The removal of the auction house, the improved Loot 2.0 system, and Reaper of Souls have put the action RPG franchise back on the right track. Reaper of Souls isn't going to draw in gamers who have never enjoyed the hack-and-slash franchise, but it does deliver nearly every improvement that the community called out for after the launch of Diablo 3. If you are (or ever were) a Diablo fan, Reaper of Souls is plenty worth the $40 price tag.
Blackgate is a playthrough for die-hard Batman fans, but not necessarily for die-hard Arkham fans. The combat is definitely fun when running into a large squad of minions to take out and we wish that the game would have embraced the arcadey tradition of side-scrollers and offered more opportunities to punch, kick, and counter our way through foot soldiers.
'Heavy Bullets' delivers a nostalgic arcade-style shooter with an engaging, unique mechanic, but is a little too repetitive for comfort.
'Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor' combines familiar combat tricks and trademark Tolkien scenery with a unique Nemesis system to deliver one of the best new-gen experiences of the year.
If the idea of Project Spark interests you, it's absolutely worth checking out.
'Lords of the Fallen' attempts to put a fresh spin on the 'Dark Souls' system by turning down the difficulty and turning up the cutting-edge graphics.
After a less than impressive beta, 'World of Warcraft' wins us over with Warlords of Draenor's' engrossing orc-centric story.
'Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft' provides endless hours digital card entertainment with familiar Blizzard lore and mechanics at a price that is as cheap as you want it to be.
Despite the shortcomings of the multiplayer mode and the sequel's disappointing narrative, the Homeworld Remastered collection is a must-purchase for any fans of the RTS genre. The HD upgrade makes the already-addicting game even more beautiful and engaging, and the unique 3D combat and navigation bring something to the table that is still drastically different from the vast majority of other RTS games available.
'Ori and the Blind Forest' may only pack about ten hours of gameplay, but the 2D platformer offers a touching story, beautiful hand-drawn art, and challenging puzzles.
'Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones' makes the leap to cross-platform and delivers some incredibly challenging platforming puzzles along with a great sense of humor.
'Titan Souls' offers an enjoyable torture as players take a series of incredibly difficult Titan boss fights with limited mechanics and only a single arrow.
The original game remains untouched and is still as challenging and addicting as ever, but consumers looking for something new won't find it here. The game's throwback sound and graphics look fantastic on the PS4 and the Xbox One, but obviously a game built around the 8-bit aesthetic doesn't benefit from a current-gen remake the way something like The Last of Us or Grand Theft Auto 5 is able to.
'Color Guardians' may lack a compelling story and world, but the game's unique and challenging spin on the endless runner make it worth checking out for gamers of any age.
'Project Cars' provides one of the most realistic and addicting racing simulations that we've ever played, but may lose many gamers due to its lack of tutorials and basic training.
'Heroes of the Storm' steals the best parts of existing MOBAs, adds some new tricks, and throws in a recognizable cast of Blizzard characters to make an insanely fun and addicting PC arena brawler.
Whispering Willows is a supernatural puzzle-adventure game that sucks players in with its beautiful hand-drawn style and mystery, but doesn't bring anything too new to the genre.
Pneuma: Breath of Life is a first-person puzzle platformer that offers an interesting mechanic, all while beating gamers over the head with a philosophical voice over.
Q.U.B.E. Director's Cut offers an intense narrative and a unique puzzle-solving mechanic that will entertain players as they attempt to save the world.
Even without any engaging mechanics (mostly walking around listening and interacting), Everybody's Gone to the Rapture's world is incredibly engrossing.