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.