Things can go from excellent to utter crap in mere seconds, and entire missions can be lost easily, but that’s part of the fun.

With its poor character AI, bland environments, and underwhelming visuals, actually fighting in Empires gets repetitive and old pretty quickly.

If you game in groups, pull the trigger on this one. It’s absolutely nuts, but it’s easy learning curve, wealth of content and humor make Starwhal a blast for group play.

While the graphics in Penal Colony are pretty disappointing, the atmosphere, pacing, and amount of content are easily worth the price of admission.

It’s pretty, charming, original in its execution and its obvious from the get-go that it was designed with a love for video games and a passion to do something different with them.

The game’s pace is slow throughout; from combat that you trudge through to dialogue and character development that seems to do nothing but spin its wheels in the mud endlessly. Hyperdevotion Noire is at its best, forgettable, and at its worst, un-engaging.

The RPG elements of the game really do hold it back, as they feel under developed and tacked on, but the solid fighting mechanics and the ability to create something unique is a great draw that may keep me coming back just to be able to go Super Saiyan.

With time and just the right amount of patience, you’ll discover that the studio’s effort is one of Vita’s more pleasant surprises rather than simply existing as a bright, breezy and forgettable comic strip.

Despite the occasional freezing, I enjoyed my time with Dead or Alive 5 Last Round. Its updated visuals, huge character list, and numerous costumes set it apart from previous versions of DOA 5, and the fun and interactive environments really kept me interested in the core gameplay.

I genuinely applaud Nippon Icchi for trying something new and doing up a fresh IP. However, the design of the game is currently flawed. Give users a bit more speed and proper implementation of analogue controls, and this currently boring and frustrating affair might be a whole lot more fun.

It’s easy to recommend Q*Bert: Rebooted to both returning fans and new ones alike. The PlayStation release allows for choice of play either in its classic mode or the more modern version for those who want something a little easier on the eyes.

This is an immersive game for people who want to sit back — or on the edge of their seat — and let themselves become engrossed in the story of a Knight in turmoil fighting against a supernatural force...It may not be perfect, but The Order: 1886 is an immersive cinematic experience and a damned good ride worth going back to.

Hand of Fate may not be that game that is shoving the visuals and story down your throat, but Defiant Development is allowing my imagination to be a part of their development team in order to help craft my own tales of failure, success, and luck, and that right there is a fantastic hand to me.

At its core, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late is a complex game that rewards players for taking the initiative. Its variety in character and combat types helps make up for a beefier story mode – though to be honest given the base story I’ve love to see more.

A bit of an improvement over the first Game of Thrones episode. Although the character transitions are a bit confusing and making decisions doesn’t seem as impactful as it should, Episode Two is by far more political and more interactive, giving players a chance to both think critically and have some QTE fun.

Jungle Rumble is a classic example of a game that’s best left to a smartphone.

There is a lot to like about Minutes and its most egregious flaw is that it ends so soon.

Evolve has a hint of greatness, but a lack of content at launch and a jarring amount of premium launch and planned DLC hold it back. What we have here is an evolution of the Left 4 Dead formula, not a revolution.

If you’re a diehard for fishing games, I suppose this one is fine. It doesn’t have any magical qualities that will lure non-genre fans to the party, though. That’s okay too, I suppose.

Like watching a classic old movie, Grim Fandango Remastered feels like a hearkening back to the golden days of gaming, when PC adventure games ruled and games didn’t have difficulty settings so easy that it seems like the game is playing itself. This is as much a history lesson as it is entertainment, lest we forget the roots of great gaming.

While the combat is entertaining and the dungeon crawling is okay, the story and the whole idea of having to “motivate” these girls are simply too unnecessary, too uncomfortable, and too offensive for this game to be worth your time.

Overall, my time with Dying Light has been incredibly exhilarating and entertaining. The ability to play with friends, but still improve my character without having to worry about losing out on any progress I have earned keeps me coming back for more and more.

In the end, the only thing I can truly say is that Life is Strange is a must-buy.

The sad thing with this series and game, is that there is a great concept here that is hidden under layers of lame puns, bad jokes, and annoying characters.

Only those who can commit to learning the quirks of the turn system and limited deck size will find the game rewarding.

