Though the difficulty is going to put off a lot of newcomers to the genre, the truth is that most of the love for this title is still going to come from gamers who grew up, not only with a yearning for an age where the achievement was simply completing a tough brawler, but for the age itself; when stoner humour was prevalent, and where, with just a little scratching of the surface, you could find real emotional depth and good feeling in movies such as Mallrats. Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl doesn't rest on its laurels, though, and provides as much depth in its combat as any Smith vehicle. The health regen through character switching also makes it far more tactical and rewarding than expected. Fun as a solo adventure, and a riot with a hat wearing friend, settle in with a chocolate covered pretzel, and tell them and as many others to check this one out.

50+ hours of addicting, fun, fast, and easy-to-understand gameplay awaits fans of roguelikes in Pirates Outlaws - plus some simple, yet beautiful, and varied visuals, and hundreds of unlockables (and achievements, for those who care about those). The thing is that the whole thing is a roll-of-the-dice kind of deal, not a turn-based strategy that's mainly about skill. Luck always played a big role in the genre, sure, but here it probably plays the only role. Again, this is fun… but it takes a very specific kind of mind-set to enjoy.

The saving grace for Thunder Paw is that generally sprites are cute, and music hits the mark for driving progress forward without being too repetitive. Whether or not that's enough to entice is up to the individual to decide. There's conceivably a compulsion to play on and best the unfair challenge, particularly with an early monkey boss level, which required keeping up with an increasing pattern speed in spite of a gimped weapon range. One hopes it might be a worthy first attempt, and it is if that's the case, but otherwise it is just a bit "rough." An oddity indeed.

In less than an hour, you'll shoot at Aztec zombies in the face with your shotgun, crush-stomp acid-spitting bugs, lob freezing grenades at cyber-Nazis, blow giant, fire-peeing robots to smithereens, and laser-blast the behinds of alien invaders. You lost? Fury is now stronger, so enter the fray once again - and again, and again, and again. If a fan of over-the-top action, Fury Unleashed is an easy recommendation.

In a sea of mediocre, mobile-born, turn-based tactical RPGs, it's easy to find something even more lifeless than Dread Nautical, but that doesn't say much. Zen Studios' creation lacks the depth usually expected from the genre, is way too repetitive, and even seems uncertain of what kind of atmosphere it wants to have. The only dread players will feel here is from the lengthy loading times.

Fun but limited combat, punctuates a fantastic, character-driven drama about putting on shows and pulling a once beloved group and theatre out of its rut, and into the spotlight on an international level. It's a rip-roaring good time that has such faith in its world and style, that the love of the developers, writers, artists, and composers comes through at all points during the journey. This is a definite recommendation to those who like games that focus on narrative, and who can overlook the fairly uninspiring (yet enjoyable) combat, or who love to explore characters and motivations through dialogue. Also, for those new to the series: fear not. It's in line with the old series canon, but this one is self-contained and expands into a new era of the story.

While it falls a bit short in terms of content and variation of gameplay, EGA Ages: G-LOC Air Battle is still pleasant enough to play today, albeit in short bursts - just like in the arcades. Furthermore, by virtue of being one of the very few entries in the SEGA Ages to have only rarely or even never received a proper faithful conversion to console, this is an important type of release that SEGA should feel encouraged to pursue. There is much to be loved about its back catalogue, but there should be more to the SEGA Ages line than mostly Master System and Mega Drive ports or the sempiternal Super Scaler titles that people have seen ported numerous times already. This is an additional step in the right direction SEGA!

The surreal atmosphere of renaissance art, finds its unlikely partner in the unconventional comedy style of the Monty Pythons, and the result is… different. Gameplay-wise, this doesn't reinvent the wheel. Far from it. While very well-made and enjoyable, this is just another point-and-click adventure game - but it doesn't matter, because it's not the gameplay the thing about which you should definitely give The Procession of Calvary a go.

Ask anyone who has played DiRT Rally 2.0, and they'll probably mention how great this is. They are right. This is one of the greatest rally games one can enjoy right now, with the Game of the Year edition being the best way to do so, as it includes every DLC that has been released. The problem with it, is that a great deal of the content on offer requires being online, yet this is plagued by some severe connectivity issues.

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?

