There’s not much to Fairy Fencer F beneath the surface. You’re out to reluctantly save the world, and combat quickly becomes too easy.

Minecraft PS4 Edition is a tried-and-true game in a solid console format. Couch co-op is extremely fun and easy to jump into, – it’s like the video game version of the perfect playground.

Take everything great from the PS3 release, add characters, levels, and features that were introduced in Joe Danger 2, and you have a game that holds up great even four years after its original release.

Once again, I have been pleasantly surprised by Omega Force.

Danganronpa 2 is a masterful piece of dark mystery storytelling, with a focus on exploring morally ambiguous facets of the psyche.

They did a great job at smoothly connecting the gameplay parts of the game to the story parts so it doesn’t seem forced or unrealistic. Velocity 2X is a game that, once you play a bit, guides you into a sort of rhythm. Much like music games, it’s a very seductive effect.

While the battle system is decent, especially when done on the Vita, the parts in between lack any kind of draw to keep me interested.

To continue that with a story that has no strong motivating force outside of general survival cheapens our time as Lee and his reason for pushing forward.

There isn’t enough different here to convince anyone who didn’t like Second Son, but for gamers who enjoyed Delsin’s story, First Light feels like a more focused title, and adds greatly to what was already an awesome open world superhero series.

Bandai Namco should be commended for taking an already good RPG in Tales of Xillia and expanding on that storyline in a way that pays respect to the original and builds so much on top of it. It is hard to make a sequel that is worth of the original and Tales of Xillia 2 does just that.

CounterSpy touches on the gravity of the cold war while presenting it in a polished game that many will enjoy, if they choose to accept the mission.

If only I could easily skip pre-game and halftime discussion. That’s my biggest minor gripe here. All of that stuff is skippable, but it doesn’t happen fast enough for my liking.

As both 2033 and Last Light are single-player campaigns, one of the best aspects of the game is the amount replay value you can get out it, if you are willing to put the time in.

There’s a little something for everyone here and even if you don’t particularly enjoy online shooters, you ought to give this one a shot.

This is the best version of Diablo III, possibly anywhere. Sure, it may look better on PCs with high-end graphics cards, but you can’t beat the control scheme and accessibility of the console version.

This isn’t just a simple port, it is a great new way to enjoy a game on a new platform for gamers that may have missed it on PS3, and it is full of new fun to be had for those that have already played it.

The Last Tinker: City of Colors if a throw back game that provides gamers with a simple approach to fun and it works.

Feeling like it came straight off of the PS3 launch, I still curse the wistfully woeful frame rate, graphics, and combat system, but I can’t help but feel like there is something underneath all that grime.

I enjoyed the idea of Surgeon Simulator, but the difficulty made the game futile more than entertaining.

Everything outside of stripping clothes off of vampires feels safe and doesn’t do enough to build upon the initial idea, which is such a disappointment. It’s like getting a sneak peak at something new and fresh, only to start playing and have a game that is kind of ordinary.

A game that can successfully and constantly challenge the player with so many vastly varied ideas is pretty impressive. I don’t even want to use the word “puzzle” to describe any part of this game.

Road Not Taken proved to be a very unique game for its genre, or genres actually. The interesting marriage of what could feel like a mobile title, with the punishing difficulty and creative narrative of a console indie makes Road Not Taken a great game to have in your PS4 library.

Pure Pool is, more or less, everything a billiards fan could ask for. It is pure simulation at its best. The physics are spot-on accurate – any missed shot is entirely the shooter’s fault. The ambiance is entirely convincing, with a soundtrack to match.

The concept of using metrics based on your character’s own movements to manipulate a living infographic that you need to platform on is one that sounds great in design, but the execution of said concept needs to be tweaked before I could recommend that anyone spend much time with Metrico. Sadly, it does feel like you’re just bringing work home with you.

Sacred 3 is by no means a bad game. It’s just not a particularly great game, either. With a linear storyline, no traditional Overworld, and repetitive combat that is too easy to master, there is not much of a challenge to be found here.

