War of the Roses is shallow and unrefined, but if you want what it's got then you'll have a great time with it.

The world around you is interesting and begging to be explored, but your movement is on rails so you can't do anything about it. Pick any complaint you might have about Kinect games - they feel like tech demos, they're unresponsive, they're repetitive - and Fable: The Journey is guilty of it.

It's the same zany Worms strategy gameplay with a few new twists, though not all of the additions improve the experience.

Mists of Pandaria looks and sounds simply beautiful. And it knows it, providing ample opportunity to ride massive kites or giant jade dragons and ogle sculpted monuments and tiered pagodas all while listening to an epic orchestral soundtrack or a nearly flawless monologue delivered by talented voice actors.

XCOM: Enemy Unknown will have you swapping horror stories at the watercooler, and loving almost every minute of it.

Dishonored gives you a beautiful, fascinating, new world to explore, and then makes it your playground for grand misdeeds. Its story of political intrigue and betrayal is told at exactly the right pace, balancing information with action in a way that keeps you interested, but not overloaded.

There are times when Pokemon Black and White Version 2 feel a little too familiar, especially when you're exploring the same towns, roads, and caves from the previous game.

Despite the addition of new towns and trainer gyms, you can't help but feel like you're following in your own footsteps if you've already played Pokemon Black and White.

Tokyo Jungle is utterly ridiculous but wholly unique, blending challenging gameplay with goofy trappings. Putting a track suit on a housecat to increase its attack stat is a pretty silly thing to do, but the kind of attention to detail you'll need if you want to survive in the urban chaos. The mixture of absurd and serious is addictive and surprising.

When you get down to it, Resident Evil 6 isn't a horrible game, but it certainly isn't a great game, either. The action sequences and boss fights can be fun, and even challenging on rare occasion, but the whole experience blends together far too easily, feeling more like a generic action shooter than a classic Resident Evil game.

The MMO industry has been tirelessly chasing the coat tails of a certain game, attempting to capitalize on being the same formula but with something like better storytelling or PVP. In a fresh contrast, the developers behind Guild Wars 2 have taken the time to truly examine the MMO from the ground up. Guild Wars 2 may not completely revolutionize the genre, but it certainly appears to be the new standard that future MMOs will look to.

Torchlight II is a joy to experience, with vibrant landscapes packed full of interesting monsters, items, and lore just begging to be explored.

LittleBigPlanet PS Vita has a compelling story and is a joy to play through. Its ability to successfully integrate so many of the Vita's hardware functions makes gameplay both challenging and entertaining. Allowing players to contribute to its world by building their own levels is simply the cherry on the sundae.

A:WE is a superlative downloadable title. A cheap price tag belies a deep, difficult game that offers some frustration, but much more fun. Even if you've had more than your fill of tower defenses lately, give this one a shot. You might be surprised just how much a shift in perspective can change the feel of a whole genre.

Joe Danger 2: The Movie has so much more content than its predecessor it almost doesn't feel like a sequel, and almost all of it is great. With tons of challenges to complete, multiplayer, and community content, you'll have plenty to do even after the credits roll.

Borderlands 2 is a denser, richer version of it's predecessor, never compromising on the gunplay that made the series worthy of a sequel.

Hearthfire does have a couple fun new features to play around with, but home building and child rearing just isn't interactive enough to feel genuinely personal.

When it comes down to it, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive may follow the same old formula of gameplay seen in previous versions of Counter-Strike, but it's still a well-rounded tactical shooter. It may not try anything drastically different or revolutionize the series by taking it in a new direction, but there's still enough there to appeal to newbies and hardcore fans alike.

Dust: An Elysian Tail is made of straightforward elements built to extraordinarily high standards, and rarely loses sight of its commitment to beauty, craft, and straight-up fun.

Whether you know all five Combaticons that form Bruticus by name, or have never seen a robot change into a car outside of a Shia LaBeouf movie, it's hard not to love this fun action shooter from High Moon Studios.

Slender will scare you witless.

The Last Story isn't perfect, but its engaging characters and strong gameplay are more than enough to carry it through any rough patches.

