If you’re looking for a Metroidvania-style slash-fest that won’t make your eyes weary, you’ve gotta check out Sundered.

Whether you’re in it for the fights or the characters, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax shouldn’t just be on your mind, it should be in your hands.

For such a small game, the meaning and intent behind it is large. It made me think of all the things I’d had to leave behind between moves, especially after moving from a small town to a big city. As you progress, you’ll note some stuff that isn’t there in the later moves despite being there for the first couple. There’s also something inherently intimate about moving someone’s belongings around. It’s not just general things like clothing, cookware and more, but also toiletries and undergarments, it just feels more real. If you’ve had a long day and just want to play a fun laidback game or if you like organizing things or if you need a moment of self-reflection, Unpacking is a wonderful game that really needs more recognition and love.

Much like the previous two episodes, The Walking Dead: Episode 3 – Long Road Ahead is a fascinating tale of survival and is filled with more gut wrenching decisions.

The content is great, but the relative value is horrible. If you are a big Kingdom Hearts fan (and really that’s who this collection is intended for), you’re going to be overjoyed.

This is a fantastic use of VR. And excellent use of the Aim Controller. The level of immersion provided by this peripheral is unparalleled. So much so that if there was a tripod attachment for the Aim, I would buy it. Just so I can truly feel like a sniper setting up the shots. Sniper Elite VR is the complete package. It’s got great gameplay, excellently designed levels, and the best scope use of any game to date. While the game may have some graphical blemishes, Rebellion has stated that a day one game patch will be available to address them plus other items.

Newcomers to Tekken may find the learning curve to be a tad bit high and accessibility to resources lacking, but self-driven investigation on combos as well as tips and tricks is all part of the fun. It’s also a surprisingly suitable entry point for newcomers to learn about the Tekken universe and returning fans to have a recap.

Overall, I can’t get enough of Sekiro despite being terrible at playing it. It’s a great evolution of the Soulsborne experience with impressive new traversal and combat mechanics in a beautiful world loaded with odd characters and challenging enemies. I’m excited to jump into my second playthrough to find any areas or bosses I missed initially, as well as continue to upgrade my Shinobi Tools and combat abilities.

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

After a while, I forgot I was sick of pixels. I look at Dread Delusion and I don’t see part of a trend. I see a game that set out to capture a particular tone and succeeded wildly. It’s not that playing Dread Delusion is like going back and playing those old games. Dread Delusion allows us to delude ourselves into remembering those games through magenta colored glasses.

There’s been a lot of innovation in strategy games in the last few years, and Galactic Civilizations IV is not a revolution. It’s a sequel, bigger, neater, and smoother. All the things a sequel hopes to be. With so many new, fizzy strategy games, it’s nice to see a long-running series retain its core and its spirit. Galactic Civilizations IV is safe and deeply playable.

I plan to spend a lot more time with The Iron Oath. In fact, it gets a rare stamp of honor. Even fantastic games can grow old once you’ve played and reviewed it. With The Iron Oath, there’s still so much more for me to learn and see. In fact, I think it’s going to remain installed on my PC for a long while. I can’t foresee another game coming for the merc management throne for a long time.

Reigns: Game of Thrones is great fun for fans of the show and books. It’s bite-sized gameplay encourages high replayability and can be surprisingly addicting. You’d do well to try it out yourself and see what kind of ruler you turn into. For me, I have lost all naivety. I know politics now are less about power and more about seeing how long you can survive to hold said power. And if people get uppetity, well… I have a pet dragon. Let’s see how they like that.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 removes whatever imaginary stench Modern Warfare III left behind by revitalizing the franchise with a standout campaign, engaging multiplayer, and a nostalgic yet innovative Zombies experience. The seamless launch with minimal issues speaks to the 4-year development cycle, resulting in one of the most polished COD entries at launch in recent memory. The campaign’s rich narrative, enjoyable mechanics, and sheer variety adds depth and excitement to the single-player experience. Meanwhile, the multiplayer mode strikes a perfect balance between familiarity and fresh gameplay, ensuring that both new and returning players feel right at home. With its return to classic round-based Zombies, Black Ops 6 successfully appeals to long-time fans while offering enough new content to keep everyone invested all year round. Overall, this installment not only meets but exceeds expectations.

