Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a classic twin-stick third-person shooter that, while not offering anything unique, does offer plenty of entertainment for executing its genre completely spot on.

Star Trek: Resurgence has an enjoyable story in a beloved universe but is bogged down by outdated mechanics and visuals in a genre that others have shown can be vastly improved.

With the environmental glitches, an odd narrative, and too much imitation of two iconic games, Atomic Heart lands in the middle for me. Not bad, not great, just fine.

Not perfect by any means, but PandaBall is a pretty solid arcade-style soccer game. It’s missing a few things I wish it had, and some things like the text size are less than ideal, but overall, it’s an enjoyable take on quick and simple soccer matches.

Pokémon Legends: Z-A Mega Dimension is a solid add-on, albeit costly, for fans of the core game looking for more, but it isn’t a must-play due to the repetition, grind, and price.

Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen delivers beautiful scenes and incredible action but falters a bit with an anticlimactic ending. There is plenty to enjoy for fans of the main game, but the lack of a great ending means it fails to live up to the lofty expectations set by the main game.

I really enjoyed my time with Frozenheim and will certainly be playing more, especially multiplayer, but it could use a bit more of a facelift to help improve the core appeal. The negatives wouldn’t be as distracting if the game hadn’t just come out of early access, but taking that step to leave early access makes it imperative that the game feels fleshed out and not missing anything or needing major improvements. Still, it is an enjoyable game and players are sure to find hours of enjoyment in it. Just maybe wait until they’ve had a chance to upgrade the existing systems.

Paleo Pines is a slow burn, and the game holds itself slightly back with characters that don’t have to keep you engaged…Still, players who enjoy relaxed farming sims and dinosaurs will gradually want to discover and create a harmonious environment alongside these beings.

Immortals of Aveum at its core is a fun take on the shooter genre. Yet it quickly bogs itself down with an over-complicated story and an unnecessary gearing system. Set in a new world that’s fun to explore, Aveum has the potential to be a great universe to revisit in the future.

If you had to pay for Roller Champions, I wouldn’t say “grab two friends and start a match” but it is free and man that makes the difference. While this one is going to rely on patches to fix stability post-launch, there is something there to love.

Dustborn’s narrative beats are also the most enjoyable part of the game, but there’s too much stopping it from reaching its full potential.

Despite some of my frustrations with how boring PGA Tour 2K23 can feel, that also just feels like golf in a nutshell. Golf is an old game with very little innovation, so watching the most popular golf game franchise follow that same path makes sense. As a golf simulator, PGA Tour 2K23 is as good as it gets, but for players who aren’t into the extremely accurate golf representation it’s going to always feel a bit boring.

While Sonic Origins does little to innovate or make this set of ports stand out besides some forgettable Museum unlockables and some nice new artwork, it remains a perfectly fine addition to the accessibility of classic Sonic games on modern consoles. I wish it were not at the expense of the ability to purchase them individually from older ports; however, even with its flaws, it’s as fun as these games have ever been.

TMNT Arcade: Wrath of the Mutants has its moments of fun but needs to have more variety to be truly great. It is worth the price of entry if you just want to mindlessly kill some TMNT-themed enemies, but don't expect anything revolutionary.

As an anime fan who hasn’t watched Naruto in almost a decade and has never seen beyond one arc of Boruto, this game made me excited for the franchise in a way I honestly hadn’t felt in a long time. But my view of Naruto x Boruto Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections as my own reentry is a subjective point that the game’s mechanics don’t necessarily do enough to overtake the nostalgia and stand on its own.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn tries to chart its own path down the ever-growing souls-lite genre. In some ways, like exploration and its reputation system, it succeeds. In others, especially with its late-game combat, Flintlock shows more rust than polish. More balance felt needed in the grand scheme of things. Simple amounts of grinding or just getting into the groove of things trivialize most challenges that previously made you sweat. Everything together creates a package that at first feels hopeful and intriguing but ends in a chamber full of wet gunpowder.

Spongebob Squarepants: The Cosmic Shake does a lot of things really right and well to make this feel like a Spongebob game for the current generation. But its lackluster objectives and its sometimes repetitive platforming and combat hold it back from being great. Instead, we’re left with a decent game that’s well worthwhile for a casual Spongebob or action-platforming fan, but a bit short of expectations for anybody who hoped this would take over as their new favorite Spongebob game.

When Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is strong, it's strong. But without the Tape 2 Rage, I'm unfortunately left with too much gap to close, not enough life lived, and not enough of a tactile interactive experience to immerse me in Swann's life and Velvet Cove.

