With the story complete, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is dazzling. Teen rage, girl power, sapphic love – it's all explored with care and consideration. It's rough around the edges in parts, but Don't Nod has created a wonderful supernatural coming-of-age story that ends with teen defiance and queer rage.

For gamers who are willing to obsess over the stats and intricacies, Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice will give you an excuse to chain yourself to your couch.

Staying alive is definitely more challenging the second time around, but the game still feels extremely linear and simply lacks much surprise.

Its nuanced and complex characters are offset nicely by the goofy and gory combat - here's your chance to chuck motorcycles, thwack criminals with oversized traffic cones, and body slam some jaws - and the city's ability to feel alive both day and night all add up to something more distinct and intriguing.

Load times grow as you add more Sims to your household, and that load screen is something you'll see every time you move around town. It's inconvenient, but a small price to pay for finally having a full Sims experience on console.

While the game is fun in its own right, the figures and portal make it into more than just the average adventure game. The price may be a little steep, with the game constantly encouraging players to buy more characters, but the figures are well made and make great collectables.

While we're happy overall with Madden 12, and it's a notch better than last season's game, it remains a far-from-perfect experience. Those of us that plan on spending a hundred hours or more playing online franchise and community games will surely compile an enormous laundry list of issues – but in the end, we'll still play all those games. Even so, we're left wanting much more than we're getting from EA's venerable football series.

As short as it is, InFamous: Festival of Blood is enormously fun while it lasts. The Shadow Swarm power is a ridiculously enjoyable addition, the Halloween plot is interesting (and spiked with a visually arresting shadow-puppet cutscene) and the new UGC features make it a must-have for mission-builders.

A Way Out elevates co-op gaming in a way nothing has before, bringing players together to create one beautifully told story that everyone needs to experience.

If you’re patient with plot, love your amnesiac protagonists and get aroused at the thought of having to keep two saves so you can reroll a character if need be, Lost Odyssey has your name written all over it.

Gore-hounds might go into sugar shock, but if you enjoy light-hearted action RPGs, you’ll probably fall in love with Gurumin.

Add it all up, and you've got a fantastic package that'll keep you fighting for yardage even when you're driving around in your Madden Cruiser.

Sure, Bomberman is still sticking with 2D, and his tale is silly at the least, but there's a ton of gameplay value here. Atlus’s secret release really shouldn’t be kept hidden - it’s the bomb.

The best wrestling package of the year, though we hope the gameplay is freshened up a little more next time.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an ace accomplice to Breath of the Wild, providing charming backstories to its colorful cast of characters while carrying forward the spirit of experimental gameplay with impressive results.

It's a masterpiece, if not of technique, then of soul, story and heart.

The art style is flat-out amazing. The sepia tones and hand-drawn characters perfectly complement the game's mood and 1970's setting. The film noir themes that occur throughout the game are perfect, never over-the-top or cheesy.

Although it’s beset by blandish graphics and wickedly uneven difficulty, Prototype delivers a fast-paced, relentlessly amoral and wonderfully brutal sandbox adventure in a detailed city filled with cool things to see and do.

Borderlands 3 is a fan-servicing treat of a Borderlands game, albeit one soured by technical issues and lacklustre villains.

It's no "Halo 2," but excellent level design and the infusion of the augmentations into multiplayer via a class-based player structure adds a welcome bit of variety to the mix.

For the perfectionists out there, there are tons of missions to accomplish and most gamers will never have to touch a fortune cookie.

Emulates one of the best games ever adeptly, and if you're a Nintendo fan that never owned any of the previous systems it appeared on, it's worth exploring. However, if you have the Subsistence version for PS2 or last November's MGS HD Collection (which costs the same as this 3DS remake), MGS3D isn't a superior replacement.

It's a well-made game that you can try again and again with numerous heroes and their plethora of powers. If you're a comic-book fan, this is probably the most satisfying videogame ever made for you.

But everything here is still solidly done, funnier than almost any other game, and holds a unique place in the DS library. You really should start up your own Robocalypse.

A deep and gratifying medieval swordfighting sim that risks putting off newcomers. Persevere and the rewards are well worth it.

