Angry Birds Star Wars is a shameless 50 dollar repackaging of a 99 cent iPhone game. There’s little to nothing added in the console release.

Puzzles, strategy, multiplayer, a haunting atmosphere, and a fantastic soundtrack — Super Motherload packs a wealth of material into a small, though somewhat repetitive, package.

By casting the player as a character in the game, and through the use of the Vita camera, this title makes us reevaluate where a game world stops and reality begins.

Super Mario 3D World is a masterclass of game design, and the result of decades of iteration and improvement — which makes its overall brevity that much more painful.

Like the soldiers in the game, XCOM: Enemy Within takes everything introduced in Enemy Unknown, polishes it, enhances it, and redeploys it into the field. It’s stronger, it’s meaner, and it’s awesome.

That said, since AllDrive is so important to the overall experience, multiplayer gamers will likely get a lot more out of it than those who play alone. But, if you’re looking for a racing game that’s rewarding, fun, and visually impressive, then Need for Speed Rivals is the game for you.

It’s not just a nostalgic trip; A Link Between Worlds is an excellent game on its own. That said, this title functions most effectively as fan service to us old heads — the references to the source material are as numerous as they are captivating.

Deadfall Adventures is a game that doesn’t stand out. It has few redeeming qualities, and if you’re a FPS fanatic, there are much better games out there for you to play.

An impeccably crafted panegyric to the platformers we all grew up with, Blood of the Werewolf is hampered by imprecise controls and a dedication to difficulty that, perhaps, goes one step further than it should.

As a game in its own right, it feels short-changed and recycled for the most part – Fans of the series will likely bask in the familiarity of it, but ultimately Nexus is a hollow offering.

Slender: The Arrival wants to be seen as a serious entry into the horror genre, but it fails to put the effort into the gameplay mechanics and artificial intelligence that would merit the honor.

Alien Rage is as bad as you expect, and something that all video game lovers should keep their hard earned dollars away from.

With an excellent collection of game options, enjoyable novelties, and low price point; it’s among some of the best video game choices you could make this year.

Enslaved is as ambitious as it is flawed. Those of you who can put up with mediocre gameplay and a lack of polish will find a touching, rewarding story heightened by top-notch cast performances. Others need not apply.

Ghosts doesn’t leverage the PS4 beyond providing a more visually immersive experience, it stands as a more than capable bridge for the franchise. While the campaign is relatively short at eight hours and at times feels very derivative, the high points really shine and the multiplayer experience continues to set the bar for the genre.

Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies doesn’t do much to innovate the series, but does a great job at bringing a classic experience to the 3DS.

With new game modes, an enhanced interface, evolving maps, and greatly improved small-scale battles, Battlefield 4 continues the franchise’s trend of setting the standard for the squad-based multiplayer shooter.

You’d be hard-pressed not to enjoy this game for at least a few hours, but go beyond that and it might get tedious.

WWE 2K14 still features some unfortunate issues, but those can be easily ignored as the 30 Years of WrestleMania mode soars past every possible expectation you may have.

The overall polish has improved, and there is more fun to be had in this iteration than any previous. It no longer feels like a forced checklist, instead offering players the freedom to partake, skip, or mix and match as much as they see fit.

Bugs, glitches, game freezes, and other technical issues mar what would have otherwise been a passable, if unsurprising and uninspired Batman game.

If you’re looking for a title which really does something new or exciting with the genre — or if you just plain want a new tower defense game that looks and feels flashy and exciting — hold off on this one until the inevitable Steam deals chop the price by a third or greater.

If you’re itching for a hardcore co-op action experience, then you’ve struck gold with FORCED.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution – Director’s Cut may be overlooked by those who have already played it, but it is a robust experience worthy of a playthrough by its own right.

The game’s bland look and feel only serves to further highlight the abject shallowness of the entire experience.

In a world littered with indie games trying hard to be nostalgic and missing the mark, it is nice to play a game that truly captures that 16-bit experience.

So here I sit, fingers raw from playing. Rocksmith 2014 has done something I didn’t think was possible after its predecessor failed at the same task – it has made me want to learn the guitar and bass.

While I’m surprised that Just Dance 2014 continues the tradition of not letting us import our old tracks, it offers plenty of new features to make the series innovative instead of iterative.