When I first laid eyes on Game Dev Tycoon, I thought it was nothing more than a cheap knock-off of Kairosoft’s Game Dev Story on iOS. While Game Dev Tycoon may not be an exact rip-off of Kairosoft’s offering, it isn’t exactly new faire and will have difficulty breaking ground with non-gamers, but will be an addictive casual sim for gamers that want to try their hand at game development with the few clicks of a mouse.

With the upcoming release of J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Into Darkness, I purchased Digital Extremes’ and Namco Bandai’s Star Trek: The Video Game to tide me over. And it did, for about an hour. Unfortunately, all of the initial luster and promise of the game — the stealth, innovative co-op, the unique story that’s canon to the Abrams Star Trek world — just sort of squeaks into oblivion like the air out of a leaky balloon.

I know better than to assume a movie tie-in type of video game is going to be stellar, but I wasn’t expected the slow sludge of combat and the totally un-Roddenberry alien killing.

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The nature of mastering a trade is gained through extensive labor of the mind or physical body and accomplished in the spirit of dedication, love, and challenge. Video games are judged by the standard of artistic value in terms of entertainment, ability to invoke emotion, and/or innovative technological advancements. The central difference between video gaming and other entertainment mediums like music, television, or cinema, is that they are interactive, creating deeper synergy with the user. Therefore, as video games evolve, so too does their ability to affect users and craft a remarkable experience.

BioShock Infinite is the apex of our time in how video gaming is an art in and of itself.

As the latest in the ever-evolving Castlevania series, MercurySteam’s Castlevania: Lords of Shadow – Mirror of Fate is a comfortable compromise between the 2D platforming of old and flashy modern combat.

No, it doesn’t play like the old handheld Castlevania games. It also lacks the cinematic flash and freer movement of the 2010 reboot Lords of Shadow. But as a new opportunity from publisher Konami to wield a virtual whip against the undead, Mirror of Fate is a blast.

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In Greek lore, there is no shortage of brutal violence, shameless lust, familial betrayal, and an assertion of power. This set a pristine backdrop for the original God of War (2005) and its simplistic yet near-impossible task of killing a God. Players received a superb tale elevated by an orchestral score thumping with chants and gameplay translating the rage of its one-dimensional protagonist, Kratos. The installment was a commercial and critical hit that spun a superb sequel, God of War 2 (2007), that escalated the grandeur of its predecessor.

Now, 6 years later with two titles featured on the PlayStation Portable (PSP), GoW: Chains of Olympus & GoW: Ghost of Sparda, one mobile title, GoW: Betrayal, and a PlayStation 3 entry, God of War 3, we’re given yet another foray to Kratos’ perils in God of War: Ascension.

Unsheathe your Blades of Chaos, hit the break and let’s see if Ascension is worth the trip.

If you’re looking for a challenging dungeon crawler with killer kangaroos, travel by airship, JRPG combat, and old-fashioned map drawing, Atlus’s Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan is a winner. And as the latest in a series known for its difficulty, it’s more accessible without changing the overall tone or the retro gameplay.

You begin as an explorer in Tharsis, taking up the Count’s challenge to uncover the secrets of the mysterious Yggdrasil tree. After putting together a five-person guild, the game tosses you a few skill points as a metaphorical push and plunks you in the middle of a dangerous world. To enjoy its adventures, you’ll need a passion for the traditional JRPG battle system, a love of exploration, and perseverance.

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Lara Croft hit hard times as Eidos slowly fell over the past several years. While the series continued to produce modest hits, Lara’s name became barely relevant and she was demoted to the B-list of gaming. But Square Enix and Crystal Dynamics had a plan to reboot the franchise and find ourselves a new hero built on the foundations of the old pin-up action star. 

Tomb Raider is a monumental step forward for action gaming. With a well-polished adventure that refreshingly stars an empowered woman who kicks ass, Lara is back and is better than ever before.

Some games take their time finding their stride. Some are just dumb fun, and even though you know they’re not masterpieces, you almost enjoy turning off your brain for a while and getting into the action. Aliens: Colonial Marines is one of these games.

