Grand Theft Auto 5: It would not be a game review without GTA. The game series that has spawned five different games does not skimp on its PC version. Originally for console, the PC version has high resolution texture and a first person view. Wildlife and more traffic in the fictional Los Santos, a city similar to Los Angeles, gives the player countless of time to explore the new area and practice skills necessary to advance. GTA’s online version also has a multiplayer mode and other modes as well. GTA is a great mix of storytelling and missions as the different protagonists try to score the biggest heist of all.

No Man’s Sky: As a relatively new game, No Man’s Sky continues the  expand on the genre of  space video games. But this game has a slight edge. While the dazzling graphic design, with its fluorescent, bold colors and space background, might be a highlight, the real bang of this game is that it is constantly adapting. With possibly hundreds of planets to explore, the coding of the game constantly changes as each player goes through the planets and universes. There are worlds that have most likely never been explored until a player has stepped onto that planet. Collect resources, trade and fight for survival but also wander around aimlessly through these magnificent and imaginative world.

For the traditional console gamer, several games have come out in 2014 that will leave you playing for hours in 2015.

Super Smash Bros. : This Wii game is  very nostalgic. The graphics are easy on the eyes without overloading the player with too much to focus on and don’t have the awkward lagging glitch that some of the older versions of this game had.. The new eight player mode, while some might say is excessive, is definitely an interesting feature that becomes more enjoyable as you play on. With some tricky levels, this game has a high replayability score.Super Smash Bros builds off of the previous history of the franchise with its characters but that shouldn’t scare off new gamers. Rather than  focusing so much plot on the past history Super Smash Bros builds onto its history. With that being said, cameos from Mega Man, Pac Man,Captain Falcon and others is a treat for those that have been playing for years.

The Walking Dead : Season 2: Based on popular TV show, The Walking Dead, Season 2 is a stark contrast from its first game. Focused more heavily on the storytelling and character development rather than the action scenes, this game really delves into the history of the characters. While this game seems to initially lack consequences for individual and seemingly minute actions that is not necessarily the case. Ever changing depending on how the characters are treated and which path the player takes, Clementine and the gang’s epic dialogue and story takes a different ending. Ultimately this is not a game for those looking for acrobatics or overly drawn out fight scenes, but for those looking for a good character development game.

World of Warcraft Warlords of Draenor: This would not be a review of console games without one of the originals. Showing that games can have a staying power of more than their expected 1-2 year shelf life,WOW has come back possibly greater than before. While the main goal is still to decimate the Orcs, the fun and playful nature of this game resonates for new and old fans. Although at some points of the game there are individual based sequences, multiplayer still remains supreme in this game.WOW remains an enjoyable and lighthearted action game with a rich history.

The Elders Scroll 5 : Skyrim: The newest version of this game series is a stark contrast compared to its previous installments. While there is less focus on overly dramatic action sequences that does not mean that the game has been simplified. While this new version lacks some of its previous skill requirement to complete different tasks, it does build more useful skills that will be required later throughout the game. Skyrim also allows players to test the waters with different characters and tools until they are ready to make the final decision on who they want to continue playing as. Also, several minute characters, such as the simple shop keeper, are very interactive with the characters and will respond to everything. However one of the biggest surprises was the graphics. While in this day we expect nothing but the best, the hyperrealism graphics offered in Skyrim offer nothing but the best.