Just when I think Telltale has run out of places to go, and that I’ve finally figured out the hook to their plans with John Doe and his eventual transformation into full-fledged Joker-dom, they pull Crazy Ivan and give me a gift like Episode 4. Titled What Ails You, this episode is less a set-up of the finale then a stack of C4 primed to take out every story thread that’s been built up so far. Telltale continues to tell one of the best Batman stories out there right now. If you are at all interested in comics, or characters related to the Dark Knight, this is 100% not optional. Honestly, no one else should be sleeping on this either.

As a VR game, I would say that League of War: VR Arena an interesting concept that was rushed in design and was poorly executed. There's little reason to play the game for more than fifteen minutes, and I honestly can't recommend it to anyone. It's definitely a cool idea, especially if you like strategy games. However, I would wait for a better game to be released in the future that can hopefully stimulate the palette of any seasoned strategy veteran, while also providing an immersive virtual reality experience. League of War: VR Arena simply fails to make itself as thought-provoking as a strategy game should be. It's just not fun to play.

World to the West features an ambitious concept, incorporating multiple unique characters into a Zelda-like top-down adventure game. However, the game unnecessarily pads the playtime, requiring you to individually move each of the four characters. Still, each party member’s completely diverse playstyle almost makes up for it, shaping up the game’s strengths of core exploration and puzzle design. It’s not a perfect journey, but fans of the genre may want to consider taking a trip westward.

In its current form, I simply cannot recommend Hello Neighbor to anyone until all of the problems are fixed. Again, I am shocked and disappointed that publisher tinyBuild would charge $30 for a product that clearly needs a lot more work. It really sucks because this game has a few things that work well, like its unique mechanics, a great art style, and good, measured horror. There’s a glimmer of something neat but right now, it's best to treat this as Hello Neighbor Game Preview Edition.

With Sparkle Unleashed, what you see is what you get. This is the sort of video game that is a nice way to spend a moment or two waiting for the bus or taking a break from another game. Taken in small doses, the game has a lot of charm that’s bolstered by lovely, colorful graphics and a better than average soundtrack. It’s an uncomplicated piece of software that doubles down on simple and addictive gameplay.

Yooka-Laylee doesn’t branch too far from its obvious Banjo-Kazooie roots. It simply takes a bigger is better approach that doesn’t always work in its favor. Despite the flaws, it's a joy to explore the worlds and collect every goody. Yooka-Laylee may not be the most polished platformer around, but Playtonic Games has created an enjoyable love letter to 90's collectathon platforming. Hardcore fans of the genre will want to set their googly eyes on this one.

Life Is Strange: Before The Storm has its moments but on the whole, it just didn’t do enough to capture my attention the way Life Is Strange did. Though easily a tumultuous period in her life, Chloe wasn’t as interesting as she was in the original game. The whole back talk mechanic isn’t an adequate replacement for Max’s time travel ability because I feel the consequences weren’t nearly as substantial.

Overall, while I really did enjoy the non-standard setting and story engine that drove Seven's gameplay, in the end it felt a little like a collection of promising elements, many of which were just a trifle undercooked. Setting aside the bugs, a poorly considered fast travel system (which spawns players in sometimes dangerous locations) and fairly tepid combat, what I most missed in Seven was any sense of personal identification or relationship with the main character. To me, this is at the heart of any successful RPG...the role-playing part, something almost entirely absent from Seven.

Gang Beasts is one of those games I wanted to try because it captured the attention of a small, but vocal portion of the Internet. Like Battlegrounds, this ended up being a game I’d rather watch other people play. The controls don’t feel particularly intuitive and are pretty punishing for new players. You’re going to take more than a fair share of lumps before the game “clicks.” On the other hand, I think you'll get the most out of the game by playing it with friends in the same room, especially since online matches can easily be one- or two-sided. Despite being a published video game, Gang Beasts has the feel of an early access title. For it to be something accessible to a larger audience, I think it needs more time to bake.

There is nothing about Shooty Fruity I don’t like. In fact, it’s damn good fun. The concept is awesome, the theme is a joy, and the controls work really well. I can’t recommend the game highly enough and it should be considered a must buy for PlayStation VR owners.

Spin-off or not, and not going into long-winded arguments for and against, the game does some things better than some of the latest main series entries. The turn-based combat is not only welcome, but it’s implemented on a level that surpasses the nostalgic legacy of it. Also, the writing is worth of a praise. As one half of the twins myself (with a brother though, not a cute thing like Reynn!), I really appreciate the banter between Reynn and Lann. It’s so fun, acute and savvy! World of Final Fantasy might be a bit of a slow burner, as it takes some time to get familiar with it, but when it opens up, you’ll be lost in the beauty of it, hunting mirages and resolving the mystery of the twins and the world around them.

Towards the end of the game, the mechanics finally start playing with its stratospheric scale. It’s here that Megaton Rainfall’s potential becomes more apparent. The scored aspects are largely botched by dull and awkward mechanics, but the sandbox portion is incredible. If you just do what this god tells you, you’re in for a mediocre experience. But when you learn where the real fun is, it becomes something more. Hopefully, we’ll one day see a game like this that uses its scale as part of the scored challenge. Until then, pick this up when you see it on sale. The feeling it gives you is just too special to miss.

Gorogoa is worthy of everyone’s attention. Writing about it doesn’t do the game the favor it deserves so walk away, grab your Switch, a cup of tea and unwind through the calming waters of Robert’s evocative creation!

It’s great that pinball is back, and it’s even better that Zen Studios seems to be back to form after the time off. The Universal Classics are just that, and while they don’t check all the boxes, particularly in the voice/sound department, the looks, complete with higher resolutions and crisper textures, and table accouterment are enough to make these a worthy buy.

