8.5 out of 10 Review

Frictional's SOMA utilizes the same style of gameplay set in the gorgeous, dangerous and terrifying setting of PATHOS-II. Fortunately, SOMA's path through darkness is a gorgeous and thought-provoking one, and it's in these thoughts where its true sense of horror resides.

By now, we all know how slasher movies go. The blonde girl gets killed first, the black guy doesn’t last much longer, and only the Last Girl (and possibly her male love interest) lives long enough to see the credits roll. Why? Because these characters tend to make very bad decisions, and never seem to realize just what kind of movie they’re caught in. But you, dear player, you know better. You’d get everyone to the end of that slasher movie without breaking a sweat. Now’s your chance to put your blood money where your dismembered mouth used to be in Supermassive Games’ Until Dawn.

Competitive platforming has always been one of the weaker spots in my gaming repertoire. I'm a major spaz, and often my twitch reflexes guide me down the nearest endless shaft of doom or into a wall of spikes instead of keeping me out of harm's way. That doesn't mean I avoid games like Rayman Origins or New Super Mario Bros. all together, though. Quite the opposite in fact, as I just can't seem to keep myself away from these kinds of games. That's part of the reason I found myself awaiting the release of 13AM Games' Runbow. The other parts have to do with the frantic nine-player multiplayer action and that sweet visual aesthetic.

After getting a gritty makeover, the Lancer-revving COGs are back in full force in Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. This debut project of The Coalition (formerly Black Tusk Studios) brings Marcus Fenix and his muscle-bound brothers in arms over to the Xbox One after three excellent entries on the Xbox 360 (and Judgment). The Coalition have completely rebuilt the original 2006 Gears of War title from the ground-up in order to hold fans over until the late 2016 (or beyond) release of Gears of War 4.

Sam Barlow, known for writing and developing Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, has returned with the unique investigation title, Her Story, and it's unlike anything I've ever encountered in all my years of gaming. Her Story takes us back to the '90s, where full motion video was a niche technique used in helping games come to life. Barlow has put together a well-written, true-crime-style detective game where you must revisit the past and investigate an old missing persons case from 1994.

"Sons of Winter" makes you feel almost as if the Forresters might find a way out of the darkness. Which has us incredibly worried about their future.

If this is Nintendo's idea of what a multiplayer shooter should be, then I'm not about to argue with them.

Galactic Civilizations III neatly follows the path set by its predecessor, setting you up as the leader of a race of alien (or not-so alien) beings who are trying to thrive and survive in any way possible.

This cyberpunk, action-RPG, side-scroller is a proficiently pleasing adventure that does well to capture some of the best of new and old ideas and blends them into a balanced cocktail that will have you coming back for more.

Invisible, Inc. is Klei’s latest stealth offering and is arguably a much more difficult and demanding experience than anything Klei has made thus far.