Cibele shows an intriguing direction for games to become representations of their creators' real lives, almost like confessionals. As we've seen more in recent years, developers are confronting tougher topics, such as sex, depression, and death. This is an enlightening movement that's still in its infancy. Much like Cibele, these early lessons have revealed a few stumbling blocks, but I'm glad they're happening.

Tales From The Borderlands got off to more than a slow start, and while The Vault Of The Traveler doesn't redeem the entire experience, it justified my decision to stick with it.

Even with its brief length and scattered pacing, Episode 2 could have been noteworthy if it played to the strengths that propped up Episode 1. Instead, Assembly Required doesn’t bring the charm or the high level of action its predecessor does, and it ends up feeling like an epilogue rather than a full episode.

The Park is more unnerving that outright scary, though there are a few attempts at jump scares scattered throughout the game.

For the first time, Halo is fully embracing the broader fiction established in other mediums, drawing in characters and concepts of greater complexity. As a result, the universe feels more nuanced, even if some less devoted players may get lost in the jargon. Beautiful cut scenes lend a cinematic vibe to the ongoing adventure, which sees Master Chief chasing the one thing that can make him turn away from his duty, and a new generation of Spartans ordered to bring him back.

Sure, the project has had its share of missteps, but it's also been full of powerful moments that surpass your average experience with a video game.

For all of the familiar parts of Syndicate, it still feels inventive. It may draw inspiration from previous installments, but features like the zipline and revamped progression system demonstrate a willingness to cut stagnant elements loose. With a cool setting, memorable characters, and a wealth of content, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate has all of the hallmarks of a great Assassin’s Creed entry – but it also surprised me by challenging what I previously thought a great entry should be.

Tri Force Heroes does co-op well, but the repetitive gameplay loop simply isn’t satisfying.

I like Guitar Hero Live; FreeStyle has crafted an innovative and intriguing variation on the standard music game formula. But as I played, I couldn’t help feeling like my enjoyment was on a slowly burning fuse, and the inability to play my favorite songs was waiting to blow up the fun.

Some horror games skillfully wield repetition as a tool, letting players grow accustomed to the familiar to set up scares both subtle and cuss-worthy. Unfortunately, Maiden of the Black Water is waterlogged with repeated environments and monotonous phantasmagorical photo sessions.

Tales of Zestiria feels like a game from another time in many ways, and not in the charming type of way. It forces you through some the most boring and outdated elements from RPGs of yesteryear. If the series wants to stay relevant it needs to put forth a better effort than Zestiria.

Minecraft fans should enjoy the references to the game, while Telltale fans will enjoy the traditional storytelling elements they’ve come to expect from the studio. The Order of the Stone grabs your attention at a number of points and sets you down the path of actually caring about what’s going on in a story set in the player-driven Minecraft universe.

Yoshi’s Woolly World is the Wii U’s best-looking game, as well as the best Yoshi’s Island since the original Super Nintendo title. It has a great balance of challenge, exciting bosses, callbacks to the first game, and enough new mechanics and touches to make it easily stand above each attempt at creating a Yoshi’s Island successor of the past two decades.

Zip Lash isn’t the game that’s ultimately going to convert people into being Chibi-Robo fans; it’s a competent platformer, but it sticks too close to the genre manual and is missing a much-needed spark.

Rising Tide is an overhauled look at the core experience, and it would be difficult to go back to Beyond Earth without the myriad enhancements the expansion offers. As with Civilization V before it, Beyond Earth looks like it’s becoming all it can be as it evolves with these upgrades.

Platinum Games has been a bit of an inconsistent developer. The studio has delivered a number of high-octane action games, but then it releases lackluster licensed products like The Legend of Korra. Going into Transformer: Devastation, I wasn’t sure which side of Platinum I was dealing with. Thankfully, Devastation’s polished combat, gameplay variety, and affection for the classic brand make it a game that the studio can take pride in.

As far as musou-style action games go, Dragon Quest Heroes represents the most fun I’ve had with the genre. The added RPG layers, crafting, and tactical monster collection all help alleviate a total focus on repetitive combat. These, plus a fantastic art style, gave me plenty of reasons to be excited about jumping into battle.

Despite its rough edges, Prison Architect provides enough depth and customization to make it compelling. Every riot, escape attempt, and execution brings you a step closer to building the perfect prison – all accompanied by the amusing (and sometimes horrifying) moments that emerge naturally in any good simulation.

If you’re a die-hard Might & Magic Heroes fan, this addition to your collection is probably justified for the skirmishing alone, but it does little to tread new ground. If you’ve always wondered about breaking into the series, one of the classics would be a better choice.

Pencil Test Studios clearly needed time to fix the litany of embarrassing bugs that plague Armikrog at launch. Even then, it wouldn't have helped the overly simplistic story and bland puzzles. If the developer ever plans on doing a sequel, I hope it's an animated film – the visuals are the only thing Armikrog has going for it.

Whether you’re importing a back catalog or not, the new title stands on its own with smart music selections, and skill-based gameplay refined over years of experimentation. After a few years away, I’d almost forgotten how fun the Rock Band experience can be.

Shadowrun: Hong Kong is fun for a select audience, but doesn’t have the depth or innovation to stand out.

Given the sizeable quality gap that still exists between Live and NBA 2K, you wonder if other voices in the organization may say it’s time to cut their losses and move on.

Being a basketball game that works most of the time isn’t enough. Not being up to par with its stellar rival is forgivable, but Live also lacks a point of distinction that justifies its existence to basketball fans. Without that, it ultimately may not earn a contract extension.

I can only hope other sports games follow Visual Concepts’ steadfast dedication to innovating on both the gameplay and game mode fronts.

NBA 2K16 is the first true classic sports game of this console generation. I can only hope other sports games follow Visual Concepts’ steadfast dedication to innovating on both the gameplay and game mode fronts.

The game's reality, however, constantly reminds you that this isn't the Tony Hawk you remember. Inconsistent framerate, textures that pop in, and physics quirks that launch you into the sky mar the experience regularly.

The gaming landscape has changed a lot since the series heyday, but this title is stuck in a no-man's-land between not being good enough to replicate the past nor ambitious enough to move the franchise forward.