If you’re keen on games that are easy to learn but difficult to master, Nidhogg is for you. The combat system is incredibly fun, and there are so many heart-stopping moments packed into each round that it’s tough to keep count. Once the online issues are fixed, it’ll be a source of constant competition for months to come.

Stick it to the Man is a really weird game, and that’s part of the reason why I enjoyed it for what it was. It’s like watching a particularly dark episode of Duckman or Rocko’s Modern Life, and while it may not be as classic as the subject material, it’s still definitely worthy of the same conversation. I kind of just wished it knew what it really wanted to be.

With a few fixes to its economy and more free tracks in a future update, Forza 5 will grow into one of the best racing games ever made. It’s beautiful, it shows off the designs of vehicles in a way that’s never been done before, and the Top Gear license is used to enhance the experience. If you’re a casual racing fan who finds themselves overwhelmed easily, Forza 5 is your huckleberry.

Although it’s a very brief adventure that isn’t filled out quite as much as I would have hoped, Tearaway is a must-buy for all PlayStation Vita owners. It shows off the hardware’s many flourishes perfectly, and couples it with a solid foundation to boot.

Super Motherload isn’t a bad game by any means, it just feels like some of it wasn’t thought through all the way, and the world just isn’t that engrossing.

It’s an improvement over last year’s iteration, but if you’re getting a next-gen console, you definitely want to wait to upgrade for feature parity with the PC version.

Even if you’ve never played an Assassin’s Creed game before, Black Flag is a great place to start, most notably due to its emphasis on a concise narrative with likeable and engaging characters.

Batman: Arkham Origins could have been so much more. I’m not sure if a rushed development cycle, a new developer, or shoehorned multiplayer is to blame (maybe a combination of all three), but unfortunately, Origins falls short of the high bars the previous games have created.

Whether you’re a new or old Pokemon fan, X and Y is one of the best offerings from Game Freak yet, if not the very best.

Whether you’re a new or old Pokemon fan, X and Y is one of the best offerings from Game Freak yet, if not the very best.

Faith is very by the numbers in terms of the level of storytelling with a few hiccups in tow, but I have a feeling that like The Walking Dead, it’ll ramp up as time goes on. Whether you’re a fan of Fables or not, I see a lot of potential in The Wolf Among Us, and I’ll be following its progress beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Although it maybe could have stood to add a little more content with some meat on its bones (maybe a new dungeon, or the areas that were cut from the original release), Wind Waker HD is one of the Wii U’s “must buy” titles without question.

Although it does suffer from a few problems that have plagued the franchise since the beginning, the improved driving controls, captivating leads, and the sprawling city of Los Santos should win the hearts of any open world fan out there.

On one hand, it’s a very by the numbers campaign based shooter that doesn’t reflect a whole lot onto the overall lore of the franchise. On the other, it’s a magnificent multiplayer game that’s easily the best offering on the Vita so far. Wherever your proclivities lie in terms of player with others will no doubt change your expectations, but I personally had a blast online with Mercenary, and I think most shooter fans will too.

Just like Origins before it, Legends is a must-have for fans of the genre.

Brigmore Witches brings about a satisfying conclusion to the Dishonored narrative, and like Knife of Dunwall before it, not only augments the over-arching story, but stands on its own. If you can pick up a copy of the game at some point with all the DLC in tow, I’d highly recommend it for Daud’s two DLC tales alone.

Saints Row IV is an incredible achievement in the sub-genre of super power action.

The game looks great, the battles play great, but the amount of handholding and overly intrusive, repetitive dialogue turn the game into a chore when it should’ve been as refreshing as a good night’s sleep.

Pikmin 3 isn’t the savior of the Wii U, and the lack of online play is a major bummer, but it’s still an overall satisfying experience, and another win for Miyamoto. It’s cute, it’s tactically deep, and if you can find a local friend to play with, it’ll last you a long, long while.

