The entire game is based around exploration, puzzles, and atmosphere. It lives and dies on those three things.

Dimension Drive does offer up some compelling ideas to vertical shmups, but the focus seems to be too much on those aspects. The actual shoot ’em up part is merely ok at best.

GetsuFumaDen: Undying Moon reinvents itself through the inclusion of rogue-lite elements. However, the weight of numerous collectibles, basic combat and odd design decisions mean that the game struggles to compete with contemporaries. Although there is still plenty to enjoy for fans of the original and newcomers, it fails to cut through the competition.

Sports Story is a great idea that struggles to reach its full potential. While the soccer-focused tasks use the theme in fun and innovative ways, too many missions include menial tasks. On the pitch, the gameplay is basic and due to this, it doesn’t manage to string enough elements together to deliver a clinical finish.

The core of the game is solid, and the financial dread of being a badass is something rarely explored in video games. I recommend playing MechWarrior 5 in co-op with a friend, as I found coordinating builds and strategies with someone really added a layer of fun and replayability to the contracts.

Omega Force sticks to the formula with Pirate Warriors 4, and that’s not a bad thing if you’re a fan of the musou format. Fans of the genre, and even of One Piece itself, will find a lot to like here. There’s a ton of content and a somewhat noticeable visual upgrade, and if that’s what you’re after, this entry certainly delivers. However, if you prefer action-heavy experiences with a more multi-layered approach to combat, you’re better off looking elsewhere. Missions and set pieces are clearly designed with long-time fans in mind, often relying on prior knowledge of the franchise. While that’s great for dedicated followers, newcomers may quickly feel lost in the story. As a package, it’s brimming with content, but fundamental issues with the formula mean you might ultimately want to let this ship sail by.

H1Z1 lacks identity, easily lost in a sea of militaristic shooters, battle royale or not, and that may be the main reason it won’t be the last man standing when the genre fad begins to fade away.

The actual construction of the expansion is solid, and the new features definitely put a new spin on playing the game, but the amount of content doesn’t fit the price.

Thankfully, the humorous writing is still there and I will admit that Wasteland 3: The Battle of Steeltown got a few chuckles out of me. The environment and models for the area also look awesome, and the unique flair of folk-tunes makes a great return (I just wish there was more). Overall, Battle of Steeltown is decent but if you are a Wasteland fan, I would recommend you wait for a sale to pick this one up.

The quality of Cultist Simulator‘s writing and intriguing setting coupled with its arduous gameplay made me wish I was reading a surrealist novel rather than grasping at some sort of narrative with all these disparate cards. While I can appreciate the game’s own attempt at experimentation with its indefinite gameplay, tabletop format, and fragmented story, I could not find much enjoyment in constantly wondering what I was doing and asking myself why I was still playing.

Willy Morgan and The Curse of Bone Town is a simple title with a well-intentioned premise. Despite its cast of colorful characters and relatively interesting narrative, it really struggles to find its stride and unfortunately feels like its potential is squandered by both the undercooked game and sound design.

Ultimately, American Fugitive lives and dies by its gameplay. Driving around and tearing through Redrock County is fun, destructive, and weirdly cathartic. Casing buildings and barely escaping before the police show up is breathtakingly thrilling. Past those two parts of the gameplay, however, there’s not much of substance to hold onto. American Fugitive is a quirky and fun open-world sandbox, but if you expect a bit more from games that tackle Grand Theft Auto’s legacy, you’ll be left wanting.

If players are more concerned with their fond memories of an old series then polished mechanics and updated controls, then Double Dragon: Neon is certain to delight them with a ton of charm and appeal that is a welcome addition to the Double Dragon Saga.

Gigantosaurus: The Game is the type of game that is difficult to recommend for everyone. The platforming gets a bit tiresome, the graphics are quite dated, and the overall package is geared towards a younger audience. If you have young gamers in the house, especially those familiar with the TV series, then this might be perfect. Another group of gamers who might get a kick out of this game are those that long for classic collect-a-thon platformers like Donkey Kong 64. Breaking up the platforming with some racing sections was a clever idea. Some of the in-game power-ups and sliding down slides were pretty neat – kids will definitely get a kick out of these moments.

