Murasaki Baby is a beautiful, dark, and emotionally powerful experience that makes wonderful use of the Vita’s strengths.

While Theatrhythm Final Fantasy was a great tribute to the franchise's music, Curtain Call goes the extra mile with tons of additional content to become the definitive game in the series.

While The Sims 4 is a good first effort that will entertain goal-chasers and fan creators, it lacks much of the variety and humor that defines The Sims.

Devoid of many important modes and features, NHL 15 feels incomplete, and will not appeal to long-time fans.

Tales of Xillia 2 is a frustrating brew of boring JRPG tropes and needlessly repetitive busywork. Don’t let this be the first Tales game you start with.

The early hours of CounterSpy's stylish combo of stealth and shooting are worth a playthrough, but after it leaves its sneakiness behind, it's a sub-par cover shooter that's half as fun.

A new coat of paint, a ton of actionable analytic data, solid improvement in the trenches, and the extension of two popular modes makes Madden NFL 15 a winner.

The Last Tinker tries to ape the best platformers out there, but with boring combat and unchallenging gameplay, it's just a dull one.

Metro Redux finally does the series justice on consoles, providing excellent visual and gameplay overhauls to both Metro 2033 and Last Light.

Short, simple, and wonderfully inventive, Hohokum's bizarre aesthetics and enigmatic level design make for a consistently surprising, enjoyable romp.

Despite its oddball shortcomings, Risen 3 is a solid open-world RPG packed with entertaining characters and challenging combat scenarios.

Metrico has interesting visuals and creative mechanics, but getting stuck brings your enjoyment to a full stop.

Sacred 3 has the skeleton of a fun co-op hack 'n' slash experience, but it's marred by too much repetition, balance issues, and the worst comedy routine this side of Open Mic Night at the Middle of Nowhere Comedy Shack.

The Last of Us remains a must-play, genre-defining action survival game, and the Remastered version brings with it plentiful tweaks and additional content that make it well worth the asking price.

One Piece Unlimited World Red offers great combat, even if the battles occur in dull places.

The Wolf Among Us is a game that exceeds expectations, providing an intriguing, painful, and thought-provoking journey that everyone should experience at least once.

The Wolf Among Us is a game that exceeds expectations, providing an intriguing, painful, and thought-provoking journey that everyone should experience at least once.

Sniper Elite 3’s focus on marksmanship over direct confrontation is admirable, but its lack of polish or any real personality keep it from standing out.

While far from the worst Transformers game, Rise of the Dark Spark's interesting ideas are eclipsed by bland action and frustrating design.

While it’s obscenely detailed up-close and the bike control is wonderful, there’s a distinct feeling of sterility compared to other racers. Still, a good start for the series on PS4.

A varied and charming platformer, only blighted when it lets players get a little overpowered.

The subject material is ghastly, but Valiant Hearts has the right mix of emotion and entertainment to make enduring the Great War worthwhile.

In correcting the many small mis-steps of its predecessor, Autosport finally gives us a worthy successor to 2008’s revolutionary Race Driver GRID.

A disappointingly bare-bones color-matching game that doesn't measure up to its artsy promise.

An ambitious effort that does not come together quite as well as it could have, Enemy Front is an entertaining experience that offers a wide variety of action in locales rarely visited.

1001 Spikes is one of the most difficult platformers out there, but finishing a level feels so much better when you overcome the challenge.

EA Sports UFC boasts incredibly detailed fighters and great combat. However, this debut effort from a new publisher lacks the single-player balance and the variety of modes that previous UFC games brought to the ring.

Tomodachi Life finds fun in the most mundane of activities, thanks to quirky style that makes hanging out with digital friends surprisingly engrossing.

There's a few notable characters and story beats in Murdered: Soul Suspect, but they're completely overshadowed by unremarkable gameplay and shoddy production values.

Despite its awkward aiming and lackluster platforming, Stick it to The Man is a delightful puzzle game with a peculiar world worth exploring.

