The hack and slash side really can get repetitive while the strategy element is, for the unprepared, is downright scary.

The repetitive levels and enemy AI get old quick but the fish react to things differently which is engaging and the environment tells a story as you uncover glowing orange Debris deeper underground. If you don’t mind minimal visuals for an interesting story, Debris is worth checking out.

I do admit that I for one loved some of these titles; some of the simplistic gameplay manages to stand up to the test of time. Unfortunately time is not kind to all of the games, which makes the collection a purely nostalgic purchase, not a must have.

At the end of the day the pacing, environment and storytelling go some way towards offsetting the Kinect-specific issues, resulting in an average game that shouldn't fail to captivate fans of the series and some new players who are there for the ride.

Perhaps a bit over priced at $5.00, considering its 99 cents everywhere else, and there really isn’t much new to offer, although the three stars and leaderboards give you a bit of replay value.

Sadly though the game only boasts four levels to play on and even though these take you from the depths of Atlantis to the top of the trees on the Island of Spirits, this small variety is disappointing.

Dead Island Definitive Collection is the best way to get these two flawed experiences, ones that are enjoyable despite some poor design choices. There’s still nothing quite like Dead Island’s analog combat, but the game’s poor structure can’t be saved with a graphical facelift.

While the game's visuals, witty dialogue and chainsaw welding combat are certainly entertaining, the game is just a tad too thin on features for me to recommend it, especially with the lack of any cooperative play. On top of it all, the wonky camera issues, and other combat related issues I experienced pull the entire experience down a few notches.

As for the overall environments themselves, they definitely had some great ideas, but in the end they just don't seem to have the oomph to push you over the edge and be wowed by them.

Rather than feeling any sort of tension, I was mostly bored.

Overall you’ll find that Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel can be a reasonably fun way to spend 8 hours of your life, but I don’t know if many people will make the effort to play through it again. It is a frantic shooter that challenges nothing more than your trigger finger and never advances past mindless slaughter.

For those that can look past the issues, the game can open up into a decent hack and slash with fair amount of depth; you just have to invest the time to get there.

Grimm Eclipse isn’t a bad game but it’s not a good game either. It’s just an okay game. Aspects of it show promise and that the developers at Rooster Teeth Games are capable of delivering a fast paced action title with responsive controls. They just need either more time or perhaps a bigger budget (maybe both) to deliver on their potential.

Tech Support: Error Unknown is a short little game, quick to play, easy to digest, and honestly, compelling enough to make me want to find out what happens next. I did a single playthrough, myself, and tried the slightly harder modes, which I didn’t see much of a difference in, but maybe that would become more apparent further down the road. I think, though, that the developers have a lot of unresolved issues from their time at the Help Desk prison and I think I want to hug them. I know I need a hug after that.

With so little effort put into making Space Wolf feel like it actually belongs anywhere near the new systems, it’s hard not to be anything but disappointed and cynical about this release. Graphics aren’t everything, of course, but Space Wolf’s other elements aren’t nearly strong enough to tip this one into the win column.

All in all, did I like Maid of Sker? That depends. I’ve certainly played worse games, and I’ve heard worse ghost stories. It didn’t scare me as much as I would hope, but there was some chilling imagery and a couple of moments that made me jump. On a narrative level, I can see the developer’s trying to make a point about colonialism or slavery, or even the history of English rulers trying to stamp out the Welsh language much like The Quiet Ones try to stamp out any noise. There’s a genuinely good- even great- idea here but the gameplay and execution let it down, and the marketing cared more about selling something unique than selling something accurate. I got something close to what I ordered, but not quite close enough for me to want a second helping.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition isn’t going to win any awards. Hell, I doubt anyone remembers it’s out come March. And that’s probably where it should rest. It’s got a banging’ soundtrack, but you can listen to that without having to play it. Are you and three of your friends the biggest Scott Pilgrim fans on the planet? Okay, you got me. This will probably be the greatest thing to happen since Matthew Patel got the stuffing whipped out of him.

I’ll even give EA credit. Fifa feels like simulation soccer. Madden feels like simulation football. I know that they’re capable of bigger and better things. But, for now, NHL 23, like all the ones before it, still feels like the black sheep of the family. As if it’s simply incapable of ever feeling like hockey. It’s telling that the worst cover in EA Sports NHL history is tied to the most disappointing game in nearly ten years.

