Rocket League is an extremely well designed and presented game, a veritable feast for the senses at times, and an undeniably addictive experience.

Rainbow Six Siege offers a very different FPS experience. It doesn’t rely on bombastic set pieces and ceaseless, mindless action where players respawn immediately and everyone has Wolverine-like regenerating health. Instead, this is the cerebral shooter, the one that asks you to view the map layout, determine the best plan of attack, and execute with pinpoint precision.

All in all, Just Cause 3 is one giant bombastic set piece that manages to be immensely enjoyable and disappointing at the same time.

Teslagrad is a solid platformer with great puzzle ideas and some really cool equipment that never gets tired. The adventure feels about the right length to me, and the pacing is another highlight. As a 2D puzzle-oriented title, it gives the player a unique presentation style and a difficult yet satisfying set of challenges, which older gamers might really appreciate.

At the very least, it’s a great experience for the “Star Wars” faithful, and the solid and accessible control cements a production with far-reaching appeal. That appeal may not reach to the core group of gamers that are bound to complain about the lack of depth, customization and overall gameplay innovation, but they’re not the intended demographic. The good certainly outweighs the bad, regardless of your “hardcore” level or personal preferences, but such factors will have a big impact on your enjoyment.

Fallout 4 is a masterful production that features a wildly ambitious and nigh-on unparalleled scope. There’s just so much to do that it often feels overwhelming, but this isn’t going to stop the franchise faithful. In fact, I’m sure they’ll welcome the deluge of options, content, and endless exploration.

In the end, Call of Duty: Black Ops III is a good shooter that falls somewhere between "safe" and "chancy."

Need for Speed is a fun, accessible racer that’s both aesthetically impressive and technically stable. The always-online requirement means server problems can affect your game and oh yeah, you can’t pause, either. I’m sorry but it just wasn’t necessary.

Hearts of Stone is a stirring good time and a great expansion the whole way ‘round. It doesn’t just give us a couple new missions spread out over the same areas, bringing in the same characters, and simply offering a few new pieces of equipment. This goes above and beyond, delivering an entirely new customization mechanic, excellent story missions, a boatload of surprising charm, fantastic variety in terms of objectives, activities and locations, and a new romance that’s well worth pursuing.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is a fantastic game. Let me repeat that: It’s a fantastic game. The lingering control issues (and even these are minimized) and some minor pacing issues as a result of the two-protagonist approach can’t taint this gargantuan project.

One Upon Light is a pretty solid effort. It’s found lacking in certain important areas, such as overall pacing, basic control, and general refinement, but its originality and challenge should be applauded.

Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection is exactly what you’d expect. The first game doesn’t quite measure up and could turn off newcomers (always a concern), and the games really don’t have a lot of “new” in them. But really, the brilliance of this top-tier action/adventure series remains in full view throughout, and the remastering veterans at Bluepoint did a good job.

It offers plenty of foes to strike down with a wide variety of cool attacks, lots of classic characters, and enough ally and party micromanagement to maintain some sense of role-playing and strategy. But the story falls flat, the pacing is off, and above all else, the combat mechanic is inherently flawed.

Bigger in every feasible way when compared to previous series iterations. I’m not so sure it’s better in every way, though, as the sheer amount of content can feel either muddled or oppressive.

NBA Live 16 isn’t a very good game but at least the series is moving forward, albeit slowly.

NBA 2K16 remains a great basketball game at its core, but makes a mistake in trying to give us a narrative-driven MyCareer mode.

FIFA 16 added what it needed to add and refined what it needed to refine. It pinpointed the problems bogging down last year’s entry and fixed them.

EASHL is fulfilling and even addictive, shootouts are an absolute blast, the On-Ice Trainer is an excellent addition for newcomers, and the gameplay is smooth in some places, and rugged and powerful where it needs to be (feel that hit?). It just needs some sprucing up in regards to basic control; i.e., passing and general movement, and the off-ice interface could be a lot better.

