Solar Ash is another triumph from Heart Machine, a fast-paced burst of vibrant, surreal science fiction where players get to glide and jump around fascinating worlds with terrific bits of platforming and action spread out across a series of unique worlds with jaw-dropping visuals. Be it gliding across clouds, grinding on rails to jump between buildings, or sneaking up on and successfully slashing at the one wall-based creature that fires lasers at you, virtually everything here is an absolute joy to experience. This is easily one of the year’s most captivating games, and one to not miss out on.

Everything that happens inside the octagon in EA SPORTS UFC 5 is the best adaptation of the UFC that has been seen in a video game form to date. The game is violently beautiful, playing quick and tight with adding new ways to improve the gameplay of the series. There are a ton of UFC fighters to choose from so players can set the stage in the biggest arenas in the sport to mirror what’s being shown on television. The amount of detail that has been implemented into UFC 5 uplifts the realism to unseen levels in the series. The fight atmosphere does everything right as playing with friends and creating cards and tournaments will keep things going for hours. Outside of a straightforward Career Mode and an 0nline mode that has occasional hiccups with connectivity, however, there isn’t much to do for a single-player experience. One can train and spar and focus on playing online or taking their created player online with a few different match options, but that’s about it. The focus is the fighting, as it should be, and this is where UFC 5 brings home the gold. If there is one UFC game to get, this would be it.

Amid the Ruins is an exhilarating adventure and the best episode thus far. It gives players drastic choices to partake in, not to mention building on the relationships between Clementine and her party.

This remaster improves on what needed to be updated such as graphics and gameplay mechanics, but realizes the story and pacing were fine how they were. Crisis Core is still a fifteen-year-old game originally designed for a handheld platform and as such the improvements to this version can’t erase all reminders of its origins. Even with game elements that show their age, however, this is the best way to experience Crisis Core.

Rock Band Blitz is a conflicting experience for hardcore fans. The game has its moments, but the most entertaining part of Rock Band has been effectively stripped from the game.

As a single-player campaign for Hearthstone, Curse of Naxxramas provides quite a bit of bang for your buck.

Oreshika: Tainted Bloodlines is a strange, captivating experience unlike any other RPG. Its plot is bizarre and tinged with dark humor, delving deeper into Japanese mythology than just about any game on the market.

Through peerless cinematography and sound design, Dontnod imbues everyday moments like waking up or riding the bus with profundity.

Charlie Murder is a much more complex game than fans of Ska Studios’ previous works will be expecting. It’s still a rebel, but this time there’s a cause to be found. RPG-lite elements, inviting co-op play, and zaniness combine to create a likeable, refreshing take on the brawler.

This makes Bejeweled Twist easily the best in the series, and brain-consumingly addictive to boot. [Dec 2008, p.56]

It may not be the best 3DS roleplaying experience, but it’s a darn fine one all the same.

With tons of cars, multiple events and a fantastic multiplayer mode, Grid 2 is proof that the series deserves to rank among the upper echelon of racing franchises.

Atelier Shallie Plus: Alchemists of the Dusk Sea is the perfect place for series newcomers to start. The various areas of character improvement built into the systems here means that it feels like the player is always making rapid progress, even when completing the most mundane of tasks. Coupling this with an interesting, if not revolutionary, story makes for an engrossing game that would have dug its hooks even if it were not the only digital escape hatch provided for a trip to the in-laws. PS Vita is one of the most important destinations for JRPGs on the market and Atelier Shallie Plus is another major reason why.

The Sojourn is a gorgeous first-person puzzler bursting with clever design and a rich atmosphere.

The Operator is a thrilling and fast-paced debut into the indie simulation scene. While the game may initially appear to be a simple investigation simulator, its snappy pace and intriguing narrative quickly draws players in within the first thirty minutes. While the alien parts of the game feel disconnected from the rest of it, it's not enough to draw away from its better elements.

This is a solid debut for the franchise in North America and, at $19.99, an easy recommendation for RPG and soccer fans alike.

There’s no doubt that the game is fun as the grind and work throughout it gives such a feeling of satisfaction at the end because you battled for that win. Having that broadcast presentation helps with that since after the game there are so many options to do off-the-court management that it keeps the player engaged for some time. The quirks and issues become aggravating over time as you try to get better, but the core feel of the game has felt this way for a while.

Soundodger+ is a lovely and brutal exercise in pure arcade music gaming.

Dandy Dungeon: Legend of Brave Yamada is a treat of RPG weirdness and a fantastic way to let a surprisingly large number of hours gently drift away as one man’s epic quest to create gets completely out of hand.

Players looking for a sci-fi retro shooter experience with a bit of modernization will no doubt enjoy Rogue Flight out of the box. The replayability comes into question as it comes off more grindy than an arcade shooter or the unlockable roguelike mode should. The visuals and the experience along with the voice acting are superb, while the soundtrack is fantastic and most fans of this genre will enjoy the music alone. The steep PC requirements for an indie title may hurt this in the end, though.

It’s no doubt a value, and if you need your fix of The Walking Dead, then this will certainly tide you over until the second season, but don’t expect a consistent plot full of meaningful and difficult choices.

A very good game on a technical level, but falls short of satisfying because it feels far too similar to other games in the series.

Night School Studio’s debut release is spooky, touching, and beautiful, and an adventure absolutely worth experiencing.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden offers an interesting twist on tried and true RPGs mechanics. A form of a morality system is implemented, but instead of being simply good or evil, it's based one what Red wants to do with Antea's soul which adds a sense of personal investment to one's choices beyond choosing which side with which to align. The mix of detective work to remove hauntings blended with the action-oriented combat elements helps make the role of Banisher seem more complete, as they have to rely on several different skill sets in order to accomplish their goals. This was further enhanced by the interplay between Red and Antea. The biggest stumbling block in Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is the pacing, as there are many fantastic moments in the game that are spread too far apart by uneventful travel. But even with the overall experience being uneven, the good qualities greatly outweigh the bad.

Simple fun will only get you so far and players who are looking for a truly “next generation” experience right now will find that Dead Rising 3 simply doesn’t deliver.

Hell is Us isn’t something you see every day. It’s a thought-provoking adventure that dives deep into the barbaric nature of humans, all while putting together a compelling mystery behind the supernatural elements. On top of that, it’s as much of a puzzle game as it is an adventure, truly testing a player’s will and patience as nothing is guided. There are no waymarkers pointing Rémi in the right direction or a map that shows him where he is. Instead, we have to find everything on our own and remember it, be it putting it in our memory bank or recording it. With that said, Hell is Us isn’t perfect. As enjoyable and surprisingly well-varied the combat is, it mainly boils down to the same formula through most of the lengthy journey. It’s the incredibly detailed and elegantly put-together world and lore that will have everyone immersed. At the end of the day, even with a couple of quirks, Hell is Us is a memorable and rewarding experience that’s a breath of fresh air.

It really hits the sweet spot that few games do: it’s forgiving enough for people who like simple, easygoing games to finish, but challenging enough for completionists to work at for days, even weeks on end.

Ibb & Obb is an excellent puzzle platformer best enjoyed with a good friend and an open mind. Lightbulb moments where you finally devise an ingenious solution or conquer a frustrating segment are what make the game truly great, coupled with soothing visuals and a welcoming atmosphere. Grab a buddy, hop online, and pick it up. You don’t see games like this often enough anymore.