As you work your way toward the new level cap of 25 and power level of 330-335 (depending on mods), there’s a decent amount of new content to experience. Sure, Mercury’s small and the strikes are a letdown, but between the world building, new gear, and gameplay features such as new Crucible maps and Raid Lairs, there’s a fair amount of fun to be had in Curse of Osiris.

Crimsonland is a total guilty pleasure. It doesn’t look all that hot; the action is silly, loud, and dumb; but its quick and dirty gameplay is, most importantly, fun.

They feel worth it to me, but I’m a Pokémon lifer.

They feel worth it to me, but I’m a Pokémon lifer.

A pretty solid VR experience. The single player (or co-op) provides a great atmosphere. When it comes to getting the horror aspect to be actually horrific, Tripwire Interactive has done an excellent job. It’s really that experience that sells it. No, the enemies aren’t terribly varied, but Zeds seldom are I suppose.

The game’s biggest problem is the nature of its choice mechanics in that they are almost inconsequential.

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is an RPG that demands mastery of every element contained within. You need to focus in order to absorb the dense story, the escalating combat systems and the endless sea of upgrade menus. Like an advanced math class, there are dire consequences to skipping even a single lesson. However, buried under this formidable outer shell is a heartfelt story that hooks you early and doesn’t let go.

Hyakki Castle is a 3D dungeon crawler rich with Japanese mythology and lore, however a lack of tutorial and repetitive textures can be a drag.

Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney still cleverly presents itself as one of the most memorable adventures to reside in the Ace Attorney series. Having it available on the 3DS allows returning fans as well as new players to experience the series at its best in this day and age. While nothing revolutionary is present, it simply retouches the visuals, audio, and added features that will help players experience the game in a way similar to its original launch.

Black Mirror, the latest psychological thriller to grace the home console has a captivating story and some truly challenging puzzles within its atmospheric presentation. The game does, however, suffer from a number of issues that make it feel like a port from last generation or a project that simply took far too long to get off the ground. With awkward character builds and movement, minor visual stage tearing, acceptable voice acting, and oddly long load times, for being a new game it’s full of issues that shouldn’t have plagued this otherwise enjoyable experience.

Even if you owned the 360 version, there is a nice visual overhaul and a handful of new exhibits and animals to utilize. The animals look amazing and the interactive moments can be pretty fun.

With a game that constantly breaks, unstable controls, a pointless map, flat story, and repetitive rock music riffs for audio, Road Rage might incite rage in the gamer, but for all the wrong reasons. This is a game best reserved for feeling like you need to empty your digital wallet and have no other options.

Sadly, too much of the game’s experience continues to be a passive ride, lacking in gameplay and challenge. But as they say, what a ride it is.

Massive visual improvements definitely count for something, but when you can’t fix the original problems with a game’s dated mechanics and design, there’s not much else you can do. Outcast: Second Contact is a solid attempt at returning to the original classic, but it’s far from perfect.

Resident Evil 7 and Skyrim prove that PlayStation VR is a viable platform and that full-sized games belong on it. If you can look past the bugs (and let’s face it: if you’re a Skyrim fan, you can), then this feels like the definitive way to experience Skyrim.

LA Noire remains a one-of-a-kind game and the Switch version successfully translates this gritty crime drama to a portable platform.

Even taking into account some of those negatives, Lego Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a really good game to play. There is an abundance of things to do and collect, enough, in fact, to pour countless hours into it for those looking to 100% the game.

A great game for young gamers. The co-op mode is awesome for parents who want to play with their kids. The park hub is a fun concept and allows players to bounce back and forth between movie areas quickly.

It wasn’t anything close to what I expected. But in the end, I wound up being pleasantly surprised. While far from a meaty experience, what’s there is all good stuff. If this is Square Enix testing the water – so to speak – with VR, then I hope there’s much more to come from them on this platform.

Lumo is a game with something for everyone. It’s nostalgic in its inspiration from classic dungeon crawling and puzzlers; it’s fresh for its minimalist style and calming yet challenging experience.

There’s nothing I like more in video games than when a developer thinks outside of the box. Wonderful ideas and worlds can be bred from experimentation, much like the culinary world that Battle Chef Brigade champions. The contrasting gameplay styles, a beautifully designed world, and interesting characters combine into a delightful game that just doesn’t last long enough. Trinket Studios should be proud of their efforts, and I’m looking forward to whatever is next out of its kitchen.

Ittle Dew 2+ is a perfect fit for the portable Switch, and a supplement if you’ve been missing a top-down Zelda title on it. It has its own brand of humor and is chock-full of creativity with its visuals, dialogue, and puzzles, but can be found lacking with regard to its repetitive, unrewarding combat.

