Kevin VanOrd
The Path to Thalamus is not free of bumps, but the journey should be taken, if only because the sights are so vivid.
Metro Redux is a terrific package that combines two bleak games into a single cohesive whole.
Infamous: First Light benefits from Second Son's excellent fundamentals. Its missions and storytelling, however, lack spark.
The Sims 4 is beautiful and charming, but its constricted structure makes it disappointingly limited.
Destiny's essentials are there, and they're great--but the game surrounding them is cold and shallow.
Its core combat is sensational, but Lichdom: Battlemage never evolves a proper game around it.
D4 is all kinds of crazy, and you may not take to its unique brand of humor. But if you do, there's no forgetting it.
Shadow of Mordor's political machinations and rambunctious action make it a cut above your everyday Lord of the Rings game.
There's a party in Forza Horizon 2, and everyone's invited.
Alien: Isolation harbors legitimate frights, but they're nestled between endless stretches of bland lever-pulling and button-pressing.
Driveclub is a solid, basic racing game with lots of tracks, lots of cars, and very little in the way of personality.
Ryse: Son of Rome is a repetitive and tedious homage to the gruesome battles showcased in the film 300.
Fantasia is an excellent and joyful game that turns rhythm gameplay into performance art.
The Legend of Korra doesn't even come close to capturing the spark of the universe it depicts.
Satisfying combat and a darkly beautiful, interconnected kingdom make Lords of the Fallen more than just a clone.
Dreamfall Chapters' first entry isn't wholly satisfying on its own, but it lays a great and characterful foundation for the episodes to come.
With the entertaining and thematically rich Inquisition, the Dragon Age series returns to its former glory.
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.
Geometry Wars 3 is yet another great game in this dual-stick series that will leave your brain buzzing and your fingers numb.
Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is a nice slice of good, lighthearted fun.