World War Z: GOTY Edition has everything it needs to be a compelling AA darling: multiple engaging game modes, a solid progression loop, a well polished core gimmick, and competent sound and weapon design. But, much like its standout zombie swarms, the myriad amount of bugs can prove too much to handle.

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 4 continues the momentum from the previous episode in true Telltale fashion. Many of the series flaws remain, but many more have been fixed. The accelerated pace of the narrative really helps here as well, with the story of the Wither Storm coming to a close in both fun and surprisingly dramatic ways.

Exoprimal has fantastic PvE content and an intriguing story, but its focus on competitive modes hurts its attractiveness to newcomers, and its lack of offline capabilities might eventually kill the game entirely. It has the potential to be so much more, but such a high-profile title shouldn't have to rely on potential alone. Capcom should take steps to ensure more players can enjoy Exoprimal to its fullest — and to ensure all players won't be left without a game to enjoy after its services end.

Battlefield 2042 feels like a game made specifically for Battlefield fans. Multiplayer is fast-paced and chaotic, and while new modes like Hazard Zone and Portal are a mixed bag, they provide an excellent foundation for the game to build on going forward.

Oninaki proves that Tokyo RPG Factory is not simply built on nostalgia and definitely has the chops to make a captivating modern RPG.

My Hero One’s Justice takes the essence of the source material and wraps it into an enjoyable package. This is by no means the definitive "My Hero Academia" experience a fan might have been hoping for, but it's still a fun one.

The Masterplan is an open-ended heist game that is genuinely fun to play. It has some teething issues, but with continued support from its developers it can only go from strength to strength.

While a robust digivolution system features plenty of layers to explore while raising your partner Digimon in a very faithful follow-up to the original, the lackluster battle system may hinder newcomers to the franchise from really enjoying Digimon World: Next Order.

While the gameplay in Senran Kagura: Estival Versus can grow repetitive after awhile, the series' signature humor is present while new features like the bombshells and creative finishers help to shake it up just enough to make the game feel like a natural progression and what the series should strive to be moving forward.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of the Black Water is a game that horror fans will want to love, but will end up causing frustration due to broken controls and an annoying mission structure. The scares are still there though, if you can forgive the other mistakes.

Gust has decided to try something a little different in the spinoff Nelke & The Legendary Alchemists: Ateliers of the New World, but it is still a worthy entry in the series for its unique town building elements and ability to maintain the low key type of experience that fans will find familiar.

Fallout 4 is set to have a ton of great DLC, and Automatron is a good, if not perfect start. Building your own robot is fun, and leads to tons of hours of scavenging and collecting. The quest is also much longer than expected, though it does begin to feel stale after a while. Overall, this is a good start to what could become a great suite of DLC.

Sniper Ghost Warrior: Contracts' potential feels wasted on missions and objectives that have you putting the rifle down and trying your luck with the game's lesser systems.

Gotham Knights does a spectacular job of creating a world that’s fun to explore and learn more about, but not without its technical faults.

It may not be the best hack ‘n’ slash game on the market, but Nights of Azure does enough right to warrant checking it out.

A small helping of issues are not enough to derail Nerve, though they do keep it from greatness. What's on offer is worth playing if you're a fan of games that encourage "one more attempt", though there will be moments you'll walk away more annoyed than satisfied. The lurid, psychedelic art style and pumping soundtrack nearly elevate Nerve to similar heights as its inspirations, but it'll need a little more tuning under the hood before it reaches those same lofty precipices.

The graphics and voice acting totally put you into the world of the show, and even offers some decent gameplay, if you're new to VR. For non-fans and VR veterans there's simply not enough here to warrant a full recommendation. You'll get a fun hour or so out of the game, but it's not offering much new outside of being set in the Voltron universe.

Despite the fact that Turok doesn't gel with the standards of today's first-person shooters, it nonetheless serves as a great nostalgia trip with retro gameplay that is delightfully old-school.

Shining Resonance Refrain might be outclassed by modern JRPGs, but if you judge it on it's own merits, you'll quickly find that there is a lot to enjoy.

