It’s almost unfair to assign a score to KIDS, because the experience is just so subjective. What you take away from it depends entirely on what expectations you have. Those looking for traditional gameplay elements or a cohesive story with a beginning, middle, and end will be sorely disappointed. But if you’re up to experience something wacky and stylistically unique, KIDS is well worth your time, even if you walk away confused about the meaning behind it all. After all, the point of art is to get people talking, and since I’m here talking about it, that must mean KIDS has done its job.

MotoGP 19 is a huge leap in the right direction, with this being an excellent title for the fans of MotoGP. Milestone’s making the right steps, and their next entry could be the de facto MotoGP experience if they keep trending upward. They continue to improve the quality of the game with each release to marked effect, and it’s safe to say that MotoGP is in good hands.

Project Nimbus is good to look at and great to listen to. It’s got a jammin’ old school video game soundtrack, great explosions, and the aforementioned pilot banter. Diehards of the genre will find a love letter to all things big and clanky, and if your dream is to pilot something big and fast and humanoid shaped, Project Nimbus will make you feel great.

While I do wish that Octopath had a bit more off-the-wall ambition the fact is that it definitely accomplishes what it set out to do. They really don’t make games like they used to, and this is the most playable old-school JRPG I can remember in forever. The turn-based combat is very engaging, as are the soapy stories. The style is confident, from the music to the character designs, to the lighting and motion blur, this is a game that knows what it is about. And while some of the writing and voice acting stumbles in places, that’s kind of part of the charm. For good and bad, Octopath Traveler evokes the games of the past, and for a lot of us, we miss the bad as much as we do the good.

Overall, Little Friends: Dogs & Cats has some fun to offer, and what little it does offer is well executed. The visuals for the various dogs and cats are nice, and pretty realistic looking, but the other visuals like those of the houses and parks are simplistic and basic. The gameplay draws you in at first since it is so simple, accessible … and downright adorable. But I can’t see many players coming back to play it on a regular basis. There just isn’t enough of a game here to warrant a big commitment.

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons looks like it would be a fun, artsy game to play with a buddy, but most of what you do feels like pointless busy work with almost no trace of the story past the two-minute mark. You’ll run around, climb things, pull levers and move objects, but in a way that requires virtually no thought or strategy. I’d definitely recommend this game to young siblings or children in general, as it is aesthetically pretty and very low pressure. For any other audience, I think the game would be too mindless in its objectives and too frustrating in its clunky-ness to merit even its $14.99 price tag.

Void Bastards is a brilliant take on the first-person genre. The gunplay is solid and satisfying. The added tactical element makes me feel in control of my experience and less like it was just tacked on. The game can get very challenging, but I was still compelled to keep pushing and trying new strategies. Death comes at a unique cost, losing my current criminal. Heck, there were times where I’d die just to get rid of a criminal that had an annoying trait – and that’s part of what makes this game so unique. The bottom line, Void Bastards is an absolute gem and definitely worth playing.

It’s frustrating that a game that oozes style from nearly every facet can need a mechanical tune up so badly. With more fine tuned controls, and more meat on its bones, this could’ve been an absolute home run for the developer. Instead, despite all of its charm, Steel Rats simply fails to really hold the players attention for its entire journey and it’s a real shame.

Because of the lightness in content, Everybody’s Golf feels like an early access version of the game. At least the game is priced accordingly. Fortunately, the paucity of content is offset by the strong technical and gameplay aspects of the VR presentation. Further, the VR mode really captures the finesse of setting up a shot. You can take practice swings which will project how the ball will fly before you switch to address mode and ‘really’ hit the ball. Everybody’s Golf VR is another shining example of a VR implementation of a game that has to be experienced to feel how immersive it is.

Overall, I found Alt-Frequencies provided some great commentary on how the media decodes the underlying truth and spoon feeds it to the public and how governments can step in to attempt to control the narrative. It was interesting seeing the introduction of rogue elements to the story and how those played out. This experience has a lot to say about a lot of things, which is really my criticism. I wanted so much more.

The slowness of the growth and the beauty of the end result, and the intervening moments, make Green Planet a wonderful game to unwind and relax. But the challenge means you’ll also be engaged. It would have been easy to add a few new projects to the research track and call it a day, but the terraforming is so integrated into the existing game, you’ll constantly find yourself marveling at the design. But the real selling point are the wonderfully applied graphics. It’s a testament to what a different the look of a game can make, and how it can enhance the gameplay.

Vambrace: Cold Soul is a great love letter to Darkest Dungeon. The art style is very well done and the story intriguing. The character classes manage to show great variety in their kits within their limited options. While the game encourages tactical retreats to replenish resources in town, it provides no incentive to invest in your party members beyond their gear. This ultimately makes your squad feel shallow and very expendable. For fans of games like Darkest Dungeon, this is a title worth looking into.

