The problems with Othercide are mainly some lack of polish, some pacing issues and the repetitious grind that is going to hit hard. The novelty of the game is surprising, and the quality is actually good. Some choices, like practically requiring soldier sacrifice, are going to be off-putting, along with the colour scheme and dark tones and story. Beyond this, the progress run to run feels too slow and may be off-putting on an otherwise unique game.

National Geographical Challenge! may not be one of Wii's most notable games, but should you enjoy quizzes it is another game to add to the list for multiplayer sessions on Nintendo's machine. For the many, there is much, but for the solo, there is little.

Tachyon Project is not bad and is a fine fit for anyone looking to kill an hour or two with arcade-like gameplay, but it comes off as disjointed. The story is presented far bigger than it actually is, the marketing tries more to sell the idea of an old shoot 'em up than a new game, and Ada's movements are stiff for the wrong reasons. That said, the missions are structured well; there's a lot to customise in Ada, and it is engaging enough to warrant a playthrough. There's a good game hiding inside Tachyon Project and hopefully a sequel can iron out the kinks to bring it out.

Power Fantasy gets a whole new meaning with Say No! More, even if said fantasy won't stay with you for long. Funny, charming, and even touching, this adventure is undoubtedly an enjoyable one, but the game wrapped around it isn't really a game. The comedic writing is more than decent, but in this case, just not enough to turn this into a big recommendation. This is quirky-indie-game-fans material only.

It is LA Machineguns that makes Gunblade NY & LA Machineguns Arcade Hit Pack worthy of a look.

Fans of online shooters aren't missing much by not playing Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville - Complete Edition, but, truth be told, this is far from a bad game, as long as your expectations aren't very high. Plus, this Complete Edition, is exactly that - very complete, with lots of things to do, whether that's different modes, missions, or character classes.

What is Monster Energy Supercross - The Official Videogame? Well, the answer is that this is a solid, challenging, and authentic example of the Supercross racing genre that fans will definitely enjoy on their PlayStation 4 systems. However, in saying that, at the same time it also feels like Milestone has sort of left this release in a rather unfulfilled form.

TT Isle of Man: Ridge on the Edge deserves praise for its fairly meticulous recreation of the famous event. The sense of speed, high quality audio, and the impressive visuals, amount to a visceral driving experience. This may be reason enough in itself for motorcycle enthusiasts to give it a try, especially since there's an on-going shortage of this type of racer. With that said, though, those hoping for a simulative experience will quickly identify a few shortcomings.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider takes Lara Croft to the most beautiful locations of the Peruvian jungles, rewarding players that search around with well-made and challenging tombs. For a change, it actually feels like you are a treasure hunter grappling and platforming through ancient ruins. Unfortunately, this is all offset by a forgettably weak and over-dramatic story, and simple combat sequences that do little to push creativity, underutilising what is otherwise a cool stealth and camouflage mechanic. In many respects, it is the best in the trilogy - but it is also so severely lacking in other areas that it just doesn't reach its full potential.

The Mysterious Cities of Gold: Secret Paths is a good game that stays faithful to the source material. It's hard to recommend this to anyone other than fans of the show and younger players who may find some challenge in the puzzles contained within the game.

Much like how Boruto has failed to live up to its progenitor, Boruto to Naruto: Shinobi Striker cannot live up to the Ultimate Ninja Storm games. Like most of its type, it gives a huge advantage to those who can play with friends, a guild, or a clan, but even with this, the broken matchmaking leads to crushing defeats on a regular basis. This, combined with the constant delays thanks to unskippable results screens and huge load times, really puts a dampener on the whole experience. It's a shame because there are a lot of good elements here, plus a crazy and addictive combat system. It, sadly, just all feels rather unfinished.

Final Fantasy XII is a good game that broke a lot of ground upon release, as an RPG, as a work of fantasy, and as a Final Fantasy entry. With that said, The Zodiac Age feels like a bare-minimum up-port, with little besides the textures being improved. Fans of the original adventure will probably love it, and fans of the series who never played it should give it a try, but on its own two legs in the present day, it doesn't offer much that other RPGs don't do while looking and feeling much better in today's technological landscape.