So should you take the dip into Destiny 2? If you are looking for something to sink your teeth into, have a ton of time on your hands, and like shooters, there’s a lot here to get behind. But if, even for an instant, the thought of grinding out slightly better pieces of equipment in a near endless loot to get just to see a number go up just a tiny bit, seems unappealing, you are going to have some issues with Bungie’s future shooter. In the end, I think it may be just a bit to close to the original for me.

Do not spend your money on this game. Thirty dollars could buy you so much more than what Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle has to offer. It's almost appalling how badly designed this game is. Even if it were five dollars, I still don't think that the price could excuse the pitiful piece of software that I was given to review. The game looks and feels like a PS2 launch title that went wrong. Thankfully, as all Touhou fans have come to expect, the music is the only redeeming quality that this game has to offer, but that's no reason to buy the game. Do yourself a favor and forget this even existed. As a Touhou fan, I can objectively say that this is one of the worst games to have come out in the series, period.

I cannot recommend this game enough if you are a fan of slow-moving tactics genres. If you aren't, well, I would still give this a try if you have some cash burning in your pocket. It really is just that much fun!

Demon Gaze II is a confounding experience, with enjoyable combat and a strong premise undercut by poor writing, inconsistent tone and graphics that really belong to a tiny screen. Hardcore fans of JRPGs that lie on the fringe of mainstream gaming might appreciate its quirky humor but for the rest of us, there are better RPGs to spend our limited time with.

Teslagrad takes the single premise of magnetism and stretches it out through a good three to four hours of gameplay. The main character’s abilities to manipulate the environment pave the way for incredibly clever puzzles. Controlling the boy and moving objects aren’t always predictable or intuitive, making some challenges feel artificially difficult. Nevertheless, the title has made a positive jump over to the Nintendo Switch and is recommended for fans of 2D Metroidvania platformers.

With co-op and additional skirmish modes available on top of the main campaign, SpellForce 3 is a generous -- and largely successful -- merger of two genres. While it isn't the world's deepest or most complex RPG nor gaming's most substantial RTS, it is a very effectively constructed and balanced hybrid and most important, makes a strong and compelling case that the mashup works. With over a decade between installments, it's not like the SpellForce franchise has overstayed its welcome. It's perfectly timed to delight both fans of the series and surprise new players looking for something new and different.

Lumo is a disappointing example of good intentions leading to bad results. While it pays admirable homage to the old-school, fixed-camera video games, Lumo falls victim to frustrating difficulty spikes and unwieldy movement. A short run-time coupled with a lack of depth perception spoils the fun, ensuring that Lumo is best left for those craving old-school puzzle games. The game isn’t without its charms, but it's hard to recommend it. Those interested in an old-school take on puzzle platforming may be willing to overcome its flaws, but modern gamers will want to reconsider their options before doubling down on Lumo.

The train simulator market is not exactly burgeoning, but there are other games in the same space as Train Simulator 2018, most notably Trainz: A New Era, which features new graphics and physics engines and a slightly less -- though only slightly less so -- egregious DLC model. Still, the enthusiast has choices. While Train Simulator knows its trains and offers (at a price) a lot of available content, its outdated visuals, bland presentation, bugs and technical issues and inflated-price DLC make it hard to get on board with.

If you enjoy survival horror games which rely on atmospheric and subtle visuals and audio cues instead of cheap jump-scares, you will definitely love Yomawari: Midnight Shadows. It's an extremely creative game with an adorable outlook and incredibly dark undertones. Prepare to forgive the repetitiveness later in the game, and I can assure that you will have one scary (and cute) survival horror experience.

Farming Simulator on the Switch doesn't add any new content or special modes or new machines that aren't included in versions on other systems, but it does competently bring a well-liked sim to the new generation of Nintendo handhelds and gives Switch owners another decent, full-featured game in the sim genre. This isn't Stardew Valley, another farming-heavy title ported to the Switch, but a tycoon game that spends as much time with facts and stats as it does behind the wheel of a tractor.

Pro Series is one of those games that I really wanted to enjoy beyond its actual quality. With its multitude of lakes, fish species, and upgrades, the developers clearly put in a good amount of effort. But its core gameplay mechanics just don’t match its content. Ironically, this is a fishing experience that will bore you not because you can’t catch anything, but rather because you all-too-easily can. It’s still somewhat satisfying to catch a big pile of floppers and watch your cash pile up, but it’s all done in this omnipresent cloud of disappointment. That’s Rapala Fishing: Pro Series for you; not bad, but disappointing.

Kids or no kids, if you like the Telltale style of adventure game, Minecraft Story Mode: Season 2 is worth your time.

As a console game, Nioh was in my top five titles of the year and it was a pleasure playing through it again on PC. Nioh moves Souls-like games into their own genre by expanding the vocabulary of combat mechanics and gameplay systems while keeping a structure, flow, and feel that align with From's signature games. PC purists may balk at some of the port's paltry options but the game's elegant and precise combat shines just as brightly on PC as it did on the PS4.

The Snipperclips Plus DLC is a solid choice for anyone who enjoyed the original. Unfortunately, some levels feel rehashed and others are downright annoying, so it’s not as fresh or accessible as the base game. But the majority of the game’s 30 challenges keeps its penchant for creative multiplayer wackiness alive. The new modes and minigames enhance the package, making this a fairly good deal for the asking price. If you haven’t yet tried Snipperclips, the full Plus collection functions like a complete game, and it’s worth trying out with friends.