I came away disappointed but I can acknowledge that Eden Games has done a decent job in bringing a realistic racing experience to the Switch. While the actual racing tends to grow a bit stale after a while, the ability to upgrade and improve your cars and performance shop makes for a fun mini-game of sorts and a nice distraction. But at its core, this is still a racing game and it’s disappointing that Gear.Club Unlimited doesn’t measure up where it counts.

I’m definitely curious to see what that future holds for the Guardians, and where Telltale might take them next.

If you only own a console, however, and you want to experience this great series for the first time, then The Sims 4 certainly will give you lots of enjoyment, despite the annoying aspects.

The dependence on luck and rolls of the dice; however, make it unpredictable and unique at the cost of perfection. But, I think the creators know that.

From Other Suns certainly owes a lot to other well-established titles, but by recontextualizing its borrowed ideas in VR, it manages to carve out its own identity in the process. Commanding your own spaceship into uncharted space never gets tiring, and a slew of unlockable ships and weapons along with online multiplayer only further lengthens replayability. Though not without its flaws, From Other Suns will prove to be a worthwhile addition for anyone looking for a novel VR experience. I was never able to make it to Earth, but I’m already looking forward to my next attempt.

No Frozen or Brave cameos – a huge miss considering this games target audience.

Mario Party: The Top 100 is an attempt to recapture the favorite mini-games of our youth and offer it in portable form. While the games themselves play well and the ones they selected are all top notch, without having any solid structure or unlockables, the game quickly loses interest and goes from being the latest party game to being the best time killer you could possibly get on the 3DS.

This is Skyrim we’re talking about here, and this version will make any Elder Scrolls aficionados very happy.

Harmonix blends youthful athleticism and making sweet tunes with their newest game, Super Beat Sports, for the Nintendo Switch.

To fully embrace the terror of the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, Attentat 1942 creates a story of true events with fictional characters.

It's clear that the developers have been paying close attention to player feedback, as this feels like a significant improvement over the previous entry in the series. Major additions like the single-player campaign, the revamped Star Card system and the streamlined game modes all make for a much more robust moment-to-moment playthrough. There's still room for improvement with the loot box system, but it's already been fixed once, and there's every chance that it's only going to get better. The look and feel of Star Wars has been expertly captured in every inch of this game, while the battles are a faithful homage to the most exciting conflicts in the entire series.

Overall, Visual Novel Maker is a solid piece of software that allows creators freedom to make what they want, provided that they have the skills in order to do so. While jumping in can be scary at first, learning the various tasks one-by-one is likely the best option for new players. With a strong programming base, the game opens up to players; however, without prior experience, players will be left to learn almost completely on their own. With the RPG Maker series resulting in some impressive and unique creations, we anticipate that Visual Novel Maker will result in similarly pleasing projects.

Nano Shift VR is an enjoyable, albeit short, room-scale VR mystery puzzler with lots of perfectly-balanced puzzles in its first chapter.

Nightmare Boy had the potential to be a quirky and fun take on the Metroidvania platform, but it squanders that potential by falling flat in nearly all the fundamental components of what makes those types of games fun to play in the first place.

Payback is a stark improvement over 2015’s entry in the series, adding likable characters, an enjoyable if not formulaic story, user-friendly tuning, and the best bits and pieces from the previous games rolled into one. Where Payback falters, however, is its misuse of compelling characters, lack of police force, and an open world which – while beautiful – only has about 1/8th of it in the city, leaving most of your driving to be an extended scenic route.

In the end, Path Out accomplishes what it set out to do. The problem is that it ends up feeling too shallow and disjointed to be emotionally resonant.

I could summarize The Frozen Wilds in three simple words — it’s more Horizon — and that would be enough for some, but that simple sales pitch really doesn’t do the whole thing justice. The Cut is equally beautiful and treacherous, the struggle of the Banuk is fascinating, and the new machines lining this new world are awesome to take on. The Frozen Wilds sets Aloy in a clear new direction while maintaining the same excellent gameplay we loved back in February, and I couldn’t be more pleased with it.

Despite some shortcuts and downgrades in shoehorning a huge FPS juggernaut onto a handheld, Doom on the Switch is the real deal. All of the action, all of the fun, and most of the gameplay are in your hands, in a port that definitely fulfills its massive expectations.

Hidden Agenda is a pleasant narrative with some interesting ideas that don’t exactly pan out. It falls short of the high mark set by Until Dawn, but give points to Supermassive for trying something new instead of pumping out a clone of their last game. That said, I wanted another Until Dawn. In a densely packed genre, there are plenty of titles players should look into before considering Hidden Agenda.