A worthy followup to the Wii cult classics, Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a fun and action-packed hack-and-slash adventure, when it isn't getting in its own way.

2K21 is another solid entry in the series that builds upon the great gameplay strides of the last few years. Visual Concepts has some fires to put out and hopefully that happens sooner rather than later so fans can get on to enjoying the grind.

With some better combat choices and animation this could have been a revolutionary release from 13AM Games, but even without that lofty goal it's a definite safe buy for anyone wanting a great new platformer.

Fated: The Silent Oath is unique among the current slate of VR games, in that it has an engaging story and a fully realized world. However, the short time spent in this world could be vastly improved in many ways. Those who have a VR headset and want to see how a traditional story-based experience could work should be intrigued, but others might want to skip this adventure.

The Blair Witch franchise has never been able to capture the magic of the original movie in the years since, but this may be the closest attempt yet thanks to the effective use of the a psychological focused story and gameplay that feels fairly fresh within the horror genre.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse is definitely the best Dragon Ball game in years, though certainly not without its flaws, which shakes up the typical formula and is bound to shape the future of the series.

The dark side wins out here, as good as Star Wars: Battlefront 2 is in so many areas it just can't overcome the aggressive, anti-consumer practices that are on display in their most egregious form to date in a $60 game.

Though Nights of Azure 2 feels more like a sidegrade than a definitive step-up at times, some of its new and revised features still allow it to feel like a genuinely new experience that fans of the genre are sure to enjoy.

Rust Console Edition is a vastly inferior version of the game being sold at a higher price.

Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer misses the high mark set by the main series. Taking one aspect of the game and making it the focus helps improve the mechanics, but the end result is far less enjoyable as it removes many of the things that made AC so unique.

While there were moments I genuinely enjoyed solving Guayota’s puzzles, these are often overshadowed by design choices that end up hindering fun instead fostering it.

While the game may not be anything near the visual showcase that the original game was for the PS4 itself, Driveclub VR is one game that gives a glimpse at the potential of VR racing and needs to at least be tried by any PSVR owner.

While it may have a few flaws, Biomutant is a great game that reminds of a simpler time for video games.

While the combat and variety of game modes can be a lot of fun, along with beautiful cel-shaded cutscenes that recreate the fan favorite Paramount War arc, jumping into a story that takes place more than halfway into the nearly 750 episode anime series makes One Piece: Burning Blood one that might be best left to just the most hardcore fans.

Blue Reflection is lacking in a few areas, but it still has enough going for it to offer an overall enjoyable experience that fans of the magical girl sub genre will enjoy.

Along with the usual technical problems, The Walking Dead: Michonne Episode 2 'Give No Shelter' adds on many issues of its own. At just over an hour, the episode is woefully short, but the story isn't even engaging enough to make it worthwhile for that short amount of time.

Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy is a member of the all too uncommon first-person dungeon crawler club, and while it may be very complicated, it also offers an addictive experience for on-the-go that is bound to be enjoyable for fans of the genre.

The complete lack of context and non-existent story give you nothing to latch on to. The variety of puzzles found in the game don’t have much replay value, and even on the first go round, the more ambitious ones can certainly frustrate.

An overpriced package that offers little new content, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers isn't a marvelous return for this venerable series. Being mobile is great, and the game looks good, but everything else about this release is skippable for all but the most die hard SF fans.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk doesn't capitalize on the Dynasty Warriors formula as well as it could have, but its incredibly dark and engaging narrative makes it a unique experience. Dynasty Warriors fans will likely be satisfied with what it has to offer in the gameplay department, but if you're tired of that particular brand of hack 'n' slash then this will do little to change your mind.

Marvel's Avengers is not particularly great at any one thing. Instead, it's just okay at a lot of things, and that's all it really needs to be.

If you can put up with a game that isn’t quite state of the industry when it comes to visual fidelity and performance, there’s a fun zombie survival game underneath it all.

Diluvion is a true beauty to look at and there are some moments that will make you sit back and just enjoy the view. To dive (pun intended) deeper into the guts of the game, however, shows a very flawed experience that can hopefully be fixed as the game continues to evolve post release.

