Hard West 2 is a great game for skilled strategy fans. It has a mixture of familiar western elements and supernatural accents, an energetic narrative, and fun characters. While it’s a challenging game, Hard West 2 usually gives you the tools you need to succeed. You’ll need patience and determination, but then, life in the old west was hard.

The puzzles in this game are clever, well-constructed, and satisfying to solve. At the same time, the platforming can be frustrating. The jump mechanics take some getting used to, and the controls don't have that Mario feel. But this too is a sort of puzzle to solve. You've got to learn the basics all over again, in a way. Once I accepted this, Mario vs Donkey Kong really opened up for me. I took my failures in stride. I pushed for perfection whenever possible. Soon enough I was having a great time. For longtime Mario fans new to this series, this new paradigm might take some adjustment. But I assure you, this investment of time and effort is worth it.

The Uprising DLC is certainly not the most innovative piece of DLC we have seen from Activision, but it certainly follows a successful formula and manages to bring in enough new to the table to keep the CoD faithful happy until the next batch of new maps drop.

It probably sounds frustrating. And it is. I walked away a few times in disgust. But as is clear from the tone of this review, I always came back. That counts more than anything else. That’s the most important thing. I liked spending time in Ixion’s world, in Ixion’s story. I like space disaster stories. Eventually, I was happy to bump myself down to the ‘story’ difficulty, because I didn’t want to miss out. I like looking at it, and I like listening to it. I plan to return to Ixion, to once again embrace sweet failure.

Baby Steps has a simple premise, but a lot of depth. You’re pushed to be patient and persistent by the mechanics. In fact, the whole game is built around punishing you for being foolish or hasty. Every character is begging you to relax, take in the scenery, and have a good time. If you listen, you just might enjoy yourself. But make no mistake, this game can be crazy frustrating. Tiny mistakes can lead to gigantic consequences, after all. If you’re patient enough to master the deranged control scheme, you’ll be shocked by what you can accomplish in Baby Steps.

This review might seem short, especially for such a gigantic game. There's just so much I can't disclose. Bits of the combat and the mechanics of course, but mainly the story. It's just much better if you experience these things yourself. I will say that this story manages to be both relatable and enormous. You want - almost desperately - to see how this thing shakes out. I wish the combat wasn't so sluggish at times. It almost obstructs the narrative, having to wade through these disconnected battles. But the quest system is engaging, and the battles do eventually make sense. The writing is great, and the voice acting is getting better with every game. Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a gigantic, epic adventure. It's also bloated, hyperactive, and easily distracted. It's beautiful but flat, it's weird yet familiar. If you're looking for a massive new JRPG, the latest Xenoblade game is here for you.

It’s deceptively simple appearance belies a ton of content for a modest price, and if you’re in the mood for a game that is great for quick attempts or extended marathons, you’d do well to give this game a shot.

Beneath a simple shell, there’s a playground of warfare that thoroughly detracts from boredom. And while it may not be a graphical marvel, 8-Bit Armies easily employs more fun factor than some of its graphically-demanding peers. If Petroglyph can build on its factions, I don’t see why it can’t renew the foundations of a neglected genre.

Zombie Rollerz: Pinball Heroes is a stress-free experience with enough challenge to give you an adrenaline rush. It is super easy to shoot pinballs, target meteors, and throw axes at zombies. You can choose to scrape by and advance to the next battle, but it is a delightful feeling when you receive a good ranking. Most people are familiar with pinball, so understanding how the flippers work almost comes naturally. Zombie Rollerz doesn’t require brain power to enjoy and some of the choices you make will lead to random outcomes anyway. It isn’t as easy as it looks, but it doesn’t take long to get into the rhythm of things and send zombies flying.

On the whole, though, Road 96 remains a genuinely innovative game. It’s approach to storytelling and narrative branching is unique. Despite a few relatively minor issues, playing Road 96 is an engaging experience. The moral ambiguity of its characters and their choices feel true to life, even if the game’s conceit is a little less compelling.

While this might not be my usual type of game, I had a great time with it nonetheless. Elder Gods is crammed with gorgeous set pieces, clever puzzles, and engrossing writing. I got stuck more than I would have liked, which threw off the pacing. Between that and the adventurous tone, this game wasn’t quite what I was expecting. Even so, Call of the Elder Gods was a delightful time. If you’re in the mood for an eerie eldritch adventure, this game would be a great choice.

At first, this game seems simpler than most city builders. After playing through it, the right word is approachable. You’re eased into things with straightforward systems and limited units. Then things escalate, slow and steady. By the end, without realizing it, you’ve built a complex settlement full of moving parts and balanced resource ecosystems. I wish certain things like population breakdowns were more robust, but I still loved this game. For a deceptively deep city builder, you’ll want to check out SteamWorld Build.