Watch Dogs’ interconnected world is a wonderful, explosive, high-tech playground. Shame the people who inhabit it are so forgettable.

Tropico 5 cuts out the fat of previous entries and builds upon its strongest features. While the new dynasty system is disappointing, the narrative context provided by eras and world events is outstanding.

A darkly humorous action RPG with entertainingly fast-paced combat, Drakengard 3 is a unique experience marred by long load times, minor technical issues, and lackluster world design.

Transistor's clever combat and incredible customization makes for an intensely fun strategy game, but the world and story leave much to be desired. Come for the art and wonderful soundtrack, stay for the ability to freeze time and slash up robots.

An over-the-top shooter with fun action, memorable set-piece moments, and decent characters, Wolfenstein: The New Order successfully transform an oldschool game into a modern experience.

Mario Kart 8 is a slick and gorgeous-looking kart racer that's perfectly solid but not always as exciting or addictive as we've come to expect from the series.

Borderlands 2 remains an excellent game--unfortunately the Vita port makes too many concessions. Frequent frame dips, sluggish response, and OK controls make it hard to recommend.

Super Time Force brings a time traveling twist to the classic sidescrolling shooter, and while playing it can feel like you’ve chugged one too many energy drinks, the hilarious charm and satisfying gameplay helps take the edge off.

Bound by Flame doesn’t put too much weight on the important choices you think you’re making, but its rich customization options and smart combat system are sure to give you that power you're looking for.

If you’ve got a room full of buddies and a handful of controllers, Sportsfriends is a delightful party game that will have everyone smiling and elbowing each other in the ribs.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 comes in a next-gen wrapper, but feels like a last-gen experience. There’s plenty of fun to be had thanks to some fun battles, an entertaining story, and scads of collectibles. Just be prepared for an experience that looks and feels extremely familiar.

All-Star Battle's incredible presentation far outclasses its slower one-on-one gameplay and adequate modes. Diehard JoJo fans will be in heaven, but the uninitiated will lose interest once the invigorating shock of the fabulous visuals wears off.

Daylight is a mess. Its procedurally generated design doesn’t succeed in creating unpredictable scares, and the enemies that populate the spooky locales prove to be more annoying than frightening. The randomized levels offer a slightly different experience if you take a second trip through, but you’ll have seen just about everything Daylight has to offer after only a couple hours of play--which, regrettably, isn't much.

A fantastic RPG with a creative aesthetic and fairy tale narrative, Child of Light is a memorable experience that's as fun to play as it is artistically pleasing.

Kirby: Triple Deluxe is a great package with two entertaining side games to complement the super-slick platforming quest. With a stronger final quarter, this would be essential.

Mario Golf: World Tour may lack innovation, but it provides easy-to-grasp golfing fun and a slew of unique stages. It's a solid game that will keep you coming back for more.

Demon Gaze is colorful, brash, and spunky, but it's little more than a wonky journey through dungeon after forgettable dungeon. If it's a grind you're looking for, you can do far better than the mediocrity of becoming a Demon Gazer.

Hearthstone is addictive, highly strategic, and chock-full of fun collectible card battling; the fact that it's totally free (if you want it to be) makes it one of the best values in gaming today. This is your new obsession; embrace it.

Essentially last-gen FIFA 14 with a World Cup mode and a bit of presentational spit and polish. Not worth the money.

Trials Fusion delivers more of what you want: addictively challenging obstacle courses, complete with precision controls and highly competitive leaderboards. The futuristic setting and subplot don't add much, but they (usually) don't detract from the fun either.

Outside of the dungeons, the racier half of Conception 2’s content will be the make-or-break point for most players.

Moebius: Empire Rising is a strikingly mediocre point-and-click adventure game, adequately checking all the boxes of a traditional entry in the genre but excelling at none of them.

It may be incomplete, narratively speaking, but Lego The Hobbit is just as content-packed as any other game in the series, and is a great experience for Lego and Middle-earth diehards alike.

