Until such a time, though, Train Sim World: Great Western Express is beautiful and I'm impressed that it runs so well even on mid-range computers. But, just as Train Sim World: CSX Heavy Haul did, it doesn't really live up to the World part of the Train Sim World brand-name. I really hope that Dovetail won't repeat their thousands-of-dollars of DLC model from the Train Simulator 20XX series.

Hob has a lot of style, just not much heart. The game is far more than a walking simulator but its stripped-down approach to combat, loot and character development can leave the player unsatisfied. The visual elements can be striking and beautiful, and the platforming is generally mechanically sound, but Hob's progression feels aimless and ultimately disappointing. Despite the attractiveness of the world, there simply isn't enough story or emotional content to support the game's ten or so hours of play.

Tyranny: Bastard’s Wound is a hard DLC to recommend. The original game had its shortcomings, and its ending was somewhat abrupt. The DLC does nothing to rectify those shortcomings, flesh out the story from the original game, or provide any refreshing new content that is as strong as what was in the original Tyranny. It doesn’t feel like a chunk of content that could have fit into the original game but had to be cut for time or budgetary constraints. Instead, it feels like DLC that has little or no reason to exist. It has little value to you unless you tackle it the way that it was obviously intended – in the middle of the original game instead of near the end. Even if you experience the DLC this way, you will find that it is arguably the weakest content in the game world. The DLC may be worth getting when it is heavily discounted, or perhaps as a package with the original game, but it is not a must have for those looking to enjoy the universe of Tyranny. Everything that is good about that universe, from its fascinating lore to its intricate politics, can be enjoyed in the original game.

Dark Train easily could be a game you’ll either love or hate. Those who appreciate a good hint system, distinct feedback and puzzle pathfinding might feel left in the weeds because of its obfuscating nature. But if you like games that don’t hold your hand or get in the way, prepare to be challenged. You’ll want to keep a pen and paper handy to make notes as the game mixes things up at nearly every turn. Dark Train is a neat, confounding, obtuse, and fascinating puzzle adventure that brings to mind older, niche PC games.

In the end, I’m quite mixed about Beach Buggy Racing. On one hand, there are enjoyable elements that I’d love other mascot racers to implement, such as the career mode’s mission structure and the characters’ unique abilities. On the other hand, the frustrating physics and screen tilting make gameplay less than ideal. In addition, the uninspired tracks, dull presentation, and lack of online play leave a lot to be desired. Nonetheless, Beach Buggy Racing is still a decent game that kids may enjoy. As a cheap alternative to the much more expensive Mario Kart, it offers more than its price suggests.

In my mind, what Reflections is selling on Steam is effectively a beta or demo for a full product. With its extremely limited content and balancing issues, it seems hard to justify buying the game until they’ve had the time to address such concerns. I’d like to see the game get more time in the oven because it’s legitimately cool and the concept is fresh and new. Ubisoft and Reflections didn’t quite put their best first forward with this release. But with time and energy, Atomega has the potential to evolve into an addicting multiplayer experience.

Framed with its narrow form of expression, the isolated cyber thriller story of Code 7 plays out like a radio drama of a chamber play. Convincing and emotionally involved voice acting breaths life beyond words to the unfolding events. It’s quite remarkable how little is needed to create an engaging entertainment; a good old mystery and the necessary gameplay mechanics to convey it. Tech noir sentiments of Code 7 are all very 80’s - rogue AI, hacking, spartan computer systems and dreams of a man colonizing Mars - but I wouldn’t call it a retro game as such. Rather, Code 7 is a new entry in an adventure game sub-genre which has been dormant for the last 25 years. The only thing damping the experience down is the developer’s estimate that it takes some six months for the next episode to arrive. Damn it, I want to solve the mystery of Alex and Code 7 right away!

Although they can be difficult to control effectively, the mounts and the new region in Path of Fire - combined with a decent story, voice acting, and lovely music - are more than reason enough to dip back into Guild Wars 2, which has aged pretty well since its launch over five years ago. With a robust community and strong, ongoing support from the developer, Guild Wars 2 continues to thrive and evolve.

With Peter Jackson-quality production values, combat that remains engaging over dozens of hours, and a meaningful story that stays reasonably related to its beloved source material, Middle Earth: Shadow of War is a rare sequel that improves on just about every aspect of the original. Odious micro-transactions and a pace that might be too focused on constant action aside, Shadow of War will please both the fans of Shadow of Mordor and anyone who enjoys quality action games.

With the exception of Monster Seeking Monster, Jackbox Party Pack IV delivered a great time with good friends. It’s really about all you can ask of a party game, to be entertaining for a group, and Jackbox accomplishes that with a familiar flair.

