Wealth of Nations adds real depth to the game.

If you’ve somehow managed to stay away from the phenomenon this entire time, then Ultra Street Fighter IV is the perfect gateway to becoming a World Warrior.

The use of mouse, while functional and serviceable, takes away from the true potential of the gesture-heavy gameplay. As it stands now, though, Fearless Fantasy is still a nicely streamlined role playing battle marathon.

All in all, Nether is a great time. It’s a highly engaging and realized survival experience; something we need more of.

Among the Sleep is a surprisingly bad execution of a deceptively weak idea.

It may appear to be a little minimalist on the surface, and the game doesn’t really teach you all you need to know about its battle system. But for those who enjoy this kind of passive and vague role playing experience, especially with a battle system that has you assume the role of a chess player and nothing else, then Deity Quest might be your little niche.

Don’t be surprised to see this small, yet emotionally giant, title competing against the big boys for Game of the Year 2014.

Splatter’s main gameplay is solid; it just needs to fix a handful of issues to be considered a contender.

By tempering expectations somewhat, Yury provides what you expect from a difficult platformer. It will make you die a lot and curse at the screen.

Unless you’re some sort of masochistic that enjoys frustration, there is very little reason to recommend Dark Raid, and even then there are plenty of better anger-inducing games available.

1001 Spikes‘ challenge doesn’t hurt its cause by any means, but those who despise trying something hundreds of times in a row will find themselves quickly turned off.

With a price point of only $15, A Story About My Uncle is a must-own for anyone who loves games that make them think and can appreciate a good platforming challenge as well.

A combination of fun, fairness, beauty and joy, Mario Kart 8 is absolutely brilliant.

Anybody interested in games with a narrative focus simply must give Richard & Alice a shot.

While its concept is unique, its execution leaves an incredible amount to be desired. Unfortunately, the mystery of Ronan’s murder is not nearly as thought-provoking as the mystery of when Murdered: Soul Suspect will be offered at a discount.

Where is my Heart? is an enjoyable puzzle platformer romp.

To get the most out of the experience, Producing Perfection practically mandates that its players have some kind of working knowledge of the Hyperdimension world to enjoy its trappings. If players are in that category, then perhaps there’s enough here to sustain interest, as the excessive dialogue is really only entertaining for those who know the characters and established lore well.

For a game without any kind of established lineage, this is a very welcome addition to the Vita’s growing JRPG library.

Over the Moon have begun something very special with The Fall and you’ll be looking out for ARID again even months after you finish this intriguing opening act.

As it stands, initial appeal wears thin rather quickly, and like real squid, the whole thing starts to stink after being flung around for too long.

Always Sometimes Monsters is a unique and distinctly powerful experience, but it is also deeply and undeniably flawed.

Its best feature, outside of any obvious educational benefits, is that Influent feels very much like a video game. Where most programs would have you sift through walls of text, painfully memorizing bits and pieces at a time, Influent has you explore, on your own terms, a game space chock-full of interactive study points.

The crux of the problem with In Sheep’s Clothing is that we’re still not getting much in the way of payoff. A lot of questions are answered, sure, but the episode presents itself as one final buildup to the confrontation with The Crooked Man.

What Monochroma gets right, however, is tone and gameplay. The puzzle platforming is fun to solve once you get the feel for character movement, there’s a lot of variety in puzzle design, and some very clever level layout ties everything together.

Regardless, if you can get past the inherent creepiness that permeates Monster Monpiece on a number of levels, then there’s no denying that this is an intelligent, fulfilling card game.

When compared to GTAV, the game falls short in most places — notably in driving and side-missions. Falling short to one of the games of the generation, however, is still a huge accomplishment and Watch Dogs blazes its own trail by offering the ingenious addition of hacking. With tons of content and a surprising amount of humor, Ubisoft has laid an incredibly solid base with Watch Dogs. It might not be at the top of its class, but it’s a damn fine salutatorian.

Into the Dark: Ultimate Trash Edition is not “so bad, it’s good.” It’s just bad. Very, very bad.

It may be confusing and an outright crazy adventure, but it’s one that will have gamers readily engaged.

The framework of what could be a solid title is in place; perhaps even the talent to see it through. But as it stands, DreadOut is plagued with poor design choices and a small budget.

Boasting highly chore-like qualities, it is nowhere near worth the low price of admission.

As it stands we’re left with a very fun beat-em-up – with very funny writing – that ultimately outstays its welcome.

Tropico 5 managed to disappoint more than it excited.