DOOM VFR sounds like a great idea but it doesn’t do enough to justify its existence. Take away the VR headset and it would be just as playable on a TV or computer monitor. It might have actually been better that way, because then I wouldn’t have gotten so uncomfortable. Control issues aside, this is a competent and solidly designed video game that means well enough even though it strips away the cool things that made DOOM great. Skyrim and maybe Fallout aside, not every Bethesda game has to be made into a VR version of itself.

In the end, what we have in Tokyo Tattoo Girls is by far one of the most shallow strategy games I've ever seen, with absolutely a joke of a story, and shallow and repetitive gameplay. It's just so utterly disappointing in just about every aspect. As someone who doesn't have any tattoos (although my wife more than makes up for me), I think I'd rather go get my first one than play this game any more than I had to.

Lots of personality, android girls looking like cute super-deformed action dolls (you can opt for normal-sized heads too via Ex Options), mad action, smooth and fast gameplay and groovy soundtrack. These are the delectable ingredients for Assault Android Cactus’s tasty cocktail, with only sometimes samey level design adding a tad of sour savor to the mix. Even my brother, who’s usually useless in twin-stick shooters, liked the gameplay here and was actually a big help in demolishing the enemies onboard Genki Star. It goes on to show the game is catered for many kinds of players, all finding their favorite androids to fit their natural skills. Assault Android Cactus sucks you into its crazed action until your eyes start to water and fingers cramp.

Poi is best played in short bursts, which does work well for the platform in question. Play it undocked, right before bed, for the best experience. And I say that because in this context, it works very well as a fun, snappy, immersive little platformer that you can jump right into and leave minutes later. Staying with it for too long at a time will leave you starved for a change in scenery, and rather perturbed by the occasional sneak attacks. Taken altogether, though, Poi is still a good game. And hey, maybe next time the old man will lose his medallions over a wider radius.

So, Road Rage is crap. It’s not broken as it’s still somewhat playable, despite its all rage-inducing qualities. It just feels like there’s no effort put into it anywhere. Except for the music. The soundtrack is quite good and trashy, though I’m sure I have heard some of it before. Anyway, if any effort was put to the rest of the game, we could at least have an okay biker action at hands. As it is though, Road Rage can only be recommended for the collectors of really bad games. I know you are out there! Everyone else, steer clear!

Ultimately, Mario Party: The Top 100 is not an awful game. The multiplayer is fun if you can find people to play with, but even then it overstays its welcome rather quickly. The modes are shallow, the only Mario Party style board is tiny and non-interactive, and the minigame selection leaves something to be desired.

Not a single thing about Ōkami is outdated. The ambitious creative design gives it away, though. No one really makes games like this anymore, taking wild risks while at it. The gamble didn’t pay off with the original release. Dissatisfied with the poor sales, Capcom decided to stall Clover Studio and merge it with in-house teams. The key personnel escaped the merger and went on to form PlatinumGames. As they say, the rest is history. Now that 2017 saw Japanese games taking back the respect they deserve, I hope Ōkami HD too will find its audience. After all these years after the original game’s release, I have no qualms in awarding Ōkami HD a perfect score. If only I had given it a chance back then… Don’t make the same mistake!

It’s a particularly dire case of style over substance, putting you through an easy, unremarkable rollercoaster ride that you’ll play in an afternoon and forget about a couple days later. And with the number of quality family titles and platformers to choose from this year, I just don't see a place for a game like this. There’s a point in the weak story where Classic Sonic has to go home, making Tails feel sad. Sonic cheers him up: “I’m sure we’ll run into him again.” Well, 3D Sonic, with Mania’s quality and success, I'm sure we will too. It’s you I’m worried about.

As a final interesting note, RiME was actually first revealed as a survival game with elements of health and stamina. While we may never see what that game was like, I’m thankful that developer Tequila Works opted for a deeper tale with that same boy on an island. While an open world would have been fun to explore, the segmented chapters help to tell a bigger truth. Though action would have helped bring more gamers in, laid-back puzzle-solving ensures that more people can freely explore and reach the end. A smoother presentation could have helped the game’s cinematic presence, but the story lives on despite it. RiME isn’t perfect or too original, but it does well to scratch the same emotionally driven story itch that trailblazers like Dear Esther and Journey have pioneered in the past.

It definitely overstays its welcome, and it's far from the best in the series, it's been so long since there was a Metroid game that it's nice to see it back here on the 3DS. I feel like they've built strong mechanics, which can hopefully serve a more varied and interesting quest in a future entry to the series, maybe one that DOESN'T involve doing the same fights over and over the entire game. Samus Returns is definitely a step up from the original Metroid 2, but it is unable to touch the heights of both the series and the genre.

In spite of its childish appearance and lack of difficulty options, Super Beat Sports is an entertaining rhythm game and satisfying return to form for Harmonix. Its varied game modes offer a wide mix of challenging levels to conquer and master, while its multiplayer capabilities ensures that it earns a place on the couch for your next late-night party. It might not offer the maturity and depth of Harmonix’s previous efforts, but Super Beat Sports is a welcome addition to the Switch lineup that proves that perhaps the music game genre isn’t entirely dead, after all.

In the end, Raiden V felt like a game that ticks all the right boxes for a Solid Shoot’em Up. It is not trying to be the most innovative game of the genre. It is only there to give you a solid gaming experience that you expect from a vertical scrolling, retro-flavored, bullet-hell game. Everything Raiden V has to offer is something you have already seen elsewhere, with some minor changes here and there. Overall, Raiden V is just another game in the long evolutionary process of Shoot’em Ups. If you’re looking for a casual and good vertical shooter to spend your time with, Raiden V is a good choice.

