In the end, the story is interesting, the graphics are beautiful, and with the open-world concept with much to do, it’s definitely a great game for SAO fans and is definitely a step up from the previous titles.

If you’re unsure whether you can handle some uncomfortable and disturbing topics, this is definitely not the game for you. If you’re looking for a creepy and dark mystery to get lost in for a couple of hours, or you’re curious who Rachel Foster is, this is worth a playthrough.

As much I can’t recommend Gargoyles Remastered to most players, I really appreciate Disney Games and Limited Run for creating quality remasters of retro games that aren’t in high demand. I have so much love and support for this project. I’d love to see this kind of treatment for more 16-bit Disney games like The Magical Quest trilogy, Mickey Mania, or Goof Troop.

Here’s where Lienzo gets it right; they’re only selling Hunter’s Legacy for about five dollars. In my opinion, this is a steal. For pure entertainment value, you’re getting a lot.

The Hero’s Journey does yeoman’s work as a structure for Seed of Life, and the game boasts some imaginative environments and challenging puzzles in service of a classic tale of discovery. Where action, platforming and precise input are called for, Seed of Life shows its mechanical limitations and wonder is sometimes replaced by frustration, but fans of puzzle adventure games with a sci-fi twist might find something to appreciate about Seed of Life despite its issues.

I find it hard to be too critical of a game when it is succeeding at what it set out to do. And there are a few parts of the game that I enjoyed – including the included ‘Blissful Sleep’ DLC which brings a new protagonist and supporting characters. In the long run though, Beholder: Complete Edition is a bit too much like an exhausting job, a job that I wished I could quit after a while.

It’s a shame that the actual gameplay is so stale and repetitive because Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is polished in many other areas.

There’s a bevy of customization options, brutal combat, and stomping around as a terminator marine feels straight-up badass. That intoxicating feeling is marred by the steep system requirements and frequent crashes though. Despite the faithful adaptation of the general feel of the 40K universe, a feat that’s not easy to accomplish.

I’ve played a good number of VR titles so far that are intended to be this sort of interactive short narrative or experience, some like this, with zero previous experience of the source material either. Despite this, The Way of Kings: Escape the Shattered Plains is the first one that I truly felt like I absolutely needed that connection to enjoy it.

As it stands, it’s mostly an exercise in frustration. I don’t know what it would take to get me to return to The Long Journey Home. I very much want to. I love the animations of the ship landing in an alien structure, and the dialogue between the astronauts as you drift through space. The music creates a lovely atmosphere. The quests are mysterious and intriguing. But the core gameplay just isn’t there, and that discourages me from coming back. The Long Journey Home is bound to drift to the far left side of my Switch home screen, but I hope it’s not forever. I will keep my eyes peeled for an announcement promising “drastic changes.” In the meantime, I will dream of a better game.

Entertaining for a time but it will ends up becoming stale if your session goes on too long.

I can honestly say that I enjoy Dynasty Warriors 9: Empires more than Dynasty Warriors 9. You may attribute this to the sorry state of the latter when it first launched. Although, I must affirm that I am a big fan of the simulation genre and empire management. The fact that battles affect the grand campaign, and vice versa, makes all the interactions in this installment meaningful. To what extent is up to you. Sadly, apart from a decent graphical upgrade, there’s not enough here to call it a fully realized sequel. The franchise is competing against itself. Unless the updated hack-and-slash gameplay and expanded character roster are enough to tie you over, consider this empire incomplete.

When you consider it is a free-to-play MMO game, Marvel Heroes is a fun romp for any fan. This being said, the game does not bring anything incredibly innovative to the table and the price tag for some of those playable characters is a bit steep.

Online play would have been nice but, still, a worthy effort.

Hopefully, Incuvo will honor their pledge to fix the game and in short order. There are teasing moments of fun that shine through all the current issues with the game. If they ever get fixed, then Bulletstorm could still turn out to be a fun game.

The only really good part about The Dwarves is the characters and the world they live in. It’s an interesting tale, and one I’d gladly sit through if the combat was improved, load times were decreased, or any of the RPG elements had more depth.

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.

I’m not sure who 1-2 Switch is really for. As a full priced title, I don’t feel the core gaming crowd will find much appeal here and for the more casual crowd, there isn’t really anything instantly captivating or fun enough to hold interest for more than a couple hours. Having to constantly swap accessories in and out becomes tedious as well. At the very least, 1-2 Switch does act as a nice little social ice breaker to get the room interacting quickly and there are a few good ideas on display here. I applaud Nintendo for trying new things, even if they don’t always hit the mark.

The Path of Motus is pretty to look at and has some good ideas, but it fails in its execution throughout, its story too simplistic for adults, and its gameplay too difficult for children.

Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity fell flat. With repetitive combat and a lackluster story line, Touhou: Scarlet Curiosity didn’t deliver the experience I was hoping for. There are moments of pure joy and the game finishes much stronger than it starts, yet at the end of the day this is a game best left for hardcore fans of the franchise.

Overall, The Caligula Effect is an ambitious PS Vita JRPG that falls just short of expectations. While the game may not be the outstanding experience some have come to expect, it remains a decent title on an otherwise barren platform that can still be enjoyed. Despite being repetitive in a few aspects, The Caligula Effect’s story and battle system will be sure to keep you coming back for more.

There’s not much replay value here, and the production value won’t wow you, but it’s a passable VR experience that is held up by its main attraction.

Normally, I’m laser-focused on the mechanics in a given game. The plot and the world-building are cool, but they don’t keep me coming back. And yet, Witchspring3 never quite hooked me. It turns out that compelling mechanical systems can’t make up for a fatal deficiency in writing. Perhaps this whimsical tale of an isolated deity reaching out to a human boy is an excellent one. It’s quite impossible to say, given what we’re presented with here. On the other hand, if you truly could care less about the plot, there are some fascinating mechanical elements to mess around with here. Using homebrewed potions to level up is a terrific idea. Having a difficulty scale that’s both harsh and forgiving is a great way to hook a wide swath of players. And the hefty list of skills, spells, and summons means you can fight every battle in a new way. But otherwise, you’d best be wary about picking up Witchspring3 Re:Fine – The Story of Eirudy.

There are plenty of little issues that add up to turn a junk pile into a landfill. Predictable dodge patterns, no checkpoints, visual alignment that’s harmful to gameplay, no ambient sound effects, the list really does go on forever.

Unless you’re really looking for that blast from the past, stay away from Pixel Heroes on console. It offers all of the classic RPG tropes, but all of the problems that came with retro games so long ago as well.

Looking back the initial release of Vicious Circle seems like a bit of a letdown but I do think Rooster Teeth is going to be committed moving forward to enhancing the experience. While currently I would be hesitant to pay full price for this game at $22.79 CAD I would be interested to see how they build this tiny world and I could very well see it becoming a completely different story after a few major updates. For now, just try and listen to that deafening Peggy Sue wail sound clip on YouTube.

This game is kind of a mess. There’s a ton of tiny glitches, the writing is all over the place, and some fights feel pretty wonky. But I still had fun. Maybe it’s just because I never played the original release. Or maybe my expectations were never terribly high. But killing zombies with a chainsaw amidst a flurry of sparkly gore can be a pretty good time. On the other hand, I hesitate to recommend this game for purchase. Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP isn’t quite worth a full-price commitment yet. You might want to catch this one on sale in the near future, once a few patches have dropped.

Simplistic and easy to pick up, the pure fun that results make this a great game for people of all ages and gamers of all skill levels.