There’s so much going on here that it can be overwhelming at times – a problem not helped by the cumbersome UI – but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more accurate depiction of what it’s like to wage war.

Capcom’s execution isn’t always perfect, and the lack of quest variety may wear on some, but Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate is just about everything it strives to be: a sprawling adventure full of charm, customization and a whole lot of monsters.

This is a must-buy platformer for anybody who either grew up on that genre as a kid or who fell in love with it again — or maybe even for the first time — with Shovel Knight.

Overture has a lot of cool things going for it, from its pick-up and play gameplay to its catchy chiptune music. At the end of the day, however, Overture feels too by the books to leave a lasting impression.

While The Escapists on the Xbox One may not be the most definitive version of the title, it’s still a soundly optimized and immensely original gaming experience that stands out from the crowd in the One’s digital library.

It may have resulted in a seemingly incoherent fusion of ideas and pixels, but at its heart, #IDARB is a classic sports game that will click with just about anybody, and the extra helping of random chaos will never cease to entertain.

It’s a testament to sound design when the worst aspect of a video game is indeed its actual title. Even with it, though, Grey Goo is a stand-out RTS that has found an expert way of blending old with new to create something familiar but fresh.

There’s no gameplay hook to latch onto and the writing and pacing both leave a lot to be desired.

If you’ve never played Indigo Prophecy before then you ought to give it a try, but you’d be better off digging up a PS2 copy than playing this mess.

Deep in personality, but shallow in mechanics, Apotheon is a classic case of style over substance.

HuniePop is pornography – darn fine pornography at that – but it’s also a shockingly good puzzle game. Occasionally those two identities feel at odds with each other, but for the most part they work in concert to show you a good time.

It’s a solid value given how much time can be spent with the new maps.

Forward to the Sky may have wanted to reach for the skies, but it needed to dig out of the ground first.

This is not to say that Criminal Girls: Invite Only is inherently broken; it certainly functions and offers over twenty hours of gameplay, but there’s better JRPGs available.

If you’ve got the tolerance for terrible and the four hours or less that it takes to beat the game, maybe you’ll have fun groaning at how bad Zombeer is too.

Few games – hell, few films – are so genuine and earnest in their execution, and few first episodes of anything are so effective in leaving you wanting more.

If you can get past the instability and lack of aesthetic cohesion, you’ll find a foundation of smart mechanics and clever challenges. With that said, you’ll probably better enjoy those elements on your phone or tablet.

Even though its story will leave most players unsatisfied and its open-world design is questionable at best, its phenomenal side stories and often entertaining gameplay will prevent distaste. This isn’t the next The Last of Us, and its narrative comes nowhere close to Telltale’s The Walking Dead, but the framework is in place for a generally good time.

Sakura Angels is short, seemingly robbed of an exciting ending, and tries to stifle its positive strides with copious CGs.

Even seventeen years on it still stands taller than just about every other game that built upon its foundations. Aesthetically speaking, almost no game of its era has aged quite as gracefully, and even with the remastered visuals turned off it still looks great.

Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk doesn’t significantly subtract from or add to the original 2013 release. It does, however, incorporate some new elements that do just enough to make this the more complete edition of the game. It still lacks depth due to Gust’s mission to streamline much of the series’ nuances so as to rope in new players and broaden the title’s appeal, sacrificing some of what gives Atelier its identity.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2 provides many hours of gaming jokes, silly plot developments and strategic battles which adds up to a mostly lovable JRPG.

Score-chasers, 16-bit enthusiasts, arcade-game aficionados and Sega addicts all need apply for this one; anyone outside of those groups may not get as much from it, but even still there’s fun to be had.

Delivering a near-endless supply of side-content and addictive combat, Saints Row IV is ridiculously easy to recommend, but Re-Elected’s limited enhancements and unwelcome technical issues keep this version from being the definitive version that it should be.

Given its somber tone and grueling difficulty, I’m not sure if I should refer to Brandish: The Dark Revenant as the PSP’s swan song or its funeral dirge, but either way it’s among the system’s best RPGs.

It might not resonate as strongly as Earthbound, but Citizens of Earth is arguably more fun to play.

Subdued visuals, a mysterious storyline with strange characters and nearly ten endings make Train of Afterlife a commendable visual novel effort.

Gat Out of Hell captures the madness and destruction that made the series so fun, but even as an expansion pack, there’s not much new here. So much of it is cut from the same cloth of Saints Row IV that the nuances end up meaning much less than they should.

The thirteen year old remake is arguably the best game in the long running series, not only staying true to its source material, but expanding upon it greatly with new content directly built into the core story.

Still, the cost isn’t that bad when you consider Nameless ~The one thing you must recall~ is in the top tier of English-released otome games out there today.

Those in the mood for a fast-paced experience that won’t require a massive investment of time for a play session should give Funk of Titans a shot.

There are far better uses for both your money and your time.

Space Hulk: Ascension Edition is the more complete and refined version of 2013’s title bearing the same namesake.

Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse works just as well on a console as it did on a handheld.