The satire of GUTS would be so much better if the gameplay stuck its landing. Sketchy and numb gameplay simply doesn’t cut it. As it is, GUTS is a mere curiosity. A quirky look at a gory game show with some genuinely good ideas, like a combat log after a fight (I would love it in Tekken!) and fighting not measured in habitual health and time. Even though GUTS doesn’t take it seriously, it’s done seriously. I can only hope that Flux Game Studio continues to develop their obvious labor of love further. Maybe by the time the game makes its way to the consoles next year, its gameplay will have evolved further.

Monopoly for Nintendo Switch isn’t a bad option if you’re looking for a digital version of the board game. As a plain adaptation, it does its job well, with the added bonus of portability without risk of losing parts. Unfortunately, the Living Boards and Action Cards don’t add anything truly significant. Plus, when playing with AI or even online without chat, it feels like a shallow experience compared to the inherent joy of gathering around the table and laughing as your friends go bankrupt. And it’s hard to talk about a game so rooted in capitalism without mentioning that this game isn’t cheap. At its fairly high price point, the game’s few additions hardly justify the cost. You may as well buy a game that isn’t a mere digital replication of a tabletop experience, or just pick up a nice physical collector’s edition of Monopoly.

This L.A. Noire remaster is more than worth revisiting, even if it is lousy with issues that just start to seem more apparent with time. It's the definition of flawed ambition, shooting for the stars and never quite reaching it. It's rare to find a game like this that is willing to be so simple and down-to-earth, about a cop with a wife (who's never even threatened or fridged!) just doing the work. Hopefully Rockstar's remastering of it is a suggestion that they're on their way to starting the franchise back up – it may still be enjoyable, but there's a lot that could be improved.

Mutant Football League is fast fun and easy for casual fans to get into. It's also incredibly violent and full of cheesy horror puns. In some ways it's everything I wanted it to be while simultaneously leaving the door open for improvements. My only gripes are that it's occasionally repetitive and can be frustratingly unpredictable (for those who hate huge game swings from dirty plays and being consumed by stadium hazards). Still, Mutant Football League is great fun!

Developer Strange Company is to be lauded for creating a VR RPG that is lengthy and far more substantial than so many of its brethren. While aesthetically Left-Hand Path can't quite overcome the technical limits of the Rift or Vive, it is built on a magical combat system that is robust and challenging (and occasionally frustrating) to use. Now that we're a couple of years into the their retail releases, no developer has managed to produce that killer app that makes virtual reality systems an essential purchase. That said, games like Left-Hand Path are moving the creative progress of gameplay and storytelling in VR incrementally forward.

I went into this game hoping for an example of a well-made arcade hunter. And with Glu’s record, that was a reasonable desire. I take no pleasure, then, in acknowledging that Deer Hunter: Reloaded is simply atrocious. It’s ugly, sluggish, obtuse, counter-intuitive, and brimming with game-breaking bugs. Its few positive qualities are directly negated by some of its many, many faults, resulting in what sits among the weakest functional video games I have ever played. Maybe one day we’ll get a nice version of what this game was trying to bring to consoles. Regardless, I am confident that we won't get anything worse.

Though I would have appreciated an in-game help guide to keep the inner workings of battles in check, I genuinely enjoyed its complex intricacies once I got the hang of it.

Larian studios has yet to make a bad game, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 is among their finest. As a sequel to such a beloved RPG, it gets about as much right as you can reasonably expect. The game doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to when you consider how much its predecessor already got right. It does have its issues – the frame rate could be higher and if you play the game for 50+ hours, there is a good chance that you will get a little worn out from the combat. These issues are easy to overlook though, enough to make the game a must have for fans of PC RPGs.

I was already hooked by the idea of a golfing game with an overworld, side quests, stats, and leveling, but it wound up being so much more than that. The fact it's not trying to be a sim makes it so approachable, and I have no problem suggesting this to people who don't even like golf. Technical issues notwithstanding, Golf Story is an unexpected and excellent addition to the Switch's eShop lineup.

Like so many Piranha Bytes games, it's easy to feel some affection for the sheer ambition and quirky execution of the premise. Even some of the messy, so-bad-it's-good acting has a bit of hokey charm. The reality is that Elex is several significant patches away from any greatness and even then, some fundamental mechanics are too hardwired into the game to be patched away. As I played Elex, I kept wishing that a triple-A developer could get its hands on the story, setting, and concept. Then again, maybe the appeal of Elex lies in it being messy, broken, and ambitious, and not the product of a bland corporate insecurity.

If you can look past Skyrim VR's visual downgrade on the PlayStation VR, then there’s absolutely no reason not to dip back into the well. It's not perfect, as you can definitely see the limitations of the PSVR compared to the higher end VIVE and Oculus, but Skyrim's award-winning gameplay and storytelling, which is brought in completely intact, survives the transition completely unscathed. It's also a really great VR game to show off to people and let them explore a well-realized fantasy world. Skyrim VR also represents a good first step towards future VR ports of open world Bethesda games.

Overall, the numerous heroes filled with in-jokes and references are the game’s biggest strengths. The novelty doesn’t last long and it becomes an exercise in patience having to relearn control schemes while navigating unfairly placed traps. It’s compelling to find each character’s inner strengths but it can also get repetitive thanks to the uninspired stage layouts. Indeed, 88 Heroes is an example of quantity over quality. I like the premise but wish there were more specialized challenges that took the heroes’ unique powers into account or levels that incorporated the powers as opposed to succumbing to a generic one-size fits all design. While the game isn’t necessarily GR8, I didn’t H8 it, and there’s some value to be found for 2D sidescrolling fans or anyone who’s willing to pay for a good laugh.

