The remakes of these two classic games were masterfully done. Square Enix is no stranger to remakes and upgrades but they have outdone themselves with this iteration of X / X-2. From the orchestrated score, to the increased polygon count and improved textures the game is atheistically better in every way. If you missed out on playing these games on the PS2 this new layer of polish on these classic gems will leave you unable to guess one is 14 years old this year.

Overall, House of Wolves is a worthwhile expansion. The Prison of Elders adds a new, challenging activity that has levels of difficulty suitable for a variety of skill levels. The story missions don’t expand the universe greatly, but expectations on that front seem a bit tempered after the disappointment with The Dark Below. Finally, more variety in the crucible and strike playlists is always welcome and will hopefully bring back lapsed players so there will be more people to play with and against. If you haven’t already been drawn in by Destiny, this expansion won’t offer you anything that will change your mind but it helps round out and spice up content for those who are already invested.

Current lag issues notwithstanding, I would recommend Shadowrun Chronicles to anyone who enjoys the Shadowrun universe and enjoys turn-based strategy games. If you liked Shadowrun Returns, you'll probably also enjoy Chronicles, although you won't find the same depth of story just yet. The developers at Cliffhanger promise much more story that will be molded by the players as time goes on.

Infinite Crisis is polished, snappy and a well-designed MOBA, all things considered. But its mechanics don’t address the long-standing issues with the genre in a meaningful way, or do they do much to set the game apart from its competitors. As a MOBA title where you can play Shazam, Infinite Crisis is your bet. As a mechanical differentiator from League of Legends, it suffers a little from Me Too Syndrome.

It cannot be overstated how much of a value The Handsome Collection is. You get essentially $100+ worth of content and DLCs for the price of the base game. It may not be on the PC, but if you’ve been hankering for a good RPG mixed with shooter than doesn’t leave you frustrated (Destiny…), this is what you’ve been waiting for. If, however, you’ve already played these games to death, you may want to just wait for the next entry in the series. You do have the option of bringing your save over to the Handsome Collection though, which is a nice bonus feature.

If you’re a fan of either series, this game’s a no brainer for you already. It’s the best of both worlds. But if you’re new to 3DS gaming and looking for a unique dungeon-crawling RPG, there are probably even better games to start with. Etrian Mystery Dungeon is almost confusing in its complexity beyond the first few dungeons, though seasoned RPG-ers will relish in this aspect. It’s a game with few real faults, and well worth every penny.

Is Pillars of Eternity the perfect game? No, but it is an incredibly good one. When fans backed the Kickstarter to the tune of nearly four million dollars, they did so on the promise of Obsidian returning to their roots; more than that, that they would return we RPG players to our roots. By taking cues from the past, Pillars of Eternity bears lessons for future developers. Accessibility is fine, but players learn to love depth. Cutscenes are important, but less so than a well-crafted story. And the world itself should be the reason to explore, not the experience from the 100th bandit. Pillars isn’t perfect, no, but it may just be a modern classic.

It’s one of the best action RPGs I’ve ever played. It’s brutally difficult, but never cheap, and it’s one of the most atmospheric games in recent years. If you fancy hard games, if you love a good deep RPG that doesn’t hold your hand, then you owe it to yourself to play this one. It’s a shame it’s only on the PS4, but frankly, Bloodborne is worth buying the system to play.

In the end, is Type-0 worth the full $60 price? I’m one who believes gameplay is a greater than graphics alone, and while Type-0 looks a little dated due to its ported status it definitely makes up for the visual shortcomings with great gameplay. If you like Final Fantasy and third-person action combat… get it, and love it. It’s worth your time.

Monster Hunter 4 Ultimate takes the best the franchise has to offer turns it up to 11. More quests, more areas to explore, more items to collect, more items to craft, more weapons to choose from, more combat techniques, and more ways to play with your friends. This game will be a must have for fans of the Monster Hunter franchise but may do little to move the needle for players that are not already interested in the series.

Dying Light has some issues when compared to its forbears, but it also sets itself apart in some remarkable ways. The parkour really is as good as you’ve heard and is the first bit of innovation we’ve seen in the zombie genre in far too long. The RPG systems definitely allow you to hone your character in a natural fashion, but it would have been nice to see some extra classes for variety. Night play isn’t for me, but I won’t knock it for that. Techland never hid its brutal nature. As a piece of zombie fiction, Dying Light isn’t the most original tale. As a way to experience the undead apocalypse first-hand? It’s hard to beat.

You get a Sidewinder. You get some credits. You get the galaxy. What you do with those humble beginnings and where you go from there is entirely up to you. Gameplay wise, apart from the missing multiplayer components, that’s what there is to it. You have a ship, fly that ship. Pursue whatever course you want, literally and figuratively.

The Crew isn’t a revolutionary MMO, nor is it a revolutionary racer. It is however a fun racing game that happens to be in a persistent online world and has a ton of replayability. Simulation fans won’t necessarily love it (cars magically heal as you drive, for Pete's sake), but fans of Need for Speed, Test Drive Unlimited, and so forth will find a lot to like. Ubisoft claims they have big plans for the game’s future, and even more for additional entries down the line, and I’ll be watching. Ditch the lame story, work in more customization and more exciting races, and The Crew is solid roadwork for what could be a fantastic MMO ride.