So yeah, it can feel repetitive and a little mind-numbing at times but it might be the perfect stress-reliever. I say give it a shot.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is oddly named and really, the game lives up to that tone: Odd. But that’s part of the charm and appeal and fans of past entries will quickly embrace this style.

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is the masterpiece we all hoped it’d be. It’s undoubtedly the best game of 2015 and the generation so far and further solidifies Hideo Kojima as a master of the genre.

Until Dawn is a fun, gripping, immersive adventure that you’ll play on the very edge of your seat. It’s a little too short (even with the butterfly effect greatly enhancing the longevity), the story is only mildly impressive, and the camera doesn’t always cooperate. But spurred on by great performances, a disturbing atmosphere, a decision-making system that might be unparalleled in video games today, and a very personal approach to interaction, the game makes a strong case for a purchase.

The intro is poorly conceived, I believe, the loading times are still pretty ridiculous, and there are a few lingering gameplay issues (wacky occurrences can be prevalent) but aside from that, this is the best Madden entry we’ve seen in years.

Zombi is a game that might seem too ponderous and frustrating for many. But for those who appreciate a challenging atmosphere that tasks you with marshalling your fears and taking a studious approach to survival, it’s a definite must-try.

Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture is an interactive work of art.

A great first chapter in a tremendously endearing new series. It sets the stage for the second chapter and leaves the player wanting more.

A smooth, polished, original puzzler that’s well-paced and rewarding. Both the story and the puzzles will keep you involved throughout and despite a few puzzles that aren’t as expertly designed as others, the developers should be commended.

Zombie Army Trilogy is familiar and fun for a short spell. The third game is a good deal better than the first two but for the most part, it’s a ho-hum action blast-fest that doesn’t have enough “oomph” behind it.

Anyway, Journey on PlayStation 4 is undoubtedly the definitive edition of an instant classic. It’s not drastically different and there really isn’t any new content, but the upgrades included in this package are noticeable and appreciated, and vault the production into the stratosphere.

Tembo the Badass Elephant is a goodhearted, challenging platformer where speed and rhythm sit at the forefront of the gameplay experience.

Don’t bother with Godzilla because it’s a tedious, poorly produced, irritating, utterly underwhelming production that has only the bare minimum to offer die-hard followers of the franchise.

The entire package feels flat and featureless. Far fewer pros, courses, and modes, a Career Mode that is ridiculously stripped down, and a general lack of intricacy might leave the die-hard golfer feeling unsatisfied. Still, it’s absolutely awesome that you can fully customize your control scheme, and I hope this feature will remain intact next year.

It just didn’t quite hit the necessary benchmarks for execution and the ultimate realization of the main concept.

The technical aspects are not only eye-popping but they’re also quite stable. The graphics are slick, the sound is stellar, the control is rock solid, and the gameplay variety is downright tremendous. I love the blending of puzzle, stealth, action, and adventure, and you have to give mad crazy props to the overall game design. I still say the story could be less predictable (perhaps give the player a little more credit in terms of literary comprehension) and the Batmobile, as awesome as it can be, is just overdone.

Playing co-op is always the best option but even playing alone will put a smile on your face. It's just unfortunate that the game has more problems than you'd typically find in a LEGO adventure, and even more unfortunate that it's biggest drawback is also it's biggest benefit: Playing as a dinosaur is by far the coolest element of the game, but it's also the one part of the game that is most liable to break.

Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy could’ve been a really good game, but it ends up floundering beneath a pile of stats and character management.

It’s just a little too tedious for my taste and it there’s a fine line between unfair and properly unforgiving. Not sure Davis strikes that balance well enough.

For the time being, there are simply too many problems with Ultra Street Fighter IV on PlayStation 4. The input lag is definitely an issue, the technical hang-ups mar an otherwise astounding-looking game, and there aren’t enough new features or additions for hardcore fans to warrant a purchase.

