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Styx: Master of Shadows is as pure a stealth game as they come. It forces you to be thoughtful and to observe, and rewards your patience with a satisfying tension that few games can match.
While its online play is far from perfect, Super Smash Bros. 3DS is an impeccably polished package that proudly brings the series back to its best while fearlessly treading new ground. Loaded with content, characters and customization, it's a peerless experience on 3DS. No handheld brawler has any right to be this good, but for Nintendo, we'll look the other way. This is a game you'll be playing for years to come, so what are you waiting for? Get your Smash on.
With systems layered upon systems and a strong focus on narrative, Endless Legend is a deep, compelling strategy game that feels distinct from its contemporaries. Amplitude studios are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with in the 4X market.
Pier Solar HD is a testament to sound game design. Moreover, it's a delightful throwback title that manages to integrate new-age conventions with those that defined a bygone era of gaming so close to many folks' hearts.
Part of a surprisingly strong series, Skylanders Trap Team is arguably the best iteration yet. Although Traps are a way to further increase merchandising, they add both a enjoyable layer of depth to gameplay and a fun new aspect of collectibility that will encourage players to trade/loan their captured villains amongst friends.
Futuridium EP Deluxe is a bland-at-best space-shooter. Without any exciting gameplay hooks, players are left with a product that simply lacks the "fun factor" its colorful visuals would imply it has.
While an excellent step in the right direction and a guaranteed hit among fans, the layperson may find too many faults to enjoy the experience extensively.
A game with the mechanics of both Total War and Sim City can be good, but Stronghold hasn't executed the core mechanics of either well enough to fit the bill. Taking the magic out of an often-fantasy-filled era is not the true crime here; it's that Stronghold fails to improve upon the formula of its previous titles.
Dark Souls II: Crown of the Ivory King is arguably the best of the Lost Crown Trilogy, but it's not without its faults. The main complaint revolves around the conclusion not having a big pay off, despite sinking ten to fifteen hours into the entire set of quests.
Despite a few issues that prevent the game from being a wholly immersive open-world exploratory experience, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter packs an impressive punch. The four to five hour long game's world is aesthetically perfect, the stories are equal parts fascinating and bizarre and it's a hell of a ride from beginning to end.
More than just a great Lord of the Rings game, Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor marks a new era for the franchise that can be enjoyed by fans and the uninitiated alike.
There's an exhausting number of features that have been implemented into Forza Horizon 2. The open world isn't just an empty free roam field to drive through; there's so much stuff packed in that it's a little daunting.
Gauntlet delivers a fun and challenging dungeon crawling experience that manages to avoid repetitiveness. Although it has some minor launch bugs to work through, they are easily overlooked.
Fenix Rage is nothing short of great. It's a worthy entry into an unfortunately short line of hardcore and enjoyable platformers, with great aesthetics and music backed by solid mechanics.
After a serious misstep with NHL 15, FIFA 15 is a leap in the right direction for EA Sports. Shrewdly taking advantage of current-gen's capabilities with added emotional intelligence and improved animations, this is easily the prettiest EA Sports title this year.
Teslagrad combines puzzles and platforming in a way that feels both familiar and new. The Wii U version is the first out of the gate on consoles, and thanks to off-TV play, will likely be the definitive version of it outside of the PC.
The physical quality of the figures have remained outstanding and focusing on Marvel should bring in a whole new group of collectors and gamers alike. It may not revolutionize, but Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes 2.0 Edition firmly establishes the property in the gaming landscape.
D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die is one of the more pleasant surprises of the year. When one hears "bizarre episodic mystery title that uses Kinect," a high-quality product isn't what immediately comes to mind, but that's exactly what D4 is. It feels like a Telltale Game on LSD, which couldn't be more of a compliment. This is a mystery that's hard not to get sucked into, as its "anything goes" logic will leave players wondering what's going to come next. From its insanely quirky characters to its underlying tragedy, D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die is oddity done right.
Lethal League is built on some neat ideas, and its simple mechanics and funky aesthetics make it quite appealing and accessible, but it isn't capable of holding players' interest for long. With few characters and no modes to speak of, there's not enough here to satisfy fighting game aficionados.
There's some room for improvement, but what's here is already easy to recommend to those who like platformers and have an off-beat sense of humor. That aspect shines with the voice acting, which is some of the funniest you'll hear in a game this year.