Some games grow on you the more you play them, as you get used to the little idiosyncrasies and learn to appreciate the finer points. Far Cry 2 is at the opposite end of the spectrum, a game that makes it harder and harder for you to like it by placing more and more junk between you and its best features.

Overall, Crash Bandicoot 4 is the best-playing entry in the series and a must-buy for fans – even with some cumbersome jank on its backend. It’s one of the finest platformers of the last decade and manages to seamlessly combine and transition between 2D sidescrolling and 3D platforming better than anything on the market. It plays like a dream and anyone who wanted a new Crash game in the style of the old ones will be happy, as will those hoping that core game design would be taken to the next level.

Existing Camelot fans and MMORPG players would be smart to take up on Mythic's latest quid pro quo. Time spent versus satisfaction - you're undoubtedly getting the better end of the deal.

The Total Punch Control system is the most intuitive and natural boxing scheme ever invented, and will be the standard that other boxing (perhaps even other fighting) games will be judged by.

It's refreshing to play a title that is both old school in its gameplay, but new school in its storytelling.

An excellent game. Is it completely new? No. Is it revolutionary in some way? No. But EA has taken the core FIFA game and improved it to create the best FIFA footballer to date.

If you're looking for a shooter to carry you through the hot summer months, I highly recommend you enlist in Battlefield: Bad Company.

While not on par with Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, World at War is better than Treyarch’s last entry, Call of Duty 3.

There are two crowds for whom Chaos Rising will make sense. The first are people in love with DoW2's campaign style, which really hasn't been duplicated yet, and is only refined here with extra rewards and the Corruption/Redemption mechanic. The second group has to be diehard online gamers - the sort who are still playing DoW2 skirmishes every day, or at least every few days.

Project Cars 2 is a worthy successor to the original game and fixes some of its issues. It still isn’t the most user-friendly game for newcomers, but in time you can get used to its quirks. The game definitely has a learning curve to it, so anyone looking to just jump in and dominate will be humbled quickly. You have to play with a nuanced style and can’t rely on assists to do the hard work of the race for you. It’s a challenging but rewarding experience and the dramatic increase in vehicle types and tracks, alongside new weather setups makes the experience one to remember. Project Cars 2 isn’t for everyone, but anyone who likes a good challenge and loves a finely-tuned racing game will enjoy it.

There is no escaping the fact that Fallout: New Vegas is more or less Fallout 3. The map might be bigger, the side quests more expansive, but if you've played Fallout 3, you're not going to find anything dramatically new here.

The near limitless play potential makes this game a godsend for obsessive, compulsive fans of this style of play, and the ocean deep gameplay ensures that there is always something new to do.

Fixes were made for things that needed it, like the camera, while the graphical upgrades are going to be huge for fans going from the PS2-era games to these – they won’t dazzle anyone who already enjoyed them on the PS3. If you missed that generation, but love the series, then you should absolutely get this alongside 2.8 and experience the entire story from the beginning until Kingdom Hearts 3 comes out. If you own them on the PS3, then re-buying is tougher to recommend – although the slight bump up in graphical fidelity, as well as better optimization for modern 4K TVs, means that it might be worth buying again if you have a 4K TV and want to see the series look its absolute best.

It has all of the elements of a good game, and it can be fun at times, but the endless micromanagement gets a little tedious.

Crysis 2 is more than just a pretty face. The single player campaign is well paced and at a running time of 9-10 hours is nearly twice as long as your typical shooter. Multiplayer draws heavy inspiration from the likes of Call of Duty and Halo (mostly the former) but still manages to hold its own thanks in large part to the Nanosuit.

One of those nice surprises that pulls in more players than just the die-hard tennis fan. Thanks to the numerous mini-games and the World Tour mode, anyone can become a tennis ace.

Rare Replay is one of the best compilations ever created even if it does have some less-than-stellar games in it.

Its open- ended nature lets you mold the game into whatever you want it to be.

Just different enough to separate it from the RTS pack, if only a little. It’s reasonably polished, fun to play, and a solid addition to the C&C dynasty.

Set in a dripping New York backdrop that would make Hollywood cinematographers drool with envy, this is an enthralling sequel.

A tremendous game. The visuals are a little muddier, the SIXAXIS controls are for the most part negligible, and the online lobby system isn’t as sophisticated as the Xbox 360 version, but those are all minor issues in the big picture.

It’s not without its flaws – the story could have been better focused and the campaign missions less repetitive – but Shadow of Mordor is easily the best video game set in The Lord of the Rings universe to date.