In some ways, ARKTIKA.1 feels like a step backward for 4A Games. Puzzles can be a chore to play through and the story doesn’t come close to matching the studio’s previous efforts. Despite these issues, there’s a ton of fun to be had in teleporting from cover to cover, blasting off bandits and monsters with cool guns. There’s little reason to revisit the campaign after one playthrough, but while it lasts, it’s a blast.

King Oddball is a quietly charming, explosive puzzler. As an indie title, this game works incredibly well and is an enjoyable way to kill some time. With over 120 stages to beat, unique challenge modes, achievements, and an enjoyable playstyle, King Oddball is a game that should not be overlooked and deserves a chance. The controls are simple, the gameplay is addictive, the audio is fantastic, I couldn’t stop playing. While it might not break the mold of simple mobile gaming, King Oddball stands tall as a friendly challenge enjoyable by all.

Last Recode turned out to be something that I looked forward to playing at the end of the day. It has a fantastic story with some great worldbuilding, colorful characters, and includes all three original games alongside a newer, fourth volume to carry on the story. The combat became a bit samey and grindy after a while, but I still enjoyed it, and am assuming I will continue to enjoy it throughout the next three volumes I’m going to play.

Bubsy as a character has very little to offer and the gameplay – despite looking nice – is repetitive.

AER Memories of Old knows its limits and doesn’t try to go beyond them, which causes it to fall short in places, leading to simple gameplay and environments. It makes the most of what it has, especially with its visuals, but AER still turns out to be a rather short, shallow game in the end.

I was looking forward to reviewing Poi: Explorer Edition, as a game that channels the old-school 3D adventure game I loved so much as a child sounded like a great thing. However, this game is less a channeling and more a full emulation of one of those older games. It’s good for some fun, though that fun won’t last long. It’s not completely broken, but the minor issues can add up in a hurry. There’s some enjoyment to get out of Poi: Explorer Edition, but it’s more of a nostalgic trip to a more innocent time than anything noteworthy in the present.

The drawbacks to this game are numerous and ugly. If you can’t stand the grind, taking tons of notes and performing costly experiments as you go, this will be torture for you. But! For a certain kind of gamer, this is bliss.

I liked Super Lucky's Tale for its cute charm and textbook platforming, I just wished I would have been more challenged throughout the adventure. The lack of difficulty really pulled me out of the adventure, as it's hard to stay engaged when I know nothing is really going to test me.

This throwback Call of Duty game is exactly what the franchise needed. It’s been 10 years since the series has been to World War II and the return is glorious. With a brutally engrossing and punishing, albeit short, single-player campaign and a stripped down multiplayer that remains as tight as ever, Call of Duty WWII gets back to the things that put the franchise on the map.

Despite my numerous complaints with it, SIMULACRA was, at its core, a title that had me engrossed.

Knowledge is Power is a quirky, fun, bite-sized, quiz game show that utilizes nifty mechanics keeping the categories, questions, and competition entertaining. It’s visually pleasing with its charming cast of characters that surely a group of two to six people will enjoy.

I’ll admit it’s a great time. I sank hours into single player, despite my frustrations, and I had even more of a blast with the multiplayer. The Switch is proving itself to be a worthy home for fun party games, and Ninja Shodown is a strong addition to that lineup.

I was pretty impressed how much depth the game actually had overall, considering its flat beginning.

Spintires: MudRunner is an off-roading simulator with serious potential to be a surprise hit for fans of simulators – particularly the Farming Simulator series. It creates a sense of purpose and duty in the job you set out to complete, and you desperately want to complete the task at hand, however, the almost complete lack of instructions on advanced yet core mechanics of the game will definitely be a point of frustration for gamers who have not previously played Spintires. For everything this game gets right – the attention to detail, the physics engine, and the freedom before you – it means very little if you can’t complete a single delivery.

Conga Master Party! is a blast to play. It’s simple but challenging in such an addicting way.

If you’ve been a fan of the series since the very beginning, let your faith in the series be restored, because Assassin’s Creed Origins is definitely the best title to come out of the popular series in a long time, if not ever.

The Mummy Demastered just feels too generic of a Metroidvania overall to give players any real lasting impression. It’s the kind of game that you’ll play through and mostly enjoy, but when it’s over you’ll have a hard time recalling any defining moments.

It’s hard to believe that both The New Order and The Old Blood have been topped, but MachineGames has done it again with The New Colossus.