For the two hours it took me to complete, Minecraft: Story Mode Season 2 is off to a grand start. I never thought I’d enjoy something that’s so outside of my gaming ballpark, but I genuinely can’t wait to see how the rest of Jesse’s second journey unfolds, even if it’s not heavily weighted by my decisions.

Metroid games have always had trace elements of sci-fi horror in them, and Metroid Dread is no different. Rather than inject the series with new levels of fear and tension, Dread seeks to highlight the latent spookiness already present. To that end, it works! That familiar sense of powerlessness and fear is given new life in this game. Suddenly your initial state of weakness has greater narrative weight. Furthermore, the lateral expansion of your move set feels like a natural conclusion. Every victory is one you clawed and fought for with all your might. Each new stage is filled with fresh dangers to keep you moving with an abundance of caution and care. Even the complex controls and the punishing boss fights are in service to this vision. Metroid Dread takes small, but significant, steps to expand and innovate upon the established series formula. Metroid and Metroidvania fans alike won't want to miss this entry.

Sony’s MLB franchise continues to prove itself as the top dog in the virtual baseball world. Stunning visuals, silky smooth gameplay and an endless list of enhancements proves there is enough new here to justify the $60 dollar plunge.

The story, the characters and the writing are better than you could hope for. If you are willing to overcome a few technical hiccups, and if you are an unrepentant sci-fi nerd, Battletech can be your new favorite game.

Little did I know that in being tasked with capturing gameplay for week one of early access that Hunt: Showdown would go on to become one of my all-time favorite video games. I’ve actually had to refrain from expressing many of the countless aspects I love. Fortunately, for Hunt’s sake, the majority of its glaring issues were resolved prior to the launch of 1.0. Aside from rare connection issues, Hunt: Showdown is unequivocally one of the best PvPvE experiences of this generation. It’s certainly not for everyone, but if you’re a junkie for hardcore, competitive, survival-based multiplayer in a horrific setting, I strongly recommend paying a visit to the bayou.

A wonder to play, a joy to experience, a feast for the senses and a heartfelt story told by a team of passionate developers.

The enhancements and upgrades are significant making this one of the deepest baseball games I have ever played. The hardcore MLB The Show faithful will be all in regardless, but if you have taken a few years off from the franchise, now is the time to jump back in.

Yes, Ape Out is a short game but the action, visuals and soundtrack are simply bananas. Plus, the price is definitely right at just $14.99 US. That’s a lot of primate pandemonium for a pretty fair price, and that’s not even mentioning the extra Arcade Mode in which you earn points for kills and speed. A refreshingly original game that takes its gaming influences and runs with them like a jazz soloist on a Saturday night, Ape Out is one game that elevates ultraviolence to an art form.

OlliOlli World manages to stay true to its predecessors whilst making verts feel fresh. The multi-faceted levels are an absolute joy, adding experimentation and exploration to the solid foundation. With enough depth to please veterans, yet simple enough to attract newcomers, Roll7 has nailed the mechanics, making the trip to Radlandia essential.

Death’s Door is a masterclass in level design. The interwoven areas encourage and reward exploration, whilst the simple yet challenging combat makes confrontations a thrill. With an alluring art style, sorrowful soundtrack, Acid Nerve has managed to create one of the greatest indie titles of 2021.

Bravely Second doesn’t change much from Bravely Default. There are small additions that only improve the already near-perfect gameplay, but the story gets off to an awful start, and takes a while to build up steam.

I loved Lost Epic. If a physical copy becomes available, I’m going to buy one. For anyone who is a fan of action RPGs, Metroidvanias, or the Vanillaware visual aesthetic, Lost Epic is a must-play. If the Developers can fix the poor in-game explanations to smooth out the beginning of a first playthrough, Lost Epic could easily go down as a genre classic.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath gives you exactly what you want out of an expansion pack: new characters, a new story, new gameplay features, and it throws in a couple of new skins for Scorpion, Sub-Zero, and Frost. As a package deal, if you loved Mortal Kombat 11, then Aftermath is an absolute must. It embodies what any expansion or DLC should always do: it adds and enhances the game without diluting or changing the original image. Aftermath adds fresh life (and blood) to the game and revitalizes that urge to hear the iconic words: Finish Him!

