It's a shame Firewatch fails as a mystery because it succeeds in so many other ways. Its world is captivating, its design is clever, and its characters are among the most well-written in gaming. Though it might sound counterintuitive, the plot is in many ways secondary to the relationship you build between Henry and Delilah, and that portion of the game is truly inspired.

It's been years since a game let you pour boiling oil on invading hordes, and Stronghold simulates castle sieges well enough to recommend it to those who are interested in the premise. But it's a hesitant recommendation, due to a poor interface and mediocre campaigns.

Open Tee isn't really any more or less accessible than Tiger, but the playful visual style will likely appeal more to those with no interest in real-world golf, and established Hot Shots fans will definitely find this to be their preferred game.

Red Orchestra is an enjoyable, team-based online shooter for those who like the Battlefield-style games but want a more technical and realistic experience.

Light on content but deep on gameplay, NBA Street Homecourt's PlayStation 3 debut is ultimately a great one.

This retail package containing Bethesda's downloadable content updates for its groundbreaking role-playing game gives you more quality questing for Oblivion for a budget price.

Don't let the understated presentation fool you: Tiger Woods PGA Tour 08 is a great portable golf game.

A blast to play, although it may be a brief experience for some players.

There's so much packed into this game that it's almost too complicated for its own good--almost. But once you climb The Crusaders' steep learning curve and experience the wild frenzy of its massive battles, you'll find all that complexity pays off in spades.

It creates the most accurate representation of the world of Springfield ever put into a game, and it manages to make the gameplay surrounding it quite a lot of fun. Additionally, the game's overall sense of humor is delightfully self-referential.

Makes good, solid improvements over its predecessor and stands on its own as a great version of The Sims for consoles.

This is an incredibly slick package, and not just on the surface, either. On Tour tightens up a lot of the underlying course designs and gameplay mechanics, and it quickens the pace without betraying the fundamentals of SSX.

So what's the gameplay like once you get the logistics down? In a word, irresistible. Not only is the pace challenging from the get-go, Wetrix has taken the hidden constituent that makes most good puzzle games addictive, and has upped the dosage.

Captain Scarlett and Her Pirate's Booty delivers mild-mannered humor and a satisfying adventure for you to shoot and loot your way through.

Terraria is just as magical and content-rich on consoles as it is on the PC, although the controls aren't ideal for every situation.

The move to sharp graphics makes the game feel modern, yet the series' old-school charm lives on in the vibrant colors and expressive character animations. And the soundtrack is surprisingly catchy--with hilariously passionate (if minimal) voice work and a great score. It's easy to get wrapped up in fighting and platforming through Half-Genie Hero, which speaks to the pedigree of the series, and how well it translates to Shantae's latest adventure.

While its puzzles are at times too straightforward, Little Nightmares is a chilling odyssey well worth taking.

Madden 19 is an excellent football game that improves on last year's entry in almost every way. There are problems, but there has never been a football game that more authentically represents the NFL than this in terms of presentation, controls, and depth.

Even people like me, who have long since given up the prospect of learning an instrument or making music as a creative pursuit, can rekindle a little bit of the creative spark they may have had once upon a time. The core mechanics of switching discs in and out, making new composite songs out of the pieces of others, is both compelling and exciting. Even if you play the campaign and find yourself unmotivated to make songs on your own without the score chase, the simple pleasure of having some songs you like come together into your own song is unique in games, and wholly enchanting.

It's the same adventure you may have experienced many times before, but Star Fox 64 3D is still an enjoyable journey through a dangerous galaxy.

Yoshi's Island DS is a terrific platformer that's every bit as fun and charming as its predecessor.

Fireteam Bravo 2 delivers a solid single-player campaign backed up by a fully-featured online multiplayer game, making it one of the best shooters available on the PSP.

While the game could have been lengthier, Freedom Fighters is still just an outstanding blend of pure action and tactical squad combat. The squad control works incredibly well.

Spirit of Justice takes the Ace Attorney series to new heights by treading old ground. The breadth of tools available to crack cases and the wealth of character drama keep you entangled--it's genuinely difficult to put down the 3DS in the middle of case, what with such colorful witnesses and piles of complex lies to sift through. This is courtroom drama--and the series--at its finest and most fun.

Yes, it's nice to have that attention to detail poured into the physics simulation itself, but when the likes of Forza are heaping on the features, it's hard not to feel shortchanged by GT6's lack of vision. Maybe we'll see the makeover the series sorely needs when it inevitably hits the PS4, but until then, Gran Turismo 6 remains a fantastic simulation; it's just not a great game.

There's fun to be had in Dragon Ball: Sparking Zero, but ultimately this return to form does not spark as much joy as we'd hoped.

GoldenEye 007 is an entirely new and incredibly fun shooter that doesn't rely on its prestigious pedigree to provide thrills.

Makes up for its simplistic gameplay and brief quest with a great deal of variety.