To make a long story short, Warlords of Draenor has set itself squarely in the top two of most players’ “favorite WoW expansion” list. There is so much to do. There is so much to like. There is so much to see and learn and read. The developers truly outdid themselves on Warlords. It’s hard to believe that World of Warcraft is ten years old when one looks at the breadth of what was added in this latest expansion.

Can only be described as Bioware’s return to glory and as the preeminent force in the RPG genre. Dragon Age Inquisition is a must play for anyone who calls themselves a fan of role playing games. Dragon Age Inquisition, when or if it is finally completed will leave players with the overall sense that this game will replace a favorite movie and a beloved book as a source of contemplation for a long, long time.

Lords of the Fallen is a very capable, if not fully realized and polished RPG. Its story and adventure are linear, but your path towards completion is Zelda-like in that you’ll revisit old areas and uncover new secrets. So a small world is made compelling by having it layered and fraught with danger. Deck13’s game is the sleeper hit for me of this year. I did not expect to like it as much as I did, and it certainly is a “Dark Souls Clone” much in the same way there are now “Diablo Clones” in the wild. Yet Lords of the Fallen proves there is plenty of room for more difficult, deep, and engaging RPGs in the world and does enough different to stand out from the pack. I sincerely hope we get a sequel, as I feel like Deck13 is only just beginning to build this world and carve a niche in the genre.

In short, ArcheAge does a whole lot of things most MMOs never would dare dream, but the sad truth is that it’s not exceptional at any one thing. And that, unfortunately, makes the grand idea that is ArcheAge a little underwhelming overall.

Overall, Costume Quest 2 is one of those rare occasions where I can say that more of the same is just what the doctor ordered. With the right level of new polish to shore up some of the first game’s rough spots, along with a funny and interesting new story, this is one sequel that might be better than the original in every way. If, like me, you love the Halloween time of year and are nostalgic for the days of trick or treating and sugar-fueled nights… pick up Costume Quest 2 for its budget price of fifteen bucks and make it a new tradition every year. You’ll be glad you did.

Despite its shortcomings, Styx: Master of Shadows is an enjoyable hardcore stealth game with the light trappings of its RPG forebear. At $30 and offering around 15-20 hours of sneaky goodness, if you can overlook the poor combat and budget animations, chances are you’ll find a lot to like in Styx. The PC port controls are actually solid, though I still wound up playing the game mostly on the 360 controller, mainly because it was more comfortable. Just keep in mind there’s a reason he’s called the Master of Shadows, not the Master of Fighting, and you’ll likely be very pleased with your purchase.

Shadow of Mordor is a visually stunning, narratively compelling action RPG that had me enthralled from start to finish. This is how you make a non-canon story in Middle-earth feel like it belongs, like it could be its own book or film in the world Tolkien created. It’s violent, it’s addictive, and it controls like a dream.

Once you distill it all down I did have fun in Destiny. I just wish the ride would have lasted longer. The endgame grind is not what I was hoping for and has turned me off completely. Bungie has stated repeatedly that the game really starts at 20. If that is true then this game will have a very short shelf life. The grind just is not fun. Hopefully these special events will keep the game fresh and new for most players to drop in and out of and get more value for their dollar.

All in all, I'm very pleased with Wasteland 2 and I would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the original. But for those who never played Wasteland 1, the appeal of this sequel may be a mystery. My advice for you is to pay the $5.99 for the original game on Steam and play it to the end.

Risen 3: Titan Lords sets out to cater to a niche of the RPG market and does so, for the most part, successfully. The pirate setting differentiates it from other, similar, games on the market and the open and explorable world is vast and potentially very dangerous. The game is crippled somewhat by a lack of graphical shine, and the storytelling leans heavily on lazy cliches and trades mystery for clarity and motivation. Despite those problems, players looking to plunk a parrot on their shoulder and slap a patch over their eye then head off in search of buried treasure will find a lot to enjoy.

Lichdom: Battlemage is a fun, if shortsighted RPG with some fantastic upsides. Is it worth the asking price of $40? I’d say no at this point, and hold out for a Steam sale. It’s definitely something fans of the old Hexen will enjoy, but fans of open ended RPGs will find Xaviant’s game lacking. A solid effort, but not quite what I’d hoped for after seeing the game at PAX East this year.

There simply are not enough ways to say, "Do not buy this game". It is not worth its price tag and the dollars spent to hours of enjoyment is missing in every conceivable way. Perhaps there is a tiny niche of players who will enjoy it for a time before moving on but, as yet, they haven't materialized.

It may not do a whole lot new, but what it does is done so with aplomb and grace. WildStar is at once similar to and unlike any other game in the market. It pulls from worlds gone by, while forging new mechanics all its own.

Divinity: Original Sin is able to both channel the roots of its old-school RPG ancestors such as Ultima and Baldur’s Gate, while also improving the genre as a whole in the process. From start to finish, Divinity: Original Sin is an incredible experience that is full of deep and engaging roleplaying. The true turn-based combat is a breath of fresh air in an industry obsessed with quick satisfaction and it brings you back to a time of tactics and thought. The roleplaying potential presented in quests and dialogue options puts Divinity: Original Sin decidedly above its peers in most aspects, but leaves room for improvement down the line. Larian Studios is on a strong path to returning their long-running franchise to the spotlight, for fans both new and old.

There is no question that Van Helsing II is head and shoulders above its predecessor in terms of game play and in the replayability factor that the additional two classes bring to the game. It's a solid entry into the aRPG market and one that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy. It's a fantastic bargain and quite a lot of fun to play.