From its great roster of fighters and styles to its fast gameplay and snappy controls MKX has a lot of positives going for it. It’s as gruesome and stomach churning as it has ever been and that is exactly why we all love it.

A vibrant playground that you can tackle alone or with friends, it adds just enough new while still staying faithful to what made it successful in the first place.

Dispatch Episodes 1 and 2 make for the perfect launch of this superhero workplace comedy. The sharp, well-written dialogue delivers plenty of hilarious moments that’ll keep you laughing throughout. While gameplay is limited, what’s here is thoughtful and engaging, seamlessly blending story and interactivity. Though elements of the classic Telltale formula remain, Adhoc has refined them into a well-paced adventure that leaves me genuinely excited for what’s next. With new episodes dropping in pairs each week, the road ahead looks bright.

It’s a deeply engrossing text-based adventure with a rich narrative, amazing dialogue, and a story that continually gets better and better. It’s beautifully crafted and should be praised for its taut storytelling, which only proves that video games — just like films, tv shows, and books — are capable of telling incredible and impactful stories.

The Artful Escape is by turns psychedelic, moving, exultant, and lovely. The central metaphor of a young performer bringing fantastic new worlds into existence through the art of music is a powerful one, and while the theme of a struggling musician finding his authentic voice while paying homage to the past might not be a new one, it’s certainly new to videogames. The Artful Escape only missteps when it tries too hard to be a game, ironic given the story’s premise of search for authenticity. Aside from that, The Artful Escape is a surprising and joyous exploration of the power of collaboration, the struggle for identity, and the mind-blowing, life-altering sound of the very loud galactic symphony.

Sifu is built around the idea of mastering a skill. Whilst this is the mantra of the protagonist, you will also play by this code and refine your skills after each attempt. The combat is sophisticated, containing enough variety and depth to be challenging yet accessible. Without any difficulty options, some may struggle as it requires time and patience, however, learn the mechanics and you’ll find one of the greatest and most rewarding fighters in the genre.

Yakuza 0 is one of the greatest entries in the long-running series, and the Switch 2 port is masterfully executed, offering excellent performance alongside new features. While the new online mode may not quite hit the mark, the core campaign remains incredible, and the added cutscenes enhance the overall experience. Although there isn’t much new content for returning players, this version serves as the perfect entry point for newcomers to the series.

Monster Hunter: World takes everything the series does well and arguably does it better.

Islets is a lot of fun, but it can’t quite match up to Hollow Knight’s sharp controls and design. Perhaps true to its setting, Islets feels a little floatier. There were times where I just couldn’t figure momentum out and I biffed the same jump again and again. The hitboxes on the characters feel a little wide to me; sometimes I would contact with an enemy I definitely should have missed. But different isn’t necessarily bad! It’s as if the game is incredibly easy or way too hard. The level of challenge feels like it’s just in that Goldilocks Zone. There’s enough cleverness in the level design that you can’t help but admire it. I think there’s still plenty of room left in the hand-drawn indie Metroidvania genre. (Silksong isn’t even out yet!) Islets is another standout in the genre, fun and charming.

In a time where some of the best and worst titles sell for 50 or 60 dollars, this is some of the most fun I’ve had in a while and all for a minimal hit to your wallet.

If you do not already own Black Ops 2 for any other console, and you are a COD fan who has picked up a shiny new Wii U console, then you will inevitably want to pick up Black Ops 2 at it is a purchase that is really a no-brainer.

A good roguelike leaves you as enchanted as you are frustrated. Tamarak Trail is a good roguelike. If you don’t play this game, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Play Tamarak Trail.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a top-notch kart racer. There is just a ton of content here that should keep avid fans busy for months to come. The Adventure Mode is pretty decent, with just the right amount of humor thrown in, although the difficulty levels probably could use some tweaking. Easy was way too easy, Medium was a bit too hard, and Hard was… well, not worth the frustration. However, the positives far outweigh the negatives and I wouldn’t be surprised if most of the issues I’ve mentioned are addressed in future patches. Needless to say, if you’re looking for a fun, racing game, you really can’t go wrong with Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled.