With a sea of new, genre-defining games constantly coming in, God of War: Sons of Sparta gets lost in the tide.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 isn’t shabby, but it isn’t shining either.

High on Life 2 is an improvement on the first and one hell of a time. The humor shows just how much in-tune the writers at Squanch game are with their players and that speaks volumes… making it a good time even through its complications.

Lost Soul Aside is an action-heavy, flashy adventure with fun combat but a forgettable story.

Rocksteady did well with creating a story that can hit the heartstrings. Playing as each member of the squad brings their own unique forms of entertainment, where you’ll enjoy switching between each member as needed. But the writing and character growth can only do so much when the full package feels soulless.

Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is a mixed bag of a game. While it delivers visuals I wouldn’t have thought possible on a mobile device, the repetitive combat does a lot to bring the experience down.

It’s interesting and unique enough of a concept with some gameplay elements that keep it from being just a straightforward game or a straight-up simulator. It’s polished in some regards but rather empty in others—fun for a while, but ultimately, not the most captivating thing on the market.

As a purely single-player experience, it feels like a solid introduction to the extraction shooter genre, but even the cute ducks can’t save Escape from Duckov from feeling like a chore.

While Smile For Me had me grinning for its off-beat visuals and world, ultimately, I could only offer a half-quirked smile by the end.

Little Nightmares 3 improves, in many ways, what makes Little Nightmares so beloved. But the game quickly feels formulaic.

Unknown 9: Awakening boasts great combat and an ambitious story, but performance issues are too many to look past.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 + Dark Ties makes plenty of necessary improvements, but some of the changes make it hard to recommend over the original.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a bit of a hard sell at full price, especially if you still have a Wii with a copy of the original lying around. Its visual improvements are welcome but are marred by enough inconsistencies and technical setbacks that fans may find themselves dreaming of what could have been.

With its frustrating controls, and questionable AI the enjoyment that can be gained from Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance is severely limited. If a player is looking to romp through a strongly realized D&D world, and a classic story of heroes scrambling to stop the legions of evil, it may be worth keeping the game on easy just to enjoy the setting and story. However, if you are looking for a full-fledged action RPG experience there are far better offering out there.

The biggest selling point for Destroy All Humans! on the Nintendo Switch is the ability to play the game on the go, and it is perfectly playable that way. In fact, I actually enjoyed playing it handheld more than I did docked. There wasn’t a very noticeable difference between the two outside of screen resolution. If you have not purchased the game on another system or the idea of playing it on the go is the most important thing to you, then I would say the game is worth checking out. With that said, I would not recommend anyone just looking to play the game purchase it on the Switch if they have the ability to play on another platform. Switch ports are always going to suffer from being a slight step down from their other console counterparts, and Destroy All Humans! is no different.

WWE 2k24‘s attempt to appeal to all of its possible audiences is an admirable goal. It is disappointing though how that effort leaves its various elements feeling either disconnected from one another or generally under-baked.

Even with its weak level variety, you’ll still have fun exploring new areas of SpongeBob SquarePants: Titans of the Tide, each well-detailed and full of secrets to find.

My Hero Academia All’s Justice fails to capture the cinematic splendor of the finale of All For One and One For All’s showdown. Bland fights, poorly optimized character movement, and repeated battles take what could’ve been the chance to create a playable form of what fans of the series have wanted.

Dragon Quest Smash/Grow is a simple, straightforward action game that provides some fun.

This leaves Assassin’s Creed Discovery Tour: Viking Age as a pretty solid update that players who enjoyed the setting of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla should definitely check out. However, it doesn’t quite justify its asking price as a standalone title, except maybe for history buffs who want to see a faithful recreation of the period that isn’t bogged down by RPG systems or combat mechanics.

Souls of Chronos delivers a mixed bag of an experience. While I’m intrigued by the world and charmed by its main duo, lackluster combat and a narrative that felt at odds with its visual tone and star’s personality never allowed the game to truly come together in a way that feels satisfying.

For some, Mario vs. Donkey Kong is exactly what those who love the GBA release are looking for. For everyone else, this puzzle platformer is full of rough edges that are a deterrent.

RoboCop: Rogue City – Unfinished Business is most satisfying in spurts. The gunfighting is satisfying, with enough challenge to it so as not to feel like you’re just an unstoppable machine marching through waves of enemies. But there is too much dead air between fights, making the slow movement annoying after a while.

With more refinement, Ravenlok could’ve been an interesting twist on a beloved tale. In its current state, though, it’s just simply okay.