Deception IV: Blood Ties continues the legacy of Tecmo's cult series, and feels like a full realization of the original premise. If you have the patience for its late-game flaws, there's never been a better time to cast your lot with The Devil.

MLB 14: The Show continues to set the gold standard for console baseball, with an excellent single-player experience. Here's hoping that one day Sony will figure out how to get its online modes working.

Relentlessly charming despite its dark heart, Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney handles moments of sweeping sadness as easily as it does comedy awfulness.

Ragnarok Odyssey Ace learned its tricks in the school of MMO fundamentals, and though character customizations are initially fun, the shine quickly wears off in the face of levels and battles as repetitive as they are unrewarding.

Cloudbuilt should have been an addictive competitive speedrunner, but its imprecise controls and brutal checkpoints mean that only the most patient and dedicated players will press forward in this uniquely frustrating game.

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition has as much content as its name implies, and it’s the most stable the series has ever been. While it provides some mindless, button-mashing fun, it's still incredibly repetitive.

Though Reaper of Souls' story additions feel too open-ended, the new Crusader class and Adventure Mode go a long way towards revitalizing Diablo's inherently fun and addictive core gameplay.

If you're looking for a next-gen showpiece to demonstrate the power of PlayStation 4, inFamous: Second Son will definitely do the trick--it looks great, plays well, and gives you a dozen or so hours of city to explore. The gameplay itself isn't all that revolutionary, but the stellar presentation and enjoyable characters assure you'll enjoy your trip to Seattle--even if you'll wish there was more to do there.

Luftrausers may suffer from a few bugs and interface issues from time to time, but at its core is a magnificently modern aeronautic arcade experience.

Ninja Gaiden Z is a disappointing entry in the Ninja Gaiden series filled with repetitive enemy encounters, cringeworthy pervy jokes, and frustrating, unbalanced gameplay. This is not the ninja game you're looking for.

Adding phenomenal, modernized improvements to the Metal Gear franchise, Ground Zeroes is effective at getting you hyped for the future of the series. Still, it feels like an expensive tease that only gives you a taste of what’s to come.

A few iffy visuals and lingering shortcomings aren’t enough to keep this collection down. Boasting stellar gameplay, a still-epic storyline, and a fully realized FFX compilation, Remaster has plenty to offer new fans and old alike.

TowerFall Ascension’s blend of competitiveness and customization provides you with endless ways to have an incredible time. Just remember to bring some friends along for the ride.

Atelier Escha & Logy makes time management fun, challenging you to maximize your efficiency if you want to help everyone in need. Its version of alchemy is inspiringly multifaceted, while the combat's basic but entertaining. If you can appreciate the simpler things in life, like a job well done, definitely give this JRPG a try.

A fantastic sequel that lives up to its namesake, Dark Souls 2 is an action RPG that's challenging and rewarding in equal measure.

Titanfall blends familiar concepts with innovative ideas in remarkable ways, leading to a nearly nonstop supply of awesome moments. But for as fun as it is, you'll likely find yourself wishing Respawn was more ambitious when it comes to game modes, since there's a good chance you've captured enough flags for one lifetime.

Despite a few niggling issues, Out There's melancholy atmosphere and challenging resource management will have you coming back for seconds. And thirds.

A promising effort, delivering an engaging gameplay experience and an expansive world. While it's hampered by overlong cutscenes and bland characters, it will satisfy fans of the genre, and maybe make a few more.

Stick of Truth is South Park's Arkham Asylum--a triumph of a licensed game that manages to fit in line with the franchise while paving new ground in gaming. In this case, the new ground is dick jokes, but--still--innovation is innovation.

A poorly executed Bomberman clone that is technically broken in almost every respect, Basement Crawl is shambling husk of an online multiplayer game. Avoid as if your life depended on it.

Azran Legacy doesn’t change much about the Layton formula, but the series stays true to its strengths to the very end.

