If you're looking for combat, in-depth crafting options, or a true survival simulation, then Miasmata's limitations will likely be disappointments. Yet if you are the type of player who enjoys exploring, cartography, and the danger of being hunted by a creature you cannot defeat, then Miasmata will prove a to be a highly memorable experience that's equal parts exasperating and thrilling.

The Vita crossover feature allows for almost seamless alternations between portable and console gameplay; in fact, the lush visuals of Thieves in Times tend to fare better on the Vita. Yet the most satisfying achievement of Thieves in Time is that this isn’t a mere nostalgia trip like 2010’s Sly Collection; with Thieves in Time, Sanzaru has proven that there’s never been a better time to join forces with Sly and his merry band.

Dead Space 3 has the bad habit of drawing you into a tantalizing catastrophe right before goading you right back into its more tedious and borderline exploitative elements. The quest is long and the side-content plentiful, but it all comes at the expense of the atmosphere. In our estimation, it’s a poor bargain.

Providing a delightful glimpse of the past in more ways than one, Skulls of the Shogun is a tactical treat for fans of old school, Japanese-style strategy games. Equal parts quirky and complex, it only comes to prove that the glory days of this often forgotten genre aren't quite gone.

Nintendo has managed to lower the barrier to entry in Awakening while still preserving the core Fire Emblem experience. It takes positive strides forward with new additions like enhancements to the social system and battle mechanics, and the series' established formula is all the better for it. If you've been hard-up for a solid RPG on the 3DS, Awakening is precisely what you've been waiting for.

Despite some brief rough patches and a structure that requires replay, The Cave is a thoroughly entertaining descent that lives up to its pedigree. Gameplay and narrative work together to create a funny and surprising adventure with inventive puzzles that hit the challenge sweet spot just right.

If you have any sort of appreciation for a great RPG, look no further than Ni no Kuni.

Ninja Theory has done right by Devil May Cry, delivering a striking game that honors the series' essence while still feeling like the product of a distinct vision. If you can forgive a few excesses--like the pretty-but-toothless boss fights--you'll find that your old friend hasn't changed all that much on the inside, in spite of his new style.

Anarchy Reigns throws a lot of blows, and while it's sometimes recklessly off target, this is a talented and capable fighter at its core.

With patience and persistence, this nostalgic electronic journey through unplugged gaming's past is a stirring romp that'll undoubtedly rekindle deep rooted passions for tabletop adventure.

The overall weirdness and distinctive art style keep Black Knight Sword from being another run-of-the-mill action game. Yet the five main levels can be completed within two hours, and while there is an option to continue playing on a more challenging difficulty setting as well as additional challenge-oriented modes, the level design doesn't encourage exploration and there's little interactivity aside from slashing at enemies.

This lengthy, unique, and upbeat JRPG is absolutely worth the many dozens of hours your inevitably sink into it, making it an essential addition to the Vita's repertoire.

Guardians of Middle Earth gets the basics right--it's a playable MOBA that you can drive with a control pad. But in the process of streamlining this notoriously complex genre, it sacrificed a bit too much at the altar of accessibility.

Making good on the aspirations of its predecessor, PlanetSide 2's vision of large-scale warfare is the most exuberantly realized yet. And with a payment model a good deal more generous than the 14 day trial teased by Everquest all those years ago, there's certainly little reason not to give it a go.

As a cartoon tie-in aimed at a very specific demographic, Transformers Prime does a pretty good job defining its setting an action. It just doesn't go far enough. A decent kids game that gets old a little bit too fast, Prime just won't quite measure up for Transformers fans that frankly have shinier, better toys to play with.

Warped charm makes these bizarre critters and their zany game world likeable enough, but Rabbids Land falls woefully short of the Mario Party format it attempts to mimic.

Once you get into the rhythm of each faction's style of play, Natural Selection 2 opens up the throttle on one of the most interesting and intense multiplayer experiences you'll find on PC.

No Time Left ventures into masterpiece territory, particularly when considered in relation to the episodes that came before.

It feels like Activision rubber-stamped this empty shell of a game to make a quick buck. The Vita deserves better. You deserve better.

Serious wordsmiths may bemoan the lighter difficulty and more streamlined puzzle play, but it's hard to grumble when the simple act of noodling around with your wacky word creations is so blissfully absorbing on its own.

Tank! Tank! Tank! is hard to recommend on any level. It's short on content, fails to take much advantage of the Wii U hardware, lacks gameplay depth, and quickly becomes monotonous. It holds some charm for those who enjoy massive creature flicks, but everyone else should steer clear despite its discounted price tag. Launch day surprise, this is not.

You're left with a book that can't be read, a game that isn't really played, and a sense of disappointment that can't be waved away by all the wands in Ollivander's shop.

The best yet in the series, but with a modest play time and simple gameplay it's hard to recommend as a purchase for adults. The formula is simply starting to wear a bit thin. For fans of the films, it's a quality product that does the license justice and likely represents one of the final pop culture spin-offs before the trilogy is finally laid to rest.

It ultimately relies too much on the honor system, and many players will be less inclined to give their best effort when the game gives you a pass just for moving around. In the end, the game doesn't do much more than simply give you an excuse to dance--it really is just as simple as its title.

Despite its goofy title and questionable marketing tie-ins, Sonic and All-Stars Racing Transformed deserves to be taken seriously... just not too seriously. It's a fun, challenging, and easily enjoyable racing game that uses a lot of familiar mechanics and ideas but knows well enough to try and do its own thing. And it does that thing pretty well.

PES 2013 combines the strengths of its recent predecessors to deliver the most focused game of soccer the franchise has seen in a while. As a result, the series comes closer to FIFA's quality than it has in years.

There are miles of terrain to discover in Far Cry 3, filled with numerous trials and objectives to explore at your own pace, and an excellent sense of connection with the game's unhinged cast. The co-op and competitive multiplayer components stand as comparative low points, but chances are you'll be so busy trekking through this vast island that you'll likely write them off as just another symptom of jungle sickness.

With a more deliberately-designed fighting system, Battle Royale strives for the sort of cred you'd sooner find in an arcade than a living room get-together. The end result is a serviceable party game that shoots for the stars but ultimately comes up short of its competitive aspirations. In its attempts to take its format in a different direction, it has inadvertently skewed itself away from the fundamentals that would make it work. In the end, you can safely say that Battle Royale is indeed not like Smash Brothers, but it might have been better if it were.