Matt Buckley
If you're new to Shadowrun Returns, skip the initial release and start with Dragonfall Director's Cut. Nearly every aspect of the Dragonfall campaign is superior to Dead Man's Switch, and there's far more to be excited about than afraid of. When backers were so eager to offer their support for Harebrained Schemes' Kickstarter campaign, Dragonfall Director's Cut is the game that made the investments pay off.
The Walking Dead Season 2's gripping tale of growing up in a hostile environment might not be the instant classic that Season 1 was, but it still belongs in the library of any adventure game fan.
While Theatrhythm Final Fantasy was a great tribute to the franchise's music, Curtain Call goes the extra mile with tons of additional content to become the definitive game in the series.
The early hours of CounterSpy's stylish combo of stealth and shooting are worth a playthrough, but after it leaves its sneakiness behind, it's a sub-par cover shooter that's half as fun.
Broken Age is charming, attractive, funny, and all-around entertaining. For fans of adventure games, it leaves little to be desired short of its second act. If that meets the standard set by the currently playable bit, Double Fine looks to have dropped a classic in its wake. Regardless, the experience of Act 1 is enough to recommend outright — don't hesitate to add this title to your library.
The papercraft world of Tearaway is full of beautiful landscapes, charming characters, and creative gameplay, but it also seamlessly melds with the “real” world in unprecedented fashion. Upon completion, it will feel like your own story, different from anyone else’s. The conclusion is simple: no PlayStation Vita game collection is complete without this title.
Killzone: Shadow Fall offers up incredible presentation and a better-than-average campaign narrative that's unfortunately more boring to play than it should be. The exciting multiplayer mode injects some greatness into an ultimately good game.
More than just fan service, The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds is a modern approach to the world established by the 1991 SNES adventure, A Link to the Past. Traverse the same overworld to uncover a brand new system of delightful dungeons — a familiar formula injected with fresh abilities and mechanics. This homage to a classic is itself an instant classic on the Nintendo 3DS.
XCOM: Enemy Within takes an already excellent game and makes it bigger and better. The addition of Meld, Gene Mods, Cybersuits, and the EXALT faction creates a wholly new experience -- a must-have for fans of the core title.
It's frustrating to see the same developer who gave us the decent campaigns of the Bad Company games continue to fall flat with the story modes in the core titles. But while it feels as if DICE is standing still while the industry passes them by in terms of single-player experiences, they continue to innovate and raise the bar for multiplayer warfare. With new game modes, an enhanced interface, evolving maps, and greatly improved small-scale battles, Battlefield 4 continues the franchise's trend of setting the standard for the squad-based multiplayer shooter.
Whether you're a rabid fan of platforming games or you've grown disillusioned with them over the years, Rayman Legends has the charm and gameplay to leave you enthralled.