Even though Cathedral may not be the most original, it is undoubtedly an example of a game that understands the genre well. Fans looking for a straightforward and challenging experience will absolutely love what Cathedral has to offer, whereas those who are looking for something more unique may not find what they want. Whether you enjoy the tried-and-true nostalgic experience or not, Cathedral’s non-linear world is filled with hidden areas, shortcuts, and treasure chests that will give players hours of happy exploration.

The most immediate issue with this game is the boss fight difficulty in the story mode. The lack of online multiplayer is disappointing, but maybe future sequels will step beyond the confines of the couch.

The more game-like activities you perform, the less you’re immersed in the narrative. Meanwhile, simple environmental touches and voice work do wonders for your heart rate. I was at my most unsettled when I treated the game like a pure walking simulator. Doors never open to the same room twice, shadows and sudden noises stalk your footsteps, and your deeds grow ever worse. If you haven’t played the original game, the VR version is a good entry point. That is, so long as you keep your interactive actions to a minimum. In spite of the usual technical barriers, Layers of Fear VR still manages to scare the crap out of you more often than not.

The exploration sections are somewhat dull, the fighters are interchangeable, and the story is told in a separate menu, but the parts that need to work, do. Combat is crazy, fast, and deeply satisfying. Whether this is your first 3D arena fighter or your fifteenth, The Hinokami Chronicles are a lot of fun.

If corners were cut with the graphics, they were completely rounded over and sanded down in the music and sound department.

WiZmans World Re;Try does a lot of things right. It’s aesthetically gorgeous. It has simple, tried-and-true turn-based combat, with monster catching and fusing mechanics. It has a weird world and story. But it’s also a grind-heavy linear dungeon crawl that gets monotonous way too quickly. Going through dungeons feels like a chore. And bosses are unbalanced compared to the ease of combat and lack of experience points that precede them. WiZmans World Re;Try needs to be rebalanced, but it’s already a retry.

Akane is unapologetically fast, tough, and challenging. It’s setting and general yakuza/cyberpunk themes mesh incredibly well together in telling the player everything they need to know about the games’ last stand. The combat is fast and fluid with a moderate amount of skill required, yet its also designed to be something you can easily learn and improve upon the more you play. The challenges the game offers also give you a variety of goals to work towards and various helpful rewards to unlock which not only helps encourage replayability but offers short term goals that can keep you playing for hours. Whether you have a few minutes to spare or an hour waiting in line, Akane is a title you can pick up and play for any length of time.

SolSeraph’s definitely a successful copycat that lacks originality. If you haven’t heard of or played ActRaiser, SolSeraph will seem quite unique. It’s an example of the finished product being greater than the sum of its parts: a good action platformer combined with a good RTS that makes for a very good package. If you were hoping for another ActRaiser game someday, this may be the best you’ll ever get. But if you hold ActRaiser dear to your heart, you may get offended at how much SolSeraph essentially remakes that wonderful game.

The game is priced to match the experience at just over $5. If you’re looking for a brief but genuinely tense experience in planes of existence beyond our own, give it a try.

I may not be the target audience for LISA, but I recognize quality when I encounter it. The mechanics subvert the usual RPG tropes, leaving you tense and scrambling the entire time. The world itself is both funny and awful, with a heavy dose of post-apocalyptic tragedy thrown in. The level design left me feeling disoriented, but I think it was meant to. The graphics get your guard down, setting you up nicely for the brutal writing. The game is tough too, which feels appropriate. I have no idea what to score this game. Although I hated playing it, I can tell it was a well-crafted experience. I can’t honestly recommend LISA: Definitive Edition, but some of you will check it out regardless. To you I say, have fun! You will not soon forget this game.

Like any good simulator game, you know exactly what you’re getting into here. You’ve got a lot of work ahead, and though you might not enjoy it, you won’t be able to easily put it down. Spray Paint Simulator is a simple yet compelling zen garden, a Sunday morning job perfectly captured in game form. I don’t recommend it, but I don’t really have to. If this calls to you, I’m certain that you’ll answer.

For The King can be quite enjoyable experience and it’s even better with friends. But be warned, you will earn your victories in this harsh world. And you will earn them only through your many failures.

Bannermen is a good RTS game. It is intuitive and easy to jump into and the campaign is satisfying. The storyline is engaging enough, and Lord Berrian is enough to make any gamer girl swoon. The only thing about it I can criticize is that I don’t think it has anything that makes it stand out among other games of this genre.

Hopefully, some of these issues will be addressed in subsequent patches but the current state of the game feels undercooked. The game is presented as providing a full GT3 experience but it does not. The competition in Assetto Corsa Competizione is sorely lacking. Assetto Corsa Competizione provides a satisfying driving experience but like it’s predecessor – Assetto Corsa, it leaves the driver a bit wanting at times.