While it suffers from seriously botched progression and a smattering of poor design choices, theHunter: Call of the Wild consistently provides a deep and satisfying hunting experience. Not only is it a dramatic departure from the mindless schlock we've been conditioned to seeing; it brings hunting to a height of simulation and strategy that I've never seen before. The game holds a special reverence not just for hunting, but for the spirit of the outdoors in general, making it a relevant testament to our natural landscapes in the modern era. If you're going into theHunter expecting to navigate smooth menus and unlock things at a steady pace, you're in for disappointment. If you're looking for an immersive and dignified hunting experience, you'll be absolutely hooked for hours on end. Falling into both camps, I know that the latter sensation ultimately prevails over the former. I'll be playing this one for a long time going forward, and not just because it takes forever to get new gear.

It’s a commendable effort to make a mystery-solving adventure without narrative structure but the game simply lacks pizzazz for anyone but the keenest investigators. Even I, who utterly love detective stories and games, was often frustrated by how little the game is willing to help the players wanting to solve its case. The Painscreek Killings has an exciting murder mystery hidden somewhere but it’s buried under all the extra baggage of technical issues and awkward game design.

The Green Cities expansion pack contains a lot of nice buildings and a very welcome change to the traffic system, but it doesn't introduce anything to necessitate what it offers. That being said, it's being sold at a reasonable price, and the changes it offers are fun to tinker with in their own right. And by not taking any risks with altering the pollution mechanics, you can feel free to boot up any old city you have without everyone becoming sick and the air filling up with vaporized sludge. Plus, it's kind of awesome to have a new library of slick buildings and tourist attractions (the climate research station being a personal favorite). It does what it promises, and I will say that if you see it on sale, you really might as well pick it up.

The exciting thing about 8-bit Adventures Anthology: Volume One is that the games in it don’t only possess nostalgia values. Good adventures can stand the test of time better than many other genres because they’re held up by their stories and puzzles rather than a fancy presentation or tight controls. Of course, MacVentures are short by today’s standards, but they’re not linear. There’s a surprising amount of freedom given to do the needed tasks in each game, creating exciting prospects for the player. The gameplay can be slow as the controller can’t stand in for a mouse, but that’s nitpicking. Most of all, 8-bit Adventures Anthology: Volume One shows how little is needed to create immersing experiences. I had a blast going through these games again I had played almost 30 years ago on Commodore 64 and Amiga. For eight bucks, the anthology is a steal. Do yourself a favor and relax with crude pixels with cool stories.

Neurovoider is a fun twin-stick shooter and is especially great to have and take around with me everywhere I go. The moody soundtrack bangs, the game's frantic and fast, and the loot system is engaging as you build yourself up and find new and amazingly named things. It's especially perfect if you need a game that you can play a quick couple of rounds of while you're waiting somewhere or on a commute – it starts to feel a little samey and doesn't do too much to set itself apart as different from other similar games, but it's a good time nonetheless.

All in all, Wulverblade is an entertaining but flawed trip to the lands of ancient Britain. Its engaging narrative provides a thoughtful, historical backstory to the carnage taking place, but its combat suffers far too frequently from poor controls and unfair enemy balance. Those willing to overlook these issues will undoubtedly find something to like with Wulverblade, but beware that it's not for the faint of heart!

Hands of Fate 2 leaves much room for imagination which is welcomed in this age of hyperrealism. Reading the text descriptions and imagining the events in your own mind can be more exciting than watching a fancy cutscenes. Not that the game lacks in presentation. The character models on the battlefield are chunky and likable, fighting out in nicely detailed and varied surroundings. A moody incidental soundtrack accompanies the events. And then there’s the infamous dealer, back from beyond the 13th gate. His room is at the same time homey and intimidating, as his scarred eyes peer at you, judging your play with a sneer. In the end, Hand of Fate 2 gave me more excitement than some recent big-budget dark fantasy games. It relies wisely on ageless means of gameplay and storytelling. If the first Hands of Fate was journeyman's practice, the art is mastered in the sequel. At a mere $25, the game is the best entertainment for chilly winter evenings.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a not terrible time and a pretty good game. While the story is nothing to write home about, and the gameplay is beginning to feel more than a little played out at this point, you know, definitively, if you want to play this game or not just based on the title. After 12 years, a LEGO game is a LEGO game is a LEGO game.

Much better than the first Injustice, Injustice 2 is both a top-tier fighting game and a real treat for fans of the DC universe, equally featuring iconic heroes and quirky second-stringers just as lovingly presented. As a brawler, the game is fun for players at any skill level. Between the campaign, Multiverse, and Multiplayer components, Injustice 2 serves up a lot of content. There are some technical hitches in the PC port that need to be addressed, but they barely diminish the overall fantastic experience.

I feel a little weird having gone this far without even a mention of the start of Episode 3, but with the enjoyment I am getting out of this being so heavily reliant on the story and its turns, mentioning them, no matter how briefly, feels a bit like a betrayal. There are a number of moments that I would love to bring up, especially ones that deal with Bruce’s ability to trust and how those moments being left up to the player brings me a substantial amount of joy, but I think I’ll save those for the finale. For now, I am happy to say that Batman: The Enemy Within is Telltale at their best. We are halfway through this season, and I am equal parts jumping for joy and pulling out my hair to see where this ends up.

Abyss is painted in the usual colorful and lively Artifex Mundi style. There are lots of narrative cut scenes, some of which look quite rough with pretty hilarious mouth movement, but they still enliven the events nicely. Sadly, I found the music quite irritating as it’s looping all too brief pieces. The story could have used a bit more focus as some elements were underused. For example, in the beginning a lot of emphasis was put on a mysterious girl showing herself now and again but eventually her part was hastily exposed and brushed to the side lines. All in all, Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden is a solid Artifex Mundi casual adventure, offering the familiar entertainment values you’d come to expect from the company. The original PC version of the game is five years old and Artifex Mundi has released a constant stream of colorful adventures ever since. I hope that they will gradually shift to porting their fresher titles for console players’ enjoyment.

