Perhaps the best compliment that one could pay Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is that it is absolutely Divinity: Original Sin in every sense of the name.

If the gaming world doesn’t talk about Tales from the Borderlands as one of 2015’s best offerings, then something has gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Code: Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ is an excellent story with creative, likable characters.

If there is one way to best describe the experience that Episode 5: Polarized has to offer, then it can easily be done through the word that Dontnod Entertainment specifically chose to feature in the title of the fifth and final episode for Life Is Strange. It will no doubt polarize people on whether or not they believe it’s a satisfying (or fulfilling) conclusion to what has been such a spectacular title.

With all of the wasted potential and the abuse of a cult-classic property found here, Overlord: Fellowship of Evil is not good.

Halo 5: Guardians is a fine-tuned machine. It has a robust and highly addictive competitive multiplayer component, a large variety of aesthetically pleasing customizations and some of the tightest controls to ever grace a Halo title. Unfortunately, the campaign leaves much to be desired.

While this could have resulted in a confusing gaggle of goofiness, Eternal Step is a worthy experience.

By no means is Tales of Zestiria bottom of the pile, yet as far as all around quality goes — by which the many cogs keep this latest entry circulating; moving with swift, relevant engagement — Zestiria is perhaps the point wherein Bandai Namco really do have a franchise on one hell of a tipping point.

Just Dance 2016 should (and probably will) be the franchise’s last physical release. While the core gameplay remains fun despite some questionable choreography, the overall package reeks of complete and utter apathy.

For series fans, Corpse Party: Blood Drive is simply a must play.

It’s a deep dark well filled with monsters and gems, equal parts platformer and reverse vertical shooter, and falling into its depths is the stuff that 1980s arcade dreams were made of.

Sure, this isn’t the broken mess that Assassin’s Creed Unity was, but in some ways it’s more of a blemish than its predecessor. After all, this is a functional game that simply isn’t all that fun to play, which is far more damning than any technical glitch could ever be.

While not a complex top-down, turn-based strategy RPG, Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch – Enhanced Edition does a nice job of laying a solid groundwork from the beginning in tactical options, challenge and character progression.

Prison Architect is a genuinely fun game that makes you think in unexpected ways. Apart from some slight campaign fatigue and an Escape Mode with plenty of potential but poor execution, it’s hard to put it down.

Teslapunk simply cannot be recommended in any form. While it has a fantastic idea for a scoring system, everything else about it is simply unappealing.

DeltaZeal deserved better than to be lost in shooter history, and is an easy recommendation for anyone who’s ever enjoyed flying up the screen maxed out on firepower but only a single bullet away from death.

If you have someone who you’ve always wanted to experience video games with but never could convince them to play, give Tales from the Borderlands a shot. This story, these characters and this product are simply too good for only a small segment of the population to enjoy.

Sword Coast Legends is a solid loot crawl with more options than most games of its kind. It may not be the Dungeons & Dragons simulator many were hoping for, but it works well as just a straight video game.

The song selection is impressive, the FMV videos are well produced and the GHTV concept is incredibly exciting. While there’s still trepidation due the fact that much of its appeal rests on unproven promises and its currency system is needlessly complicated, the idea of new songs being added on a weekly basis could render Guitar Hero Live into a persistent experience for rhythm and music lovers alike.

With dozens upon dozens of playable characters, arenas, music, and art pieces to unlock using currency earned in game, Saint Seiya: Soldiers’ Soul, the series’ faithful will have plenty see and do before they are done with this title. Other players will find themselves wanting something with a bit more teeth.

If you’re looking for an example of how to create meaningful downloadable content that doesn’t feel exploitative, you’d be hard pressed to find a better example than Hearts of Stone.

While there have been many great and accessible titles gracing Nintendo’s growing eShop catalog in recent months, Rakoo & Friends sadly doesn’t offer as much variety, engagement and reason to return to aside from a graceful wind-down.

