Forty dollars to access the base content may be steep depending on what players expect to get out of The Taken King. If it's hundreds of hours across all activities, then it's a bargain; if it's just the campaign and some casual competitive play, notsomuch.

People looking for a short romp to fit in between major titles will definitely enjoy Battle Chef Brigade. Some players might find the modes outside of the story mode something they can come back to. Hopefully if a sequel were to come to fruition, the studio will be able to implement some of the features which were missing from this title. They have a solid entree; they just need a couple more appetizers to make this the ultimate meal.

It's not a complex game, by any means. But it doesn't need to be, either. Stranded aims to be a simple little runner/platformer, and it succeeds at that beyond any shadow of a doubt.

The game also has replay value up the wazoo. Not only do you get to storm through 25 levels of insanity, but you have many extras to unlock as well.

Well worth picking up for fans of the original and newcomers alike, and I think it'd be a perfect introduction to the genre for just about anyone.

Overall, Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a fun romp through a little more of the Uncharted universe and I can't imagine that players invested in the franchise will disagree. Naughty Dog did a really nice job fleshing out a pair of once-supporting characters and made us care about who they are and where they came from, and not just because they are women and/or persons of color. Check it out.

The heart and soul of this game lies in stealth, which is splendidly conveyed through the visuals.

At only $7.99, this is a great deal for those who are fans of the series, but as I stated before, the challenge here is no joke. First timers, you have to battle through the frustration and you may just find your new favorite title in the SEGA AGES line.

NFS Underground 2 does one more thing exceptionally well; give the gamer plenty of bang for their buck. If 8 different game play modes wasn’t enough; Circuit, Drag, Drift, Sprint, Street X, Downhill Drift, Outrun, and Underground Racing League, you have a story mode that will give gamers over 40 hours of racing joy.

Sports gaming is on the brink of a new age with the coming of new consoles, so here's hoping the 2k series continues to raise the bar by producing the best game on the market, as they have – again – with NHL 2k6.

Even with Boba’s table being lackluster, the other two tables make Star Wars Pinball worthy of a purchase for certain and remains a must buy not only for pinball fans, but Star Wars fans alike. With the promise of more tables to come in the not too distant future, it’s a welcome surprise to have Star Wars enter in the realm of the Zen Pinball universe and I for one couldn’t be happier.

Overall I think Awesomenauts is a really solid, fun take on a genre that hasn't seen much face time on consoles. I really hope that despite the issues with the publisher Ronimo has a chance to support the game with future DLC, because it's a title that could easily be built off of for months to come. It's a game that definitely warrants the awesome part of its title, and even if you've never jumped into MOBA games before, Awesomenauts makes a pretty good place to start.

The same goes for Heroes of Loot as a whole: it's very simple, but it works incredibly well. Bring on more twin-stick dungeon crawlers!

Obviously, your enjoyment of Scarlet Nexus will likely be greater if you actually do enjoy anime (or maybe not – or all I know, this game’s story may be horrifically bad!). But if you’re indifferent to the genre, you shouldn’t let that stop you from enjoying a very fun action game.

It uses the upgraded visuals of previous ports, and does feature multiple soundtrack options, but outside of that it’s essentially Cave Story as you remember it. Of course that is still a positive thing, but as someone who has played through the game a few times, I’d only suggest it to fans if you’re either dying to play some more Cave Story, or looking to scratch a Metroidvania itch on the Nintendo Switch.

So what is there left to say except, if you call yourself a racing fan, even if you have passed on or hated the last few outings this Need for Speed series had to offer, this is a whole new game that feels fresh. To put it in simple terms, you "Need" this game in your racing library.

So it's certainly worth picking up, and I think most KH fans will fall in love with this entry. It certainly feels like one of the better entries in the series, and is also one of my favorite games on the 3DS right now.

It’s an interesting, tension-filled take on puzzle games, and that’s true however many people are playing it with you.