An oddly pitched remake that has its moments but adds very little to the original beyond a visual upgrade.

A fun and refreshingly light-on-its-feet tactics game successfully translates a lot of Metal Slug's charms into the turn-based genre. But it's not as natural a fit as Gears Tactics was, and an obtuse UI combined with abundant glitches hold it back.

It's fantastic and it keeps us up at night. There's no better endorsement.

There really isn't anything to wrong with the game other than it feeling more old than old school on occasion.

The varying levels of difficulty, heavy emphasis on fan service and inviting gameplay make Theatrhythm a great way to celebrate the franchise's legacy.

The gameplay gets a little too frustrating, the graphics too soulless, and the story too weak to keep us going in for too long.

Murder by Numbers has all the logic of picross with the look and feel of your favorite childhood cartoon.

The Stunts & Effects expansion pack adds more sets, costumes, props, vehicles and backdrops for your virtual productions, along with a new employee type: the stuntman.

Dune: Awakening is a game that Dune fans will find rapturous but that has a lot of small annoyances that mar it for players who aren't as engaged in the franchise. A solid but not world changing adaptation of a legendary sci-fi series.

Apollo Justice delivers the same winning formula we've come to expect, throws in some refreshing new twists, and leaves us satisfied yet still eager to see where the story will go.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally here after an 18 year wait. At its best moments, it feels like no time has passed at all, as I'm awed by the melancholy and mysterious vibes of this exploration-focused FPS. But, at many other moments, it's bogged down by odd new features that detract from what's almost one of Samus' best. Being so close to greatness can sometimes be the bitterest feeling of all.

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

It struggles to find its footing here and there, but it manages to straighten up thanks to the help of genuinely likeable dialogue snippets, addictive battles, and a slick character augmentation system.

What sets this packaged version apart is a robust set of added tools that enable you to create your own ships, enemies, bullet patterns, and even entire levels, and then upload and download them.

A fun adventure in the Star Wars universe, badly let down by too many game-breaking glitches.

Unravel’s appeal goes far beyond pretty levels. Beautiful, poignant and with an iron grip on your heart, Yarny manages to effortlessly deliver a wonderful platformer and a bittersweet message.

Lost in Random: The Eternal Die is an enjoyable roguelike with satisfying gameplay loops, rewarding combat, and lots of features to unlock and upgrade, but the narrative-rich source material is overshadowed by a new focus on combat, largely wasting a concept ripe for more storytelling.

If you're still playing SSF4 online, AE is a no-brainer, and the de facto new standard for the game, for better or for worse. If you're looking for any kind of single player content or a chance to get your foot in the door though, you can safely pass on this update.

As a whole, Minis on the Move feels like a bit like a bait and switch, ensnaring gamers familiar with the franchise's established gameplay, only to deliver something unexpected and not entirely satisfying.

MLB 09 The Show remains the definitive handheld baseball experience, a startlingly deep and expansive take on America’s Pastime that offers more hardball than most of us could likely get to in a full season.

The PSP wins out in the multiplayer improvement department, though, with its brand new infrastructure mode, enabling Internet matchmaking on the road. You can still tee up with nearby friends on an ad hoc basis, if you prefer, but you'll miss out on global rankings and the like.

As a comprehensive and thoroughly enjoyable multiplayer package, however, Lost Planet Colonies is well worth seeking out for its refreshed online servers and distinct new play modes.

For the perfectionists out there, there are tons of missions to accomplish and most gamers will never have to touch a fortune cookie.

There's a cool, involving story to check out, and for $20 it's still cheaper than most UMD movies, yet still packs in some great detective gameplay moments.

Exploring is the best it’s ever been in the series, thanks to Lara’s slick animation. Swinging, leaping and climbing from ledge to outcrop to wherever are tense but satisfying, and the frequent checkpoints mean you’re free to try to make that lethal jump without having to do the whole section again.

Basically, anybody looking to build and maintain an imperialistic empire on their Nintendo DS should get this game.

