If I were Bob Dylan, I might ask, “How many versions of this game must we suffer, before we get something really new? “.

Octopath Traveler 2 is another love letter to Square Enix’s golden years. It’s a greatest hits comprised of mechanics from across several franchises, even if it doesn’t build on the original’s formula too much.

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.

Sine Mora fills a void in the Vita's lineup. It's an arcade-balanced, twitch title with tons of beautiful visuals and plenty of replay value. Bosses and environments are inventive and challenging, while still leaving room for noobs looking to dip their toes in the shoot-'em-up genre. Despite the unintelligible story and the fact that schmups are still quite niche, it's easy to recommend Sine Mora all over again.

The tone is sweet but cynical, a refreshing departure from the usually saccharine Muschroom Kingdom. Lots of humor, lots of character, and lots to do.

The designers heard everyone say that their favorite part of "Shadows of the Empire" was the first Hoth level, so they made an entire game out of that concept. Not a lot of depth, but a heck of a lot of fun.

All in all, Football Manager 2022 is another sublime sports simulation. It once again proves that you can enjoy football games without directly controlling the players. Its new additions add to an experience already brimming with depth, and the refinement of the gameplay style means that you’ll struggle not to lose yourself within Sports Interactive’s digital training ground. Its proficiency on even the oldest of hardware means there’s really no excuse not to dive in. This is Football Manager at its best, the virtual equivalent of a top-corner goal.

Professor Layton players can download new puzzles via their Nintendo Wi-Fi connection on a weekly basis. It’s a nice touch, though it doesn’t quite counterbalance the lack in ‘replay’ value.

It’s a little odd looking so far back into Nintendo's past as we invest in its future, and you can’t help but feel a sense of déjà vu while traipsing through what is essentially a port. That's not exactly riveting for a launch title.

The whole thing is simply great fun, a sort of malleable tour through the Dawn of the Dead films that clearly inspired the game. There’s a party in my Xbox 360, and all you zombies out there are invited.

Despite some slightly dated looks, the deep plot will draw you in and the near-invincible power will continuously tempt you to the Dark side. I can't make any promises for "Episode III," but The Sith Lords will not disappoint.

It's high-quality work all the way, from the production design to the responsive (if crushing) controls and utterly smooth online play.

No matter whether you’re just touring through these realms of magic or going for full mastery, Amid Evil is a blast from start to finish. Everything from the moody soundtrack to the heart-pounding circle strafing just clicks.

You've got to own this game if you've got a Nintendo 3DS. If you find a shiny new 3D handheld under the Christmas tree, don't hesitate to pick this game up. It'll surely prove to suck hours and hours of your system's diminuitive battery life away, but once you plug in, you won't want to put it down.

We're glad to see Ubisoft spare their Prince from becoming a pauper by ditching the dreary aesthetic, but the minor improvements along with too many familiar gripes keep this game from being king.

If all you did was buy someone an Xbox One console and a copy of this, you’d have them covered for the next year should they really take to multiplayer or definitively clearing each campaign on the hardest difficulty with and without friends.

It is as streamlined and pretty as its older brother, plays just as well, and still gives you that unique college ball experience. NCAA Football 11 will not be riding the bench this year.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax could have easily been a cash-in, a weak standalone expansion that merely included a few extra characters and call it a day. But both the extensive episodes in story mode and the lengthy Golden Arena mode bolster the already strong multiplayer modes, all of which should satisfy casual fans of the Persona series and hardcore players who wish to perfect their battle skills.

This makes Darksiders II's bugs gamebusters. The bugs are so prevalent, the freezes such a problem, that I would only recommend the game to those willing to risk the wear and tear on their brand new hardware by having to unplug it regularly; this cannot be good for the Wii U's processors and hard drive.

Guitar Hero: Metallica is exactly what you expect it to be: a solid, offhand reworking of Guitar Hero World Tour with a bunch of Metallica songs.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe does what Starcraft 64 could not: make a real-time strategy game work well on console. It does have its aggravating flaws and quirks, but these are balanced out in part by robust quality-of-life features and sensible design. Despite its flaws, Pikmin 3 Deluxe gets most of its gameplay right and will hopefully serve as the blueprint for the continuation of the franchise on the Nintendo Switch.

Like a goldfish in a bigger bowl, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance makes much of its newfound space without actually evolving into a new beast, and that's mostly a good thing. What it lacks in innovation it makes up for in sheer challenge.

The game itself is good, far better than the online "Everquest" games for the PS2 and even holding up well next to fancier PC MMORPGs. It’s genuinely fun and runs well.

Thunder 2002 opens to the rhythms of "Sweet Home Alabama," giving the game a touch of atmospheric country twang and setting the tone for the rest of the game. Get used to it, because it will be heard through most menu screens.

2001 runs at a pretty slow pace overall and fails to capture the frenzied pace of professional hockey. In addition, you'll notice some bizarre slowdown when passing the benches.

Still funky and fun, but not altogether fresh anymore. It almost feels too soon of a release after "Konamix" earlier this year.

Unfortunately, the limited replay (showing "highlights" rather than the entire race) is the only time you'll be able to have an outside perspective.

It’s also a terrific drinking game. Just remember to use that Wii-mote strap, before you accidentally knuckle-ball your unrestrained and quite-real controller—rather than an imaginary, massless bowling-ball—straight ‘into’ the candy-colored Boom Blox world residing just beyond your thousand-dollar flat-screen TV. Trust me on this one.