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Styx: Master of Shadows is not a great game and the timing of its launch is somewhat unfortunate as many gamers are probably still enjoying the stealth approach in Shadow of Mordor, but for old school fans of the genre it does offer a solid experience with some nice level design and cool character abilities.
DriveClub is a great racing experience which includes enough content, both single-player and social, to keep fans of the genre occupied for months, especially if they are determined to always be better than their friends.
Chariot is a pretty decent puzzle platformer with stellar visuals but it could've been much more, had it not been for the annoying enemies and the rather difficult task of escorting the coffin through the many different caves. Its design is sound but its pace is grueling and filled with trial and error. Playing with a friend alleviates this somewhat, so bring a buddy if you want to go through the game.
The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is perhaps the best walking simulator I have ever played, dabbling in the occult without being a cheesy ghost story where weird stuff just happens for no reason other than the call of Cthulhu.
Age of Wonders 3: Golden Realms doesn't change the gameplay formula of the base game. Rather, it's a refinement of sorts, with some areas being improved and more choice being afforded to gamers.
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor is a stellar open world action adventure experience that, while borrowing from other, more popular franchises, manages to innovate by leaps and bounds through the Nemesis system, elevating the whole game above its standard story. The combat and exploration are fun, and while the game may seem a bit difficult, don't forget that running away is always a good idea.
Forza Horizon 2 is a great racing game and a very good showcase for the impressive graphics that the Xbox One can deliver.
Ancient Space is a good game that fans of strategy titles will love to spend time with, but it might be too difficult and too limited in terms of content in order to attract new fans to the genre or to serve as a spiritual successor to Homeworld.
Infamous: First Light is a pretty great standalone expansion that manages to deliver a much nicer character than Delsin with more fleshed out powers. Unfortunately, the missions are pretty repetitive and weigh down the experience a fair bit. However, the challenge rooms and the touching story make up for them, to some extent.
If you're looking for a game to tide you over until Civilization: Beyond Earth comes out and pick up Endless Legend, you might be surprised to find yourself lost in its world for much more than just a month.
Defense Grid 2 is a stellar tower defense game that manages to bring back the great recipe of its predecessor, while adding plenty of elements to make it more complex. The co-op and competitive modes are pretty fun but take some time getting used to, while the story campaign is as feature-filled as ever. Bear in mind that the difficulty increases dramatically towards the mid-point of the campaign, so constant improvement is necessary.
Wasteland 2 is a game which appeals to a rather narrowly-defined set of gamers, but seems to deliver all the features and concepts that role-playing post-apocalyptic fans are interested in, which means that it can provide them with hundreds of hours of enjoyment.
Minimum is not going to revolutionize multiplayer shooter design anytime soon, but it manages to offer a unique enough experience, with enough gameplay variety to warrant attention from third-person shooters enthusiasts that want to experience something slightly different.
FIFA 15 feels like it introduces less innovative elements than last year's installment, but the development team at EA Sports knows what its audience wants and manages to improve the core gameplay and the presentation in interesting ways.
Destiny is a great-handling first-person shooter that manages to seamlessly weave multiplayer elements into its campaign. Bungie has managed to craft plenty of great mechanics for the new game, as well as allow for player expression through the RPG skills and customization system.
Velocity 2X is a stellar 2D shooter that blends all sorts of different mechanics in a successful manner. Throw in the gorgeous visuals, the smooth framerate, and the imaginative design, and you have a winner. Sure, the controls take some getting used to and getting high scores requires dedication, but that doesn't weigh the game down all that much.
Hatoful Boyfriend is at times barely a full video game, but at the same time, this is an experience that would be impossible to integrate into any other medium.
Back to Bed is yet another indie video game that comes off as refreshing and brilliant at first, only to succumb a short while later at the hands of poor execution and limited overall vision.
Train Fever is a good game for the passionate crowd and, If I did not have to deal with bigger releases, I could see myself spending more time with it in order to see exactly how higher ground can be negotiated and to make perfect sense of the way goods and city needs interact with one another.
The Sims 4 is a fun experience that certainly takes great steps in improving the core mechanics of the series. The Create-A-Sim and Build Mode systems are much more accessible yet offer a lot of depth for those that desire it. Sims are smart, can multitask, and interact in lots of nifty ways. However, there are still plenty of missing core items while the existing set of options are limited, to say the least, no doubt to ensure that the upcoming expansions bring lots of highly desirable things.