It's too bad that a lot of the underlying gameplay design decisions weren't better implemented. The extreme challenge is just one thing, and could be fixed in a future update for that matter. But players simply won't find themselves that drawn back into the game after the first couple of rounds, mostly due to frustration, or an overall sluggish feel.

Mario Party 10 still offers the same fun and random time that the series is known for. However, it isn't looking to fix any of the previous flaws of the series. If you want more of the same, with a cool new mode thrown in then definitely check this out.

The handful of complaints I have about NBA Playgrounds don't really take away from fun this game offers as a whole. There's definitely good times to be had, the progression system is worthwhile, and online can be incredibly competitive despite the potential for connection issues. NBA Playgrounds is the new king of the cartoon court, even if there isn't much competition anymore.

Mafia II: Definitive Edition may have definitive in its name, but the numerous glitches that plague it really hold back what is still a good game at its core from truly earning that title.

The attention to detail, great soundtrack, and largely well-designed characters belie a game that is clearly loved by those that worked on it, but the crippling lack of depth in every area of Bleeding Edge has made what should have been an excellent game a mediocre one instead. I hope Ninja Theory is given the opportunity to expand on the game, but right now Bleeding Edge is fun but forgettable filler.

The Outer Worlds for the Nintendo Switch is an admirable, yet mediocre port of an otherwise great game - end of story. It runs well enough to justify its existence, but at the current asking price you're better off playing Obsidian's latest elsewhere.

Serious Sam 4 on consoles is a beautifully fun mess. It’s more Serious Sam, which isn’t a bad thing, but there are performance problems that cannot be overlooked.

Kirby Fighters 2 is very much Super Smash Bros. for kids and/or hardcore Kirby fans. It's a similar experience just made worse by the simplistic and slow fighting and the limited variety of overall gameplay content.

With fast and fluid combat, endearing characters and a grounded story that isn’t afraid to crack a few jokes, Senran Kagura Burst Re:Newal represents the series at it's finest. That said, if you take issue with the sexualization of its characters, then this game is not for you.

Aquanox: Deep Descent works well enough to justify its existence. Performance is fine, gameplay is fine, story is fine, length and price are fine - Aquanox is just fine. It won't wow a lot of people, but the people it does impress will be enamored by it. And, you know what, sometimes that's all you need out of a video game.

While not as innovative as it once was in the current gaming landscape, Payday 2: Crimewave Edition is the definitive Payday experience on consoles that will provide hours of multiplayer fun.

Saints Row: Gat out of Hell is the Saints Row you know and love, minus the good stuff. A lack of humor, repetitive missions and structure for this short expansion leave a lot to be desired.

If you are new to the Torchlight franchise then Torchlight III is an excellent jumping on point. At $30 it's a great binge game to play with friends while we all wait on the next-gen onslaught that's just around the corner. But, if you're a hardcore ARPG fan looking for something deeper then you may be better served elsewhere, namely by Torchlight II.

Unforgiving and tense, Immortal Planet is the essential 2D Souls-like game.

Though the mechanics of Tharsis are often exciting and suspenseful, the game ultimately falls short of expectations due to irredeemably punishing dice rolls.

Anthem impresses on the presentation front and the javelin suits are a blast to play with, but a lack of diversity in the game and uninspired loot-driven progression system make it feel like Anthem could be a much better game than it currently is with a few updates.

If you played this game, and you liked it, 15 years ago when it first came out, you might get a bit of nostalgia from this version. But without the expansions bundled in and practically no changes, there exist better alternatives on the market for you to spend your money on.

The Need For Speed franchise has certainly had its ups and downs over the years and the Need For Speed reboot has certainly not gotten out to a fast start. The customization and racing itself is fantastic, along with an over the top story that is genuinely fun, but frame rate issues and the insistence to be always online really hold Need For Speed back from a first place finish.

Minecraft Legends is the genre blend I didn't know I needed, but it's not without its flaws. While the gameplay feels fresh and refined, the strategy feels shallow. It's lots of fun at first but don't count on it sticking around long enough to replace your favorite action or RTS games.

