There’s not a myriad of changes this year, but what has been tweaked is noticeable and makes for a fantastic game of pigskin.

The first game is completely unnecessary for enjoying the second one, but those who appreciated Evoland will love Evoland 2 as it merely expands on the ideas and concepts of the original.

The Descent is a decent addition for players who are dying to get back into the game for a bit or prolong their experience, but ultimately casual players will want to skip it, or wait for holiday sales.

It could have been a near masterpiece if not for the tonal shift halfway through and if Supermassive committed to either going in the over the top Cabin in the Woods direction or delivering a taught and intelligent slasher like the original Black Christmas. Still, Until Dawn is gripping through its nine-odd hour running time and never lets off the gas.

Thankfully, the Ultimate Edition is packed with so much content – eight different multiplayer modes, nineteen different maps and a six hour campaign – that players will be immediately hooked. Gears of War is a game truly worthy of remaking and The Coalition has done a bang up job doing so.

Gathering Sky is exactly what it wants to be — a lovely journey in the skies of a sprawling world, guiding a flock of birds through passages and over wind currents to their eventual resting place.

The one or two tense moments that The Flock provides might be mildly thrilling, but the overall package is about as weak as it gets.

This is a game that transcends its name and should be spoken of in the same breath as the genre’s best.

If you are a devoted fan of Nekopara Vol. 1 then there’s little reason not to buy Nekopara Vol. 0. Not only is it far cheaper at the price of $2.99, but it also gives you nearly an hour more with a cast of colorful cat girls. Those brand new to the Nekopara world, or folks who only found the previous game to be okay, shouldn’t bother.

The vast majority of this two hour episode is gleeful, silly and an overall reminder that video games are meant to bring joy. It’s borderline terrifying to think that the lowest point of Tales from the Borderlands is better than most of the games that have come out in 2015, but that’s exactly the case and gamers everywhere should be overjoyed at this news.

Rapture could’ve used a more definitive conclusion, or maybe a few more illuminating hints sprinkled along the path to the ending, but still, it’s the individual character moments that will stick with you.

As seriously as Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings takes the sport, it’s still a fun video game first and foremost.

Legend of Kay Anniversary reworks a solid PS2 game onto more modern hardware, but doesn’t do much with the hardware to make the game better.

Visual novel fans should experience it, while those not typically into the genre may also be able to appreciate the somber experience thanks to its brief, well-written and visually stunning nature.

Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment is entirely average, which is frustrating because there are elements of greatness sprinkled throughout its somewhat mess of a product.

If you’re looking for a shorter RPG and don’t care particularly about the storyline then Machina of the Planet Tree -Planet Ruler- will serve up some enjoyable gameplay, if little else, for seven to ten hours.

Even an infrequent control failure is maddening when the difficulty is cranked up and every inch of the level is covered in cameras and patrol-bots, though, so until The Swindle sorts out its issues, it’s going to have to be merely decent rather than the excellent it could have been.

As a free to play game, there’s no barrier of entry to speak of. If the game’s concept has ever intrigued you, give it a download — it’s excellent and something all shooter fans should try out.

Super Hexagon and still need your twitch fix, you might get some real enjoyment out of Velocibox‘s stiff challenge; anyone else can safely give this a pass.

Fans of the original and newcomers alike will have fun playing this remake.

Galak-Z is the very definition of awesome.

A failure on essentially every front, Submerged is likely best left at the bottom of the ocean its overgrown setting takes place in, which is truly a shame.

Though its first episode is a bit of a letdown, especially when you consider that A Crowd of Monsters was billing this as one of the most anticipated titles of 2015 (whether or not this is true is another story entirely), there is a chance that Blues and Bullets might wind up being something special.

Rare Replay isn’t without its minor hiccups, understandable in such a vast collection, but it’s something that should be in every Xbox One owner’s collection.

Those looking for a new 3DS game to sink at least 100 hours into should buy The Fafnir Knight; it’s the definitive Etrian Odyssey game.