As much as I wanted to enjoy Card Hunter, I found myself losing interest by the end.

The Spirit and the Mouse is a relaxing dawdle through a lovely French village. Playing as the cute, electric-fused Lila is a joy, however, the lack of options available to traverse does hinder the expedition. While the premise is packed with possibilities, the tedious and formulaic mission design makes this an arduous trek.

Octahedron: Transfixed Edition is a solid and deceptively simple platformer that uses its challenging structure, pumping rhythm, and striking visuals to create a package designed to overwhelm the senses. While each part is solid, the final product wasn’t enough to hook me into playing long term. The challenge was refreshing and the visuals more than pop, however, the game advises you to follow the rhythm and it didn’t quite feel in sync enough with all three aspects to do so. It’s an impressive and ambitious title, but not one as memorable as it ought to be.

All in all, Marisa of Liartop Mountain is a cute little game that pretends to be complicated than it is. If you’re a Touhou fan who doesn’t mind restarting if necessary, you’ll have fun. Everyone else is likely to get annoyed and drop it.

While there are interesting turn-based battles to experience, there isn’t any depth to them and merely gives you a ‘feels good, looks great’ experience without any challenge whatsoever. It’s a streamlined experience that you should sit back and mindlessly enjoy, but nothing more.

If you were a fan of Myst back in the day and long to have that old school point and click adventure back, then you’ll most likely enjoy The Mare, even if the horror genre isn’t your thing. If you’re looking for the next Slenderman or simply a scary game, look elsewhere, as you won’t find that here.

It’s a fast paced shooter, that feels really tight as a first person shooter. It’s meant to be played in fast bursts, so maybe it’s the perfect exciting thing to get you pumped while commuting on the bus. Or the kind of game where you breeze through the dialogue, turn off the sound and play while listening to a 25 hour audiobook. Into the Pit is a well-constructed roguelike shooting game and if you’re the kind of person who hears those words and yells, “I’m sold!” then you will probably have a lot of fun. But it’s not going to make believers out of genre-skeptics.

Though each of those individual elements won’t surpass anything you’ve played before, one can’t deny the level of effort that has gone into making this a smooth VR experience. Seeking Dawn is not the definitive space epic you may have been waiting for, but for now, it’ll do.

Where Cards Fall is a lovely puzzler that fails to capitalize on its innovative premise. While The Game Band nails the design, the gameplay experience is hindered by fiddly controls that mar the experience. Puzzles are enjoyable offering a suitable level of challenge but fail to deliver any truly memorable moments. Although the developer’s desire to tell a sympathetic narrative is clear, its delivery lacks the nuances required to engage the audience. Even though there’s an ace somewhere in the hole, several issues leave the game in the lurch.

On a story level, Paradise Killer was fantastic. It could have used a lot of fine-tuning but the setting was unique, the characters were interesting, and it asks a lot of questions about morality, acceptable behaviour, the difference between truth and fact, or law and justice. It’s up to you to decide what is right, but the game is a let down in execution. The experience is a long way from video game paradise, but it has its heart in the right place.

While Subject 13 is an interesting indie title to jump into, the finicky controls and lack of guidance can make this a game best suited for those with a lot of patience.

Truth be told, I had a great time with Gray Dawn. Laughing at the absurdity with my friend made it a really fun experience. It’s an awful horror game. That needs to be understood. There’s no horror classic to be found here, and there are many games to scratch that itch for less than $20. That said, if you’re the type to grab a couple of friends and head to the cinema to see a movie that’s so bad it’s good, then I would absolutely recommend Gray Dawn.

If you are looking for fast paced, or precision platforming then you fill find the game frustrating. The game is a real mixed bag but you have to give credit where credit is due, it really puts you in the shoes of a nameless mob… turns out the heroes have it pretty good after all.

