The Godfather is a satisfying, lengthy adventure, and more importantly, it remains faithful to the classic film while managing to create a compelling story of its own.

Project Zero 2: Wii Edition is a bleak, nasty horror game that scares every step of the way.

Through well designed puzzles, intense escape room scenarios, and a kineticism absent in video games on standard screens, I Expect You to Die knows exactly how to leverage the magic of VR, and proves it almost every step of the way.

Figment is at once lighthearted and deep. It reminds us that dark things may lurk underneath otherwise pleasant surfaces, that grumpy egos may populate the shuttered houses of an otherwise beautiful mind. Sometimes Figment seems a little too silly for its ambitions, but that frivolity never manages to fully drown out its overarching message--that if we persevere and have a little faith in our abilities, things will likely turn out well in the long run. Or, at least, we'll learn how to live with the pain.

Despite having big ideas, Whispers of a Machine is ultimately a traditional example of the genre with some neat ideas rather than something revelatory. But it's very good at what it does, and those augmentations help to differentiate it from all the other adventure games out there. It's short but gripping, offering a well-written, interesting and clever experience that wraps up well and which rewards your choices and play style with unique powers and puzzle solutions.

These tens of thousands of encounters plus the appearances by the series’ many other heroes makes for an essential experience for any Dragon Quest fan, even if you haven’t played a hack-and-slasher in ages. These characters are so fully realized that, assuming you’re not a stickler for official canon, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to consider Dragon Quest Heroes as a companion piece alongside the main series.

From the faint outlines of religion to the background hum of influence, from the awkward city-building to the cumbersome tactical combat, all wrapped up in a cultural system that struggles to imprint a strong identity on your empire, Humankind strains under the weight of too many complex systems that too often find themselves colliding rather than coalescing. By turns disjointed and confounding, Humankind is nonetheless fascinating, at least to this experienced 4X strategy player, even if I couldn't say I truly enjoyed it.

Returning home to Baldur’s Gate makes Siege of Dragonspear one of the most enjoyable RPGs that I have played in a long time, both for the nostalgia factor of revisiting an all-time favorite and for the impressively designed and involving narrative that captures nearly everything that fans love about traditional D&D. Even though the engine creaks in spots, the overall experience is everything that a hardcore D&D fan could ask for, and a superb expansion of one of the most legendary franchises in all of roleplaying game history.

RAAM's Shadow delivers good Gears action and a novel way to wreak havoc, but it's hampered by uneven pacing and a lackluster narrative.

Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 is a comprehensive reboot of the series, offering improved gameplay and a host of great new features.

Its attractive visuals make Crysis 3 a pleasure to look at, and the game is plenty of fun, though not up to the high standards of its forebears.

Easily the most diverse and accessible Mega Man game yet...If you've enjoyed Mega Man games in the past or have been waiting for one that's a little less punishing, Mega Man Zero 3 is the game to get.

The ATV Offroad Fury series has long been known for fast, dirty thrills, and ATV4 is the best so far.

It's more of a good thing, but a second-rate campaign and an underwhelming new gameplay mode keep this expansion from soaring.

This entertaining and varied sci-fi shooter doesn't break new ground; it's just a bunch of goofy, gory fun.

There's so much variety and personality, however, that the odds are good that you'll find your money's worth in some aspect or another.

2006 FIFA World Cup does a good job of re-creating the carnival atmosphere that surrounds the competition, but it suffers from frequent and obnoxious slowdown.

The authentic Men of War: Assault Squad packs plenty of challenge for real-time strategy enthusiasts.

It's rare that a prequel truly works, where a story can captivate despite the audience knowing what's coming and where the path will lead. Life Is Strange: Before The Storm is one of those exceptional stories because it draws you in on its own terms. The only problem: You know it's building you up just to break your heart.

Killzone is reborn in this consistently intense, periodically infuriating, yet undeniably enjoyable handheld tactical shooter.

But even though it's not quite as good as Danganronpa's dizzying roller-coaster highs, Rain Code is a solid detective adventure that entertains and engages for the majority of its runtime. It's got an intriguing concept, enjoyable dialogue, an interesting and plenty of bold, outlandish strangeness to hold a player's interest. I, for one, certainly hope this isn't the last we see of Shinigami's sublime snark.

For all its faults, though, Arena Wars manages to offer up clever gameplay that merges elements of shooters and real-time strategy games into a fresh, action-packed whole.

Multiplayer shines brightly alongside a short but dynamic campaign in the tower offense sequel Anomaly 2.

Authentic arcade presentation and a smart assortment of challenges make this a great way to experience two very enjoyable Capcom arcade classics.

Big strikeouts and even bigger homers make The BIGS a great arcade baseball game.

Destructive environments and excellent track design make MotorStorm: Apocalypse one of the most exciting racing experiences on the PlayStation 3.

Easily the most cohesive and well-rounded surfing game to hit the PS2 yet, and a unique and enjoyable extreme sports game in its own right.

It's not suitable for everyone, and it will require considerable time and effort on your part in order to produce satisfying results. This same time and effort could just as well be spent learning the actual tools of the trade.