With each tear shed, the story of Rei searching for her little sister all the while defeating enemies and being burdened with their last words is much deeper and darker than I expected. The use of the crying mechanics and turning her tears and sad thoughts into strength is a really unique and interesting idea. That paired with the beautiful art style, character designs and interesting story, we almost have a perfect game. Unfortunately, with the less than stellar combat mechanics, the lack of enemy variety and the lack of differentiating dungeons, it may not entice players who also want fluid gameplay. However for fans who do like narrative-driven and linear games along with dark themes and gorgeous designs, then this is definitely a title that should be added to your library.

So while the new wrinkles of Alignment present some fun twists on gameplay, and being able to become the Emperor yourself is another cool twist, it’s not going to be enough to bring you over if Total War isn’t your jam already. It’s more of the same with some changes throughout to keep it pretty fresh. If you enjoyed the main game and have an itch to come back, I recommend picking up Eight Princes if you were aiming to do another playthrough. If you are waiting for something different and novel to come along and really shake up Three Kingdoms, then I would say hold on to your dynasty hat for the time being.

While there’s definitely promise in the concept of Wolfenstein: Cyberpilot, the shiny visuals don’t make up for the lack of content and subpar execution. It’s a decent showpiece for the PSVR, but at this point in the platform’s lifecycle something with more meat is the expectation.

Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble is a great improvement on its predecessor Tiny Metal. If you like Tiny Metal or Advance Wars you will likely enjoy Full Metal. The price of $18.89 CAD for this game is a good deal if you are a fan of the genre. There was plenty of content both in the campaign and through the skirmish mode. The character models were well done with an overall pleasant art style. All things considered, this is a solid turn-based strategy game that builds well on the previous game.

In sum, The Church in the Darkness is a highly replayable game with shifting gameplay goals for each playthrough. The dynamic narrative that changes the motives of the cult leaders leads encourages players to give it another go, make new choices and achieve new endings. You’ll have to endure its technical mishaps, but if you get past those, you’ll have fun investigating the diverse versions of this mysterious cult.

Moonlighter: Between Dimensions is a hearty post-game DLC that lets its devoted fan base keep playing more and more of the solid adventurer/merchant amalgamation mechanics. It offers new challenges in the dimensional dungeon, new gear to craft, and countless hours to sink into getting that perfect gear. While on paper it doesn’t seem like much is being added, it’s going to take a lot of work for even the hardiest of player to get through this new threat. While the gameplay and narrative is as solid as you would expect from 11 Bit Studios, the cost to upgrade is really it’s only downside.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a priceless artifact, a flawed gem the size of your fist that must be seen to be believed. Especially if you’ve got a history with From Software’s other mech titles. This is a critical link in the chain with no equal in the genre’s history. On the other hand, if none of that applies to you, hot damn this game has issues. The premise and the execution are wildly disparate elements. The pacing is stuttered and archaic. The mechanics at play are padded yet flat. I can’t fault that timeless voice acting either way, though. My thoughts on the game aside, hearing president Wilson and co. deliver their lines is absolute delight. Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a weird, wonky game you should almost definitely, probably, see for yourself.

Super Mutant Alien Assault has a long name and a lot of heart. The challenging gameplay mixed with sharp looking graphics and fairly good sound, all work to create an entertaining but short-lasting game. In the end it is an enjoyable little distraction when you just want to jump into a game and have only a small amount of time to do so.

The content you get from this is incredibly worthwhile, and the challenge the bosses’ present feel achievable without being frustrating. If you already own Darksiders 3 you should buy this DLC and get the full experience, but the fact you NEED the DLC to feel like you have the full game is unfortunate to say the least. Had this been included in the game at launch and the much-needed QOL upgrades been implemented, Darksiders 3 would have truly been the successor of the franchise.

As a big fan of Stranger Things, I found some decent fun to be had with ST3TG. It’s genuinely exciting to take control of these characters we’ve gotten to know over the past three seasons, even as 16-bit renditions of themselves. I also really loved discovering the locations we’ve seen on the show. The fan service on display here might be enough to sell enthusiasts of the show, however, it’s tough to recommend this for anyone who hasn’t seen it.