I was prepared that ECHO is perhaps agonizingly hard, given its unique gameplay mechanics. But it wasn’t, as I completed it somewhat effortlessly. Maybe it was due to my anticipatory play style. I confess, I watched several streams of PC version of ECHO a few weeks before the PS4 release. So I kind of knew what not to do in the game. Thank you, you all pioneering Ens on PC streams who clanged too much to their guns. ECHO is intelligent sci-fi without any artificial provocation or emotion manipulation. It’s cool and enigmatic to the end, and much like Kubrick’s movies I referred to earlier, it takes a certain state of mind to appreciate its fearful symmetry.

If you're looking for a good puzzle game for your Switch, this should definitely be your first stop. Most of the puzzles are bite-sized and easy to stop when you're on the go, but it's also meaty with so many puzzles (over 150 and double that if you count the Megas) that it can easily eat up hours of your time. While I miss the simplicity of the touch controls, it's a small quibble when there's still so much to be enjoyed from this game.

Yup, there’s no online mode in Ninja Shodown. This means that as enjoyable as multiplayer is, it’s only playable locally in a living room. Combine this with the simple truth that Versus Mode is the only good part of the game, and you’re left with a product I just can’t recommend. If the performance issues were cleaned up and the price slashed down drastically, my verdict might look very different. That’s because, again, the game is surprisingly engaging when played competitively. Games aren’t necessarily outright bad when they’re too hard or even broken; it’s when they effectively don’t give you anything to do that they truly fall apart. And because it lacks an online multiplayer mode, Ninja Shodown fits that description for many players.

The fact that a game stuffed with hundreds of hours of content runs so well on a mobile video game console is nothing short of amazing. On its own, Skyrim is a phenomenal game and now I don’t have to be stuck on the couch or on my computer. I can play it wherever and whenever I want. What a time to be alive.

While this is the sort of thing VR was made for, it’s hard to see Everest VR as anything more than decent piece of “experience it once” edutainment. The interactive sections of the game fail to generate much excitement as you very slowly climb up the mountain, listening to the breathy laments of your fellow climbers (and even see one of them die, which is treated rather flippantly). In the end, there’s not much here that’ll hold someone’s attention for longer than an hour, if that. An experience like this is a great idea--get players to explore places they may never have a chance to see in person--but it doesn’t do enough to really draw you into a strong sense of place.

If you can forgive the technical faux pas, the somewhat creepy mannequin people, the absence of any memorable music and the bare bones gameplay, there's a fantastic story buried underneath the rubble. All of the characters are three dimensional and real, the voice acting feels authentic, and the writing is smart but never preachy. At its core, Fragments of Him is just a poignant story of love and loss. It showcases Will and his partner's relationship as normal and pedestrian. It's almost mundane. But this approach is all the more effective when something that should just be normal and average is treated as such. Based on the title of the game, you can kind of assume where the narrative is likely heading to, but the journey there, while bumpy, is one worth taking.

In the end, Eventide 2: The Sorcerer's Mirror is another solid offering from Artifex Mundi, and fans of the genre will undoubtedly enjoy this title. The entire project however, just feels... a bit underwhelming, as the developer's usual effort just doesn't seem to be here (mainly in the game's short length, lack of a bonus chapter, and lack of alternate game modes). Still, if you're looking for a relaxing time with various puzzles and hidden object scenes to enjoy, Eventide 2 is ready to serve you up another dose.

Star Wars Battlefront II improves on the original with more maps and heroes, but there are fewer modes, and the online gameplay may waver over time for some. Regardless, the core gameplay is solid, and the new Galactic Assault is excellent. The single-player content is still slim, but the campaign is nonetheless a great inclusion that adds more than you’d think to the official canon. I’m not a huge fan of the Loot Crates, though I’d live with it for the promised free DLC, the first of which has content from The Last Jedi. Still, in a perfect world, Star Cards would be fairer to obtain and unlocking heroes wouldn’t be such a grind. EA plans to keep tweaking the game post launch and adding content through Live Service, and I’m intrigued to see how the game evolves over time. Overall, Star Wars Battlefront II isn’t a shooter for everybody, but it’s a must-have for fans. Indeed, the Force is strong with this one.

There's no denying that in the moment, the single-player campaign, the multiplayer modes, and Zombies mode are satisfying and create a well-tuned shooter experiences defined by super-high production values and polish. Take a longer view, however, and you're likely to feel more than a little ennui over the setting and a bit let down by a game that feels like a corporate decision rather than a passion project. World War II defined the course of nations and the fate of millions. Call of Duty: WWII misses the opportunity to find its own, unique or emotionally compelling journey through the conflict. It is a mechanically solid, visually impressive shooter bolted to a story we've seen too many times.

It may sound like I'm nitpicking a lot, but the issues I've highlighted are relatively minor when looking at The Evil Within 2 as a whole. This game is just plain fun. I don't remember the last time when I had completed a game's campaign and immediately wanted to start a new game and play it all over again. The Evil Within 2 had that effect on me. The constant shifting between the visceral gunplay and tense stealth sections provided hours of entertainment. The Evil Within 2 wears its inspirations unabashedly. The crafting and resource gathering feel like they were ripped straight out of The Last of Us. The gunplay and stealth feels similar to Resident Evil 4 or even Uncharted. The juxtaposition between open world areas and linear corridors has a Silent Hill: Downpour vibe. However, the folks over at Tango Gameworks have taken these inspirations and molded them into a mad scientist amalgamation of ideas that feel like its own beautiful, yet horrific, beast.