Developed by Gearbox and published by Sega, Aliens: Colonial Marines has you control Cpl. Christopher Winter, a Marine sent as part of a squad to investigate a distress call from the USS Sulaco. Upon arrival, it becomes clear that xenomorphs have infested the ship and wiped out nearly everyone on board.

The first three missions are easily the shakiest, but is it worth pressing on to more intense action?

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Visceral Games did just about everything right two years ago with Dead Space 2, garnering critical success and solid sales. Now fast-forward to 2013 where Dead Space seemed primed to take hold of the horror genre for good after Capcom’s stumbling effort of Resident Evil 6 and Silent Hill becoming a shadow of its former glory.

While Dead Space 3 is another solid effort by Visceral, it fails to capture many of the successes of the previous game due to a number of dramatic design changes that take out most of the delightful scares of the past.

Metal Gear is the widely venerable series that carries many distinctions: its psuedo-realism comprehensive story, memorable-if-one-dimensional characters and tight gameplay set in tactical espionage action. Its true calling came in 1998 with Metal Gear Solid for the original PlayStation that set new benchmarks in terms of storytelling, and pushed console hardware architecture, and corroborated a unique mythology loosely explored in its 8-bit counterparts (Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake). Since then, each proceeding title underwent significant creative risks in the effort of creating a better game.

While Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots fulfilled the tremendous task of completing the Solid mythos, the world created by Hideo Kojima carries many stories.

Enter Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

Hit the break to see if Revengeance can stand on its own two cybernetic legs.

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Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is the type of gaming experience that is bathed in visceral value and nostalgic cringing. The first relates to its bountiful, stylistic, and sheer gorgeous aesthetics that entrance the player. The second strikes at the heart of all players who grew up with Japanese RPGS like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy. However, these can resonate only so deep for players new and old. To understand if Ni No Kuni will strive through time is a question of what is at the center of its brain and heart.

Curious how anatomy plays into this JRPG? Hit the break for the full review.

DmC: Devil May Cry oozes attitude, with a younger Dante and some of the most stylish hack ‘n’ slash action of any video game I’ve ever played. Combine that with a swaggering sense of humor — evidenced early in the game, in ridiculous slow motion, as Dante leaps sideways into his clothes on his way to fight demons — and you’ve got a treasure that’s enough to make you giddy to be a gamer.

As a Devil May Cry title, DmC is definitely a reboot, infused with a new level of snark and a more modern setting. But longtime fans can take heart knowing that the breathless combat is as challenging as ever, if only you crank up the difficulty.

When gamers first got a glimpse at Far Cry 3 in action at E3, it looked too good to be true. The prospect of vicious combat, an intense story and living, breathing wildlife seemed like a pipe-dream considering the issues that plagued Far Cry 2.

As surprising at it may seem, Ubisoft Montreal has delivered a game that not just meets the hype of six months ago, but largely exceeds them. The best way to describe Far Cry 3 is to say that it’s a hypnotizing experience absent from reality, straddling the line between madness and beauty, existing to show us the allure of power, ferocity, and insanity.

The PlayStation was released worldwide December 1994; that’s 18 years worth of history surrounding gaming culture, renown franchises, and 3 console generations. As with Super Smash Bros. celebrating and glorifying all touch points connected to Nintendo, it shouldn’t be surprising Sony would create their own branded title. But PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale carries obvious similarities with Super Smash Bros. and only one question remains: Is this worth gamers’ time?

Hit the break and let’s duke out the answers!

After the 2006 launch of Nintendo’s Wii, everyone around the gaming world thought the console had brought gaming to the masses and infiltrated homes the world over. But when the craze was over and the dust settled, publishers and developers realized the difficult truth that while people owned Wiis, nobody purchased games for it.

Fast-forward to 2012 and Nintendo’s newest innovation, the Wii U. Sporting a wireless 6-inch touchscreen, HD hardware and third-party support, can Nintendo regain the confidence of hardcore and casual gamers again, or is their console too little, too late?