Hindsight struggles to find a place within traditional expectations of a video game, but aside from some finicky controls, it achieves what it sets out to do. It’s up to you to decide if that journey sounds like a worthwhile endeavor.

Perhaps mislabeled as a Soulslike, Blades of Fire is a third-person fantasy action game with RPG elements. Its combat is exemplary. Finding the right weapon and the right place to strike each enemy is a well-thought-out system that feels great. While story is a bit bland, it’s told through an impressive blend of cinematic cutscenes, and a cryptic info drip. I loved the amount of detail in the environments. Like its title, Blades of Fire suffers from aspects that are kind of generic. The visual design and musical score emulate Hollywood fantasy to a fault, and the gameplay is excellent. Fans of action RPGs can safely ignore the Souslike label and enjoy this very accessible game.

The Jackbox Party Pack 11 is another fantastic set. One of its strengths is that it has three games that are variations of classic Jackbox Games. But that could also be a deterrent for people who own some Jackbox Party Packs already. Suspectives and Legends of Trivia are both fantastic, unique additions to the Jackbox Games library though. As with past Jackbox Party Packs, The Jackbox Party Pack 11 is half the price of a triple-A game. It’s a lot of value. Whether or not it’s a must-buy for Jackbox veterans will largely depend on their love of trivia.

All in all, Young Souls is a charming coming-of-age story that veers much darker than I expected. It’s a world I was happy to lose myself in, even if the characters weren’t always happy themselves. I’d recommend it to any fan of beat ’em ups and modern fantasy. Those button-mashing minigames are incredibly frustrating, though.

The final score-card on Punch Club is that it packs a huge amount of game into a tiny little package. This game, despite its cutesy appearance, is actually a pretty deep and sophisticated recreation of a struggling fighter’s life.

Runbow has impressed me with its gameplay and simplicity, and all I need now are more friends to play video games with.

The simple gameplay mechanics, slow pacing and amount of focus the game requires may turn off some gamers off. However, those who are open minded, love exploration and want an emotional experience will enjoy the game.

Overall, Super Mega Baseball 4 is the best arcade-inspired baseball game on the market. It also does a great job with its simulation aspects while keeping the Super Mega Baseball form. My favorite part of the game, aside from its strong gameplay, is the amount of customization there is. Whether you want to customize players, teams, leagues, or difficulty levels, there is something you can change. Overall, Super Mega Baseball 4 is a great baseball videogame experience, especially if you want a departure from the MLB.

Provides a solid amount of goodies to keep Breath of the Wild fans occupied through the summer months.

The lack of interaction with the Wii U version is a huge disappointment and the removal of some assets (like Mystery Mushrooms) makes the 3DS version feel like a “lite” version. It’s also bizarre that Nintendo didn’t include any 3D effect. On the flip-side, the inclusion of 100 exclusive, Nintendo created levels was pretty cool. Without a doubt, if you haven’t played the Wii U version, this game is an absolute must.

World of Tanks really does take me back to the good old days of tank battles; but with a whole lot of extras added.

Harvestella isn’t trying to innovate anything. It’s a cozy throwback JRPG that stands apart by having a heavier emphasis on life sim elements. But it’s a story driven action JRG at its core, not a farming sim. Harvest Moon fans will probably be disappointed by its lack of farming mechanic depth, but fans of classic JRPGs who don’t normally love life sim games might really love it. Anyone who really enjoyed Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin, or the multi-gameplay-style of the ActRaiser games should really take note.

Noctuary is simple yet intentional, made for players who want to sink into a story and savor it. The true stars are the storytelling, art, and music – along with that slightly corny anime flair you can’t help but love. Gorgeous combat animations and satisfying level-up moments keep things engaging between chapters. For the patient adventurer looking for something heartfelt between the sword swings, Noctuary is a little gem well worth playing.

NHL 2015 truly has glimpses of being a fantastic sports title on its own merit, given the improvements in the gameplay mechanics, visuals, physics and even sound. That being said, we have been spoiled to a degree by some outstanding previous versions with all the features and now I find that the series has lost a bit of its lustre given what they cut out to get this one out the door. The omission of key modes really hurts the end product, and in a way it feels like we stepping back somewhat.

Overall Watch Dogs 2 is an improvement over the original. A fresh new protagonist and setting drastically overhaul the sombre nature of the original and create an enjoyable sandbox in the process. While Watch Dogs 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to open world gameplay, it does provide enough creative ideas to keep even the most seasoned gamer amused.

Jurassic World Evolution 2 continues to evolve into a first-rate sim. The Dominion Malta expansion does something more than just adding stuff, though it does that, too. The Dinosaur Exchange adds an interesting ethical element to the mix, and the tie-ins to the movie bring a little blockbuster shine to the game as well.

If you are a grand strategy fan, and you are one of those people who avoids war whenever possible (I know you’re out there), Victoria 3 is the game for you. What it lacks in breadth it makes up for in depth. There isn’t a more sophisticated nation simulator around, and the game will only grow in time. Much like The Sims before, Paradox games tend to have dozens of expansion packs. I will probably leave Victoria 3 installed in anticipation of those. This is a gigantic, excellent strategy game and for some people (nerds), it’s going to be a fave.

Assuming you have any taste for frenetic action games, these two titles represent the cream of the crop.

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.

Q.U.B.E. is a great puzzler that is both fun and challenging without delving too far into the ‘too complicated’ area that most puzzlers love to go to.

I was a little disappointed that you didn’t see any of the actual heralds from the comics, but just herald versions of characters already in the game.

Gunboat God is an addictive, bullet-hell adventure. Thanks to its unique premise, approach to manoeuvring, and striking art direction, it instantly sets itself apart from the competition. Tight controls make each scenario a thrill, keeping you enthralled throughout. While it can take some time to get to grips with its rhythm, once it clicks, it’s exhilarating.

This expansion may not appeal to everyone right out of the gate. While there may be a little something for everyone, your personal preference to building missions might sway whether you feel it’s worth the price tag. What’s there is very good, but only if that’s what you are interested in.

I loved Contra: Operation Galuga. The run-and-gun gameplay is perfect, and all the new levels, characters, modes, and gameplay additions add lots of depth. I just wish there were some options with the graphics. And I wish there was online co-op in addition to the classic couch co-op. But what’s here is great. I hope WayForward makes a Contra: Operation Galuga sequel, or maybe gives Super C similar treatment in the near future.

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.

Storm Boy: The Game’s biggest flaw is its length. The price point, as of writing this, is unreleased, but it took me less than twenty minutes to beat the game, and so I hope the game stays accordingly affordable. I didn’t skip the minigames—sure, I didn’t get lost in them either, but I did play them all until I was bored. Of course, kids might spend considerably longer on it, getting lost collecting shells and feeding pelicans, but it still couldn’t take much more than half an hour.

No matter what genre of games interest you, Superhot is one you’ve got to play.

Kôna doesn’t inundate the player with a complicated story, and Parabole allows this captivating narrative and stellar graphics to speak for themselves. While there are a few issues within the game, they are not enough to spoil the fun of the game. If you are one that loves investigative story lines, this is for you, however, if you aren’t totally sold on the premise of the game, you might want to wait until the price of the game drops a bit.