Rogue Legacy is a gem among indies. As a wash of indie titles comes to the console market, many with nothing inherently fresh or new to offer, Rogue Legacy breaks through and offers a breath of fresh air with a strong variation on familiarity.

The Last of Us Remastered is just a perfect game made even more perfect.

The shocking moments, choices, and deaths that occur are some of the best in the series and we see a glimpse of a stronger Clementine, yet somehow it all seems contrived.

The Swapper will fly under many people’s radar, which is unfortunate because with its unique take on graphics, puzzles, and narrative, they will be missing out on what I would say is the best puzzle platformer experience since Portal.

A good yet unspectacular game. There is a lot of content here between the story and coliseum mode, with a good 30+ hours of things to keep you busy. Yet, the content isn’t overly impressive and things like bug catching, fishing, and farming just feel forced and not fully thought out.

Crimsonland is a fun game to sit down with two or more players while trying to compete for a spot on the leaderboards, but it ultimately feels more like a distraction itself, than a twin-stick murderfest without distractions.

While it might be a little too simple for hardcore puzzle gamers, MouseCraft is a fun, solid puzzle game experience.

Each morally ambiguous decision I made left me questioning whether I was the right person to be making them, but in the end, it was MY Bigby and MY story, and I can only thank Telltale Games for giving me the opportunity to tell such an awesome tale in my own way.

If you absolutely must play this game on the go, and know that it’s going to be an average experience for an above-average price on this platform, then have at it. Otherwise, wait until an inevitable sale.

Dynasty Warriors: Gundam Reborn feels like it could do with some fresh mechanics, and maybe a jump to next gen could offer the capabilities needed to improve it.

I give Blue Estate a little credit and weigh it more on the side of challenging instead of on the side of failure, just because there were some fun parts and some people might love the long levels, testy controls, and the crazy story.

Overall, Sniper Elite 3 does have a fun kill-cam feature, it does have online co-op and it does have an interesting multiplayer. But, almost everything about it feels like a rushed product that simply cannot be ignored.

Ultimately, Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition is just like the original, with a couple of added tweaks — this is a good thing!

Causal racing fans looking to simply mess around with their dream cars will find more tension here than it is really worth to get what you want out of the game. But, hardcore racing fans who have no concept of repetition being a bad thing, will find the game’s 22 different locations and five very diverse race types an interesting departure from the status quo.

This game made me shed more tears than any game I have ever played before, and I find that I am not alone in that sentiment. I even think this game communicated parts of WWI so well that it could be used as an educational tool, though the characters’ story is fiction.

Z-Run is exactly what you would expect, a mindless run through the town, kicking and sliding your way to safety. The controls and characters are completely stiff and there is really no big redeeming quality outside of the music to keep you coming back.

A fantastic little package that does a great job of adding to the experience that the game already offers. But, the amount of value you can get out of it will greatly depend on your ability to rally friends or find quality players online to take on the game’s four maps.

If you really love this type of game (tunnel/artistic), you may enjoy Entwined. But I ended up hating the mechanics, and that ruined the experience for me. The emotions didn’t come through, and the colorful visuals didn’t make up for it.

With a great musical score and just the right level of cute without being annoying, Battle Princess of Arcadias is a game worth checking out.

While less emphasis on DLC, a practice mode, and a better explanation of the submission game would have been helpful, EA Sports UFC gets a no-contest from this reviewer.

Murdered: Soul Suspect is a really great idea for a game. It could have been really high quality all around, but maybe certain things were overlooked while focusing on the story rather than getting feedback about gameplay during development.

Yes, the touch controls aren’t a superior substitute for a mouse and can occasionally find themselves frustrating, and the menu being overlaid as a thought bubble causes way more problems than a simple toolbar, but I promise, you can work your way through it.

Mind Zero has the makings of what could be a decent dungeon crawler while tripping all over tropes that could be avoided. Poor graphics aside, story segments get boring while watching text boxes spew pointless dialogue, and the dungeon crawling and battling is the only actual bit of gameplay that there is.

The name Producing Perfection has to be a cruel joke; the game “produces” nothing of the sort.