Whether you’re someone who wants to play one of the toughest games of the year, or someone who just enjoys pure gameplay at its finest, you’re doing yourself a disservice not giving N++ a shot. You’ll die a million times, but every single one of those failures will remind you that success is just around the corner, and that’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.

Episode 4: Dark Room shows how far Dontnod has continued to push the limits of Life Is Strange, with every choice made, regardless of how significant it might be, having a real meaning behind it.

Even with those qualms, Lost Dimension is a quality title that some may feel is greater than the sum of its parts.

Episode.02 improves on Episode.01 in basically every way possible. It reunites us with characters who have grown over the past four years into truly intriguing protagonists, rather than one dimensional annoyances.

Mostly it’s just a bummer that A Nest of Vipers doesn’t continue the steady uptick in quality we saw over the previous two episodes, but Episode Five nonetheless proves itself a necessary step in the lead-up to the season’s conclusion next episode.

Hatoful Boyfriend is the food fight of video games. While you can derive a great deal of entertainment from its complete insanity, this doesn’t negate the fact that the end result is a total mess.

Tembo the Badass Elephant is easily one of the most memorable releases of 2015 and hopefully the beautiful beginning of Game Freak branching out from Pokemon (and Nintendo) to deliver more pleasant surprises.

Zenzizenzic is a beautiful, fun and deadly shot of abstract twin-stick bullet hell madness, but with a little experience and a lot of technique, the massive firepower coming your way turns into a bullet-filled playground of fantastic precision gaming.

2D platforming fans may still want to check it out, but unlike Shovel Knight, Roving Rogue isn’t so good that it becomes a must-play for everyone.

Road to Gehenna expands the story and provides more of what made its parent game so incredibly playable, providing a welcome return to a lovely but ruined virtual world of puzzle-based first-person action.

Those who haven’t taken the two-hour journey to the mountain top yet should stop what they’re doing and dive in. Journey really is that good.

In a perfect world, everything here (minus the updated racing info, of course) would have debuted last year as F1 2014. Alas, we now have two F1 games released within mere months of each other that both feel incomplete.

Don’t let these voluptuous young women seduce you: Onechanbara Z2: Chaos is flawed beyond measure with its only redeeming quality being competent combat mechanics.

Raising a game from the realm of the dreadful into the world of the okay is something that should be applauded, even if the final product isn’t something that you’re going to flock to anytime soon.

Anyone looking to get into the Deception series should do so with The Nightmare Princess, it’s as a top-notch game and one destined to be a cult classic down the line.

The concept behind Guild of Dungeoneering is fantastic and more people should delve into tweaking genres like this. As the game stands, however, there are features that seem missing from a typical “full” release.

At the end of the day, SlashDash doesn’t go beyond being just a neat little idea that’s fun for a couple of sittings.

You’d think two games packed into one bundle would hold your attention for quite some time, but the Prototype Biohazard Bundle will find a way to burn you out before you even transition to the second game.

J-Stars Victory VS+ fumbles what should have been a glorious, celebratory experience. It’s combat is banal, its design is overcomplicated and its presentation is completely halfhearted.

Common Sense is a great buy and a great reason for another playthrough — or three — to enjoy these new mechanics and unique country/religion flavors.

Spectra is a fantastic little track-racer with a killer beat and instantly accessible gameplay.

Perhaps Godzilla will get a decent game by his hundredth anniversary, but this isn’t it.

There’s never a moment that pushes the boundaries of the console, but it feels like a 2015 PS4 title through and through. The main issue with this release is the fact that there’s not a whole lot of value here.

Coffin Dodgers is a heavily flawed game that winds up being ever-so-slightly greater than the sum of its parts.

Ame no Marginal -Rain Marginal- tells an interesting story in a short period of time. There’s not really a reason to replay the title either, unless you find yourself so moved by what it has to offer.

How to Take Off Your Mask provides a mostly sweet storytelling experience with its diverse, engaging cast.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3 does nothing to reinvent the formula, and instead happily situates itself in a cutesy, but mostly average status quo position.

