Knack may be built on the blocks of charm and difficulty, but by the fourth level, those blocks topple over into a pile of excess tedium.

Though Tearaway could have extended its final levels to explore creation and identity, its depth isn't paper-thin, and the originality of its presentation alone is unique enough that Vita owners should consider ripping through the game once... but no more than that, or you might give the game its walking papers.

It’s a new game with an air of familiarity. It’s a new reason to play XCOM a few more times. It’s what is widely considered illegal human experimentation masked by grand speeches about the “greater good.” It’s more of what you love for a very reasonable asking price.

Warframe, which has been out for PC since March, is free-to-play on the PS4, and in spite of its bugs, is worth the no-cost price.

Shadow Fall's measure of success feels shallower than past games in the franchise, but all told it's a complete package for launch or Holiday 2013 PS4 owners.

While I’d still like to see a proper 3D Mario game on Wii U, 3D World does so much right that it’s hard to bash the formula, especially when it veers off course so often.

It may be a bit light on content, but the craftsmanship on Housemarque's part can't be denied.

Though short, Contrast can be replayed to get all the collectibles and is worth a look for the way the story and gameplay integrate, even if at times it's a little rough around the edges.

Dozens of hours of gameplay, the only racing game on PS4 at launch, a fantastic showpiece for your next-gen hardware of choice, and a hyper-connected experience—Rivals is one of the best games to own on PlayStation 4.

A Link Between Worlds gets fearless and distinguishes itself from the franchise’s history. On top of that, Link, Zelda, Rovio, and some of the best bosses Zelda fans will ever fight turn that history on its head, both narratively and mechanically.

Unless that person is solidly in the Naruto fandom, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 – Full Burst is not the game for them. For those inside the confines of the fandom, however, they will probably be able to overlook the things the rest of us see as faults and soak up the fanservice Namco BANDAI delivers.

Arkham Origins serves to bring Batman back for more in an acceptable, if unbelievable narrative, but Origins Blackgate does nothing for the character, nothing for the player, and nothing to further the Arkham series. It’s not a complete and totally broken mess, but it’s not the portable game Batman deserves and it’s not the Vita game we need right now.

It really is the best Lego and best Marvel game that I've played—an excellent ride.

If you’re looking for some hot courtroom action, clinically insane characters, wild crime scenarios, and a lot of worthwhile reading, then Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies is probably the niche game for you. Although it straddles the definition of “game” very loosely, it is an overall satisfying and sometimes exhilarating experience worth playing.

Rocksmith 2014 may not have party-game appeal due to its strong focus on educating the player, but it definitely has jam session appeal.

WWE 2K14 is a safe start for 2K Sports as a publisher for the series, but it lays a fairly strong foundation for future entries and leaves room for growth as the franchise moves into the next-generation.

Is Battlefield 4 worthy of a brand new integer? Maybe not. Maybe they could have called this Battlefield 3 Next-Gen Edition, but increased destruction (which still holds back from turning multiplayer maps into flattened pancakes after one match), increased fidelity, a new campaign, and engaging multiplayer progression make this a worthy heir to the PC shooter throne.

Though the cracks with stealth and freerunning are starting to show with time, Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag does the one thing it means to do surprisingly well: pirates. Sailing the high seas, finding hidden treasure chests among gorgeous tropical archipelagos, letting the waves of turquoise water crash into the Jackdaw, plundering enemy ships without remorse, and hearing your crew sing authentic sea shanties has never felt better.

Even if the story isn’t as entertaining or believable, even if the villains feel like B-team bottom-of-the-barrel fodder for Batman’s continuing crusade against darkness, Arkham Origins still succeeds in empowering players and making them feel like the greatest detective in the world.

Electronic Arts and Maxis could have phoned in this last expansion pack for The Sims 3, but Into The Future is as complete and finished off as the equally strong Supernatural expansion. The wealth of new items, the introduction of Plumbots, and how well it integrates the influence of time make this downloadable content worth the price of admission.

Still, despite lacking depth, visual flair, or the characters of a Mario Party game, Wii Party U is a strong enough party game for Nintendo to offer families on the Wii U thanks to one thing: the mini-games provide hours of fun.

Designed specifically for the Wii U, this is the definitive version of Deus Ex: Human Revolution, and is worth picking up at full retail if you skipped the game the first time around.

