Overall, Spy Hunter for the 3DS is mostly a forgettable experience. Wrestling with the games controls, the lack of in-game checkpoints, and less than stellar audio all made for a game that falls flat. There are things that Spy Hunter manages to do well but it the end the bad merely overshadows any good in this case.

For my interest in something to be increased, it has to be entertaining. This is where NBA Live 14 ultimately falls short for me.

The great presentation values present in Epic Mickey 2 are regrettably unbalanced by mediocre gameplay while imprecise and questionable control schemes drag things down even more.

Alien Rage could have been a very good old school shooter a la Bulletstorm, but curious design decisions, poor execution, and a severe lack of polish mar the experience.

There really isn’t a lot to like about Bleeding Edge. I found it uninspired and boring with only a couple redeeming qualities such as some neat character designs and a robust tutorial. I honestly don’t understand why Bleeding Edge was developed. Maybe Xbox Game Studios requested their newly acquired Ninja Theory to throw together a quick team-based online game to fill a void until the Xbox Series X launches. Who knows. I imagine we won’t see much post-launch support with Bleeding Edge, as the team at Ninja Theory is probably fully focused on making Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II. At least Bleeding Edge is free with Xbox Game Pass, so if you subscribe, you can give it a go and see for yourself.

Let’s Sing Country is a decent karaoke experience that’s well-produced and slick. And you don’t have to be a Country fan to have silly fun, crooning into your iPhone like a dorky George Strait. But the tiny number of tracks is a real downer, and put it this way, you’ll get through them long before the beer runs out (a much better measure of karaoke time, honestly). If this was a discount-priced game that would be fine, but for the price Let’s Sing Country should offer a lot more content … y’all.

Badminton Time! VR struggles to capture the addictive rhythm of the sport, with flawed mechanics undermining the experience from the ground up. These foundational issues ripple through every match, resulting in inconsistent, often frustrating gameplay. Despite its appealing presentation, the game fails to land a clean hit, swinging for a point but ultimately serving up a fault.

Plumber’s Don’t Wear Ties might actually be the worst video game ever. But it’s still worth checking out to laugh at. It’s also an important part of videogame history, and shows how North American developers were banging out garbage in hopes of blind purchases, and rental store purchases. This reason almost caused a market crash in the 1990s, just like the video game market crash of the 1980s, but Japanese consoles, and a handful of North American PC developers kept the market afloat. It’s hard to score Plumbers Don’t Wear Ties: Definitive Edition. But if you’re at all curious, I urge you to buy it to support Limited Run Games, and video game preservation in general. It’s a must play for any fans of media that’s “so bad it’s hilarious”. I loved experiencing this awful game so much that I bought a physical copy.

Unfortunately, this isn’t the Digimon game fans will be jumping up and down for nor is it something they deserve.

Teslagrad 2 is a bit of a fail. It has some interesting puzzle platform gameplay, but its Metroidvania elements are too simple. And it feels like there was very little creativity behind any aspect of it. Almost like the developers were forced into making it. The game’s biggest problem is that it’s way too short. I could see people beating it in 2 hours on a first playthrough. I can’t imagine how fans of the original wouldn’t be disappointed by this sequel, and it’s definitely not going to earn the Teslagrad franchise any new fans.

Temple Of Yog has some great ideas, and can be very fun in short bursts, but it doesn’t have enough variation to sustain it as a rogue-like game I wanted to grind at, and conquer.

I can’t argue that at the heart of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light is the tried-and-true Fire Emblem formula. And when used as nothing more than a reference to how far the series as a whole has come in 30 years, it answers the question of whether or not it’s worth your hard-earned $6. But I’d bet the farm that the majority of casual Fire Emblem fans won’t be able to deal with the games offensively slow pace. And to top it all off, I love the sights and sounds of the eight and sixteen-bit by-gone era, but by the end of the campaign, I was ready to never again play another classic. There are only so many beeps and crumple sound effects that I can handle in one lifetime.

What Sports Champions 2 lacks in visuals, sound and originality is balanced for the most part by its accessibility; however the end result is an entirely average experience. The choice of sports is questionable with many events having been done before in other games, even for the PS Move.

Overall I think playing Unknown Fate through on a PC with a regular controller really highlighted the elements that were lacking in the game. Things like mundane combat and easy puzzles are evident too in VR, but they are somewhat masked by the immersion factor that VR provides. Stripped of that feeling of total immersion, you get something wholly dependent on the story to drive your interest forward – and of course that’s provided a bug or two along the way doesn’t sap some enjoyment out of the experience. While I like the effort to make the game work with both VR and traditional PC gaming, it could use more polish and ironing out so as to make a better experience for all involved.

