As long as you possess ample patience and an abiding affection for mental gymnastics, you’ll still emerge with a smile on your dial.

It’s difficult to call Burial at Sea’s first episode especially satisfying — by its cliffhanger ending, the labyrinthine overworked plot teeters between collapsing in on itself and being a devilishly clever rug-puller. But even as it stumbles, this DLC installment remains a fascinating, complicated riddle to watch unfold.

Despite issues regarding its distribution method, DoA5 Ultimate remains a fun, gorgeous, and accessible fighter, made sweeter by the wealth of new content. There's no better time to hop into the ring.

We wish Infinity Ward had been bolder with their design decisions, sure, but everything from the campaign to the competitive multiplayer to the alien-battling version of Treyarch’s zombie mode remains outright fun. Imperfect and unsurprising maybe, but fun nonetheless.

It lasts just long enough to justify its humble asking price, but better online island vacations await you elsewhere.

The behind-the-scenes retrospective angle is good for a few laughs, and it’s fun to see the new characters, battles, and goofy ending that could have been.

Unlike 2011’s installment, though, multiplayer excellence can't completely compensate for a misguided and rote single-player campaign, which makes BF4 an unsatisfying choice for those looking for the total package.

After weathering the somewhat diminishing returns of Revelations and ACIII, Black Flag is exactly the shot in the arm Assassin’s Creed needed. It’s dependably fun, endlessly engrossing, and filled with tons of ready distractions everywhere you look, all while bringing to life a fascinating period of history with an engaging story and memorable characters. And if that isn’t enough, it’s the best game about pirates we’ve ever played.

With WWE 2K14’s comprehensive roster and WrestleMania fan service, it’s hard not to find something to dig your teeth into à la George “The Animal” Steele on a turnbuckle. Still, we’ve seen the series tell better stories and work better between the ropes, making it tough not to notice the flaws in what might be the last dedicated current-gen match.

Enduring the samey mission types 20 or more times apiece makes the mundane quest feel like a dull grind, and the challenging boss showdowns and resource-gathering minigames don’t stand out enough to offset the tedium.

Yes, it’s frustrating at times, but it sure as hell got our blood pumping. Plus, the animations look unbelievably organic — especially contextual finishers that incorporate the surrounding environment —and the sound effects give every hit a satisfying sense of bone-crunching devastation.

A few tough boss battles drag on way too long, and at least one suffers from a game-breaking glitch that might force you to restart the entire level. That sort of crap is nobody’s idea of a good time. Truly dedicated soldiers might power through, but most will leave this contested rock to drift through space.

Endlessly bashing dim-witted hordes becomes mind-numbing almost to the point of hypnosis. Unless you’ve got some oddly strong hankering for scatological silliness, it’s probably best to simply flush twice and not look back.

For a game that plays up its characters’ sex appeal, Girl Fight is stupefyingly unattractive. The character models look like last-gen remnants, and their complete lack of personality and combat pizazz makes them utterly forgettable.

It's a by-the-numbers adaptation with more than 1000 built-in multiple choice questions, which should sate trivia buffs for a while, though the sluggish pace and the host's incredibly repetitive quips turn grating after only a few rounds.

With a song list that ranges from Louis Prima to the Ghostbusters theme to Katy Perry, and choreography that includes Charleston and chair dancing, JD2014 makes vamping like a diva (and shedding some pounds in the process) an astonishingly engrossing timesink.

You can still technically play through the entire adventure with just one Skylander, but to scratch that completist itch you’ll need both a fat wallet and the willingness to hunt down specific physical character figures.

If Episode 1’s satisfying twists and gut-punch of a cliffhanger are any indication, a pitch-black journey into fairytale land lies ahead. Count us in for the long haul.

Graphically gorgeous, especially when you crank up its brilliant dynamic weather effects, F1 2013 reproduces every car and track from the current season in stunning detail (making the game’s short, non-savable replays even more perplexing).

For the third year running, 2K has modified the right analog stick inputs, but luckily 2K14's Pro Stick is the best arrangement to date, letting you shoot, perform flashy passes, and put up your hands on defense with ease. It's a comfortable addition that streamlines some functionality, though the familiar button controls remain for series vets.

Dedicated fans of punishing classics like Mega Man might’ve relished the sense of accomplishment, but even they’ll grow tired of the drudgery, despite some tense boss battles against huge machines.

PES 2014 shows its strengths in the most important places, but ultimately could be more appealing to a wider audience with some polish in the right places. Even so, it's a strong entry in the series that proves there's definitely room for two on the pitch.

Ultimately, you either think giant stompy robots are rad or you don’t; if they’re your thing, and you don’t mind its split single-/multiplayer nature, Armored Core: Verdict Day provides an enjoyable stage on which to both rock and sock ‘em.

Apart from some death-by-bad-camera-angle moments and a few aggravating perfection-focused “challenge” sequences, Marlow Briggs is enjoyable enough. Just don’t expect to remember any of it next week.

[Skill Games] aside, FIFA 14 oozes style, authenticity, and bold design from start to finish. It looks and feels better than ever - and that's no small feat considering the series' incredibly rich tradition.

Foul Play won't tempt you to heave tomatoes at its cast, but you won't find yourself crying out for an encore, either.

From skydiving and submarine exploration to bounty-hunting and watching animated shorts, GTA V is absolutely crammed full of things to do, and it looks amazing while you do them.

Though Mars: War Logs marks an achievement for its ambition, rough patches in presentation and gameplay make it a tough recommendation to anyone not willing to weather them. [Nov 2013, p.73]