Papo & Yo isn't always pleasant, for reasons both technical and emotional, but its cleverness is exceptional. It's a world of pure imagination, for good and for ill, and while its puzzles aren't the most challenging you'll find, their presentation is so unusual that you'll race through them just to see what comes next.

The user-generated levels seem to promise nigh on infinite content, but the interplay between music and design that the best Sound Shapes levels achieve is a difficult thing to master.

Hybrid is a fast, fun, and innovative online shooter that is hampered by repetitive gameplay and a world so vague that it stops you from ever really understanding it.

It brings absolutely nothing new to the genre, but it's legitimately funny, brilliantly produced and, aside from some slogging in the middle, moves quickly and smoothly from start to finish. It's not quite great, but it's awfully good.

Despite its quirks, Darksiders II really delivers on the breadth of its content, making for a sweeping experience that fans of multiple genres should be happy to explore if willing to look past a couple of hiccups along the way.

I can't say playing through Wei Shin's story in Sleeping Dogs is a pleasant experience. It's gritty, dirty, filled with curse words and exquisite torture, but also utterly enjoyable if you're a fan of those kinds of stories and don't mind a romantic interlude or two.

Persona 4 Arena is a solid, accessible entry point for both fighting games and the Persona series without disappointing hardcore fans of either.

If you're going to try and woo a modern gaming audience with old-fashioned gameplay, you'd better be pretty special. The Book of Unwritten Tales is. It's smart, funny, well-crafted and has tons of heart.

Orcs Must Die 2 continues to build on its predecessor which cleverly matched together two different genres into a fun and quirky title, and the addition of co-op dials the enjoyment up a notch.

A well-crafted, easy-to-play game with an entertaining fantasy bent, Warlock will have you staying up nights taking one more turn to blast King Rrat to kingdom come.

Outsmarting zombies, rather than facing them head on with whatever weapon is handy, is a great idea, but the game's environmental puzzles feel too samey after just a short while. The story has its own share of clever seeds, but it's presented so poorly that you probably won't bother to find them. Without satisfying mechanics or narrative, there's nothing pushing you forward towards Deadlight's conclusion.

Spelunky is a demanding platformer that manages to be both progressive and nostalgic at the same time. The enjoyment you'll get out of the title is limited only by your tolerance for frustration.

The improved passing game is the real star here and the other small improvements help sell the overall experience. Heisman is an enjoyable addition, but creates balance problems.

Dyad is elegant and joyous, a hurricane waiting to be tamed - and you might hate it. That's true of every game, I know, but this is one of those games that you will either want to beat into submission as you bend it to your will, or one that you'll play for a few levels and abandon as soon as the learning curve starts to arc too high. There just isn't a whole lot of in between here.

Rainbow Moon isn't terrible, just terribly dull. It's functional and fun to look at, but the lack of story, character arcs, and creative mechanics makes it a chore to play.

Endless Space smooths over a lot of the issues typical to 4x space, but it also bulldozes perhaps a bit much in the combat.

With a unique setting, immersive story and open-ended character system, The Secret World offers up a great MMO experience that's only held back by problems with replay and weak PvP.

Spider-Man's landed himself in one more somewhat cockamamie story that doesn't quite work, but a slick movement system and a fun combat scheme do a lot to make up for it.

It's so enthralling that I was crushed when I reached the end of Episode 2 and realized that I couldn't continue with the story yet.

Duels of the Planeswalkers 2013 is, for the most part, a carbon copy of Duels 2012. The Encounters and Planechase mode are welcome additions, but the lack of diversity in the deck options seems like a bit of a step backwards in an otherwise static continuation of the series.

The vampire powers are a nice game changer and the overall story is engaging. The game still suffers from the typical Elder Scrolls quirkiness, but that's not necessarily a bad thing depending on your point of view.

Fray is not ready for prime time. It's not particularly exciting even when it works, and right now, it just doesn't work.

Despite a few control hiccups, Gravity Rush succeeds on the strength of its excellent movement system and endearing protagonist.

While the concept is intriguing, the motion controls of Steel Battalion: Heavy Armor fail at making a game that's any fun.

