ActionTrip

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor definitely isn't for everyone, but I can almost guarantee that everyone who gives it a shot will find something enjoyable about it, regardless of whether you are a Tolkien fan or not. It perfects the gameplay it emulates, and it opens up an incredible world of forced strategy with the action-adventure genre. I'm sure I don't need to point out how infrequently this happens.

Come to Hyrule Warriors with a Dynasty Warriors mind, or with a fast-paced hack-n-slash mind. Then realize that deep down, you've always wanted to play a Zelda game like this just once. Don't worry, this is just a fun little diversion before the next "real" Zelda game drops on the Wii U.

It still has great potential. Judging from our experience though, it seems that a lot of that potential has been wasted and a great bulk of the game crumbles under the weight of technical issues, which are all packed into a visually outdated game. High quality visuals can be substituted in favor of complex gameplay and fine storytelling. While the atmosphere can be great from time to time, on the whole, we just missed the post-apocalyptic sci-fi flavored ambience that's heavily incorporated into games like Fallout.

I realize that it's going to be hard to fit in yet another game into your hectic fall release schedule, but at least Sherlock Holmes: Crimes & Punishments can be broken up into manageable chunks in between your other gaming sessions. If you're a fan of Sherlock Holmes or mysteries in general, I can't recommend this one enough.

Chances are, if you’ve never picked up a Professor Layton or a Phoenix Wright game, you’ll have little to no interest in this crossover. But for those who have only played one, you’ll find plenty of joy in Professor Layton vs.

Nevertheless, that recommendation comes with a caveat. As much as I enjoyed Anomaly 2, I have a very hard time recommending the console version to anyone. Even this non-PC gamer thinks I would have had a far better time with a keyboard and mouse.

In almost every way Disney Infinity 2.0 earns its sequel badge as it has improved on the original. Disney Infinity 2.0 has improved on level building with in game helps, templates and automation (optional) the ability to download other player's creations, added RPG elements with the ability to level your characters and make them more powerful (including characters from the original game) and added a couple of new gameplay types (which I hope to see more of in the future). While some gamers might dismiss it as a kids title or choose to give it a pass because of the collectible figurine aspect are missing the point. Sandbox games are popular with gamers because of the fun players get to experience due to the freedom they allow. Infinity offers the same sort of freedom of play but does so with a cast of characters that are well loved and instantly recognizable to fans of all ages. The cost for the upgrades might seem as a barrier to entry, which was off putting for me at first but the amount of enjoyment my whole family gets out of the Infinity series has completely erased that concern. Plus who wouldn't want to control and play with the stable of Disney characters? Things will really get interesting when the Star Wars sets hit the market as I am pretty sure the tag team of ObiWan and Stitch will be a force not even the Avengers could compete with.

Well-polished shooter/MMO hybrid with addictive loot hunt properties, great visuals on next gen consoles, fun multiplayer experience with co-op and PvP options; Some dialog cheese, party search and creation could be improved, episodic missions can endlessly be replayed but with long term effect on the world.

Bear in mind that this is more than just another interactive storyline with zombies in it. There are so many different layers to the experience. Weaving your own thread around the main story arch and deciding which characters to support and which to shun makes you feel better than watching top-notch TV shows like Breaking Bad or True Detective. It's almost like you're writing the story yourself and you're right in the middle of it, making all the decisions. It's a sensation few games can match.

The game's one saving grace could be the wealth of content, like items and stuff you can do. That seems irrelevant in a game that has little depth and very few elements that could keep you playing.

Overall, First Light reminded me how much fun it is to spend time in an inFamous game, but I would have preferred a bit more originality with the mini-games and some life in the once vivid game world of Seattle. This standalone prequel is a nice touch for fans of Second Son, but there's absolutely nothing within to entice series newcomers to jump in.

If you have never played any the Metro series, are looking to experience the stories again but with a lot of updates and some new content, or just need a post-apocalyptic fix , this might be the perfect opportunity for you. While the updates did not fix some of the little issues I had with the games, the performance and visual boost go a long way to help minimize them. Metro Redux is available today on all systems.

What's the most amazing to me, aside from forcing myself to think of any flaws and not finding any other than server issues, is how I rarely play a game more than once, yet there's something about Diablo III that just beckons to the very core of my soul. My stack of shame is enormous and continually growing, and yet, I somehow always find a reason to replay Diablo III, whether it's to play with friends, to level my character, or to try out a new class. Diablo III is a nice reminder that sometimes it's nice to simply stay awhile, loot things, and then murder all the things that move.

If it's been awhile since you picked up a Madden game, you might want to give Madden 15 a look. It's definitely grown beyond what most people think of Madden NFL games.

If you're bored out of your mind and you need an RPG fast, well, then stay bored. You don't want to be even more bored. It's probably best to return to games like Diablo 3 and Divinity: Original Sin, both of which offer ten times the content and ten times the fun.

It's amazing how sometimes the simplest of puzzle ideas can turn chaotically complex. Road Not Taken is definitely one of these games; don't let its cutesy art style fool you in the slightest. Or the raccoons. Pro tip: you see a raccoon, find a way to build a fire and make raccoon soup as fast as you can.

I keep finding more and more things to do and work towards in Wildstar that I sometimes find myself torn by what to focus on next. When I attended the media event two months before the game launched Carbine promised that they would be delivering updates and new content regularly. As we enter into the second month post launch they are making good on that promise with their second content drop hitting the servers today meaning even more options for players to get lost in. In short, the game is already getting bigger. Yes it's an MMO, yes it has a lot of the same features or game play we have seen in other titles and yes its so freaking huge you might feel overwhelmed with your options but if you are fan of the genre, but even with the little technical issues currently in the game, you can find no better option than Wildstar.

Suffice it to say, there's absolutely nothing arousing about this game and yet it made me stop surfing for porn – for a bit. I'd call that one hell of an achievement.

Valiant Hearts: The Great War is short, but anything longer would most definitely be padding. The entire package fits well together, and it goes down in my book as one of the best and most complete puzzle games since Portal 2. Before you dip into the doldrums of summer, I can't recommend enough picking up this game first. All I need now is for the soundtrack to be officially released, and my life will be perfect.

Murdered: Soul Suspect is not perfect, but it doesn't deserve most of the criticisms heaped upon it. The game is definitely not for everyone and it's not something I can recommend to each and every gamer out there, especially those who love a challenge or action-heavy gameplay. But for the story gamers out there, here is your own personal gaming paradise.