The fact that the game doesn't hold your hand and force you through the story is certainly one of the finer points.

It looks gorgeous, sounds great, and plays at least as well as many of the classics of yesteryear.

Boktai 2's steeper difficulty level and direct tie-in to the original game's storyline means it will be probably be most enjoyed by fans of the original who are eager for a greater challenge.

Unfortunately, contrary to what Sega Sports would lead you to believe, the first-person setting is more of a gimmick than a playable mode.

Luigi's first solo excursion has flashes of brilliance and is fun while it lasts, but the short amount of time it takes to complete it makes it a hard recommendation.

Its gameplay systems are solid, as are its presentation and production values--it really is the game that Gigawing could have been.

Despite my complaints, it's hard to deny the sheer thrill of The Void: careening through space, leaping over a giant bug, and firing my last missile into a group of pirates before I speed toward the mission's evacuation point. The expansion may take a less engaging approach to survival, but it's still a frantic, intricate display of movement and reaction. The Void attempts to break ground of its own, and in some ways, it has. But the end result is weaker than the foundation it's built upon.

Tinykin is a delightful callback to '90s collectathons and platformers, with just the right amount of new ideas and iterations.

This colourful adventure is more Lewis Carroll than Tim Burton and fuses puzzles with exploration to great effect.

By giving you a paintbrush (and a kettle) instead of a sword, Eastshade is a rare first-person open world game that's not about killing but rather about doing good deeds, helping people see the error of their ways, and bringing communities together all through the power of art. It's a breath of fresh Eastshadian air and a genuine, unironic feel-good game. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to put the kettle on.

Those returning to the fray will likely be a little disappointed as there just isn't enough new content to rouse fresh excitement. For newcomers, though, Hyrule warriors is a delightful, bizarre outing that opens up the Zelda series, taking us places we've been before, just with thousands of monsters and awesome, screen-clearing magical attacks.

Awesomenauts is a deep multiplayer battler with the approachability of a Saturday-morning cartoon.

Ridge Racer 7 introduces some great new additions that make this the most significant update Namco's arcade-style racing series has seen in years.

The culprit behind Crash's dated feel is the passage of time. Vicarious Visions, for its part, succeeded in revitalizing Crash from an artistic perspective while preserving the charm that made him appealing when he first showed up, but years have passed since the original PlayStation was relevant, and we are well past the formative years of 3D gaming.

Art exists to bridge a gap, to communicate emotions or ideas that would otherwise be impossible to articulate. Abzu does this--courageously, confidently, sincerely. Its stirring soundtrack, vivid colors, subtle storytelling, living world, and thoughtful execution combine to create a singularly moving, transcendent experience. In a word: Abzu is beautiful.

Crazy Machines is pretty similar to many other puzzle games on the PC, but the amount and quality of its content makes it worthwhile anyway.

Despite its relative simplicity, there's something pretty compelling about the gameplay. Regardless, what really makes E4 so entrancing is the presentation, which looks and sounds like a space rave that exploded in your Xbox 360.

Tropico 4 is a likeable and engaging sequel that expands on its predecessor but doesn't offer much new depth.

Despite using the same graphical engine, the same gameplay elements, and some shared, familiar locations, the experience of inhabiting Chloe in Before the Storm is a completely new experience. Episode 1 promises a series that uses love and empathy as a sword and shield, the only way to either stay safe or strike back at a harsh life, harsher still by nature of being a teenager. That's a special ability we are so seldom asked to employ in games and it's so heartening to know there's at least two more episodes of Before the Storm where we get to do it again.

While no Call of Duty game has matched the comprehensive excellence of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the exploits of Reyes and Ethan are at least as memorable and moving as any deeds from “Soap” MacTavish and John Price during from the series' heyday.

Starlink is an interesting and enjoyable open-world game, one that fully understands the appeal of exploring new planets and dogfighting in the cold depths of space. With a small fleet of ships at your disposal, it can be a lot of fun to progressively assault and weaken the Forgotten Legion's hold on the galaxy. It's just a shame that if you're interested in the physical models, you'll have to spend more to get the same experience as the digital version.

It's not the best version of Puzzle Quest to date, but it still offers much of the same great fun.

Injustice provides a complex fighter with some unique twists, but is found wanting in features that have become commonplace in its contemporaries.

It continues to be a crazy ride through a story that successfully employs the most beloved elements of the Borderlands franchise.

The real miracle here is that the game communicates its gut-wrenching horror without a single drop of blood, yet still belongs in the upper echelon of horror games.

The involved nature of juggling all tasks required to operate your cool starfighter at peak efficiency while soaking in the more mechanical sights and sounds of Star Wars is a stimulating experience that Squadrons just gets right.

Outlast's few weak moments are overshadowed by the effectiveness with which it so often gets inside your head and scares the hell out of you.

Slowly and deliberately, it's transforming competitive driving from a lonely solo sport to one that brims with interaction. It's turning us from mere drivers into owners and managers, off-track decision-makers and career-seekers.