Munin falls into a middle of the road game for me. While the artwork, music and story were strong, the actual gameplay fluctuated between too easy and way too hard far too frequently, and the controls were unreliable enough to add to the difficulty.

Payload hit pay dirt when they dropped TerraTech, a fun, time suck that lets you build crazy vehicles and blow stuff up. It’s been a big hit for them and well earned! However, the port over to console seems to have a hit a bit of a snag as the controls are almost unusable in a game that demands tight controls. For as much time as I’d like to continue to sink into this game, trying to master the controls that seem to be designed to fight you was a lesson in futility which I don’t hope to repeat any time soon.

Ultimately, Black Desert on PS4 is very user-friendly, and looks fantastic when running at a premium performance level. But while Black Desert’s aesthetic prowess and customizable sandbox experience is an achievement in the world of MMOs, it’s not a game that offers enough enticement in the minute-to-minute gameplay — or even in the grander, month-to-month scope of things — to leave me thirsty for more.

The biggest frustration was the lack of indication when a chapter is completed.

Hyakki Castle has a lot of interesting elements. Unfortunately, it’s most talked about feature, team splitting, could have used more work and it felt like there needed to be more to it besides switching on some floor panels.

There’s definitely a market for this game, but I completely understand why so many long-time fans are so upset. It feels like Ubisoft basically tried to dumb down an amazing series to gain more popularity, and I’m not so sure expansion packs can fix this.

A solid attempt at replicating the Left 4 Dead formula, but it also misses the mark in a few key areas.

Although my own experience with this game has been a profoundly negative one, I can’t completely condemn it. After all, the graphics are delightful and the premise is an engrossing one.

In the end, Never Gone is a stylish and good looking slasher that will give you a ton of hours on your mobile device.

To be charitable, a case could be made for Hot Lap Racing on PC as a throwback to simpler games. You certainly don’t need an automotive engineering degree to understand and play it. If all you want is a simple racer to jump into and play, you’re covered. Especially on the Nintendo Switch, Hot Lap Racing definitely fills a neglected niche. The selection of cars, tracks, and modes is certainly adequate, especially for fans of Euro-centric motorsport. On PC, though, it’s hard not to compare Hot Lap Racing to the scores of better and more refined games already parked in the garage.

I wanted to like this game more. It’s charming, technically competent but ultimately I could not get past it’s shortcomings to consider it much more than an average game.

Although Shinobi likely isn’t going to gain any new fans from this release, it is a comprehensive, well put together, package for the original game. It contains every modern enhancement I could think of, and for only $8, it’s a steal for all Shinobi fans.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a mediocre trip down memory lane. Although interacting with beloved characters is amusing, its core gameplay is dull and repetitive. Fans may enjoy the new narrative that extends the epic conclusion of season 5 but be prepared to endure some blunt, boring combat.

Overall, In Nightmare hits the mark. It fits its self-defined genre, and was an otherwise decent game. Its overabundance of mechanics and reliance on standard horror game features hold the title back from being more unique than it could be. Though In Nightmare should not supplant any of your favorite horror titles, the game’s narrative and attempt to differentiate itself through its visuals might just be enough to garner a curious horror game fan’s attention.

The puzzles, story and characters all were much stronger in concept than in execution.

Goliath has an appealing premise and a promising goal, but in the end it doesn’t live up to its own expectations.

Animal Super Squad just isn’t all that interesting to play. Why? It simply feels like it’s manufactured to try and capitalize on what made certain other games successful for streamers and content creators across the internet. Sometimes that very well may work, but in this case, it just feels shallow.

Styx: Shards of Darkness had the potential to be a really fun and clever stealth game in a high-fantasy setting with a memorable and witty protagonist. Unfortunately, it never progresses beyond being a moderately functional game with low-fantasy aspirations and an irredeemable main character that would be pretty forgettable if he wasn’t so damn annoying.

If you’re primarily interested in a story and don’t consider Walking Simulator to be a four-letter word, there are some interesting ideas in play in The Thin Silence – just don’t expect to find adventure game nirvana along the way.

While the humor and random aspects detract from the story and premise, if you just get the basic story and skip the rest, it really is a blast to rush through.

It’s more average than definitive.

For those at the end, this probably isn’t going to be the most enthralling.

Ghost Recon Wildlands is a game that is hurt by its own ambition. Its blend of genres results in a game that tries to do everything, yet excels at nothing. The sheer scope of the world makes it impossible to be filled with interesting details, and Ubisoft manages to make the entire country of Bolivia feel boring. Nothing fits together as well as it should, and it all results in one very disappointing package.

The combat feels smooth and responsive, yet there wasn’t enough variety. I like the characters, though I quickly got tired of listening to them. The RPG component was the worst offender. A system meant to create depth instead offered frustration in high doses.

If you are a competitive RTS player, I recommend you play Ashes of the Singularity and decide for yourself if it’s the game for you. There is certainly a lot to dig into for a hardcore player. However, if you are a more casual player, Ashes of the Singularity probably won’t engage you for long enough to learn the ins-and-outs of all the systems at play.

Pumped BMX+ is a sharp looking title with controls that are some of the best for this genre after you get through the learning curve. However, we have a lackluster soundtrack and repetitive game play that perhaps should have branched out into something new rather than keep the mold of short game play experiences on mobile devices.

By the end of my time with Rain World, I no longer found the Slugcat cute or endearing. He was a cruel joke, a mistake the entire world worked tirelessly to correct. A prey animal destined to melt in the jaws of a monsoon. Perhaps with time and tolerance, more dedicated gamers than me will finish this title. Some other kind souls will find the patience to guide this missing link and their kin to salvation. Make no mistake, this is a beautiful world. Just know that it is also a merciless one.

Space Chef combines cooking, crafting, and adventuring into one seamless quest, but none of its individual parts truly shine. Progress may be slow, but the variety of options grows steadily, letting you cook up all manner of strange dishes to serve to your customers. The planets are diverse, and there’s no shortage of small tasks to keep you busy. However, while there’s plenty to do, few of these activities feel particularly rewarding. Its simple mechanics make it approachable and best suited for short play sessions rather than long stretches. With so many cozy games offering stronger management and life-sim elements, Space Chef risks fading quietly into the background.