Lightning Returns is a game that few of us held any enthusiasm for. Some of us haven't played the entirety of Final Fantasy XIII and its sequel, while others have but found them lacking. Those of us who genuinely enjoyed the first two-thirds of the Fabula Nova Crystallis trilogy knew that Lightning Returns had potential, but what we didn't expect was for our entire staff to come away from the game with such positive impressions. Every single person who gave the demo a try was enthralled by the game's satisfyingly responsive combat and slick presentation. We exchanged optimistic comments about Lightning Returns throughout the entire show, and came back to play it several times, which bodes well considering the abundance of excellent games on display this year. It's not often that an established series can lure in disinterested veterans and curious newcomers with such finesse. Square Enix appears to be on the up-and-up, and we're eager to find out if Lightning's "return" will coincide with the ailing company's return to form. Based on what we've seen, the forecast is sunny — with a chance of Lightning.

Writeup by Derek Heemsbergen

As the "gaming as art" debate marches on, games that aid and impede the claim that video games are, in fact, art are constantly being developed and released. In recent memory, no game better supports this argument than Supergiant Games' Transistor — and we only played an unfinished demo. The method of storytelling, art direction, sound and music, and sheer atmosphere scream something akin to Sin City. While the indie community houses its fair share of literati a little too enamored with abstraction, several attempt to tell a meaningful tale matched with engrossing gameplay; Transistor serves as a leading example of just that. Whether you're in gaming to just have fun, be challenged, or escape into a nigh-tactile world, we have no doubt that Transistor will satiate.

Writeup by Bob Richardson

The gaming world is not exactly lacking in Disgaea titles, but what it is missing is a wealth of Strategy RPGs. While it would be easy for NIS to crank out yearly updates with marginal updates like everyone's favorite assassin series, Disgaea D2 looks to bring enough new features to the table to make us gaze longingly across the room. Series staples like the Item World and Dark Assembly are here, and for long-time fans of Disgaea, D2 reunites Laharl, Etna, and Flonne.

New features are plentiful: HD artwork, animated backgrounds, in-battle dialogues, character affinity levels, the skill-sharing Master/Pupil system, a revamped character creation system, monster riding, and more. Clearly, the most exciting new feature is, of course, the head-bashing or creature-summoning book weapon. There's no shortage of wackiness in Disgaea D2, and that's why we adore it, isn't it?

Writeup by Mike Salbato

The Dark Eye: Chains of Satinav was a stellar adventure game, with its gorgeous visuals, engaging story and characters, and great point-and-click gameplay. The burden of impressing us twice was on developer Daedalic, and they absolutely did. At first glance, Memoria is somehow even more impressive than its predecessor. Mystifying environments full of details and lush animation, an expansion on the magical powers that were a crux of the original's brain-teasers, and a fascinating story told across two time periods have us eagerly awaiting the release of Memoria, and it absolutely stole the show in terms of adventure games at E3.

Writeup by Stephen Meyerink

What a delightful surprise A Realm Reborn has turned out to be. This once-maligned MMORPG has risen from the ashes with flair and panache, thanks in large part to director Naoki "Phoenix Down" Yoshida. Even the most MMO-phobic members of our staff came away delighted with the stylish reinvention of Final Fantasy XIV. As several of us fought for our lives against the fiery Primal Ifrit (and won!), we found ourselves enamored with the game's beautiful presentation and strategic combat. It may not completely reinvent the MMORPG wheel, but with the tremendous legacy of Final Fantasy behind it, A Realm Reborn is likely to enrapture many of us when it launches in a few short months. Honestly, Square Enix? You had us at Magitek Armor.

Writeup by Derek Heemsbergen

Geralt's latest and last adventure seeks to reinvent the open-world RPG in a way The Elder Scrolls never has, and after the presentation at CD Projekt RED's booth, we are believers. The developers have already proven that they can create a fantastic world full of compelling drama and exciting combat, but Wild Hunt looks to be more than a mere expansion on those ideas. Everything is bigger, yes, but also more intense, more developed, honed, tight, and sharpened to the keenness of a witcher's silver blade. We can't wait to battle monsters both human and inhuman, traverse gorgeous landscapes full of absurd natural detail, and find Geralt's lost love. Just give us a release date so we can take off work and set aside a good 100 hours in which to experience the end of a legend.

Writeup by Kyle E. Miller