Quantum Conundrum nails the puzzles, and does okay with the atmosphere, leaving a well-crafted "Diet Portal"-style adventure that succeeds when it matters.

While it's difficult to ignore the surface appeal of an oddball title like Lollipop Chainsaw, what are merely workable mechanics, and some overused humor can't keep the experience afloat.

An excellent collection of new content and concepts for one of the world's favorite strategy games, once you play Gods & Kings you won't want to go back.

It's a true open-world RPG with an engaging combat system and neat pawn mechanic, but Dragon's Dogma has some flaws you have to overlook to enjoy.

Matt Smith does his best to salvage Doctor Who and the Eternity Clock and nearly pulls it off, but the gameplay is uninspired, dull, and painfully unfun.

Despite the predictable narrative, it's a smarter game than the genre usually delivers with a satisfying focus on teamwork and technology.

Brilliant gunplay, and a classic character make for an exhilarating experience, but much of the narrative style distracts more than aids the final package.

Diablo 3 is a classic Blizzard sequel. The core gameplay has been iterated on and sharpened to a fine edge, while it ultimately feels a little light on major, impactful changes and the required constant internet connection will be a deal breaker for some.

TERA is a game caught between MMO past and MMO future. Its action-based combat is a breath of fresh air for the genre, and makes tackling its giant enemy monsters all the more thrilling, but its quests are formulaic and repetitious, serving no real purpose other than to move you through zones while anticipating the next giant boss fight.

Starhawk's an average shooter with an engaging multiplayer element and a unique sci-fi western theme, but the single player is forgettable.

Fable Heroes is a tolerable, albeit short, game that'll probably only be worthwhile to Fable fans.

Prototype 2 is a decent action-adventure with fun combat, but gets a little too samey here and there.

Combines the simplicity of modern tablet or touch screen gaming with complex old school systems. For the most part it works well, like balancing regenerating health with hunger, though there times where it feels like the game is stretched in two opposite directions.

Fez straddles the line between platformer and puzzler, taking the best from each genre and blending it into a refreshing whole. It doesn't punish experimentation or require advanced controller skills, letting you discover the game's secrets at your own pace.

In the end, even with just the three starting classes and nothing else unlocked, the game is a lot of fun and still completely free. It's worth checking out for both old fans and those of you who don't know what a Spinfusor is.

Kid Icarus: Uprising is a fun game with endearingly cheesy dialogue and characters, but the setup of the levels can get a little monotonous.

Just a mess of a game. The single player is sloppy, feels unbalanced, and is far too focused on action over anything else to really feel like a good Resident Evil game. It's hard to be scared of a bunch of horrific monster charging you with claws bared when you're toting a fully loaded assault rifle, and running out of ammo is more of an annoyance than something that instills a crippling sense of fear or panic.

Silent Hill Downpour is an average survival horror game that has a few good ideas, but doesn't live up to its predecessors.

Sine Mora puts a cool twist on the shoot 'em up genre with its application of time and interesting storyline.

Journey is incredibly short - you'll finish in about two hours - and it's not really all that challenging in the traditional gameplay sense. But it will be meaningful to you in a way that a bigger, louder, flashier game won't.

Even though MLB 2K12 improves the pitching feedback and the throwing mechanic is a nice feature, the game doesn't really make a convincing argument for investing another $60 if you bought the game last year, or the year before.

Asura's Wrath is a novel idea with some poor implementation. It often feels strained into too many directions, but there is something undeniably fun about certain outrageous moments. There really isn't much else quite like Asura's Wrath.

SSX has glorious over-the-top moments, masterfully inspires friendly competition, and rewards practice with steady improvement. It's slick, polished, and hand-crampingly addictive.

Warp is good fun and definitely worth a playthrough. You'll have a great time figuring out the puzzles and popping humans like water balloons. It is an arcade game, so Zero doesn't stick around very long, but it's a fun ride while it lasts.

Binary Domain is definitely a very solid third-person shooter, and while it falls short in some areas, there's enough variety in the meat of the game to make it worth a playthrough.

