Most of the positive elements of Black Ops II make their way to Nintendo's console unchanged. Visuals are sharp, the campaign offers great branching paths, and multiplayer is deep. No amount of multiplayer depth matters if people aren't playing, however, so this version of the game lands just a little shy of the mark set by its brothers on Playstation 3 and Xbox 360.

Overall, the latest DLC for Legion offers satisfying closure for both Aiden and Wrench. This story DLC shows players how much each protagonist has grown since their time in their respective games. The growth of both characters is abundantly clear through the Bloodline storyline and how both leading characters react to the world around them. If you’re a fan of the previous Watch Dogs games, Bloodline is a must-play. I’d even go so far as to say I enjoyed it more than Legion.

My grievances with Monster Hunter Stories 3 are relatively minor. It's an RPG that plays it safe, and while that means it avoids massive missteps, it also fails to make much of an impression. Despite spending over 60 hours exploring its world, I don't expect to think much about Twisted Reflection now that I've rolled credits. Still, its good outweighs its bad, and I don't regret my time in office as the prince of Azuria. At the very least, it was a joy to look at.

Even with some foibles, Hell is Empty does a fantastic job filling in the blanks of what happened before Chloe was reunited with Max. As a fan, its references to the original shed light on how many things came to be, such as Chloe's transformation. Yes, I knew the conclusion, but it still has enough interesting developments to keep me invested. Before the Storm accomplishes what so many prequels fail to do; it tells its own story that leaves you content, while also connecting to the original game in a meaningful way.

Zero's ability to change forms based on how the player performs is a neat twist, and two-player action is something this series could have used long ago. But these additions are balanced out with a severely uneven difficulty level and stages rife with cheap hits. [Oct 2003, p.145]

Questionable fielding holds it back from capturing the Golden Glove. "MVP" still holds that honor, but Major Leauge's innovative techniques make it this year's most exciting baseball game. [March 2005, p.118]

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.

Mordhau is not for those who want a multiplayer experience that’s easy to drop into and utterly destroy foes. However, the joy of mastering its challenging system as well as memorable moments of violent ballet make these engrossing battles unique.

In many ways, Icycle: On Thin Ice feels like an art experiment as much as it does a video game. I missed having buttons, but not enough to make me abandon the game before getting to the end. Even without a defined narrative, I wanted to see everything Icycle: On Thin Ice had to offer.

Shift 2 defines the franchise in a way that the first one didn't. Although the cars can feel like they swivel on a center axis, the racing is pretty good, and the overall experience gets a boost from the graphics and the erratic nature of the AI racers. It doesn't blow by the competition, but by improving its lap times, Shift 2 is on its way.

The thrills don't last long, but they still place Time Crisis 2 at the top of the console gun game food chain, especially with the Guncon 2.

Racing games this good are almost nonexistent. [Nov 2002, p.112]

I like the game's added depth, but I expected a little more creativity. [Dec 2003, p.149]

All in all, Street is more of a pure multiplayer experiece. [Mar 2004, p.96]

Though Hauntii offers simplistic shooter pleasure, my favorite moments didn’t involve blowing targets to smithereens. The voice-less story of the ghost gradually regaining precious memories only to be faced with surrendering them to crossover touched me at points. I enjoyed interacting with the kooky, amusing ghosts, like a paranoid scientist concocting hair-brained schemes to capture your angel friend like a Team Rocket villain. I never tired of soaking in the swelling musical score as the camera panned out to reveal a jaw-dropping backdrop. The beautiful ending sequence stands out as a highlight of the year. Hauntii transforms the understandable anxiety and fear surrounding death into an alluring and comforting reflection of the joy of life.

Though many of the series’ core elements remain intact, Gearbox has refined and reconfigured them in such ways that Borderlands 4 rises beyond anything the series has accomplished to this point, making for a chaotic looter-shooter worthy of the series’ sterling early-2010s reputation.

It's the fast-paced, procedure driven puzzling gameplay really sets Trauma Center apart. [Oct 2005, p.154]

Mario worshippers will be entranced. To the rest of us, it's just a fun little golf game. [Sept 2003, p.110]

Navigating the chaotic social structure of a medieval kingdom is no easy task, and the day-to-day life of a queen is not as glorious as it first appears.

MLB The Show 21 lacks flash and new experiential paths this season, but continues to improve on the field and beneath the hood, giving an entirely new audience of players a hell of a game to begin their baseball careers with.

While there's a lot to love about this series, and this entry in particular, Agent 47's world still foesn't offer the subtlety necessary for this great premise to really be satisfying. [June 2006, p.110]

The turn-based tactical battles and permanent character death are as unforgiving as ever, and the story is banal as only mediocre heroic fantasy can be. Fans will love this for being a nicely updated piece of history; the rest of us will wonder why Nintendo is re-skinning this venerable franchise yet again.

Untitled Goose Game is a great concept, and ends in the same charming way it started. Pranking people is fun, and doing it as a goose just adds to the thrill. Most people will play it for the silly premise, complete it in a few hours, and go on their merry way without touching it again. If you just want to mess with people as a goose, here’s your chance – but the shallowness and repetition hold it back from being a truly engaging game.

Hopefully Ensemble will focus a little more on substance than style with its next game. [Dec 2005, p.184]

Fortnite is an ever-shifting entity, but strong footing has solidified it as a verified phenomenon with fast, fun gameplay and ubiquitous reach. Anyone can play it and have a great time, and although Save the World might get grindy and shotgun climb-and-dives might get a little tiresome, there’s real magic here along with the promise of more in the months and years to come.

Far: Changing Tides isn’t an action-packed roller coaster ride – it’s a contemplative journey that isn’t afraid to slow down and ask you to reflect on your expedition. Of course, this adventure is full of challenges to overcome. But whether I was watching the clouds glide over a flooded city with the wind at my back or white-knuckling through a storm as ten-foot waves bombarded my ship, I was always completely enrapt by the moment. It’s a journey I hope to take again someday.

Whether you loved the first game or you're looking for something new, Cold War is a great place to jump in to experience one of the best tower defense variations on the market.

Its stunning visual style, high concept story, and wildly open level design are like nothing else, even if too much repetition begins to frustrate in the later hours. It’s a game people will still be talking about five years from now.