Even with its blemishes though, I really enjoyed my time with Shin Megami Tensei IV, and the demon collection and fusion system remains just as addicting as ever — just don’t expect it to top some of the other entries in the series, including Nocturne.

Provided that your a strategy RPG fan, if you’ve always wanted to see Mega Man X team up with Frank West and Jill Valentine, you’ll want to pick this game up for novelty alone.

At the end of the day, barring a few standout games, Game & Wario feels like a tech-demo for concepts that will be fully adapted on the Wii U at a later date — but it’s an absolutely stellar tech-demo, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

While Deluxe could have brought more new content to the table, it preserves the core Mutant Mudds experience to perfection, and then some. If you haven’t played Mutant Mudds to death already, the new ghost levels offer up enough of a challenge to make it worthwhile, and newcomers should not miss this chance to introduce themselves to a modern classic.

New Leaf could have stood to use a few actual new mechanics, as the mayoral system is not as deep as it sounds on paper, but the Animal Crossing experience is faithfully preserved. Playing with local friends and streetpassing together and comparing towns will help increase your enjoyment tenfold, but if you’re flying solo this time around, New Leaf is probably best for hardcore fans and newcomers — not for most gamers who are in-between.

Sanctum 2 puts a bit too much emphasis on the FPS aspect of the game.

It offers up a decent amount of missed opportunities, but still manages to capture some of the magic that Resident Evil was known for. If you’ve been waiting for a game in the franchise to return to its horror roots, this isn’t quite it, but it should leave you somewhat satisfied.

Soul Sacrifice could have stood to have a bit more direction, but it’s undoubtedly one of the best games on the Vita right now. Inafune had a great idea, ran with it, and backed it up with a solid combat system to boot.

There is some fun to be had, especially in multi-player, but nothing you haven’t seen before.

If you’ve been jonesing for a JRPG, and enjoy easy to pick up yet deep combat systems, Black Rock Shooter may be your huckleberry.

Blood Dragon came out of nowhere and blew me away. As a child of the 80s and 90s, it was a wonderful blast through the past that I couldn’t stop playing. My only major complaint is the brevity of the package, but if you’re the kind of person who always goes for 100% completion, there’s more than enough game here for you to enjoy.

Lego City Undercover: The Chase Begins is a game with more ambition than its platform of choice can handle. Extremely long loading times hamper its portability, and instead of bustling LEGO metropolis, you’ll spend 8 hours or more in a LEGO ghost town. If you’re looking for a game with 70s cop movie sensibilities, you’re better served by picking up the Wii U version.

To date, there aren’t a whole lot of games like Monaco. There’s action oriented isometrics like Trap Gunner and strategy heavy games like Frozen Synapse, but Monaco succeeds in blending the two playstyles together effortlessly. Even if you aren’t the type who plays nice with others, Monaco offers more than enough content to help you channel your inner thief.

It’s a shame that Riptide couldn’t have been a bit more given how much opportunity there was here for improvement, but as it stands, it’s basically the same flawed game we got nearly two years ago — for better or for worse.

Pandora’s Tower may not be remembered as fondly as other games in the Wii’s lineup, and it feels a bit dated right out of the gate, but I couldn’t think of a better third party sendoff for the Wii.

Despite the two-part approach, Knife of Dunwall is DLC done right. It takes the core fundamentals from the original game without sacrificing the integrity of it and provides its own spin on the formula. Honestly, at this point I wish Daud was the main character of Dishonored to begin with. If you even slightly enjoyed Dishonored, this is a no-brainer.

The entire experience of Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams doesn’t come together in a cohesive whole often enough for it to be considered one of the great platformers, or even a really good one. Its frustrating lows, compounded by brutal difficulty spikes, don’t completely outweigh the occasional highs.

As a solid mix of combat, exploration, and heart, it’s a shining example for Metroidvanias everywhere.

Tomb Raider is the second best Uncharted game behind Uncharted 2. While it gives up a lot of its adventure identity fans have come to know and love, the end result is still a fantastic game that shouldn’t be missed by any action fan. If Crystal Dynamics can inject more adventure elements into a potential sequel, it would be a pretty interesting proposition indeed.

