It’s a beautiful, well-crafted, and addicting 2D shooter that offers so many possible ship, weapon and upgrade combinations that you could have hours of fun just endeavoring to discover them all.

At the end of the day, Deru may be too challenging for small kids and too unstimulating for adults. To its credit, it has an absolutely beautiful delivery and the abstract puzzles are a nice and unexpected idea. Though the price tag on the game is pretty modest, the gameplay is very short — less than four hours from start to finish — and may not be worth the purchase for players seeking an exhilarating experience.

Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland is the perfect way to conclude this now tetralogy. That said, Gust could surprise us with another game set in the world of Arland. For now, though, Atelier Lulua is a crisp and clean experience with cute visuals and an even cuter cast of characters. While the gameplay is simple, it’s engaging enough to hold your attention and the best part is that you don’t need to have played the previous three games in order to understand this. With the added bonus of the simplified alchemy procedure, it’s an overall great title to pick up if you’ve been curious about the series.

If you’re a 30 year fan of Super Robot Wars, the latest entry into the saga is something pretty special. No expense was spared bringing crunchy strategy rules and every mecha IP under the sun into one full throttle extravaganza. And even if you are a complete noob like me, this feels like a great entry to the wider world of giant robot anime. I suppose if you are only looking for the most finely honed strategy game and style is meaningless to you, you’re not going to find what you are looking for in Super Robot Wars 30. But give it a chance, it might grab you with a 10 foot long mechanized fist and not let go.

RPG Time: The Legend of Wright is unassailably clever. There is nothing remotely like it, at least visually. Many elements work really well, from the hand-crafted animations to the idea of the game springing from the imagination of a precocious, game-loving kid. I wish the story had been a bit more layered, and I wish actually playing the game matched the fun and panache of its presentation. Still, RPG Time: The Legend of Wright deserves praise for the audacity of its ideas and their generally successful implementation.

F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is an excellent story-driven, combat-heavy Metroidvania. But the Nintendo Switch version is the worst version available. If the Switch is your only option to play the game on, it’s a great game at its core. But if you have access to either PlayStation, or a PC, their visual and performance quality greatly outweigh the Switch’s portability option.

Metal: Hellsinger comes across as a cross between Pistol Whip and Hellsweeper, both great VR games in their own right. Metal: Hellsinger VR is a kickass entry in the VR Rhythm game genre that gets your head banging in time to your trigger pulls.

Burnout Paradise Remastered is the perfect reminder of an arcade racer done right. The core driving mechanics are near perfect and feel more in tune than some modern racers. It’s an absolute blast to play and is just as addictive now as it was in 2008.

Although Tacoma is short, it does a fantastic job telling the stories of the different characters throughout the game, using the non-sequential AR memory recordings to build emotional ties to each. Tacoma is a simple, yet fun narrative driven game that brings time and space together.

It is a good game, but not a great game. It does some good things for the series, but yet misfires a few steps along the way. Sure, the visuals and sound are solid, and there is an interesting story, but this same story manages to miss a beat now and then, like the lack of a details for Baird and Cole at this juncture in the Gears timeline, and not enough of a story at all for the new characters Sofia and Paduk. At the end of the day fans of the franchise will no doubt enjoy much of what is offered, as will newbies to the series, but I can’t help but feel that it is somewhat less than the games released before it.

LEGO Voyagers is a delightful adventure that tells the story of two 1×1 blocks. Even without dialogue, it crafts a touching narrative that resonates with players. Each area is beautifully designed, inviting you to tinker with the world, build structures, and overcome the challenges that stand in your way. Puzzles emphasize communication, as you work together to control vehicles and navigate each space. The result is a truly wonderful experience that captures the spirit of the brick-based toy like no other.

Halo Wars 2 delivers a superb story that ends with a million possibilities on what could happen in future games.

In most ways, Gal Guardians Demon Purge sticks very close to the retro-Castlevania template. The best parts of the game are those ideas and mechanics which add something new, like the swappable sisters with unique strengths. For those gamers tired of uber-challenging action platformers, Gal Guardians Demon Purge’s streamlined gameplay and accessible difficulty might be a welcome change, if not a particularly revelatory experience.