Overall, Visual Novel Maker is a solid piece of software that allows creators freedom to make what they want, provided that they have the skills in order to do so. While jumping in can be scary at first, learning the various tasks one-by-one is likely the best option for new players. With a strong programming base, the game opens up to players; however, without prior experience, players will be left to learn almost completely on their own. With the RPG Maker series resulting in some impressive and unique creations, we anticipate that Visual Novel Maker will result in similarly pleasing projects.

Liberated: Enhanced Edition fails to deliver on a promising premise. At its core, the game tells an interesting story in an innovative manner, however, the gameplay sequences let it down. The gunplay is formulaic and lacks variety. Predictable enemy placement means that the game quickly becomes repetitive. While Atomic Wolf attempts to vary the gameplay with puzzles and QTEs, these are few and far between. With some technical issues thrown into the mix, this comic-inspired title has a few too many issues.

More so than any other game I’ve reviewed, House Flipper is going to be what you make of it. In a lot of ways, it’s rough. The graphics are subpar, the sound is about as basic as it gets, and the performance issues at times get so bad you’ll wonder how this ever made it through quality assurance. But there’s an undeniable charm to the game. Flipping a house for profit after working your way through the entire space ended up being as satisfying as I hoped it would be. The fact that the game doesn’t ask for you to have any prior knowledge of anything is a big bonus in my book, too. If you want to turn your brain off, and flip houses, I think you’ll like this. If you want something exciting in any way, shape, or form, move along.

Too often, the gameplay and production values took away from the joy. I’m not sure if the developers were pressed for time or under budgetary restraints, but it just felt rushed and unpolished overall. Like I said before, it’s not so much that Groundhog Day: Like Father Like Son is a totally bad game — it isn’t. It’s just really disappointing that it wasn’t a lot better.

Redeemer aims to deliver a modern take on the brawler genre and in some ways, it does that. Yet, I couldn’t shake the feeling that the game was merely a variation of the combat from Batman: Arkham Asylum. There are combo’s, counters and stealth elements all blended into an action game but it all seems dated. Redeemer just feels slightly displaced in time. It’s an ok game now, but had it come out a few years back it would have seemed a little more fresh and modern.

Big Rumble Boxing: Creed Champions features all the greats from the franchise. Its large roster and faithful character designs will please fans. Unfortunately, it's in the ring where the game falls flat. It fails to strike the right balance between arcade action and the sport of boxing. Although some may find the casual nature quite fun, aficionados will have to wait for that knockout game.

There aren’t enough hack-and-slash action games with a sci-fi setting, but Blackwind stumbles pretty hard and makes enjoying it consistently a challenge. The game’s camera is the worst offender, but issues with platforming, balance and combat are also parts of the problem. I didn’t care that the story could find a consistent tone as much as the game’s mechanics made me want to step away in frustration. I enjoy difficult games, but not unfair, busted or buggy ones.

Episode 5 sadly proves the episodic model does not fit the franchise, or at least this incarnation of it, and that we may have been better off with a more traditional release. If it succeeds in one thing, it’s to set up an explosive finale in the sixth episode.

If you’re a diehard fan of the RoboCop franchise, you may find merit in RoboCop: Rogue City. Regardless of my disappointment with it, I can’t deny that it’s the best RoboCop game we’ve seen. Just keep in mind that isn’t exactly saying much. A weak narrative, archaic character models, generally horrific voice acting, and a slew of technical issues hold Rogue City back from being the game I desperately wanted it to be. Admittedly, shootouts can be fun, but I’m not convinced that alone saves what otherwise feels like a letdown. Much like RoboCop’s enemies, approach with caution.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League drips with potential but never lives up to the Rocksteady pedigree. I had fun with its story, at times being genuinely left on the edge of my seat with what could happen next. Most of the performances – Kevin Conroy being the best of the bunch – also kept me engaged and entertained with the narrative. But the endlessly unambitious gameplay loop grates on me like nails on a chalkboard. Envisioning this as a live-service game with years of life ahead of it is impossible. It’ll be interesting to see if Rocksteady can ever make Suicide Squad feel more entertaining than a bullet to the head.