The newest installment in the “Europa Universalis” franchise is yet another evolutionary step forward. If you liked EU1 – EU3, you will want to pick this one up. If you are interested in grand strategy and you have not played it, you should pick up a copy. If only they could fix the combat system.

Skylanders Swap Force brings back a very familiar game with a few upgrades and a slug of new characters. Those that are huge fans of the franchise will be comfortable with this familiarity, while those that are just getting into the game for the first time will find a very fun and additive title.

Beyond: Two Souls is a beautiful and well-crafted interactive experience that is encumbered by some odd writing and questionable game-design decisions.

Urban Trial Freestyle provides a reasonable amount of fun at a reasonable price. It's easy to learn but hard to master, leading to a few hours of enjoyably challenging play.

Arma 3 refines and masters the military simulation genre.

Etrian Odyssey Untold: The Millennium Girl is a fairly solid game. While the early going can be a bit rough since money might be more spent on healing than buying new weapons and armor, the game’s mechanics and Story Mode’s story elements still make for a fairly sold game. This is one that newcomers and veterans alike should enjoy.

The story and dialog aren't anything new or interesting. In fact, there isn't much about Alien Rage: Unlimited that brings anything new to the table. But there's a lot about it that hits you right in the nostalgia.

I can happily say that even if you aren’t a fan of the series you will enjoy this game -- granted you enjoy Dynasty Warriors-style beat 'em ups.

With an emotional story and great sense of style, Rain should be one of this year's best games. Unfortunately it's marred by a story that ends far too soon and puzzles that are never challenging. Even with those problems, fans of ICO and stealth action will find a lot to like about Rain. At least for the three hours it lasts.

Much like last year, Out of the Park 2014 shows why it's one of the best baseball management simulators out there. Whether you want to take control of a pre-made team, play through any past season from as far back as 1871, or create your own league and rules, OOTP 14 gives you practically endless possibilities and options to manage a baseball team.

A rough single-player mode and unfriendly online matches mar an otherwise fun first-person shooter.

Newcomers and series veterans alike are sure to find plenty to enjoy in Rome II, which should become even better with future patch releases.

Rockstar Games has managed to exceed my expectations and create one of the best games of this generation.

With five new characters, improved online play and extra modes, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is a great deal at $40. Fans who own 2012's model may not like buying a brand new game, but everybody else needs to pick it up on the strength of the single-player story mode.

I can appreciate that Ms. Germinator trying to take a step in a different direction, but as a puzzle game it's just a little too plastic. But with all of the content and cross-platform saving, there are worse things you could spend $9.99 on.

Quell Memento is definitely worth remembering!

With a cleaned up presentation, deep gameplay modes, and new mechanics that bring a more realistic experience on the pitch, FIFA 14 definitely captures the beautiful game in all of its glory.

Join Oswald Mandus as he takes a harrowing journey through his creepy mansion. With its great presentation and well-written story, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs gets a lot right. Unfortunately, the game is marred by a lack of scares and puzzles that even a pig could solve.

Even if you haven't played any of the other Lost Planet games, Lost Planet 3 is a great game with a lot of action and a good story.

With so many great ideas in The Chaos Engine, it pains me to admit that I didn't have much fun. I love the world it creates, the diverse enemies and the science fiction story, but can't get past the punishing difficulty and cheap hits. This enhanced version needs a few more enhancements to be ready for the 21st century!

The Wii U is now home to the definitive version of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.

Kudos to Sega for the massive risk they took on releasing Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F out here. It's a great deal of fun for music game lovers, and features a ton of stuff that vocaloid fans will love.

With its great sense of humor, exciting narrative, cool art style and fun stage play antics, you would think that Foul Play would be at the top of everybody's must-buy list.

If you are looking for a challenge, then I would absolutely recommend giving Do Not Fall a try. There is a lot of trial and error but there is some satisfaction finally beating some of the later levels after dying a lot. If you are someone that has no patience, you may have fun with it but just know that you will be smashing your controller in no time.

PixelJunk Monsters Ultimate is a fun game in the tower defense genre, but if you’re new to the genre I’d recommend sticking with Casual difficulty for a while as you’d likely get overrun on Regular difficulty. Still, if you’re looking for a fun tower defense game, this is one worth picking up.

Outlast is an incredibly effective horror game with a satisfying story, good looks and good pacing. Unfortunately, the whole thing is nearly derailed by linear level designs and painfully simple gameplay. But many horror fans will ignore all that when they discover just how scary Outlast really is!

It may not be the WiiU system seller Nintendo was hoping for, but for the hardcore, The Wonderful 101 is certainly everything they could want on the struggling system.

Pixel Junk Monsters is as good as it has ever been. There is no arguing that this could be the best version of the game to date. Unfortunately, it is the best version of a game that we have already played multiple times. Newcomers to the franchise will find plenty to love, but returning players have seen all of this before.