Override: Mech City Brawl is a game that knows exactly what it is: its short, sweet, and all about explosions and destruction. With the unique styles and appearance of each mech you can clearly feel the care and attention the developers put into having a roster that stood out, but I can’t help but feel with a little more added to the campaign or a few skirmishes or single player touches, this could easily have been a sleeper hit. The combat is fun if a little awkward at first, and customization options are a bit limited, but all in all, this is a game that’s fun to go a few rounds with friends and knows how to entertain players in the short term.

Technical issues aside, sadly Cryptark ends up being a middle of the road roguelike. It has some well thought out and unique ideas that get lost in the business of everything around it.

Overall, Batora: Lost Haven is a fun game, albeit with a few shortcomings. The dialogue and the cartoonish visuals appeal to a younger audience. Meanwhile, the detailed statistics and complex controls make it feel more mature. Are you a fan of sci-fi action games or isometric action RPGs in general? Then Batora: Lost Haven could be a worthwhile game to sink your teeth into.

Baldo: The Guardian Owls is an audacious release that struggles to find its own identity. Although the Studio Ghibli-esque visuals are stunning, the issues with the gameplay make this a laborious plod through a gorgeous world. With a map that lacks clarity, you will spend hours of your time haphazardly wandering the terrain in search of objectives. Fans of traditional Zeldas will enjoy the interconnected, puzzle-filled dungeons but will be left annoyed and irritated by the inconsistent combat and odd design choices.

Vambrace: Cold Soul is a great love letter to Darkest Dungeon. The art style is very well done and the story intriguing. The character classes manage to show great variety in their kits within their limited options. While the game encourages tactical retreats to replenish resources in town, it provides no incentive to invest in your party members beyond their gear. This ultimately makes your squad feel shallow and very expendable. For fans of games like Darkest Dungeon, this is a title worth looking into.

Paint the Town Red is a unique, fun experience for the first couple of times you play it. The game has adequate graphics and sound design that match the wackiness and a couple of game modes that should keep you engaged when trying them all out. But Paint the Town red suffers from repetitive gameplay, limited combat options, no story or depth to hook your interest, and little to no replayability. For a $19.99 purchase, we’d say consider holding off until a discount drops the price.

Anamorphine is a beautiful narrative similar to a movie. Despite it being a game, it is not necessarily entertaining or fun, and I don’t think it chooses to be.

Don’t buy Vicky Saves the Big Dumb World expecting some niche masterpiece, or the next indie breakout star. Go into it expecting to play something that doesn’t take itself too seriously, but in all the right ways.

Sword of the Necromancer is a neat, engaging, and surprising rogue-like with some great ideas and a curiously deep narrative. The mechanic of reviving enemies to fight for you is a great concept, and general features like diverse weapons and effective combat maneuvers feel superb, however, this strange inventory design feels like a huge setback. The inclusion of the latest update which allows for a more customized experience is an improvement, but it did sour my enjoyment of the game just a little to not have it from launch. As it stands, you can’t really let yourself get attached to anything other than the titular sword which directly contradicts the key point of the narrative; that Tama has grown attached to Koko. If you are looking for a nice, light rogue-like to jump into that doesn’t feel mindless, this is the game for you.

Obey Me does a lot right to make it a fun play and entice fans of the genre in. The gameplay isn’t overly complicated but it’s still challenging. The dungeons are visually exciting and quite lengthy. They have a scoring system after each battle that will infuriate you if you don’t get the top score. However, the characters are not as endearing as the creators hoped they would be, the dungeons are repetitive, and it’s so close to being a Diablo game … well Diablo 3 is literally right there in my library. If you’re looking for a similar game to Diablo that isn’t just rehashing a game you’ve played a hundred times and you want something with a less bleak tone, then drop the $19.99 on Obey Me. Just know what to expect when you boot it up.

While it has a lot of positives going for it they don’t add up to enough to make the game truly good. Odd difficulty spikes alongside a narrative that never really goes further than ‘Hey, I’m being chased!’ can make the game either frustrating or downright boring at times.

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.