If you’ve ever wanted to become fully immersed in a fantastical universe with absolutely everything you could ever hope to have in an in-depth, unbelievably robust role-playing game, it’s right here.

The frame rate isn’t great all the time but it’s mostly functional and the comically dark atmosphere seems to be more attractive. Perhaps it just feels less drab and dreary. At any rate, it’s worth trying if you’ve always loved Bomberman.

It’s sort of like a half-baked idea that had excellent ingredients, but those ingredients weren’t quite assembled correctly and it was removed from the oven too early. And so, the result is sort of edible, but far from tasty.

I think a lack of any sense of progression and a highly restrictive structure that basically says, “if you’re not ardently passionate, get out,” is a detriment. I don’t think a simulator needs to be quite so…aloof...But if you’re in that hardcore driving fan category, it’s a no-brainer.

Broken Age is exactly what Schafer fans expect, which makes it an automatic success. The creativity and imagination is here in spades, the strict adventure style is prominent throughout (and it doesn’t deviate; there are no ill-inspired action sequences, for instance), and that atmosphere and charm ties it all together.

Bastion is a joy. It’s a game that has all the pieces in place. The key to the game’s immense entertainment value is how unbelievably well each piece marries to the next; the result is a smorgasbord of color and action, and one you will undoubtedly appreciate.

An extremely challenging and exceedingly well-designed blend of clever stealth and platforming.

Mortal Kombat X is full of gory fun. It’s fiercely fast, wildly engaging, and wonderfully diverse. Not all modes are equally strong and I still say more could’ve been done with the promising story, but it’s nice to have such variety.

The upgrades and improvements are there but a lot the game still feels underwhelming, simply due to its age. Even so, it’s impossible not to recommend this game to baseball lovers, as the purity and authenticity of the mechanics and physics, engrossing Road to the Show Mode, and unrestrained depth can keep you entertained for many months.

It knows precisely what it is and strives to excel in every possible way. And in fact, Bloodborne does indeed excel in almost every conceivable category.

It looks great, plays great, and has a boatload of content. It offers more bang for your buck than just about any other collection currently available.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD has its ups and downs.

Battlefield: Hardline tries very hard to be something fresh in a world of familiarity. It just doesn’t quite have the chops to pull it off, at least from a campaign perspective.

The amount of depth, coupled with the potentially super high rewards for good players, makes this a diamond in the rough. For those of the correct disposition, Helldivers will be an absolute gem.

There are gameplay and visual improvements, and they’re significant enough to make the game feel like a totally fresh experience when compared to the original title.

You can fault this game for a number of things, as I’ve done here, but you can’t criticize because you haven’t the inclination to appreciate the product for what it is.

Unmechanical: Extended Edition is a mostly rewarding and wonderfully atmospheric puzzler with only a few significant flaws. A few of the puzzles just seem poorly designed, which clash with the great puzzles that thankfully populate most of the game.

In the end, Evolve is a wonderful concept that boasts a surprising, appreciated amount of variety and strategy. Many may not anticipate the level of depth and practice required to really be proficient, which is why some shooter fans might feel a tad misled.

Dying Light has its moments. It has a great concept and that concept is executed relatively well, with a few minor drawbacks. I still say the villain seems awfully familiar and the story is just way too predictable, and some of the main missions feature design choices that are definite head-scratchers.

Grim Fandango Remastered is a masterful puzzle/adventure that will go down in history as one of the most unique and atmospheric video games.

A mostly enjoyable experience. It lacks the refinement and cleanliness I anticipated, as some of those bugs really shouldn’t be here, and the multiplayer especially suffers. And I don’t care how nifty it is, I will always prefer buttons to touchscreen controls. Otherwise, this is Duke Nukem in all his corny, cheesy, B-movie glory.

Super Mega Baseball is one of the most enjoyable, satisfying games I’ve played in a long time.

