It doesn't just add a few extra chapters to the existing campaign, or some new weapons and skins like so many other DLC add-ons. Instead, it adds some actual meaning, gives us a new way to play and an intimate look into Ellie's poignant past that is essential to any fan of the series.

The game offers dozens of moments that you just can't get anywhere else, and there's simply nothing like shooting a bug out of the sky with a giant laser. It's pretty great that in 2014 you can drop $40 and waste an entire weekend killing things straight out of a low-budget sci-fi movie.

As challenging as the game is, it’s never unfair. It’s rare to come across a game that has you screaming profanities at the screen one moment in a fit of rage, and then jumping for joy the next as you finally succeed.

Lightning Returns feels almost pointless, amounting to little more than an excuse to dress the heroine up in different outfits and beat the crap out of things. There's not much payoff for those that have been faithful since the beginning and it's so obtuse that it will be difficult for new players to get into.

Jazzpunk ends up being scatological and surreal, but it’s not sublime. Like Meatloaf says, two out of three ain’t bad. But when’s the last time anyone listened to Meatloaf? Jazzpunk is funny in its own peculiar way, but that’s about all it is.

For all of its strengths, Bravely Default’s best quality is its underlying enthusiasm that permeates almost every aspect.

Episode two puts The Wolf Among Us in an awkward place. Telltale shows enough of its hand to interest players in the rest of the story, but the unevenness of this second episode deflates the enthusiasm that first worked so hard to earn. It's difficult to tell how strong the series will become, but right now, it's tough to accept good when you're used to great.

It keeps you laughing with the sheer absurdity of its lead character, the not-so-subtle references, and fumbling physical comedy that's made all the more potent through your participation. Like a plate of sushi, it might seem a bit pricey for what you get, but it's worth paying a small premium for a fresh catch.

All in all, this eagle has landed on some seriously shaky ground. Short, boring, and reeking of “been there, done that,” this first episode in the series feels like a poor value as a one-off $9.99 purchase or as part of $29.99 season pass.

The Broken Age will win you over in minutes, and what it lacks in length or difficulty it makes up for in pure personality.

To put it plainly, Nidhogg is incredibly fun. If you can appreciate the game’s style for what it is and you don’t have an ego as fragile as glass, you’ll delight in testing your mettle against another’s.

The Banner Saga isn't what you’d strictly call “fun.” Instead it's interesting and challenging, more like a chess match than death match. But there's an incredible satisfaction when you take on a gang of armored monsters that by all rights should trample you, yet you're able to hamstring their health then line them up for execution.

Escape Plan’s memorable puzzles are wrapped up in a unique presentation, but once you finish the 3 hour campaign there's not much of a reason to comeback.

So many moments in The Curse of Brotherhood are hampered by a sense that a square peg is being shoved into a round hole. All of its great ideas are dwarfed by the fact that it doesn’t feel good to play. The game tries to make invoke a sense of creation, but it’s more akin to fumbling in the dark.

Episode one not only reintroduces us to the world of The Walking Dead, it raises the stakes in such a way that Clementine’s situation is more perilous than ever. We weren’t convinced that season two could eclipse season one, but at least in a few ways, it already has.

With an asking price of nothing, it’s not unreasonable that Warframe charges for things, but when the game’s main hook is getting more loot, it slowly becomes frustrating running into so many roadblocks. Even with your warframe’s athletic prowess, the nondescript missions don’t offer enough to put up with the waiting, and there certainly isn’t a strong reason to part with a credit card.

Gran Turismo's biggest weakness is its inconsistency. Its best parts are so great that it's shocking to come across elements that are so far below standard. Still, many of its faults are purely cosmetic. Where the rubber meets the road, it's still fantastic.

Leveling up dragons and replaying for ranks and leaderboard score might be enough to garner Crimson Dragon a cult following, but for most people the bungled core mechanic is a deal-breaker. This dragon might fly, but it never truly soars.

Despite infuriating DLC practices Forza remains a fantastic drive, and with some improvements, Drivatars could set a new path for competitive AI.

The world of Tearaway is one you’ll want to soak in until your battery dies. That said, the story is sweet, but the story is short, and the game can be finished in a few sittings.

Responsive controls and steady momentum will keep you engaged in Ryse’s constant war-making, but repetition unavoidably dulls the edge.

Super Mario 3D World is much more than the console big brother to 3D Land, incorporating the series’ every idea into a well-tempered concoction of imagination fueled by jumps and 1-ups for a new experience that transcends nostalgia to enter the realm of the sublime.

None of Dead Rising 3’s issues will stop you from enjoying the ludicrous ways you can kill zombies. While it may initially appear to be a more somber game than before, after spending a few hours with Dead Rising 3 you’ll realize the spirit of the series is well intact.

Hunting down your prey as the police or getting to your hideout in the nick of time is exhilarating, and constantly sharing a social sphere with other players feels like a natural step forward for a series intent on putting players on opposing side of the law.

While the specs look alright on paper, the dodging and shooting almost completely lack precision and the sloppy bike-fu loses its punch when you realize you can get away with mashing all the buttons at once to propel your combo counter into the thousands.

As likely the last Ratchet and Clank game on the PS3, the series could hardly ask for a better send off.

A rare accomplishment that recaptures the spirit of classic Zelda. It takes the series into new territory much like its SNES counterpart did two decades ago, and it might be the most significant revision to Zelda’s structure since the landmark release of Ocarina of Time.

Resogun lays out all your tools in front of you and has you gunning for a high score simply for the sake of improving your game. You can look at this as a virtue, but even with the addition of online coop, Resogun doesn’t completely explore its promising possibility space. It feels almost inevitable that the game will see some sort of update to offer more ships and more levels in the future.