We couldn’t have asked for anything better than Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. It comes packed with a staggering amount of content that will leave players overwhelmed in both quantity and quality. It contains a storyline that’s highly entertaining and rivals most RPGs in length, three new jobs that are more than welcome additions and flying mounts that help revolutionize traversal in Eorzea.

Whereas the PC adaptation of Deadly Premonition was a god-awful buggy mess, D4: Dark Dreams Don’t Die has been ported with care and love.

Shantae: Risky’s Revenge: Director’s Cut could have used some help with its map system, but literally everything else is spot-on.

ROGUS – Kingdom of Lost Souls teases with grandeur promise, but devolves into a barebones running action platformer as lacking in gameplay variety as it is in visual and presentation variety.

This year’s most unique game is something that gamers far and wide should experience for themselves, be it as a pallet cleanser in between massive AAA releases or as something to show them the power of the medium itself.

Galactic Civilizations III is good (and I love the cutscenes which really build up the universe), it’s just not good enough to stand out in such a crowded market, particularly due to its endgame and micromanagement problems.

The combination of a horribly slow pace and a lack of any true puzzle difficulty makes the entire three-hour campaign feel like one massive fetch quest, only there isn’t a grand payoff once said quest is complete.

Those looking for a narrative video game with distinctly slick presentation will no doubt look at Knee Deep, Act 1: Wonderland with excitement. It does not quite live up to expectations, but then again, this is just the start of a larger series.

Neon Struct isn’t a perfect game, and technically its main gameplay focus of stealth is fairly simplistic. Enemies aren’t that smart, darkness is overpowered and once you’ve learned its rhythms it’s very easy to remain undiscovered, or at least not get caught if you’re seen. It makes up for this by being excellent in many other ways, most notably in the level design and world building.

Lord of Magna: Maiden Heaven is a quality, albeit quirky, JRPG. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and doesn’t dabble too much in the story department.

A dense and enthralling action-adventure game with a winding, if predictable, story that does make you feel like the Batman both inside and outside the Batmobile. There are too many Batmobile gameplay segments, however, making this predominantly similar in theme to that Batmobile-focused Batman arcade game.

Not only is Episode 3 of Tales from the Borderlands a fantastic entry into a fantastic series, but it sets the stage for a thrilling final two episodes.

A good game wrapped in a great remastered package. Capcom could have just slapped together something with a higher resolution and called it an HD remaster like many are doing, but they elected to actually build upon their seven year old game by adding meaningful content. Granted, they didn’t reinvent the wheel with these extras, but playing as Trish, Lady and especially Vergil are more than welcome additions.

Payday 2: Crimewave Edition isn’t broken to the point of being unplayable, but it has just enough issues to make it annoying.

With such an interesting story and a great narrator, Kholat truly dropped the ball in what could have been a great narrative, instead delivering nonsense dialogue and an incomprehensible plot.

With tons of references and entertaining gameplay, Portal Portal is a great new table. It’s a little thin on content and will require the purchase of either Zen Pinball 2 or Pinball FX2 to play it, however, so it’s an investment that those coming only for the Portal aspect might need to rationalize.

Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy is a fine DRPG. It has all the facets one would expect from a game of its genre and manages to implement those features effectively. What it does not do a lot of, however, is think outside the box in big ways.

Kung Fury: Street Rage doesn’t do much, but what it does is done well.

Adventures of Pip is a delightful little platformer full of charm, challenge and impeccable level design. While still a little rough around the edges, its mechanics are unquestionably solid, and it’s clearly been crafted with the love and talent of a team determined to realize their vision.

The release of Sakura Fantasy Chapter 1 feels a bit exploitative, however, in that it costs the same amount as previous titles while offering much less from a length standpoint.

Swords & Soldiers II has something to offer RTS veterans as well as those with zero experience with the genre. It’s accessible without sacrificing depth, and varied without being needlessly intricate.

Massive Chalice is the best turn-based strategy title of 2015 so far, and its unique simulation aspects make it especially intriguing.