Although METAL MAX Xeno offers an intriguing mix of tank-based and on-foot battles, its low-budget and adherence to JRPG traditions makes it feel like a relic of the bygone age. The characters are largely forgettable and sometimes embarrassing. Then there's the story, which is competently told and not much else. Still, for whatever it's worth, the journey is a pleasant one. The player's experience won't be bogged down by needlessly long load times or a mind-numbing user interface. This post-apocalyptic trek, much like any decent vacation, is designed to be relaxing and convenient.

Big booties aside, the easiest way to sum up Atelier Ryza is: an absolutely great game framework, waiting for a game. The battles are interesting enough, the gathering okay, and the alchemy very good, but it all fails to connect on a purposeful or coherent level. With no driving narrative or reason, pretty rapidly the whole point becomes to simply battle, gather, alchemize, repeat; all of which fails to pull the player into something deep or meaningful. The is a great casual-friendly title, but it lacks any serious staying power.

Manual Samuel is a unique little adventure with some good moments and a bizarre (to its benefit) control scheme. It's notably short, and some levels do lean on the repetitive side, but it's rare to see something quite like this. It has a lot of soul to it, much of which is due to focusing so heavily on comedy. It's enjoyable overall and is worth looking into if you don't mind playing something a bit different than usual, even if it could have been executed better.

For anyone out there who is a fan of Harry Potter, LEGO, and videogames, LEGO Harry Potter Collection just might be the safest bet imaginable. Both titles within are overflowing with Traveller's Tales' affection for charming production values and easily-accessible gameplay, and Xbox One's enhanced frame-rate and resolution breathes new life into what was already a lovingly-crafted world. The formula does wear itself thin at times, and players might even feel like they're just going through the motions, yet it's doubtful that they'll ever regret their days spent at LEGO Hogwarts.

While Dusk Diver 2 mostly feels geared towards existing fans of the series, those looking to step into this franchise for the first time will still find it rewarding - provided they are down with the beat-em-up combat and anime tropes. The story is more compelling and the gameplay improvements are most welcome, resulting in an across-the-board upgrade to a well-liked hidden gem. The great thing about Dusk Diver 2 is that if it looks like your kind of game, then it probably is. Just bear in mind that the Switch version has some technical issues, at least of this writing.

The lack of voice acting in this day and age is regrettable in and of itself, but not necessarily bad, considering this was a one-man project on a tight budget. The main issue is with lack of quality writing stemming from the translation, which is always the main attraction of this type of game, and the comic book art style, which is just average. Players starving for this type of game on Switch could do better on the same platform with the breadth of other games in the same vein already available, yet this may still be worth checking out at some point, with expectations kept in check, because it does everything else right.

Unfortunately, the entire experience is marred by poor controls and frustrating gameplay in general and pretty much spoils that to a large degree, dragging the game down and preventing it from fulfilling its potential. Definitely a missed opportunity.

It is an average puzzler that might deliver a couple of hours of fun, but nothing more.

The simple gameplay of Battle of Polytopia is actually a pretty fun breakdown of the genre - the problem is ultimately its simplicity is its undoing. Despite what it says or looks like, every starting race is nearly the exact same, which is a huge missed opportunity to diversify them. Battles late-game are very dry. For some casual players it is a fun romp, but anyone looking for depth or longevity won't find it here.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is, well, fine. It will provide a good few hours of harmless fun and raise more than a few smiles in the nostalgia sector of the cortex as Reptar beats on April O'Neil. Underneath that initial sheen however is nothing of real interest. Thankfully, support seems to be very much active and maybe the initial issues will be focused on to provide a more well-rounded, in-depth experience. For now, though, the shadow of its inspiration looms heavy and ensures that this will not be challenging for any place in the top tier of party'esque fighters for some time.