The guiding intention behind Runner 2 on consoles generally seemed to be to make players work to finish each level — to make them memorize the layout for each level, and then hit all the buttons in the right order at the right times — and that's survived the game's transition to the PS Vita wholly intact.

Overall Crysis 3 is just what you would expect at the end of a generation cycle. A FPS that is deep not only in its level design and scope, but tells a deep story, with deep game play mechanics. You will not find many games that do it all in one fell swoop.

If you own a PlayStation, Dreamcast, GameCube, PS2 or Xbox, I can't in good conscience recommend this as a purchase, but THPS 2 is definitely recommended for those of you who only own an N64.

The XCOM 2 Collection is a pretty welcome addition to the Switch library. It’s got a great reputation for a reason as being a key part of arguably the best tactical RPG series out there, and that reputation survives the game’s jump over to the Switch almost entirely intact.

A great port. It was awesome on the PS2 and now even better on the PSP with Etna mode and the various multiplayer modes.

The Dark Aether parts of the game added quite a bit of backtracking and mapping which really took me out of the experience more than I'd have liked. Still, the game is better than almost any other released this year, so it's definitely worth picking up.

So while it's got enough faults to keep it from being a GOTY contender for most, it's still the best Tomb Raider title I've ever played, and I'm really curious to see what's next for the franchise once again.

Here's the thing, though: as difficult as Life of Pixel may be, it never ceases to be fun — and I say this as someone who generally shies away from overly challenging games.

The game gets the feeling of speed just right. That may not seem like much, but it’s harder than you think – I think back to (the very good) Horizon Chase Turbo, for example, and, as much as I loved it, it occasionally fell short in terms of making it feel like you were flying down the highway. Retro Highway doesn’t have that shortcoming; even when you crash, it really feels like you have some crazy momentum behind your rider bouncing down the highway. This is all basic stuff, I know, but Retro Highway excels at getting it right. Given it doesn’t try to do too much, that’s essential – and it’s why it makes easy to recommend picking it up.

Ghost ‘n Goblins Resurrection is a mighty fine game. It is insanely hard, and it will test you on a variety of levels. New players may be a little turned off by its difficulty, but if you continue to chip away and don’t completely give up, you can make progress. Rest assured, you will die in this game, a lot, but it’s definitely true to form. This is a must have for anyone who is looking for an overbearing challenge, just make sure you don’t take out your frustrations on your poor Joy-Cons.

At this point you should be playing SideScroller, because despite it walking a well-worn path down shmup lane, it's just as compelling as any of Q-Games' more experimental titles.

It's so damn near identical to the home console versions that it's almost worth checking out just to see how close Capcom managed to get. It also helps that it's immensely playable, with a working online mode that can quickly match you up with other players worldwide, with little to no lag to boot.

Really, with as solid as the fighting engine is, I'd say it's an absolute steal at $15. I'm looking forward to seeing it on the fighting game tournament circuit this year.

It's a great shooter, with a fantastic rendition of the old west that really adds a lot of character to the game overall.

Is it on par with FIFA’s production values? Of course not: it’s an indie-made, retro-tinged soccer game. But simply by making soccer feel fun and fast-moving, Super Arcade Football is a worthy entry into the Switch’s crowded soccer field.

The addition of some sort of tie-in to the new game is nice to see too, for those of you that plan on picking it up. There's a lot of content in the game too, and for the price you're paying, I'd say it's certainly worth checking out, even for long time fans that have already played the game to death.

So if you’ve never played one, or perhaps both games, then I think this collection is a no-brainer for sure. And even if you have, the upgrade discount path makes this collection a worthy addition to your growing PS5 library, and it’s sure to be the game that you pop up in when you’re trying to show off modern console technology to your friends and family. It’s a solid remaster of two excellent games, both of which are well worth playing through again.

Whether or not you agreed with the semi-lukewarm reception of Destiny 2 and the earlier DLC content, Destiny 2: Forsaken is the real deal.