But if you've played Just Dance before, you know you're playing for the music. And if you like the tracks here (I admit that Katy Perry's "Roar" is growing on me), then you'll be just fine wibbly-wobbling around with your friends. If you don't have any friends, then it's still a good exercise routine.

X & Y are two of the best 3DS games available and succeed in making Pokémon feel next-gen.

X & Y are two of the best 3DS games available and succeed in making Pokémon feel next-gen.

Sega obviously tried to emulate aspects of Super Mario Galaxy or other 3D Mario games to make this leap in the Sonic series, but Sonic: Lost World suffers with each “feature” they have added to the Sonic’s successful formula: running and jumping.

The Stanley Parable is a game which isn’t really applicable to the standard rating system. It’s a game that achieves what it has set out to achieve perfectly, and though it could be longer and have more endings, it doesn't need them. It’s a thought-provoking and intelligent game which should be experienced by everyone, and one which will be referenced for a long time to come.

If you love him as I once did, you’ll agree that it’s time to take Sonic out back and put him out of everyone’s misery.

To be honest, Valhalla Knights 3 is the perfect concept for a portable game. Since the game is so based around grinding and raising your character, it’s easy to pick up your Vita, do a quest or two, and put it down just as easily. You're always making progress no matter how short your spurts of play are. Unfortunately, this good idea is muddied by poor presentation and mediocre mechanics.

After expanding the stable of available figures with two-piece toys, it's clear that Swap Force's best asset is its versatile delivery of fun. It's not limited by the M-rated audience gaming typically caters to. Kids, male and female gamers of all ages, and even my SO can find something to like in Skylanders and everything to hate in the virtual killing fields of Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto.

If you're a fan of Telltale's prior work, or just enjoy a good story, you absolutely need to download and play Faith. It's a solid first episode that lays the groundwork for what will hopefully be the studio's finest series yet.

Beneath Bionic Dues’ bland appearance lies a thoroughly engrossing strategy game, one which deserves to be played by anyone with a keyboard, a mouse, and a hankering for blowing up evil mechs.

Still, fans of the series will buy it (as well they should, it's still pretty friggin' awesome), and it's worth the cash to plunk down… unless you're still playing an earlier version, then consider borrowing it from a friend. Or continue playing your current copies.

Jumping right back in the flow of NBA 2K shouldn’t be a problem for past fans of the series. There are plenty of new moves and plays to delve into, though new players may have some time getting used to controls, as the way the game moves can be somewhat of an acquired taste.

The franchise's matchmaking elements return and let players get down to business with all kinds of folk. Before anyone asks if the player can take someone to the barn house, Rune Factory 4 is rated E10+ which means players of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy the game so long as they like animé-styled art and big talking dragons.

Beyond: Two Souls, despite its flaws with the mechanics and the story, is a special game that needs to be played, if just to behold the new level in video game presentation. Though it's not as well-crafted in design as Telltale's The Walking Dead, Beyond: Two Souls is not that far off, cementing Quantic Dream as a cutting-edge developer in the cinematic, story-driven genre.

So here we are then: yet another sequel with a case of the "could've beens." It's still amusing, but let's just be honest, the amount of interest in Scribblenauts is getting a bit smaller every time, no matter how much we might enjoy it.

It’s no system seller, but instead an excellent addition to the existing Wii U owner’s library—whether you’ve played it already or not.

If you are interested in trying Kingdom Hearts before the third game releases or want to revisit the first two games in the series, this is a fantastic buy. And hey, it's pretty much a certainty that if this game does any kind of numbers, we should expect a "Kingdom Hearts 2.5 Remix" before too long.

Real Boxing’s biggest sin is that it’s just too boring. In fact, it’s not even that real. The game isn’t actually simulationist at all. It’s far more arcade-y than anything else. It’s a lot like a fighting game, except each character has the exact same moveset with slight differences to their strength and HP. This combined with the lack of game modes and customization options, makes the game fall short of other Vita titles.

Urban Trial Freestyle steals the core gameplay of the Trials series but fails to do anything interesting with it. It’s a brief and utterly forgettable experience, one which only those who are willing to overlook its tedious gameplay in order to see their name in lights on its leaderboards will enjoy.

It’s not a phenomenal killer app that will keep you playing for hours, but it will certainly make a bus ride feel a little bit shorter as you kick people in the face to the dulcet tones of Papa Roach.

I think Rain, with its simple design and story, is best for families to play together or gamers looking for a relaxing weekend jaunt. It is for the most part quite lovely, but it lacks both the narrative and visual punches that could have ascended it to more worldly appeal and acclaim.