Men of War II is a solid RTS marred by clunky controls and complicated gameplay, but its worst offense is requiring an internet connection, even for single-player modes. Without that requirement (which, again, is currently meant to change sometime post-launch) and with just a little polish to the controls, UI, or both, this could be a must-have for RTS/WW2 buffs. Fans of the series will probably have an easier time diving in, while new players are likely to find themselves completely lost without going through the tutorials. On the whole, the game feels solid, looks good, sounds good, and has a lot of potential, and its flaws aren't so bad they can't be polished out.

Poker Club is good for anyone interested in a very realistic looking poker sim with a big emphasis on tournament play. What you see is what you get, but it is much slower and more flashy than one might expect. The customisation options are impressive, but the beauty only goes skin deep.

Ubisoft's stab at claiming some of the market share from Level-5's immensely popular series could have been a positive one, yet instead whilst still enjoyable it proves to be a lacklustre alternative.

Outlast 2 does not quite reach even the average moments of the first game. However, what saves this is Red Barrels' talented artists and voice actors.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp has a lot going for it and does a lot right. It has some elements that looks really promising and can take the whole franchise in exciting new directions in the future. However, a lot of the soul of the franchise has been removed by becoming too punctual and predictable. The player knows exactly everything that is going to happen at exactly every time of the day.

If Kite had been released in the early '90s it would be one of the biggest hits of the time. This is 2018, however, and nostalgia, while a strong marketing tool, is not enough. Sure, the action is fast and relentless, and it's a pleasure to use the many weapons at hand to wreak some havoc. Unfortunately, it all becomes repetitive too soon, even if you take the grinding for upgrades out of the picture.

With some decent level design and a good few challenging tasks at hand, Bike Rider DX2: Galaxy is still a moderately fun way to kill a few spare minutes.

The Prisoning: Fletcher’s Quest on Nintendo Switch is a meticulously built yet curiously lifeless micro-metroidvania, where, despite the controls being super-sharp and its pixel art vibrant, the adventure feels boxed in. Repetitive rooms, shallow exploration, and a brief runtime make it resemble a neat demo instead of the real deal. As for its constant meta commentary, it’s very amusing for about 30 minutes, but ultimately drains the world of its potential to immerse.

The Vagrant is by no means a perfect 2D hack 'n' slashing action-adventure/RPG-lite. There are far better alternatives out there - alternatives that are much more challenging than this walk in the park, by the way. It's still a very solid game, however. One that, while repetitive, and definitely not brimming with content, still manages to remain enjoyable for the eight hours it will last, with a pretty interesting plot keeping you company, even if the writing, pacing, and presentation is rough around the edges. In the end, The Vagrant's biggest strength is that it's a Vanillaware-esque game on a budget, so fans of Kamitani's work should play this super-cheap indie right away.

The comic setting works great, and the story is an interesting take on the overused dystopian and Orwellian future. Liberated snatches attention with its premise and the neo-noir aesthetic, but ultimately ends up feeling unfinished. The dialogue choices and the puzzles feel tacked on and undeveloped. The style looks great in stills, but in action it's messy. It feels like this so close to being something truly special, it just needed a bit more time.

A brief couple of minutes' long test is what Blasting Agent takes to convince the player whether or not it's worth playing for much longer than that. It offers some robust and snappy gameplay on the one hand, but, on the other one, it just doesn't seem to perform at its very best on the Nintendo 3DS. In such a competitive scenario - where solid alternatives don't seem to run low - it's hard to recommend to anyone else than those action-shooting maniacs who want them all in their collection.

Battlantis may not be the most memorable of the slew of '80s arcade hits, but it does well to honour its Space Invaders influence with something that feels both fresh and familiar. Hamster has produced an experience that feels very much like the arcade cabs of old, with a sprinkling of modern quality of life changes. Fixed-shooter fans will certainly find a home with the Arcade Archives 2 re-release of Battlantis!

For a game as adorable and as silly as Bonkies, it can be quite challenging. Younger players may have a bit of a learning curve before they can enjoy it, and the single player is not worth anyone's time. Nevertheless, for players who love playing chaotic, funny and difficult teamwork titles (think Overcooked and Moving Out), Bonkies is the space chimp party game that will leave players smiling or shouting, having a good time either way.