Just enjoy the game for what it is; which not only is the best Madden game in quite some time, but the overall most accurate and realistic football game I have ever played.

Worthy expansion/ Just as good as Broken Steel/ With more atmosphere.

Even if you have already played and/or purchased the Williams Collection that was offered last year on the Wii and PS2, you would be crazy not to grab this edition as not only are the visuals and sound a major step up, but you receive two addicting machines in No Good Gophers and Medieval Madness that are must have for any pinball fan.

The biggest change from 2K7 to 2K8 is 2K Share. Getting rosters should have been this easy ever since all our consoles used the Internet out of the box. For some of us, that one feature will be all we need to hear to commit to another version of College Hoops.

The Cave has a handful of faults, sure, but the overall experience is well worth checking out.

Going into The Darkness II, I wasn't really sure what to expect, especially considering the change of developers and the fact that the last game was released nearly 4 years ago. I'm glad to say that Digital Extremes has done a really nice job modernizing the series and following up where Starbreeze left off. So if you're looking for something a little different from your typical modern combat or science fiction-themed first person shooters, The Darkness II is a great alternative.

The game looks great, handles fantastically, is fast as hell, and has a large amount of licensed cars.

The complete Baseball package; it looks great, sounds great, and most importantly plays great. It even has all the bells and whistles any hardcore baseball fan would ever want and never fails to impress each and every season.

All in all, I really enjoyed Assassin’s Creed Rogue, and think it’s well-worth checking out despite being the old-hardware release for the series this year. It’s a far better experience than Unity overall, provided you enjoyed Black Flag like I did.

The umbrella that’s also a gun concept does a great job of carrying the game along, making it a joy to play and navigate across the 6ish hours or so it’ll take most to complete the game. The story is weird and interesting enough to also keep you entertained, which certainly helps make Gunbrella feel fresh despite there being a number of retro-themed action-platformers on the market today. I’d highly recommend checking out Gunbrella when you get a chance, you won’t be disappointed.

Overall, GoldenEye, while being a good corridor shooter, is a corridor shooter, nonetheless. I have no problem with Nintendo releasing quality games, but I think it's time they expand the horizons of the system a little.

More quality arcade ports like this that are priced appropriately is definitely a step in the right direction, and overall it's a great purchase if you tend to enjoy House of the Dead.

The HD remixes to controls and visuals are nice additions, but the ability to switch back to the classic look and feel is welcomed.

Playing double is almost like learning DDR again from the beginning. That means that you get to have all that thrill of progression one more time! Seriously, it’s worth the price of an extra pad.

Quell Memento lures you in with a welcoming face, and stays likable enough (for lack of a better adjective) that you can never get too enraged at it.

Overall, I thought Escape Academy was a great game, and does what it wants to serve you very well. The puzzle design is excellent and the wide array of environments keeps things fresh. The only complaint I could give is saying I wish there we more, but the quality of what is here makes it hard to complain.

It's a game that's never about anything more than having a blast (and, of course, blowing up bugs, space robots and buildings) — what more could anyone want?

All in all, I don’t have a lot to say about this particular episode, other than the fact that Telltale’s Game of Thrones continues to be a series worth experiencing.

It's a great game that I'm happy PS3 owners will now have a chance to play, and I look forward to playing through the co-op adventure mode a few more times in the near future.

While Hardline certainly isn’t your standard Battlefield experience, the changes and tweaks present here are welcome additions, breathing new life into the franchise that’ll entice both veteran and new players alike.

A surreal Viking-inspired experience that turns itself into is a somewhat simple hack 'n slash action game, but a very, very fun one, at that.

I enjoyed my time with The Impossible Lair. Even with it’s minor issues, I still managed to keep having fun, and that’s really what it’s all about. Yooka-Laylee works much better as a 2D platformer and I hope Team 17 will continue to develop these characters in this style. This game is a great starting point for the new direction and I hope we see more sequels like this in the future.