The progression over the years for Pro Evolution Soccer is evident. Just a few years ago this was an arcade game that only collected dust in the corner and watched as many a kid gingerly thumbed through selections around it. Not saying fútbol fans haven’t enjoyed it, as there’s surprisingly quite a following to the title, but it has just taken time for growth and solid improvement. ’14 seems to be the year we’ll look back and say, “Yup, that’s where it turned the corner. Man, I miss that DeLorean.”

I can’t say NHL ’14 is a perfect game, but its beauty is well-polished and fans of the sport can lean on EA’s version with a gleam of puppy love.

So I don’t know who Alien Rage is marketed towards. It’s a completely capable and attractive shooter that does almost nothing special. I had fun playing it, but at this point there are other older games on Steam you can play for the same amount of money that I’d recommend many heartbeats sooner.

Anyone who already owns either Dead or Alive 5 or Dead or Alive 5 Plus already knows a lot of this stuff, so why am I repeating it? Because it's probably only worth buying if you don't already own it in one form or another, unless you absolutely must have the few additional characters or environments. However, if you don't already own Dead or Alive 5, this is certainly the best version of the game.

All in all, Angry Video Game Nerd Adventures is a fun throwback to the NES days, but with more violence and toilet humor. Fans of the Nerd will lap it up, and its intense level of difficulty certainly provides a challenging distraction for a couple of hours, but at its current price point you may want to wait until it inevitably goes on sale.

Despite the improvements in graphical fidelity and presentation, which are sure to be even more amazing on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, FIFA 14 is essentially the same game from last year.

Rockstar Games have unleashed the Skyrim of third-person action games. It'll have a lasting impact through controversy, through harshly addictive gameplay, and by taking the zeitgeist of 18-36 year-old males hostage and torturing them with nipple clamps.

As a budget Steam release, Outlast offers some cheap thrills for fans of the survival horror genre. Unfortunately its underwhelming visuals, combined with Red Barrel Games’ over-reliance on jump-scares ahead of more psychological frights, made my experience with it feel similar to walking through a haunted house: It’s scary, but not in a very clever way.

Though Foul Play can become repetitive and the story would have been bettered by voice-acting, its stylized gameplay is entertaining, memorable, and conceptually well-designed for a 1200 MSP title. Its ability to juggle all of its concepts into a cohesive beat-'em-up that lasts at least full weekend is to the credit of the indie developer Mediatonic. I take my hat off, good sir.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 2 could have been a cheap cash-in of a sequel, not far from the assumption one would make of a re-skinned promotional product, but it's actually better than the majority of titles in the main Dynasty Warriors series.

As it stands now, A Realm Reborn vastly improves on its predecessor and delivers a wonderful fantasy world to spend countless hours in. It has its fair share of flaws, especially in regard to the quest structure, but I imagine fans of the genre will enjoy their time with the game regardless.

Where Puppeteer stumbles, the player's hands can catch its fall. As a child, you might find puppet shows at least mildly entertaining and at the very least something to zone out on before naptime. To me, the prospect of playing the puppet yourself was always more enticing. Even in Kutaro's world that rings true.

Killzone: Mercenary is still an enjoyable game, though the story and some gameplay elements are derivative. It's a beautiful port of the series, with the highest graphic fidelity of any game I've yet seen on the PS Vita. The multiplayer, especially, is fantastic, and adds a new layer to the game with the VAN-Guard.

Out of the Shadows is yet another bad Ninja Turtles game. Between the game's loud and ugly UI and the glitches, bugs, and general sloppiness, there's only enough hope for the good intentions to improve next time.

Complaints aside, Total War: Rome II offers an insane amount of value for your money that is hard to ignore if you’re a fan of the genre. The campaign offers a lot of depth for those so-minded, and battles are a graphically frenzied treat.

Gone Home will make you question everything, including how you react to certain key events within the game world. It was a lot like the feeling I get from watching a really amazing episode of The Twilight Zone, where the eerie story serves a greater purpose than just scaring the crap out of you. There's a message behind the mystery of the house on Arbor Hill that may reveal as much about you as it does about Kaitlin's missing family.

Strictly as a platformer based on fun and timing, Rayman Legends is as good as it gets and can hold up to any Nintendo-published game on the Wii U (not that there are all that many). But taking into consideration the variety, polish, and subtle charm, Rayman has Mario by the coin purse. It’s a nearly flawless game you don’t want to miss—especially if you own a Wii U.