Because of poor design choices, Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity is tedious to play, and it ultimately wastes the player’s time.

Elizabeth is easily one of the best characters to come out of gaming this generation, and Irrational Games, and her actress(es) did an excellent job bringing her to the small screen.

Ultimately, Undercover is basically another LEGO game. Although it could have done a lot to sway non-fans like LEGO Batman 2 did, it sticks to preset conventions far too often, and doesn’t take nearly enough risks.

Without multiplayer, Ascension would be a weaker package. It’s only slightly above average on the grand stage of action, and is marred with technical problems, a lack of polish, and a lack of a poignant narrative. But overall, the experience is still a positive one, and Sony Santa Monica did a great job bringing competitive play to the franchise.

Mirror of Fate is basically a 2D God of War, so if you dig platformers with decent combat mechanics, you’ll most likely enjoy it.

If you enjoyed the original, give Runner 2 a try — if you didn’t, and you’re a rhythm fan — try it anyways.

Revengeance can now be considered part of the pantheon of action games, right alongside of Devil May Cry 3, Bayonetta, Ninja Gaiden, and other classics. Platinum created a deep and rewarding combat system, layered it on top of an action packed story that captures the most outrageous moments of the Metal Gear Solid series, and added their own signature mark.

Ni No Kuni knows what it is and it never betrays that fact. It’s a JRPG, and in my book, it’s an instant classic.

It’s not a bad action game by any standards, but without the Dead Space name, I doubt this iteration could have even made a splash in the genre. Wait for a price drop unless you’re the hardiest of Dead Space fans.

Still, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a very serviceable platformer that I really enjoyed my time with when it hit all of the right notes. Although it may not be the be all end all of mascot games in the HD-era, and the shining savior of the Sly Cooper franchise, platforming fans (and Cooper fans) should find plenty to enjoy in Sly and the gang’s latest adventure.

Intelligent Systems did a great job adding accessibility to the Fire Emblem series without sacrificing its core philosophy. Whether you're a series newcomer or an old Fire Emblem veteran, Fire Emblem: Awakening has something for you.

While Sir Hammerlock may simply be "more Borderlands 2," it could have been a whole lot more, and feels a tad unfinished.

To be clear, this is not a classic Devil May Cry game. Combat is not nuanced down to exact tenths of a second, you aren't going to ponder over which ability based unlockables to buy, and there isn't a whole lot of thinking going on in general.

Paper Mario: Sticker Star is clever and fully committed to its paperized setting. That's not enough to excuse its biggest flaws. You'll spend time backtracking and getting stuck on puzzles that require too much guesswork.

While the journey may be fraught with peril, one cannot help but marvel at how solid the Black Knight Sword feels overall. The gameplay and the dark fantasy themes complement each other very well. The black knight will travel through burning villages to a desert mutated by missile testing, to a monstrous carnival, to a deprived wonderland and will never miss a beat.

All in all, Street Fighter X Mega Man is a noble effort. Although a number of levels could use a lot of tweaks, and it feels unpolished at times, you really can't go wrong with playing it, as it has a ton of heart. I wouldn't put it above the contemporary classic Mega Man 9, but it's a much more solid effort than the soulless Mega Man 10.

Although hardcore professional players may scoff at the general lack of skill in public games, most of you will enjoy the experience, and the fact that the developers were able to actually create a solid MOBA experience on a console should be commended.

Although a number of things could have been done to increase the fun factor of Torgue, if you're looking for more Borderlands 2, this is it, and this is what Mad Moxxi should have been.

If you're worried about getting your $10 worth of gameplay out of Hotline, don't be. I would have paid at least twice the price for the game as is. With the promise of more levels, I can't see anyone being upset about the value of the game.

All in all, Black Ops II is a solid game, but it feels kind of tired at this point in many respects. The new additions to the single player, zombie, and multiplayer components are a good effort, but they're not enough to transcend the series to a new level (like Halo 4 did for the Halo series). But if you enjoyed Black Ops, odds are you'll also enjoy Black Ops II - albeit a little less so.

