Hell Architect shines in its narration, comedic dialogue, and dark humor along with its excellent graphics and design. Hell Architect is a cool concept and executed well. There are certainly fun times to be had while managing hell, however the biggest issue comes in the fact that there’s little purpose to playing the game in the long run. The processes can become stale quickly and outside the Scenarios, the Sandbox Mode may only entice the most enthusiastic of the colony sim fans. Outside of that scope, it’s a bit difficult to recommend Hell Architect, especially with its hefty price tag. It simply falls short. Hell Architect is perfect for those seeking a fresh twist on the genre, but for those not interested in a colony simulator you might want to stay away. I am hopeful, however, that Woodland Games can add some DLC to provide more content in the future.

While the Nintendo Switch version is lacking when compared to the other platforms, developer Behaviour Interactive has worked damn hard to fix some issues that may have occurred during the launch and it shows. But I can only recommend this version if you have no other means of playing it. If you have only a Nintendo Switch and this type of game interests you, I recommend it, maybe even with the lights out, headphones on, and volume up.

PES 2018 is great off the pitch, but its very foundation begins to disintegrate when the whistle blows for kick-off.

It has lots of meters and things to craft, and an interesting navigation system that challenges the player. It also has a crushing amount of repetition, the slimiest of microtransactions, and it whiffs on anything but tangential connection to the main Metal Gear franchise. This is not Metal Gear Solid 6. If you can accept that fact with an open mind, you may actually like what you find.

Project CARS 3 suffers from a bit of an identity crisis in what it brings to the player, blending racing sim gameplay and arcade racer mechanics. Its message isn’t entirely clear without some trial and error, and while the narrator, drive-assist, and AI modifiers help ease into gameplay, there isn’t quite enough to know what everything means for the un-initiated. Driving feels wonderful and I expected nothing less given the history of Slightly Mad Studios and Codemasters, but this feels more like a racing sim for casual play over an engrossing and addictive time behind the wheel. It has a lot going for it, but its identity seems lost and with it, my drive to sink time into it.

Licensed games still get a bad rap these days and Narcos: Rise of the Cartels probably won’t convince the naysayers. But buried beneath the murky graphics and presentation is a pretty decent and entertaining turn-by-turn tactical game. It plays well and there’s a reasonable amount of strategizing to be had to win each combat scenario. Within the genre, however, it doesn’t do enough to make it a must-play but for fans of the show, it’s a fun but safe time killer.

The biggest issue it faces is in controls and movement. Too often I found myself spending more time fighting either element or the floor, than I spent solving the puzzles. I can see how touch controllers would be far more beneficial in most of these areas compared to the Vive Wands, but there should be a way to compensate for the difference, even if it is just altering the height a bit.

All in all, Lost Sea is a game that plays well, but rather than attempting to be a roguelike game, it should have focused on a strictly action/adventure style.

Morbid: The Seven Acolytes certainly isn’t a game you should pick up for its gameplay. The combat is just shallow, but in no way unplayable. If you are intrigued by the game’s world and aesthetics—and you aren’t much of a stickler for gameplay—I’d happily recommend it.

TASTEE: Lethal Tactics brings serious style and grace to some turn based chaos.

Skater XL is a strong proof of concept but it’s currently incomplete. It has successfully created a physics-based control system that is both complex and rewarding. This will appeal to skaters as it’s the closest that video games have got to simulating the sport, however, Easy Days Studios has failed to gamify the experience. With more objectives, a story, voice acting and various modes, this could have been the skating title that gamers have been waiting for. Although post-launch content has been promised, many may have bailed before then.

There are definitely people out there who could get a lot out of Land of Screens. Maybe they too are struggling with themselves after a breakup. Or maybe they are having a bad time with social media. I get it. I’ve felt those feelings. But nothing about the Land of Screens brought me to a personal catharsis. I can see where the developers are coming from, but they did not convey their message in a way that applied to me. With a more interesting execution, perhaps this could have been an exciting, moving indie narrative. As it stands though, there are better things you can do with your screens than play Land of Screens.

Sadly, the combat mechanics do not match Sorcery's good presentation values and most hardcore gamers will notice this; however, the younger target audience may be more willing to overlook this fact.