There's no reason for any RPG fan to miss this one.

Solid, a football title that can and will be enjoyed. The progression from year to year is small, but how we look back in five years is what makes the difference.

Blacklist returns Splinter Cell to flagship franchise status, no matter how crowded Ubisoft's portfolio has gotten during Sam's shore leave.

Disney Infinity is an amazing game with faults which lie most often in the playsets themselves and some of the poor vehicle controls and inconsistent player training, which feel a bit like the growing pains that we saw in early sandbox games. That said, Avalanche Software has created a game that doesn't just let you play in the Disney sandbox, but gives you the bucket and trowel to build your own castle in it.

By the time I finished DuckTales Remastered, I felt like I had both a pleasant and hollow experience.

Divekick is a crazy idea that just so happens to work well for a short while, but wears out its charm long before you get your money’s worth out of the content. Unless you plan on playing locally on the couch with some buddies that are as like-minded as you and the developers are, the $9.99 asking price would be better spent elsewhere.

Charlie Murder represents a studio heading in the right direction, but it still feels like painting by numbers.

You know that feeling when you pull away from the last page and feel as though you've experienced something nobody else has? If you're paying attention, that will happen with Brothers. Sure, it doesn't take long to complete the whole experience and see everything there is to see, but the story is told in such a way that it takes just as long as it needs, taken directly out of Portal's script-writing playbook. On that same note, this too is an experience people should be touting as a beautiful demonstration of video games as art.

Exato Game Studios are so brazen about Guncraft’s influences that you could initially be forgiven for thinking that it is yet another Minecraft clone, trying to ride on the coattails of Mojang’s success while bringing very little to the table itself. However, I was happy to discover that Guncraft is much more than that, and it deserves to have far more people playing it than it currently has.

If Grand Theft Auto is drama, then Saints Row is comedy. Both have similar sandbox designs, but their aesthetics are wildly apart. Yet just like drama versus comedy, the former is lauded as superior and the latter is seen somehow negatively as a farce. Those people don't know what they're missing. Saints Row IV is exaggerated fun in the loudest, proudest, awesomest, most fu.kingest way possible.

For 800 MSP ($10.00), The Brigmore Bitches Witches is an adequate addition to the Dishonored universe. I think showing the parallel storyline of Daud has been a great addition. If you have been on the fence about picking up the DLC for this series, I can assure you that the collective price of 1600 MSP ($20.00) is well worth the content you get from Knife of Dunwall and The Brigmore Witches.

Payday 2's presentation feels plastic, but the rest feels exhilarating and livened by the presence of human players you have to rely on.

Beatbuddy feels well worth the $15 sticker price on Steam for Mac, PC, and Linux. While sometimes it feels like its musical ambitions are inhibited by the game design, it's still a strong game in its own right and it's fun to see how the musical elements and enemies combine together as gameplay features.

The game will appeal to small children, its target audience, and may provide an enjoyable multiplayer experience with parents who want to help their kids achieve the game's goals. However, for a game that had the potential to be a fun racer (consider the flying sections of Sega's karting game, Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed), it's bland and feels like it was thrown together to meet the release date.

Fans of the series will find more to love than the rest, but Paper Mario 3D allows players of all levels to get to the point a lot faster. Though Dream Team has one of the better 3D effects, in both 2D and 3D gameplay, you're more likely to shut your eyes than cross them. There are hours of entertainment for patient players willing to read and giggle at silly accents, but I'd rather explore Bowser's dreams instead.

The sheer lack of variety, despite two stages never being the same ever thanks to the brilliantly designed, random level-generating engine that Pwnee Studios has designed, leaves Cloudberry Kingdom feeling thin on content.

Vita owners and old-school fans of beat'-em-up classics owe it to themselves to top their collection off with Dragon's Crown.

With Wii U gamers hungry for software, Pikmin 3 offers an interstellar feast.

Those in the market for a challenging retro shooter with a plethora of modern flourishes will find plenty to enjoy in bit.Trip Fate. While I prefer the colorful accessibility of the Runner series, Fate is the darkest and most gruelling chapter in Commander Video’s illustrious adventure, and at its low asking price, PC gamers should consider it a worthy addition to their Steam library.

I want to love Endless Space: Disharmony as wildly as I did the original, but in its current state I simply cannot. The performance issues, and borked ship-building alone are reason enough for me to forego this expansion, and the other additions, though inoffensive, don't come near to making me second guess that notion.