The hardware, while noticeably more realistic than comparable sets, has been affected by technical problems in its initial run, and the software, while solid in its way, could benefit from some of the ambition seen in the hardware, particularly with respect to the Career Mode.

Honestly, as far as FPS games go, it really doesn't get too much better than this.

Even with some minor flaws, Guilty Gear Xrd SIGN is the best entry in the series to date.

All in all, Splosion Man is a definite must-buy. Its combination of challenging, but addictive gameplay, impressive graphics, and humor combine to form a memorable experience that stands out and sticks in your head long after you’ve shut the system off.

It's not a perfect game - there are some flaws to its core mechanics, but the overall experience is so much greater than those few faults that you owe it to yourself to at least give it a shot - especially at $10.

All in all, BlazBlue Central Fiction feels like a fitting end to the long-running franchise. With sameness seeping in, it was a good time to end things while you could still be left wanting more – and smart to end things before it got too formulaic. Central Fiction keeps everything that made prior games in the series work and adds a lot more layers to the storyline and overall plot for those that care for it. For players that don’t, you still get an outstanding fighting game worthy of your time and an experience that you’ll go back to for years to come.

As it stands, Fight Night Champion is the best in the series to date for me, making the sweet science all the sweeter.

All in all, the game is a total blast and thoroughly enjoyable, with a frenetic pacing that doesn’t let up for the entire run of the game.

It goes without saying that the God of War Origins Collection is a must-have for any fan of the series.

About as good as we could've wished for. It maintains the Prince of Persia feel of daring-do, while improving or adding variety in some areas, and discarding mistakes like excessive combat and marketing-spun attitude.

The worst thing I can say about the first episode of Tales is that the opening section, as noted above, drags on a bit. It’s an irritatingly long time before you actually do anything, and it’s way more interactive movie than game.

Top Spin 4 has been a lesson in ambivalence for me. I liked it, but couldn't overlook some of its flaws. But the truth is, Top Spin 4 is probably the best tennis game that's been made to date. It's fun to play, and pretty satisfying to blast winners and watch your opponent throw up his (or her) hands in frustration.

The appeal of Battlefield 3 ultimately lies where it has for the entire series, which is some of the best multiplayer in existence. EA will probably be disappointed by poor reception to the single-player campaign, but the game as a whole is guaranteed to be popular so long as enough people can sink their teeth into Conquest or Rush.

The many improvements made by Yuke's make this the smoothest-playing MMA game yet, and its robust amount of features and modes will keep players entertained for months.

While I don’t think Heroes of Might and Magic IV is as good as "Heroes of Might and Magic III," it’s a game you can easily spend a month on, and there is enough variety in the game for it to be an entertaining month.

Not revolutionary by any means, but it's a solid and polished game that is one of the only jewels to be placed in the RTS crown recently.

Makes great strides in improving every inch of the original. This is a longer, deeper and more rewarding experience.

Fans of the first game will find a lot to like here. But newcomers and those with unrealistic expectations will inevitably discover either that the multitude of references to the previous game will cause confusion, or that the few technical improvements do little to offset the fact that this is merely a logical upgrade.

While I'm not a huge fan of the online co-op, Outland is a tremendous game overall and should be purchased by anyone who enjoys Metroid-style romps, 2D platformers, or even bullet hell shooters. For $10, you'll get one of the best action platformers, and one of the best-looking, sounding, and controlling games available.

Gears of War 4 is a return to form for the franchise. The campaign plays it pretty safe, but a near-perfect pacing and outstanding variety of gameplay make for an entertaining experience that is best enjoyed with a friend.

Halo 5 is an outstanding game and one of the finest first-person shooters ever made. Its design is versatile, and it’s the best-playing entry in the series so far.

It looks great, sounds great, and plays great, and you can’t ask for much more than that. 2K7 Sports continues to impress.

The audio design is superb in its relentless ferocity, yet quite detailed and subtle at times as well. Naturally, everything in this title is about the smashing, crashing, and exploding, so those of you with subwoofers will find them getting quite a workout.

Trine 2: Director's Cut is an excellent game and an absolute must-own if you don't already have it for another console. If you've already got the 360, PS3, or PC versions of the game, I'm not quite sure if the additional content is worth $20 – that will really depend on how much you liked it. If you're a casual fan of the series, then it's probably not worth full price, and if you've got a good enough PC to run it, then your best bet is to stick with that unless you're dying for something to play on the Wii U. It looks and sounds great on the Gamepad, and is one of the most amazing titles to see running on the device.

It’s a must for any MetroidVania-style fan, and wrestling fans who’ve never played one should use this as a gateway game into the genre.