Space Run Galaxy is a refreshing take on the Tower Defense type with a little splash of Asteroids inspiration thrown in. With limited controls but plenty to manage, the only downside is the cringe-worthy dialogue as stereotypical characters banter.

There are things to like about Nobunaga’s Ambition. On a technical level it does what it promises and if you’re looking for that very specific thing you’ll probably really enjoy the game.

Perhaps the high tension cooldown/charge loop will be enough to compensate for a somewhat threadbare presentation elsewhere. There’s an entire crafting/shopping/customization system I failed to mention. Like the battles and the story, it grows slowly, developing over dozens of hours into something tangible and potent. If my description of the core gameplay loop has you curious, check it out! But if a quick glance at the trailers and the streams has you wondering what you’re missing, maybe save this adventure for another doomed warrior.

Overall, NBA 2K20 is a good game. The core gameplay and presentation excels, My Career is a simple but enjoyable experience, the WNBA’s included, and the additional modes function but fall short because of the progression stranglehold.

Although there is no actual nudity in the game, it gets down to naked with their bits covered… and groping… and lewd poses… There’s also some swearing. Peach Ball deserves its M rating, and that’s going to be a huge part of its appeal. If you’re looking for a pervy Japanese pinball game, then look no further. In the end, I can happily say that I’m glad to have a solid pinball game on my Switch.

It’s short length, lack of content, and unnecessary boss battles to pad the run time of an already short experience feel weak compared to the insane and wild content of the base game itself.

Overall, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Rescue Team DX is a decent foray back into the Pokemon universe for those waiting for Sword and Shield DLC. However, without the Pokemon license, I’m not so sure that this game would be as well regarded as it is. Despite that, it takes what it has, and makes it a fun experience in its own right. Die-hard Pokemon fans won’t have too hard of a time deciding whether to purchase this game, but for everyone else, there is currently a demo on the eShop in which progress carries over.

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.

While the game itself is easily completed within two hours, the ending feels satisfying and leaves you a bit warm and fuzzy inside.

MXGP 2019 has the makings of a great motocross game but it comes up short in a few key areas. The racing is competent enough and this years’ game is probably the most accessible the series has ever been. Having said that, there’s definitely room for improvement when it comes to new modes and overall presentation. The track editor is a great addition for fans to experiment with but the new Playground mode needs a lot of work before the franchise goes full open-world. If you’re looking for some motocross action, MXGP 2019 should satisfy that itch, but expect to stumble a little in the dirt.

Even with all of its issues, Kyn is a decent RPG featuring an incredible soundtrack.

Project Nimbus is good to look at and great to listen to. It’s got a jammin’ old school video game soundtrack, great explosions, and the aforementioned pilot banter. Diehards of the genre will find a love letter to all things big and clanky, and if your dream is to pilot something big and fast and humanoid shaped, Project Nimbus will make you feel great.

To be clear, there’s a lot of space in this world for gentle, low-impact games. Wytchwood isn’t a bad game because it’s easier than Dark Souls. Difficulty is not the only reason to play a game. But Wytchwood does let the player down with such a vague and uninteresting story. A game needs a hook, and this story ain’t it. Crafting games make me uniquely aware of how much time I am wasting by playing them. But in the end, I like to look back at the little work of art I made by building a house, or a city, or a space station. In Wytchwood I am just collecting ingredients because the game told me to collect those ingredients. It’s an attractive enough game, but it needs something else substantial.

Ultimately, MachiaVillain needs a lot of cleaning up, explanations and balance fixes. Then maybe we can all come together to have a bloody good time.

Motorslice has the heart and soul of a classic adventure title, but it lacks modern sensibilities that sometimes hinder the experience. Platforming across its well-crafted linear levels is wonderful, but open areas are not as well-tailored. The controls can also be frustrating, with P not always feeling as responsive as you’d expect. Combat is serviceable, featuring a parry system with a harsh timing window, and it’s in these mechanics that the game channels its Shadow of the Colossus-inspired boss encounters most effectively. Although some genuinely strong ideas shine through, the rough edges make them hard to fully appreciate.