With Nintendo's Pikmin 3 having just demonstrated such mastery of both game design and the Wii U hardware, it’s disappointing to see such a superficially similar yet confused and messy game following it mere weeks later.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is a worthy sequel that I can't put down. It's weird, surreal, and a great evolution for Nintendo's iconic social simulator - even if it feels repetitive at times.

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.

With superb gameplay enhancements like freestyle soloing, and support not only for existing instruments but thousands of legacy DLC tracks, this is the new benchmark for rhythm action gaming.

It's fair to say that Karaoke Revolution Presents American Idol is simply Karaoke Revolution with a layer of American Idol paint. That's not a bad thing at all. The karaoke gameplay is tried and true, while the popularity of the show will help the game reach a new audience.

MLB The Show 21 is strong in so many areas, yet also an opportunity missed – and not only in relation to Jackie Robinson.

It's good to be back with an old friend, even if he's not quite as wild and crazy as he was back in the day.

The complete package looks and feels polished - the simple 2D graphics are colorful and manage to cram tiny details into the DS screen, while the controls are as tight as you would expect from a Mega Man game. After all these years, its amazing the formula hasn't strayed too far from the original.

While there aren't a lot of characters or other modes, it's a very deep fighting game that will keep even old hands pleased and occupied. If you don't mind spending more than your share of time in practice mode, Skullgirls could just become one of the better fighters you've played in a while.

A patch or two will likely address most small issues, and if online isn't your thing then you're good to go out of the box.

Nobody thought Fortnite would still be popular this late on, but it's continued to adapt and fight for its spot at the top of the battle royale ladder.

It's great that you can run and gun without too much squad-commanding hassle, but SW:RC's simplicity is its biggest problem. Gamers hoping to give their brain a workout will be disappointed.

There's no multiplayer, and other GTA games are bigger or have more famous voice actors and more well-known soundtracks. But $20 for a fairly fresh GTA game on PS2 seems amazingly fair to us.

In short, CGS is a lot like its own hero, Killian - stuck in second place between mediocrity and exceptional.

Toybox Turbos offers immediate multiplayer fun thanks to its mix of racing, weapons and forgiving handling. It isn't as engrossing in single-player but if you ever longed for a new Micro Machines sequel, this is as close as you'll ever get.

NHL 2K7 is a solid game and the new animations help to make it feel more next-gen worthy than last year's entry. However, despite the sheer number of new features, nothing feels particularly groundbreaking.

But for instant pleasure, a deep and meaningful career mode and constant fan-pleasing cosmetics, such as the little camera men turning where the action is, PES 2012 is back on song. Looks like there is room for two top football games this season after all.

Tales of the Abyss is nothing new. And some gamers will complain about that. But there's a lot to be said for taking something existing and doing it right.

A few months ago, "Company of Heroes" was a lock for RTS of the year. With Rise of the Witch-king, we're on the verge of flip-flopping. Seriously.

As long as you can get past the graphical hiccups, this XBLA title will pull you in like a hungry undead cannibal. If you've been looking for a game that will drop you into a deep, zombie-infested world full of all the tough choices and exploding heads you'd expect from the genre, State of Decay most definitely provides.

If you're sick of the same old formulas and you're open to some indie eccentricity, Retro/Grade is just the trippy time-sink you've been looking for – and it'll finally give your dusty plastic guitars a use past Rock Band and Guitar Hero.

It's still a fun game and the GamePad adds to the experience, actually making it better than its other versions--when it's working properly. However, ultimately its improvements are marred by a slew of technical follies.

It both loves and hates the player, and this degree of love or hate depends on the type of player. Some could find its frustrations unforgiveable, while others will delight in its cornucopia of exploratory offerings.

One big, giant, fly in the umbrella drink is that as refreshing as these bright visuals are - especially at HDTV resolution (720p) - it's pretty clear that many of the graphics were ported directly from the Xbox version.

Skylanders Trap Team refreshes the toys-to-life magic with new portal tech, charming characters, and engaging gameplay that any gamer can enjoy.

There are the trademark Disgaea hooks that'll keep you deeply engaged, but they're undermined by a lifeless cast, bland story, and some awkward control design decisions that you'll want to get away from immediately. It's a game with a huge leap forward and quite a few backward steps that add up through the experience.

