Though some elements feel like relics of its portable past, like comic-book-style cutscenes and a lack of voice acting, there’s no denying it’s still a hell of an aesthetic accomplishment.

The Cabin in the Woods of point-and-click graphic adventure games. Its self-referential awareness of its own existence belies a level of thought and planning that simple parodies do not. It leans into the sins of the past, and comes out all the better for it. This isn’t a modern day triple-A title, but if you want a taste of why the Ron Gilbert classics are so beloved by many longtime gamers, Thimbleweed Park is a window into the past that shouldn’t be missed.

I absolutely love the ridiculous puns, the pop culture references, and the riffs on (in)famous video game characters as potato people.

Ultimately, the incredible amount of fun and content to be had within Metal Gear Solid 2 and 3 outweighs a lot of this package's negatives. But the lack of Peace Walker is such a glaring omission, it really cannot be dismissed all that easily.

Lethal League joins the ranks of Rocket League as one of the PlayStation 4’s best multiplayer games. Underneath the simple control scheme lies a highly competitive game with a tremendous amount of depth. It’s a bit disappointing that there’s not a bit more to the package, but there’s enough mutators that players can make their own mode variants in order to entertain themselves. Overall, it’s a frantic game that’ll have you cursing and laughing at friends every time it’s launched.

If you’ve never had the opportunity to indulge in one of this brand’s prior incarnations, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy is a fantastic chance to explore your inner gumshoe. The amount of content delivered in this package will keep you gleefully badgering witnesses, in glorious HD, for far longer than the price would indicate. However, for those considering a second trip into the courtroom, you may want to consider if you hold high definition visuals at a premium.

It’s the absence of stand-out creature encounters that weighs heavy on The Pathless as a whole. And there’s a redundancy to said moments that never rears its head when freely exploring and solving puzzles. Undoubtedly, the exploration and puzzle-solving represent The Pathless at its best. Giant Squid’s latest manages to perfectly capture the calm before the storm, along with the post-battle respite that few games master in equal measure. In that case, it would seem the disappointing creature confrontations do serve a greater purpose to some degree.

Orgarhythm does a great job of blending two genres together in a perfect celebration of music and strategy.

Granted, its more iterative than innovative, but Shank 2 is a reasonably priced game with several fun elements that improve upon the original's formula while also scaling the game back in other areas.

While I can’t help but feel I’d rather boot up Steam and play my PC copy, Everspace still occupies a meaningful spot on any PS4 hard drive. It’s enough of a roguelite as to give people a taste of the wild side while not offending their modern sensibilities, and fans of the genre will find great creativity in applying the dungeon-crawling formula to the backdrop of outer space.

Players looking for an in-depth simulation of F1 racing have just found their porn.

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.

Split/Second puts players right in that sweet spot between a kart racer and a racing game.

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.

The Wolf Among Us is an excellent visual novel with, I’m sorry to report, a maddening cliffhanger for episode 2.

In terms of exciting moments and fun, varied competitive combat, LawBreakers has a great lock on what makes players want to play, both from the fast-paced competitive side and the specialized character side.

Mortal Kombat 1 has some of the most liberating combat mechanics NetherRealm has ever made, but some of the peripheral features fall a little short of what the studio has achieved prior. Being able to access more tricks and dig into the Kameo system gives fights more depth than they’ve ever had. That ingenuity clashes with the vague unlock system, repetitive Invasion mode, and inconsistent campaign that strangely don’t match the heights of previous NetherRealm games. Mortal Kombat 1 is a victory in many ways, just not a flawless one.

Despite closing weaker than it starts, there’s a lot to like about Matterfall‘s unique blend of platforming and shooting. It’s great to see Housemarque trying something new, and besides some tricky controls, they nail most of their ideas flawlessly. PlayStation 4 owners can safely rack this up as yet another Housemarque gem.

If you haven’t played The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel before, I wholeheartedly recommend playing the new PlayStation 4 version. It’s the most complete edition after all, even if that doesn’t mean much in terms of additional content volume.

Overall, Super Animal Royale doesn’t really do anything groundbreaking, but it is still a fresh entry into the battle royale genre with its cute animal theme and the ability to quickly get into games without much waiting around. Cross play adds a lot of possible players to the pool and what’s here in the package works and it’s fun to play. The game does just enough to keep you coming back for more without being such a huge time commitment.