But even if it can’t quite measure up to Yakuza 0’s near-perfection, Yakuza Kiwami is still a thoroughly enjoyable experience for series veterans and newcomers alike. Whether you’re playing it as a sequel to Yakuza 0, or just want to see the original game in its newly-polished state, you’ll find it is packed with great stories, interesting diversions, and cool surprises – and all of that at $29.99 US. This series just keeps getting better and better.

If Destiny is judged on the game itself without falling victim to the unreachable expectations placed on it then it stands out as an amazing new IP. Never before has a game managed to merge separate genres quite so successfully and despite some of its flaws it does a lot of things right.

Regardless of the technical shortcomings, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Phantom Liberty and the 2.0 update. This isn’t the same Cyberpunk 2077 that broke your heart three years ago. It’s a new game. A new era, if you will. Sure, it was a long time coming, but the old adage “better late than never” exists for a reason, right? Led by a great performance from the incredible Idris Elba, the developers at CD Projekt Red have righted the wrongs of their past and can finally hang their hats on Cyberpunk 2077. Phantom Liberty is worth your time. Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 is worth your time. Shake off the cobwebs and get back out to Night City. You won’t regret it.

With more characters and levels on the way, Broforce is positioned to kick ass and take no prisoners for a long time to come.

With 45-songs out the box and numerous new features to get your booty shakin', the Dance Central franchise has once again shown why they are the crème of the crop when it comes to dancing games on Xbox 360 console.

Resident Evil 4: Separate Ways is exactly what fans wanted from the Ada Wong-focused story. It improves on the original, giving more depth to the protagonist’s character and progressing her narrative. The acrobatics of the special agent opens up new gameplay options which allows the heroine to latch on to ledges and superkick enemies. While you don’t have complete freedom with the grapple gun and the runtime is short, there are no wasted moments which makes Separate Ways a joy from start to finish.

The Banner Saga comes to Nintendo Switch via a fantastic and faithful port, its dire tale of survival and strategy completely intact. It plays well, it looks fantastic, and every battle and dialogue choice is here for the taking.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade on the Nintendo Switch 2 is a remarkable feat. Not only does the mammoth title run exceptionally well, but it also looks incredible. Compared to the PS5 version, the FPS is lower, however, there aren’t many other compromises to mention. Cloud’s epic adventure retains its cinematic punch, emotional weight, and exhilarating combat, making this one of the most impressive third-party showcases on Nintendo’s latest hardware.

The old archaic way of playing with the five button layout and waiting for DLC drops are gone. Instead you get a magnificently redesigned controller with a music streaming service designed to give you an infinite amount of hours to get your jam on.

Rise of the Tomb Raider isn’t the biggest open world game. It doesn’t have the most quests or the most collectibles, and heck, you don’t even climb tall structures without a darn good reason. What Rise of the Tomb Raider has in spades is balance. Everything about the experience screams quality, and every objective has a good reason for existing.Those things make this small, tightly woven world more entertaining to explore than others, and consequently Rise of the Tomb Raider is a freakin’ great experience.

Skylanders Imaginators is a dream for gamers who love to customize, platform, and just blow stuff up. The customization options are both easy to use for beginners and advanced enough to make some truly fantastic creations. Combat can be wonderfully chaotic but the lack of dodging or sprinting can make it uncharacteristically slow considering how frantic the game is otherwise.

With a song list this large and almost every major Final Fantasy character there’s ever been, wrapped up in an incredibly cute art style, Curtain Call is an absolute fan server for Final Fantasy diehards.

Astalon: Tears of the Earth is a great reminder of what small developers can achieve with simple graphics and simpler controls. I would heartily recommend it to anyone who craves some old-fashioned platforming action and isn’t afraid to die a lot. Just remember to turn off the flashing lights and screen shake if you’re sensitive to that.

RAD is a fun, weird, rogue-like game that is incredibly approachable for all players. Whether you love the challenge of sudden death or you just want to branch out, Double Fine has made a game that caters to both sides and has fun doing it. The heavily 80’s inspired content is refreshing and quite enjoyable from the soundtrack and over-saturated colors to cassette tapes and floppy disks as currency. Every death is met with joy and curiosity as to what horrible cartoonish monstrous limbs I’ll mutate in my next run and I could easily play for hours on end.