Others might be mad knowing they’ve missed out on some scenes due to Steam’s restrictions on adult content. Still, NEKOPARA is a light and fluffy visual novel that fans of catgirls will enjoy their time with.

While it may only take an hour or so to complete the main mission that acts as the prologue to the next game, the PC port of Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes not only lives up to expectations, but surpasses them in creating an overly satisfying sandbox to sneak through.

The actual amount of content added with the Storm Island DLC isn’t Earth-shattering, but there are a lot of new events thanks to the new locale and some new vehicles made with this terrain in mind.

The price is far too steep for what you’re getting, but Boss! is still worth checking out at some point if you’re interested in simple, mindless fun.

It has an interesting premise, but it’s let down by padded, disjointed plotting and awful character writing.

It’s a nicely dystopic future, but needed to walk the mean streets of development a few more weeks before busting out to the big time.

Redux: Dark Matters on Steam isn’t worth getting excited about given the wealth of better alternatives, and even if you’re a Dreamcast collector, there are far better shooter releases for it in recent years.

Make no mistake, this is a Harvest Moon title only in name; everything else will feel foreign to the longtime fan.

The best word to describe Fork Parker’s Holiday Profit Hike is “finicky.” Collision detection is imprecise and inconsistent, and the controls feel overly slippery, even for a game largely about running around on ice.

In all, Shape Up is a cool concept that doesn’t have nearly enough going for it to keep players hooked long term.

The solid controls and reasonably-exciting gameplay make it fun for a while, but the modes are far too similar with only surface-level changes beyond the overall length of the events to set them apart.

Thanks to a solid understanding of core fighting game mechanics, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- is the installment fans have been waiting for.

Fun and charming with some nice extras to boot, Kalimba kick-starts Xbox One’s indie wave with a bang.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is the best entry in the Fabula Nova Crystallis series, offering far improved gameplay systems while giving players access to a highly diverse soundtrack and various timelines to explore.

Ultraworld is a seriously distinctive game that deserves credit for its beautiful, if sometimes bizarre, world design. The story’s delivery also happens to be quite unique and offers a few cool twists before completion. It’s a shame, then, that there have to be technical startup issues with the Steam release.

An extra layer of polish and a difficulty level above extra-easy would have been nice, but Flyhunter Origins just barely manages to rise above its problems and become a charming, creative treat of platforming action.

In the moment, it can be thrilling to spar words with Cersei or choose whether to execute a thief or send him to the Wall. For that to work, however, you have to be willing to put up with a lot: the slow pacing, the exaggerated visuals, the awful animation and the fact that those choices don’t make much of a difference at all. Things could improve over the long haul, but based on this first episode, committing to a season pass is not recommended to anyone but the most diehard Game of Thrones fans with a high tolerance for mediocrity.

Elegy for a Dead World may be a jarring departure from traditions, but unlike the more pretentious attempts at alternative gaming experiences we’ve seen in recent times, this is one idea that should be encouraged.

The Old City: Leviathan wants you to think, but it doesn’t give you anything to think about.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a delightful experience, and acts as a reminder that sometimes a simple change of perspective is all you need to succeed.

A 30 dollar eShop purchase will net you some 50-60 hours of gameplay, which is nothing to sneeze at, and the full Japanese versions of all three games are included as well — perfect for a gamer looking to practice the language and start importing.

The Talos Principle expects you to be smart and knows you’ve got the brain to figure it out, and the reward for it being right is the a sense of satisfaction at solving something properly tricky.

This isn’t just an expansion, it’s a revolution.

Despite issues with some of the puzzle designs, there’s a lot to enjoy on your own, and even more so in local 2-4 player co-op where the inclusion of additional players freshens up the design and gameplay. The major glaring fault in this package is how its online features have been implemented, with strange bugs and forceful overwriting of campaign progress.

The Crew is an overly ambitious project that just doesn’t go the full mile.

It’s a mediocre brawler, an interrupted open world adventure, and a decent visual novel, but ultimately the game lacks the confident quirkiness the initial idea clearly had in spades.

Don’t let the letter tiles and cute characters fool you: Letter Quest: Grimm’s Journey is an addictive experience that will steal hours of your gaming time without you even noticing.

Its biggest issue is how safe it plays everything, but anyone wanting a straightforward approach to the JRPG genre will leave more than likely impressed by Alphadia‘s endearing simplicity and nostalgic allure.

More visual improvements would have be nice, especially in Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep Final Mix, but the package as a whole is good enough to make the visuals seem like an afterthought.

Geometry Wars 3: Dimensions is a solid reboot of a series that’s been gone far too long, and even if all of its experiments on the old formula don’t work, enough of them do to make it a game worth chasing as many high scores as you can manage.

For disillusioned former veterans and newcomers alike, Warlords of Draenor is the time to pick up a new WoW expansion; it’s just that good.

Its methodical pacing will put some off, but those wanting a wrestling match simulator will welcome 2K15 with open arms.

Tales from the Borderlands isn’t just a superb entry point into what appears to be a captivating story, it has the potential to be Telltale’s best work since the first season of The Walking Dead.