Spelunker Party! hearkens back to the old days of platformers, featuring simple yet challenging gameplay. Playable individually, Spelunker Party! is likely at its best when played with others. For those looking for a simple, classic platformer, this game is likely to be right up your alley. On the other hand, players should not go into this expecting something more contemporary. Overall, Spelunker Party! is what it sets out to be, and it does it well.

Music notwithstanding, Riskers lacks the character of its peers. There’s a big city in which I can steal cars and shoot bystanders, but there’s not much else. The narrative may have helped the game standout, but there’s not enough there to have an impact.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm – Brave New World is a great middle installment to the three-part series, and it offers a nice balance of gameplay, tough choices and gripping story that I found interesting and fun to play through. Despite its shortcomings in the area of puzzle challenge and the integration of the Back Talk mechanic, the narrative momentum is strong enough to overcome any of these. Although I know, from playing the first series, that Rachel and Chloe’s relationship cannot end on a positive note, I still can’t wait to see the tempestuous conclusion nevertheless.

Super Mario Odyssey is a masterpiece. It surprised me regularly, delighted me constantly, and smashed my expectations in ways I’d never have predicted. The deftly woven combination of nostalgic themes, intuitive gameplay, and incredibly inventive design make this not only the best Mario game to date, but one of the most joyful and compelling games ever made.

To truly get that cosmic Superman feeling, this is one game you want to play in virtual reality.

If you decide to pull the trigger on it, I can guarantee that you’ll have an absolute blast. It’s 2016’s DOOM on acid.

Whether I’m popping Cabal heads, tossing grenades, or making swift 180 degree turns, the game feels outstanding to play.

Freaky Awesome has a fascinating premise, incredible music and delightful enemy design. Unfortunately, my biggest problems are with the game’s core mechanics.

88 Heroes is an amusing and challenging platformer with a big heart, yet beyond its pop culture references, humor, and numerical gimmick, there isn’t a whole lot to offer gamers looking for a lengthier experience.

Nights of Azure 2 doesn’t stray too far away from its predecessor but effectively deals with what it originally lacked – namely, making it highly customizable and providing variability. Battles are significantly more enticing and connected to the overarching story.

It is the epitome of the “just a few more minutes” addictive gameplay that many games attempt, but few achieve. If you were a fan of the original, check it out for a nostalgic rush. If you have never played it at all – this one is a must. Trust me, once you start RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic, you’ll have a very tough time stopping.

After completing ECHO, I can’t wait to see what ULTRA ULTRA does next, hopefully refining and then incorporating the system they’ve developed for this learning AI. Beating yourself at your own game feels satisfying, and losing yourself feels fair. Now, if they can just make the protagonist feel more powerful but throw in some enemy variety and more complications to deal with that power level, they’ll be set.

WWE 2K18 brings a lot to the digital squared circle, giving the wrestling fan in me a lot to like. New mechanics and match formats offer different ways to take on opponents, the new graphics and audio enhancements bring a hint of realism, and there are more wrestlers from yesterday and today to play then I really know what to do with.

Gran Turismo Sport is a game that is both very good on the track and incredibly important for the future of the genre and the eSports fascination at large. While I would still love to see a return to a traditional game in the form of Gran Turismo 7, Sport is in a league of its own and makes going back to games even outside its genre, like competitive shooters, that much more difficult because of how forward thinking it’s online suite is. The focus on sport and competition is the game’s most impressive asset, putting it in the category of the greats that came before it.

Warbanners becomes quickly unplayable. It’s not pretty to look at or listen to, the story isn’t all that engaging, and the interesting tactical elements are hard to find under all the tedium. I would say that only a die-hard of the genre would appreciate it, but then, a die-hard would be turned off by the design flaws. It looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for the next turn-based masterpiece.

With a refocus on the dynamics of the Guardians as a team rather than the main plot line, Telltale appears to have repositioned themselves into a better perspective with which to enter the final act. With this episode, we can also begin to see how certain plotlines are coming together now that we near the end. We expect some great things from the final episode, perhaps aptly named Don’t Stop Believin’.

Story aside, Raiden V: Director’s Cut is a solid vertical scrolling shmup.

Fire Emblem Warriors does well in combining elements from the two series it combines. The story, although predictable, does an excellent job of incorporating the characters from the different titles and having them interact together. The game performs well both in docked and handheld modes, with strong voice acting throughout. While the game is on the easy side, the game has a lot of content to offer, and fans of the Fire Emblem series will feel that the developers have done the series justice with their take.

Rogue Trooper Redux is a third person shooter that surpasses the original by adding depth, a story of betrayal, an interesting dynamic with Rogue’s squad, multiple tactics, and fantastic controls. The game looks great and it’s easy enough for newcomers to enjoy without feeling overwhelmed. Rebellion and Tick Tock Games did a fantastic job keeping it authentic to the source material and it’s a game everyone should try.

