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.