Klaus is a subversive, ingenious little puzzle platformer that shouldn’t be missed by anyone who claims to be a fan of video games.

While The Heist has a strong story—or at least the start of one—it doesn’t fill out the world or give Peter any additional gameplay growth.

The game’s combination of gameplay mechanics set it apart and its execution, while simpler in some aspects than its constituents, is excellently accomplished, making it one of the more polished games in the genre.

Despite an excessive amount of loading screens which will have you questioning the 3GB mandatory install, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 oozes with a vast amount of Chakra.

An incredibly charming survival game. Even those that don’t tend to love the harsh genre will enjoy the visual flair and fantastic soundtrack on offer.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a return to form for the franchise sub-series. While perhaps not as visually splendid as last year’s Modern Warfare, it gets the Black Ops series back to boots on the ground, introducing new characters and elements while lending adequate time and attention to series favorites. Treyarch expertly steps in to continue the recent interconnected Call of Duty franchise shift, exploring and evolving the series while still creating a game that not just retains but oozes that signature Treyarch style. Perhaps more than any Call of Duty game before it, I’m more excited than ever to see where it goes in the future.

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.

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.

F1 Manager 2023 is a great sequel that improves on every aspect of its predecessor. While the sheer amount of options can be overwhelming, they all serve their purpose and wind up adding to the overall experience. Some smart changes make the actual racing more thrilling than last year’s game. This is a game built to last, and I can’t wait to see how Frontier continues to build this simulation in future installments.

Madden NFL 25 is the epitome of what makes Madden great. It’s a refined experience, slightly improved in every way—just as it is each year.

The Magic Circle will appeal to anyone who can laugh at themselves.

If someone is a visual novel fan, then Utawarerumono: Prelude to the Fallen’s story will definitely be reason enough to devour this feast. If someone is considering it because they enjoy strategic RPGs and are hoping for something challenging and new, they’ll likely find themselves disappointed. I would say the saga is strong enough that it makes enduring an occasional, brief battle every once in a while, but people who feel like they need more would be justified in not helping Hakuowlo pick up the pieces.

All in all, it was a hard game to play through because I felt like I had done it all before. That isn’t to say that Arkham Origins is a bad game, not by a long stretch. On its own, Arkham Origins is a good game. But Origins is a good game because Arkham City was a great game, and it does nothing to create its own identity.

Evasion is another example of a fast-paced VR game that doesn’t seem like it could work in theory, but has been executed with a care and precision befitting of a developer that has a lot of expertise in the VR field.

A ridiculous amount of collectibles is distributed all throughout this, and it's enough to keep the most dedicated fans busy for a long time. Unfortunately, those are the only people that will last through it all, since most will be deterred soon after the end of the campaign by the monotonous gameplay, a lackluster 'plot', and somewhat redundant bonus missions.

This is a rare game that tackles strong morals and emotions under the guise of a beautiful walk through the wilderness that always manages to keep you on your toes, a walk you’ll be hard pressed to ever forget.

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.

Mary Skelter: Nightmares is a surprisingly effective little dungeon crawler. I enjoyed its creepy, Lovecraftian world way more than I ever expected to, even if the characters lack depth and the lore can get a little goofy in its race to be dark and edgy.

Even with Dead Space 3’s minor faults such as the psychological, personal terror being nowhere in sight, the human enemies being a terribly executed addition, and the graphics not making a huge leap, the game is simply fun.

.Hack//G.U. Last Recode is a JRPG history exhibit, and it’s well worth the price of admission.

The perfect hit of nostalgia. Whether you pick it up digitally or treat yourself to any of the physical goodies on the way from Limited Run Games, this game isn’t a cult favorite without reason.

As a casual pick-up-and-play experience, Zen Studios’ latest obviously isn’t going to set your world on fire, but it does what it does very well. The core mechanics are solid and contain just enough variation to keep things exciting, and the progression system provides just enough incentive to keep you busy across all the different modes. A little polish and pizazz on the visual front would have gone a long way here, but again, it’s good for what it is. If you’re looking for a fun take on the pastime, Infinite Minigolf is a pleasant, surprisingly addictive little game.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 subtly improves on a winning formula. It’s no real surprise that the multiplayer gunplay is the best in the series to date, but considering this is coming from the team that started this craze to begin with it’s to be expected. While the campaign may play it mostly safe, it features an enjoyable challenge, with a couple of interesting survival-type sections that almost turn it into another game entirely. There’s little doubt most Call of Duty players will feel right at home playing Modern Warfare II as it’s a solid entry and seemingly the shooter to play this holiday season and beyond.

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.

It's comfort food for seasoned Tomb Raider fans, and yet it will still be appetizing to newcomers.

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.

If you’ve been pining for an arcade flight combat game that will test your skills, Strike Vector EX is going to sit right with you. Controls are tight, though they do have a decent learning curve and a new way of thinking about an aerial combat game.

Despite the game’s length, you’ll no doubt find yourself lured back in time and time again, and if you’ve yet to play it, there’s really no excuse… do it now!