While most of the game was rather bland, Tempest’s potential showed in some of the stranger quests that popped up (ghosts!), the large scale naval battles, and surprise sea monster attacks. Unfortunately, these events are short distractions from the lackluster nature of the rest of the game.

Clash of Chefs is a simple game and that’s just fine; its cute colorful visuals get the job done even if they’re not stunning, and the minimalist presentation has its charms. There’s nothing overtly “wrong” with this game and for a short, casual play session, there’s some fun to be had. But, much like the empty calories of eating a hamburger and fries, you’ll be wanting something a little but more substantial after too long.

I would recommend Siege Survival: Gloria Victis to players who like difficult management games and muddy depressing fantasy. I know you guys are out there. I’m one of those people. And despite my many criticisms of the game, I intend to keep playing it after this review has gone live. That’s not necessarily always the case! But there is a spark of something at the core of Siege Survival: Gloria Victis. It’s a puzzle, and if I can just line all the pieces up, I know I’ll feel the satisfaction of solving a difficult gaming challenge. But I will not be able to help imagining the game this could have been; brighter, sleeker, and more imaginative.

Deponia is a pretty good point-and-click adventure. It’s definitely heavily focused on being a more humorous take on the genre, and while I smiled at a few of the jokes, I rarely found anything overly funny – but humor is subjective, so maybe it was just me. I enjoyed the visuals and appreciated the games audio – save for a few minor issues.

Another World is an important part of gaming history, and was a stand-out title upon its first release. However, by modern standards, the game is probably more valuable as a glance into how games were changing in the early 1990’s. The art style is dated, but still stands out nearly three decades later. The updated graphics offered in the port offers a coat of polish while still maintaining the spirit of the original. The controls are clunky and awkward, but they contribute to the aesthetic of the game in a revolutionary way.

It’s worth the $11 though just barely, and will delight anyone looking for a great art style to enjoy as they sort of mindlessly solve simple problems.

Give it a download if you like exploration and puzzles but maybe wait until there’s an update before you give it a shot.

Overall, this is not a game where you will be spending a lot of time with. Complete rounds take about 10-15 minutes and are high-paced chaotic action. This is the type of experience you bust out with some friends or play by yourself when you want something quick and simple. As the rounds are short and sweet, this leads to it being both addictive and refreshing. That said, it lacks depth and the overall experience is shallow. Despite the lack of replayability, Gerrrms is a good-looking, and fun experience. Don’t let the germs keep you away!

While it’s high points are among the most fun I’ve had in recent memory, it’s problems and low points ultimately win out. If you have a solid group of five you can count on to play with at all times, Evolve might be worth a look. With some balancing, I could even see Evolve becoming quite popular among the hardcore e-sports types. For the rest of us who just want to jump in and have some fun, I’d recommend looking elsewhere.

Marrakesh falters in its volume of storytelling and willingness to let the player in on what’s going on behind the scenes and in between episodes.

This game could have been a great jumping off point to bring new fans to the series. However, this game does nothing to establish the back story or relationship of the characters beyond touching on Luffy and his brother, Ace, leaving any player new to the series scratching their head.

Despite its shortcomings in the real-time combat portion of the game, Starpoint Gemini Warlords remains a massive, robust space strategy game. However, due to a combination of unstable performance, an unintuitive camera system, and an overall rough combat system, I can only imagine what could have been

Dread Nautical has a fantastic minimalistic art style with a classic polygon feature that adds to that retro feeling. As a tactics game, it left a lot to be desired for me, but I can see how this would be a great intro into the genre without overloading a newcomer. The RPG elements of upgrading and enhancing characters and gear, as well as the survival food mechanic are fantastic, and the setting is truly interesting to play, but the gameplay wasn’t up to par to get me hooked. That, combined with the AI issues, makes Dread Nautical a bit of a rough ride lost at sea.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 isn’t a bad game but a particular lack of attention to detail and several glitchy errors temper what marginal improvements there are over previous versions. The new features that are here are the typical EA “fresh coat of paint” that many of their sports games receive.

Nero calls itself an interactive story, and does fine by itself with the story aspect, however interaction is sorely lacking.