Journey is minimalist to allow you to fill in those gaps with your own emotion and experience — to apply your personal situation and make the story your own. It’s a simple beauty, but one that shines brightly and now has the opportunity to be played by millions more thanks to its stunning upgrade to PS4, with beautiful lighting and environments that impress.

The bad writing, poorly done plot, and awful camera controls makes me wonder if the gorgeously remastered graphics were even worth the time.

Like those fantastical and ridiculous movies and novels, it demonstrates an ability to rise above its base, absurd concepts and weaves several stories that last. It’s much more than it seems, and begs for you to play it and discover its depth.

With Lost Dimension, I feel like there is just so much more the game could have been. The concept is there, it just needed a bit more on the execution side to really make for a great story.

However, despite the occasionally poor animations and the poor handling of the passage of time, Telltale’s Game of Thrones: Episode 5 – A Nest of Vipers presents its players with some stressful, tough choices, and uses QTEs in an fun way.

From out of nowhere, Game Freak has surprised everyone with a fun platformer that is not only inspired from the classics such as Sonic, Mario, Yoshi, and more, but manages to combine them in new and refreshing ways.

Onechanbara Z2: Chaos isn’t a terrible game, it just manages to be mediocre in almost every aspect.

However, despite the new content, it would be tough to tell players of Blood Ties that The Nightmare Princess is worth its $50 price tag, seeing as its repetitive, core gameplay is exactly the same, and the environments are still a bit bland. If, on the other hand, you are a newcomer to the series, its unique and strategic style of gameplay makes The Nightmare Princess somewhat of a novelty, and quite possibly worth your time.

Its deep and thoughtful explorations into the technicalities of AI are intelligent and surprisingly thought provoking. It’s unfortunately hindered by clunky mechanics and overly complicated puzzles that often border on the obtuse when it comes to the specifics required to finish them.

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter sets out to achieve a very specific goal and despite some slight missteps along the way, it largely succeeds in offering players a sense of spectral wonder through simplistic gameplay and stunning visuals, all wrapped in a well written mystery that leaves its mark.

While it does have a lot of fan service, it really doesn’t have much else besides clunky gameplay, horrible visuals, and repetitive gameplay.

It’s brutish welcome is certain to dissuade many newcomers with unrelenting AI and unnecessarily obscure move lists, but those that make it past the opening trials will be rewarded with one of the most unique and charming 2D fighters in a long time.

This still remains the best entry in the series to date. Pick it up if you want to see Kratos at his greatest.

Despite the limited number of courses to play on and the limited number of golfers to choose from, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is still worth buying. Each course is visually breathtaking, and the various gameplay styles and game modes allow for completely different game experiences each time you play.

Simply put, Rocket League is one of the best titles on PlayStation 4. It manages to flawlessly blend fast-paced racing with a sport that is familiar to millions. The depth is there to keep players coming back for years to come, and Psyonix has done a masterful job in creating one of the best multiplayer experiences yet.

If you want a game with decent combat, it might be a good idea to check J-Stars out. However, if graphics are important to you, you might want to take a pass on this one.

If you’re already a fan of the Warriors series, this will provide a great fix for you on the go. If you’re not a fan, then this is a good place to start, as Chronicles has many of the same features as its console brethren and will provide many hours of entertainment.

Rarely does a game resonate with me enough to keep playing beyond review, but for PlanetSide 2, it feels as though my journey is just getting started.

Ends up being its own worst enemy. A quirky, genuinely funny localization manages to shoot itself in the foot by relying on lazy jokes about breast sizes far too often.

It still has the occasional poorly-placed camera, and the graphics have not aged too well, but overall it’s a high-octane mix of platforming and combat interspersed with the occasional puzzle. Pick it up if you want your action fix.

It’s the kind of game that lacks satisfying substance, the kind of game where all you can say is that you finished it.

The thing to remember is that this will be Rocksteady Studios’ last entry into the Batman Arkham universe, so if you have been playing the previous entries in the series, and enjoyed them, this is going to be a no-brainer, just go get it.