DDFF is an interesting take on a lot of well-worn ideas - never exceptional, though usually a lot of fun.

Ghosts is a cookie cutter game with a little touch of alien frosting on top. However, the well-designed multiplayer maps, soldier customization, and polished gameplay is more than enough to sink your teeth into.

Give us more unlockables like the mirror mode and different ball graphics – those are bonus items we don’t mind working to get. But let everyone, regardless of skill level, have the tables you’ve written on the back of the box with no strings attached. They paid for them.

Crisis Core Reunion is a fascinating look into the Square Enix of the past, meshed with Final Fantasy 7's current trajectory in the Remake saga. Zack might be a dunce, and the early '00s-era script fails him miserably, but he's utterly loveable by the game's end, far outshining Final Fantasy 7 stalwarts like Aerith, who mostly seem present for their cameo impact. The retooled combat system is Crisis Core Reunion's most impressive upgrade, an elegant and electrifying system that'll always keep you on your toes with smooth Digital Mind Wave implementation. Given Zack’s inevitable role in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Crisis Core Reunion is an essential part of the overarching Remake saga, even if the writing does hold it back.

What you almost certainly won't appreciate is the fact that multiplayer is ad hoc only and requires both gamers to own the disc - understandable perhaps, but a lost opportunity nonetheless. Still, this is arcade history, perfect for portable play.

Rock Band Blitz is a bit like a wooden rollercoaster. When you first experience it, it's thrilling--but with each repeated ride, it starts to feel less exciting and more rickety.

URU has promised an evolving story line that will unfold as you venture deeper into the Ages. We didn't really see it yet, though, and we have our avatar's fingers crossed that Cyan adds more features and evolves the storyline, and that more players will flock to this new breed of MMO.

Pumping out the necessary number of piñatas to earn Master Romancer and other serious rewards should keep even the most experienced gamers busy and sedated for a good week.

Meltdown's plethora of content offers more than enough gooey puzzling fun to keep a gamer busy for quite a while. There should be even more arriving in the form of downloadable content. The cel-shaded cartoon graphics (new to this sequel) look fantastic.

We say it’s great fun. In fact, that applies both to the story and this game as a whole. Don’t let it slip by.

Similarly, it's cool that you can hook up an EyeToy and record yourself; if only the PS2 had a supported hard-drive and higher resolution EyeToy camera - like the PS3 will have.

Sure, it plays things safe, but there's a surprising amount of fun to be had crafting items, taming monsters, and building relationships in between sometimes-bland dungeon runs.

Epic multiplayer warfare at the starting price of absolutely nothing. Though battles often feel a little too big, there’s nothing quite like it on PS4.

If you’ve never heard of this series, but enjoy classic stuff like Contra and its ilk, MS3 is made for you.

Stray Gods: The Roleplaying Musical puts on a memorable performance with a star-studded cast that demands to be experienced more than once. With novel branching musical numbers and a diverse cast of characters, Summerfall Studios lives up to its roleplaying name.

A slick, powerful racer that's the result of a clear vision of intense, streamlined competition. It takes few risks yet scratches many itches, offering a compelling experience to fans on all sides of the racing spectrum. While some will question a few design decisions, the overall package delivers on many levels.

Some sort of multiplayer effort would've been appreciated, but even without it, Droplitz strikes us as one of the better original puzzlers of this generation, and is well worth the effort for genre aficionados seeking a definite challenge.

Very impressive - it is, after all, a portable version of a great PS2 game with some of the usual compromises developers make when porting to the PSP. Sure, it has its flaws, but the sheer breadth of stuff helps make up for that.

If you're looking for a graphical powerhouse, you should buy something else, but Overclocked is something unique in the 3DS field: a deep adventure lasting dozens of hours. It's a great example of its genre, and even those that played it before have enough to pull them back in.

So what if Carbon isn't redefining the street racing genre - really, at this point, what could? It hits a sweet spot of intensity, danger, and style.

Ace Combat Assault Horizon walks that dangerous line many modern franchises are attempting these days: make an old formula more accessible and streamlined without alienating the hardcore fans.