After a few submissive years, Konami has put forth a game that caters to soccer fans with superb flexibility for creative expression, fluid gameplay and astoundingly intelligent AI.

Its inspirations are pure, and give birth to some solid if all-too-familiar mechanics, but it’s ultimately a disappointing adventure that squanders source material that remains begging for a true video game adaptation.

Particulars combines an interesting and highly progressive style of narration with an old school arcade experience.

Never Alone makes experiencing this untouched world cumbersome and frustrating, draining the magic away from its promise and leaving a sketchy, unpolished game in its snow-covered wake.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire aren’t just great RPGs, they’re a great example as to why Pokémon might be the surest thing in gaming.

Pokémon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire aren’t just great RPGs, they’re a great example as to why Pokémon might be the surest thing in gaming.

With a bit more polish and tweaking, Rollers of the Realm would stand out for more than its genre mixing.

Company of Heroes 2: Ardennes Assault is a standalone title in the venerable franchise that is wholeheartedly worth exploring.

The Marvelous Miss Take has a good deal going for it – fast-paced stealth gameplay, eminently charming visuals and a fantastic pun for a title. There’s a decent variety to the level design and new game elements are introduced at a good clip to keep things fresh. Unfortunately, it’s hamstrung by its ambitious but flawed control scheme, and while it can provide a decent diversion, it won’t do much for hardcore stealth gamers.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham struggles to maintain balance with its cast of characters constantly pushing one another from the spotlight, and suffers from many of the series’ routine issues. On the other hand, it brings to the table an experience DC and Lego fans will not-soon forget: an action-packed adventure, plenty of charm and moments of bona fide hilarity.

Despite having a lot of flaws, Far Cry 4 is a lot of fun.

As long as you come in with the expectation of a short, non-linear storytelling experience then you won’t be let down by The Moon Sliver. It’s a bit creepy, sad and ultimately quite compelling.

Sportsball is a local multiplayer-only title, and should be purchased with that firmly in mind.

Weak continuity and weaker dungeon crawling gameplay make this hard to recommend to anyone who enjoys the series for its depth. If you’re not bothered by a bit of stupidity, give it a play.

LittleBigPlanet 3 is a good game, but stops short of being a great one.

Gorgeous, addictive and absolutely exploding with content, this is the ultimate Super Smash Bros. experience. Though the stage design tool is once again lacking and Smash Tour will be hit or miss for some, you’ll still be playing this for years to come.

Valkyria Chronicles is a timeless classic, and this exceptional PC port only manages to improve upon it.

Despite simplistic controls, Fotonica transports players into a beautiful vector landscape that they’ll inhabit for hours.

Escape Dead Island squandered whatever opportunity it had to make a compelling story, while offering only sub-par gameplay to tide you over in the meantime. It has no business being a game, rather than a one-shot graphic novel for dedicated fans.

For all its faults: the agonizing familiarity, the workable plot, the insipid characters and, perhaps worst of all, the intrinsic absence of novelty common in most of the series’ open worlds, Assassin’s Creed Rogue — Unity’s last-gen partner in crime — is astoundingly stable.

More than just a gimmick, the first-person mode really does change how it’s experienced by adding a new layer of gameplay. It won’t be for everybody, but the sheer fact that the option is there is commendable. More still, multiple new vehicles, weapons and animals have been introduced. If none of that were enough, over a hundred new songs have been added to the already robust radio stations.

Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F 2nd isn’t for everyone. It appeals to a very specific sect of gamers, but those who find themselves within its territory will quickly become spellbound by the polish, challenge and sheer volume of content offered.

It’s admirable that Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric tries so many new things, but every path it follows is a dead end.

It’s one of the most overwhelming experiences on the market, containing not only the best character development found in any RPG, but an open world that’s actually polished. The artistic and visual fidelity help with the immersion, but it’s the branching, player driven storyline and exquisitely layered combat system that create something special.

Online is buggy, but amusingly so. It’s hard to recommend MotoGP 14 to anybody but fans of the series curious to see how it shapes up on newer hardware.

What could have been the definitive entry in the Assassin’s Creed series is actually the definitive example as to why releasing an unfinished product is always a bad call.

With bargain basement production values, mediocre visuals, boring gameplay and a substantial lack of features, there’s no reason to experience it. Adding salt to the wound is the fact that it’s for all intents and purposes a threequel to a mediocre clone of Super Smash Bros. Melee released the same month as the current-generation version of that series will debut.

Diehard fans of the series will get a kick out of this, but most others (including music game fans) can feel confident in skipping it over. There are both better rhythm games as well as better Senran Kagura titles available on Vita.

BlazeRush is a solid-looking game that is held back by some iffy textures, but benefits from never slowing down despite tons of stuff happening on-screen.

Freedom Planet is a love letter to SEGA fans, and newcomers are in store for a special gaming experience that they won’t experience elsewhere in this modern age.

Unfortunately, Defenders of Time isn’t the fresh breath of air the tower defense genre needed, instead washing into the ocean of its never-ending entries.