Crash Team Rumble feels like a great idea for a game that still had work to be done before it launched. The singular game mode, limited maps and characters, and a small online community kept from growing due to a high price point of entry do not bode well for the future of the game.

Return to Moria has a decent core that could have used a little bit more time in the tank to reach its full potential. Hopefully, community feedback will be taken into account and post-launch support will focus on improving some of the basic mechanics. If they do that, it has real potential to be one of the better survival crafting games in recent memory.

Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest DLC is tense yet unsatisfying in its encore.

If you’re patient and enjoy this game genre, you can certainly get a lot of fun out of Surgeon Simulator 2. With loads of unlockables, challenges, and basically unlimited levels, its concept is strong, its wit is impressive, and its style is very enjoyable. But if you’re looking for a tight and unstressful experience, either give the potentially less finicky PC version a try or skip this one altogether. However, it is free with Game Pass, so it’s certainly worth giving a shot for yourself if you subscribe to the service.

I wouldn’t say that Battlefield 2042 is the worst iteration in this series because it does add some new gameplay and brings back elements like complete loadout customization from previous iterations. But as of right now, a lot of the gameplay is skewed, and the weapons, attachments, and vehicles don’t really feel like they work as they should. As a triple-A game, I expect better.

If you’re looking for a cute animal-themed game in which to decorate, you could do worse, but expect a harsh survival experience.

Compared to its predecessor, with a well-defined motif, Everhood 2 will give you whiplash from how often the story changes directions. That indecisiveness is ultimately its downfall, leaving you scratching your head and wondering, “Is that really how it ends?”

Watching your cat cafe slowly expand and customizing its decoration is very rewarding. The experience is only hindered by its mechanics’ more clunky elements and lack of meaningful endgame content. However, the game is a perfect jumping-on point for newcomers to the genre.

Moonscars is a deep, dark tale about what makes us human in our darkest times and how we persevere. When it works, it really works and was some of the most fun I had playing 2-D souls-like in recent memory. But it is riddled with balancing issues and loses touch on what makes Souls-likes fun in the name of difficulty.

While Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince offers a serviceable and sometimes fun narrative and gameplay, the overall experience is unfortunately bogged down by its performance issues and the lack of simple yet essential features.

The absence of the original’s multiplayer modes limits how players can engage with the Battle Destiny Remastered. I’m glad this game exists, that it is available outside of Japan… Still, it’s hard to thoroughly recommend something flawed in its original iteration in one way, and compromised in its remastered release in an entirely different way.

The Callisto Protocol is my biggest disappointment this year. While it nails the aesthetic and is one of the most beautiful games I’ve played this year, it misses the mark in almost every other department. I think it can be refined to at least be more fun, but in its current state, the story and gameplay weigh down this new entry to the survival horror genre from the potential it so obviously has.

Arkham Horror: Mother’s Embrace is an enjoyable title, especially for its modest price point. There is enough that it does right to make it well worth a playthrough, but the linear nature of the story and levels makes playing through the game again unappealing, even with the choice of multiple starting investigators. It does a lot of elegant translation of the mechanics from the board game into a video game, but there is a lack of cohesion and spice that make the ideas and mechanics not mesh well together.

Steel Seed defines humanity, even if it spells it out. There’s little nuance, and the twists about its story aren’t at all surprising.

Ignoring all of what the game neglected to improve over the original version, it is still an enjoyable addition to the Doodle God franchise. While perhaps not the first entry I’d gravitate towards, the devilish theme and your quest to brew all of the sins, chaos, demons, and maladies in the world are amusing and get you thinking creatively as well as any other game in the series. But if you’re looking for a new generation of chemistry game gameplay, this definitely isn’t it.

It is fortunate for Bravely Default II, that the strength of its combat and world designs outweigh its odd design choices and uninspired writing, if only barely. It is enough to keep the experience enjoyable, but it is unlikely that it is one that will stick with you for very long.

The Settlers: New Allies is a solid starting point to reboot the RTS franchise. While its campaign is dull enough to be ignored, the game’s bones are strong enough to support solidly entertaining online play. Despite its issues it has the potential to breathe new life into The Settlers as a franchise, which would be great for all RTS fans.

While there are definitely elements of Saints Row that really annoyed me, I still generally had a good time with the game. It is great to have a game that is a complete package on launch with no microtransactions or exploitative monetization. If you consider yourself a Saints Row fan you’ll probably find plenty to enjoy in the newest entry, even if some of its elements are weaker than others.

Redfall never manages to be anything more than fine. My time playing through its single-player campaign it rarely wowed me once the skillful crafting of the world itself wore off.