In its need to please as large demographic as possible, GT Sport is unmistakably deep but oddly sparse compared to its illustrious predecessors. The game feels more like a prologue to the inevitable Gran Turismo 7, hopefully including everything that was left out here. To best summarize the experience that is Gran Turismo Sport is as if Ferrari made a sport model of Ferrari 458. It would be stripped of the passenger seat, electronics and comforts like radio, heated seat and power windows, and the suspension would be harder too. It still would be Ferrari, beautiful to look at and beast to drive, but you’d wish it had more to it.

There really isn't that much to talk about, and I think that's what really makes this game unappealing. There isn't much to do outside of arcade and versus mode, and even the addition of Senko no Ronde DUO included in the game, it's not all too different from the new version for it to really make a difference. It's not that I think Senko no Ronde 2 is a bad game per se, but I definitely don't think the price tag is worth the few minutes of fun you'll have with a friend. It can be a fun game to play, but it's definitely not worth it at the current price point. Even if it were ten or fifteen dollars, I still don't think it brings enough to the table.

Etrian Odyssey V might not have changed much over previous installments, but it has refined the already sophisticated cartography to a T with its clever environmental puzzles and great user interface.

Ultimately, I believe that The Fractured But Whole has a problem with quantity over quality. Ubisoft San Diego crammed the game with lots of things to see and do, most of it comes off as a result of someone repeatedly asking, “Hey, wouldn’t it be funny if we put this in?”

Gundam Versus is a really interesting fighting game, if not a little barebones. There aren’t any overarching features or modes to keep you engaged. There is just an absolute slew of mobile suits, a very competent move set, and opportunities for some really engaging battles. It’s going to come down to how much you like the fighting system and whether you want to really get into the competitive scene. Sadly, the last couple of days, finding matches online has become a lot harder and if that doesn’t improve, you’re not left with much else. Fans of the long-running series might have enough here to keep them, but for average fighting fans, the market is just overcrowded with great alternatives to necessarily warrant a heartier recommendation.

In the end, The Coma: Recut delivers a solid (albeit short) 2D horror experience. However, the game as a whole suffers a bit from being a one-hit wonder in the gameplay. After being chased 7-8 times in a row, the 9th time just doesn't scare you anymore. It changes the gameplay from a run and hide horror to here we go again monotony. The game's short length definitely helps enough that I can say if you enjoy these survival horror games with no fighting, and don't mind the repetitive gameplay, The Coma: Recut may be right up you alley.

Rock of Ages 2 is still a fun and madcap adventure, giving you the ability to desecrate art and history, but the game has a habit of taking a little too long with each match. The humor and character carry it a long way and the battles can still come to very tense nail-biting finishes, but a better balance on the damage and more interesting map designs would do a lot to help give it more legs.

Maize is a premise without a core. It’s corn without the cob. There’s no foundation in the gameplay for its various ideas – both good and bad – to stick to, and it leads to the whole experience feeling hollow. This could be forgiven if Maize was funny, or if the narrative was humorous but heartfelt. Unfortunately, jokes are the only component here, overemphasized over anything else, leaving the rest bare. This is just a comedy script devoid of any subtlety that has been reluctantly stapled onto a game.

Semispheres is a really cool puzzle game that can be played solo, though I imagine it would be even more fun to play with a partner. The blue and gold jellyfish are controlled using both halves of the Switch’s Joycons, making it extraordinarily easy for two people to work together--a noticeable difference, I assume, from the PC and PlayStation versions of the game. Easy to pick up but challenging enough to make you feel a sense of achievement, Semispheres is a great and relaxing way to spend an afternoon.

Eliosi’s Hunt is only $5. At such a cheap price, it’s worth picking up if you’re a hardcore fan of top-down shooters, you’re into speedrunning, or you just want a difficult game to play. But between mediocre shooting, mediocre platforming, and occasionally frustrating level design, there are certainly better options out there.

I’m happy that Naps Team is still around. I played their first game, a beat ‘em up Shadow Fighter on Commodore Amiga 23 years ago. It was a bit homespun but really thrilling and competent fighter. There’s some similar likable roughness to Iron Wings. The game needs some more ironing to its wings to get rid of the bugs and seriously tone down the ridiculous time limits to really take off. Then again, there is no air combat game quite like it around at the moment. For all its bents and bullet holes in the game design, there’s an indelible picturesqueness in the game's visceral action. Iron Wings is like a pulp novel. You know it’s a bit silly but it will entertain you nonetheless.