If you’re cool with puzzle games that present a relaxing atmosphere with a brilliant soundtrack while not necessarily bringing A+ mechanics, Splice could be for you. If you played it on the PC, don’t expect much in the way of changes here.

I enjoyed my time with Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk. From the fun, turn-based combat system to the deep crafting and alchemy system, The Alchemist of Dusk offers many hours of gameplay. Not only that, but the PS Vita version of the game looks surprisingly nice and has a lot of extra content, although that sometimes can at the cost of the frame rate, which does drop significantly in certain areas.

Unfortunately, this review isn’t for the full combo with Gat, and by itself, Saints Row IV Re-Elected doesn’t fully justify its campaigning for another term. If it’s your first time in office, however, then this is a great opportunity to jump in and take part in what is a pretty awesome open world super-powered (anti)hero game.

Besides not being able to share levels and the somewhat overwhelming backgrounds, Joe Danger 2: The Movie is a fun and addicting game that easily lives up to the energy of its prequel.

Better jokes, a stronger art style, a better battle system and a recruitment process that fells more involving would move this game from simply mediocre to a whole lot of fun. Though, that’s sort of a laundry list of problems to overcome.

If Saints Row‘s meta humor can get you through collecting your hundredth orb or doing the same type of mission on repeat, you may want to check out GOH. But, if not, I’d recommend staying away from this one, as it burns itself out a bit too quick.

Whether you want to relive the nightmares of your youth or experience a classic for the first time, this version of Resident Evil is an easy recommendation to real survival horror fans.

If you like match-3 puzzlers with some strategy thrown in, you’ll be back for more in no time.

For those looking for a blast from the past, Duke Nukem 3D: Megaton Edition fits the bill pretty nicely. The Vita plays the game without breaking a sweat, and the controls map pretty well.

Loadout isn’t some new breed of free-to-play, but it does a very entertaining job of balancing what you can play with when you can pay. Being a low level isn’t painfully boring, and gaining experience or good weapons doesn’t require real money.

For the ultimate Destiny experience, yes, you will need The Dark Below. You may find more of the same content, with some palette swapped enemies and similar bounties to what we traditionally had access to, but the new content allows Destiny to continue to surprise us.

If you’ve never played Syberia and you’re without a PC or iOS/Android device, this PlayStation 3 port is a viable option. This game is for a very specific slice of gamer, though. You’ll need to have a love for adventure games, a tolerance for old mechanics and the mental fortitude for classic design.

Flyhunter Origins features a wacky and fun story, and gives players a beautiful view at what the world look like at the size of a tiny bug. This, however, is marred by the game’s incredible lagginess and short length, but during the short time that it took me to complete the game, I had fun.

It’s simple – if you enjoy Diablo-esque action mixed with a hefty dose of ruin spelunking, then this is the game for you.

Anyone can play it, everyone would find something to enjoy about it, you can play it with a friend, and non-gamers would even enjoy watching you play due to the intermittent documentary clips and the beautiful art style.

Overall, Fantasy Hero: Unsigned Legacy is a fun and enjoyable game. While it does get old fairly quickly due to its lack of a compelling narrative and its repetitive missions, the number of skills to level-up and the number of weapon upgrades to choose from keeps the game entertaining.

This is a cheap game that will entertain those who play it as long as they maintain the right mindset.

Secret Ponchos is a refined, intricate twin-stick shooter rooted in the Old West that, for those who enjoy simple, yet tactical, online battles, will stand on its own for a time to come.

Online play is very rewarding, but is over-emphasized at times. With such a massive world to explore, and an addictive leveling system, fans of this genre will be busy for months to come.

Though animations are nicely captured, the way they blend into each other is extremely wonky; herky-jerky movements are the norm, and getting temporarily stuck on another wrestler of part of the environment is nearly as common.

Putting aside my harsh feelings for the inclusion of scenes from Re:coded while leaving Dream Drop Distance completely out of the picture, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX is money well spent to fans of the series.

Telltale has given us an excellent first chapter in what is gearing up to be one of their best series.

Combine Undead & Undressed‘s disturbing sexuality and sexism with its poor graphics and combat and $50 price tag, you get a game that not only should definitely not be purchased, but probably never should have been made in the first place.