More options would have been huge in adding a bit of spice to the repetition that sets in after a few games, but what comes in the box is good enough to recommend to anyone with a taste for a little strategy and a penchant for world domination.

Outside of the problematic issues that hinder the Slam Dunk contest, dynasty mode and hiccups with gameplay, NBA Live 2005 still manages to deliver a decent basketball experience for fans of all kinds.

It has great graphics, solid gameplay and, while not very original, is a lot of fun to play.

MvC 3 delivers pretty much exactly what I would've expected a modern-day MvC to be - crazy gameplay, fantastic controls, a lot of roster variety and depth, and jaw-dropping graphics. The only area it underperforms in is the online play, which is still a little too laggy even with the patch and its barren online mode selection doesn't do the game justice. Everything else is pretty much fantastic though, and that sole black mark isn't big enough to dissuade me from giving this a high recommendation.

It’s painfully easy and the story falls apart under scrutiny, but it still hits a lot of the buttons that make a Deus Ex game what it is.

Killzone 3 will not disappoint fans of the series.

It's easy to recommend Stacking for a blind purchase, especially for those who are fans of the old-school adventure game genre. It's not a particularly deep or difficult title to complete, but, like a Saturday morning cartoon, is remarkably fun while it lasts.

Battlefield 1943 is a great game if you’ve got a half hour or an hour in between something else and you want to play something but not get too deep into it. It, unfortunately, doesn’t go deeper than that, which is a shame because there are plenty of things here that could be done to open the game up even further.

The lack of fast travel is the game’s lone big flaw. The graphics, audio, and control work marvelously – anyone who grew up with Metroid should give Axiom Verge a shot.

Its visual presentation is amazing and the gameplay is even better. If not for the progression-stilting level design this could be a contender for game of the year.

[It] impressed me mightily.

NBA 2K is still the standard for basketball gameplay, and if you're wondering which title to go with this year, NBA 2K9 is your choice.

Overall, I liked Frostpunk, but it felt like half of the campaign was missing. Just when I got to the point where I understood the rules and how to play the game, it was over. Still, Frostpunk is challenging and interesting, and it has a unique setting that brings in some new gameplay mechanics, so it’s worthwhile to try out.

A fantastic boxing title that really delivers the action in a realistic way for fight fans, and those discovering the sweet science for the first time on their home console.

Aside from those admittedly minor issues, Mortal Kombat is an impressive piece of work. It's got more than enough gore to satisfy the older fans, a deep combat system to draw in tournament-level players, and a huge amount of content. It's nice to see that after twenty years, the series can finally move towards being something other than a guilty pleasure.

Overall, while it isn’t perfect and doesn’t quite feature some of the more versatile quality of life features in the genre – Streets of Rage 4 still delivers an incredible experience. The increased focus on the narrative works surprisingly well despite the genre being known for having razor-thin plots. The combat flows smoothly. Long-time fans will love the latest entry in the series, while newcomers may want to start with an earlier entry as some of the humor and fun is tied a bit too deeply into callbacks to really work on a series newcomer. The game looks great, plays even better, and has one of the finest OSTs in the genre’s history. The 25-year wait for Streets of Rage 4 was worth it.

I almost want to hang myself for thinking this, but in effect, Warhead delivers because it's exactly what its developers promise: more Crysis.

A challenging game with some handling issues that bug me at times and framerate problems that bug me every time they crop up. However, the overall greatness of the game easily overshadows those comparably small complaints.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy offers up a lot of thrills even with its different cast. It’s a testament to the franchise’s character strength that two side characters can carry the tale. It doesn’t change the formula up much, but the revamped combat helps things from feeling too repetitive. The story takes players to new locales , but the cast of characters just doesn’t gel together as well as past games, on both the sides of good and evil. It’s a very good game, but one that casual fans of the series can wait on. Series die-hards will definitely enjoy another exploration and combat-filled romp through the world as we get a large glimpse into the post-Nate era of the franchise.

At its best moments, which it makes as easy as possible to find, Black Arrow is a great team-based shooter. I'd prefer a bit more variety in the weapons and a bit more leniency with the health bar, but that's my deal.

It may be slightly different then original skateboarding games and the controls take some getting used to, but it is definitely worth a ride.

A nice looking but repetitive and slightly annoying management game.

While the length of the single player could’ve been extended, the addition of the titans as a "doomsday" weapon and the elder gods provides a creative extension to the original title.

The audio design is superb in its relentless ferocity, yet quite detailed and subtle at times as well. Naturally, everything in this title is about the smashing, crashing, and exploding, so those of you with subwoofers will find them getting quite a workout.