Given that Catch a Ride drifted through the unknown for much of its running time, it’s nice to have a solid destination as we begin taking that corner into the final stretch of the season.

If you’re looking for Skyrim Online, you won’t quite find that depth here, but the sheer magnitude of The Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited makes up for it, and there’s nothing quite like running into your friends while questing across Tamriel.

For those looking for something different, Operation Abyss definitely fills the void — pun intended. Its clean art style and safe, but feature-filled mechanics make it a fun dungeon RPG outing on the PS Vita despite its contemporaries.

Despite the bugs and the annoyingly repetitive soundtrack, LEGO Jurassic World is a whole lot of fun.

The Escapists holds the methodical tedium of a prison life simulator with some escape mechanics built in, rather than a thrilling game in which you plan your escape.

While there have been some growing pains, Magicka 2 still manages to be an extraordinary cooperative game when played with the right people. If you have a group of friends that are tired of playing Borderlands and Helldivers, then make sure you give Magicka 2 a spin.

It’s the best fighter you can get on the new generation of consoles.

Despite these shortcomings, Game of Thrones: Episode 4 – Sons of Winter is still an enjoyable experience. While I left the episode feeling like all the choices I had made were, and still are, essentially worthless, I also wanted to dive right into Episode 5.

It’s not quite perfect, but if the improvements made in House of Wolves are any indication of the future, then I’m eager to see what kind of stuff Bungie comes up with to support and evolve Destiny next.

Quantum Physics nerds are sure to get some nice laughs out of the jokes tossed into the story, while the rest of us will still laugh at Schrödinger’s Cat’s antics.

It’s worth trying it out, and I’m glad I own it so I can go back to it when the farming mood arises, but my attention wavered far more quickly than I would have preferred.

Despite having a rushed feel and under appreciating some pretty large issues, Life is Strange: Episode 3 is highly intriguing, entertaining, and surprising.

While minor design choices keep it from being absolutely perfect, The Witcher 3 will go down as one of the best games of this generation of consoles.

The questing formula is pretty basic and repetitive, with the other two unlockable modes providing little relief. It is a game that doesn’t keep you engaged for long, but while it does have you there, it provides good entertainment.

Toren felt like it was just trying to check things off of a “how to make a video game” checklist. Monsters? Check. Armor? Check. Jump button? Check. Scrolls? Check. A dragon? Check. Platforming? Check. Varied environments? Check.

I don’t often play a game and immediately go through it again after finishing it, but I did that with Color Guardians. Thanks to its fun and bright graphics, truly difficult levels, and different scoring systems, I found myself playing each level again and again in an effort to get all three stars or get a high score for the leaderboards.

Die-hard strategy fans or those into all things military might want to give it a go, but honestly speaking, the game just isn’t ready to be played on the handheld.

If you’re looking for a game that will test your reflexes, Lost Orbit is your game.

Project CARS is a great example of a game that is designed to get players to be better at what they love to do, without having to integrate designs that can hurts the game’s potential for its hardcore audience.

While The Old Blood could have definitely either turned up the grindhouse factor in part two, or stayed more true to part one, it still had incredibly fun combat and satisfying Nazi killing.

The challenge Cosmophony poses is unlike anything I’ve experienced lately, and that alone makes me want to forgive it for its imperfections.

Sketchcross is a solid game that fans of puzzle games should definitely find enjoyment in. Sadly, its interface is not super intuitive and there isn’t a tremendous amount of puzzles. Throw in the difficulty curve and this might not be the best game for players who never experienced nonograms before.

It does some core things right, like the combat and the numerous places to explore, but it does a lot of little things wrong, such as the huge amount of fluff and the useless crafting system.

If you’re fan of Hotline Miami, and are looking for something that puts a few twists on its gameplay, even if it doesn’t quite succeed, you may find LA Cops to be worth checking out on sale. But, if you are looking for a game that is polished, with a narrative to tie it together, than you should probably leave this one behind bars.