Splatoon is all about staying fresh, and despite its lack of content somehow manages to remain just as appealing after twenty hours as it was in its first.

Telltale’s Game of Thrones series, now over halfway through its first season, has been a huge disappointment so far, but it’s been improving steadily, and Episode Four – Sons of Winter proves there’s real potential in the concept, even if Telltale might not have been the right candidate for the job.

Mostly, this is a purchase for those who are willing to show their support for doujin creators. Tobari and the Night of the Curious Moon is a mouthful of a title that isn’t as magical as desired.

Much like its predecessor, Magicka 2 is a flawed game whose faults generally contribute to its charm. There’s something wonderfully engaging about a game that knows exactly what it is, doesn’t try to be anything more, and succeeds on nearly all fronts.

The many unique twists of Magnetic: Cage Closed do so much to set it apart from the other first person physics puzzlers that have tried to dethrone the genre mainstay.

While Pixel Star has its issues, it also has a fantastic feeling of playability. The ship is a zippy little thing, capable of fast and nimble maneuvers but also flailing into trouble if you aren’t careful of controlling its speed.

It’s fun, it’s mindless, and if you really hate it, it’s over in about ten minutes. In fact, that’s the game’s biggest problem; there just isn’t a whole lot here.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is equal parts daunting, accessible, beautiful and hideous, but every aspect combines in such a remarkable way that it’s nearly impossible to not give it a sweeping recommendation.

Dontnod created a stroke of genius with the ending of Episode 3: Chaos Theory, leaving an open-ended cliffhanger that is nothing short of the best jaw-dropping conclusion to any episodic title to date.

Sunset is refreshingly original in putting players in the role of a housekeeper, but with poor instructions and no real choices, it never meets its ambitions.

Whether you’re a fan of exceptional adventure games, science fiction, or even its apparent influences, there is a memorable adventure in Technobabylon backed by a believable setting and driven by a strong narrative.

Love at First Sight subverts expectations with its genuine tale of high school friendship and romance.

Toren is very rough-around-the-edges, but there is some charm during the few hours it lasts.

A year later, its still hard to say bad things about this compilation. Final Fantasy X is still one of the best installments in the franchise, and the fresh coat of paint is a delightful treat.

Existing fans of the Hyperdimension Neptunia series may feel a bit like lab rats being consistently subjected to different genres while the next main RPG is in the works. It would be acceptable if every game were a masterwork of its respective genre, but of course that isn’t the case here.

I have to admit that I wasn’t easily sold on Not A Hero. It was difficult to figure out how it wanted me to play at first, and even the easiest levels saw a lot of dead BunnyLord minions due to arguing with the combination dash/cover button and forgetting to keeping an eye on my ammo count. Then I learned to play it right and then it all made sense, with each level becoming a test of both action and course execution.

Klei Entertainment has once again proven themselves to be at the forefront of creating endless replay value, all while wrecking backlogs near and far.

Color Guardians blends a variety of fast-paced genres together nicely. It controls perfectly and every set of stages changes things up enough to use the core runner/platformer/rhythm game template and keep it interesting.

Action Henk is easily one of the best speed-runners in years.

The Reject Demon: Toko Chapter 0 – Prelude is an excellent start for an episodic visual novel series. It sets up an intriguing, unique storyline and fills it with engaging characters.

It feels like Spike Chunsoft was either too eager to cash in on the Attack on Titan fever sweeping the globe or too scared to stray from the events of the show to take any real chances on this game. Whatever the reason, Attack on Titan: Humanity in Chains is a beat-for-beat replica of the source material that somehow misses the action, suspense and tenacity that define the anime and manga.

It gets points for creativity, but most of Project Root is either awkward or dull, and sometimes, both.

JumpJet Rex should be a resounding success. It’s got all the elements there but they don’t quite fit together right.

Wolfenstein: The Old Blood is more of Wolfenstein: The New Order. It’s the same gameplay and same perk system with similar design choices that made last year’s The New Order such a hit.