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.

The great design and vision behind Pid can't quite overcome its faults in execution, so I can't put my stamp of enthusiastic recommendation on it.

It looks and sounds the part with excellent visuals and a stirring soundtrack, and has competent gameplay mechanics, but it misses the mark with repetitive missions, a poorly developed story, and a fair bit of roughness around the edges.

Simply put, Ragnarok Odyssey is more accessible than a traditional RPG. While this is great for a more casual player, the hardcore RPG gamer might be underwhelmed with the games lack of depth.

If you’re really dying for a handheld music game KickBeat could fill that void for a bit of time, or in short bursts, but due to the small soundtrack you will most likely get weary pretty quickly unless you’re patient and create a bunch of your own tracks to play with.

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

Each successful run of Ashwalkers takes about two hours, so you do not have to sink in a ton of time into each playthrough. The management of the Squad is engaging, but not inherently difficult, barring any lack of resources. Ashwalkers: A Survival Journey is a chill, but engaging game with a ton of reasons to come back for more.

I like a game that tries to combine several different gameplay styles, but the overall experience seems rushed and unpolished. It offers plenty of content and skills, yet doesn't seem to excel at any particular one. Elemental: Fallen Enchantress does a lot of things right but never truly delivers on any of them.

The game’s new modes don’t merge either playstyle together well enough to justify any of them, and I can’t imagine they are easy enough to appeal to the child demographic that the game’s aesthetic and adventure mode are clearly aimed towards.

I’m trying to examine Awakening through a more objective lens. I know that a real Nobunaga head would see this game very differently. But it’s just so punishingly dull. The density of material, the pacing, the interface, all of this smashed against my limited attention span with incredible force. If you’re a fan of the series, Nobunaga’s Ambition Awakening Complete Edition will be a worthy addition to your Nintendo Switch 2 collection. Otherwise, I can’t recommend this game.

Clunky controls, frequent and time consuming travels between areas and the ability to literally skip through all of the challenging sections are real setbacks to what could have otherwise been a very enjoyable game.

If you’re looking for a simple, yet challenging rhythm style game, then Senran Kagura: Bon Appetit! – Full Course might fit the bill. The game has some genuinely funny moments if you can appreciate sexual humour and there are an extensive amount of almost-nude, busty girls with a ton of over-the-top bounce.

At its best, Licthspeer is a frantic combination of a pulsating soundtrack and rhythmic spear throwing. At its worst, Lichtspeer can feel incredibly cheap with some enemies, particularly the walrus’, offering a quick death right near the end of a level, forcing a restart.

While the lack of button mapping or even a general guide to the controls in the menu can be off-putting at first, the gameplay itself is a delightful challenge.

The story isn’t memorable, the combat is lackluster, and the large open world isn’t full of many interesting things to do. However, I do still thoroughly enjoy blowing stuff up, knocking stuff down, ramming vehicles through a building’s foundations, and collapsing a bridge with EDF forces driving over it … do I have a problem?

I feel like Eclipse was definitely on to something here, and then they shot themselves in the foot. They bit off more than they could chew and had to spit something out. If you’re looking for Pang but with a weird new challenge, check out Spheroids. Otherwise, look at other iterations that tried to focus more on the core mechanics that made Pang so great.

Fort Solis is a moderately successful first effort from Fallen Leaf. It scores points for atmosphere and good voice work, but suffers from clashing tonality. Tension is often severed before it takes hold, and the experience wraps up before exploring threads sufficiently. I understand why the scope is limited mostly to the critical path, but there were numerous threads along the way I wanted desperately to be able to tug at. Fort Solis isn’t exactly blazing any new trails, but there’s an entertaining few hours to be had here for fans of narrative adventures.

It really feels as if DriveClub shot itself in the foot by even suggesting that it was on the same level as other simulation racers out there. It’s more of a hybrid arcade/sim style game that just doesn’t have the chops to compete highly on one side or another.