Lords of Shadow 2 is a sequel that simply tries to do too much. It fills out its lengthy running time not with deeper explorations of the surgically precise combat, platforming, and cohesive world-building of its predecessor, but with multiple misguided, jarring new elements that all-too often fail to satisfy in their own right. Worse, they make for a diluted, deeply disjointed overall game experience.

Garden Warfare is a fun, polished shooter, and what it lacks in gameplay depth it more than makes up for with fun cosmetic gear you'll actually want to unlock.

Thief maintains the strengths of its stealth-centric predecessors and offers plenty in the way of actual thievery, but don't expect any fun, new gameplay mechanics or an enchanting story in this reboot.

If you can stand the slow pace and suffer through a few unfair puzzles, you’ll find Tengami’s breathtaking visual beauty and slick interface more than make up for any shortcomings.

EDF 2025 makes the most of repetitive gameplay with its charming over-the-top vibe. The new classes do a lot to mix up the straightforward formula; the online co-op, sadly, does not.

A slick pastiche of ‘80s retro cool and modern gameplay, Strider is both faithful to its source material and still capable of finding its own identity. It’s basically the raddest Saturday-morning cartoon you’ll ever play.

If you crave a challenge, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze will bring out the best of your platforming abilities. Those expecting a cakewalk will feel like they slammed headfirst into a brick wall of difficulty.

Romance Dawn is a game even an anime aficionado couldn’t love. Its systems are bare bones, and boring, unvoiced text conversations dominate most of the time you’ll spend with Luffy & Co. Turn back now.

Toukiden is fast and furious, but it also knows how to play up a complex leveling system to keep things fresh. It isn’t perfect, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a better Monster Hunter replacement in the interim.

Funny, colorful, and full of personality, The Lego Movie Videogame not only successfully builds from its source material but is also a great example of why Lego games are so much fun to play.

Jazzpunk is uniquely ridiculous and undeniably hilarious. It's not afraid of making you work to find all the funny, which turns even the tiniest throwaway joke into something special.

Despite a decent story, a great combat system, and a large, non-linear world to explore, Lightning Returns' tedious structure makes seeing this journey through to its end a laborious grind.

If you’re interested in Republique purely as a tech demo, its smooth animations, realistic models, and excellent touch-controls would have you raving. Unfortunately, the story is so shallow and the central character is so bland that, despite a top-notch supporting cast, Republique’s narrative simply can’t carry the weight of the game.

Repetitive missions and a lifeless fighting engine are sure to disappoint both newcomers and fans expecting to relive some of the action the series is known for.

With a lackluster graphical update and no compelling additions outside of new achievements and SmartGlass integration, Fable Anniversary is an HD redux strictly for die-hard franchise fans only.

It might be brief, but Octodad is definitely worth checking out for anyone interested in a charming, hilarious experience. Also, you get to play as an octopus, which... you know, is pretty awesome.

With a steep learning curve and massive difficulty spikes, OlliOlli takes a while to get its hooks into you. Once it does, you’ll quickly discover an addictive skateboarding game like no other.

Blackguards is enjoyable enough for diehard strategy fans, but nagging bugs and a poor UI keep it from its full potential.

One of the best adventure games on console, with a fantastic blend of action and exploration. The Definitive Edition really is definitive, but isn't worth a repeat buy for those who've already experienced Lara's story.

Act One of Broken Age starts off strong, with an incredibly well-written storyline that props up some occasionally weak puzzle work. Let's hope Double Fine can follow through with Act Two when it arrives later this year.

With a refreshingly unique aesthetic, well-written story, and challenging gameplay, The Banner Saga is an excellent adventure well worth your time.

Bravely Default is ambitious without being unconventional: an effective, engaging addition to a genre often hamstrung by tradition.

With its twisted tale of murder and high school gone wrong, Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc weaves a devilishly addictive tale you'll want to see through to the end.

With gorgeous visuals, inventive puzzles, and a fresh creative take on the platformer genre, Max: The Curse of Brotherhood is a welcome addition to the Xbox arsenal.