Doom is, at core, a classic first person shooter with satisfying weapons and lots of ways to kill and dismember a legion of demonic enemies from another dimension. The game's great level design and near-perfect pacing shine through on the Switch, and moment-to-moment gameplay is still a blast to play, though the framerate drop and somewhat gauzy visuals may irk players used to other versions. In the end, Doom on the Switch is a welcome bit of mature content and a fine shooter that transcends whatever compromises had to be made to port it to the system.

In the end, Nights of Azure 2 has a lot of things going for it. The game is easy to pick up and play and, for the most part, it's mindless fun accentuated by allies and pets helping you out on every step of the way. Graphics can be quite picturesque at times and the soundtrack is quite good on top of that. On the other hand, this game is just... so very repetitive, forcing you to revisit the same half-dozen areas over and over again without anything new to look forward to. This makes the game a mixed bag overall, but if you're looking for a solid hack-and-slash with plenty of T&A thrown in (and you don't mind the repetition), this may be just the game for you.

The New Colossus is a sometimes absurd, over-the-top single player action game that revels in stupidity but is also whip-crack smart about its themes and is happily willing to silence its guns for an extended series of emotionally honest and beautifully acted moments. Some of the character models aren't great (though the voice work uniformly is), there are some graphical issues here and there, and the testosterone-injected guitar riffs that underscore the firefights seem at grating odds with the setting and story. Very minor quibbles aside, Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus -- like a few of the fanciful animals in the game -- bolts the head of serious political and social satire onto the body of a shooter and it all works amazingly well.

Super Mario Odyssey is a lovely experience from beginning to end. The sheer scope of the game can be a little overwhelming and there are some bumps you’ll encounter in your journey. If you’re searching for a solid experience on the Nintendo Switch beside The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you should definitely take this odyssey with Mario.

In the end, Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds does what every good DLC should set out to do: give players more of what they love. Needless to say, if you enjoyed the base game, you will undoubtedly enjoy The Frozen Wilds as well. Given the game's success up to this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the Banuk isn't the last new tribe we'll encounter. For now though, just remember to dress in layers and stay warm!

A Hat in Time is that rare Kickstarted game that had a lofty goal and succeeded. Not only does the game live up to the 64-bit collectathon nostalgia that so many of us have been craving, but it also revamps the standard formula. Every level feels completely different from the last, and a diverse mission structure keeps the adventure from growing stale. It’s a wholly charming experience that made me smile silly. Hat Kid controls like a dream and is also a ridiculously cute mascot whom I’d like to see more of, along with more adorable hats. Anyone who has fond memories of the 3D platforming genre would do well to check out A Hat in Time.

Darkestville Castle is an admirable take on the point-and-click genre. It provides a unique perspective on the idea of morality in games in the form of a compelling protagonist. Cid immediately impresses thanks to some strong writing and voice acting. However, the game is bogged down by inconsistent storytelling, unintuitive puzzles and pacing issues throughout its runtime, making the merits much more difficult to appreciate. The genre veterans undeterred by Darkestville Castle’s rougher edges will find a charming story about demons and trickery worth experiencing. For everyone else, there are easier and more consistent adventure games deserving your time.

While the finale itself nearly falls apart in the beginning, it does manage to save itself in the end, much like the team it stars. I would love to see Telltale continue with the Guardians, but the series highlights some deeper flaws, like pacing and the ability to make emotional moments matter. These are issues that have reared their heads in other games, but seem to stick out here given the nature of the story and its structure. Overall. Guardians of the Galaxy is a fun, if slightly shallow ride, and I don’t mind having spent the time I did with this team of misfits. Saving the galaxy is one thing, but keeping it safe and staying together at the same time is another.

I really enjoyed Below the Bedrock and can’t wait to see how this season is going to close itself out. Telltale seems to have solved their pacing issue, and with the inclusion of the mystery element in finding Fred’s weapon, have added just enough outside of the general comedy to keep me invested. Will Jesse and crew be able to save Beacontown and defeat The Admin? We’ll find out with the next installment.

The Last Day of June is closer to a work of art than a game. It does more than just entertain. It imprints a lasting impression and a distinctive experience, like one special day you’d share with your loved ones, embolden with a compelling story, blissful music and exceptional art direction, and only slightly marred by the repetitive nature of the gameplay itself. I strongly recommend this title to anyone who’d like to enjoy an exclusive experience that only a work of art can offer.

As it is, PS4 version of Trulon: The Shadow Engine is sadly broken. It’s a crying shame because I really liked the game up to that point. With its spirited attitude, it even evoked vibes of old Final Fantasies, which is always a positive feeling. So, I’m calling out Kyy Games to patch the PS4 version. You owe it the customers who bought your game in a good will. When that happens, I’m happy to return to Trulon: The Shadow Engine and give it a score it would deserve based solely on its gameplay and presentation.

Despite some dubious gameplay design (failed mini-games can’t be replayed without restarting the whole sub-level) and problems with the fixed-camera position sometimes obscuring jumps, Super Lucky’s Tale is a solid platformer. It honors the tried and true genre clichés and for a mid-priced game, it doesn’t even need to present anything entirely new.

In a year packed to the brim with sprawling AAA blockbusters, the nearly claustrophobic hybrid that is Monolith still manages to leave a mark. It’s not revolutionary, but it deftly merges two genres that have largely been left separate. Most of all, it takes a lean but rock-solid framework and bolts just enough onto it to meet its goals. It accomplishes every one of them with ease, and it never attempts to do something it can’t excel at. It’s an example that more games should strive for.

