Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a decent, albeit very basic platformer that does enough to be mildly entertaining, but not enough to have a lasting presence.

The biggest issue for me is how dense the complexity makes the game. Crafting, particularly cooking, requires a lot of experimentation or wiki-diving, and finding out the game’s systems isn’t always represented, even in the quests. There are always quests that give you reasons to gather or play the many mini-games—moving a wheel-barrow requires you keep a cursor in between two points, and the fishing system is actually rather fun.

The Grandia HD Collection was and still is a fine collection of two landmark RPGs. While, as a collection, it’s a bit sparse on any extras for the asking price, you could do a lot worse. While it’s still beyond strange that this didn’t release, specifically on last-gen consoles, a lot sooner, it’s good that fans can finally experience this on a non-Nintendo console. Better late than never, I suppose.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is incredibly promising, but needs more time to cook.

Like your Grandpa’s rusty old Blackjack, Mechwarrior 5 is a great machine that could use a lot of polish.

Escape from Tarkov may have spawned an entire genre, yet it remains one of a kind. Its complex mechanics, visceral gunplay, and unpredictable pacing aren’t for the faint of heart, but with the release of 1.0 on Steam, there’s no reason for fans of hardcore tactical shooters not to enlist.

Outriders’ stellar gunplay and abilities make for a standout take on the cover-shooter genre, even though the overall experience is dragged down by server instability.

“Rules” feels like emotional torture porn without any of the thematic follow through to make it worthwhile.

God Eater 2 Rage Burst is the easiest hunting game I’ve played yet. Standard missions and hard missions never presented a genuine challenge for me to overcome, and I can’t imagine veterans of the genre will feel any different.

The real disappointment of Livelock is that it doesn’t do anything particularly original or interesting. Everything works well enough, and there are definitely moments of fun to be had when you’re making scrap metal out of your foes. However, there’s nothing that lets it truly stand out amongst other top-down shooters on the market.

Bread & Fred has interesting ideas, but its frustrating execution and disrespect for the player’s time keep it from being enjoyable.

Thanks to some great controls and a diverse and satisfying set of weapons and tools, Kunai overcomes its weaknesses in level design to become a solid, fun platformer.

GRID Legends is a racing game that provides some cool elements to the formula but doesn’t do enough to stand out in a saturated market. The amazing graphics and solid controls are a plus, but if players aren’t racing game fans, they could skip this one, especially with the large price tag.

Life Is Strange: Double Exposure is a triumphant return for a matured Max Caulfield, a character-driven paranormal mystery that old fans and newcomers should embrace.

A hit or miss story with a solid battle system, a cute art style, and some interesting ideas.

A genuine visual marvel and one of the most beautiful technical achievements on the Wii U.

There isn’t a whole lot of depth to Titan Souls, but if you’re in the mood for a game that doesn’t require a whole lot of commitment or countless hours of micromanaging and leveling, yet still requires quick-thinking and a mastery of what at first appear to be simple and limited skills with an added splash of 16-bit era style, this is the game for you.

Dancing in Moonlight uses twelve years of songs to bring the Persona 3 cast the musical tribute they deserve.

The game might sound like little more than a gimmick complicate a simple n’ successful puzzle formula, but it’s surprising how well the battle system works on it’s own terms.

The Queen and The Crone is a disappointing DLC that adds little to Total War: Warhammer II.

TMNT: Splintered Fate is not only a finely crafted roguelike, it's also one of the best takes on the franchise in recent memory and an instant contender for its best video game.

John Carpenter's Toxic Commando is a decent zombie horde shooter made better with friends, but one that, despite its short run time, can feel overly repetitive and uninspired.

Certainly anyone who missed out should prioritize Return To Arkham. Otherwise, you should at least take a peak at what the upgrade looks like first and decide if it’s worth it. You know, just like any remastered game. These are tricky releases, people. They aren’t ideal.

SD Gundam Battle Alliance is a delightful love letter to the Gundam universe, but newcomers can feel isolated by the sheer and confusing context the title is derived from.

Dread Delusion is a fun romp in a fleshed-out world, definitely worth undertaking for the meagre price of admission.

Fobia - St. Dinfna Hotel delivers a great story and innovative concept, but poor combat, cumbersome inventory, and gameplay holds it back from being a great indie horror entry.

There was a lot of replayability factors in Floodland I loved, and a strong political message. If you love micromanagement games, this had a treasure-trove worth of content.

Disney Illusion Island is practically a unicorn, offering fulfilling, customizable co-op for the whole family in an endearingly charming cartoon coating.