Limited graphical and audio faults aside, altogether, Wolfenstein; The New Order is a very good game — a true gem among shooters in a sickening sea of shooters.

The focus on setting up Watch Dogs as a new franchise will pay off in the years to come, but it does come at the main game’s expense.

Mugen Souls Z feels like more of its predecessor, with the same plodding story pace, whiny, forgettable cast, and fill-in-the-action cutscenes.

If you haven’t had a chance to experience what the Soul Sacrifice series has to offer, and are looking for an incredibly fun and robust game that is designed to be played in short bursts, then Delta is definitely the one that you should check out.

I can’t stop thinking about the story of Transistor, even after finishing the game. There is so much mystery and intrigue that left me smiling.

Sure, there are graphical issues, slowdown, and the game is rather easy in areas where it should provide more challenge. However, the story is goofy enough for some laughs, the ability to switch between 4 weapons in battle is fun, and despite its repetitive nature, the combat does enough to keep you interested.

The story aspect feels a little bit forced and awkward and level selection is limited, but if you are absolutely dying for a match three game on your Vita and/or PS4, Sparkle 2 is an ok experience that feels just like the match three titles of yesteryear that gave me some fun for a few hours, and yet is not enough to draw me back in to my old habits.

Player detail is also taken to the next level, with renders that make the players easily recognizable not only by looking at their face, but by looking at their animations as well.

Sportsfriends is one of the necessities every gamer must have in their arsenal.

As amazingly as this game was done, not only is Borderlands 2 an excellent portable version of the console game, I would argue that it is simply one of the best games on the Vita to date.

My biggest disappointment in Spider-Man 2 is not inherently within its flaws or even that it is a licensed game. The problem is that a great game can be seen swimming just beneath the surface of the game that we ultimately got, but a severe lack of polish with the need to rush this out to match the film’s release left what could have been a good game buried under mounds of flaws, issues, and sheer drudgery.

Child of Light is a great example of a modern RPG that bridges gaming with other forms of art.

The sound is also well-done, with voiceovers ripped straight from the movies and all the sci-fi sound effects a fan can handle.

There’s a small shimmer of something fun and interesting under the 13 years of rust that coats Cel Damage HD.

While it started out as a great experience, sadly, much like the floppy tentacles of Octodad, Dadliest Catch couldn’t hold itself up and began to flail wildly all over the place. The hilarity and novelty wear thin quickly and there was too often that my tentacles became glitched inside of random objects or the environment itself.

If you are a fan of lengthy time spent dungeon crawling and customizing your party, then this will feel right at home, with over 40 hours easily of gameplay to be had. People who aren’t fans of the genre though, won’t find anything new to change their minds.

Perhaps if Conception II added some challenge to combat and handled the plot and characters less like side attractions and more like plot and characters, the game could have been an above average title.

Trials Fusion is a good game. Great, even. It’s taken what we’ve all come to know and enjoy, and added in quite a few new longevity ingredients to the mix.

Gathering loot and buddy attacks are super additions that do just enough to improve the series.

A great cooperative retro action title with plenty of challenge and reward.

MLB 14: the Show brings with it some welcome changes and the game save advancement on to 2015 alone is enough to warrant a step into the 2014 edition and the new RTTS features enhance that mode to a new level of realism.

Simply speaking, what you’re getting here is a good, polished expansion to an already good game that was absolutely bursting with content to begin with.

Chrono Phantasma lives up to its predecessors and in some instances surpasses previous titles. Players picking up this title are in for a solid experience which will likely bring several hours of gameplay and keep you coming back for more.

Deception IV: Blood Ties is one of those games that wants you to spend a fair amount of time setting up traps, but then gives you ever chance to skip all that and easily defeat each level with minimal investment.

My advice for you is to beat the game simply to unlock Z mode. It’s a worthy pursuit. After that, shun the campaign.

Kojima released this to tease and whet the appetites of the Metal Gear fans that were begging for more. If you fall into that camp, then you have probably already have your mind made up. For anyone who has never played a Metal Gear game however, I can’t recommend that this be your first foray down the nanomachine-filled rabbit hole.