Ride has far more good points than bad. As a motorcycle racer, it’s exciting and manages to stand out in a fairly crowded market. As a sim racing game, it’s accessible and plays like a dream right away.

Perhaps with future content updates and tweaking, Free Lives can elevate Broforce from the good game it is to the great game it can be.

Minecraft: Story Mode strays from the more mature content that Telltale normally associates themselves with and manages to create a fun, family-friendly world for one with no real story.

The wasteland of the corpse of civilization is not a forgiving place, but with a little care and a huge amount of perseverance, the fungus’ journey may let it see what lies at the conclusion of the unforgettable journey of Mushroom 11.

Secret Ponchos: Most Wanted Edition is the thinking man’s western shooter.

While designing homes is a relatively fun thing to do, having to do it twenty times with no real challenge makes it seem a little pointless.

As charming and as neat of an idea as playing past-versions of yourself is, there are simply not enough legs to the core hook here and that dooms the final product to mediocrity right from the start.

Though some elements haven’t aged well, the level design and music are still superb, and ultimately 3D Sonic the Hedgehog 2 is likely the best way to experience an irrefutable classic.

Bedlam may suit your needs if all you need is a trip down FPS memory lane, but you’re better off seeking any number of similar titles which actually offer compelling gameplay.

At the moment of this writing, There Was A Caveman can be recommended for fans of nostalgia laden platformers, but there are some major caveats.

So much of Armikrog feels neglectful and lazy, lacking anything to make it stand out. Even the claymation look of it doesn’t save it from the carelessness put into it. It’s hard to see where that million dollars went. All of that said, it isn’t terrible, but if you’ve never had the pleasure of playing The Neverhood, do yourself a favor and pick that up instead.

The most ardent JRPG fans will find much to like; though casuals be warned: this is a grindy timesink. Even the rock-solid combat mechanics can’t offset how much grinding is present. In fact, it’s hard to recommend to an audience other than hardcore Japanese roleplaying game aficionados because of how many great RPGs have just come out or are getting ready to.

The new content is undeniably great; the new units add depth and strategy and taking control of aliens gives you a fresh way to play the game militarily, which is quite interesting and fun.

Orion packs a strong, unique narrative into a small span of time. It also brings with it a fair bit of polish, though not enough to immediately stand out against some of its more known contemporaries. Even so, for the first release from Cylight Studios, it’s a striking effort.

Although it could have been a quick cash-in, Heroes is a love letter to Dragon Quest fans that stands as its own charming adventure.

Devastation takes some of the best pieces of Bayonetta and throws them in a package you can feel unadulteratedly good about while also producing the best Transformers game yet.

The Talos Principle: Deluxe Edition is a fantastic package of two great first-person puzzlers.

Dengeki Bunko: Fighting Climax is a wonderful fighting game that isn’t particularly meant to be played by fighting game diehards. That doesn’t make it bad, but rather a love-letter to anime and Sega fans, and an all-around excellent game to boot; one that’s filled to the brim with content, unlockables and a colorful cast of characters.

The biggest determinant of whether you will enjoy A Kiss For The Petals – Remembering How We Met or not is if you are a fan of cute, vignette-style storytelling.

There’s a lot to like in Pixel Galaxy, and a really great game buried under its layers of difficulty.

For owners of the original release, a fifteen to twenty dollar DLC expansion option would have gone a long way to selling this, but it’s a worthy purchase for everybody else.

LEGO Dimensions feels like it wants to be the ultimate LEGO game, but never quite gets there.

Anybody who’d like to replay the series or experience it for the first time before the looming release of Unharted 4 have no reason not to pick up The Nathan Drake Collection; it’s simply the best way to experience three great games.

NBA Live 16 is the best game in the series since Live 10, but that’s not saying much.

A mess. While the mechanics are slightly unpolished, they still have a similar feel to what we’ve come to expect, which can result in some enjoyable antics. Unfortunately, they are contained in a constrained formula where the player must navigate menu after menu to get into repetitive and uninteresting missions.