It's cute. And while it is aimed at a younger audience, it's not completely without appeal for Pokémon fans in general.

Syndicate is a decent albeit uninspired shooter. While there are a few highlights, it mostly feels bland and homogenized from other games and cyberpunk fiction.

Alan Wake's American Nightmare feels a bit spiritually out of step with the original Alan Wake, but provides just enough story to balance out the action. But, seriously, it needs more Barry.

A game that puts story over gameplay, and in many ways successfully creates a unique experience. That being said, Dear Esther isn't for everyone. If you're the type of gamer who feels most comfortable with a laser assault rifle at your side, then you might not enjoy what makes Dear Esther unique. If you're the type who believes that games can be art or tell an interesting story, then Dear Esther may be more your style.

It was a probably a good idea to update Twisted Metal for the PS3, and the combat and ambience is intact, but there's nothing here to push the medium beyond the 1990s era that spawned the original.

A nice experiment with some genuinely fun moments, and a great showcase for what Kinect can accomplish, but unless you have young kids or like to play with simple toys, Happy Action Theater won't do much for you.

NeverDead does try something new and original, but its mechanics are unpolished and poorly implemented.

There are some features to love in King Arthur II. The story is interesting and there are a handful of solid, entertaining gameplay mechanics, but be prepared to fight through a few of the game's weaker elements.

The Darkness II is fun while it lasts, but sadly doesn't last very long.

Reckoning surprised me with its energetic combat, rich story, and dazzling visual style. The weight of all its parts threatens to pull it down, but the rigid skeleton holds strong.

A solid, if bite-sized, space combat game that revitalizes a defunct genre with excellent flight combat and only a few missteps.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 is beautiful and packed with tons of tiny details that will keep you interested even when you've run into your umpteenth random battle. It misses a few opportunities and at times bogs down with its story, but overall provides a satisfying adventure.

If you enjoy a good platformer, you've found one. Scarygirl is weird, yes, but also wonderful.

There really isn't that much on the market today that's like Minecraft, an open sandbox for you to play and build in. This simple freedom can lead to some truly complex accomplishments.

Pick something to hate about videogames, and Amy has it. Graphics glitches, lousy design, repetitious gameplay, mushy controls, bad acting, horrible save system ... it's all there. The game's few good ideas simply aren't enough to suffer through the amount of crap surrounding them.

BioWare lived up to its promises to make story really matter in an MMO context with The Old Republic. Here, your characters are so much more than just avatars with stats.

A few weaker sections do little to tarnish the fun of this old-school rooted shooter.

Rayman Origins is a beautiful looking platformer with a wide variety of levels, but is marred slightly by a handful of pacing issues.

The thrilling gameplay that attracts fans is still here, although it's a bit obscured by too many mini-games that are less fun than or relevant to the core experience. The story is finally ended but we're still left wondering what's next for Desmond. Multiplayer is, as expected, awesome.

Lego Harry Potter Years 5-7 manages to turn dark material into something lighthearted and fun, but it never quite achieves the magical goofiness that its predecessor does.

Few other games with as many miles under their belts look and feel this good. A fresh coat of paint is all this game needed to remind the world how Bungie brought shooters out of the stone age.

Super Mario 3D Land is a great platformer with lots of gameplay and fantastic visuals, slightly overshadowed by some awkward camera issues.

Much like its predecessors: a bombastic but brief single player campaign coupled with laser-focused multiplayer.

Skyward Sword manages to honor 25 years' of gaming history while simultaneously feeling relevant for anyone new to the ways of Zelda - or those who'd perhaps grown a bit tired of hanging out with Link.

Steelport is a glorious sandbox with fun around every corner and the well-written story and easy-to-use design make Saints Row 3 a fantastic package.

An absolutely first-rate roleplaying game that combines an abundance of content with an abundance of quality. The outdated design elements are unfortunate but not so distracting that it ruins the depth of the story, the openness of the setting, or the visceral joys of combat.

A good, solid platformer with several fun quirks, but has an issue with reusing the same gameplay elements for some of the stages and a rollercoaster-style of difficulty level.