Given its absurdity, it would be easy to look at Untitled Goose Game and simply dismiss it as a joke taken way too far. But the reality is far different. This is one of the most enjoyable games I’ve played this year, and it’s well worth checking out.

Street Fighter X Tekken on the Vita is certainly worth picking up if you're a Vita owner and a fighting game fan, and continues the excellent port work put forth by Capcom with their Marvel vs. Capcom 3 release when the Vita launched. It's still a really fun fighter in its own right, and while I could certainly do with them ditching the tedious and unbalanced gem system, the rest of the package is a fun romp through two fighting game worlds.

Between the plotting, level design, and gameplay, Tomb Raider: Legend does an admirable job of rescuing the franchise. Crystal Dynamics have torn down the franchise, consulted with the creator, and rebuilt it from the ground up as something significantly different…Something great.

Devil May Cry 3 SE on Switch is another excellent release of a classic title for the platform. If you’ve ever been curious about the game, or you’re already a big fan, then I’d highly suggest checking out this fantastic port.

Given the enduring popularity of Sonic over the years – even with a couple of missteps along the way – it seems like there are plenty of people who will value getting a chance to play these games with fresh eyes and from a different perspective. If you’re one of those people, then Sonic Origins absolutely makes it worthwhile to revisit these classics.

I still don’t know if I’d call in the best Crossword Puzzle Word Game ever, but I’d still say it’s a pretty fun take on the genre if you’re a fan.

I can't say it enough: Resident Evil 2 for Nintendo 64 looks and sounds amazing. Aside from a few very minor flaws, RE2 is one of the best N64 games this year. If you own an N64, buy this game.

At $40, I think Clubhouse Games: 51 Worldwide Classics is a real steal. This, for me, is one of those games I’d suggest buying digitally, just because you’ll likely never want to remove it from the system. It’s a great game to have handy in a variety of cases and certainly belongs on the list of must-have Nintendo Switch games.

Beyond Blue isn’t going to make you forget The Last of Us II or Ghosts of Tsushima or any of the year’s other big hitters. But it’s also not about to make you remember all the other terrible stuff happening in the world (assuming this game doesn’t make you think about all the terrible stuff happening in the oceans). At a time when most of us need all the relaxation we can get, I can’t think of a game that’s any more perfect than Beyond Blue.

The interactivity and flow of the game make it so much more fun to play than you typical defense game that even non fans will find something to like here.

The BIGS 2 comes through huge. It's still the game that it was meant to be, it's got a season mode and it's still baseball as opposed to a sideshow. The new version is deeper and a little more polished, and that's more than can be said about most sports games.

Shivering Isles is like Oblivion unleashed and on some kind of psychedelic steroid. While the gameplay remains the same, the artists and level designers kicked things up quite a few notches.

With the majority of the cast now established, we’re given more time to see their individual plot threads unravel, and the stakes continue to rise across all locations.

All in all, I certainly enjoyed Jupiter & Mars, and think it’s a PSVR title worth checking out. The environmentally friendly message being delivered is sound, the world is filled with interesting surroundings to explore, and the soundtrack is fantastic. The VR component is well done, but not mandatory for enjoyment. So if you’re in the market for a new, unique PlayStation exclusive, Jupiter & Mars certainly fits the bill.

Like so many other "problematic" games before it — both in the genre and beyond it — Hyperdimension Neptunia U shows that it's possible to turn a blind eye to certain issues when everything else is just so much fun.

It’s not exactly the funniest game you’ll ever play, but as your hero interacts with the world around her/him, you’ll constantly find that there’s a lot of care that went into making conversations as enjoyable as possible. Of course, everything about Loop Hero is focused on making it as enjoyable as possible, because it’s just a really enjoyable game. As i learned, whether you’re usually into these kinds of games or not, it doesn’t matter: Loop Hero is fun, and it’s sure to get you hooked.

This might not be the year that Sega's series tops Madden in the sales charts, but we might look back at 2003 as the year Sega's NFL 2k3 became the better game.