Loadout isn’t a bad game; there just isn’t much to it. If you’re worried about how a PC game translates to the PS4 controller, you’ll be happy to hear there are minimal issues. The control isn’t perfect, though, and despite the better part distribution system, there isn’t much to talk about aside from weapon crafting.

With a wide variety of weapons, equipment and tools, and a well-paced adventure that delivers some quality dungeon-crawling entertainment, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is probably worth playing.

Game of Thrones: Episode One – Iron From Ice is another great narrative effort by a rising development team. It’s full of drama and well-choreographed action scenes, each of which push the plot forward at a brisk pace.

Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is a strange game that might satisfy the anime faithful. The technical elements are mediocre at best (even worse when compared with the best the PlayStation 4 has to offer), the story is absurd, and the gameplay mechanic is original yet flawed.

Tales From the Borderlands: Episode One – Zer0 Sum is one heckuva debut. Somehow, the developers allow the action and story to leap off the screen, and they give a sufficient amount of time to each.

Another gem to add to your collection. The movie is just a throwaway piece of content that doesn’t do anyone any favors, and the updated PSP title can still feel old. That being said, the rest is pure Kingdom Hearts gold, and that’s precisely what the ardent fans desire.

Despite all the flaws, Far Cry 4 pounds out an open-world FPS maelstrom of ridiculousness. It’s always in your face and it’s never afraid to throw numerous and diverse dangers in your path, just to see if you can adapt and survive.

This is one of the best games ever constructed and yeah, it just got better.

Everything one could possibly want in a video game is here. But sadly, the lack of execution bogs things down, sometimes to the point of absurdity and irritation. It’s really sad. What it could’ve been will haunt me for a long time.

Dragon Age: Inquisition is the role-playing game you’ve wanted for years. You glimpsed the future and now, with a few minor exceptions, that vision has been fully realized.

I realize this seems a bit harsh and others aren't saying the same kinds of things, but they are strolling through poppy fields. In this shortage of JRPGs we are letting anything go, and this game needs serious help rather than free passes. Give it a go only if you really need your Tales on the go.

The production values are sky-high, the multiplayer will keep you coming back again and again, and above all else, this is Call of Duty with a twist. It retains its core the fans adore while offering a shifting paradigm that gives us a fresh perspective. It doesn’t work equally well in campaign and multiplayer and there are minor mechanical stumbling blocks, but the concept is sound.

It needed a bit more time to cook and perhaps more testing, as the game isn’t perfectly stable and those mechanics needed some tweaking. That all being said, I will heartily recommend it to those who love extremely dark auras, and gamers who like a more balanced – albeit less polished – fantasy adventure.

I’ve got no problem with breezy little games designed to give us a breather from those huge open-world extravaganzas that are starting to dominate. I do, however, have a problem with any game that comes across as slipshod and unrefined.

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel is fun. Perhaps that’s the simplest and best way to describe it. No, the story isn’t as enticing as I would’ve liked, the Cryo freeze feature doesn’t really enhance the experience, and the zero-grav idea has its drawbacks. But when all is said and done, this is Borderlands.

The Evil Within is an example of a great idea that lacks execution. There are scares a-plenty and very often, the fear factor is sky-high. The pacing and variety we see in this adventure are worthy of praise as well, and I appreciate how the atmosphere continually drags you into the experience. But with a decidedly outdated feel, difficulty that too often feels cheap rather than fair, old-fashioned AI and a sub-par camera, one can’t help but be moderately disappointed.

Alien: Isolation desperately tries to give us something fearsome and memorable. But the inconsistent approach leads to periods of tedium thankfully interrupted by flashes of unmitigated terror. If you can revel in the highs and forge through the lows, you should emerge satisfied. If, on the other hand, you’re more sensitive to design, control and mechanical issues, you’ll be a bit harsher on the game.

Driveclub isn't exactly a triumph but it's a polished, very entertaining game that delivers an adrenaline-filled good time.