Overall, Valkyrie Elysium is a great, although rough around-the-edges, action RPG, whose biggest strength lies in its dynamic combat system and in the charisma of some of its characters.

Just Cause 4 more often than not feels like an average open world third person shooter than it does the explosion filled bonanza that it should be

Maneater is a solid fit for the Nintendo Switch, but porting this ocean-faring adventure onto Nintendo's handheld/console hybrid after a year of availability does take away a lot of the luster.

Battleship is one of the original board games and has managed to stand the test of time over the years, and now Frima Studio has managed to reinvigorate its core gameplay by adding more strategy than ever.

A game largely ingrained in its source material, Sword Art Online Re: Hollow Fragment features a strong combat system and a ton of content at a bargain price, but the perplexing character creator and other flaws may ruin it for those that are not already fans of the franchise.

Dynasty Warriors 9 felt more like an experiment than a single, cohesive experience. At times it felt like Dynasty Warriors, sometimes an open world RPG, occasionally neither and sometimes both. But if Omega Force learns from this endeavor and buckles down for the next entry, the result could be spectacular.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a totally unique experience that is worthwhile for anyone who's a fan of early 2000's action, or satirical and off-the-wall humor.

If you take all those pre-conceived notions of what a Metroid game should be and set them aside, Metroid Prime: Federation Force will easily surprise you with its quality. It's nowhere near the all time greats, but it can deliver some enjoyable moments, and will definitely entertain for some time. Just make sure you have some friends to tag along though, because the solo experience is quite a different story.

Shadow of the Beast somehow takes fast and brutal action and makes it feel slow and clunky. The game isn't terrible by any means, and even has some very enjoyable visuals, but there's just too many frustrations to make it feel like a fun, cohesive experience.

Minecraft: Story Mode Episode 6 brings on some YouTube talent that will please their fans, but disappoint everyone else. The central story, which involves a spooky house and a murder mystery, has its moments, but the overall feeling is that this was not the episode that fans waited so long for.

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair is not an enjoyable game thanks to the ugly graphics and repetitive nature of the gameplay. It does not help that enemy types and levels are reused over and over again too.

Rise & Shine is a run and gun 2D shooter that struggles to find its footing in game play and tone. Small issues can be found throughout the experience, but the difficulty and level design, in both variety and beauty, makes the experience worth a few hours of your time.

If you don't mind a bit of idle time and trying to find something to do in between missions that may or may not mean days more of waiting for the right resources for your side task, the old-western bandits and those darn Geeglers really did keep my time at Sandrock interesting.

The Caligula Effect: Overdose has great ideas that are often marred by uneven execution. But with its unique combat system, as well as exemplary music and illustrations, the negatives are outweighed by the positives.

Ancestors is likely going to be a polarizing game, but it’s something so out of the ordinary than what you’ve come accustomed to in either the survival or third person open world genre, that it’s worth a look.

What was once a mediocre game series has been made even worse. Technical issues and gameplay blunders are somehow shadowed by a bulky, contrived plot that believes in quantity over quality.

NERO is pretty to look at but is decidedly lacking when it comes to substance or involving players in the intricate story it’s trying to tell.

Forspoken fails to impress in several ways. Almost every good aspect of the game has a negative flip side. Though Forspoken isn't a bad game, the problems it does have hold it back from being great. All in all, Forspoken is just okay.

Like many mobile rooted games, King Oddball features a very simple premise that is easy to pick up, but a real lack of level variety holds it back from being a really good game.

While an improvement over the original release, The Witch and the Hundred Knight: Revival Edition still has its problems. The weak story and annoying characters are still front and center, though the Tower of Illusion is a nice new diversion from them. If you're a hardcore Nippon Ichi fan give it a shot, but pretty much everyone else can give it a pass.

Dead Island: Definitive Collection may not be enough of a reason for those who have already experienced the original and Riptide to warrant making the return trip, but for everyone else this is the best way to experience these games. The improved visuals and lack of bugs makes getting through the main courses less of a chore, and Retro Revenge is a fun little side dish.