I think there is a certain rhythm game fan that can have a lot of fun challenging this game for high scores. However, for anyone more casual, the way Rhythm Sproat presents its challenges will never feel quite right, either out of your reach or doing far too much to hold your hand.

Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires is a game that I found extremely fun at times, but monotonous at others. Strategic tasks become mundane and repetitive very quickly, but the combat involved in the actual battles helps make up for it… There is fun to be had, just don’t expect a grand strategy experience with a deep story or overly involved decisions and mechanics.

There is no doubt that fans who just want an excuse to shoot more things in Far Cry 6 or who are really looking to dive into Pagan Min’s background will be satisfied by “Pagan Min: Control.” However, it is disappointing that the DLC did not take the opportunity to create a more diverse experience than what came directly before it.

It's a well-crafted game within its own scale with a great story and emotionally resonant characters, but in the grand scheme of what a big open-world RPG could provide, Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't maximize its potential.

Layers of Fear (2023) has new gameplay elements that breathe life into the older games, but the new story additions just feel tacked on.

To a T tries hard to be like a Saturday morning cartoon. Yet just like trying to recapture that same experience nowadays, it overall feels like it's missing something. Granted, this issue may mostly apply to older players. Maybe, the ones who will find the most fun are those who play this with young kids.

Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess is an incredibly mixed bag that, while including several great elements, is held back by overly simplistic, floaty combat mechanics and a lackluster narrative.

If you are looking for a truly punishing challenge, even if it sometimes feels unfair, Telebbit may provide some enjoyment. For most, however, overstuffed platforming puzzles will bring far too much frustration to enjoy.

If you are a fan of 2K’s work and the NBA 2K series, there are plenty of reasons to pick up NBA 2K23. The soundtrack, “Jordan Challenge” mode and new storyline all help offer a generally playable experience. However, anyone that thinks that 2K23 will offer a new or highly improved experience may need to reexamine their expectations. The bottom line is that NBA 2K23 is aimed at fans of the franchise and basketball fans alike, delivering the exact experience that most people would expect.

While I can’t say the story itself is particularly interesting, the gameplay is a lot of fun, and the side quests vary in depth and enjoyment. However, for $10, the amount of content you get from “Bloody Ties” is decent. If you enjoy Dying Light 2 for its gameplay, first and foremost, there’s no reason not to get this DLC.

But for all its ambition, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 feels weighed down by its own shortcomings. This is a simulator that demands time, patience, and perhaps a little forgiveness. For those willing to embrace its imperfections, the horizon holds incredible promise. But that promise feels like it’s out of reach, lost somewhere in the clouds.

Nostalgia might have some fans of Super Monkey Ball trapped in the little ball with them, running their little feet, futile against the inevitability of gravity. But for those not already on the inside, Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania is skippable.

Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed shows this cult classic did not age well. Beyond dialogue, updates to gameplay and graphics feel hollow when game-breaking bugs are still prevalent…That isn’t to say you won’t find fun here. But that fun may just be restricted to a 10-12 hour jaunt through memory lane.

Kirby and the Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World is just more Kirby. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is up to you and how much you liked the base game.

Lightfall certainly doesn’t stand up to the fantastic story of “The Witch Queen,” and Strand doesn’t quite meet expectations. But, Neomuna and its inhabitants are fascinating, and the way “Lightfall” handles some of its characters adds a lot of lore and depth to their stories.

Life Eater takes an interesting premise but loses itself in monotony.

For Far Cry 6 players looking for a reason to play more of the game and just want more of its satisfying gunplay or enjoy the structure of the previous two DLCs, “Collapse” is an easy recommendation. However, players hoping for it to do a little more or introduce a unique aspect to the rogue-lite structure to reflect Joseph’s inclusion will ultimately be disappointed.

Blightbound’s problems are very disappointing because they occur on the top layer of a very solid foundation. The game’s combat is satisfying and fun, especially when playing with a group of friends. It is often quite challenging and requires intelligent play and strategic coordination, which makes encounters feel rewarding on the first completion. However, the problems with the game’s overarching systems, repetitive nature, lack of enemy variety, and lack of a fleshed-out world leave Blightbound feeling like a game that just needed some more time to become something really special.

SaGa Frontier Remastered is a must-play for die-hard fans of the original. Though I found myself having some fun with the characters and gameplay, the game’s lack of explanation it gives to players about literally everything makes it hard to recommend to new players.

Evil West has a lot of things going for it—the designs are fascinating, the lore excellent, and the gameplay can be massively fun on hard. But it also has some downfalls—the levels feel just a bit too linear, and the main narrative takes a while to really jump into, and even then, it struggles with fluid cut scenes and complexity. While other games have been able to get away with a basic narrative because of their fantastic action, Evil West isn’t quite there.

