Polygon

The Swapper is a slow and thoughtful game unnervingly fixated on its gratuitous death toll. It's a puzzle game that asks you to consider your actions, both literally and mentally — what they did and what they cost. It is the space marine shooter inverted. Its antagonists are immobile, talkative rocks; its environment is static and action-free; its sole weapon only kills you. And The Swapper is a fantastic puzzle game because its best riddles are the ones that can't be solved.

Then again, in many ways New Super Luigi U seems to be missing the point of what has made Mario games so beloved for so long. At their best, Mario games are always showing off something new; New Super Luigi U is a faster, more hectic ride through things we've seen before. This was supposed to be Luigi's big chance for the spotlight, but he's once again settled for playing second fiddle to his brother's adventures.

The early-game blow-up doll left me with low expectations for Deadpool. But High Moon surprised me with competent action and better-than average storytelling, and even Deadpool himself grew on me, despite his dumber-than-dirt antics. Amid some aggravating glitches, sometimes-repetitive mechanics and an unwelcome late-game difficulty spike, the game isn't really superhero material.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing started as a pleasant surprise with a unique take on the genre, but broken multiplayer, boring loot and stunted character progression lead to disappointment. The original setting and folklore-heavy background have a lot of potential, but the game gives up halfway through, content with repeating same-y areas and no longer building on the mechanics. There's nothing very incredible about that.

The combination of so many disparate mechanics — tower defense, melee, physics puzzler, construction, etc. — sounds awkward on paper. It's a credit to Zen Studios' skill thatCastlestormfeels like a cohesive whole. Despite the inane story, Castlestorm's well-balanced systems and mechanics make for an enjoyable — and memorable — twist on genres.

Gunpoint isn't a long game - for $10, it doesn't have to be - but it's a delightfully lean experience. From the mechanics to the artistic direction, any trace of bloat has been done away with (if it was ever there to begin with). As mainstream games continue to balloon in budget and feature sets, Gunpoint is a bracing reminder of how lovely simplicity, when exquisitely executed, can be.

Near the end of the game, one of Zeno Clash 2's characters comments on a broken clock: "This thing hasn't given the right time in centuries, but I like how it has its own rhythm." I couldn't put it any better. Zeno Clash 2 is frustrating in its failure to capitalize on its own potential. It crafts a wonderful, weird, engaging world but wastes most of your time in it.

There are hints of a nuanced message in The Last of Us, but convention wins out too often to easily find them. Naughty Dog commits to a somber tone that affects every piece of the game for better and worse. It achieves incredible emotional high points about as often as it bumps up against tired scenario design that doesn't fit its world. Survival in the post-apocalypse requires compromise, but The Last of Us has given up something vital.

My impulse is to excuse State of Decay's problems in light of everything it does well. By tying so many systems together with tough choices and the constant spectre of death hanging over it, Undead Labs has created something singular. Small complaints notwithstanding, State of Decay is one of the most cohesive, terrifying and engaging open-world games I've ever played.

Other western games may better capture the grandeur of the American West, but pure, outlandish spaghetti western gunfights have never been more thrilling than they are in Call of Juarez: Gunslinger. Let's just hope this marks an exciting new direction for the franchise and not yet another outlier in its ever more schizophrenic history.