Snipperclips is at its best when you bring your friends together, but I also enjoyed playing through a large collection of the puzzles by myself. Fun, clever, and overflowing with charm, Snipperclips is a delightful experience no matter how you play.

Depending on a number of factors, The Banner Saga should take around 5-15 hours to complete on first playthrough. Despite a few minor issues with enemy variety and the tedium of recurring encounters, Banner Saga stands out as an excellent tactical RPG with considerable depth.

These fans are the ones that will appreciate the little changes the most, but SmackDown vs. RAW 2010 is a solid title whether you have a closet full of Austin 3:16 shirts or just catch the occasional episode of RAW. [Nov 2009, p.97]

When it all clicks, Final Fantasy Tactics A2 is a well-oiled adventure combining good design and fun gameplay that any strategy/RPG fan will appreciate. [July 2008, p.94]

Gameplay, meanwhile, makes some minor adjustments this year--giving a few more control options including the ability to play with a scheme that is identical to Konami's "Winning Eleven" button layout. [Oct. 2006, p.94]

The episode is riveting when the focus is on the Forresters, but falls apart whenever a familiar plot point from the HBO show is interjected.

F.I.S.T. offers another fine example of an exploration-focused side-scroller, and fans of the genre will find plenty to love. What it lacks in innovation, it makes up for by executing familiar ideas at a high level and dropping them into an alluring world. Developer Bilibili has pulled a nice surprise out of its hat.

It's no online tour, but it's a step in the right direction; the kind of slow progress we're seeing in the franchise these days. [July 2009, p.82]

The visuals may seem vaguely familiar, and the gameplay may fit like a glove, but you'll be hard-pressed to find a sequel that delivers as much new content as Hot Shots Golf Fore! so effortlessly does. [Sept 2004, p.108]

A number of new features have been attempted to make Revelations feel new and different from its predecessors. In that quest for broader variety and a unique identity from the earlier games, Revelations makes some missteps that are hard to ignore. However, the game offers more of what has been great about the franchise, and that should be enough to bring most fans to the table, even if it a poor starting point for new players.

Hand of Fate was a hidden gem, a Kickstarter surprise that showed us that there was a cool way to mix up an action-RPG with tabletop conventions. The sequel polishes and preens itself into a much more efficient and entertaining entity, and if you can handle some less-than-stellar combat, you find yourself immersed in a spectacular world.

With the assistance of Sumo Digital and Ninja Theory, the racing and combat are vastly improved. A strong emphasis is placed on variety; hopefully signaling an end to scenarios like seemingly endless waves of frost giants.

Its core premise is so strong, and the RPG elements so well-done, that this will definitely scratch any dungeon-crawling itch you have. [Oct 2005, p.144]

There may be nothing revolutionary here, but putting an arcade classic in the palm off your hands is never something to scoff at, especially when you consider the less-than-glowing history of handheld fighters. [Mar 2006, p.115]

New games featuring the walking dead have trouble standing out from the horde, but Techland's first-person, open-world, action/RPG entry Dead Island distinguishes itself. After kicking and slashing my way through the infected island of Banoi, I can say the game has tons to offer.

Players can influence the way every action, subpolot, and mission plays out to an uparalleled degree. [Jan 2004, p.152]

A visceral celebration of action and all that is good about hacking the bejesus out of someone - in style. [August 2002, p.76]

If you must know why I fancy this one so much, it's because you're a giant on the screen and it looks like you have sole control over the cosmos. I dig it. [Oct 2003, p.123]

It's a ghoulishly good time for existing Sims fans. [Dec 2003, p.183]

One of the most addictive things you can do that won't make various parts of your anatomy turn black and fall off. [Nov 2001, p.125]

For the first time, we're able to play a handheld game with the scale and production values of a home console title. The base level of craftsmanship on display in Golden Abyss means you'll get your money's worth – but not a penny more. I wish all the perspiration expelled in the making of the game had been complemented by a bit more inspiration.

So it's short; Steve Wonder could probably rock the combat engine like nobody's business. [Aug 2004, p.97]

The game’s overall scale is still impressively large, but there’s only one main area to explore. Visiting the first entry, enhanced as it is, certainly gave me a greater appreciation for the strides that the series made later. That’s probably not what Sega was hoping for here, but it’s unavoidable considering the close proximity to Yakuza 0’s release.

Probably the best survival horror title we’ve seen this generation. The online multiplayer modes aren’t going to blow your mind, but they are a thoughtful addition. It’s got a higher level of action than its predecessor, and some gorgeous horror backdrops.

Like many of the '80s action flicks it mimics, Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon has the potential to alienate people with its crass sense of humor and repetitive one-liners. But if you long for an era when smart-mouthed badasses were more concerned with making things go boom than catering to your social sensitivities, Rex Power Colt is your man, and Blood Dragon is your game.

Easily the most surprising game I've played this year. I've been a fan of arcade racing games for as long as they've been around, and Ubisoft Reflections shows that there's still plenty of life in the genre – even if it means remotely controlling the action in a hospital gown somewhere.

Despite all of these cool minor additions, the core gameplay feels mostly like one big retread. With all of the great new games coming out this holiday, it’s hard to justify replaying this series. For diehard fans, however, this is the definitive LEGO Star Wars game.

Blood & Truth has some of the elements of the breezy English gangster flicks we’ve effortlessly enjoyed on the silver screen, but it lacks enough style and substance to make the formula work.