The DLC is excellent, and the portability is aces. If you’ve never played Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom before, then the Switch’s Prince’s Edition is a must play for any JRPG fan. My only complaints are about what the game doesn’t have. Everything it does have is wonderful. It’s kind of worth it for the strange intro alone.

I had a great time with Loop Hero. I just wish I’d been able to unlock the Necromancer class sooner. Smashing my enemies with an army of summoned skeletons is amazing.

As someone who’s been craving for another adventure game for nearly 20 years, Thimbleweed Park is, indeed, the perfect comfort food.

My actual car is covered in grime and road dirt, but I’m happy to ignore the laborious task of washing it in favor of doing the same task in virtual reality. PowerWash Simulator has always been an addictive, relaxing, and satisfying game. PowerWash Simulator VR feels like a game that has found its true home and the most convincing version of itself possible. It’s a great addition to the growing library for the Quest 3.

While Halo: Reach on PC is actively undergoing maintenance, it’s achieved an exceptional launch and feels great to play on mouse and keyboard. If MCC maintains a large player base as the rest of the collection trickles out and crossplay with Xbox is enabled, the next golden age of Halo could be on the rise as we approach Infinite. I’m thrilled that the collection is in a phenomenal place on console, and with PC now being my platform of choice, I’m pumped to experience the remainder of it. Halo’s popularity has undeniably dwindled over the last decade, but it’s not dead yet. After all, Spartans never die. They’re just missing in action.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is a stylish, edgy, in your face game that is best enjoyed if you really don’t try to take it too seriously. Loaded with pop culture references, fourth wall breaks, hordes of enemies, and more charisma than you can handle, the only downside I encountered was an occasionally unforgiving camera during combat. Whether you are a fan of Suda51’s work or have never played any of his wild titles before, Travis Strikes Again is a must play for the absolute lunacy of the narrative and the chaotic - if repetitive - combat.

If you are familiar with the genre, you know what to expect with Phoenix Point. Little flourishes, like letting you manually aim your shots, inject some new life into a fairly predictable genre. It is the plot and the aesthetic that make Phoenix Point truly shine though; the world is so strange and immersive that you will love playing the game over and over to learn everything you can — which is precisely how the game is meant to be played. Even though it doesn’t shine technically, Phoenix Point has it where it counts — in an engaging gameplay experience.

While the game may be overwhelming for some at the start, Out of the Park Baseball 24 does have several tutorials available to help get players started. Learning curve aside, Out of the Park Baseball 24 has been the most in-depth baseball simulation I have ever played in my life. While I enjoy both gameplay-based and simulation-based baseball games, Out of the Park Baseball 24 will be my exclusive simulation baseball experience of the year.

Aeterna Noctis is a stunning Metroidvania that incorporates the many assets of the genre into one magnificent experience. Combining systematic combat and accurate platforming, the game is varied and challenging. The beautiful artwork makes each area unique helping to make this a truly memorable experience.

In the end it's a great game with some new challenges and it is a bright light for what we have in store as Nintendo's newest console begins its life cycle.

Aaero is a small and simple game but it sure packs a punch. With stunning visuals, responsive buttons, and remarkable EDM tunes, Aaero truly delivers a fantastic experience that incorporates music with rail-shooting action.

After such a fantastic opening episode, I’m excited to see not only how this story plays out, but how my actions as Clem will directly shape AJ and the narrative. If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead franchise or Telltale games, this one is a must play.

The controls are simple and soon become second nature as you mine, create, and battle your way around a lush yet simplistic world.

There are issues to be ironed out, the Auto Combo being a huge one right out of the gate, but none of the issues I have with the game can’t be fixed with patches or updates in the future. The core of Marvel vs Capcom Infinite shines like the Infinity Stones it features, and there are Infinite possibilities of where the game can go from here. It’s Mahvel baby, and it’s back in a big way.

Katana Zero kicked me into a bloody pulp, but I’m compelled to continue regardless. If not for the challenge, then for my raw hunger to soak in every scrap of this exceptional story. Don’t sleep on this one, friends.

A deeply thought-provoking experience with a mystery that begs to be explored and is faithfully ported to the Switch.

Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gate Daemonhunters is not only an engaging turn-based strategy game, but one of the best translations of the 40K universe to the PC. With a great story and wealth of options in combat, Daemonhunters also captures the visual aesthetics of the Space Marines and infectious Nurgle. While the interface and some systems could benefit from a bit more elegance and simplicity, Daemonhunters is dramatic, over-the-top, amusing and deeply satisfying. Learning its systems and sticking with the lengthy campaign is a commitment to be sure, but one that fans of 40K should be happy to make.

Unforeseen Incidents occasionally stumbles in its accessibility through bugs or difficulty, but its story, humor, and art make it a great time piecing together clues in the world that Backwoods Entertainment has created. It might not have reinvented the genre, but given the opportunity, I’d grab a beer with Harper in this game or—we can hope—the next.

Bayonetta 2 is a solid game. It utilizes a simple yet interesting combo system, the visuals are gorgeous as they highlight your attacks and the enemies you battle, and the music and sound effects are top notch too. Although gameplay can be repetitive it still can be fun.

The smart, funny Bond-inspired writing, the meticulous attention to detail, the masterful use of Oculus’s VR controls, and the well-designed missions had me … well, glued to my seat the entire time. It may not change much from the original, but I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar once again delivers a thoroughly-enjoyable VR experience from start to finish.

The story is suspenseful, engaging and I was impressed the games character development.

Overall, I am quite happy with this year’s installment in the Madden NFL franchise. While the changes may not be as sweeping as we have seen in the past, Madden NFL 16 feels like the most complete Madden I have played in well over 10-years.

MLB The Show 19 plays very similarly to last year’s game. MLB The Show 19 is also a much-improved version of the game whether you look at in-game mechanics, the variety of game modes, the game modes themselves, or Diamond Dynasty. Whether you are a competitive player, career mode player, or franchise simulator, MLB The Show 19 has something for you. As an added bonus for online players, opening day servers have been running smoothly as well!

It’s in-depth, addictive, time consuming and a helluva lot of fun. Whether you want to be a money maker, a military genius or a peacekeeper, you can do it. With very few drawbacks and some very interesting game modes still coming, this game is going to be a life suck.

The fantastic combat and strong story points far outweigh the technical missteps and more cringeworthy moments. Bioware may has bitten off more than it could chew scope wise, and the fringe elements of the game clearly have suffered for it. However, they’ve nailed the key aspects of what made for a great Mass Effect game in the past.

If I could only pick one puzzle game to bring to a desert island, I probably would not choose Riven. Fortunately, that is not the case. It’s fascinating to see this missing link of game design. It’s nice to dig into some genuinely excellent writing and art. The puzzles are as opaque as they ever were, which is what a lot of people like about them. I think we need more remakes like Riven, that capture as much as they can about how games felt back then. That’s how we move forward, that’s how games get even better.

Super Daryl Deluxe masterfully combines the outlandish qualities of a graphic novel with the fun and ease of a classic arcade game.

If you already love Disgaea, you’ll probably love Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny. You’ll definitely get the most out of this game if you’re already familiar with other SRPGs, but this is a fine place to enter the series–or the genre, for that matter. In the end, all that Disgaea 6 truly demands of a player is the willingness to learn its mechanics, an appreciation for its zany sense of humor, and a fondness for cute anime demons causing problems on purpose. As long as you can give it that, you’ll have a good time with this game.

Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken is brimming with charm. It has a cheeky sense of humor with some genuinely complex, head-scratching puzzles that are satisfying to solve. There is so much rich gameplay packaged into a small, simple room. The physics of each object feels great, and the graphical detail – even on the Meta Quest 2 – is sharp enough to trick the senses. I experienced no issues with environmental interactions, no bugs or glitches, just smooth, challenging puzzles. My only minor issue was how many puzzles required the same starting interaction. Given the varied endings, however, and their complex solutions, this is easily overlooked. It’s the most engaging fun I’ve ever had sitting at a desk.

Rain isn’t the longest game I’ve ever played, nor is it the most frantic or thrilling, but it is definitely an incredibly enjoyable and engaging tale of two children lost in the cold, dark of night.

