Sean Murray and the team at Hello Games promised us a huge, open universe in which we could live out our dreams of being interstellar explorers. And they pretty much delivered – think about how amazing that is.

Disciples: Domination does not upend what already works about the series. It moves Empress Avyanna’s narrative in a new direction and adds nuance and depth to all the game’s systems. There are a lot of mechanics at play, from combat to RPG-like elements to diplomacy, and they work together well and add up to a rich experience.

Nintendo has once again managed to take a series that we all know and love, tell us that they’re going to do something unthinkable to its formula, and somehow have us walk away not hating it.

If you haven’t pulled the trigger on NieR: Automata yet, this is the time! As a brand new player, I feel ridiculous for waiting this long to dive in. Dearth of new content or not, the Game of The YoRHa edition is a terrific good time.

The Council Episode 2: Hide and Seek does a terrific job of building more intrigue for its fascinating story.

Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings is a good arcade style game with some great physics and gameplay mixed in to make it a fairly fun baseball title for all gamers of any skill to get into, thanks to the Ego system.

At the end of the day, though, I’m able to look past WWE 2K22’s shortcomings in ways I haven’t been able to with this series in over a decade. And why? Because 2K22 is a ton of fun. It strikes a tremendous balance between its quick, arcadey gameplay and smooth, simulation-like animation system. Plus, the Showcase and MyFaction modes are fantastic, with the latter offering hours upon hours of gameplay. This is one I’ll be wrestling with for a long time. 2K finally put some proper chefs in the kitchen.

Lost in Random: The Eternal Die isn’t literally a sequel, of course. It’s an interesting switch to a new genre, and a gamble that pays off. With its fast, challenging, colorful action and a unique setting, Lost in Random: The Eternal Die puts a compelling spin on familiar roguelike mechanics. Both fans of the genre and the first Lost in Random game should find plenty to enjoy.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is every RPG lovers dream and if you don’t mind its somewhat dated appearance, this classic absolutely deserves your undivided attention. I’ve been having a blast saving the people of Amalur and I can’t wait to see what the all-new DLC content will bring to the table.

Despite the flaws, I thought this was a fantastic addition to the series.

The drawbacks to this game are numerous and ugly. If you can’t stand the grind, taking tons of notes and performing costly experiments as you go, this will be torture for you. But! For a certain kind of gamer, this is bliss.

The campaign for Worldslayer feels uncomfortably chaotic. It has the story beats of a great tale but doesn’t fully tell the story. If it was meant to deliver a sense of urgency there are aspects that could have been cut. I and many others who played see so much potential for it to have rivalled the narrative of the main game and it’s unfortunate that it is so short. Despite its shortcomings, all of the other new content and enhancements easily make up for it. This is Outriders the way it was meant to be. This is the power fantasy we want to feel in gaming.

Overall, Not Tonight is incredibly fun – repetitive, but fun. The different conditions in each level keeps the monotony of the task interesting, and the strange situations that challenge your moral reasoning makes each hour spent more entertaining than the next. With its satirical tone and quirky storyline, the game mocks political movements and stereotypical characters while presenting to us a simulation game for adults to enjoy. After spending hours playing this game, I feel like I could probably work as a pretty efficient bouncer in real life now.

New World: Aeternum’s mix of swords, magic and gunpowder is blended with a colorful world and accessible but satisfying mechanics. With a good balance between solo, co-op PvE and PvP content, Aeternum has something to offer most players. Nothing’s incredibly original, but neither is anything totally broken or missing. The most glaring faults of the original have been addressed. Whatever you call it — reboot, remix or re-skin — New World: Aeternum is worth checking out.

The hardcore MLB: The Show faithful will welcome all the small incremental changes but the rest of us may be better served to wait another year to see what the team at SCEA San Diego can do to combat some of that franchise fatigue.

The team at Jumpsuit clearly put a lot of effort and ingenuity to work to create an elegant and challenging experience. While it’s a game you probably won’t go back to once it’s over, puzzle game aficionados will find a lot to like within.

The improved graphics take an already beautiful game and smooths out all of the aging issues that became noticeable since its original release seventeen years ago. The various family trades and tribes in Crystal Chronicles Remastered brings an element of replayability to this Final Fantasy title for new and old fans. The epic Caravan campaign is more enjoyable than ever on current-gen consoles, and fans of the original Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles should definitely check out the freshly remastered version.

While the game is just as fun and addicting as ever, the awkward dialogue feels shoe-horned in and the stark difficulty drop off in the mid-game is unfortunate to say the least, making the latter half of the experience a breeze. It’s still an enjoyable experience and a treat to explore the Galar region. It may not be perfect, but it is a strong step in the right direction to giving us the ultimate Pokemon experience.

While the game is just as fun and addicting as ever, the awkward dialogue feels shoe-horned in and the stark difficulty drop off in the mid-game is unfortunate to say the least, making the latter half of the experience a breeze. It’s still an enjoyable experience and a treat to explore the Galar region. It may not be perfect, but it is a strong step in the right direction to giving us the ultimate Pokemon experience.

While the game is just as fun and addicting as ever, the awkward dialogue feels shoe-horned in and the stark difficulty drop off in the mid-game is unfortunate to say the least, making the latter half of the experience a breeze. It’s still an enjoyable experience and a treat to explore the Galar region. It may not be perfect, but it is a strong step in the right direction to giving us the ultimate Pokemon experience.

UFC is not as refined as an experience it could be and compared to other sports franchises it lacks in the depth department; however, there is no question EA Sports UFC game is fun to play and overall is a satisfying fighter.

The puzzles, while usually fun, can sometimes detract from the central attraction, which is undoubtedly the story. However, when a game’s biggest flaw is that it could have been even better than it is, you know the developers are onto something. I thought the emotional arc of Austin’s story was fantastic, both narratively satisfying and visually stunning, and I personally look forward to playing the next chapter.

While the magic system that is the core of Mages of Mystralia is outstanding, the rest of it can use some of that creativity as well. It is a game where a sequel may be due, to add to what Borealys Games has made here and really bring this world to life.

It’s got the charm and outward appeal, as well as simple but fulfilling gameplay to draw in new comers, but it’s also got the depth and versatility that keeps veterans coming back time and time again. What it lacks in the form of a gripping story, it makes up for with rewarding, fun, and simple gameplay that can be enjoyed by everyone.

A flick of an analogue stick, the press of the X button and a mind geared towards strategy is all it takes to master this game. Simple and comical, Life Goes On: Done to Death captures the best parts of a platform puzzler.

With over 500 levels at your fingertips, Catherine: Full Body has a wealth of content that will keep veterans and newcomers entertained for hours on end. Although themes and representation are questionable, the gameplay and narrative are undoubtedly fun, making Catherine: Full Body more than a one night stand.

Perhaps Lumo’s greatest asset is the surprisingly fun throwback to a genre of puzzle adventures that seem to be lost in time.

Then again… sometimes you just want to play out certain scenarios in gaming, right? Sometimes you want to pilot a starship and sometimes to want to escape from devious traps and sometimes you want to make your way through an emotional family drama. There are different feelings for different days. Evil Genius 2 has a strength that no other game can offer- there is no other modern game that will let you play out this fantasy. Because some days you just want to be Dr. Evil, and it’s pretty cool that there’s an outlet for those megalomaniacal tendencies.