Even as a simple update with 150 brand new puzzles, Picross e3 is always going to be a guaranteed great purchase at under £5 for both those who are already addicted to this simple but testing series, and to people that have never tried a Picross game before.

On paper it sounds more interesting than it truly is As far as DLC goes, Hearts of Iron IV: Waking the Tiger is merely sufficient as it gives a variety of Asian countries to play. Like previous DLC, many of these countries are practically unplayable from a balance perspective, but ones like China provide a unique take. This expansion will do little for those who did not like the base game, but those in love with the game will like this.

It takes two hours or so to complete this, and it's a fun little experience, filled with some smart puzzles interspersed with the odd stinker with little logical sense, but nothing to get particularly stuck or hung up on in the entire play-through. A few "Oh really?!" moments exist as well, as the solution becomes apparent.

There are no answers in this short spooky story. None. You might think there are, but there aren't. Paratopic is all atmosphere, and zero plot. Things are happening, but it's hard and maybe even impossible to make sense of it all. The good news is that when the atmosphere isn't just good, but fantastic, and as a result the adventure is very immersive despite its lack of a coherent narrative. A solid recommendation whenever the price is low enough, and in the mood for something enjoyably unsettling and mysterious, yet without much meat on its bones.

There's no question It Takes Two is a well-crafted game. There's no debate it is somewhat fresh in its execution and should be applauded for following its own unique vision. Heck, no one would argue it's not fun. Its shortcomings, however, do make one wonder if others got a little drunk on the novelty of it all. Instead, while it offers a somewhat refreshing take on the platforming genre this is mostly by virtue of being an exclusively co-op experience. It could have benefited from more refined characters, as well as better online support on Nintendo Switch. Really, where It Takes Two is going to be best suited is on a couch with a partner playing together.

An interesting world full of cool ideas sadly hampered by its story and gameplay pacing. Encodya has a great variety of content and puzzles to baffle and test players of all skill levels that make the game worth the price of admission. If point and click adventures are of interest, then this title should be on a wish list as it presents a unique experience and story that would have benefitted from a little bit more feedback and a patch.

This review is of the PlayStation 4 version of Romancing SaGa 2, and this is something of a negative in the grand scheme. This new remaster is hitting almost every possible platform and this may not be the best option. While the upgraded graphics look a great deal better, they really don't require an HD TV and it feels like this would fit better on Nintendo Switch or Vita. Despite that, there is a great and original experience here, one that hardcore old school RPG fans may have completely missed out on. It may not be for everyone but this is a perfect opportunity to try a classic and unique Japanese experience.

Poorly written, with a horrendous story to gameplay ratio, it's hard not to see Hundred Knight 2 as more visual novel/button masher than action RPG. It's a shame considering the combat can be genuinely great at times.

AeternoBlade offers decent combat, platforming and puzzles that involve its time manipulation mechanic. Unfortunately, it is lacking polish, and several cheap segments later in the game can lead to unnecessary frustration.

Gato Roboto is a bite-sized trek that's sufficiently programmed for the right amount of enjoyment. With enough charm to last a Sunday afternoon, Kiki's escapade is sure to leave behind a pleasant memory or three. Just be sure to keep expectations in check. It's unlikely that hardcore gamers will get the fierce action and stress-inducing scenarios that they crave, while the casual crowd might be a little put off by the short play-time and lack of extra content. Still, there is a bit of depth to uncover. Skilfully navigating the research facility is a reward in itself. All in all, whoever decides to pick this title is bound to get their money's worth, and that's reason enough to check it out.

This is a silly story with goofy characters that had some effort to flesh out their lives to make people care about them and the world. While it may not take much to hit bedrock with this shallow game, it does have heart, which is more than what most games have.

While an enjoyable, and visually pleasing experience, this just doesn't manage to be the great racing game that it could be. Thankfully, it's not a "fanservice above everything" kind of deal, but, truth be told, the main source of fun in Kandagawa Jet Girls does seem to be the girls, rather than the gameplay. Sure it's not bad, but it's also not as good as expected from something that had the potential to be a clone of Mario Kart, with sexy anime cuties rather than chubby plumbers, talking mushrooms, and wimpy dinosaurs.