The most enjoyable sessions when indulging in VR have been hidden gems like this. The medium has been out long enough now that the big showy set pieces aren't going to cut the mustard anymore. Gamers are looking for memorable, thought out experiences, and The Curious Tale of the Stolen Pets sticks the landing. Titles like this are thought provoking, delightful experiences that live long in the memory. Although gameplay is simple, and once all aspects have been completed is unlikely to be revisited as a solo effort, this is going to be the VR benchmark for introducing a younger, as well as quirkier audience to what the little black headset can achieve with enough love and care behind it.

As a novice car gamer, perhaps this critic simply wasn't aware of a hidden option, which held the key to making the camera stay roughly where it was told. Regardless it was a great disappointment to what had been a game promising exploration of the Alaskan wild, which looked great. Frustration at not being able to play it rapidly dispersed any enjoyment from the beautiful, rugged terrain.

Unfrozen's Iratus: Lord of the Dead is one of the greatest tactical rogue-likes one can enjoy right now; one that surpasses the titles it pays homage to in almost every way. The road to getting rid of anything that breaths with your necromancer is filled with a series of challenging battles, with an enormous amount of depth in the mechanics on offer, and with a heavy dose of resource management thrown in as well. The challenge will test your mettle, as mistakes are rarely accepted, and failure is part of the recipe. It suffers a bit from a lack of content, and a slight dose of repetitiveness, yet the gameplay is so much fun that you'll keep coming back to it no matter what - not to mention that the visuals are so beautiful that it makes staring at corpses and apparitions quite the enjoyable pastime.

Bleeding Edge has almost nothing to offer. What potential it has in it is woefully stuck in a product that is so meagre and void of content. It is like taking a single slice of cheese, and trying to cover an entire pizza pie; there just not enough here to make this work passed a few hours, and that's all. There are not enough modes, not enough interest in the community to keep it going, and the combat is way too simplistic for high level play.

Below is a niche title if there ever was one. Beautiful, haunting, and downright demanding of the player, it's a game of little victories. Explore mode is only moderately easier, but it does make this a bit easier to grasp for those who aren't particularly adept at dungeon crawlers. However, the price of death feels too steep, and it's hard to recommend Below to anyone who isn't a diehard fan of the genre. It's very good, but definitely not a good first dungeon crawler.

If an experienced fan of rogue-likes, there is a lot to enjoy in this package. Well written text creates a fascinating world worth exploring, and each port offers fresh stories that really flesh out the overall experience. Add to this the new Zubmariner expansion, and it's easy to get lost in the lore and spectacle of it all. Its greatest strength however is also its greatest weakness. Without a real commitment to the genre, and a willingness to embrace the text-soaked ports and islands, sinking in a sea of information overload is inevitable. With simple combat and navigation being the only outlet from the narrative, settle in for a quiet, but ultimately rewarding journey.

For all the scathing comments about FUT's predatory and disgusting practices, it cannot be denied that FIFA 20 is still a great game. If micro-transactions are a concern then, avoid them - it is pretty easy to do with the sheer number of available options, which are next to none in this genre, with Volta and House Rules being incredibly fun additions to FIFA's on-going repertoire of modes. The subtle evolution of player skill moves might be inaccessible to the casual player, but the experts that can take advantage of these changes will definitely be able to test their skills. FIFA 20 is an evolution to the series, which has surprised with its diversity of options, and should only continue to grow as the decade goes on.

Nostalgia for games played in the past adds to the positive atmosphere that Antiquia Lost holds, albeit with a shorter gameplay than some past epics, but not with any less substance in what is included in the plot and battle system. The unusual characters keep the story moving forward, even when the main party occasionally appears to hit a dead end. The plentiful quests and range in difficulty levels mean that the replay value is great, as is the engaging story.

The depth of emotion that the story dips into is remarkable considering the game style, with the music and sound effects combining to create a specific atmosphere within it. There is little to fault in here, other than how its saves possibly could be made clearer from the start to avoid needing to replay the first part more than once. A sequel wouldn't make sense for the story, but it would be fantastic if other stories are told in a similar way to AER: Memories of Old, with its unique ways of getting information across. Nothing new seems to be added post game, but the moving story is reason enough to replay it and get lost in its skies once more.