Norn9: Var Commons blends its otome/dating sim elements and science fiction plot with a good deal of skill, turning out a visual novel that can be enjoyed by a broad audience.

Aside from a few minor platforming quirks thanks to the introduction of the third dimension, this is still the Blue Bomber that you’ve come to know and love. But don’t let the gorgeous presentation fool you, because it will still mercilessly kick your dick in with remorseless gusto.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is worth the price of admission. Whether you’re in the mood for some battles against the CPU, running an endless match in solo play, or willing to go to bed grumbling about your significant other somehow getting all the speed buffs and ruining your perfect Tetris, it’s a great game to pick up and play.

From the moment I turned it on, it took me by surprise. The setting of a once luxurious, sand-covered Dubai is a true stroke of genius, and makes for both gameplay and story situations that are a cut above the norm-especially when it comes to cookie-cutter military shooters.

If you’re looking for a feel-good gaming experience, it’s probably best to steer clear of The Town of Light. It’s a darkly haunting narrative that touches on a subject matter that doesn’t get anywhere near enough attention nowadays, while also avoiding falling into the trap of sensationalism. As long as you can get past some of its legitimate structure issues, not to mention a general lack of a cohesive gameplay thread, it provides a depressing, yet unforgettable quest into a person’s descent into madness. While this is definitely not an experience that I plan on putting myself through ever again, it will undoubtedly stick with me for a long time.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege serves as a breath of fresh air against an overwhelming fog of twitch shooters. The drop of a traditional campaign is not reflected in the price, and yet the new Scenarios are just as tough as any campaign in previous entries, and easily as rewarding.

With a campaign this good and plenty of graphically astounding action in single player and multiplayer, Battlefield 4 is a complete shooter package.

Developer Milestone S.r.l. has been making racing games for so long, it comes as no surprise how nicely Monster Energy Supercross turned out. From the detail in the dirt, to the details in the bikes, this is not only a great looking game, but a great racing game too.

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.

It’s refreshing in its earnest nature, and is actually more hopeful than nihilistic. But it is still on the simple and tropey side.

Earth Defense Force 5 is absolutely, thoroughly, another Earth Defense Force. If you know what that is, you know what you’re in for. It’s the first one built for modern hardware, which means more stuff happening on screen, but it’s not an upheaval of the formula, nor is it a magical facelift.

Ride is a great racing title from veteran studio Milestone S.r.l.. It manages to have depth for veteran players, while also being accessible to new racers. If you’re sick of driving cars, and want a new challenge then Ride will offer up a fun one to master.

It's not perfectly executed, but it comes damn close.

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.

A great pool sim and game all-around, with more modes than you can shake a pool cue at. The supreme amounts of polish the game and the menu have make it a nearly flawless experience. Throw in online and even Cross-Platform Play, and Hustle Kings is a seriously packed game for the price.

The dense career mode, weekly online events, and the upcoming inclusion of the 2019 F2 season will have me coming back to this game long after the official F1 season is over.

The Alto Collection console release is more or less a straight port of the mobile titles made to work on a big screen with a controller. That’s not a bad thing at all, as the mobile releases were deservingly award-winning games, but it’s a missed opportunity to make some slight UI and gameplay optimizations that could have really polished the experience on console. Still, The Alto Collection is deserving of your attention, a peaceful mountain adventure that’s designed to be played in short spurts, but almost impossible to put down once you get going. “Just one more run,” never looked so beautiful or felt so zen.

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.

Death Mark does nail its atmosphere of otherwordly unpredictability, looming dread, and urgency that sells its central plot quite well.

If Borderlands and the MOBA genre could have a baby, I imagine it would look something like Battleborn. Gearbox Software’s signature style shines here, even if the humor falls flat most of the time.

Little Kitty, Big City delivers exactly what you want from it. You get to play as a cute little cat, cause some mischief, collect some fish, and eventually find yourself back home. It’s a charming misadventure starring a cute feline and one that isn’t extended without good reason. If you’re looking for a fun afternoon of gaming, then this fits the bill nicely.

While playing this game, I got a wave of nostalgia from my early SOCOM days on the PlayStation 2, and this was a good sign – if the servers stay loaded with a good chunk of players, this will be played for a while to come.