My advice? If you haven’t played either game, you can probably skip the first one. Otherwise, only dive into The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II if you absolutely loved the previous game. It’s a fun enough experience, though it’s not worth the second round.

Layers of Fear 2 is bigger, more ambitious, and scarier than its predecessor, but it can feel a bit familiar at times too. Its story is more interesting, and the shape-shifting environments that were so praised in the first game are back in fine form. Aside from a handful of frustrating chase sequences, Layers of Fear 2 is, for the most part, a success. It might not be the most original game in its genre, but for horror fans, it’s still a fun and spooky good time.

Unruly Heroes is a fun action-platformer with a beautiful artstyle, solid puzzles, and a lighthearted sense of humor. However, one shouldn’t let its kid-friendly artstyle fool them: this game’s platforming challenges rival those found in other 2D indie platformers such as 2018’s Celeste.

Gato Roboto is polished, and there is no doubt a certain naive charm to the game, aided by catchy music and sound effects. The environments and enemies are rendered with a defined style that lends character to the game. The game also controls well which is a necessity as enemies come at you from all directions. But, and it’s a big but, the monochrome white of everything strikes me as bland. Because of it, nothing stands out. Not the environments. Not the enemies. And especially not Kiki.

If you’re looking for an addictive puzzler to compete against friends and strangers, you really can’t go wrong with Puyo Puyo Champions. Highly recommended!

Ultimately, American Fugitive lives and dies by its gameplay. Driving around and tearing through Redrock County is fun, destructive, and weirdly cathartic. Casing buildings and barely escaping before the police show up is breathtakingly thrilling. Past those two parts of the gameplay, however, there’s not much of substance to hold onto. American Fugitive is a quirky and fun open-world sandbox, but if you expect a bit more from games that tackle Grand Theft Auto’s legacy, you’ll be left wanting.

I found Persona Q2 to be very easy to get into as a relative newcomer to the spinoff series. It definitely helps that the Persona charm shines through the solid formula which includes a quality combat system and a nice aesthetic. If this is the swan song for the Nintendo 3DS, then it is for sure a quality one.

Even with the two questionable mechanics, one can’t deny Super Cane Magic ZERO certainly has charm. Its art direction compliments the overall quirky nature, and the meta-style humour is, at the very least, wholly memorable. For those with a big couch and with three other friends to play with, it will no doubt provide plenty of silly fun. Until we get a sequel to Castle Crashers (if ever), this just might be the next best thing.

For Swag and Sorcery barely qualifies as a game. I don’t know what it is, an elaborate practical joke, shovelware cash grab, or experiment gone wrong. I urge gamers to stay away from it, don’t go down the same dark hole I did. And I implore its developers, all developers really, to learn from these mistakes. This is the exact lack of interaction that makes games bad. This is the recipe for failure, and in the future, it should be used as a road map of precisely what not to do in game design.

Draugen is not a revolutionary game, but it is a smart one. The story teeters between being overly explanatory and too ambiguous but never manages to succumb to either. Additionally, the two lead characters feel deftly crafted and relatable. The short length and a lack of replay value may deter some, but Draugen is a mystery worth losing yourself in.

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.

Had the developers simply slapped the Lovecraft label on the game and not explored the rich mythos inherent in the name, this could have been a disaster of a game, but instead – and despite of its faults – Lovecraft’s Untold Stories is a rich and intoxicating set of tales weaved together, balancing mystery, combat, and madness together in an engrossing experience. Combat isn’t particularly up to snuff with today’s standards but it could be forgiven considering its aesthetic and gameplay are reminiscent of the SNES, with which the controls fit in perfectly.

Outer Wilds does what it sets out to do so well that I can give it no higher praise than say it’s a must-have game for any of us interested in outer space and science fiction. It takes the lessons from games before it, mixes in some actual spooky physics, and leans on its handcrafted nature to great impact. While small in scope there’s so much to uncover you will never want it to end.

For the real gamers out there, the ones who want to consider the whole history of the medium, this collection is a wonderful gift. To people looking for classic design, for inspiration, for history, there’s a lot to like here. I’m told that it’s a horrible night to have a curse, but any night spent playing this collection feels great.

With questionable graphics interrupting the gameplay every now and then, the visuals may become the game’s undoing for players looking for a high-resolution racer. Fortunately, Redout offers a lot of different modes of play and numerous challenges to keep one entertained, so much so that some of the dips in visuals can be partially forgiven if you are willing to accept it. While it may not be consistent eye candy especially when playing undocked, its contents, gameplay, and attainable goals make it an easy game to pick up if you’re looking for something insanely fast, fun, and entertaining.

There are definitely some things that the developers need to iron out, and should if they want to keep their impressive player base, but as it stands right now Dauntless has a very strong base that can be built upon moving forward. If you’re looking for a casual adventure to go on with or without your friends, building your character from the ground up, this is one to dip your toes in for sure.