With airtight controls, improved defensive and offensive AI, more animations, a deep and rewarding franchise that allows you to actually own a team this season, John Madden football looks to big in a great position to continue their reign as the undisputed champs of video football.

Overall, Mortal Kombat 11 is a game I wasn’t excited for until I played it myself. Since then I haven’t put it down yet and don’t see doing so for some time. Twenty nineteen is shaping up to be a great year for existing franchises.

Super tight gameplay combined with fun characters and an over abundance of smooth, hand drawn animation all leads to the solid "Double Impact."

SFVI is certainly starting off miles ahead of its last iteration and while you certainly won’t see me in the Top 8 of Capcom Cup I can definitely see myself throwing Drive Impacts wildly online.

As far as DLC goes, this initial offering for Cadence of Hyrule does feel a little light, mostly because there are only two characters that really brought anything new to the table for me. Thankfully both of those characters are pretty great and provide new ways and mechanics to play through the story or dungeon mode.

As with the current offerings of SEGA AGES games on the Switch you will be getting a very faithful version of Alex Kidd in Miracle World with a couple extra features and very good emulation. It’s a classic title which is definitely outdated in some ways but also worth checking out for a kind of history lesson.

Level 22 has an abundance of delightful charm, and that's more than enough to make up for the odd flaw here and there.

It combines the vast environments of GTA, the quick, the satisfying combat of great action games, a vertical dimension of game play and the character progression of RPGs in a very entertaining and unique package. The content is strictly for adults, but otherwise, it's a slam dunk.

It may be a simple thing - but as Code: Realize shows, simple can really work.

Still, despite some evident flaws, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a game you should be playing. It’s one of the few open-world RPG’s that manages to excel at not only giving you an expansive world to explore, but at also giving you plenty to do within that world.

But NekoBuro – Catsblock not only makes the most of its incredible adorableness, it also provides a fun (if short) gaming experience to boot.

The Witcher 3 on the Switch is a marvel in more ways than one, and if you want a game that you can sink dozens upon dozens of hours into without ever feeling like you’re doing the same things over and over again, then look no further because it’s right here.

Nintendo reminds us once again why they are the kings of multiplayer games with the release of Mario Strikers Charged. The non-stop and over-the-top insanity while playing with three friends simply must be experienced.

So seriously, when I claimed that Far Cry 4 is Ubisoft’s best release this year, I wasn't kidding. At times it can feel a little like Far Cry 3 in a new region with a different main character, and the co-op isn't as seamless as expected, but the journey is certainly an enjoyable one that is very much worth taking.

For music enthusiasts, picking up both games is a given, as Donkey Konga is worth playing, but for the more selective crowd, this Japanese drum should be the one you go home banging on your way out of the store.

Yakuza presents a pretty large storyline, and quite a few lengthy cut scenes. The story is generally straight forward, and most of the “twists” are predictable, but it’s still very enjoyable to work your way thru.

It's totally worth picking up. If you enjoy pool at all, especially in video game form, than Hustle Kings is pretty much tailor made for you.

Resistance 2 is the "Halo 3" of the PlayStation 3... there, I said it. A hugely anticipated, platform exclusive FPS sequel with a slightly underwhelming single player experience and an amazing, addictive online multiplayer component.

It should be pretty obvious by now if you’re taking the plunge and picking up a PlayStation VR2, Horizon: Call of the Mountain is a must have launch game. It could do a couple of things better, though overall it’s an impressive, well-rounded showcase of the technology and yet another solid adventure in the Horizon universe worth taking.

Insanely fun to play and is one of those rare games where you'll have a smile on your face the entire time playing it.

All together, it's a simple, fun entry into the series, and while the only real interesting feature comes from the addition of online play, it's still worth picking up.

I’d wholeheartedly suggest checking Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, whether you’re a Persona fan, or have enjoyed other Arc System Works fighters in the past.

If first person shooters and other action games leave too much to be desired when it comes to story, pace and atmosphere, RE4 will be refreshing.