Need for Speed is pretty disappointing. There [are] elements of the presentation that work, and it’s clear they were trying to evoke the feel and look of NFS Underground. But the actual execution is lacking, with performance issues, lackluster events, an empty map with useless sub-events, and a forced online mode that certainly doesn’t feel necessary and lacks almost all of the bells and whistles found in other online enabled racing games.

It's not often that a game will embrace its own ludicrousness and just be totally and completely ridiculous, but One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 does just that. These results are proof that it's not a bad approach for a game to take.

It's a price to pay for sticking to their guns, but honestly, if games like Destiny can get away with subjecting players to hard limits without taking a beating, I don't see why Nintendo isn't allowed the same permission for what's ultimately a rewarding experience. Nintendo deserves, if anything, some recognition for what Tri Force Heroes accomplishes when requirements are met.

As the headline suggests, only pick this up if you are a hardcore fan and know what you are getting with Soldier’s Soul.

I mean that on two levels, as it's a solid action platformer, but it also has a lot of untapped potential that players may be disappointed to discover by the time they're through.

All in all, I think Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is exactly what the series needed, which is a step back in right direction after the dismal release of Unity.

So far so good for Minecraft: Story Mode, even if I’m just slightly underwhelmed by the story elements.

I'm less hesitant, however, to say this: unless you played the first Book of Unwritten Tales, you'll probably want to avoid The Book of Unwritten Tales 2, since it's not designed with series — or even adventure game — novices in mind.

It’s a well-crafted Halo experience with enough new bells and whistles to turn around even the most jaded Halo fan, and feels exactly like what you’d want a next-gen Halo game to be. There’s a hefty amount of content to explore here across the campaign and multiplayer modes, with a large map variety at launch and an enjoyable story to uncover. And it all looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous, with fantastic enemy and map designs on top of the excellent technical groundwork behind it all.

Bedlam has a unique concept with pretty good nostalgia and a decent story. It’s a shame to see it fall victim to consistent game crashes, framerate drops and other game breaking bugs.

The Guitar Hero franchise has resurrected itself.

As far as finales go, I think Tales from the Borderlands gets things right. All the major threads are wrapped up nicely, and while there’s room for a sequel involving this cast, it doesn’t feel absolutely necessary either.

There's nothing so terrible about it that you'll regret ever having picked it up — there are no Jesus Bynum moments, in other words — but it's doubtful you'll have much fun playing it either.

Zen Studios continues to knock out new properties while keeping up the high level of quality that we all expect from their tables. With the exception of my annoyances with the Archer table, playing some of my favorite shows in pinball form was great fun.

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!

FIFA 16 might take second place to PES 2016 this season, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a great game. EA Sports usually sticks with the “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” but with the soccer genre they have some serious competition.

It's an ambitious port, but with an end result that doesn't pay off.

The problem with that, of course, is that Amnesia: Memories isn't aiming to be a CYOA mystery, it's trying to be a dating simulator. And call me an old-fashioned romantic, but I'd expect one of those to include people who might be worth dating, not just guys who can't stop calling you stupid. Without those, the whole concept never quite clicks — though if you play your cards right, you may at least get to do some fun gumshoeing before it all ends.

Traditionally tabletop games are getting more and more attention on screens, and Blood Bowl is one that benefits from the evolution.

What it all boils down to now, as far as I'm concerned, is performance — how efficiently does the game allow me to dispatch those untold number of Warriors? And on that score, Samurai Warriors 4-II simply delivers.

Platinum never ceases to amaze me, and thankfully Transformers: Devastation continues to prove why Platinum Games is the best action genre developer in the business today.

I think Dragon Quest Heroes is far enough removed from the standard musou experience that even if you’re not a Dynasty Warrior fan of some sort, you can still get a whole lot of enjoyment out of this title. More so if you’re a Dragon Quest fan to begin with, but barring that, I still think Dragon Quest Heroes is worth checking out.

Not one level that I reached in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 5 felt memorable or made me want to play more. It’s truly a sad day in video game history when a series like this can just become a shadow of its former self.

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.

I'm glad I had a chance to check out PES 2016 as it would have flown completely under my radar during this busy video game time of the year. I can say I will no longer be an exclusive FIFA player and already have recommended some friends to check out Pro Evolution Soccer

This is one game that may even sway you if you aren’t a fan of fighting games, as it’s a great way to introduce anyone into the genre. It’s accessibility and very reasonable budget price makes owning this one a no brainer. It’s a lot of fun and highly recommended.

Are cool ragdolling and easy-to-use controls enough to set Pumped BMX + apart from all those other clones? Not really, no. But the whole thing is still well-made enough that even if it's no substitute for the real thing, it can at least do in a pinch if you need a little more Trials in your life, and don't feel like waiting any longer for the next one.

If you're a fan of the LEGO and of TT Games' line of LEGO videogames, then LEGO Dimensions is a solid purchase even for those who have never touched a Toys to Life style game.