The difficulty curve and the J-pop focus are what make the game not as enjoyable for me, even though I liked watching the performances. I actually like watching this game be played more than actually playing it.

Far Cry 4 is a good game, but the lack of any real significant improvements or advancements over its predecessor may be enough to turn some people away. The major difference here is the Himalayan setting, which looks absolutely stunning and is a joy to explore using the Far Cry mechanics.

Nano Assault NEO-X is an amazing looking game that doesn’t have a lot to offer besides its current-gen graphics. It takes only around an hour to beat the whole thing, and unless you really want to compete for a top score in the leaderboards, there isn’t much of a reason to go back and replay any of the levels.

I do appreciate the effort here, especially when you consider All-Star Rumble’s status as a Western exclusive. That said, the game’s conspicuous lack of quality seems almost suspicious.

Between the different characters, morbid and disturbing story, and intense, action-packed gameplay, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is definitely a game all PS4 and PS Vita owners should have.

If you’re like me and spent an exorbitant amount of time with the game already, you may find that the new content will keep you busy for a some time, but ultimately it will be a trip down memory lane more than a new lease on life.

Like a fine wine, LBP3 has aged rather well, though it has picked up a few odd notes along the way. It performs exactly like its predecessor, only improved upon.

It truly rides that line of mediocrity without falling into either camp too heavily. If you’re curious, I’d say go for it. It does enough right to make it worthwhile to play through for those that can enjoy themselves despite some missteps.

With couch co-op for two, LEGO Batman 3 is a picture-perfect game to play alongside children. It can be a bit slow going at the start, but power through the introductory missions, acquire some suits, and things really start rolling.

It’s serviceable. Both in that it’s fan service, and that it’s a game that can only be described as workable.

It was a decent entry into the catalog of games for the series and ties itself to the other titles wonderfully, but short of being a bookmark between two landmark titles, Rogue simply doesn’t bring anything new in terms of gameplay.

At a full asking price of $60, this is a tough sell to anyone who is not a hardcore MotoGP/AMA fan.

Unity doesn’t just play well, it looks beautiful too. The graphics have a stunning painted quality to them that may be attributed to the way that different materials react to the lighting.

The final dagger that prevents Lords of the Fallen from achieving greatness is its completely throwaway plot, and to a lesser extent, a nasty case of uninspired world design.

There’s a decent amount of fun to be found for fans of twin-stick shooters, but considering the game is currently free on Android and iOS, I feel that Tiny Troopers should have been enhanced further for our HD consoles. If you enjoy humor and pint-sized heroes, grab this game.

It truly is a gem of a game, complete with a unique set of mechanics and a world that slides from odd to entrancing and slightly terrifying throughout the course of its story.

Sledgehammer Games has given players a greater feeling of customization that goes beyond the cosmetic of an emblem and given way to random unlocks and a great number of modifications.

Home is a dark and spooky game that breaks away from other horror titles out on the PlayStation 4.

They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Just Dance is a series that remains the same at its very core simply because it works.

Freedom Wars is not a perfect game by any stretch of the imagination. Its flaws are obvious, constantly present and, in the case of the storyline, disheartening. However, the gameplay itself is good enough to lift its quality above average.

There’s a decent serving of 55 characters. The action has been sped up considerably with the new Hyper moves.

While the game isn’t perfect, it is clearly ready to take on all comers and creates a firm foundation for EA to build upon for years to come.

Between the game’s graphics, gameplay, and $40 price tag, Shadow Warrior is a definite buy. It offers hours of gory, hack-and-slash fighting, and focuses on just being a really fun game. If you are looking for developed characters or a story you can really get into, Shadow Warrior might not be for you.

Fluster Cluck seemed like it might be fun and have potential as a party game, but I would honestly be more embarrassed to load this up and try to convince people to play it.

Minecraft: Vita Edition is yet another fantastic port of Minecraft, and yet another top-notch game you can add to the Vita’s library.

For a Borderlands fan, The Pre-Sequel is really a no-brainer, but don’t expect anything massively new or innovative outside of the small tweaks. Instead, enjoy a bit (read: a lot) more Borderlands until Gearbox can show us what the series will become on the new generation of consoles.