Although its vehicles and goals are a bit different than in MudRunner or SnowRunner, Expeditions’ more compact mission structure works equally well. The beautiful and intricate puzzle-like environments offer multiple routes to success when coupled with the game’s tools and toys. Armchair adventurers looking for a mild vicarious thrill behind the wheel will find it, as will virtual driving veterans willing to push their skills and understanding of physics to the limit.

Deserts of Kharak is a triumphant return to Homeworld, just minus the space part.

LA Noire remains a one-of-a-kind game and the Switch version successfully translates this gritty crime drama to a portable platform.

A pretty decent game. You can easily get your money out of this, and it’s a great four player co-op experience.

Bleed 2 is, quite simply put, intense fun bundled up into a small package.

Cookie Cutter is a bloody blast! Its punk rock attitude seeps through to help the game stand out amongst the crowd. Platforming and combat are tight which makes the moment-to-moment gameplay feel great. There’s an overuse of certain gameplay segments and reliance on conventions, however, the rebel spirit pierces through to make this an essential title for fans of Metroidvanias.

Anger Foot seems like it could be a one-trick-pony game, with shallow gameplay and gimmick. In fact, it’s a clever and fast-paced shooter with excellent pacing, surprising depth, and a lot of humor. It doesn’t outstay its welcome and it’s reasonably replayable. If you’re looking for a bit of foot-fueled adrenaline, Anger Foot fits the bill.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the weird boss rhythms, and the shopping sections fell a little flat, but this game still bursts with that timeless River City charm. If you’re on the fence, thinking this a mere gender-swap, think again! These girls have all the ferocity and heart of their elusive boyfriends. Much more so, even. Fans of brawlers and badass girls alike won’t wanna miss River City Girls.

Paper Beast is more of an experience than a game. Being done in VR definitely enhances the mood of the game. There is no hand holding. You must figure out what needs to be done in each level based on the environment and the actions of the animals that inhabit said level. This can lead to some frustration, but overall the game does an excellent job of laying the necessary bread crumbs for the player to suss out the solution. Playing Paper Beast is very akin to kicking back, chilling out, and listening to a Pink Floyd album — you are left in a contemplative state of mind.

As a big fan of the original, the announcement of Alan Wake Remastered was a pleasant surprise. And while I enjoyed my time with it, I can’t help but feel like this is merely a tiny taste of what’s to come. Veterans of the franchise won’t find any reason to go back, and if they do, they may even find that the memory of playing Alan Wake is better than the game itself. Newcomers will find a lot to love; however, granted, they can grind through its annoyances.

The Capcom Fighting Collection is a reminder of a time when Capcom was the king of making fighting games. It’s great to finally have the opportunity to enjoy the entire Darkstalkers franchise. It would be a damn shame if Capcom didn’t follow this release up with a brand new Darkstalkers installment. While I would have preferred updated visuals, the gameplay for the most part still holds up today. I hope Capcom adds the ability to quick save in each game individually, as opposed to a shared quick save among all 10 games. While this collection only features a small fraction of the fighting games Capcom has released, it’s still a worthy release and I imagine most fighting fans will want to add it to their collection.

Wayward Stand tells an intimate story that you discover at your own pace. The non-linear design gives you the freedom to personalize your journey through a long weekend at work with your mother. The in-game clock makes the world feel alive and pushes you to follow story arcs rather than meander. While the conclusion is a little lacklustre and there is an absence of gameplay, this is a wonderful passage through a moment in time.

Elden Ring Nightreign has a solid core of fans, and The Forsaken Hollows is a welcome reward — albeit one that sets them back $15 — for their continued engagement. It might bring a few players back, at least for a while. The new map and Nightlords are quality FromSoft challenges, and the new day bosses are a relief for weary players, but the new classes are nothing truly special. The Forsaken Hollows brings a degree of freshness to the by-now familiar Nightreign, but it’s hard not to think the content could have been rolled out over the past six months for free.

Serious props should go to Panic Button, by the way. It’s almost surreal to realize you’re essentially playing a AAA game on a console that is a step behind in processing power.

For years fans have been yearning for EA to make some much needed changes to their FIFA formula and this year they tried to step outside their comfort zone just a little. Although the game still lacks a real gut punch of a story and there are some weird oversights and glitches throughout, there is a ton of customization and the Volta game mode has injected a fresh new feel to the franchise. Add that to a wide selection of game modes and a better FUT experience than ever before and despite its shortfalls FIFA 20 is definitely one of the better games from the franchise in recent years.