The third dimension's grip on the genre may be unshakable, but there are times when special games come along that can ease the transition. The King of Fighters XI is one such game.

Armed with a healthy Internet connection, this game will hold at bay the forces of boredom for months. Switch off that connection, though, and witness the biggest turn to the lame side since the new Star Wars movies.

Sure, it lacks the licenses and loving treatment given to the major league games, but it's innovative enough for to warrant a go. Although some of its risks don't pan out, we still recommend recruiting this surprisingly skilled kid.

More than just a straight remake, Rearmed feels like a game that really has been refined twice.

The cinematic sequences are easily skipped at the press of a button, and what remains is a tremendously engaging Western romp.

The game tries to be everything for everyone by offering a great variety of gameplay styles, but doesn’t quite succeed at any of them. Each facet of the game has minor issues that hurt an otherwise enjoyable experience.

Adventure Time's main fault is its length. It's a short game, which feels a bit like a downloadable title for console in size. It does have a New Game Plus mode with harder enemies, but starting the game with all the existing upgrades did not seem to be that much more challenging, even with an increased difficulty level.

Dedicated fans of the genre who maybe have gotten tired of the madness of Marvel vs. Capcom or other more crazy modern fighting games might appreciate this slightly enhanced and tweaked technical fighter. Most others, I'm afraid-myself included-probably won't find much to invest here.

Diehard enthusiasts of the series are more likely to get a kick out of this DLC to FIFA 12 than just the average fan. 1800 Microsoft points is asking a lot for just a couple of new add-ons, though. Sticking with your standard issue copy is plenty and should hold everyone over until the next one. Of course, it's still a beautifully made title and still reigns as king in the world of fútbol gaming.

NBA Live 16 is made to feel accessible and simple. At least that’s what the structure caters to. From in-game learning help to player development, it’s all mostly basic.

Lame story aside, The Sojourn is a satisfying puzzle game. This debut effort from Shifting Tides isn’t going to reinvent the genre, but it certainly has a place for fans of puzzle games and The Talos Principle.

Jotun: Valhalla Edition is a throwback to retro gaming in terms of both art style and gameplay. While the minimalist design manages to offer quite a bit of variety, the lack of combat and exploration options becomes evident rather quickly. Still, anyone interested in Norse mythology mixed with retro gaming and old-school art design will enjoy Thora's ascent into Valhalla.

The Evil Within definitely brought back my nostalgia for old-school survival horror games: creepy mansions, terrifying monsters, puzzles, and eerie level design.

There are significant differences in the ending depending on how Renegade or Paragon you play it, consisting of 6 possibilities, 4 of which are distinctly different. You can either end up on Aria's good side or end up on her bad side, but none of it really translates to the main campaign, which is a shame. You can't even return to Omega after the mission and nobody on your crew mentions your absence or anything about the mission, not even Archangel, aka Garrus. That disconnect really sucks, and it'd be nice to have something like that after the mission was over to distract from it not having any impact on the ending. Really, Bioware? After all that work we don't even get to go back to Omega for a drink?

NHL 20 is an enjoyable hockey game with great core fundamentals and new player movement to fall back on, but it’s definitely not a must-buy entry if you are currently happy with the version you own.

If you've got a fondness for Hasbro's brand, High Moon Studios does not disappoint. If you played with a Transformer as a child and haven't revisited your inner 8-year-old in a few years, Fall of Cybertron will more than suffice. The latest title in the franchise won't disappoint and will provide plenty of childish, stupid fun, but it's not about to set the robotic world on fire.

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.

A paradox. Equipped with a purring, powerful new under-the-hood upgrade, the game delivers a pure driving experience that is on-par with many of its contemporaries in the looks and feel department. Unfortunately, it’s also running on well-worn tires. Some of the quirks, acceptable in 2008, haven’t been ironed out, and the game can feel sparse and comparatively tiny when scaled against later titles.

There’s a solid idea at the core of the game, one that’s endearing and compelling despite some major changes to the formula. But nothing backs up that idea. It’s just that—an idea, and not much else, though the familiar Pac-Man gameplay still holds up.

It's disappointing how many issues Guild War 2's second expansion Path of Fire has. Whether it's the lack of content, numerous bugs (some fixed, others that still exist), or rushed plot, there's a lot that hinders what is otherwise a surprisingly great expansion.

For what it is, NBA Baller Beats is a decent title that succeeds in what it's trying to accomplish, which is helping folks become better dribblers. Also if you get really into it, you will break a sweat, and might want to grab water after each session. But is it worth the $60 and the headache that may come for those not playing? Definitely not. It would be nice to see the price knocked down. Maybe even turn it into a download-only arcade game.

Locomotion in an open-world game is oftentimes the most enjoyable part of the experience, but don’t expect Second Son to totally revolutionize the brand or the genre. I’d have liked melee combat to get a bit more involved with lifts and longer strings of attacks, but zipping around to recover health or blasting a helicopter out of the sky with an elemental missile feels perfectly entertaining for the early adopter set.

It’s a nice package, and the 3D is proof that classic titles from what I consider the golden era of gaming can pop fantastically well on the 3DS. Next time, hopefully the selection can vary more broadly, making the package both worthy of a full price tag and hours of investment instead of a burst of nostalgia and the question of why my wallet feels lighter than it should.

While it’s still missing a few sparks of genius that made those old classics so endlessly replayable, it’s certainly fun while it lasts.

Samurai Warriors: Spirit of Sanada caters to a specific audience that is looking for something different in terms of story and characters compared to other Musou games. A heartfelt, emotional tale of friendship, family, and politics provide an intimate counterpart to its mainline games. This difference carries over to its smaller pool of playable characters, each varied and employing the classic Musou hack and slash gameplay.

If only there were more of it across more characters that had a story, Killer Instinct would be gold. But as it stands, it’s not yet living up to the potential the series has.

A Plague Tale tells a tale about human cruelty, the loss of innocence, survival, and family via its beautiful visual and imaginative level design, but it feels like near the game’s end confidence was lost in this vision. It gets in its own way by deciding that something bigger was needed to keep the player’s attention. It’s a sour end to an otherwise great game.

I’d hope that more major franchises, especially those that have leaned on gaming tropes, like saving a princess from a tall castle, take notice. Hyrule Warriors benefits from allowing the Zelda series to take some big risks.