Medieval Defenders boils down to nothing more than an unremarkable mobile port. As tower defense games go, it is a paint-by-numbers affair, offering little to veterans of the genre aside from another game to conquer.

Broken Age is a wonderful experience that I can’t recommend enough. As someone who grew up on the LucasArts-style adventure games of old Double Fine has pulled through with just enough nostalgia and modern aesthetic, offering up a fresh and funny classic in an age where blockbuster games rule the roost.

Between the tight platforming, nostalgia-inducing graphics, and pitch-perfect sound design, old-school gamers need look no further for their fix.

From the campaign, to the sandbox, and even to the multiplayer, I’m eager to make sure that the Ivles McKittensby dynasty becomes a ruling force to reckon with in my quest to make and govern the perfect tropical island.

For only $15, Ziggurat is a pretty amazing game. It looks beautiful, offers a great deal of replay value, and features wizards in a badass way.

What we have here is a well made 2D effort, and explorers who aren’t tired of the genre will enjoy this one for its silent storytelling and magnetic puzzle mechanics.

The graphics and presentation feel like you’re playing a mobile game, yet this is a PC port. Multiplayer has been removed. Some sections don’t make it clear what you’re supposed to do. The story is mediocre. Yet, the basic premise of the game remains fun.

That is kind of the way Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China feels like in general — it starts out okay, but soon becomes dull fairly quickly thanks to a lackluster plot and uninspired gameplay.

Bloxiq is easily one of my favorite puzzlers on the Vita at the moment.

While Titan Souls is a brutally difficult game, it won’t have you giving up right away. Thanks to beautiful visuals and a memorable soundtrack, it is one of those games that will stick with you. If you like a good challenge, then Titan Souls is a must-buy.

It does a few interesting things with its multiple endings and sanity systems and the atmosphere is convincing enough in what it does well. It’s just a shame the bulk of the gameplay — the puzzles and controls– are just so darn poor.

Mortal Kombat X is the biggest and boldest entry in the series, pushing the boundaries on gruesomeness, offering an abundance of content, game modes and unlockables, and altogether bringing the franchise forward into the current generation.

It is about forcing players to make strategic moves and plan accordingly, all while giving them a limited amount of time to do so. It’s fast, it’s smart, and it’s absolutely worth picking up, especially if you dig party games.

Giving players only a tiny laser to kill bad guys with puts a unique and interesting spin on the typical top-down shooter model, and beautiful visuals offer a nice retro feel.

MonsterBag‘s art style, presentation, and soundtrack are commendable. Its weird and eccentric world drew me in to the point where I attentively watched all of the un-skippable cut-scenes out of curiosity.

R.B.I. Baseball 2015 isn’t a bad game. It’s not a genre-defining game, either. At $20, there are certainly worse things you can throw your money at (I’m looking at you, Yorbie). If you need a quick arcade baseball fix, then R.B.I. Baseball 2015 can hit the spot. However, when last year’s MLB 14 The Show can be had for a mere $5 more at this point, you may want to save up a little bit to experience a more complete package.

Doodle Kingdom is a mess of a game that should be avoided by all.

A wonderful game.

More twitch-based platformer than out-and-out puzzler, Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones iterates on the core philosophy of its predecessor with aplomb, delivering a wonderfully addictive experience that will have you cursing at the television and jumping for joy in equal measure.

It’s a game that simply needs to be experienced.

If you haven’t played the original or you were stopped a bit short the first time around, Scholar of the First Sin is the perfect excuse to come back and try your hand at the experience again. The new additions and visual upgrades make this the best version to play the game on.

The asking price is a bit steep, all things considered, but the addition of cross-play makes this title a little easier to swallow for those who like that sort of accessibility.

Paperbound is a riot, and a ton of fun to play with a group of people.

I found myself laughing a lot while playing Yorbie. The problem is, I was laughing at just how terrible this game is, and how ripped off I would feel if I actually dropped a Jackson to pay for it.

A good game that easily could have been great with a few tweaks.