Aside from some AI and multi-player issues, Split/Second should please any racing fan, but will definitely find a home with Burnout fans as this game has that series' sense of complete anarchy, but with a twist that hasn't been done before in the form of the power plays.

DJ Hero doesn’t stray too far from the formula that made Guitar Hero and Rock Band into household names, but it has a fresh quality about it that the former titles expended long ago.

Whether you think Rise of Legends is a masterpiece or whether you think it is a hard to swallow piece of fiction with a great strategy game underneath is dependent on how much you admire the backdrop that the creators have fleshed out.

As a sequel to Painkiller, spiritual or otherwise, Bulletstorm is a disappointment. The best way to approach it, if you played Painkiller, is to forget there's a link between the two games at all. Instead, take Bulletstorm for what it is: a ridiculous arcade-ish FPS with a goofy sense of humor and a talent for amazing action sequences.

A monster of a package. I was expecting a cheap tie-in game and ended up playing one of the best titles that the DS has to offer, and one of the better games in the Tony Hawk series. Marvelous.

There is no escaping the fact that Fallout: New Vegas is more or less Fallout 3. The map might be bigger, the side quests more expansive, but if you've played Fallout 3, you're not going to find anything dramatically new here.

Easy to pick up controls, an interesting story line and plenty of fast paced action will feed any adrenaline or action junkie’s desires.

Legends II more than pays for its fifty-dollar price tag by delivering hours of mutant melee mania.

Resogun has definitely lived up to the hype and is one reason everyone who buys a PS4 early will be glad they did so. It’s a short, but sweet game that is well-worth replaying on numerous difficulties and in online co-op.

Though there are slow places, some spots where you’re just kind of searching around looking to figure out how to make the plot advance, as the game progresses, as the story unfolds, it’s a bold and fascinating thing to experience.

A solid story, engaging gameplay and sound technical merits makes Everything or Nothing the best Bond title that’s been released in years.

Overall, Need For Speed: Shift is a welcome change of pace in the long-running series, and a welcome addition to the sim racing genre as well.

Saints Row: The Third does deliver what players are looking for when they purchase the title. It can be said that the developers poured over the game design and completely removed anything that would be considered boring or tedious, and replaced it with pure amoral mayhem.

It just shows a great deal of polish, few if any bugs, and a general level of completeness that it seems so few games present these days, exuding none of that get-it-out-the-door churning of so many game productions. I’m going to call it the best FPS I’ve played this year, though with "Half-Life 2" still on deck, that title might not stand for long.

A mediocre game with an excellent story and audio design, based on a classic suspense film of the late seventies.

It may be slightly different then original skateboarding games and the controls take some getting used to, but it is definitely worth a ride.

Technical glitches aside, this is an excellent port of the console title that doesn't cut any corners with the story or a number of the features in the game, which is a feat in and of itself.

The bottom line here is that as true hybrid games go, Borderlands is as great a success as there has ever been.

So whether you’ve played the original Grim Fandango or not, the remastered edition is a worthwhile purchase, especially at its $15 price tag.

The combination of decent plot, reality-defying powers and Havok-governed physics make one incredibly compelling experience.

It’s funny, it’s challenging, and it brings back lots of good memories from a bygone era. Better yet, if you weren’t alive 30 years ago, and if you don’t know anything about LucasArts or their adventuring heyday, then Thimbleweed Park works as an introduction to that era without even requiring you to go through DOS. Thimbleweed Park is the best adventure I’ve played in years, and it’s easily worth its $20 price.

If you think you’d be up for a fantasy RTS title that takes its combat halfway seriously, you owe it to yourself to at least try the demo. If you like that small taste, you can be sure that the retail version is a full course.

A larger story line, greater number of options and plenty of interactive environments make this title one for any fight fans. It may not completely live up to its design, but it more than makes up for it in style.

When Rahil and his army have been thwarted and the campaign comes to a close, one thing is for certain, Summit Strike is good value for your money.

If you had enough of Fallout between 3 and New Vegas, Fallout 4 is like signing up for more of that. However, if you, like me, haven’t given a lot of thought or playtime to Fallout since NV, and were kind of thinking “What the heck, I’ll give it a go again,” you’re in for a treat.

The game remains worth playing because for the most part, it avoids tinkering with successful formulas, while still incorporating distinctive aspects like its levels and complex objectives.

Even with the voice work and camera problems dragging it down, this is still the most enjoyable traditional RPG I’ve played all year, and one that will be hard for even "Final Fantasy XII" to top.