It’s a love letter to a fantastic genre, and is such a pleasant way to spend an evening. It may not be a grand adventure like Super Mario World, but I enjoyed every single second of it, and that can’t be said about most games.

I’ve been critical of some of Telltale Games’ endings in the past, but I really enjoyed how Guardians of the Galaxy wrapped up. Did I regret some of the choices I made? Definitely. But more importantly, I felt as if the team had legitimately grown due to some poor judgment calls, even if poor Groot was missing an arm by the end.

Sports Champions is to the PlayStation Move what Wii Sports is to the Nintendo Wii. It serves as an easily accessible, enjoyable way to show off the motion tech, while offering up some competition using sports that most people will be familiar with.

Freedom Finger is an amusing side-scrolling shooter with a challenge available for those who want it, and gameplay accessibility for those who’d rather not get frustrated with some of the later levels’ difficulty. The story is ridiculous, but that’s part of the appeal. The stellar voice cast helps to elevate the jokes to another level, and while the timing given certain world events mean having the enemy as the Chinese might upset some, the whole thing is ultimately a ribbing at the military-industrial complex that the United States finds itself in control of. Enough of that though.

An incredible eleventh-hour treat for fans who have invested their time and money into the handheld. If you enjoyed Guacamelee!, you’ll find a lot of what you loved in that game has returned. Vibrant colors with a unique “diorama” artstyle really pop off the screen, and its inventive gameplay successfully combines touch-twitch antics and old-fashioned role playing.

Some of the puzzle mechanics may not be quite as intuitive or engaging as previous episodes, but the finale puts some heavy subjects on the table to analyze, most notably mortality and the culmination of our own life’s work and moments, and what we’ll leave behind at the end.

Your EyePet will quickly feel like a member of the family and it's very rewarding to see a young child's eyes light up when they see and interact with it. If you have children and they want a pet, but you're against the responsibility, EyePet may actually be a decent substitute.

Resident Evil Village is a good game with a lot of opportunity to have been a great game. And yet, for as many criticisms as I have, it was an experience that I was happy to play through a second time immediately after finishing the first. The new setting, creatures, villains, and story are engaging additions to the Resident Evil canon, even if the gameplay doesn’t seem to have evolved all that much and the scares have been pulled back. It’s still a fun romp in a new setting with new monsters; a great and fitting piece of the broader series that makes me excited to see where it’s all headed next.

Dragon’s Crown Pro is that same Dragon’s Crown we all loved and remember from 2013, it’s just shinier, prettier, and on the latest console. If you’ve already played it to completion (or simply to death) on other platforms, there’s very little reason to come back for a second purchase.

Defying the odds, id Software has made DOOM not only a relevant series in 2016, but a great one. They’ve also managed to create three distinct modes that all have their own appeal and feel to them. It’s an amazing package, and one that I’ll continue to come back to.

While Battlezone is a very simple game conceptually, Rebellion has done a great job of making the most of what’s there.

If the original Germinator impressed you, then this is an easy, cheap pickup for a few hundred more levels.

With the stated commitment to continue to support Bombfest after launch, it is definitely a good buy for party game enthusiasts. Hopefully online multiplayer, more maps, and even more wild bomb types are on the horizon, so Bombfest can have an even bigger impact.

The Mage’s Tale isn’t a game that shows hints of what the future may hold for virtual reality, but rather an example that the future is now. It stands on its own as a genuinely fun experience that shows this space has started to mature.

I was happy to find that Rabi-Ribi was, on the whole, a totally unexpected and delightful discovery for me on PS4.

Controlling the game with the PlayStation Move controller could not be simpler. This game really showcases the two-dimensional accuracy of the system, and you can draw very accurate flight paths.

RIDE 3 is the bike racing game to beat this generation. A much-improved presentation, with a focus on the thrill of the ride, comes alongside improved load times.

Sonic Adventure is a solid title that definitely has its moments, delivering a boatload of content, along with frantic, fun gameplay. If you manage to overlook the glitches and dinky camera, you'll easily find a gem (or emerald) in this Dreamcast classic.

The brevity actually solidifies how stellar the narrative truly is, and I can’t recommend it enough to all gamers who love a good story, especially a good mystery.

