Nothing is so simply put in The Vanishing of Ethan Carter, but to put it simply, this game is absolutely worth the $20 price tag. It’s not long (about four hours), nor is it particularly challenging, but through and through, this is a beautiful game of strange, twisted, and sometimes sick puzzles.

A game which excels by making all of its moving pieces work together in unison. There are some rough patches, such as my beforementioned somewhat squiggy reaction to the storyline and the fact that the graphics sometimes seem to be pushing against the limitations of the current console generation, but it would be difficult for me to think of a more versatile or playable stealth game.

This could be that rare case in which a game inspires players to give their well worn controllers a break and pick up a paperback for a few nights instead. That alone makes Metro: Last Light worth putting on your wish list.

It’s not the easiest game to wrap your brain around. The dungeon crawling is kind of turn-based yet also not, and levels are kind of rogue-like (meaning randomized), but not completely. Instructions are rare.

Double Fine has produced a high-quality game of decent length with terrific audio and visual production and an engaging, twist-filled and idea-laden story read by an outstanding cast. Look no further for evidence of its compelling nature than the strength of your yearning for the concluding act to be delivered as quickly as possible.

The most interesting thing about Dragon Quest Builders isn’t what it takes from Minecraft but instead how it fills in some of the gaps that have existed since that game’s inception. Namely, storytelling, quests, and building guidance

In closing, single player is quaint, the online experience is a work in process, but once they get the bugs out of that delicious apple pie… it will be well worth the wait.

But overall, NHL 14 captures the spirit of that revolutionary 94 game. The gameplay is fast, the moves are sweet and the hits are thundering. It feels fun, like the very best wide-open hockey games, but it doesn’t sacrifice realism either.

Use your kid as an excuse to buy it, then start a fresh save file and play through it yourself once she’s fallen asleep.

Despite its shortcomings, Splatoon is one of the best Wii U titles and is exactly the kind of game Nintendo needs to release right – a game that’s different, unique and, most importantly, features the charm people have come to expect from the company’s titles.

It’s fascinating stuff.

It has an unrestrainedly upbeat vibe that just makes you feel happy all over, and it’s still bursting with imagination. There are few other games on PS4 – or, indeed, any console – to which it can properly be compared.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is undeniably distinctive within the Call of Duty family. But it might take a game or two for Sledgehammer to start delivering on the same scale as its sibling studios.

I can’t deny that I had plenty of fun taking in this authentic new Star Wars story, but I get the sense that an extra six or twelve months of development could have given us a more polished and less derivative experience.

The first act of Kentucky Route Zero will take you about an hour to complete. It’s well worth your time to do a second play through and a third and maybe even a fourth just to experience what it’s like to live a life on the road.

Skylanders SuperChargers has great toys and loads of fun stuff to do. Better still, it isn’t (necessarily) going to break the bank.

Don’t be tricked by Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker‘s relatively inexpensive $39.99 price tag; there’s a ton of game here.

Shadows of Valentia is, at its core, not really much different than most of its console-based predecessors. It’s all about smart strategy, memorable characters, and a good story.

Nintendo’s 3DS is suddenly brimming with great first-party games, and Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is a standout among them. Don’t miss it.

The Azran Legacy really just feels like more of the same.

As immersive and engaging as the second episode is, it still feels a bit like its setting the table for what’s to come in the remaining three episodes of this season...But it’s doing so in tantalizing fashion.

Had Sunset Overdrive come out late August, there’s a good chance it would have gotten a lot more time to embed itself into people’s consciousnesses. Now, I hope that some of the interesting things the game does are enough to get it noticed in the deluge of big fall games.

Firewatch establishes Campo Santo as a visionary studio with some interesting ideas on its mind. And while its first game doesn’t quite muster the authentic emotional resonance of a first-person narrative masterpiece like Gone Home, it still successfully draws us into its world and makes us care about its characters.

It may not be as deep or sophisticated as many other modern racers, but Dirt 5 is nonetheless an entertaining outlet for engine revving on Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5.

I ended up having a fantastic time with Final Fantasy XV. I’m not blind to its many problems and faults, but they didn’t keep me from eagerly playing through to its conclusion, and they won’t keep me from heading back in and maybe one day levelling up my crew to the point that it can take on that mountainous level 99 monster lurking in the desert outside the Crown City...All of which is to say that, at least from my perspective, Final Fantasy has finally returned. It has reinserted itself as a relevant topic in the modern video game conversation.

In the end, what I like most about Puyo Puyo Tetris is that it has a true all-ages appeal. I can see an eight-year-old playing an 80-year-old, both having a blast. And it’s especially fun with other people on the couch beside you. I’m sure some families will play it off and on together and with friends for as long as they own a Switch.

I’m not much of a fan of the Hitman games for PC and consoles, but Hitman Go hits all the right notes for a mobile platform.

Bravely Second: End Layer is probably the superior game. But sequels come with a different set of expectations. And from my perspective, those expectations haven’t been entirely satisfied.