It's safe to say that although there are some elements they could iron out by the time Halo 5 hits the shelves, 343 did an excellent job making Halo relevant again.

It's a great AC experience for sure, but it doesn't really offer anything you haven't seen before (outside of the fantastic multiplayer component). Likewise, it won't entice any non-fans, which is a shame - this would have been the perfect opportunity to do it.

Most Wanted pulled me in more than nearly any racing game this generation, despite the shoddy AI and issues elsewhere.

If you're a Dark Souls fan, you need to buy this right away. If you're a casual fan who sounds like they're frustrated by the mere premise of accessing this content, you should probably back away now.

In the end, Captain Scarlett offers pretty much more of the same amount of fun found in the core game, and it never really progresses any further than that.

In the end, FIFA Soccer 13 does a fantastic job of iterating on the core gameplay mechanics and providing a fun, realistic experience.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown is challenging, satisfying, and heartbreaking. It's also one of the best strategy games this generation, and potentially of all time. If you're itching for a game that will either last you a long time, or challenge both your mind and your fortitude, this is it.

With a myriad of options, characters, levels, and level-ups to be experienced, it's hard to argue against Code of Princess if you're a fan of beat 'em ups.

Retro City Rampage is a labor of love, and one you will not want to miss.

Due to the unresponsive controls, you're going to have a lot of frustrating moments where you'll want to throw a controller against the wall - only you are the controller, which could end pretty badly for yourself. When it comes to these portions (which is easily half, if not more of the game) I hope you really like horses, as you're going to be spending a lot of time grooming, petting, and tending to it. You could even say that part of the game feels like an XBLA sequel to Kinectimals.

After my first playthrough (which took around 6 hours), I felt a bit underwhelmed. As in I literally thought to myself - that was it? But then after going through a few more times, I realized how fun taking different paths could be.

Where RE6 truly shines is in the game mechanics and ancillary modes. Mercs is back and better than ever. When married with all of the new mechanics (quick-shotting, rolling, aiming while laying down, and more), Mercs becomes a much more action oriented experience, which enhances the enjoyment of it tenfold.

Overall, I found myself stopping to smell the roses on a number of ocassions, attempting to raise my Badass Rank just for fun. Even in the more run-of-the-mill areas or quests you might encounter during the game, these challenges help keep things interesting.

NHL 13 certainly has its issues – which may very well be fixed in upcoming patches and tuner updates – but overall it is a very solid experience.

But as long as you like rhythm games, turning it away simple because it isn't fun to watch would be a major mistake, as Blitz is one of the most enjoyable rhythm titles I've played in years. All of the nuances involved make it much more interesting than simply attempting to "get 100% of the notes," which is something truly special.

Three years later, XMG Studio has tried to recapture some of that success with a new title for the iOS – Ghostbusters Paranormal Blast. However, it struggles more than Ray trying to wrangle Slimer into a ghost trap.

Whether you're a fan of shooters, rhythm games or are just looking for a breath of fresh air, PlayStation 3 owners would do well to take Retro/Grade for a spin around space and time.

Simply put, this physics engine works and works really well. There hasn't been one game that I have played where my jaw didn't drop in amazement.

Thankfully, Death himself is an infinitely more interesting protagonist than War, which makes the story a bit more tolerable. Death is a bit of a wise ass, yet he will stop at nothing to protect those that he cares about. He isn't going to be winning any depth awards anytime soon, but for an action game, he's easily one of the more interesting, and cooler heroes to hit the action scene in the last ten years.

You use solid motion controls to control projectiles that wreck castles. It's basically Angry Birds on Kinect: it just works much better than anyone could have anticipated, given the Kinect's pedigree so far.

Although it can get repetitive at times, Dust is easily the most charming game in the entire Summer of Arcade. In fact, it's one of the most enjoyable Metroidvania/action RPG games I've ever played.