Fixing an internet connection or returning stone boulders to their correct place in a zen garden will provide hours of fun in either single player mode, or by inviting friends to maximise the range of destruction in the chaotic multiplayer mode. The jaunty tunes accompanying each level blend well with every single aspect of a business fully explored, which many will relate to from their own work experience, only without the additional damages. Good Job is an excellent "job" for any game collection.

Bloodroots is madness in all the best ways… and in one of the worst. Difficulty is well balanced, and even when combat gets truly maddening, the experimentation the title offers is so much fun, it's hard to complain. However, when trying to platform through the many perilous environments, it becomes obvious where its faults lie. The camera and controls in these sections work against what's otherwise a very fun brawler, and drag the experience back from true excellence.

Wearing its influences on its sleeve, Gogen Soft's psychological thriller, is an ode to the visual novel scene of the '90s - and more than a fine read. Sure, it won't win any awards for its original, long, multi-branching story, or high replayability, yet Bios Ex - Yami no Wakusei's strong atmosphere, well-written characters, and great writing, manage to save the day. Oh, and there's a lady with a mighty impressive décolleté here. What's there not to like?!

Mediocre world design, poor pacing, and plotting that fails to fully capture what made the original so special, it's hard not to walk away feeling like this isn't a disappointment across the board. At the same time, the franchise's combat has never been better, and Materia offers an incredibly rewarding amount of party customisation alongside weapon levelling. While the story on a whole might not hit all the right notes, the script is extremely well written and the dialogue has never been better. More importantly, the depth present within the battle system pairs wonderfully with a challenging, but very fair difficulty curve, making for some truly spectacular boss fights. Final Fantasy VII Remake will never be held in the same esteem as Final Fantasy VII - and for good reason - but damn good combat will keep action fans coming back to this RPG for years to come.

Hunt: Showdown is a great blend of battle royale and survival horror; one that is an enjoyable, but also unbelievably tense, and merciless gaming experience. Apart from being quite rough around the edges, its unrelenting nature (courtesy of its surprisingly cruel permadeath mechanic), and almost awful matchmaking logic, make this a game for only a few - a few who must put hundreds of work on it, if they don't won't to spend most of their time staring at the words "You're Dead!"

One Piece fans rejoice, there's a ton here to enjoy. The prospect of getting hands-on as Big Mom, Kaido, and Katakuri then smashing through armies of Samurai on Wano is wonderful. The characters play fantastically, each distinct and diverse, with fantastic realisations of their moves and abilities. The cleaned-up combat system makes for a smoother experience, and many issues have been addressed. That being said, there are some little annoyances that hold it back, such as the key absentees of the roster, and the constantly frustrating camera. For all of its flaws, though, this is a solid Musou title, and a significant step forward beyond Pirate Warriors 3. A must buy for Musou fans. A must buy for One Piece fans. For fans of both an absolute joy.

Hell Warders won't even be remembered as the sloppy low-budget experiment that it is. It won't be remembered at all. It is much too rough to meet the standards of average gamers, and not weird enough to be interesting. It certainly is a huge hassle to play for more than four hours, but those first few moments before the balancing gets out of hand are actually enjoyable.

Katana Kami: A Way of the Samurai Story is likely going to still be a cult classic like its predecessors. This experiment has proven to be a huge success. Even gamers who are turned off by the words 'procedurally-generated' and 'roguelike,' might actually enjoy this new take on ronin simulation. It is mostly elevated thanks to the combat, and the attention to detail of choices that can be made to tip the scales in one's favour. Don't expect something like Ninja Gaiden 2, since the combat here is more methodical and gritty.

This compilation has seemingly endless replayability, thanks to it having the potential for user-created content for those who are dedicated enough to figure it out. Even without all of that, the mixed bag of campaigns on offer take over one hundred hours to experience. It is an ugly and frustrating RPG to play; one that is woefully poorly designed, and very rough, with some glimmers of gold speckled throughout the DLC campaigns. Only those who grew up playing Neverwinter Nights, or are die-hard RPG fans will have the resolve to enjoy this package of 2000-era BioWare. This truly requires historical understanding of the limitations of the time it was made, and that many RPG developers were just barely coming to grips with 3D engines. Everyone else would be better off replaying Skyrim.