The Knife of Dunwall ends with an interesting choice (and foreshadows the next planned downloadable chapter in Daud's story), but the real payoff of this DLC is how it takes the cocktail of discovery, exploration, and combat that made Dishonored so delicious, and adds an engaging twist.

Orwell is a hard experience to pull back from, even as the dirtiness of your job sinks in. It uses simple mechanics to tell a complex and engaging story, one that feels particularly relevant right now. This is a game where your choices matter and resonate, and which will leave you with plenty to think about once it’s over.

"Turok 3" isn't the most beautiful or detailed addition to the series, but it plays the smoothest.

The strategic large-scale tank battles pair with a deep progression system to give everything a greater purpose and deliver a real winning combo.

Penny Arcade Adventures is slick with rain, hobo stew, and all sorts of awesome, but it's for fans of the comic's brand of humor only.

If you're looking for a driving game that places you in the role of a stunt performer in crime and caper movies, then Stuntman should fit the bill nicely.

The best arcade-style football game on the home market.

While some might be initially put off by the youthful nature of "Kirby 64," the depth of the power combo system really brings a lot to what would otherwise be an average platformer.

Gory combat comes at a high cost in the uneven Shank 2.

The end result is a much more action-packed experience that might be a little too straightforward in spots, but it does make for a solid action game.

Like a donut, it's sweet and satisfying, but you're acutely aware that there's a hole in the middle of it.

Arms is a strong, substantial fighting game that takes a while to really hit its stride. Its barrier to entry is unlike anything else in the genre, but it's one worth tackling in order to get at the game's fascinating take on fighting. It may not have the same skill requirement as other fighting games, but the flexibility and fast thinking it requires secures it as one that works on its own terms and opens the genre up to a wider audience.

Game of Thrones’ third episode succeeds in making you feel like the rest of the season is hinging on the decisions you make. It marks the narrative apex so far, the highest dramatic climax, with its barrage of tough choices in rapid succession.

Tomb Raider: Anniversary's success is twofold: It does well by the memory of the original and makes a dynamic action adventure game that's fun to play in 2007.

Despite its inconsistent level make-ups and underwhelming boss designs, 20XX is still an engrossing side-scroller that perfects the feeling of navigating dangerous, pitfall and enemy-filled stages.

While the gameplay in Tony Hawk's American Wasteland is still sharp, and the game still looks and sounds just fine, this seventh installment just seems to lack that special spark that made the series so much fun in the first place.

It rides off a lot of what NHL 16 did, and the new additions don't add anything crucial to the experience. It's still a lot of fun to trade players in Franchise, build a formidable roster in Hockey Ultimate Team, and actually play matches, but if you were hoping NHL 17 would be a significant step forward for the series, you're out of luck.

Before Your Eyes understands that experiencing our lives, of storing memories which become precious, is often tied to what we see: the people and the paths stretching out before us. Instead of feeling like a gimmick, Before Your Eyes feels refreshingly natural. Unusual control schemes often make me long for the familiarity of a controller. Sure, I can speak to my Nintendogs using the microphone on the DS, but sometimes I don’t want to yell at my shih tzu on a Delta flight. Before Your Eyes manages to do the opposite. Its unique mechanic matches its narrative so perfectly, that you won’t want to play it any other way.

But as complex and rewarding as building a railroad empire can be, it rarely feels daunting or tedious, which is perhaps the best thing that can be said for a game of this type.

Darksiders: Genesis has a clear identity. It's not the most experimental game in the world, but it takes a variety of tried-and-tested systems and executes them with bravado and grace.

Mahjong plus Scrabble equals fun for vocabulary buffs.

The fundamental flaw of Mind Control Delete is that it's adding complication to a game premise that works largely because of its simplicity. That complexity hasn't ruined Mind Control Delete. There's still a ton of enjoyment to be had, and there's still nothing else quite like it out there. But without a doubt, it's fun that expires a lot faster than the original.

Unfortunately, the PC version of the game doesn't have the same online support and tight control that made the Xbox version so great, but at $20 it's an acceptable alternative for racing fans.

Lumines Live! has the same addictive gameplay as the PSP original does, but you don't get a lot for your money.

When it comes together, whether in moments of high drama and urgent choices or in the quiet interludes that follow, 11-11 draws you deep into the lives of these men. When it misses the mark, whether through an implausible coincidence, a throwaway puzzle or tedious collectible, it can push you away and cause the surrounding narrative beats to fall flat.

Though the ending is a little unsatisfying, and the actual adventure is a little short, the game offers plenty of replay value with five appreciably different character classes and a really satisfying cooperative mode.

Two of Capcom's best arcade beat-'em-ups get HD ports worthy of their heritage, providing a good, if easy, co-op experience.

NBA 2K is a peculiar game to critique for this perennial reason; like a social media label for a messy relationship, it's complicated. Suffice it to say the thoughts I've expressed in that companion piece weigh on my conclusion here, and you should consider this a two-part review, in a sense. 2K25's greatest flaw is obvious: Its economic designs make the game worse, and it's impossible for anyone without a Randian "greed is good" worldview to justify it...At the same time, everything else it does is so impressive, both as a basketball sim and when stacked next to any other sports game, that it's a delicate balance to find with words. It does so much so well, and much of it is done uniquely. But its refusal to decouple its marquee features from its virtual currency keeps this championship contender from reaching its full potential.