Destiny: The Dark Below is a combination of all of the worst parts of the original game. It offers little value to all except the most dedicated of players and revisits the same overused locations that we've seen a dozen times.

ReCore had a ton of potential and sadly squandered a good portion of it. The game still has moments of glory, and pulls inspiration from a lot of great games of the past. It even has a very old school feel to it, with 3D platforming and combat that feels very classic, if unfortunately not delivering top of the line quality. Still, the first few hours are worth trying out, and perhaps the flaws won't be as glaring for all players. The game has a good foundation, and maybe some patches will get it close, but it'd take a complete rework to truly live up to the expectations that were set long ago.

Fat Princess Adventures still has the same humor and charm of the original, but without the PvP multiplayer it feels like a step back. The campaign is interesting enough, but feels pretty shallow compared to other games, and doesn't do enough to draw players in for the entire time.

Murderous Pursuits is a fine continuation of The Ship and the concepts it implemented so well. The core of the game is extremely solid, delivering a fun multiplayer experience throughout every match. The only problem is that there's just not enough here to keep most people coming back on a regular schedule. For the price the amount of content is fine, but the missing potential at launch is tough to get past.

The story doesn't have a lot to offer and is pretty standard as far as these kinds of games go, but the game's fun telekinetic combat and stellar time-shifting mechanics make the experience a worthwhile one.

The Order: 1886 is a great game, as long as you treat it as a mindless shooter and not the bevy of innovation we were all led to believe it was. Graphically appealing, the title shows us once again, we should not judge a book by its cover.

Crush Your Enemies offers a quicker take on the RTS genre that both hardcore and casual fans will be able to get wrapped up in. It may not be a game-changer, but if you’ve been looking for an RTS with no nonsense then this is the one to get.

Madden 21 as a whole may feel like a bit of a letdown compared to the past few years in some areas, but The Yard definitely helps to make it worth it for players that are interested in trying something a little different. With the free upgrade to the next generation version and the promise of treating Franchise like a live service as the season goes on, Madden 21 is likely still going to be well worth the purchase in the long run, even if you may be left a little dissatisfied at this point.

While it has some positive elements that may still make it worth checking out, Gods Will Fall's procedurally generated difficulty hurts itself more than it really helps in the long run.

Bleak Faith: Forsaken is a game with incredible potential. It makes up for technical issues with surreal environments and horrific enemy designs, but its core gameplay suffers from heavy focus on Souls-like mechanics and common deaths. It still needs time to resolve those problems, but if the devs make use of that time with continued updates and support, faith in this game's greatness might not be so bleak after all.

Daymare: 1998 succeeds at recreating the classic feel of late 90's survival horror, but in more ways than it should. The game is cumbersome and frustrating at times when more modern takes have smoothed over those particular rough edges.

The presentation, the characters, the gameplay -- Agents of Mayhem feels like a great game in spots. It's got all the Saints Row style that you're accustomed to seeing from Volition, but it lacks in features when compared to other open world games of this nature.

For the price, Super Bomberman R is a tough sell. It does deliver on the promise of a return to the classic multiplayer that we all love. And the Switch is starving for content, as all newly launched systems do. If you really love Bomberman's signature multiplayer, or if you really have to have a new Switch game, then Super Bomberman R will serve its purpose. If you want a full, content-rich experience then you'll want to wait for something else.

Necromunda: Hired Gun does have redeeming qualities. The movement is great, the gunplay feels good, and the environmental design is stellar. There's simply a legion of issues on both the design and technical fronts working overtime to hold it back. If you are willing to overlook Hired Gun's many problems and massive amounts of jank you'll likely have a great time blasting gangers to bloody bits. But, I won't fault you for waiting on a sale or sequel instead.

Despite all the positives and added-on fancy features, I can't recommend paying full price for Madden 24, as it doesn't feel different enough when comparing last year's edition. But if you're a series veteran craving a Madden that promotes more player agency, EA has fine-tuned the football emulation to make it a better experience.

Dangerous Driving delivers a tight, streamlined racing experience, but that comes at the cost of features that players have come to expect.