Shovel Knight is, at the risk of repetition, brilliant, beautiful stuff. "Retro" may not be the right word to describe it. It is fun not because it evokes memories of 1989, but because it is self sufficiently excellent, here, today, in 2014. It rises to levels of technical and artistic achievement not often seen in the industry, and it has done so within a strict 8-bit structure. If Yacht Club can keep up this kind of quality and creativity, they have a long, productive future ahead of them. Here's hoping so, and here's hoping for more games as good as Shovel Knight.
Everything Deus Ex: The Fall does is done infinitely better in Human Revolution. Which begs the question, why not just play Human Revolution? After all, it's not like The Fall has a compelling story (spoilers: it ends on a cliffhanger, urging players to stay tuned for the next pay-for episode). Ultimately, Deus Ex: The Fall can only be recommended to one group of gamers: those who must consume anything related to Deus Ex. Everyone else should feel free to give it a miss.
Cubed3 has no problem recommending Constant C to platforming fans. Anyone who enjoyed a game such as Stealth Bastard will find plenty to love in Constant C. Fans of games with heavily physics-based puzzles will definitely be pleased. Indie fans and platforming fans will find a game that performs above its class, though not in the heavy weight division with the likes of Mario, Rayman, or even Super Meat Boy. Still, at $10, Constant C is an enjoyable experience and an easy recommend.
Blackguards is not not being recommended. In fact, it is being recommended. However, it is only being recommended to the right people. Those people are the true hardcore RPG fanatics - people who will put up with sadistic combat scenarios that will cause most other gamers to quit and load up something a little less painful.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance is not perfect. There are times the irreverent take on "Metal Gear" is just a little too irreverent. There are characters and lines of dialogue that one could do without. There are a handful of encounters that jump up and down on the "cheap and unfair" line in a way that The Wonderful 101 never does. And there are some cut-scenes that go on a bit long. However, the first time one slow motion flips in the air and slices an enemy in half with a Zandatsu, grabs his cyborg spine and smashes it for precious energy juice, it's obvious that these are very minor issues in a very good and highly recommended game.
The Banner Saga is a very good game with some obvious flaws. Some are due to budget, some are due to poor design. That doesn't stop the game from being fun, although it can make it occasionally frustrating. Still, it's worth playing and seeing and hearing.