In the end, if you are looking for a nice, cheap 2-in-1 arcade pack for your PSP when you have a few minutes to spare, this is definitely the game for you. The bowling is challenging, the air hockey is fast-paced, there is plenty to unlock, and the graphics are well-done.

A promising start. The Mad Ones builds the framework for what can be a wild narrative ride, but it’s not clear yet how far this game will go in terms of its branching paths, or if the narrative will remain interesting throughout. I’m excited to learn more about the deceptive world of The Council and what Louis will uncover in upcoming episodes.

SingStar Celebration doesn’t change the face of the karaoke genre, but it’s one hell of a way to jumpstart a party. The 30 songs on offer are a blast to sing along with friends to, and it’s a solid value as long as they don’t clash with your existing SingStar DLC library. It’s a perfect example of the types of social games that can thrive under the PlayLink banner.

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.

There is nothing more satisfying than when a developer learns from their past mistakes, and WayForward has finally refined the Shantae experience. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is the belly dancing heroine’s best adventure yet, and doesn’t suffer from any huge leaps in difficulties like previous titles.

Batman’s latest adventure is still far from over, and it’s clear that there’s a bigger tale waiting to be told, but The Enigma will leave players satisfied even if they don’t continue the series.

It may not be a tremendous shift in the landscape of soccer titles, but FIFA 20 has certainly proved to be a fertile ground for experimentation within EA Sports.

You can tell that Marble It Up! Ultra had a great foundation to build upon, as it is as polished as the marbles you roll around inside the game. The difficulty curve is satisfying, and it’s genuinely fun to improve and start lowering your times in search of unlocking more bonus levels. While it’ll appeal to players that love time trials and a challenge first and foremost, there’s a lot of charm and fun to be had for any fan of platformers.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 does not have everything that a modern collection should have. Its inability to ubiquitously implement modern features like save states and rewinding only keeps players from fully celebrating the history this compilation seems intent on celebrating. But the extras paint a decent portrait of its accomplishments by delving deep into its lore and speaking to almost every entry’s significance within the medium. And even though the actual games haven’t seen many improvements, they are still unique marvels generations later that lovingly balance quirky jokes and deadly serious diatribes about nuclear proliferation. The bundle largely captures what makes the franchise so beloved, even if some useful quality-of-life features have sneaked on by it.

While I still think that the best from Watch Dogs is still to come, Watch Dogs 2 is a solid step up from its predecessor. Getting to be a hacker is phenomenal fun, but the game tends to stumble when it becomes a sub-par third-person shooter. If you’re willing to put up with a story that doesn’t always jive with the light-hearted feel of its characters, then you’ll experience one of the most interesting open-world games in years.

Even with the lackluster character models, lack of smooth scrolling and generic plot with its awkward moments; Ys: Memories of Celceta is still a blast to play. The combat system just blows most other concerns out of the way.

The driving mechanics which at first seem like they will be incredibly annoying turn out to be fun and thrilling. The shift ability plays a bigger role in strategy than initially thought and multiplayer contains old-fashioned game modes with a new twist.

It's the ultimate conclusion to an already beloved IP that's one of the most technically impressive titles in an already prestigious group.

I’m going to level with you, reader: I went into Mafia Definitive Edition expecting to be underwhelmed. What I ended up playing was far-and-away, infinitely better than I was expecting, featuring fantastic storytelling, compelling, yet immensely flawed characters (in a good way), and a world that is teeming with life. You don’t have to be a fan of the original game in order to feel like a member of the family. Don’t worry! There’s more than enough hot lead to go around.

Though it may not be what you imagine when you think of console RTS titles, Comet Crash 2: The Kronkoid Wars is a well-designed game that offers a constantly evolving structure. While it’s not something that will set the world on fire as far as hype is concerned, it’s an entertaining space adventure featuring a stout campaign and interesting mechanics. Spending a little time in its orbit would be a fantastic way to burn a few lunar cycles.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is charming and challenging in all the right ways. Even now, as I sit here spending time working on this review, I wish I were playing the game. In spite of a few frustrating puzzle sections here and there, Hinoe calls to me. Knowing that my rice needs tending to and my pantry probably needs more dried meat so we can make it through the winter is all I want to focus on. That’s when you know a game has its hooks in you. Pretty, addictive hooks that have me all in.