Tyrant’s Blessing is a bit of a blessing in disguise. On the surface, the game feels like a copy of another popular title, just in a different setting. As you play through the game though, the differences become apparent and Tyrant’s Blessing soon finds its own niche. However, there is a sweet spot for this game between learning the game and becoming too familiar with it. Overall, its gameplay will keep players coming back for as long as they can stand it.

Both a fun experience for fans of the series as well as a good introduction for others. While the gameplay is a bit repetitive, it is still enjoyable, and both the visuals and audio make it a joy to experience.

Fans of the genre will find plenty to love about this game as it keeps enough of the genre staples while still trying to keep you on your toes with some variations. I, however, think I have to hang up my Musou holster. I can respect that Omega Force has made strides to stand out from all of the other games in the genre, but after so many years, it isn’t enough to keep me interested.

Eternal Strands draws inspiration from various titles, blending their elements to forge a new adventure. While Yellow Brick Games succeeds in crafting a strong physics system that complements the protagonist’s powers, the experience is hindered by weak combat and early mission design. Though the characterization shines, enhanced by solid voice acting, the story struggles to immerse, likely due to its disjointed delivery. Ultimately, the game is brimming with strong ideas, but none are executed well enough to leave a lasting impression.

If you just want to play a game that brings you nostalgia, you want to know what it was like to play a game 30 years ago or you just want to show your kids how good they have it – Exile’s End has faithfully recreated that. Just know that’s what you’re getting into if you decide to.

With its visual prowess, RoadCraft presents a promising foundation for a unique and engaging construction simulator. Its road construction mechanics and realistic environments are impressive. However, it also feels underdeveloped and lacking in customization, which previous Saber Interactive games have. In addition, clunky UI and a plethora of bugs ultimately hold RoadCraft back from realizing its full potential. While dedicated fans of road engineering and construction simulators might enjoy the game’s granular control and visual feedback, “RoadCraft” requires significant improvements and additions before it can truly compete with established players in the genre. It’s a game with a strong concept but needs a lot more work before it’s ready for prime time. The foundation is there, but the road ahead is still under construction.

Tight controls are a must for such a platformer and from my perspective the controls in Alien Spidy are not as tight as they should be. Sure there are some addictive elements and I did enjoy the games vibrant visuals; however, I just expected a much more refined experience.

It’s more like Cube Zero than Cube: it’s fun if you like that sort of thing, but if this was all you saw you wouldn’t be that interested.

Mankind Divided’s first DLC story is divided between a stellar narrative and a disjointed gameplay experience.

My expectations with Damage Inc. Pacific Squadron WWII were wide open, and as it turns out the game is a pretty decent one with plenty of options for view, control, and playing with or without friends.

I’ve not played the previous games in this series, but from what I can see, Heat 5 doesn’t offer much more than Heat 4. NASCAR Racing is not for everyone, and compared to other sim racers out there, this is easily the tamest of them all. The game does nothing badly, but neither does it excel at anything. It’s truly a middle of the road racing sim. Hardcore fans are the only ones that will want to suit up for this iteration.

It’s short, sweet and fun – which is sometimes what you need to change up your gaming routine.

Playing this game did give me a lot of nostalgia about middle school, yes, but when it comes to fun to be had in 2016, Worms W.M.D. feels dated, as does the enjoyment you can squeeze out of it.

Visually the game has some positives, such as Mei and the cutscenes, but there definitely needs to be some more optimization on the Nintendo Switch to remedy the frame rate drops. I only briefly tried the bonus Yotsuya story, but was promptly killed during my first encounter with a spirit – and I couldn’t be bothered replaying the opening sequence again. If you’re a fan of spooky games and enjoy the classic point-and-click style games of yesteryear, then Sense – A Cyberpunk Ghost Story might be worthy of your time.

The NHL series hasn’t drastically changed the formula for fifteen years, so why would I expect NHL 21 to be any different? I certainly appreciate that Be a Pro has been fleshed out, but I’d trade it in a heartbeat for a game that looked and felt like an NHL broadcast. I stand by that it plays as well as it ever has. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a proper representation of the sport. And most of the changes that have been implemented haven’t translated in the way I hoped they would. The defense is still sporadic, your teammate AI is still clueless, and goalies still get beat by the same exploit goals. If EA Vancouver ever hopes to stand alongside the giants of the genre - NBA 2K and MLB The Show - they’ll need to rethink what simulation hockey really means.