If you want to have a lovely gaming experience where you get fluffy kitties for free, plug Animal Crossing back into your 3DS; however, If you want to yell, spit, grow chest hair and really EARN your fluffy kitties, buy Scram Kitty and His Rail Buddies, as the game is surprisingly addictive as it is rage inducing and fun all at the same time.

Shu is a charming and elegant little platformer that surprised me with its fast, but also calming, gameplay.

If you’re looking for a difficult yet incredibly fun platformer, look no further.

The attention to detail is fantastic, rebuilding and bringing to life key elements from TV shows, movies, and comics, all within the confines of a pinball table and making it work, and The Walking Dead table is no exception.

INMOST was a pleasant surprise. The game was a short experience with a powerful narrative with effects that can last so much longer. As for the gameplay itself, the fun puzzles and collaboration with the story helped to bring the game to life. Speaking of which, the game’s audio and visual elements also worked well together in setting the tone of the game. Overall, all the elements of the game come together in the end, much like its narrative, to provide players with a strong package.

Strange Brigade brought me the most laughs of any game I’ve played in a long time and really packs the fun to boot. The narrator’s wit brings so much personality to a premise that we’ve seen before that it feels like an entirely new experience. The style and aesthetic of the game reflects the layer of polish that can be felt in the level design and combat (barring the bizarre snap-to melee) and adds to the player’s lighthearted destruction of the undead masses.

Overall, Rebirth is a deeper game than Dark Descent, which had a more visceral impact because it was a new experience and relied much more on jump scares. Still, because the questions being asked of Tasi require more thought from the player, the decisions made linger and their consequences will haunt you long after finishing the game.

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree doesn’t veer off well-traveled paths, but that doesn’t mean its familiar combination of mechanics isn’t fun. Though it doesn’t necessarily stand out in any one area, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is still a substantial, visually impressive and generally engaging experience.

Admittedly my expectations for Deadpool going into it weren’t exceptionally high. Considering the overall lack of hype gearing up to release day I half expected a rush job that had the odd shining moment but not much more than that. I’m more than happy to report that I was wrong and that High Moon gave Deadpool the treatment he deserved.

Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition perfectly translates the simple gameplay of the 8-bit era into a competitive-focused release that adds a fresh spin on retro titles. The UI is well designed making it quick and easy to replay challenges, incentivizing you to improve on your last attempt. Each game remains in its original format and due to this, newcomers may struggle to get to grips with the more rigid movement of certain games. With a wealth of online options on its way and chaotic multiplayer, this could be a standout title for retro enthusiasts and become a staple in the speedrunning community.

Overall, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 is a fantastic game and should make many puzzle game aficionados happy with this crazy combination. Excellent tutorials help newcomers and old fans refresh their memory, and as a game on its own, Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 does not fail to entertain players for hours. While the concept may not be exactly new anymore, there is no denying that this second installment still provides great Puyo-popping and Tetrimino-clearing action.

I had an absolute blast playing through Aven. It’s as absorbing as it is relaxing, and it does a good job at bringing its own to the table whilst still retaining what makes city builders fun and challenging. The challenges it brings are unique and fun, and though there might be a few changes I’d personally like to see added, not having them doesn’t deduct much at all from the gameplay.

Shadow Generations feels like a sequel. This is a pretty neat trick for an add-on bundled with a remaster. The controls are better, the graphics are crisp, and the level design is great. While the Sonic section looks awesome, it still feels like the original release. Which is normally fine for a remaster. But it pales a bit compared to the new content. On the other hand, both halves have that incredible corny energy that I love. Sonic (and Shadow) are synonymous with edgy nonsense for me, and this game truly delivers on that front. Whether you played the original or not, Sonic X Shadow Generations is a delightful double dose of high-speed fun.

I’ve touched on the art style, but it really is gorgeous and unique, with paper outlines and great visuals. This, combined with the Flexisphere, which understands the limitations of modern gamers’ time better than any game I’ve seen, and with its streamlined mechanics and entertaining deck-building system, Book of Demons is definitely worth checking out. It’s got a few issues to work on, sure, but that’s what the next six games in the Paperverse are for, right?

For what it is, instead of what it was, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT is an enjoyable team-based brawler for those interested in a seamless online experience and fanservice with your favorite Final Fantasy characters.

I loved playing through all three episodes of SLOP and the way I see it a game shouldn’t be any less fun if the graphics or animations aren’t exactly on point. If you’re looking for a side game, or a couple cheap laughs at the expense of Melvin’s remarks, I recommend this game. It’s charming and it’s got a lot of great things going for it.