Morphite definitely has its place on the PS4. While its shortage of depth discourages extended play sessions, the game fulfills its desired role as an escape - not just from the real world, but the explosiveness of other games. The things you're able to do are a collective excuse to soak in the experience, and that's precisely why I wanted there to be more of them. Regardless, it does enough to ease whatever tension you might be feeling and replace it with a serene brand of happiness, making it a solid stress-relief title.

The Solus Project kind of feels like No Man’s Sky without starships. The survival aspect is more robust and requires full attention to different health systems. The game could use a bit more polish in places, like better inventory management, more worthwhile exploration and more interesting caves. Overall, The Solus Project is a pretty solid adventure that left me feeling surprised with how it hooks into at certain moments. Although it ended up being one of those games I played to have something to do while catching up on podcasts, I caught myself getting more and more intrigued by the whole affair.

Sandwiched between the big-sellers of the season, Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection might just be the game you have been looking for - without even knowing it. There are so much going for it. The hero and the heroine are simply adorable, the world around them enchanting and the revised screenplay carefully crafted. Not to mention the accessible gameplay which doesn’t harass the players with incomprehensible rules or snobby attitude. You don’t even need to devote your whole life to the game. It takes about 30 hours to complete the adventure, give or take a few hours depending on your willingness to do the optional content (like treasure hunting and battling in G-Coliseum). As it stands, it would require quite a cold heart for not to fall in love with Zwei: The Ilvard Insurrection.

Standing tall above all else is a soundtrack that’s way better than I ever anticipated. It offers a collection of different genres, from light and breezy acoustic guitar tracks to boisterous and catchy as hell big band standards. The game’s boss encounters are a major detractor to the experience and I would have loved the option to skip them. The game would be much better for it, in my opinion. The VR nature of the game is pretty great, offering a control scheme that works perfectly for this style of platformer. By giving the player control over the environment instead of the player character, the amount of freedom you get from manipulating the world with two hands is substantial. Light Tracer wins you over with a sweet smile and cute demeanor but it hides a dark alter ego, one that has no qualms with putting you through a physical and emotional ringer.

Assassin’s Creed Origins is representative of Ubisoft Montreal taking a good, long look at the franchise and mixing things up. By moving the game away from its unique structure and into something within Grand Theft Auto and Horizon’s sphere of influence, it succeeds in upsetting the apple cart. The thing is, though, I found myself missing all the weird quirks that were indicative of an Assassin’s Creed adventure. Don’t get me wrong, I’m happy that I don’t have to wear out my controller’s R2 button anytime I wanted to run or climb (which is, like, 95% of the game). I suppose when you’ve stuck with something for so long, it is going to take some time to adjust. Assassin’s Creed Origins loses out on what made the series oddly charming however, I applaud the studio for trying something different and building an incredibly meaty and gorgeous action adventure title that’ll keep me busy through the rest of the year.

Hidden Dragon Legend’s cover art should appear in any search engine’s results for mixed bag. The combat it offers is challenging and genuinely fun, but the traversal that comes between it is far too often broken and unfair. As you run through Imperial China, you’ll be enchanted by the mood, only to be brought right back out by stiff cutscenes and terribly compressed weapon sounds. Upon reflection, I truly believe that MegaFun Games put real passion into this project, though; even the elements that don't work are laid out in a way where they'd be very enjoyable if they did. It's just a shame that the finished project is so deeply flawed.

Auto Age: Standoff is a tough one to recommend at $20. There's a great game wanting to claw its way out, but there’s hardly any content, and it doesn’t go far enough with its concept to leave any kind of lasting impact. I was ultimately left wanting more. There are upcoming content updates, but without a solid singleplayer mode or a strong playerbase, there's simply not much to enjoy here.

Graphically the game looks gorgeous. It evokes a hand drawn style that is lovely. I wish there was more interaction with the environments though. Usually you cannot interact with it at all, and there is a distinct lack of NPCs for the most part. Figment is one of the easier adventure style games, but I don't think that is a negative. However, if you are a big fan of the genre, or want more of a challenge, this really isn't for you. I am knocking points off for the uninspired combat and the lack of interactivity with the environment and NPCs, but overall it is a fun light adventure.

Danganronpa V3 is not without its flaws. Class trials don’t always pan out and pacing gets in the way at times, but this is still the same Danganronpa fans have grown to love over the years. The wonderful cast of characters and immersive plot coupled with a plethora of endgame options makes this a must-play game for fans and newcomers alike.

The game’s biggest strength is how it observes life through its characters and narrative design. Too bad some promising opportunities are missed. I can’t go into details without spoiling the story but as a long-time fan of Asian horror, I was disappointed by how Tokyo Dark eventually goes to obsessive lengths to explain its mystery. The excessive pile-up of endings only manages to undermine the room for interpretations, which seemed so open in the beginning. Some things should be better left as mysteries. In the end, I was most content with the first ending I got; a non-nonsense and weary recollection. Nonetheless, I found myself returning to the seedy streets of Tokyo, replaying the same events time and again.

With over 30 tracks, hundreds of impressively rendered cars, and a robust and option-rich single player campaign (not to mention endless single, one-off races), Forza 7 has to represent the current apex of the racing sim. While it isn't a decisive leap forward from Forza 6, neither is it a step back. The cars just get better looking, the handling more precise, and the overall experience more comprehensive and immersive. I can't wait to try it on the Xbox One X.

It's unfortunately easy to focus on what's lacking about Empyre, but the game's premise and setting are sufficiently original, and its combat is engaging enough to warrant a look. Perhaps given a larger team and a longer development process, some of the empty spaces could have been filled in. Some voice work, more attention to craft compelling characters, and a more nuanced and branching story in which the player could feel more important, would all help elevate the game to another level. If Empyre: Lords of the Sea was a novel, I'd say it was a promising first draft.