The New Order is also easily the most enjoyable shooter in years, boasting a tongue-in-cheek dose of ’80s B-movie action that easily topples the previous entry in the series. There’s a lengthy campaign, some genuinely impressive set pieces and, most importantly, incredibly fun gameplay. And that’s something I did Nazi coming.

More like an effort-intensive relationship than an adrenaline-inducing one-night-stand, Transistor is a must-play for those who are committed to its cause. However, those who are looking for an instantly-gripping cheap thrill should look elsewhere as this is a game that must be seen through to the very last second.

The main game is quite memorable though thanks to the concept being so different, and it’s worth checking out for most retro-loving fans — it’s just not something that’s likely to appeal to many beyond that fanbase.

If you’re still intrigued by Lili, go with the far less expensive iOS version and enjoy its repetitive play in short bursts.

At the end of the day, NinjaBee crafted a fantastic game that’s worth every cent of its cost and every second of your time.

You probably already know whether or not this is a game for you, so if you don’t have a problem with lots of reading and very minimal visual presentation, you can’t go wrong with Dark Scavenger.

Mugen Souls Z isn’t a great RPG, but it’s an entertaining one, and there’s enough meat on its bones to keep you playing for a good long while.

There’s a lot of upside in this title, especially with Renegade Kid’s announcement of a second season featuring entirely new content, but as it stands Moon Chronicles doesn’t quite live up to its lofty potential.

BattleBlock Theater doesn’t do anything particularly new, but that’s perfectly okay, because everything it does do it does without a hitch to speak of.

Messing up might make one shout obscenities, but it’s still fun to try and conquer each stage. Unfortunately, it’s starting to show its age with rather uninspired visuals and a lack of in-game user created stage sharing.

Metamorphosis improves on République’s initial episode in a number of ways, not the least of which being that it raises the emotional stakes of the story.

As adventure games go, The Tesla Effect is pretty average.

This quirky, spastic shooter has rightfully earned its seat at the Indie Game Round Table.

The Walking Dead Season 2: Episode 3 – In Harm’s Way is another strong addition into an already compelling universe.

Borderlands 2 is serious fun, but has serious problems.

Tough racetracks and quick losses lend themselves very well to short bursts of gameplay, but in a world where Jet Car Stunts 2 exists, alongside other, more polished challenging games, it simply doesn’t hold up.

There are still some qualms here and there, such as the returning frame-rate slowdown and repetitiveness, but in general this is a solid action-RPG that should be played by anyone who adores the genre.

If you’re looking for a spellbinding visual novel, then don’t waste another minute searching for one, because Hakuoki is what you want.

Leo’s Fortune is conceptually, stylistically and mechanically one of the best iOS games on the market.

Full Bore is a very entertaining puzzle game worth your time if you don’t mind a more cerebral experience.

Chronology is a great example of how a few warts can taint an otherwise pretty package.

Kentucky Route Zero manages to cover fascinating new ground with each act, and I can’t wait to see where it goes from here. More importantly, I can’t wait to see all the strange sights along the way.

There are much better puzzlers on the 3DS eShop than Bit Boy!! Arcade, so you’re better off skipping this flawed endeavor unless you really want to hear a red, cherub-faced cube talk like a serial killer.

The Last Tinker: City of Colors is certainly not for challenge junkies, but anyone looking for a downright pleasant experience full of charm and whimsy will not be disappointed.

Bound by Flame is a charming RPG that’s fundamentally and mechanically flawed.

MLB 14: The Show was a great game a month ago when it came out on PlayStation 3, and it remains so on PlayStation 4.

Life Goes On is a clever and fun puzzle/platformer with a surprising amount of replayability, and if that results in a few thousand dead minions, at least they left a helpful corpse behind.

Sportsfriends is the most-fun party game I’ve played since the days of the original Mario Party.

These two ports prove that HD re-releases still have the potential to feel like more than cheap money-grabs; the seamless God of War Collection seems like it was meant for a handheld all along.

It offers players immense freedom to create their ideal farm, but only if they’re willing to do a ton of work to prepare and maintain it for future years.

It’s amazing that Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn managed to turn a generally detested game into a great one, but this is proof it’s possible. Playing on PS4 is quite the experience as well.

Pick it up if you’re looking for a fighting game that’s a little different and packed with personality.

Good looks and smooth movement mechanics can’t cover for a shallow game. On almost every level, Secrets of Raetikon is a disappointment.

Simply put, this is the definitive version of Raiden IV. If you’re a fan, there’s a lot to love here.

