So if you like classic RPGs, there’s no reason to avoid any of the Bravely games, and if you’re not sure about this one for some reason, download that free demo and get crackin’.

Despite a few pre-existing flaws carried over from Civilization V, Sid Meier's Civilization: Beyond Earth evolves the franchise and has the potential to become an outstanding spin-off of its own.

Deus Ex GO is most definitely a casual game, but it also appeals to core gamers who are fans of the franchise.

The extra year of development time paid off and ensured that Assassin’s Creed Origins likely wouldn’t underwhelm its audience by repeating its past sins. Instead, it modernized itself by adopting a more open structure and intuitive set of controls and gameplay systems, effectively marking a new chapter in the franchise. It’s fitting that Origins showed the birth of the Assassin’s Creed while also indicating the much-needed rebirth of the Assassin’s Creed series.

At about one-fifth of the price and length of a full-scale platformer, it's pretty, polished and fun. LostWinds is one of the most recommendable downloadable games from WiiWare.

A remarkably accurate and functional port, and as such, there's a ton of content and great gameplay here. It's so true to its predecessor, however, that it's tough to justify buying again if you already own the PS2 version.

While the difficulty of Revenant Wings could be dialed up a notch or two for experienced gamers, it’s a fun, great-looking game that will keep you occupied for fifteen to twenty hours.

It's hard not to recommend Soul Calibur V. The balanced gameplay makes for an open invitation to new players, and stalwarts of the series will find a return to form for the series. Even if you're not that into fighting games, the depth and variety in Create a Soul is a game unto itself.

Now, somebody please make a version with all of the bad words intact! I wanna say stuff that would make Bob Saget cringe!

Those that played the game when it was first released on Wii aren’t missing a ton if they skip this one. There’s no new content, just tweaks here and there. However, those who loved it will find this is the best way to play it now.

As it stands, Deception is just an obese version of "Deadly Alliance." There's a lot more fat to chew on, but very little new substance.

If there weren't so many better games of the same ilk, I'd definitely recommend this one. But there are, and TWINE isn't at the top of the stack.

Wasteland 2 won’t be for everyone. It’s a challenging game that only rewards those willing to sink real time into it. If you like your tactical battles with simple presentation and old-school RPG design, you won’t like this game. It’s deep, and it feels that way right off the bat.

But perhaps its best unrecognized feature is that it actually got a hardcore “gamer” like me to stop playing my Xbox 360 and pick up the Wii for the first time in months, possibly years, not just because it was my assignment, but because I wanted to. And I’m not sure I can give better praise than that.

Anno 1800 is one of the most fun city-builders I’ve played in a long time. The construction of your city isn’t as complex as Cities: Skylines, but the complex supply and demand mechanics make Anno more action-packed than many combat oriented RTS games. You’ll constantly be juggling trade routes and worker types, and it all adds up to an incredibly rewarding experience.

All that said, every year we beg the question: Is Madden really worth $60 for what little tweaks are made? Probably not, but most people buy it anyway because we all feel that desire to be caught up and current with what's new.

The bridge between familiarity and innovation is thin and slippery, and Xenosaga Episode III sits precariously in the middle, demanding a fee.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance indulges those of use with itchy button mashing fingers by giving us the opportunity to smack around a myriad of bad guys with our favorite superheroes.

The PS3 version is identical to the 360 in terms of options and A.I., unfortunately the similarity ends as soon as you look at the screen. It only runs at half the framerate (which is less noticeable than you'd think) and is distinctly blurry and choppy, with longer load times (which will drive you crazy). Just like Madden 07 on the 360, it's probably suffering from first-timer's disease.

This game was all over the place regarding quality. There are some things I really like about Far Cry 5, and others I just think are awful. If the story had been told in a more linear, coherent way I think it would have been much better. This game almost gives you too much freedom to the detriment of cohesive gameplay design. Each thing you do has so little effect on the rest of the game world that it feels futile. The only bonus from this is that it facilitates co-op gameplay well.

If you're a DS9 fan, this is a good one. Heck - even if you're new to the series, the game can be entertaining.

A fun, difficult racer deeply entrenched in the SSX vein. It does what it does well, though it's not much of a departure.

Regardless how you classify it, everything in this DLC is so exciting to play through, that it doesn't make feel like this an attempt to grab even more money from players.

Fun and engaging while it lasts - however, that's just not quite long enough. It has some good innovations, but is an imperfect mix of genres.

While its simulation dreams don’t match competing games, it offers enough of a varied experience to be considered a good, solid combo of the two sports game styles.

Fast RMX is one of the best Switch titles out right now. Given how Shin’en is supporting the game with free updates, with the first adding time trials, it’s a great time to pick it up and play this $20 game.

Age of Empires 4 isn’t a bad game at all. I had a lot of fun with it. Its biggest problem is that it plays it too safe. It wants to capture the success of Age of Empires 2 so much that it never really gained an identity of its own. I hope that in the future, the devs take the asymmetrical civilizations further and focus on mechanics that evolve the Age of Empires franchise. There’s a solid foundation here, and if built in the right direction, it could lead to something special. For now, it’s too old school for its own good.

Street Fighter is a cultural phenomenon and even if you're not a fighting game fan you likely know plenty about Ryu, Chun-Li, Guile and the rest of the main cast. The Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection puts together the early history of the franchise and allows you to really see how the series began and how it moved towards where it is today.