Mafia II is a very fun game to play with a fantastic story, presentation, and graphics. There are a few issues that hold the game back from being a real contender such as the lack of gameplay variety and the linear story.

WRC 10 is a safe entry, celebrating the long, rich history of the World Rally Championship, while taking care to not break anything that was already working well. If you missed out on WRC 9, you may be content with picking that up for a bargain (assuming you have a disc-based console). If you want the latest and most up-to-date rally racing simulator, though, then WRC 10 is more than competent at providing a ton of fun for rally fans everywhere.

Even if it isn’t a drastic departure from what some have grown to hate or love, it is still a product that is tremendously fun to play with your friends and has enough options to keep you playing for hundreds of hours.

There’s a lot to like about Directive 8020, as the sci-fi horror video game is a nice departure from Supermassive’s previous titles. With smoother gameplay and some genuine chills, the extra time in development has definitely helped it. However, some longtime fans of the Dark Pictures series will be disappointed by the lack of exploration and no true co-op play, which had been staples of the franchise. It also feels less enjoyable to replay because of its many stealth sections and solo focus, even though it’s a better experience the first time through.

As an add on, The Foundation is a wonderful way to bring players back to the world of Control, even if it doesn’t quite match the weird mystique and bizarre mystery of the main game.

EA Sports MMA is easily one of the best first entries of a new series that has been seen in a long time.

Driveclub VR isn’t pretty, but it’s still some of the best racing found on PlayStation 4. I’ve never found drifting around corners to be this satisfying, and having to actually look at my mirrors helped fool me into thinking I was actually behind the wheel. If this is the end for Driveclub, it at least gets to leave on a high note.

With so many choices left unexplored and far too many hidden items I have yet to discover, 11-11: Memories Retold is a replayable title with new experiences for me to discover.

Metro Exodus is an entertaining post-apocalyptic shooter that isn’t afraid to take chances with the series’ formula.

Poirot’s latest outing is a better proposition than The A.B.C. Murders a few years ago, but it’s not quite perfect. With no puzzles to solve, evidence that’s easy to locate, and mind maps where guidance is closely at hand, there’s very little challenge for adventure genre aficionados. The story is entertaining, Poirot is represented very well, and what gameplay exists has been created competently, but it sometimes feels more like a visual novel than it does a genuine adventure mystery game.

Yes, SWAP Force could prove to be the most expensive thing you buy this holiday season (and that’s including a PS4 and launch games), but it’ll pay out in hours of playtime with children or non-gamers who are turned off from gaming’s penchant for violence.

I just wish there was a more elegant solution for touch-screen gameplay that simply doesn’t translate to platforms other than Wii U, where Legends was conceptualized and built first.

The great looking animations are still accompanied by well done voice acting, and environments consistently change for colorful and beautiful aesthetics even though most of the game is spent on planet Magnus.

If you haven't played a Worms game before then this is definitely the best jumping on point. The game is full of fun for newcomers and includes plenty of content. For those die-hard fans looking to embark on yet another spree of global worm-fare, Worms 2 includes just enough iterations to make it worthwhile.

Far Cry New Dawn is definitely another Far Cry game, though the changes it makes to keep everything feeling fresh are intriguing. a very light RPG touch makes much of the typically repetitive content feel new with a difficulty curve that will challenge how people play. While it can be played independently, Far Cry 5 and New Dawn together create an interesting story package featuring some great twists, turns, and betrayals of the player (even if those pesky convenient macguffins keep coming into play).

2048 is one of the best launch games on the Vita, and easily the best racer, speeding past Ridge Racer and Asphalt Injection. Compared to other WipEouts, the new edition doesn't bring that much new to the table, despite being a reboot of sorts, but it doesn't need to – it's a refinement of the series that takes most of the best parts of the franchise and packs it into a powerful handheld title.

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.

RIGS: Mechanized Combat League is a feather in the cap of PlayStation VR as a virtual reality experience, proving undoubtedly that fast paced, full motion games can be successfully portrayed in a VR environment.

God Wars: Future Past takes classic SRPG gameplay mechanics and not only executes but also supplements them incredibly well.

Conceptually it’s quite familiar, but the game injects a lot of bizarre fun and skill-based gameplay into what can otherwise be a very serious, numbers-based genre.

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.