If you have a VR setup and want that sort of introductory horror game to show your friends or family, Don’t Knock Twice is a great buy. It’s not overly expensive and a playthrough should take over an hour. If you consider yourself a horror buff and want the ultimate thrill, you have not found it here and I suggest you keep looking.

Ultimately, I think your mileage will highly depend on how the stories land with you, and whether the act of walking is a delight or a burden. I do think Where The Water Tastes Like Wine is worth a gander, just don’t expect a swan song of a tale or gut punch metaphor about early America. Enjoy it for it what it immediately offers: a fun series of tiny vignettes and discoverable characters to unwind with. Forget the rest.

Van Helsing takes a bunch of ideas and mechanics from different games and tries to amalgamate them. It doesn’t attempt to do anything original or push the boundaries of RPGs. If this were the 90′s, I might be impressed. Nothing sets this game apart; it strives to be a solid game, nothing more. Unfortunately, ‘solid’ is just too flimsy to warrant a second playthrough.

In a time where Battle Royale is all the craze, raking in all that money and not bothering to try to keep up with your competition seems like a stupid idea. Considering PUBG creators sued Epic Games over Fortnite over plagiarism, it becomes pretty apparent that the suit wasn’t over losing money, but out of spite that someone else was making a better version of your game. Instead of paying legal fees, maybe pay a programmer to outdo your competition and beat them by being better, not by throwing a legal tantrum.

Cursed to Golf is a great idea for a game. It’s a very difficult 2D golf game with precise controls. Although it’s a Roguelike, I enjoyed it less like I enjoyed Hades, and more like I enjoyed Super Meat Boy. I just can’t believe there are no multiplayer options! And there are some bugs that need fixing. Playing Cursed to Golf was great fun for a few hours, but as a single-player-only experience, I’m not sure how many players will be captivated long enough to try to conquer all 18 holes.

On the one hand, it can be a genuinely fun game of digital basketball with cool animations and many playable characters to choose from, and the addition of local multiplayer is a welcome feature. On the other hand, however, many of the game’s mechanics simply don’t work as they should and the lack of creative modes is disappointing. Maybe in the future, with some tweaks and new content, NBA Playgrounds can blossom into something great, but for now, it doesn’t quite hit the mark.

Super Mario Party features a large character selection, beautiful visuals, fun minigames, fresh new modes, and that fun, party-style gameplay - all of which is great. But I constantly found myself wanting... more. Maybe it's because I see what Nintendo is doing with Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - with its massive roster, absurd number of levels, and so much more and I wish Nintendo would put that kind of effort into a Mario Party game. If you have three friends that are Mario Party fanatics - than there might be just enough here to satisfy the Mario Party craving for a while. Otherwise, it's really hard to recommend Super Mario Party - especially if you don't have anyone to play with, the stupid AI will just drive you insane.

For an indie title, Abbey Games does a great job in developing an in-depth, complex simulation game. Unfortunately, the game at times did not really feel like a game given the amount of numbers utilized.

Hirogami is a pleasant adventure with innovative ideas that don’t quite land. The ability to transform into different creatures is engaging, especially in later levels where switching between forms is essential to progress. Unfortunately, the lackluster encounters, basic level design, and the need to revisit earlier stages to move forward create frustration. While Hirogami brims with creativity, it never quite comes together into a truly memorable experience.

Xenoraid brings some interesting ideas to the genre. Unfortunately, the changes take away from what really defines the genre, leaving it in a sort of limbo between genres. Despite this, Xenoraid remains a fun co-op title with an enticing survival mode.

If you know some people that are interested and can split the cost, or you just really enjoy rogue-like shooters, then Rogue Stormers is probably right for you. Unfortunately, it’s definitely not right for me.