Other than being annoyingly repetitive, Toukiden: Kiwami is a fun game. Thanks to a large amount of weapons and armor to choose from, and characters that not only exist as chattable civilians but also as bloodthirsty warriors, you can spend a lot of enjoyable hours on Toukiden.

Axiom Verge leverages everything you’ve come to expect from retro gaming and uses it all to create a memorable new platformer that gives even the best classic Metroidvania games a run for their money.

Despite the lack of choices, Game of Thrones: Episode 3 is probably the best episode of the bunch.

Just as I felt after playing Life is Strange: Episode 1, I left the second episode wanting to dive right into the next chapter. Despite some completely out of place and unrealistic reactions to things, many of the characters still had that indie movie charm and relatability about them.

If anything, it’s a fun little distraction calling back to the classic games of yesteryear. Fans of bullet hell certainly won’t be disappointed.

Tennis in the Face is far from a grand slam, but at the right sale price, it might be worth stepping on the court.

While the remastering could have used a bit more work on some minor levels, The Handsome Collection is a fantastic time capsule with enough polish to let players revisit it again and again for years to come without it ever feeling completely dated.

The PlayStation 4 finally has its exclusive killer RPG.

At this point, if you’re not interested in Revelations 2, the finale will do little to change your mind. However, if you have enjoyed Revelations 2 up until now, then pick this up to finish off the story.

The game is $10, or $13 if you get it bundled with the DLC, and it can be completed in only an hour or so without giving you a reason to go back to it. At the same time, the gameplay is frantic and fast-paced, and it can a lot of fun to shoot down hordes of alien spaceships.

It is an awesome piece to a whole story that is shaping up to be one of, if not the best, Telltale Games series.

If you can get over the price tag and its obvious console shortcomings, you will find a game that is well worth the experience, XV demo or not.

That is the problem with Bladestorm: Nightmare – it loses its appeal too quickly. Between the monotonous battles, boring story, and ugly visuals, there isn’t much there to hold someone’s attention. If you want to have some fun with it, rent it for a day or so. After that, Nightmare is pretty much worthless.

Anyone trying out a Battlefield title for the first time will find a game that’s much more accessible than any of the other ones in the past, but much like the previous ones, if you’re getting in the helicopter, please practice in an empty lobby before crash landing with your whole team on-board.

Atelier Shallie is a game both fans of the series and traditional RPG fans can enjoy alike. As someone new to the series myself, I most certainly did so.

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is everything the first game was, with improvements that change and evolve the game enough to feel like its own bloodthirsty monster.

If you’ve already got the season pass, you’ll enjoy your run through of Judgement. If you haven’t been convinced to play any episodes by this point, then you may want to wait until the retail disc release.

Despite its unconventional and sometimes frustrating RPG segments, Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters is a game I can easily recommend to visual novel fans and just fans looking for a unique story alike.

While it doesn’t do anything vastly new for the genre and treads the ground of repetition that puzzle games like to, Shiftlings is a solid puzzle based platformer for both solo and co-op players.

The gameplay — while not perfect, is appropriately difficult and makes you think about your actions even if I wasn’t exactly a fan of having to redo dungeons due to simple mistakes.

There is enough new material here to allow players who have already completed the original game to go back and enjoy the Definitive Edition, and, besides the few cutscene errors and the poor writing, it is a must-buy title.

A pleasant little surprise. Its twin-stick controls work great on the handheld, there’s no forced touchscreen use, its art style and music work well and its core gameplay is solid for a while. Flame Over isn’t perfect. It is, however, fun.

I love a well done noir film styled game. This one has perfect sound design, shocking and unique visuals, and integrates the gameplay with those visuals.

If you bought the first episode, nab the second.

Zombie Army Trilogy may only be a patch or two away from being a decent co-op affair, but in its current state it is a mess of a game.

With little-to-no depth on offer and a levelling system that forces players into replaying levels numerous times ad nauseam, Aces of the Luftwaffe is a solid yet uninspired experience.

Having the online multiplayer on the free side of the paywall is a smart move on the part of the developer, but with limited success in finding or maintaining a game, I caution anyone hoping to use this as their online game of choice on Vita.