Lost Judgment is a bittersweet event. The story aims for a mature tone but is too often a macabre, morbid misfire that strays too far from the balance between silly and serious that the series is famed for. It's not a poorly developed title, though; the outrageously brilliant combat and sandbox distractions are clear evidence of that. It just struggles to tell the sort of meaningful, believable and sensitively weighted story that players have come to expect from this talented team.

Draglade screams of missed potential.

It may be a mediocre brawler of its time, but it does have a certain energy to it, and the light adventuring elements do make it unique from anything else of its ilk. The bonus dungeon mode is the real main attraction and playing with a friend makes things more interesting. Kintaro's Revenge can only be recommended, though, to gamers who understand that this is a port of a Game Boy Advance title that has not had much done to its presentation.

Forgotton Anne is a charming little adventure, with an interesting, and good-looking, hand painted world that's fun to live on for the eight or so hours that this will last. Unfortunately, the story never really manages to become as emotional and engrossing as it thinks it is, and the rest of the experience, the actual jumping and puzzle-solving, feels more like useless baggage.

This, admittedly, fantastically made, but incredibly short DLC chapter, will be great for fans of both the game and Shazam!, the movie. It's a hard recommendation based on its relatively small replay value, but if purchased with the season pass fans have lots of great content to look forward to! Fun, but ultimately could have been a lot more...

For those of you who already own a Mario & Sonic game on 3DS, this particular instalment might be a difficult purchase to justify on the new content alone, but for newcomers, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is the most definitive handheld version yet.

Picross S2 is a relaxing game that offers some variety in its gameplay to stay interesting enough. It is surprisingly addictive, yet it also lacks some features that could improve its levels of variety. Its price currently seems a little too high for what is offered.

It's just a shame that the online component isn't as strong as it should have been.

Warm Lamp Games has delivered an interesting premise. The only way to progress is to dip toes into the murky grey area of the world. Fight against the State too much and Carl himself becomes a target... or he doesn't earn money - money he needs when his son gets in trouble or his daughter gets sick. It seems promising, but it quickly becomes rather dull. Once the basics are understood, they're repeated ad nauseum, and while the story has some interesting elements, the monotony of the gameplay is indefensible. Few will be able to power through enough to see the many endings hidden here.

Bad Viscerafest is not. It’s a niche kind of deal: one that targets a narrow audience of retro shooter veterans looking for something different, challenging, and unapologetically weird. If you’re willing to embrace its quirks and stomach its many flaws, there’s a satisfying experience buried under all the noise. For most, however, irritation will outweigh the fun. This is an arena shooter-flavoured FPS with heart, but also a whole lot of headaches.

It seems cramming five games into one has resulted in rather stripped back versions of each main sport when compared to Mario's previous standalone offerings. Most of the charm and range of options to extend the life outside of a few multiplayer sessions is absent, so Mario Sports Superstars ironically ends up as a pretty boring affair, despite the number of events to play. Fine for a few online bouts, especially if lamenting the lack of football or baseball main series games, but don't expect this to occupy the 3DS for long.

Forgive Me Father offers an evening or two of fast, somewhat fun, but mostly simplistic and repetitive FPS action, served along a paper-thin pseudo-Lovecraftian tale that few will care about. Once this one or two evenings are done, there's no reason to keep on playing this nice, but otherwise forgettable shooter.

It's easy to see the potential in Candylands Journey. The mechanics are enjoyable, the graphical style is beautiful, and the level layouts are full of options to explore the beaten path. In theory, this would be a great game, but the beautiful art gets in the way of the gameplay - literally. When the central challenge in a game is deciding what is and isn't a wall and having to play Where's Waldo? to figure out where enemies lurk, it is hard to call it entertaining. There is a need for more games like Candylands Journey - short, enjoyable experiences to spend an evening with, but it is so painful to see how close Spell Pie was to actually hitting the mark.

The complexity and slow speed of how things evolve take the fun down notches lower than it otherwise would deserve. Endless clicking through menus, and a glacial speed, ruin what could have been a pretty slick overall experience.

