Accompanied by the incomparable multiplayer, Heart of the Swarm is a worthy middle act to tide us over until the protoss warp in for the impending conclusion.

Given time, Maxis could clear up the problems with SimCity. The studio could deliver consistent server performance, restore cheetah speed, patch the AI, and give players larger cities. But games can’t be reviewed based on the product they might become; Electronic Arts and Maxis are charging gamers for this experience right now. At this point in time, it just isn’t worth your money.

It isn’t perfect, but I can’t think of another Wii U game that I’d recommend more than Lego City Undercover. It’s the most interesting and highly polished game in TT Games’ large repertoire, and it fills an important game gap. Now kids (and their parents) can tool around in a big town where people smile even as you almost run them over in an ice-cream truck.

MLB 13: The Show turns the bats loose and finds stability online, but the numbers reflect MLB’s juiced era more than the pitcher-friendly league we see today. This year’s game is about making contact more consistently and shoring up the other aspects of a well-rounded baseball sim.

The action is fun, the graphics are astounding, and players are pulled from one high-adrenaline moment to the next. But it’s also disappointing. Fans are accustomed the rising stakes and escalating scale that make Kratos attain deific heights, but Ascension proves that he is mortal after all.

Danger. Intrigue. Beauty. Frustration. During my playtime I felt all of these, but by far the greatest emotion was triumph. Etrian Odyssey IV finally has the polish and accessibility previous entries lacked, but it’s hardly perfect. The mandatory slow-moving grind, lack of guidance, and unforgiving nature at times turned me off. But as someone who couldn’t get into the first three, it’s clear Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan has jumped leaps and bounds from where the franchise was before.

I salute indie developers like Arcen Games for putting unique and creative designs like this out there, but every great idea needs to be executed well to reach its potential. A Valley Without Wind 2 just doesn't get there.

I wish I had nicer things to say about Impire, but my disappointment with its failure to turn any of its concepts into interesting interactive gameplay is total. As cool as the concept is, gamers interested in building an underground lair and tormenting would-be heroes are still stuck waiting for a worthy successor to 1997's Dungeon Keeper.

If you’re wondering when mobile games are going to start offering something more sophisticated and nuanced, Year Walk is at the vanguard on an emerging frontier.

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.

I expected this spinoff to be a quick cash-in of popular themes, but I found myself pleasantly surprised by just how exciting Nazi Zombie Army can be.

In the meantime, Star Wars Pinball provides players three more entertaining tables well worth a spot in their ever-growing collections.

The best parts of Beastie Bay make me wish it was exclusively a simulation; Kairosoft's fusion of creature collection and island simulation is charming, but shallow combat and repetition kill the desire to catch 'em all.

While all of the puzzles don't reach the same level of excellence as The Bridge's impressive visuals, recommending this game to indie fans is still an easy call. Despite some difficulty spikes, patient players will be pleasantly engaged in The Bridge's surreal, black-and-white world.

Even though Runner2 is a single-player game, it’s fun to trade off levels with a friend simply to appreciate the finer details, like the different way every character dances or when bigfoot lumbers into the background. You just can’t absorb this stuff when you’re laser-focused on sweet, sweet survival.

I commend the developer for including different modes, but their inadequacies reveal a title that doesn't fully develop any one aspect of itself.

I commend the developer for including different modes, but their inadequacies reveal a title that doesn't fully develop any one aspect of itself.

Crystal Dynamics has nailed a pitch-perfect new vision for one of gaming’s most recognizable characters, and revitalizes her for what I hope will be many more installments.

The lackluster multiplayer is absolutely no reason to avoid what is otherwise one of the best action adventures I’ve ever played.

Urban Trial Freestyle may throw in the occasional little tweak, but they aren’t enough to elevate the game past the level of a flattering wannabe. If you're into the idea of a platforming-heavy motorbike game, stick with the tried and true Trials series.

This impressive graphical fidelity takes a serious hit in the transition to multiplayer. Though Crysis 3 has some of the better-designed maps in the series, the muddied textures are a far cry from the jaw-dropping visuals of the single-player campaign, especially on consoles.

Though it’s still saddled with the plot baggage of its predecessors, Crysis 3 is at least the most cohesive story in the series.

Crysis 3’s evolutionary enhancements don’t move the needle for the series very far, but the core nanosuit-based gameplay is still thrilling. If you have a rig that can run the PC version of Crysis 3, I strongly recommend you go this route. The high-resolution textures, realistic lighting, and detailed facial animations gives you a taste of the graphical fidelity we expect to be standard in next-generation consoles.

If you have any hopes for this story building on Metal Gear lore or giving you a chance to reconnect with characters you care about, you will be disappointed. The new characters are uninteresting and poorly developed, and the old characters are practically non-existent.

This title isn’t Bayonetta wearing a Metal Gear skin; whether you are hoping for a meaningful expansion of the Metal Gear universe or a gratifying action experience, Revengeance falls short. Brutalizing cyborgs and hacking giant mechs to pieces is fun, but the restrictive design and lack of precision keep Raiden from capturing the best of both worlds.

The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth lures you in with the promise of a strategic city builder, but once you’re on the hook, the fun dissipates as you are repeatedly penalized unless you keep a steady stream of costly mithril flowing through your city. I like strategic city-building games, and I like Tolkien’s universe. I don’t like The Hobbit: Kingdoms of Middle-earth.

Stick To It is a fun experience, but it ends quickly and tends to be on the easy side of things. It won’t be much of a test of your problem-solving or platforming skills, even if you are trying to get the star on each level. Despite this, you can do worse if you’ve got $1.99 to spare and are looking for a breezy and cute iOS title.

If you’re looking for cheap multiplayer, buy an older Call of Duty or Gears game. As is, there’s really no reason for Special Forces: Team X to be a must-have for any shooter fan.