It’s so unfortunate that the digital version of this game was released in such an unfinished state because at its core, there is a lot of promise. I absolutely can’t recommend anyone to buy Blood Rage: Digital Edition in its current state. However, I know what I’m going to be getting the next time I’m out hunting for board games.

In conclusion, Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is only for Monster Rancher and Ultraman fans. If you’re not familiar with both, a lot of the humor will mean nothing. Monster Rancher 1 & 2 DX is a better starting point for the Monster Rancher series, despite the added online combat in Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher. But the other reason that I have a hard time recommending Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is that it’s almost a full-priced game. This is a shallow, repetitive game, and one that I’d imagine 95% of people who play it will only spend a small amount of time with. I would have an easier time suggesting the curious check it out if it was budget-priced. But as it stands, Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is only for people who want more Monster Rancher, or love 60s Ultraman.

Monochrome Mobius: Rights and Wrongs Forgotten is a below-average JRPG in almost every category. But, it has a fantastic Grandia-inspired action ring combat system that fans of turn-based JRPGs should experience. The story is good, despite its poor presentation. I would recommend Monochrome Mobius to fans of turn-based JRPGs, who are starved for more games in the genre. But there are a lot of excellent JRPGs getting released right now, and the combat won’t be enough for casual fans to prioritize it over other genre offerings.

The thing is, when the gameplay only consists of repeated, evenly-timed button presses, the game quickly grows old, even with as many game modes as Clock Simulator. As a result, I found myself bored after about thirty minutes. I will say, though, that the game did remarkably well to hold my attention for thirty minutes with only the single gameplay element. Unfortunately, once my interest waned, it never returned. However, the game is cheap, and I’d say it’s worth the buy if you’re looking for a silly way to kill half an hour, especially with friends.

Ultimately, great controls and some occasional laughs aren’t enough to stop Loadout from being an average game and one that doesn’t deserve your time. However, it does have one positive effect and that is, it makes you want to play UT2K4 again and that my friends, is never a bad thing.

At its core, Warfighter is hurt by its significant technical issues and its cobweb-covered, stale design choices. Warfighter isn't a terrible game, but it really isn't worth your time when other titles do everything it tries to do so much better.

The epitome of “shut your brain off and shoot” gaming. In fact you might as well take your brain right out of your head and throw it down a set of stairs because nothing here will test your intelligence.

Koi’s simplistic approach is ultimately its downfall. The game offers little to no challenge, is fairly shallow and is way too short even by today’s standards. It feels like so much more could have been done with this game.

If you’re looking for a quick distraction with fast rounds and short game times, Ancient Amulator is worth a pickup. If you’re looking for a different kind of game that takes use of virtual reality in a compelling way, then defending towers isn’t going to cut it. Ancient Amuletor feels like just another VR game in a landscape that hasn’t been delivering on its promise and potential since the release of Sony’s headset.

This remaster has been the sort of letdown that’s made me reconsider if anything from my childhood was as good as I remember. Atrocious character models, excessively repetitive missions, framerate drops, pop-in issues, and an overbearing sense of monotony and boredom cursed my time with Destroy All Humans. You did it, Crypto. You destroyed this human.

Hidden Agenda is a pleasant narrative with some interesting ideas that don’t exactly pan out. It falls short of the high mark set by Until Dawn, but give points to Supermassive for trying something new instead of pumping out a clone of their last game. That said, I wanted another Until Dawn. In a densely packed genre, there are plenty of titles players should look into before considering Hidden Agenda.

Code Violet falls short of its inspirations. Although the concise adventure has some strong moments, with some great interior environments, it fails to create menacing enemies that evoke fear in the player. Bugs hinder the experience, often leading to clumsy moments that break the immersion. Unfortunately, fans of Dino Crisis will have to keep waiting for that spiritual successor they’ve been hoping for.

Totally Reliable Delivery Service has great music full of funky basslines and bumping beats, a cute and comical art style, and a lot of customization items to apply to your character and rides, but sadly the cooperative gameplay is nothing to write home about, and neither is the rest of the gameplay. I found that the combination of frustration mixed with the repetitive gameplay was not my cup of tea, and quite often, it felt like pulling teeth trying to get through it. It’s the fundamental premise of the game to struggle, but putting in a dozen attempts just to throw a package on to the bed of a truck simply doesn’t feel rewarding when you’re working towards the same goal over and over again.