Laserlife had immense potential. Choice Provisions created a game that only they could make, but they did so in a way which doesn’t feel complete.

It’s not for everyone, but if you surrender yourself to its intricacies you may well find yourself crafting your own ornate strategies for victory long into the night.

Death Ray Manta is pure ’80s arcade, but the way we’d like to remember it rather than how it actually was.

This game really is only for the most patient, be that because death is frequent and sometimes unfair or because grinding is the path to victory, Evil Hazard is only for players with a tolerance (or love) of titles that are complete jerks.

Yes, basketball fans will likely have a great time playing NBA 2K16 for hours on end, but there are too many small steps back here that can’t be ignored. The good news for fans of sports games is that the first misstep in this great franchise is still a very good game, which speaks to how truly fun its gameplay is.

As a horror game, SOMA feels old and archaic. It isn’t especially frightening or even satisfying to play, but the questions it raises are worth exploring and make it worthwhile regardless.

Eschatos merges the classic vertical shooter with a modern style of action while avoiding bullet hell, making for a fast, accessible and incredibly fun dose of pure arcade goodness.

This title plays like a sarcastic version of a real game. I don’t mind being mocked if I can laugh along, but this is just mean.

With individualized players, explosive tactical potential and unparalleled realism, PES 2016 redefines what a soccer game can be.

Sakura Swim Club is a visual novel for people who don’t really care about visual novels.

Assault Android Cactus is a big, bright, blast of twin-stick shooting action, filled with personality and clever design.

It might not have the unbridled thrills of World of Warplanes nor does it possess the immediacy of World of Tanks, but World of Warships manages to fill a special spot for action gamers.

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance implements some of the smartest choices the series has seen since its debut in 2003, making this not only the best Disgaea game to date, but one of the best Strategy-RPGs available.

Persona 4: Dancing All Night has managed to surpass all expectations in what it set out to do. This love letter to Persona 4’s music and fans hits every single note.

Much like its predecessor, FIFA 16 is likely to be picked up by a brand new audience purely thanks to the fact that professional soccer is growing exponentially in popularity in North America. Thankfully, newcomers and veterans alike will find an excellent game of soccer that yet again takes advantage of the higher processing power of current-gen consoles to deliver an experience more realistic than ever.

fault milestone two side:above teases fans with a taste of what’s to come but in the end doesn’t provide enough for long-term satisfaction.

From top to bottom, SuperChargers is clearly a labor of love and fully deserves the countless hours that people of all ages will be addicted to it.

The Taken King has come and he’s brought a much-improved experience.

For everyone who has become jaded about tower defense, however, The Castle Game will just be another example of the category’s marketplace over-saturation.

Corpse of Discovery had promise, but a not-so-great execution.

This game is not for everyone and if you didn’t grow up on super-hard games that tested every reflect, it probably isn’t going to be a game you enjoy. However, it is an absolute must-buy for anyone who loves a challenge. It controls perfectly, looks and sounds great, and does everything it sets out to do nearly flawlessly.

Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is completely aware of what a silly bit of video game fluff it is, and more than happy to own every bit of its exuberant excesses.

NHL 16 is a triumphant return to form. After the debacle that was the razor-thin NHL 15, EA has restored all of the beloved modes to the game and they’re better than ever. More still, the game itself is simply better than ever before with slick mechanics, fantastic visuals and incredible detail to individual arenas.

Regicide can make players feel far more capable than chess allows, but also occasionally powerless. Those who find comfort and excitement in Regicide’s middle ground, though, will have the joy of experiencing the strategic depth and twists its scrutinized balance and flexibility can offer.

Super Mario Maker is a special video game, period. You could include all of the lengthy, metaphor-laden nonsense that your little brain can come up with as to what is and isn’t perfect about it, but at the end of the day, this is a title that allows you to create and play Super Mario Bros. levels for as long as your thumbs can handle.

