My biggest wish is for more of this game, a sequel or some DLC, because I want to see this world continued, and I want to play the combat until my thumbs bleed. I’m disappointed in its short play-length, but it can’t be said enough that Transistor is a beautiful and unique RPG that every gamer should play. I can hardly wait to see what Supergiant will come up with next.

Legacy of Romulus is a welcome expansion to Star Trek Online. With a totally original story, a new faction, new ships and the option to start as any faction, STO has been improved significantly.

Bound By Flame sounded promising every time we saw it... but so do most games. What we ended up with instead is an RPG trying to be as great as its inspiration but never coming close. Poor combat, poor story, and poor acting, all serve to make this "epic tale" one you'll want to skip. Do not buy.

Child of Light is a beautifully rendered, fun, and fairly engrossing RPG that every fan of the genre should try. It does enough different to stand out from the pack, and I’m talking about more than its artistic styling. It won’t drain forty plus hours of your free time, but for $15? Yeah, this one’s worth the three Starbucks coffees it’ll cost you and won’t leave a bad taste in your mouth in the process.

Elder Scrolls Online may not be for everyone. But I’m happy and proud to say it’s a game I can stand behind and support with my wallet. It strives to be different from the usual theme-park MMORPG, and it also faithfully represents the Elder Scrolls universe through lore and gameplay. ESO is an excellent MMORPG, with a lot to offer fans of The Elder Scrolls. It does need a few key refinements, but I will be subscribing for a good time to come, and I can’t wait to see how the game improves over time. If you’re on the fence, give it a go, or at least be ready and willing when the inevitable free trial system shows up. You just might be glad you didn’t listen to the critics.

This game is art in the good and bad sense of the word. It represents some of the best things that video games have to offer: at its most immersive, it offers a beautifully and thoughtfully rendered world to be explored that reveals itself not just through what is seen on the screen, but through the brutal and challenging experiences the player guides the in-game avatar through. The negative part of that is that the story of the game and the motivations and reasoning behind what is happening are obscure and unclear. A lot of the onus is on the player to piece things together. This is a kind of experience that is not necessarily designed to appeal to a broad swath of people, but its pitch perfect execution and strict adherence to its draconian design principles earn it a place in the pantheon of great games.

I like SMITE. I like it a lot, and I wish it well. I’ll probably continue playing the game in my off-time, as it provides an easily accessible source of fun. This MOBA is quick and flashy, has great combat. It’s a model that seems to be what HiRez is sticking to, so I can only hope that they don’t make a huge bunch of changes just a few months after launch. If you like the idea of MOBAs, but haven’t really dug into them because of whatever reason, give SMITE a try. It’s different without being alienating, and has a lot going for it already.

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls is the game that should have been released two years ago. Even saying that, waiting patiently for this past couple of years, it was well worth it. The inclusion of Loot 2.0, Paragon points, Adventure Mode, and the Crusader has made Diablo III a bright and shiny new game that has finally earned that 85 we assigned to it two years ago.

On a more personal level, Hearthstone is solid enough that if it gets its hooks in you, they will dig deep. The game takes on a Civilization-like level of addictiveness where instead of one more turn, you’ll often tell yourself “just one more game”. That one more game can quickly become five, or ten, or more depending on how much time you have to spend and I imagine this is going to only be amplified once the mobile versions of the game come online.

I now no longer look at the world with simple eyes. I'm weighing up the pros and cons of venturing down that road, that path, or that slightly ropey looking foot bridge. Friends are no longer, just souls that could be harvested - if I should wish to go down a 'stabby' route - but really, for the most part, I'm just spending a hell of a lot of time playing Dark Souls 2. I hated the first two, but From Software's ever so slightly softer edge has ensnared me this time around. If you're a fan of character development, frustration, and mechanics that hark back to the 8-bit era, then you might have found your latest gaming beau.

If you’re a fan of Metroidvania games, or indie games in general, you should definitely check out Valdis Story. With multiple playable characters, an interesting world to explore, and engaging gameplay, there are few reasons not to give this gem a chance. It may not do everything perfectly and it doesn’t tread much new ground, but it delivers a great experience wrapped up inside of a beautiful package for a cheap price. Bust out your PC game pad and take Wyatt on his adventure in the Abyssal City.

If you liked the original Shadowrun Returns campaign you are going to enjoy Dragonfall. It takes everything you liked the first time around and refines it. While your character may be the protagonist of the campaign you are certainly not a hero. This is made abundantly clear in side missions like Loose Ends. You are hired to break into a corporation and kill the last surviving member of a Shadowrun team hired by your employer before he can be tortured and sell your employer down the river. Dragonfall doesn’t waste your time with a brand new tutorial either. Your PDA has all the info you need. While this game is far from perfect, the thing it does the best is capture the feel of what Shadowrun should be and that is a world I want to play in.

Wargaming took a chance with World of Tanks for Xbox 360 and at this point, they should consider the venture a success. The game is fun and fast-paced, perfect for when you only have a few free minutes for gaming. It's intuitive to learn, offers a wide range of good-looking tanks, multiple maps, and a free-to-play setup that skillfully levels the playing field whether players have more time or more money. Best of all, (and despite a few interface issues) with World of Tanks 360, Wargaming's created the kind of all-inclusive game that appeals to competitive gamers regardless of platform.