Every component of GORN, from the huge assortment of weaponry to the strange physics, comes together to deliver exactly what is promised: bloody, melee carnage. It’s a no-frills experience that doesn’t concern itself with anything extraneous, like moral questions or a narrative. For some, that’s more than enough. For others, GORN is at least worth checking out, if just to see first-hand how gross dislocated eyeballs are. It’s pretty gross.

Horace is a charming homage to an era of gaming and culture that’s rapidly fading into the sunset, yet it never rests on the nostalgia factor to keep the player engaged. The sound design is messy and the cutscenes can run on too long, but its affecting story and sharp, fun platforming are bound to satisfy anyone keen on the genre. Nostalgia may be a common crutch, but with a sturdy foundation beneath it, Horace shows that feeling a little sentimentality isn’t a bad thing at all.

Professor Lupo and His Horrible Pets is anything but horrible. It is astoundingly creative with an interesting array of monsters and a touch of dark humor. The random, meaningless deaths and the sense of apathy when “running” away from monsters creates a whole new mood for the player. Some controls are questionable but you are not stuck with them as the game presents many options for movement and saving your intern’s skin. With the difficult puzzles and impressive details put into its planning, the game succeeds in providing a fun challenge suitable for anybody who is willing to die a few times to get it right.

The Madden faithful can purchase Madden NFL 20 with confidence as they do every year. On its own, it’s the best and only NFL experience in town but I would not blame you at all for skipping out this year. Madden NFL 20 remains only marginally better than Madden 19.

With a few small hiccups along the road that can probably be easily ironed out, and as long as you have patience in abundance, The Blackout Club is a good time. With never ending levels and missions to complete, and the interesting Stalker mode, the replay potential is sky high. If you have a small group of friends to play it with, it makes things that much better. Overall The Blackout Club offers a genuinely scary experience that is not only intense, but equally fun. Honestly, this is cooperative gameplay, with a dash of horror, at its absolute finest.

If you've had a Fire Emblem-shaped hole in your heart till now, Fire Emblem: Three Houses will leave you breathless, sleepless, and eager for more. I know I'll be lost in this new world for months to come.

Wolfenstein Youngblood looks great and has solid shooting mechanics, but misses the mark when it comes to the things that have become Wolfenstein’s greatest strengths. Without the wacky hijinx and startlingly engaging story of The New Colossus, Youngblood is a good co-op shooter that will struggle to stand out from the crowd. Strange design choices and repetitive quests try to bring it down further, but delicious good looks and flexible progression systems could make it attractive to the right suitor. And hey, killing Nazis never goes out of style.

While 198X did not quite live up to expectations set by its undeniably awesome trailer, the game has displayed a dedication to what it set out to do. Though its narrative at times felt more like a method to which to introduce the various levels, it definitely left me wanting to learn more about the world. Similarly, the game’s relatively shallow stages made we wish that they had been more fleshed out. Sitting at a playtime of somewhere between one and two hours, 198X gives players a glimpse of the retro-inspired world that the developers have crafted, leaving players wanting more of what they got.

Fighting games come with their own language, one assembled out of controls, concepts, and character types. We’re so well-versed in this dialect that it can be jarring to try and pick up a new one. Fantasy Strike lays this daunting task at your feet with comfort and ease. Before long, you’re wholly absorbed in the game’s unique rhythms. At the same time, you’re learning the basics common to all fighting games. When to block, when to counter, what moves work best, and when. With a little patience, you can pretty good at this game. Yet if you spend enough time in these trenches, you’ll end up better at all of them. While it’s not perfect, Fantasy Strike is a rock-solid entry in the larger fighting pantheon.

