Kevin VanOrd
Elegy for a Dead World is an intriguing and attractive creation tool that fills a highly specific, highly underserved niche.
Dreamfall Chapters' first entry isn't wholly satisfying on its own, but it lays a great and characterful foundation for the episodes to come.
PlanetSide 2 on the PlayStation 4 suffers from a lot of technical issues--but not enough to dissuade you from the rigors of its massive battles.
The Path to Thalamus is not free of bumps, but the journey should be taken, if only because the sights are so vivid.
Arkham Knight is another slick and enjoyable Batman adventure, though what it brings to the series' table is not always for the best.
Much of Black Desert Online is a convoluted mess, but few games let you create a virtual life this absorbing.
Like the terrain if depicts, Far Cry 4 travels both high and low, representing the good, the bad, and ugly of video games all at once. It's awesome and messy and dumb and fun and annoying and gross and beautiful.
Fun combat and great looks make DC Universe Online entertaining for a while, though various limitations keep it from being a long-term destination.
It is the most sumptuous and stealth-focused Assassin's Creed yet, but Chronicles: China doesn't assemble its pieces into a gratifying whole.
Alien: Isolation harbors legitimate frights, but they're nestled between endless stretches of bland lever-pulling and button-pressing.
Destiny's essentials are there, and they're great--but the game surrounding them is cold and shallow.
Infamous: First Light benefits from Second Son's excellent fundamentals. Its missions and storytelling, however, lack spark.
At its best, Thief makes you feel like a devious outlaw. Sadly, such moments are too few.
Its core combat is sensational, but Lichdom: Battlemage never evolves a proper game around it.
The Sims 4 is beautiful and charming, but its constricted structure makes it disappointingly limited.
Cry Wolf brings The Wolf Among Us to an uneven conclusion, but still packs the occasional emotional punch.
Its situations and story are riotous, but LocoCycle can't translate its fun humor into fun gameplay.
The Elder Scrolls Online immerses you in its intricate quests and fantasy landscapes, only to undercut its strengths at every turn.
The Order: 1886 is a boring collection of game cliches that betrays its fascinating premise.
Driveclub is a solid, basic racing game with lots of tracks, lots of cars, and very little in the way of personality.