Borderlands 2 is a great game to play in bursts, and the handheld format lends itself to this type of game perfectly.

Always Sometimes Monsters falls short of its potential.

If you're going to rip-off the classics, at least be competent about it, which Grinsia fails at with flying colours.

It's the beginning of a potential series worth exploring further, but there is still plenty of work to be done to generate a property that deserves mention alongside the titles uninformed viewers have compared it to.

The Rise of Digitoll may look cute and accommodating at a glance, but don't believe it. It would be one thing if the game was trying to be a brutal dungeon crawl, but a massive revision to its mechanics would be necessary for that to work.

If simply tossing many hours at a game is all that is necessary to deem it worthwhile, Agarest certainly qualifies. Then again, I could take a similar amount of time to watch videos of stupid things people have uploaded to YouTube and probably learn something useful, a claim Agarest cannot make.

However, for what it is, Van Helsing II provides another very fun way to spend some evenings reducing numerous monstrous creations to their component giblets.

While it would be hard to call Transistor disappointing, it's also impossible to say that it's as good as Supergiant Games' previous title. If the game had taken more time to explain its story, characters, and world, it probably would have been a more enjoyable experience.

It's difficult to justify players paying full new game price for Bound by Flame, particularly for the premium cost PS4 version. Ultimately, the game has an interesting premise and selling points that on the face of things are worthy of attention, but the scope aimed for is such that the resources and timescales devoted to it sadly had no hope in achieving.

Overall, I enjoyed much of my time with Drakengard 3, but I couldn't help think that it could have been improved in many ways.

The overall feeling that endures throughout Conception II is that it's a game that is by no means bad, but also not great.

Grinding Gear Games has created something special here, and given it gratis to the world.

Steel & Steam has considerable potential for however many future installments it sees, but this first one didn't make me happy very often.

Ragnarok Odyssey ACE is a good game to play in bursts because it doesn't demand a lot of one's attention or time. It's even more enjoyable when you have a friend to share it with. Unfortunately, there's just not enough variety in terms of missions or gameplay to keep the game engaging.

Fans of the original Half-Minute Hero will undoubtedly be excited to experience more of the unique franchise, but at the same time, the new additions have a tendency to drag it down a bit.

Child of Light's artistic appeal not only holds up, but it has the gameplay to back it up, making the world of Lemuria an unforgettable one.

Many of the great franchises of the 90s have burned out or faded away. But now, XCOM is back in a way that plays like a love letter to the original. It may not be stellar, but it has everything to make it feel right with the old fans while at the same time welcoming the newbies with tentacular appendages. That is a rare and wonderful thing.

At the end of the day, Dark Souls II uses more subtle changes to find its own flavor and place in the series as a whole, rather than reinventing the wheel.

It's hard to imagine just what the developers were thinking when creating The Witch and the Hundred Knight. Metallia is so immediately distasteful that most players will be turned off in the first hour, and players who stick it out longer will likely grow bored and annoyed.

The pros and cons of Might and Magic X: Legacy are more straightforward here than they tend to be for the series.

For those who want to give the series a try, or for those are already invested in this series, Escha & Logy definitely has something for everyone.

Much like the beloved TV show, South Park: The Stick of Truth is ridiculous, over-the-top, and crude. It's also painfully funny and just a little bit poignant.

The more one looks back on it, the more it feels like Magus' primary purpose was to acquaint a new development team with the tools at hand while building up a few skills.

While it's been a monumental pleasure to finally be able to play Inazuma Eleven in North America, the game reeks of missed potential.

Weapon Shop de Omasse boasts a great premise and for the most part it succeeds at its JRPG sitcom goals.

For beast-slaying fans and non-fans alike, Toukiden should provide a decent amount of solid enjoyment, but likely won't stick in the memory for too long after.

The potential is still there, because Romance Dawn doesn't do nearly enough right to make this an adequate substitute for reading the manga or watching the anime.

Regardless of whether future installments stand or fall, The Banner Saga has done its duty. It may not always give gamers what they want, but it gives them what they need: challenging questions, tactical gameplay, and a strong, fully realized atmosphere.