If you were a fan of the first and didn’t get bored of the repetitive zombie slaying you might enjoy your stay on Palanai, but I’m willing to put money on most players giving up after only a few hours into the game.

Once this game actually runs how its supposed to, New Gundam Breaker could be a pretty decent time.

3on3 FreeStyle isn’t a bad game. The game is simple, accessible, and has great visuals. It can be fun playing multiplayer, assuming you get paired up with some decent players and not players that want to hog all the glory. The free-to-play, pay-to-win structure really holds this game back from becoming a really great game. Gamers with boatloads of cash can substantially improve their characters for an unfair advantage, while the rest of us need to grind the hard way. This game has a lot of potential, but the current pay model makes it hard to recommend.

I loved Discolored going in and left with a sense of impotence and frustration. I think this game has great potential, and honestly, maybe others won’t have the difficulties I did. I can only review the game as it played for me, which was a beautiful and frustrating foray into an exploration of color. I hope to return to it and finish it, but unfortunately, right now I can’t recommend it.

City Hunter isn’t a particularly strong game. While its gorgeous opening presentation immediately grabs attention and builds excitement, the gameplay quickly becomes a series of bland, maze-like 2D shooting levels. There was great attention to detail in remastering City Hunter, and this port is obviously the best way to play it. It’s just a shame that there’s not a lot to the original City Hunter game. Regardless, I really hope that City Hunter is the beginning of many more PC Engine ports in the future.

It can be a fun diversion but lacks that “just one more level” sense of attraction.

There’s probably an audience for Payday 3, as there was for the previous game. A jank-tolerant group of friends might have fun killing some time and causing mayhem. They’d have to have a pretty low bar for shooter mechanics, graphics, and story, though. Apart from that. there’s really no reason to spend money or time with Payday 3.

If you love arcade-style shooters and long to see what they’re like in VR, saddle up your hobby-horse and by all means check out this cute and charming offering; but otherwise, you’ll find that the less-than-perfect mechanics and simplistic gameplay don’t quite hit the Bull’s Eye.

Curved Space is described as arcade-style anyways, so I don’t understand why the devs thought the story was needed at all. If they focused on polishing a mode that players can have some mindless fun, Curved Space could be leaps and bounds better. There’s a reason why rogue-lites have been finding so much success in the indie sphere: gameplay-first designs that just feel nice to play.

In between some of the most frustrating moments I’ve had with any sort of game in quite some time, PGA Tour 2K21 flashed with hopeful, brilliant optimism. As long as it worked, hitting the links and knocking down a few holes felt as good as it ever has. And the course creator is one of the best things I’ve seen come to a sports game in a long time. But it’s hard to recommend something that chewed up and spit out nearly a day of my life, leaving me with nothing to show for it. Either way, it’s without question that the newly invigorated, and now former, Golf Club series is sitting at the base of a mountain made from potential. Though, it may be a hell of a climb getting to the peak.

I’ve never been so bored with a shooter before.

Unfortunately the repetitiveness and dragging narrative holds it down from being much more than a mediocre title at best. The story and acting holds up, even if it’s monotonous to plod through, so when you inevitably find this in your local bargain bin it’s still worth a play through.

If you’re a big VR horror or Lovecraft fan and this game has caught your eye, it’s best to proceed with caution for now. Follow the developers on Discord and keep an eye on player feedback. If sentiment starts to trend more positive, that’s the time to jump in. For Dread Meridian, the most terrifying thing attached to the experience right now may be its negative first impression.

For $19.99 there are just far better options available on the PlayStation Network. The lack of modes, special features, and other frustrating aspects of game really pulled the experience down a few notches for me.

Bleak Faith Forsaken’s screenshots are impressive. The game’s art direction and atmosphere suggest an oppressive future world, but Bleak Faith Forsaken is all window dressing. Behind the façade, a seriously unpolished Soulslike filled with broken dreams awaits.