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.

Trash Sailors is one of the rare co-op-centric titles that manages to deliver a chaotic and fun experience without annoyance. Levels never feel too punishing, enemies don’t have overbearing mechanics, and no part of the puzzle is undervalued in the grand scheme of things. This makes for an experience that borders on perfection for any group of friends looking for a new game to tackle together.

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

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.

Spray Paint Simulator has some technical gaps that keep the game from flowing just right, but on the whole, it’s a well-conceived simulator that can easily keep you flowing for hours.

Exoprimal has a lot of heart and plenty of exciting moments, but you’ll need to go digging for them.

There is a solid idea and foundation here that needs to be massaged more in future attempts. DAMON and BABY has some cool ideas, but ultimately, is not a fun trip to heaven.

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

Outbound is a road trip that rewards patience over speed. Square Glade Games has built a world worth getting lost in, with a van customization system that keeps you tinkering and a presentation that always makes the next horizon look worth chasing.

SCHiM is worth jumping at. It's approachable for most players and unearths a deeper story about life's unexpected lows and highs.

Anyone who isn’t thrilled at the idea of having Roiland constantly chattering in their ear for a dozen hours straight will likely find the game’s incessant need to force itself on the player annoying. With the addition of uncompelling combat, frustrating exploration, and a lack of anything else to offer players, High on Life is one of the most annoying, derivative, and slogging experiences in years.

DK Island + Emerald Rush get old quickly and don’t feel like sizeable additions to the experience to carry that price tag. Only the most diehard fans looking to reexperience a handful of levels will really get much out of it.

Kirby’s Dream Buffet is a cute and fun game while it lasts. It feels like the kind of game you might play as a warmup for a short period before breaking into something more substantial. For what it is, it’s quite nice, but it’s hard to justify what it is against its price tag and the free-to-play nature of some of its competitors.

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.

Conclusively, Alone In The Dark properly writes its love letter while creating appeal to a wider audience through cinematic aspects. The classic horror elements and nods to its origins are seen, heard, and felt from beginning to end.

Killing Floor 3 delivers satisfying co-op carnage and smart upgrades, but leans on familiar ground while setting the stage for stronger updates ahead. Those seeking innovation or narrative complexity will find more engaging options elsewhere. But for players who enjoy wave-based co-op shooters… it delivers precisely what it promises.

What really stands out in A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is how willing it is to experiment and build entire mechanics around its central conceit of managing sound.

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.

Aphelion is a small game that hits hard with big emotions by embracing the very best elements of science fiction. It embraces humanity and connection while still showcasing the genre’s love of alien planets and condemnation of evil corporations.

The Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 campaign is incredibly ambitious, focusing on the personal lives of the heroes as they work to stop a grand evil plan. Not every choice lands as well as it could have, but overall, the experience is certainly worth playing, especially in co-op. [Campaign Review score = 75]

While there are some problems with pacing, mechanics, and glitches, Paradise Lost paints an interesting and immersive tale. Despite that the game’s objectives are simplistic, the short playtime is just right to produce a satisfying ending without dragging on.

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

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.

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.

When it’s at its best, Detective Pikachu Returns delivers the charm and cuteness that have always been hallmarks of the Pokemon franchise. However, all too frequently it fails to reach those heights thanks to shallow gameplay, a bloated story, and repetitive missions that feel lackluster, no matter what age demographic they are targeting.

There was a lot of thought and care put into the narrative of Tin Hearts, so much so that players can probably overlook some of the gameplay flaws.

This is, unfortunately, where many of Sands of Salzaar’s mechanics fall. The meshing of genres is definitely interesting and full of potential, but so much of what is included feels half-baked or poorly implemented that it feels as though the developers would have had an easier time with a more focused product.

The game’s simple gameplay and relatively short playtime make it perfect for beginners and are sure to bring a smile to veterans. Framerate issues and tedious levels keep it from being a must-play, but if you’ve got a few hours to spare, playing Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World is a good way to spend them.