Luftrausers is candy for your mind and hands. Don’t let any hesitation over its presentation keep you from trying an insanely fun and easily addicting game. If you have the chance to play it; play it. Luftrausers is one of – if not the – best pick up and play titles available.

The overarching story is a bit stunted and combat can feel somewhat repetitive. What holds Second Son together is how solidly all aspects of the game were made. You can feel the passion that each person at Sucker Punch has for their individual role as each element solidifies and interfaces into an extremely well made game overall.

The terrible characters and pointless events are likely going to sour the mood for many players.

For newcomers, this is a great opportunity to finally play this coveted classic. Bring in the fact the the HD visuals look nothing short of stunning more than a decade after the game’s original release, and you’ll find that Final Fantasy X | X-2 HD Remaster is yet another reason to keep your PS3 running.

The game is the perfect entry for newcomers to the series and also provides plenty of depth and Atelier staples for those series veterans. The improved combat, ease of item crafting, and the relaxed time constraints make for an enjoyable game without making it a snooze fest.

It is a magical recipe of pain and frustration that seeks to make you a better player by the end, simply breaking you down step by step, until you feel like you have personally leveled up more than your digital avatar, and that is something not a lot of games can do.

Aside from the sport theme, the table itself is pretty full-featured, with all the elements you’d expect. Pinball fans will enjoy all the ramps and challenge of playing through five games to “win,” and fans of the sport will certainly enjoy seeing their favorite club in pinball form.

The complete package is a solid piece of work that successfully marries the source material with one of the most beloved game genres out there. Peeling back each layer left me amazed at the scope and depth of the game.

The stealth sequences are so bad I could nearly throw out the entire experience.

If you’re willing to brave the wonky controls, bland looks, repetitive sounds and wholly uninspiring story, there’s a content-rich base-level appeal to Earth Defense Force 2025 that will draw you in.

In closing, skip this game. It should not have happened, and hopefully the world will not see it happen again.

It’s a simplistic sort of time-killing fun that I would expect out of a cheap mobile game, but as a full featured PS4 title, it feels like there is content missing and a lack of polish.

This is an above average title for what Strider does do – provide action and wall climbing.

The games translate very well to modern times and are worth every penny spent to add them to your library, with at least 40 hours of gameplay in the first one alone. Oh, did I mention that they also have trophy support?

Thief may be a throwback to the early days of stealth games, but this reboot really feels aged and dated. While there is some fun to be had, you will have to sift through a mess of problems to find it.

Gunslugs is very good. Controls are excellent, graphics are cute, and the action is fun. Beating a hard level feels rewarding. Levels are randomly generated and tend to have decent design, but sometimes an awkward set-up ruins the flow and forces a restart.

It’s more melancholy than anything else—sad at times, joyfully freeing for the franchise at others.

Left Behind is worth the wait, worth every penny you spend on it, and worth the two-hour plus investment of time you put into playing it. It’s even worth playing The Last of Us in its entirety again before loading up Left Behind for the first time so you can get the most out of the atmosphere, gameplay, and connection to these deep characters.

Trigger Happy Havoc could use some more polishing, but fans of mystery or oddball characters will want to snatch this up.

A perfect example of a game that is only as good as what you are willing to invest into it. If you have never really understood the need to do a speedrun or care very little about perfecting lines, chances are you will tire of its repetitive nature long before you reach the end. But, if you do enjoy learning maps and running along generally linear paths against the clock, you will find it here in spades and with enough style to possibly make it worth the $9.99 investment.

Jump scares may have your heart racing for a few seconds, however, creeping across that darkened courtyard with your batteries running out while something out there wants you tortured and dead will have you on edge until the experience ends.

Frankly, I’m convinced that its release is more about profitability on a product that’s already crafted than it is about bringing a vastly superior next-generation version of Tomb Raider to the market. For $59.99, it’s not that much better than the PS3 version aside from some visual sprucing.

Strength of the Sword 3 has a fairly decent set up, but the game is hampered by a lack of tuning with input, camera, and a fairly awkward dashing mechanic.