DreadOut 2 does not offer much replay value. It is a very rough and sloppy horror game, but it is an endearing one with some culture behind it that makes it memorable and kind of admirable. At the very least, Linda is quite sexy and the developers capitalise on this with longing and low camera angles of her. It is as if the developers were proud of her character model and to their credit, she is the best-looking asset in the game. It is unfortunate the same level of care was not put into the rest of DreadOut 2, because with a bit more time and some refinement, this could have been a cult classic. Unfortunately, it fails as a guilty pleasure and is more frustrating than anything.

Hirogami is a game of fleeting brilliance, where moments of joy like leaping as a frog through a papery forest or uncovering a hidden shrine are undercut by clunky mechanics and unpolished edges. It’s a heartfelt effort from a small team, and the art direction alone makes it worth a glance. Like a sloppily-folded origami crane, though, it collapses, caught between ambition and execution.

Nothing is wrong here. Mediocre Bri… err, Amazing Brick Breaker works as intended, and can definitely be fun, and even addicting, while it lasts. Therefore… it's fun for about 30 minutes. Too simple, easy, and repetitive, why was this released with a price tagged on it exactly?

A bit of a mixed bag really. This is a game that tries so hard to be sweeping and epic and whatnot, but just ends up being laughably predictable and generic.

Inside My Radio represents a strong concept wrapped inside a flawed package. The marriage of platforming and rhythm-action is more satisfying and polished here than even some triple-A games with similar premises, but everything else feels cheap: the music lacks identity, the plot is wafer-thin, and the short length - especially considering the price point - leaves a particularly sour taste in the mouth.

Polygod definitely holds some potential, but is lacklustre in its current state. The often unstable frame-rate, unwieldy gyro controls, and lack of polish in general, hurts the experience considerably. Its mechanics do feel unique enough to keep experimenting with, and there's plenty of replay value, but there's so much that brings it down. Fans of first-person shooters will likely get some enjoyment out of it, but it's otherwise hard to say that it's worth checking out.

This is a 12-year-old's (and beyond) sexual fantasy, and a pretty safe one at that - and that's fine. Unfortunately, the game attached to it all is a bore, as Gal*Gun 2 is nothing more than a mediocre, on-rails - sort of - shooter of no importance.

The tactical part of Reverie Knights Tactics is mildly interesting in its 'puzzle' nature, if it does not wear out its welcome through heavy RNG outcomes. However, severe loss of quality elsewhere really drags the experience down, the levelling/stats system is fairly boring, the character design is bad, and the story is utterly forgettable for how long it drones on between combat sections. There might be something here worth salvaging, but it would need to be hacked up and pasted back together first.

Funky Barn had a lot going for it, and in many ways it works a treat thanks to some smooth controls and the farming element proving to be quite fun. However, when a lot of the processes become automated later on, the enjoyment factor starts to wane considerably. On top of this, despite having some pleasing options, the general amount included does not warrant its high retail price-tag, and it would have been far more palatable had it been a cheaper eShop download.

Story of Seasons is a very run of the mill farming sim. It doesn't elevate the genre and it is a very long and tedious endeavour.

Tennis fans are so limited these days, and Tennis World Tour 2 does not deliver enough to consider it a great game. Too many graphical glitches, inconsistencies across the board in terms of gameplay and the wider matchday details, copy-pasted player physiques and complete lack of personalised shots, a shoehorned mid-match card feature that only distracts - oh, and locking major tournaments and courts behind day one DLC are just some of the reasons Big Ant Studios double faults with this one. With more time, care, and no doubt a bigger budget, something decent could arise, because the makings are there, but patches might not be enough, and focus now might be better spent on a hopeful third game.

One thing Blade Assault does right is that by the end players will feel sufficiently powerful with lightning and projectiles flying off of them at all sides. This alone would be redeeming, except powers are so limited that every run is going to end up nearly exactly the same. The general repetition in levels, power and challenge kill any long term enjoyment. It is fun for a quick romp, but hardly recommended in the growing field of roguelike games.