The gameplay improvements are fantastic but, in the end, NCAA Football 13 fails to provide enough to warrant an upgrade over last year's title. While it is still an enjoyable game, much more thought will need to go into this purchase if you are a seasoned veteran. But as mentioned previously, if you haven't found yourself on the college gridiron in a while, it is well worth your money.

All in all, Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance might be my favorite game in the franchise. I'd have to replay Kingdom Hearts 2 to truly decide, but as it stands, the franchise's latest 3DS iteration is an excellent addition to the series.

Deadlight, on the other hand, has an entire one third of the game that feels like it could have been utterly discarded. What's even more jarring is that the third act can also invoke that same feeling of redundancy. The game starts off as a bang, then descends into this fairly uninteresting second act, before presenting a largely uninteresting on the nose finale.

There are major problems with this release however, that will turn off many long time fans. You can't create custom parks or skaters. You can't customize (or even skip single songs) the soundtrack, and the soundtrack itself isn't the full track listing from both games. Not every level from both games is included (where's Mexico?). As previously mentioned, multiplayer is online only, strangely with no sign of local split-screen play.

All in all, if you hate challenging games, stay away from Spelunky. If you hate charming retro graphics, or the idea of perma-death, don't get Spelunky.

At the time of this writing, Fray has vastly improved from its initial release. If Brain Candy remains as hardworking and quick as it has been, the game will only get better, and fast.

Before you buy Theatrhythm, consider the following major factor: are you a Final Fantasy fan? Simply put, TFF is mostly a love letter to people who have supported the series over the years.

As long as you're not expecting anything completely revolutionary, you should get your money's worth with Where's My Perry? If history repeats itself, you're going to get a ton of extra free levels via content updates, and optional $0.99 IAP storylines. Even if none of that was coming, it would still be worth the meager price of entry.

Skyrim: Dawnguard will not blow your mind, but it's a decent addition to the Skyrim franchise, so long as you're willing to buy into the vampiric premise. There's a number of lore-rich encounters that long time TES fans will love, and a number of extras that help pad the package.

While it may be a step up for the franchise, it doesn't do anything radical that will sway non-fans. LEGO Batman 2 may encourage more exploration, but thematically, and gameplay wise, it's still relatively simplistic.

As it stands, Gravity Rush is an enjoyable romp through a world without gravitational limitations.

In the end, Lollipop Chainsaw is above all else a fun game. It has some issues (like most action games), but it's a non-stop outlandish joyride from start to finish. Thankfully, there's a ton of content packed in, and completionists will probably need 15-20 hours to obtain absolutely everything (rankings included) .

In the end, those who expect all the bells and whistles that have come to grace more recent fighting games, you may pass this up and feel no remorse. Same goes for those who already own a previous installment of VF 5 and feel content. Albeit, for die hard fans, those looking for yet another fighting game to add to their library and those who have strayed from the franchise but are still curious, this can be a good investment.

Nuanced and evocative storytelling, a well-executed presentation, and gameplay designed to capitalize on the uniqueness of the development platform all combine to make Spider the best game I've played on the iPhone to date.

While at first glance Diablo III seems to be a step back from it's predecessor, it's actually more complicated, and ultimately, a more satisfying experience.

All in all Max Payne 3 doesn't transcend the third person shooting genre, but it's a damn fine game, and a solid entry in the Max Payne series. If you're not the biggest fan of third person shooters, it won't do anything to sway you, but the highs most definitely weigh out the lows in Max's latest adventure.

Some gamers might get a little frustrated when they win their first match and then go on to lose ten more in a row. But at the same time, because Awesomenauts is so inviting with its ridiculous aesthetic, it's hard to resist the temptation to play "just one more round."

At the end of the day, there are very few franchises that evoke a sense of power just like the Prototype series, and the sequel doesn't disappoint: just don't expect anything groundbreakingly new.

Despite all the additions and enhancements, The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition is an unsatisfying game that won't appeal to series newcomers and never lives up to its own ambitions.