Overall, They Are Billions is an absolutely solid pick up and a real steal for its price point. It has a great aesthetic, solid gameplay, and a difficulty curve that is as impressive as it is aggravating. The only real drawback that I found was the PC ported controls that aren’t exactly designed to make PS4 gaming a breeze. If you want to test your steampunk mettle against an almost endless hoard of the undead, They Are Billions scratches that base building itch as well letting you live out your fantasies of fighting zombies. As long as you’re really, really, good at both, you’ll have no trouble with this one! Even if you’re not, this is one that is well worth the time and punishment.

Attack on Titan 2: Final Battle feels like a complete experience that’s just jam-packed with content. For those who have been waffling on picking up this title, I highly urge you to do so, especially if you’re a fan of the Attack on Titan series. The anime translates beautifully to a 3D setting and whipping through streets and fields with your Omni-directional gear is just thrilling. Not to mention killing Titans always feels badass. For players who want to pick up the base game and want to play through season 3, I would certainly say it’s worth it as you’ll have access to a ton of new content but as it’s currently at the price that you probably paid for the game upon release, I can see why fans might be a bit ticked.

God Eater 3 is a middling experience of ideas and gameplay that paradoxically work and don’t work. It can be a lot of fun and it can be a slog of dialogue. It can be an intense firefight and epic battle, but only last less than a minute before returning to base. Somewhere beneath the tangled web of ideas lies a wonderful game but for now, in its current state, it’s a serviceable experience to pass the time on the go if you ignore the narrative and stick to the hack and slash chaos. I had hoped for more out of the level design and overall presentation but sadly it feels like something from the late PS3 era. Hopefully Marvelous will learn from this experience to make God Eater 4 everything we could ever want in the end times.

While not perfect by any means, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 is the Marvel game fans have been waiting years to play. Was it worth the wait? I’d say so. But the feeling I’m left with is that I want another. And another. We get two or three good Marvel movies a year; it’s made me greedy. This game will make you long to play a dozen more.

Is Terraria on Switch a must-buy? In its current state, I’d say no, but it’s still worth taking a chance on if it interests you at all. This may be an eight-year-old title, but it’s received a ton of content over the years, and you’ll be kept busy for over one hundred hours easily. Its depth and replayability put many AAA titles to shame, but the lack of some pretty big features like local wireless gameplay and its high price will definitely turn people off of it regardless. Terraria has aged fairly well, and the Switch version captures that same magic that made it so popular, despite its problems.

Etherborn is a charming game with great level design and soundtrack. While the story and character were rather flat the gameplay more than made up for it. A simple puzzle game at heart the main premises of perspective and gravity control was used to great effect. Etherborn is a rather short game and the levels don’t offer much replayability. I certainly enjoyed my time with Etherborn, but I would have liked to have a reason to return. Overall, Etherborn is a game I would recommend for anyone looking for a mellow puzzle game that will teach you how to approach problems from new perspectives.

Astro Bears is incredibly easy to learn, play, and provides a good amount of challenge depending on who you are playing against and how you work together (or against each other). The best part is that even though the levels are nothing too special because you are playing with other people, no two rounds will ever be the same. While most of its elements feel repetitive and lacks adventure, Astro Bears is really just a no-frills, fun family game. It is nothing spectacular nor extraordinary, but its playful colors and the atmosphere it creates in the room shows it is capable of bringing joy to those who play it.

My one gripe with the design choice is that some of the flying enemies are just ground enemies with wings. This is fine, but when playing on the Switch in handheld mode it can be difficult to tell them apart. This can get annoying when you are trying to full-health a level only to be surprised by a few flyers. In truth, the levels aren’t too long so it’s not much of a problem to redo, but it can be annoying. Besides that, the game is a decent tower defense with a bit of fun hack and slash thrown in.

Penn & Teller VR is a mixed bag. Its reliance on pranks, which are unlikely to come in handy unless you have access to some very gullible victims, severely limits its appeal. The minigames, while great, are too few to make a good VR showcase for when you have company over. For a game about magicians, it’s baffling that there isn’t more insight into how magic is performed. In fact, I expected Penn & Teller to pop up at some point and tell me that none of this is meant to be taken seriously, that it’s all a big joke on me, the player, but that’s not the case. As it stands, Penn & Teller VR will please only fans of the titular duo.