After spending hours with the DLC, it is apparent that Infinity Ward and Activision are on a roll with Infinite Warfare, and they are giving us some fantastic content! If anyone is still on the fence about the game, let me tell you that this DLC just adds so much more to an already great title. Three out of the four multiplayer maps are sleek, exciting and fun, and the Shaolin Shuffle is a perfectly balanced zombies map. I would go so far as to say that both Sabotage and Continuum have added more fun to Infinite Warfare than what could be found in the base game. One thing is for sure, I cannot wait for the next two DLCs if they are anything like the first two.

God’s Trigger was a blast to play. It is a gritty bloodbath that had fun with the tropes it played with and never sacrificed story or gameplay for its component parts. Harry and Judy made a great team in a corrupt world, and killing sinners, whether they’re cowboy body doubles or deranged cultists, has never felt so good.

I’ve played Pendragon dozens of times. I’ve unlocked most of the characters (I still can’t see to get Branwen the archer to trust me) and I know there are stories I haven’t pursued to their conclusions (Excalibur is out there, and I will find it). So rather than a traditional RPG or strategy game, Pendragon plays like an impressionistic take on a classic Nintendo formula. You’ll tell your own stories and if you play them right, the dream of Camelot will live on.

The Artful Escape is by turns psychedelic, moving, exultant, and lovely. The central metaphor of a young performer bringing fantastic new worlds into existence through the art of music is a powerful one, and while the theme of a struggling musician finding his authentic voice while paying homage to the past might not be a new one, it's certainly new to videogames. The Artful Escape only missteps when it tries too hard to be a game, ironic given the story's premise of search for authenticity. Aside from that, The Artful Escape is a surprising and joyous exploration of the power of collaboration, the struggle for identity, and the mind-blowing, life-altering sound of the very loud galactic symphony.

Invincible VS is bloody brilliant. Accessible yet packed with depth, Quarter Up has crafted a fighter that welcomes newcomers while offering the nuance that will excite the fighting game community. While more modes and options for solo players would certainly round out the package, this is an incredible fighter worthy of its heroic name.

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle feels like a complete experience that’s just jam-packed with content. For those who have been waffling on picking up this title, I highly urge you to do so, especially if you’re a fan of the Attack on Titan series. The anime translates beautifully to a 3D setting and whipping through streets and fields with your Omni-directional gear is just thrilling. Not to mention killing Titans always feels badass. For players who want to pick up the base game and want to play through season 3, I would certainly say it’s worth it as you’ll have access to a ton of new content but as it’s currently at the price that you probably paid for the game upon release, I can see why fans might be a bit ticked.

This gruesomely brutal game will surely quench any fighting fans thirst as it’s about the best Mortal Kombat game we have seen to date.

Just like the original game, Dragon Dogma 2 demands that players meet it on its own terms. Trying to play it like other popular action RPGs will be frustrating and probably not much fun. The barrier to entry is not just skill, but embracing its mechanics. For those players willing to set aside their notions of how an RPG has to work, the rewards are rich, singular, and utterly immersive in ways that have rarely been seen in the genre.

If you haven’t gotten your hands on a copy of Final Fantasy X|X-2 HD Remaster yet and have a PS4, don’t hesitate on experiencing two classic games upgraded and fit for this day and age on Sony’s current-gen console.

All in all, The Last Faith is an aggravating, frustrating, and incredibly difficult experience. But it’s gorgeous, delightfully gothic, and finally getting to a new area–or fighting a new boss–is incredibly rewarding. An experienced Soulslike gamer will probably have a great time with this title. And if you’ve never played a Soulslike before, this is a good place to start.

Traditional polygons and surface textures grow muddy and bland with every passing year, while Okami will shine bright for decades to come.

Derivative though it most certainly is, The First Berserker: Khazan is still incredibly fun to play because combat is so satisfying. The gothic anime visuals look great, and the game manages to sneak a few new and smart mechanics into the formula. The First Berserker: Khazan may be a familiar experience, but it’s probably a must-play for fans of hardcore action games and Soulslikes.

A great game, plain and simple.

The challenge is real without seeming too difficult, never making me feel helpless. The world of Runner3 is beautiful to behold as it bursts forth with color and life. Even though the core game can get monotonous at times, Runner3 is yet another terrific indie game that deserves everyone’s attention.