to pair up isn't enough; the actual relationship building needs have genuine developments and substance, and Conception II hits all the wrong notes.

I could forgive the plot if the game was actually exciting, but this is a dull dungeon crawler. Some of the most exciting RPGs work with relationship building, like Persona and Fire Emblem, but this just takes it in a bizarre direction.

Moebius is missing a spark — something that makes you want to keep playing. It has a few shining moments with some standout humorous lines, but they're buried in bad dialogue, empty characters, and a dry mystery. Sadly, I don't think people will be talking about Malachi Rector with the esteem they do Gabriel Knight.

Boom Beach gives you more strategic options than its predecessor, but it is still designed to create lulls that encourage you to pay to speed up the clock, limiting the average player’s access to its best features.

R.B.I. Baseball 14 is one of the most baffling new releases I’ve come across. The visuals are somewhat modern, and the rosters are current, but everything that happens after the pitch is thrown harks back to the ‘80s – a time when developers were just starting to figure out how to make baseball games.

It's not enough that Trials Frontier has mastered the gameplay of the series on its new platform. The inflated structure that surrounds it – whether you pay or not – obscures what makes Frontier worth playing.

The 360 version of Titanfall holds up well as an overall experience, even though it is undoubtedly the worst way to experience the game, reflected in a quarter-point drop in score compared to the Xbox One and PC versions.

The Show 14 is another pennant-winning effort for Sony San Diego that showcases improvements both on and off the field, and opens avenues of play to people looking to digest baseball in different ways.

A Crooked Mile is a much more balanced episode than its predecessor.

With all of the side quests and collectibles, Lego The Hobbit is a complete and entertaining game. If you were counting on the Lego version of a movie adaptation of a 70-year-old book to deliver an unsullied narrative experience, you were expecting too much anyway.

On my short list for mobile game of the year.

As it is, this style of shooting action feels like it’s stretched thin over such a lengthy campaign, and some of the missions might have been more fun if I hadn’t already explored the maps so thoroughly. That tedium certainly isn’t enough for me to warn people away from such a richly illustrated tribute to the roots of the shooter.

I don’t completely regret playing Goat Simulator, but I also don’t recommend it to anyone looking for more than disposable entertainment involving goats making people fall down and blowing up gas stations. I appreciate that Coffee Stain Studios is in on the joke, but acknowledging a game is bad doesn't suddenly make it good.

I’m a firm believer that a puzzle game needs to stand apart from whatever license or theme it has slapped on it. The game is the mechanic, after all. This is a case where characters are really the only really appealing thing there is. Games like Puzzle & Dragons have successfully juggled a similar mechanic and character-collection elements, proving that it can be done – and done well. Pokémon Battle Trozei is too superficial to remain interesting in the long term.

With a staggering revamp that touched upon almost all aspects of the game and modes that keep things interesting, Reaper of Souls isn’t so much an expansion as it is a completely new game.

Smite is an excellent addition to an expanding genre, and one that distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack with decidedly different gameplay, a quirky and lighthearted take on classic mythology, and a variety of interesting modes.

Mercenary Kings is a testament to the idea that you can get too much of a good thing.

I appreciate the new freedom that Blood Ties affords combos, but there isn’t much else in place that dramatically changes up the formula from what we’ve seen before.

Finishing Episode 2 is bittersweet, since it’s the last piece of content created by Irrational Games as we know it. However, Burial at Sea also ties together the landmark creations of the talented team in a satisfying way, making it an appropriate curtain call for this amazing studio.

I like the way that Infamous Second Son splinters off from the first two entries in the series. Delsin’s conduit ability creates uncertainty in the gameplay mechanics, and the choices he makes apply similar levels of ambiguity to the narrative arc. I never really grasped what was coming next from this tale, outside of knowing that the open world activities and encounters would be repeated ad nauseam.

Many repeated playthroughs of Out There allow for a marginally higher survival rate, but the arbitrary chance for failure on an otherwise perfect run can be infuriating. If that indiscriminate failure is part of what you enjoy in roguelikes, Out There is a fascinating attempt to combine strategy with storytelling, and a worthy distraction for science-fiction enthusiasts.

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

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

Like its second-fiddle protagonist, Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z resides in the shadow of many other better third-person action games, but it’s not terrible if you’re specifically looking for a schlocky Saturday.

If you have the option, definitely play Yaiba on PC. The textures, resolution, and framerate are noticeably better and worth the extra few days’ wait.