NBA Baller Beats is one of the more original experiences you are going to find on Xbox. The gameplay and the Kinect implementation are good but there are too many "ifs" that keep this from being a truly top notch, universal experience.

While I wish I could have experienced Riverbond with a group of four friends to its full potential, I still managed to get a lot out of the game and I enjoyed the silliness the creators had intended for their players. At this price point I could certainly recommend the game for a party with friends, as there is much fun to be had with just the crazy weapon designs and plethora of character skins available, but I would be hesitant as only a solo gamer. The fast paced gameplay, mixed with the interesting visuals is sure to please a crowd, but don’t expect to get in too deep with the story, as it is only meant to give slight purpose and context to the hacking and slashing that ensues.

The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is altogether an enjoyable romp that will land with you about as far as you can tolerate cringeworthy humor and a lite XCOM layer set in a Dungeons and Dragons setting. Also, do yourself a favor and mute the Elf. Permanently. The game has it as an available option; it’s like they knew how bad the humor might be. So do it and you’ll thank me later.

Back to the Dawn ended up being a bit of a mixed bag for me. I loved the story and aesthetics, especially the music. It works wonderfully as a choose your own adventure-style adventure game. Time management, puzzle solving, and minigames are all fantastic. But the CRPG elements felt tacked-on. Back to the Dawn was probably initially envisioned as a CRPG, but grew into something different. With a bit more polish, focus, and elegance, it could be a really fantastic experience. If everything I’ve shared sounds good to you, then definitely don’t hesitate to give Back to the Dawn a few playthroughs.

Although I love anime, and I love games, I often find the two somewhat diminished when combined. Etrange Overlord is an excellent story, with clever dialogue and wonderful voice acting coming together to keep you hooked for more or less the whole runtime. And yet, the actual gameplay falls a bit short. The combat is fun, though it ramps up a little slowly. There’s not much to the gameplay loop beyond the numerous battles, a few of which are a real drag. This game is a real blast to watch, and alright to play. Even so, any anime fans out there will surely find something to latch onto with this one.

Junkyard Jam is a pretty short DLC, all things told. On the other hand, it’s priced appropriately. A new heavy hitter and a much better third section is totally worth the asking cost. And the expanded artifact selection is a nice bonus as well. And yet, Casey Jones himself is a mixed bag of sorts. He’s powerful, but said power comes with some drawbacks. You can get through a standard run well enough, but he’s a real liability in the endgame. On balance though, Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam is a perfect excuse to play more Splintered Fate. If you’ve been looking for a reason to jump back in, this DLC is a good one.

The Forest Quartet is a wonderful title that is creative in its approach to telling a touching story. The aesthetics and score blend perfectly to take you on an ethereal journey. Even though it is very short and the puzzles are straightforward, it manages to deliver a memorable experience.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is considerably better than just a cash grab game tied to a singular cultural event, but it’s not the gold medal winner of sports sims either. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with going home wearing a bronze medal.

The sense of humour and simplicity make it sort of a slog for veterans of the genre. But the flexibility of the terrain system and the breeziness of the writing make me think this would be a great way to introduce someone to this style of game. They can work their way up to those more complicated experiences. For now, they get to live in a world where everything is simple, and magical wind can blow your problems away.

I wanted to point out things that this game tries to do differently than most classic RTS games because honestly everything else felt very… classic. That isn’t to say the game was bad or should be overlooked, just that if you were hoping for a reinvented RTS you might want to keep looking.

NITRO GEN OMEGA is a solid mech tactical RPG. The combat takes a bit to get going, but it is fun and full of hyper-animated moments that look amazing. The team building and social systems are solid, making you care about your motley crew of pilots and their interpersonal relationships. It has some really cool moments that get weighed down by grinding and repetitive battles. It has its moments, and with some rougher patches smoothed out, it has a lot of potential. NITRO GEN OMEGA is a fun adventure for anyone looking for a new, flashy mech RPG.

The artwork and style in Back To Bed is exceptional and fits everything together quite nicely. It’s sort of a mix of claymation and painting with a ton of surreal moments and settings.

Paper Cut Mansion is a fun, if simplified, roguelite that benefits from a charming art style. The game opens with a warning that the adventure is themed around horror but it’s really hard to be scared of violent paper cutouts. Getting around each floor of the house can be a little disorienting because there is no map or landmarks to get your bearings. That confusion wears away the longer you play, however. There are a lot of familiar modular elements that become more noticeable with each playthrough. With its procedurally generated level design, a staggering number of endings, and creative artistic spark, Paper Cut Mansion is fun and can be enjoyed in short bursts.

The extra content is neat, but given that most of it is only visual it’s difficult to justify the price point; however, beyond the layer of shiny aesthetics and ridiculous physics is a fun fighting game accessible to both casual and hardcore gamers. If you’re looking to get into the Dead Or Alive series, this would be a great place to start.