Like the Atelier games before it, it may appeal to a somewhat limited audience, but Atelier Ayesha is a quaint, relaxing adventure that provides a refreshing contrast to high-stakes JRPG melodrama.

Anyone who enjoys a good challenge or likes tooling with character creation and party set ups owes it to themselves to play this game, as it offers an experience that can be matched by few others.

Richard & Alice may have a generic name, but it is anything but generic.

3 Stars of Destiny is an enjoyable RPG, but its enjoyment is definitely proportional to how much the player enjoys old-school.

While both games feature a rather banal save-the-world plot, there's an underlying sense of mythology that remains just clouded enough to suggest a grander scheme. Although the characters are somewhat lifeless, the games themselves bear a strong sense of personality heightened by the music, the frenetic action, and the very sound of their name.

It wouldn't be much of a review, but I could describe Saturday Morning RPG to you in just six words: "a love letter to the '80s." If you watched cartoons and movies back then, this game is aimed squarely at you.

Generation of Chaos: Pandora's Reflection is a perfectly serviceable game that didn't give me the headache I feared, but it never got my blood pumping, either.

With Nintendo's handheld expecting many promising RPGs in English this year, Awakening still ought to be near the top of any RPG lover's list, as it easily stands out as one of the very best 3DS titles to date.

Though quirky, The Cave took an opportunity to revive a beloved classic and squandered it. I have to wonder if Schafer and Gilbert were active participants in this game's development, because the final product does not match what the gaming community has come to expect from these original thinkers.

Drox Operative is something entirely different from its peers among whom I'd count Diablo, Torchlight, Path of Exile, and Titan Quest. It's something familiar and it's something bewilderingly new.

So while episode 2 is certainly an improvement, the series still has a little ways to go before I say, "Wow." Right now, I'm saying "not bad."

After just one chapter, I'm not sure I'd put The Journey Down in the realm of classics like Grim Fandango, or with the best of its episodic contemporaries like The Walking Dead and Back to the Future. But it's worth the purchase price, and I will definitely keep an eye out for the next episode's release.

I will end my review the same way I started it: Kentucky Route Zero is a very strange game. Although I did not enjoy it very much, I can see how it is a compelling piece of software. It is very artsy, very avant-garde, very surreal, and a very acquired taste.

A solid re-release of a classic plus some nice new frills, but not without its problems.

If you don't enjoy experimental games or those that refuse to handhold, or if you simply have no interest in the tabletop roots of RPGs, forget about it. Crimson Shroud's unique concept and esoteric execution make it a perfect match for my RPG desires, however, and one of my favorites of 2012.

So many things don't fit, so many things work against each other, and everything just reeks of half finished game ideas.

If the developers put as much effort into the rest of the game as they did catering to player choice, then this title would successfully tread new territory for its ilk.

With companies like XSEED offering higher quality localizations at the exact same price point, there is absolutely no excuse for the abominable work done here by UFO.

The Layton series' formulaic approach to gameplay is a double-edged sword – it's still engaging and fun, but at the same time, the premise has begun to show some weathering. Still, the mix of point-and-click adventure and logic puzzles is something that few other games can offer, and Miracle Mask still does it well. For anyone who is deeply invested in the Layton series and jumps at any chance to experience a new Layton game, Miracle Mask is not a game to be missed.

Although having a sidekick like Crispin corrodes Primordia's otherwise beautiful presentation, there are nevertheless fun puzzles, memorable conversations, and new thoughts to be had.

If you're looking for something with a ponderous story full of morality and contemplation – one best savored alone – then you'll need to look elsewhere. Borderlands 2 delivers tons of lighthearted, occasionally juvenile fun with immense replayability, and is best approached with a few buddies in tow. It doesn't revolutionize the concept pioneered by its forebear, but it refines it to a razor-sharp edge and offers some of the most fun you can have in a cooperative action RPG this side of Diablo II. And if nothing else, it's got lots of Claptrap.

After spending fifty hours with GW2, I have a lot of praise for ArenaNet's work and the way it changes up some of the typical trappings of the MMO. And yet, I find myself thinking less and less about it each day. It's not a declaration against the product, mind you, but simply a fact that this game still is very much an MMO, and your enjoyment will directly relate to how much you enjoy the genre. For many who were hoping for a clean break from MMO design philosophy, Guild Wars 2 will probably come across as a slight disappointment. It pushes the genre slightly forward, however, and could lead to even further development in the future.

I felt Telltale's occasionally heavy hand throughout the story, but I view this limitation as a work in progress. Despite this, they put together a powerful package that I hope surpassed Robert Kirkman's expectations, because it sure did mine.

Chaos on Deponia is exactly what Deponia needed: another Deponia. Enjoy the ride while it lasts, because the trilogy is a mere one game shy of wrapping up. And while I honestly can't tell you where we'll go or if we'll get there, you can bet the skies will be paved with smoke.

Atlus has taken a four-year-old game and reinvigorated it in every conceivable area.

In the final analysis, Sticker Star is no Thousand Year Door, but don't let that turn you off – it's still a really good game, even if its RPG elements have been toned down.

Ultimately, Cognition is a good start, and at its core, a quality adventure game.

Repetition and game-breaking bugs cannot be excused. While I understand that some bugs just slip by and patches will likely rectify issues like the one I experienced, this is what separates top-notch games from the rest.