Five video games you should definitely be playing

With hundreds of games being released every year, there are bound to be a few that slip through the cracks. And as convenient a segue as that was, here is a list of five games that we think you might not have heard about:

5. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number (PC, Mac, PS4, PS3, PS Vita)

The sequel to one of the most popular indie darlings of 2012, Hotline Miami 2 is a deranged, ultra-violent head rush with a killer soundtrack. Hotline Miami 2 takes place before and after the events of the original and features a whole cast of abnormal characters that will keep you entertained throughout. If "David Lynch" ever made a video game, suffice to say it will be something similar to Hotline Miami 2. Turn off the lights, put on your headphones and get ready to waste fools.

4. Her Story (PC, Mac, iOS)

It's best to think of Her Story as a unique interactive experience. It barely fits within the expected norms of what a game should be. The promotional material for Her Story labels it as a video game about a woman talking to the police and that is exactly what is, a series of videos which present a fractured narrative for the player to solve. Her Story is an emotional, humorous ride through an enjoyable storyline. It proves games don't need to dumb themselves down or stick to genre conventions to be entertaining.

3. Ori and the Blind Forest (PC, Xbox One, Xbox 360)

Ori and the blind forest is a classical side-scrolling platformer inspired by the likes of Super Metroid and Castlevania. It is a 2D platformer driven by a unique art style and a fantastic emotional story. The unique art style that the game presents is vivid and brimming with personality. Even at its most difficult, Ori and the blind forest is an engrossing, beautiful gem, stick with it through some of its challenging sections and you are in for a treat.

2. The Fall (PC, Mac, PS4, Wii U, Xbox One)

The Fall is a unique hybrid of a point-and-click adventure with side-scroller action. You take on the role of ARID, an artificial intelligence inside a high tech combat suit. Without spoiling too much, the story tasks you with exploring a derelict, isolated planet. The game will keep you guessing throughout as solve intelligently-designed puzzles that take you one step closer to the fantastic endgame. Play it, you won't be disappointed.

1. The Vanishing of Ethan Carter (PC, PS4)

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter mixes exploration with a fantastic, tense story that will stay with you hours after you finish the game. You play as Paul Prospero, a Detective who can communicate with the dead and has to track down a missing boy in the mysterious Red Creek Valley. The game also has top notch presentation with an amazing soundtrack and a distinct, beautiful art style.