The word “fiasco” is defined as something that is a complete failure. Fiasco doesn’t live up to its definition, but it’s close.

It’s by no means a top tier open world game and can be completed in a very short amount of time, but great gameplay makes The Amazing Spider-Man 2 a solid package that’s worth playing.

Heroes Within is a fantastic table pack for Star Wars Pinball fans.

Daylight’s shortcomings will scare away genre detractors. The gameplay is repetitive, the level design annoying and backtracking quickly becomes a chore. It falls short because because of these things, yet remains an amazing experience.

Nintendo and Camelot have created an extremely accessible game that pulls you in early and doesn’t let go.

While there’s a strange absence of online multiplayer in Kirby Fighters and the Hypernova feature feels somewhat underutilized, Triple Deluxe still ends up being an experience overflowing with delicious content to be gobbled up.

Boring at best, annoying at worst, do yourself a favor and give this game a pass.

If you decided to wait for the PC version of Dark Souls II before jumping in, you’ve made the right decision. It’s not leaps and bounds better than its console counterpart, but the graphical enhancements aid the immersion.

For an HD remake that no one asked for of a game that few people played, Cel Damage HD is actually pretty charming and entertaining.

It’s sad to see the series go but the satisfying revelations and conclusion makes Blackwell Epiphany a must play.

If you can approach the game with a forgiving nature, however, there’s sights to see that will stay with you long after the small piece of willpower necessary to push on has been forgotten.

Octodad succeeds as both a gut-busting slapstick routine and a touching treatise on what it means to be a family. It’s a little short, and it won’t turn the gaming world on its head, but at least it’s fun, replayable, heartwarming and didn’t cost 15 million dollars.

Played as a single game, it’s incredible, but as I was made to experience it, it falls a little short of greatness. I wish I were reviewing the full game, because the complete package deserves a higher score. The two halves compliment each other perfectly, but on their own, they are wanting.

The biggest hurdle to enjoying the game is simply your tastes for (or tolerance of) copious displays of fanservice. As long as you can handle that then you’re in for a very mechanically sound dungeon crawler with Demon Gaze.

The most insidious thing about Moebius is that you don’t know how wretched it truly is until the very end.

Trials Fusion is basically what we’ve come to expect from the series, just with a shinier new coat of paint.

At $2.99, RollerCoaster Tycoon 4 Mobile isn’t a smart purchase, especially considering it’s an extension of a series as robust as RollerCoaster Tycoon. There are plenty of similar tapping games out there that are absolutely free.

Sure, it has some flaws, namely its reliance on the same mechanics that never really change over the course of its 10 hour campaign. But even so, Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut still manages to pull off a fun experience that blends action-arcade and simulation just enough to please both crowds.

Ether One might well represent the apex of its particular subgenre. It engages the player at every level they might want to engage it, and rewards them handsomely for plunging into its depths.

LEGO The Hobbit is a fun little game that serves its purpose well.

If you absolutely need another platformer for the PS4, which is currently lacking in them, then you could do worse than choosing this game. However, be warned that it is quite the challenge which can make it more frustrating than fun.

On PS3, MLB 14: The Show is an excellent game; it’s just not much of an improvement over last year’s entry

For fans of the comics and adventure buffs alike, The Wolf Among Us continues to assert itself as a must-play game.

The increased emphasis on delivering a high quality game makes Rivals the definitive entry in the series to date, even though it lacks the plethora of modes in the second installment.

Steins;Gate is one of the best visual novels on the market.

With 60 brain-stumping levels, Globins is a must-play on the go.

It’s certainly passable, but you can find many Metroidvania games that fulfill their gaming ambitions much better.

If you love the idea of speed runs and like the thrill of making every move count to beat the clock, then 10 Second Ninja might be for you. For everyone else, though, 10 Second Ninja is a repetitive and dull game, one whose philosophy on improvement is player-hostile for the entire ride.

Enjoying Ragnarok Odyssey: ACE hinges on enjoying the original, because this is the same game that was released in 2012 with more content.

With its wide array of diverse locations, nice visuals, engaging quests and interesting PvP, The Elder Scrolls Online has a lot to offer despite its lack of freedom and exploration; with an absurd amount content, you’ll be occupied for a long time.

If you’re a fan of old-school platformers, however, Yumi’s Odd Odyssey is a comprehensive collection of puzzles that will serve your palate well and well worth checking out on the eShop.

If you go into Dynasty Warriors 8 Xtreme Legends Complete Edition knowing that it’s just a slightly better looking port, you’ll have a blast with its addictive mindless button mashing mechanics.