A game that delivers the fantasy goods in spades. The ultra-anal Tolkien lovers might take issue with Talion and how the game is presented, and the AI and frame-rate issues are clear. That being said, this remains a wildly immersive, engaging adventure with an excellent combination of action and platforming elements.

Natural Doctrine fails in its ambitious attempt to deliver a wonderfully unique, deep, and rewarding turn-based strategy adventure. The foundation is solid but what’s built atop that foundation is a crazy assortment of great individual pieces, but none of them really fit together.

Run Like Hell doesn’t really fly on the Vita. It just feels too much like a mobile game, you know? There’s not a huge amount of content and what’s there is so basic that you start to lose interest after the first half-hour.

If you just accept that it was always going to be about multiplayer shooting, and the rest might be underdeveloped gravy; you’ll probably have tons of fun. And if you look to the future and see what Bungie has created – a very solid foundation – you should be excited by what the team will deliver in the coming months and years.

Fairy Fencer F is a big step forward for Compile Heart but not quite the realization of what these kinds of games are capable of in terms of quality.

The story isn’t as well-written or engaging as the plot of the first game, there are superficial characters tossed in for no reason, and the cutting-and-pasting of previously visited locales isn’t doing us any favors. If you can accept all these drawbacks and indulge in the awesome battle mechanic, well, good for you.

Velocity 2X is the perfect example of simplicity with kick. The beautiful visuals and silky smooth animations never skip a beat, the music and overall artistry gives the game a singular appeal, the wonderful flow keeps us completely engaged, and for the most part, the game never skips a beat.

Better than last year’s production; it features better cosmetic and aesthetic features, it often feels more streamlined and accessible, and the upgrades on the defensive side of the ball are huge. It’s finally fun to play on defense! Sadly, the game still gets bogged down by a balancing issue, as the defense is simply overpowered.

CounterSpy is a nicely designed and presented game with a lot of appeal. You’ll have a lot of fun sneaking through these challenging military installations, and you’ll appreciate the character customization and relative depth.

A must for fans of the anime and could very well appeal to any Vita player looking for an Eastern styled action RPG. It's not trying to be much more than a “beat the level, the boss, then advance” game but then that's probably what its fans are looking for.

It has just about everything you could want, from an excellent presentation and supremely solid technical presentation to hours upon hours of blissful looting. The rewards are frequent and much appreciated, the pacing is outstanding, and there’s a surprising amount of variety.

A very solid shooter with a lot of variety and charm. It offers players of all ages a dynamic, entertaining experience that encourages practice and experimentation.

The Last Tinker: City of Colors is like the nicest kid in school. He’s not the best athlete or student; he’s just nice and because of that, you want to like him. To some extent, you do. But he still isn’t picked first in gym and he doesn’t ace all his tests.

Hohokum can feel like a chore at times but for the most part, this is an original, inspired piece of interactive art.

Metrico isn't a bad game. On the one hand, you're immediately captivated by the unique gameplay. On the other, the interface keeps hindering your progression and immersion.

It’s tough and sometimes even unforgiving, and I should add that it’s not entirely stable. I came across several bugs in the game and it crashed on me twice, so that should be mentioned. However, the procedurally generated puzzles and areas really boost the replay potential, and the overall charm and originality can’t be ignored or understated.

Saying The Last Of Us: Remastered is an absolute triumph seems redundant. I said it when the original released last year, after all. And yeah, it's basically the same game with a glossier coating and a few additions. But consider: What have we seen in the last 15 months or so that even comes close? Seriously?

Red has its flaws. The story doesn’t really impress, the combat can be tricky, the locations could’ve been much more interesting, and you can’t fight against a friend. It’s also not the most technically accomplished title you’ll ever play. At the same time, what it offers is a solid fun factor, which you can enjoy even if you’re not a fan of the series.

My main lament, and it goes for most games of this type, is that once the action starts you never feel like a giant robot mobile suit, just a normal sized character.