While many find the God of War series to be repetitive in its formula, it continues to deliver a refreshing take that satisfies the core fan base. And though the campaign is shorter and the number of epic boss fights leaves you wanting more, this is the most human we have ever seen Kratos and the story compels you to him unlike ever before.

There are very few games I’d recommend to anyone regardless of gaming experience or preference, but Runner 2 is one of them. It’s a fantastic reminder that sometimes games are most effective when they don’t try to emulate explosion-riddled Hollywood blockbusters and instead embrace solid gameplay mechanics and unfettered creativity.

It’s really hard to be excited about the future of Tomb Raider after this game. It fails where more successful films and games of its kind succeed: in its characters. The way in which Lara goes from inexperienced to full-on action movie hero survivalist is so jarring that it’s near impossible as a player to remain on the same emotional wavelength as the story. Because of this the rest of the game falters.

The openness of the levels and the variety of skills at Prophet’s disposal makes each chapter a joy to play and replay.

While the story is subpar, the stealth mechanics are weak, and the lack of a dodge ability does hinder a solid combat system, this short game–clocking in at around seven to eight hours–is certainly entertaining to play.

There’s biker and vehicle customization in the game, and a fair amount of it. With outfits, accessories, and bike upgrades to attain, enough reason exists to go out of your way to nab cash in-game and increase your star count.

My most concerning issue with Special Forces: Team X, though, is how lost it seems. It lacks personality even though its title and pre-launch trailers exude it; it seems to exist as just another multiplayer shooter with no innovation aside from its map system.

I haven’t been this disappointed in a game in a long, long time. Not only does the campaign welch on its opportunity to create interesting and additive content in the Aliens universe, but the multiplayer is languid, broken, and laughably frustrating. Colonial Marines plays it as safe as possible and still can’t manage to copy successfully proven ideas.

No doubt, Dead Space 3 stumbles—pretty hard—in some spots. But it also feels like this is Visceral honing its craft. The combat and pacing are the best they have ever been and some choices invest you in the experience, even if it’s a bummer the story doesn’t hold up.

The whole experience feels like an anachronism. Younger gamers might accept some of these problems more readily, and when the game is on, it’s a lot of fun. If you enjoy the simplicity of the gameplay or collecting lots and lots of shiny objects, you’ll get tons of that here, giving you more entertainment after you’ve completed the main story.

If you’re the type of gamer that likes talking about games as much as playing them, The Cave will give you plenty to talk about. Otherwise, if you’re just after a fun and well-crafted experience, there’s too much chaff in this package.

There aren't many strategy RPGs as approachable for newcomers and as deep for veterans as Fire Emblem: Awakening. Though the story feels like it's just going through the motions, an expansive cast of characters with a wide array of personalities to match means you'll find plenty to still love about the narrative.

It's a fine introduction to strategy games for those intimidated of the genre, even if it has its challenges along the way.

Make no mistake, this is a game for gamers: furious button mashing, intense competition, and destruction on a scale that only Platinum Games seems to understand.

Those of you looking for a more engaging, worthwhile, and ultimately enjoyable RPG should look past Unchained Blades and not look back.

EDF2017 has a particular magic that defies logic. If you've played the original to death, you may simply want an excuse to play the game again despite the disappointing renovations in Portable. Hell, I'm in that camp myself, so I won't talk you out of it. Just make sure you have some friends lined up for co-op ahead of time.

The four or five challenges that click are easily worth the DLC's reasonable price. However, this DLC feels similar to the time trials in Mirror's Edge. Even though it's quality content it simply may not be what you want or expect. However, at such a price, I encourage you to jump in and find out for yourself.

With a heart-warming protagonist, beautifully illustrated world, and addicting gameplay, Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is another masterpiece of which Level-5 and Studio Ghibli can be rightly proud.

Any gamer that cries for a new, classic Castlevania should put their money where their mouth is and buy this game immediately. Beyond that recommendations are harder to make.

Niggles aside, escapeVektor is a game in which everything included works perfectly and anything left on the cutting room floor isn't missed. It's a fantastic value in addition to being fantastically fun to play, and it belongs on every 3DS.

The familiarity of the controls in combat help in welcoming DmC's distinctive art direction and new look for Dante. The attention paid to the script and narrative manages to make these intermissions worth watching, and not because of over-the-top gunplay or sword work; that's for you to control in-game.

The core of the Horizon Rally DLC is solid; it recreates superbly the rally racing experience. Only in the additional features does this DLC fall short, which is less forgivable given its price point.

A greatly enjoyable game that fans of both series' will find a lot to love. Though it's short and strays away a bit from traditional Mega Man games, Street Fighter x Mega Man is a great play that you honestly have little reason not to experience.

The Crimson Shroud is a game that's completely comfortable to be exactly what it is: an extremely hard, dense celebration of what makes tabletop RPGs so fun. There are gameplay issues that will aggravate some, but any gamer who's spent a Friday night rolling dice will be more than willing to forgive them.

Even with the new bells and whistles the game is starting to show its age, and the complexity of gameplay will steer many gamers away. If you don't mind sifting through a lot of text, I highly recommend this game to anyone who calls themselves RPG lovers.

Crashmo is a really good game, but I didn't like it quite as much as Pushmo. I'm not sure if the reason for that lies within me, or the game itself, but I felt far less compelled to go back to each puzzle this time around...But Crashmo is still a hell of a puzzle game, and if you're more inspired than intimidated by a challenge, I can see no reason why you shouldn't snap this game up now.

By including areas and missions outside of the tournament, this Campaign of Carnage has room to breathe and deliver a narrative that retains the twisted charm of the Borderlands franchise.

A game that not even die hard Family Guy fans will appreciate. The jokes and crude humor are taken too far, even for the show's standards. Couple that with drab gameplay and poor controls and you've got a game that should be avoided by most accounts.