That said, if you can ignore the multiplayer and prevent yourself from using gold unless it's absolutely necessary, Spartacus Legends is a satisfactory free-to-play fighter for what it is. Of course, that's a tall order when the game wants you to spend money on premium currency anywhere and everywhere.

For anyone looking to whittle away dozens of hours in a fully realized war between light and dark, good and evil, Shin Megami Tensei IV will provide in spades.

The only trouble with Brave New World is its opening price point of $29.99, which is on one hand worth the cost but on the other is a bit high considering that this expansion is more about refinement than anything else. Some of the AI behavior can still be strange as well. That said, those of you still loading up Civ IV because you find Civ V "broken" will find Brave New World to be the fix they've been waiting three years for. Time to advance to the next era!

This concept behind Storm does have potential, but until it feels more controlled and less like an irritating crapshoot, I'm going to have to pass. The presentation is all well and good, but only when there's a game that's wrapped in that little blanket am I interested. Storm looks like a comfy blanket… until them damn wildfires start up and slowly spread across my controller.

In essence, Capsized brings to the table a well-balanced run-and-shoot style game that can still be enjoyed even after being around for a couple of years. The arcade genre is constantly filled with class and yet are so cheap—this one definitely is no different. And for 10 bucks, what do you have to lose trying it out?

There was a time when just making a solid licensed title was a feat in and of itself, and by those standards, Deadpool would have been considered something of a success. But today, it's just an average action game that succumbs to the classless, risk-averse practices of mainstream game design just as often as it parodies them.

On a year-to-year basis, 14 grows more than it maintains, even if it stands in shadow of the looming EA Sports Ignite engine.

While the total sum of the additions doesn't quite match the $39.99 asking price at the moment, Island Paradise comes with a gorgeous environment, plenty of areas to explore, and lucrative resort management. Wait for it to drop in price a bit, and it's an expansion worth getting your feet wet.

Despite the lack of depth and the repetition of combat, Project X Zone follows through as a tactical, humorous, preposterous romp through the best hits of video games. Even if you find the combat system strange, the streak of character cameos and the ridiculous number of hits that rack up with every battle will make any hardcore fan smile with appreciation. And if you're anything like me, that's hard to do.

Chronicles has loads of content, faithfully translates the arcade games to home console, and does it all with stylish, deep gameplay. I just wish those bosses didn't feel so soul-crushingly cheap today.

But despite some minor misfires, the core gameplay is stronger than ever, and while it may not break the kind of new ground the original did, Company of Heroes 2 is still a terrific RTS with a ton of content that no fan of the genre should miss.

What the Vita lacks in software, it makes up for in opportunity. UI tweaks, perfectly mapped controls, and a beautiful translation to the Vita's portable screen make it perfect for anyone traveling for the summer, sitting on the toilet in need of PS2 greatness, or even people like me who just missed Jak & Daxter's adventures the first time around.

For the price, and if you’re up to the challenge, you can’t go wrong with New Super Luigi U.

Unlike the story depicted in Game & Wario, Wario’s latest game isn’t going to move units. It’s lacking in depth, and while some of the mini-games are stellar, the majority of them are uninspired and dull.

In fact, Marvel Heroes throws open the Avengers Tower doors to an expansive amount of gameplay, whether you pay or not. I applaud the generosity, and fully admit that Gazillion scores a few bonus points for it. It's not the prettiest or deepest dungeon-crawler you'll ever play, but it's free and it'll run on nearly any system. For Marvel fans like me, it doesn't get much better than that.

If you’re a Dungeons & Dragons fan you may be willing to push aside the shortcomings. For everyone else it’s a great vacation spot but not the kind of place you’d want to live in.

Grid 2 is a fun racing game that has an unfortunately aggressive AI and begins to feel a little stale about halfway through. It's still a strong arcade racing game that's more often fun than frustrating—even if you find yourself spamming the flashback button when clubbed by aggressive drivers who blast you into a spin or are a little too late or early on setting up a drift. It's a fun experience with varied race types, even if it loses some of the exhilaration later on in the game.

If you enjoy exploring post-apocalyptic open worlds, I suggest you at the very least give the demo of State of Decay a shot. There's plenty of depth for those who appreciate the role-playing genre, and the constant threat of death and limited resources will have adrenaline junkies on the edge of their seats. It may not be my cup of tea, but I certainly can see why others would love to take the plunge into this zombie-infested wasteland.