Elex demands a certain species of patience, a particular brand of mental acuity.

While it didn’t scare me as much as I wanted it to, it packs plenty of tense moments and interesting situations into its somewhat inflated length and is definitely worth investigating for its atmosphere alone.

It’s held back by its repetition – the music, the modes; even the four bears get old after a while. Bust this out at a party for 30 minutes of fun, but don’t expect your friends to beg for more at the next get together.

Well worth the wait. Building off of the massive success of The Stick of Truth, Fractured But Whole has an incredibly satisfying combat system that leaves you constantly eager for the next fight, exemplary and natural dialogue from everyone in town, and a truly epic soundtrack.

It does a fantastic job of drawing inspiration from genre classics and adding just enough of a twist to feel fresh and engaging.

The game modes are challenging and the combat is enjoyable when it works, but if you’re the only one of your friends picking it up then you’re going to have a bad time finding someone to play it with, and with a lack of an AI to bolster the single-player there isn’t much of the game to be played.

Danger Zone takes the formula made famous by Burnout’s “Crash” mode and tries to recreate it, but that’s pretty much all it accomplishes. It really doesn’t do anything better than what Burnout did 15 years ago and in some cases, it fares worse than the older franchise.

I went into Gundam Versus looking to get pulled in to an awesome title of battling robots but it just doesn’t grab me. The unlockables aren’t worth it, there is no story to speak of, its just a simple arcade game, with simple being the keyword. It doesn’t give me a reason to keep playing because there is no real change if I do.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of DANA is a heartwarming and interesting journey with fantastic characters and a balanced combat system.

Fragments of Him is a well thought out story that ultimately is undone by its gameplay choices. By trying to make gamers interact with the story more, the story became even more inaccessible. While I can appreciate the sentiment that Sassybot was gunning for, the delivery ended up being the undoing of a compelling storyline.

Caveman Warriors is a throwback game through and through. It will appeal to many gamers for the same reasons it won’t appeal to others. As a retro-inspired platformer, it succeeds in providing strategic puzzle-platforming. While there are issues of difficulty balance and pacing, it shouldn’t turn off fans of classic stone age action.

Raw Data is as good as it gets when it comes to VR games.

I can’t totally ignore the flaws present, and I suspect that many potential players will not be able to either. But this is a rock-solid title nonetheless. If you know the Touhou name, or even if you know the masochistic joy of bullet-hell gaming, Battle Burst is worth checking out.

Though combat could have gotten a second layer of paint, all-in-all, this is an unrivaled mobile experience. I’ve never seen such an in-depth RPG that’s not either a port from an old console or plagued with in-app purchases. If you’re looking for a timesink that’ll eat away at your free time and not your bank account, you’ve got to check out Egglia: Legend of the Redcap.

There’s only one thing I can say; Empyre: Lords of the Sea Gates is not a finished product. It’s not even close. Things are hollow, broken, and un-freakin-readable. I love the premise for this game, but that’s the only affection I can have for it. So, so badly, I wanted this to be a fun experience, yet it’s anything but. In every aspect of the phrase, this game lacks the depth it needs to be called an RPG. The final rating can only reflect what’s presented, and that’s not much.

It’s a great game if you’re looking to kill time and also if you are looking for a challenge.

Hidden Dragon Legend is not a terrible game, and it does try hard at times. Some decent art design and combat mechanics offer the potential for a bit of enjoyment. However, it doesn’t present enough variation in gameplay to stay fresh, and the combat – a major part of the game – begins to break down when things get hectic. Irritation, frustration, and maybe boredom will begin to seep in after the initial fun, making this platforming adventure less than legendary.

A fun yet simple title with strong graphical and audio style, making it one of the stronger Japanese multimedia adaptations to date.

When all is said and done, Darkestville Castle adeptly invites the player to think outside the box. There’s a good story, great dialogue, and an interesting world to discover. On the downside, there’s no real choice involved, and it transitions into an experience where solving problems is a matter of clicking everything on-screen—no elaborate navigation necessary. However, if you enjoy Point and Click and clever humor, I don’t see a downside to this new adventure.

Inmates seems undecided on what it wants to be. There are not enough puzzles to call it a puzzle game and not enough scares for it to be a true horror. In its current state, Inmates plays more like a promising proof of concept than a finished product. It’s a shame that these different elements don’t form a cohesive whole, because — beneath the rough edges — Inmates has an original, worthwhile story to tell.