Behind The Signifier's exciting facade, lies an unexciting walking sim. The story is pretty interesting despite its flaws, and the simulation of the trip to one's memories looks great despite the low budget used, but the actual gameplay just doesn't cut it, mainly because players won't really have to think much, and instead just go through the necessary motions required to move on, repeating the process for a couple of hours.

However, although the price is a problem, the game itself lacks any kind of major flaw, and for that reason 2048's score falls squarely in the middle.

While Circuit Breakers attempts to revisit the glory days of the top-down twin-stick shooters, it does not purely reflect the fun and insanity of those older games. Frustration creeps in when the barrage of enemies grows completely out of control, while killing them all requires burning all the ammo and breaking down the weapon. As far as the weapon variety goes, the machine gun, shotgun, laser, and rocket launcher offer different dimensions to the combat in terms of visuals, but they still play out the same way: run, aim, and shoot. It does have four-player couch co-op, which is fun for a few hours, and that's really the only way to play this game, although the fun will quickly run out.

Anyone with any real experience though is going to find this a bit dull though, and Radiohammer falls short on just about every metric that's important for a rhythm game.

This new DLC, Stellaris: Apocalypse, and the major update to the base game, overhaul some serious systems, but the root problem of the title still remains. It simply is too grindy, too 'bureaucratic,' and simply takes too long to do anything interesting. The major issues that have plagued the experience are still present, so those hoping for any change to that will be disappointed, while many elements present serve to frustrate the player.

Call of the Sea can be described as: a forgettable adventure, sprinkled with fun, but easy puzzles. The exposition-heavy "narration" of the main heroine ruins the atmosphere of this journey, which isn't that strong to begin with, especially for a story dealing with eldritch terrors from beyond. The only reason to play this are the puzzles, although they too fail to keep you invested, as you won't really care about reaching the end, especially if a fan of Lovecraft, which will instantly turn the plot into an extremely predictable one. It has its moments, sure, and the visuals are beautiful, but this is generally a mediocre experience.

At first, this looks quite promising. The opening levels are diverse enough to keep things interesting and the introduction to the gameplay gives a standard but solid Diablo clone. But the veneer is too thin, and this quickly becomes something that only the most hardcore Warhammer fans will truly enjoy. For the rest of the players out there, this is just yet another Diablo clone atop the veritable mountain that already exists; one with repetitive maps, a lackluster character progression, and dull combat. Not to mention the story. One that is completely without teeth. It's like a YA novel; standard fantasy fare, with some of the worst voice acting in recent memory. This is kind of fun, but there are many other games already that do what it tries to do so much better.

Chronus Arc may not be anywhere near as desirable as some of the other latest RPG releases, but for the price, it still manages to deliver a somewhat enjoyable traditional and recognisable Japanese role-playing experience.

Some issues, such as the frame rate and the environmental hazard glitch, could, perhaps, be resolved with a patch. However, the reliance on trial-and-error design and the harsh spikes in difficulty found in the last third of the game are likely to be too trying for most gamers.

In the end there are too many substantial knocks against the game to really recommend it at large. For a very specific type of gamer who wants a super deep, complex series of systems to dive into and a world free-form exploration system, they will enjoy this game; but the majority of players will be put off by the unnecessary complexity at so many levels, the lack of a clear progression, and many other small knocks that really take out what could have been cool.

Regrettably due to the inclusion of instant death FoxyLand 2 is not for casual platformer fans, who the first game seemed to cater for. Those seeking to find out what happens next in the cute foxes' lives will need great skill to be able to enjoy this one. Here's hoping that if there is a FoxyLand 3, it will take away the flaws of the second game on board, and reinstates the good elements from the first, so players of all capabilities can play it, not just those who revel in high stake gaming, and are good at platformers.

An adaptation of Lovecraft’s popular short story, The Nameless City focuses on exploration and foreboding atmosphere rather than action, while its mundane-yet-otherworldly visuals create effective tension during the hero’s descent into ruins he shouldn’t descend into. There are a few problems that make it a hard sell, however. Some, like a couple of visual flaws, are minor. Others, like the lack of depth when it comes to the gameplay, are a bit harder to stomach. Its brief runtime also leaves ideas underdeveloped despite occasional moments of genuine cosmic horror.