South Park: The Stick of Truth is a landmark achievement for Obsidian, Ubisoft and South Park Studios. Not only have they created what will go down as the greatest South Park ever made, but they did so battling against all odds. After the original publisher going down in a blaze of non-glory, people feared that this game may never see the light of day. The Stick of Truth is a truly engaging and entertaining adventure from start to finish that made me laugh more than any game before it. I can honestly say it was worth the wait.

One year and twelve updates in, Warframe appears to be a solid action game leveraging really excellent technology to create a fun and engaging experience. There are still some rough edges and many opportunities to amp up the variety of content, but with a compelling world and addictive, twitchy action, Warframe has a lot to offer.

The whimsical character and environment designs and the tactical combat seem like draws from a distance, but once in the game there is little substance to keep the things interesting. The early levels are a tedious grind that the game conveniently offers the opportunity to pay your way out of, and no real opportunity for meaningful interaction with other players. Even if you want to really dig in and learn how to get the most out of the systems, the poor documentation and dry tutorial levels make mustering the effort to play the game the challenge rather than anything in the game itself. I enjoy tactical turn-based combat, even if it’s numbers heavy and features simple graphics. Inferno Legend just isn’t enjoyable.

World of Warplanes is a solid game, but one that suffers from poor controls and a lack of options. If there is one thing that Wargaming has shown us, it is that they support their games with post-release updates. That is promising. In the future, many of the issues currently plaguing the game may disappear entirely. Others, such as its soft-edged art style and poor sense of speed, are likely here to stay. But, as is the case with all free-to-play games, your best bet is to try it for yourself and see. There is a good game here, if you can get past its wrinkles, and one that will only get better with time.

At the core, MechWarrior Online delivers deep, fun tactical combat, serving it up with a fantastic visual experience. There are all sorts of nuances and tricks to discover that help set skilled players apart from newcomers. But all of that is squandered by an incomplete wrapping that’s more focused on selling items than covering the basics. This is reinforced by the high price of some item shop ‘Mechs.

While I wish the world was more open and geared for exploration I am happy with what Square has given us. I can see myself eclipsing the amount of time I spent in Telara jaunting around Eorzea on my trek to level every job, catch every fish, and become a master at every craft. Square has proudly shaken off the ragged cloak of embarrassment that Final Fantasy XIV 1.0 draped over this storied franchise, and with A Realm Reborn has revealed the finest MMO to be released this year and has truly crafted a game worthy of the title Final Fantasy.

You will find great value for the cost of nothing with Prime World. It’s also a fairly small download, currently clocking in at 1.36GB, so there’s no real reason why you shouldn’t try the game if you’re a fan of the MOBA genre.

Ironically in reaching out to revive Ultima, EA have missed out on two of its virtues: humility and compassion. Ultima Forever is a very fine casual MMO for your mobile device. The adventure is crisp, enjoyable, and interesting - but that cash shop really lets it down in the end.

Red 5 are gamers who were sick with the same ol’ shooter and the same ol’ MMO. So they went out and started making a game they’d want to play. Somewhere along the way, they got a little lost, but they’re back on track and with a thriving but small community they’re onto something very special. It’s a little rough around the edges right now, but I’d heartily recommend Firefall to anyone who’s sick of the same old MMO fodder. Just be prepared to roll with the work-in-progress nature of the game, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the fun on offer.

After all is said and done, City of Steam is a decent, if unexciting, foray into a steampunk universe. It's a game to spend an hour or so on every now and again and will likely be worth visiting from time to time. But in the end, City of Steam is buried under its own lack of inspiration to be something more.

Champions of Regnum boasts some big and enticing features. With Realm vs Realm being its main source of player retention, it aims to bring a huge dynamic player-driven battlefield to the MMO market. With these big goals set in place Regnum strives to achieve a large player base. Unfortunately it doesn’t. Its overall lackluster gameplay, unbalanced systems and chore-like grind make for a mundane and slow-plodding experience. If you’re looking for a Realm vs Realm MMO to play there are plenty of others out there. You’d be much better off playing the older and yet less archaic Dark Age of Camelot.

I had such high hopes for Dragon’s Prophet. Everything about it sounds like so much fun on paper. But what we have is a clear case of a game that needs a lot more time in development before it should be taking money from anyone. This shouldn’t be an open beta, and you shouldn’t be able to spend money in Auretia. I understand that SOE and Runewaker need to pay the bills, but both parties would have been far better off letting the game take a little more time in closed beta to take in and react to feedback from its community. Dragon’s Prophet isn’t the worst game I’ve played this year, but it could have been so much better. And that’s what’s really unfortunate.

In the end, I don’t think this is really the game for either dedicated MMO players, or diehard Marvel fans. Many of the former won’t like the lack of true customization or group strategy, and, because of game mechanics, the latter will only get a loose approximation of the characters’ canonical abilities. That said, I think Marvel Heroes is uncomplicated and certainly entertaining enough to be a good primer for those new to online gaming. It’s a way to get familiar with the medium without being overwhelmed or overcharged for the experience.

The shooting is tight, the experience exciting, and the interplay between games a joy to behold. There are definitely a few months of refinement ahead, but Eve Online players can enjoy another facet to their universe and PS3 loyalists can enjoy a great shooter for nothing.

There is a reason why you have seen this crop up in many “Worst of...” lists including our own “Worst MMOs of 2013”, if it’s not for these reasons mentioned within this review, then it is for it’s downright disgraceful approach to MMO design, or just the controversy it has caused within the MMO community. Scarlet Blade is a title you’ll feel ashamed to play, and is truly one of the worst MMOs of this year.