If you want to make a visual novel, make a visual novel. If you want to make a visual novel with a heavy emphasis on music, make a visual novel with a heavy emphasis on music. If you want to make a visual novel with a heavy emphasis on music that’s also a rhythm game, you had better be ready to make something really truly special to make it work—Lost in Harmony: The Musical Odyssey is not.

Animal Force is fun when it wants to be, but equally as frustrating. If you can get past that and focus on the sheer chaos of tower defense in a virtual space, then Animal Force may have something to offer.

Desctruction AllStars had a chance to deliver some creative car combat and it mostly set it sights on being mediocre and forgettable. Granted it’s free for PS+ users so it’s not a large barrier to get into. But down the road this is not a game worth a price of admission unless they prove they can do something better. It’ll likely be forgotten in the eventual ocean of other PS5 exclusives that release down the road.

Pixel Gear gave me a little glimpse of what first person shooters can feel like in VR. While the shooting mechanics are solid, the overall game just feels bland and repetitive. In addition to that, the short length makes this a game you won’t be experiencing for very long.

The Walking Dead: Destinies would have been a fitting release a decade ago during the peak of the series’ popularity, ironically, the game plays as if it belongs to that era too. You’ll quickly tire of the repetitive mission structure and grow frustrated with the combat system. Although the game claims to allow you to choose the path that Rick and Co. walk, your decisions barely make a difference. Even die-hard fans of the formidable franchise will want to steer clear of this undead adventure due to its dated design and poor execution.

Shenmue 3 is a game that I wished I loved or at least liked. It’s a game that I could only enjoy in spurts since so much of my experience was marred by mediocre, repetitive gameplay, terrible characters, and a disappointing, meandering plot. I didn’t head into Shenmue 3 with high expectations due to its budget but the game still failed to meet even those lowered expectations.

DiscStorm is an inoffensive piece of work made by a small team of independent developers making their debut release. Compared to other multiplayer games at this price point, DiscStorm doesn’t really do anything to surpass its competitors. It’s a thirty second YouTube magic trick, presented as a ten minute live show.

I guess I can imagine a group of friends spending a few moments — and even fewer brain cells — blasting through a few levels of Perish. I can’t conceive of a solo player doing anything but bouncing off the game’s repetitive and unsatisfying combat. Aside from some sharp visuals and a nonsensical blend of mythologies, Perish is just too rooted in outdated FPS tropes and bland design to spend much time with.

For what it costs, this is simply too generic and unimpressive. It feels dated and a little unfinished, leaving you wondering if it was supposed to come out five years ago.

It’s a title that feels devoid of passion, and not even the great soundtrack can save the game’s flying 18 wheelers from utter mediocrity.

It’s with a heavy heart that I say steer clear of this one. It’s a marvellous game that will bring many, many, many hours of joy and entertainment into your life. But wait until it hits a sale on the PSN so you won’t feel so fleeced as you play through it.

In the end, Cloudpunk is no Cyberpunk 2077. That should come as a shock to absolutely no one. As an Indie game, I can forgive Cloudpunk for being smaller, simpler than a AAA blockbuster, and it would be unfair to judge it by the same standard. This Switch version has also undoubtedly lost some of its polish in the port from PC. But there still must be gameplay, and what is attempted must be followed through on. Cloudpunk looks gorgeous, especially in first hour of playtime. The ability to just visit and fly over that huge, neon-soaked city of Nivalis is quite an accomplishment and for some, that will be enough to make it worth playing. It’s just a shame that there couldn’t be more to actually do among those beautiful, sparkling towers above the clouds.

I feel like I will get some backlash for this, but I did not enjoy my time with Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town. I am not usually a fan of the farm sim genre, but I can tell other non-fans that this is not the game that will get them into it. It is a remake of a 22-year-old game, and for that, it gets credit for helping build this niche genre and for having little to build upon. But there are other options out there. Stardew Valley has trampled the Story of Seasons series under its hoof, and the Persona series has made the day-to-day grind exciting and meaningful. But if you love farm sims and you’re looking for a simpler, more relaxing alternative to Stardew Valley, Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town will undoubtedly provide you with hours upon hours of content.

Arietta of Spirits just isn’t enough game. I’d say it’d be perfect for very young adventure game enthusiasts, lacking any cryptic puzzle-solving, or difficult combat, but the hitboxes are just too unfair. Fans of old-school 2D adventure games might find some enjoyment here, but only a few hours’ worth. Just expect something a little less Link To The Past, and a little more Twisted Tales of Spike McFang, and players should be fine. If you are looking for an excellent 2D top-down adventure game, and all you’ve played all the Legend of Zelda titles, check out the modern classics Blossom Tales or CrossCode, or the PS1 gem Alundra.