This is one of those kinds of scenarios where the designers set out to make exactly what they aimed for, and achieved it... but only because they were only going for a very simple premise. Cybarian aims low, and succeeds at what it needs to, which was not very much. There is no room for expression for the extremely controlled nature of the gameplay, with the exception of how many times a player might miss an input or get slapped. While it may not be a horrible game, Cybarian is merely mediocre and too strict to have any lasting appeal.

The first few hours into this amateurish, loot-gathering dungeon crawler make it pretty clear that, while this is far from great game, it sure can be fun. After those, though, it soon becomes even more clear that Battlepaths simply doesn't have what it takes to last for more than an evening or two.

The core of the game is a very old-school RPG/dungeon crawling experience, for all its positives and mostly negatives. Unless not having a map and spending hours trying to re-roll viable characters sounds like fun, this one is better off left alone. The anime portraits look nice, but they are just dressing on a framework of something that simply does not stack up to better options in the genre.

By spending money on I Am The Hero, you are basically getting a retro-inspired beat 'em up that will last for an evening or two. It's enjoyable, but its tiny length and replay value make it feel more like a forgettable rental.

The gameplay as a whole generally works despite some niggles; it just needed to be tweaked and have everything else done again on the presentation side. It can’t be denied, however, that there are superior golf games on Wii, mainly with EA’s ever-improving Tiger Woods series. Or you could go out and play the real thing.

Niche is cute, and has some interesting ideas about evolution and adapting to changing circumstances. One of its best charms is the feeling of connection with the first animals as it fades away into a unique connection simply with the continuing family line. These are marred by a very repetitive turn structure, and an exceedingly complex gene system - both serve to get in the way of having fun. The vision is exciting, but the reality is too much of a grind to recommend in any large capacity, beyond the novelty of interacting with life/death in a memorable way, if nothing else.

A nice-looking little game, and the idea of solving puzzles by building things out of LEGO bricks is great. However, LEGO Bricktales simply lacks in story and almost everything else that could have made it a more interesting product. Here's to hoping that the idea gets revisited and improved in the future.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning's MMO beginnings are pretty obvious due to how generic the world and its lore is, and from how repetitive and… non-role-playing-game-esque it actually is. This is basically a simpler, more casual friendly version of Skyrim, and while definitely somewhat enjoyable, it's not exactly "the best RPG of 2012" as some have claimed. Even worse? The remaster of this generic MMO-ish "RPG" is a total lie. Put the original next to its new version, and it will be easy to assume that the developer just played with the contrast and saturation gliders a bit, and nothing more than that.

50 Classic Games on Nintendo 3DS shows that cerasus.media definitely knows how to collect an intriguing bunch of family favourites from over the years. However, with no multiplayer options, no online features, and in some cases no reason to even challenge certain 'attractions,' it means that what was potentially a must-have compilation of classics instead turns out to be a mish-mash of styles that merely passes the time but lacks the draw for long-term play with friends and family.

While the Enhanced Edition does make for a more tolerable experience, Space Hulk: Deathwing is still held back by an incredibly under-designed campaign, along with clunky mechanics that ooze into the multiplayer. The aesthetic, and overall tone, does shine, but the core gameplay loop feels severely lacking. While it's by no means bad, the combat simply isn't engaging enough to justify long playthroughs and the improved performance does nothing to fix the fundamentally inconsistent level design.

Even the most linear of adventures cannot completely ignore the player's implied sense of possibility and wonder, without seriously affecting the immersion. For this reason, it's hard to feel engaged in State of Mind, despite its highly compelling story content. It might even be more enjoyable to watch a streamer play through it, than do it for oneself. Ouch.

There is definitely something here; it is just hidden behind a lot of rough edges that can be assumed to be down to the very modest means of its indie developers.

It takes a certain level of mastery to avoid falling victim to the problems that follow rogue-likes with randomly generated content. With Polygod's repetitive nature and overall simplistic gameplay, though, it shows that this simply isn't at that level.