Trespasser goes a long way to prove that Bioware really does listen to what fans have to say without feeling like it’s pandering.

With a perfect visual style and enjoyable dialogue, this is a perfect game to play with loved ones of all ages.

Lara Croft GO is a great adventure-puzzler, filled with clever problems that require either a nice amount of thought or a lot of trial and error, and usually end up with a good combination of both being used before finally earning a victory.

For all of the faults that can be pointed out, there is a great game here. The combat starts flawed, but becomes rewarding. The stealth sections were annoying, but contrasts well with the combat and highlights it more. The story isn’t handled in the best way, but leaves the player wanting more.

Longtime adventure fans should have little to no trouble decoding pictorial dialogue and should already be accustomed to carefully scanning each and every scene for objects, it’s just a shame that these caveats still persist in even in a modern point and click title with as much promise as Dropsy.

While the PC port of One Piece Pirate Warriors 3 is weak in technical terms, the game itself is very playable.

What Asteroid Base has done here shouldn’t be brushed aside: this is a game that feels like some real effort and soul was put into it, and the result is a title that is emblematic of everything awesome about the independent game development scene.

We’re getting to the point where denying the greatness of the Forza franchise is borderline ridiculous. The saddest part about Forza Motorsport 6 is that it will likely be brushed away by critics and gamers alike as a fantastic racing game rather than a fantastic game in general. Make no mistake, with all of its meaningful content and rock solid gameplay, Forza Motorsport 6 is one of the best games to come out in 2015, period.

It’s not the worst way to spend your time and money, but there are also much better local multiplayer games you could be playing instead.

While by no means perfect, Dungeon Travelers 2: The Royal Library and the Monster Seal shows why the Vita is still a viable platform.

Unfortunately, Calvino Noir doesn’t meet the expectations that come with this genre and style.

There’s no shortage of content in Project Mirai DX, it’s just a shame that Sega failed to follow through on what could have been the best Hatsune Miku title to date.

For this particular game to have truly shined, we would have needed to see a much better narrative and a more varied set of missions. Unfortunately for gamers far and wide, Mad Max is far more likely to frustrate than entertain.

It’s not worth the double (or quadruple) for those already with the game, but it’s still an incredible adventure any way it’s sliced.

It contains not only some of the best combat mechanics available, but everything you could have wanted from a Metal Gear Solid game. Plus Kiefer Sutherland.

Billy Murray would agree that Garfield belongs stuck on a car window, not behind the steering wheel.

Whether you’re looking for a story that might shed some light about where society could go horribly wrong over the next few decades, or if you just want to recapture the magic of Metal Gear Solid: VR Missions, Volume is one of those games that demonstrates how cool independently developed games can be.

Void Invaders is a fun little snack of a shooter, quick and pleasant and sugary, but you’ll be hungry for more than it has to offer fairly quickly.

Missing: An Interactive Thriller – Episode One feels a little incomplete, even for an episodic series.

Still, it would have been nice to see a bit more treatment given to Dishonored: Definitive Edition, as this underrated gem is something that should be experienced by as many people as possible.

Fans of Disney, Star Wars, Tron, Pixar and just plain fun are going to have a blast in Disney Infinity 3.0.

Anyone who enjoys Metroidvania gameplay will enjoy this; even if its repetitious boss battles stand out as a glaring weakness, the core game is a blast to play and surprisingly diverse as well.

Spotty performance, a terribly boring aesthetic and a messy, cobbled together combat system amounts to something that had potential, but was beaten over the head with a cricket bat.

Amnesia: Memories has a great many strengths which include its fantastic visuals, high quality voice acting and tremendous replay value.

Planet of the Eyes is a short but memorable trip through a weird-worlds sci-fi alien landscape.

While Back To Bed is not a terrible puzzler by any stretch of the imagination, it is terribly underwhelming.