Motorslice has some cool moments, but they’re largely lost in stale and dated gameplay and weirdly sexualized beats.

FOAMSTARS is a fun party shooter with chill vibes and vibrant expression that just needs a few additions to be truly great. The foundation is there, Square Enix just needs to tweak the formula a bit before it is worth recommending without hesitation.

Deliver Us Mars delivers a thoughtful, poignant story with deep characters, pretty landscapes, and well-done puzzles. However, there are always two sides to every coin. The linearity didn’t do the environments justice, the puzzles felt too sparse and easy, and the character animations were much too odd.

Eastward is a great game. It’s beautiful, it’s a story well-told, and it’s very fun to play. But for me, the entire experience was tainted by what I quickly and inescapably perceived as racist and sexually exploitative depictions, which is just such a monumental shame of a thing to tarnish an otherwise incredible experience. I mean, this game has an entire virtual RPG video game built into it that you can play. But I simply can’t rate this experience highly with how tarnished my view of it all is. I love playing it, I recommend playing it, but I also insist you judge for yourself these character depictions and whether they meet the standards we should expect from games.

Overall, A Tale of Synapse is a mixed bag. While the art is pretty and the logic-based puzzles are generally fun, the experience is mottled by the bad English writing, the too-easy puzzles, and the occasional glitches that require a full shutdown of the game.

Kitsune Zero is hitting the market just before its sequel, Kitsune Tails. The DLC is a blatant attempt at marketing its characters prior to a larger release and mostly fails in the process. Despite the thoughtless dialogue, frustrating controls, and lack of originality, the developers have at least put consideration into their art direction.

While Lost Epic sports nice visuals, a great soundtrack and engaging, challenging gameplay, it’s also incredibly tedious to progress with many of its mechanics left unexplained, and a story that is incredibly dull and forgettable.

With a desire to attract more players to a cops and robbers experience, it’s clear Payday 3 is still continuing to improve itself while aiming to add more content over time.

Super UFO Fighter is neither super nor a fighter. It’s a perfectly fine game that could entertain for a little bit on your own or with a friend, but a party game this is certainly not, and neither is its difficulty finely tuned enough to feel engrossing on either end of the difficulty spectrum.

Ultimately, WitchSpring3 Re:Fine is a perfectly average title with its highs and lows. It’s not my kind of game, but I’m certainly glad that fans of this Korean franchise will be getting a chance to have it on a major platform. Bogged down by the shadow of its mobile game past, WitchSpring3 Re:Fine will probably appeal, primarily, to fans of the franchise. Newcomers might find this entry hit or miss: it just depends on if Eirudy and her story grab your attention. I will say that the Magic Circle system—this is used to power up your magic—was a bit confusing. That might be due to the overwhelming amount of info stuffed into each textbox, which unfortunately suffers from the small font size.

The roguelike genre feels saturated with games that provide endless variety but with very little substance, and DIG – Deep in Galaxies feels like another unfortunate addition to the list. It gives a few highs, but they get lost somewhere after the fifth repetitive objective on the fifth identical-looking planet.

Warriors Abyss has its heart in the right place and some interesting ideas, but its particular blend of musou and roguelike doesn’t feel like it’s fully realized. A novel blueprint for something down the line, but as-is, it’s hard to justify for anyone but the biggest fans of the Warriors series.

Jujutsu Kaisen: Cursed Clash isn’t bad, per se, but it is lacking. Maybe it’s hindered by the expectations associated with the IP, or maybe it’s just too much like every other arena fighter we’ve gotten. Either way, the lackluster take on the genre has a lot of jujutsu sorcery to learn.

Life is Strange: Arcadia Bay Collection is a mediocre remaster and Switch port of two great games in the series. While the saga still holds up narratively, the gameplay experience is unfortunately greatly hindered by several issues.

FBC Firebreak delivers an experience that is, at best, competent and, at worst, tedious. Given the glut of options in the multiplayer FPS market and the $40 price tag this game carries, it is hard to suggest it to anyone.

FATAL FRAME II: REMAKE has the potential to be something great. The most important elements of a great horror story are there, but they get lost far too quickly.

New World Aeternum struggles to be worthwhile for many players. The MMO genre is stuffed with excellent dug-in titles that are difficult to pull players away from for long, just as the original release of New World saw. With its unimpactful combat, lackluster story, and its most interesting content only being accessible to the most dedicated of players, this spiritual successor just doesn’t mix it up enough.