If you’re a fan of the series and enjoy pinball, buy it.

It’s adequate, and it’s overpriced especially given the fact that the exact same game is selling for half the cost on PCs.

PAC-MAN and the Ghostly Adventures 2 is a simple experience that is designed for younger gamers, and more specifically fans of the TV show. Anyone who is looking for a throwback to older platforming titles will find a bit of it here, but will quickly realize just how low the bar was set on developing something that could have been more than a decent kids game.

A great game that completely took me by surprise. It is strategic, intelligent, and offers players hours and hours of sneaky gameplay.

Developer Visual Concepts added a few new things to NBA 2K15, but seem to be relying mostly on a fanbase that they hope is content with what they brought out with 2K13 and 2K14.

The lackluster combat, combined with some terrible camera work and more loading screens than Lindsay Lohan mugshots, make for a game that just isn’t very good.

While The Evil Within doesn’t quite reach the iconic Resident Evil 4‘s level of brilliance or scariness, this is a satisfyingly gruesome adventure.

With amazing ambiance, a slow, high-tension pace, and even a decent use of the DualShock 4 and PlayStation Camera, The Creative Assembly has delivered a gem of a movie-based game, a feat that is seldom seen in this industry.

While I loved getting that classic RPG nostalgia, much of the game found certain levels of tedium that quickly drove the experience of Pier Solar from nostalgia to a chore.

Chariot is a great addition to my co-op game library, but alone it becomes tiresome.The physics are really new and figuring out the puzzles is entertaining.

So racing fans who are not looking for a sim racer, but are wanting a robust driving game to compete with friends against, should give this one a spin.

A wildly difficult and repetitive game. It manages to stay fairly interesting by allowing players to change songs and unlock new gameplay modes and skins, but in the end players end up repeating the same levels over and over again with no variation in them.

The campaign is quite lengthy, there is a ton of story to read through, and there’s even essentially choose-your-own-adventure stories inside other characters’ minds. However, the story is very quirky, and although developer Gust attempted to go deeper in characterization, a lot of the drama that unfolds feels at about the high school level.

Essentially, this is the same game as before. If you’ve sold off your PS3 and want to play this game again, then it’s a complete package for $14.99.

Some jump scares and the occasional bit of eerie ambiance are not enough to save Slender: The Arrival from a pit of predictability and low production value.

My time as Holmes was extremely exciting, fun, and immersive, and I was impressed with how long it lasted.

If you enjoy mindless hours of grinding with no clear goal or instruction, and if you enjoy hour long battles on the “easiest” difficulty setting where you still feel underleveled no matter how much you grind, then this game could be right up your alley.

The story is worth-while, the balance of tower types, upgrades, and aliens gives you a lot to test your skills against. I thoroughly enjoyed this game because it took what all of us are familiar with in tower defense and made each aspect smarter, higher quality, and better than the usual fare.

An exceptional effort. It’s easily one of the best sports games of the year.

If you are not overly familiar with the lore from the books and movies, you may find it difficult to appreciate most of the content available here, but you will still find a fantastically fun fantasy action title with a robust amount of content, with some familiar core gameplay.

Anomaly 2 builds off the first Anomaly with some fresh, new ideas, and is an intelligent, strategic game with plenty of replayability value. It is not perfect by any means, but for the price ($14.99), it is a pretty fun game.

Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution will feel a bit dull for those who are looking for a heavily storied experience but it should not be overlooked simply for the fact that it isn’t a full fledged Naruto story. What it lacks in story it makes up for in frenetic 4-player combat and a whole slew of modes and features to keep you busy.

The gameplay remains the same, but the graphics have been upgraded to 1080p at 60 frames-per-second. But with the painful omission of custom soundtracks, there is little incentive to re-visit the game once you’ve completed it, and even less after you collect all the stars in the campaign (which will be quite a challenge nonetheless).

Most of the success of Murasaki Baby relies wholeheartedly on its art style, and thankfully it does pull the game pretty far. But, the puzzles are more about execution than thought, and even though the story felt like it went much deeper than I had expected for a portable title, it still falls short from being memorable.