It’s equal parts silly, gory, and stupid – exactly what you’d expect from the concept.

Even for longtime fans of the Metal Gear franchise, Ground Zeroes may not be worth playing. It spreads its strengths thin over too little space, relying on the repetition of a handful of unremarkable missions in the same area. That's the bad news. The good news is that the core stealth is fun, and the innovations on the gameplay front are promising.

Dragonfall’s fundamentals haven’t changed enough to justify a play if you actively disliked Shadowrun Returns, which is a required purchase before enjoying this new expansion. However, if you were simply hungry for deeper role-playing options, Dragonfall makes major strides, and deserves your attention as a standalone adventure.

I’ve wanted a solid follow-up to Yoshi’s Island for years, and this game is the third in a trilogy of follow-ups that range from half-baked to decent. Considering how unimpressed and apathetic I was towards most of Yoshi’s New Island, it might be time to just be happy with my Super Nintendo memories when it comes to this series.

Respawn took a chance with Titanfall, embracing what it knew best with a multiplayer-only experience and pushing the envelope with its imaginative twists on classic competitive play. The result feels like a new breed of multiplayer that is inviting to established shooter players, but also compelling for people intrigued by everything from the free-running to the giant robotic titans.

Titanfall is enormously entertaining, with long legs that should have players exploring its depth for many months to come.

If you’ve ever been curious about collectible card games but didn’t know where to begin, Hearthstone is the place to start.

If you have a PlayStation 4 and some friends, you must have this game at the ready on your hard drive.

Escha & Logy may have some flaws, but it's good at providing a formulaic experience that rewards you with seeing your progression play out before you.

Players new to the Souls franchise will quickly learn that Dark Souls II plays quite differently than most mainstream titles today; it is an incredible experience anchored in exploration, immersion, discovery, defeat – and ultimately triumph.

Dark Souls II respects you enough to assume you can figure things out, despite having perhaps lost some of these sensibilities by playing other titles that walk you through on tether from start to finish. As a result, the rewards and achievements are that much more satisfying. It’s only March, but Dark Souls II stands tall as a potential game of the year.

Even years later, Final Fantasy X is still an exciting RPG, telling a compelling story with plenty of momentum. While the crazy girls-night-out theatrics of X-2 might still cause you to roll your eyes, the battle system is still fast and fun. For those who want the complete arc of the Final Fantasy X saga, the collection delivers. Even without a nostalgic lens, both games hold up well.

Inazuma Eleven is a quirky and novel RPG, but the on-field action is too unrefined to be rewarding.

Overall, Tanuki Forest is a quality take on the endless runner genre and looks very pretty (especially on iPad), but the prevalence of well-worn features from past successful entries in the genre simply instills too much déjà vu to push it to king-of-the-hill status.

During Episode 2, I was struck by a line about how connecting with people is important. In The Walking Dead, I’ve been doing just that, building alliances and becoming emotionally attached to characters.

All the fart jokes and Chinpokomon references in the world wouldn’t mean anything if the gameplay weren’t up to snuff, but The Stick of Truth manages to impress as a game on top of being frequently hilarious.

A highly enjoyable and unique RPG.

I can’t think of a better way to bring this franchise to gaming consoles. The RPG format allows for a ton of funny items and sidequests, the objectives are unlike anything else in the genre, everything moves along at a solid pace, and the overall feel is distinctly South Park. It’s one of the most faithful adaptations of a license I’ve seen, and it ranks among the best comedic games ever released.

The overall presentation is cute, with a virtual Pac Room that you can deck out with unlockable items, and a sticker album that you fill up by completing challenges. Namco missed a critical opportunity, however, in putting all the games into a greater context.

Before the tedium set in, I had fun with Garden Warfare.

If you want to watch John Rambo mow through waves of baddies in violent and satisfying fashion, watch the final half hour of the 2008 film. Don’t spend your money and time to recreate any moments in this cheap, broken wreck.

Outlast is a virtual tour through a hall of terrors. Even playing the game in full daylight makes me uneasy. However, the game's overall level design and gameplay were sacrificed at the altar of fear. If you're looking for an experience that will get your adrenaline pumping, Outlast is hard to beat, but if you’re looking for a meatier horror experience then you might want to run past this one.

Level-5 insists this is the end of Professor Layton taking top billing. The franchise will continue in unknown directions, but The Azran Legacy offers a worthwhile conclusion that adheres closely to the same formula that made Layton so beloved.