I got plenty of amusement from Knack 2, especially when I was hopping around and solving puzzles. That's not to say the combat system is bad- it just starts out rather bland and could've been more fleshed out. Strong production values are used in the delivery of a competent story marred by bland characters, but they also benefit the gameplay. And in what's surely a testament to smart design, I was never bored in my 14-hour story playthrough. And that's the best way to describe this package. For 40 bucks, you get many hours of solid, charming fun wrapped in a smartly-made platformer. Far from the archaic dinosaur that its predecessor was, Knack 2 is a worthwhile, modern, and entertaining game.

Family has always been at the crux of Guardian stories, and as Gamora puts it before the episode comes to a close, sometimes family sucks. With one episode left, I am at an absolute loss as to how this adventure is going to come to a close, and how, with who has been lost along the way, any kind of status quo can be reached. I was shocked when we killed Thanos in episode 1, and am still shaken by Episode 4’s conclusion. How do Peter and the rest of the Guardians come back from this? Episode 4, Who Needs You, has done its job. Now all that left is to see if Telltale can finish with a season finale worthy of this fantastic buildup.

Like so many survival/crafting games, from Minecraft to Subnautica, ARK presupposes a player with a lot of time to dedicate to the experience, a high tolerance for repetition, and a fondness for chaos and the unexpected. With its sci-fi inflected single player campaign, ARK at least offers a solo player the chance to get the gist of the game without the threat of anti-social humans ruining whatever progress has been made. For the past two years, ARK has been helping to shape the genre and now that it's finished, it feels like the genre is due for the next stage of evolution.

Some up-close texture issues, occasional framerate hiccups, and a lackluster cadre of voice actors aside, Battlestar Galactica: Deadlock is one of the best -- and certainly, most respectful -- of the Galactica -inspired games. Although no game has really captured the deep philosophical underpinnings and complex human drama that made the series so engaging Deadlock nails the exciting and tactical battles that were such a memorable aspect of the show.

Imagine Soviet Union in the dark 1980’s, home computers being a scarce luxury. Maybe, just maybe, DreamBreak is a pastiche of those old Commodore 64 games that were pirated to behind the iron curtain. Due to a language barrier and lack of manuals, such classic games as Impossible Mission and Project Firestart - another obvious inspirations behind DreamBreak - must have felt exotic but strange and clumsy. DreamBreak mimics those nostalgic sentiments with its awkward gameplay married to a thin narrative. Nah, that would be just a bad excuse. The transient Russo-retro experience isn’t enough to carry the game and the final verdict is that DreamBreak just isn’t very good.

Studio MDHR’s Cuphead is going to be one of those game you’ll either totally love or hate with a fury hotter than the fires of hell. This is a really, really hard game. One of its oddities is the inclusion of a Simple mode for bosses that make the battles significant easier except you cannot advance to the next world unless you've taken out their Regular forms. And because the Simple variants aren’t particularly helpful, there’s no reason they should exist. The platformer minded Run ‘n Gun stages are nice diversions but at their worst, you can tell they were added for wider appeal. As someone who absolutely love what Cuphead is, I learned to take these issues in stride. This is a game that made such a huge splash on arrival and has more personality and charm than anything launched this year.

Death of the Outsider’s existence as a stand-alone game is a curiosity. Though it may appear to be, Death of the Outsider is not a great entry point for new players. The story delivers payoffs on characters that you need to already be attached to and it doesn’t lay much groundwork for you to get attached to them. For fans of the series, it is a great exploration of Billie and Daud’s relationship. It’s also a fun way to let loose and play Dishonored the way “you’re not supposed.” Dishonored: Death of the Outsider is not a must-play, but it is a great addition to series and a satisfying ending to the Kaldwin-era.

Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition is proud of what it is and has every right to be. Though its constant spear-throwing gameplay borders on repetitive, the numerous enemies, entertaining arcade elements, and brutal difficulty deliver a much more fulfilling experience than you’d expect. The exclusive co-op mode adds to the fun even if it doesn’t add any substance for those who’ve already experienced this game on other systems. If you’re the kind of person that loves attempting perfect runs and reflex-based twitch gameplay, then Lichtspeer may satisfy that urge. But as the game outright warns you: Prepare to die. A lot.

Trackless provides a glimpse into a fascinating world. Its intriguing lore and phenomenal soundtrack encouraged me to see the game through from beginning to end. Ultimately, however, its performance issues and rough difficulty spikes hindered it for much of the journey. Poorly optimized, buggy, and unwieldy, Trackless lacks the polish of the strong adventure titles it looks to emulate.

As a whole, Sine Mora EX excellently interweaves the age-old time travel trope into both its complex paradoxical plot and unique time manipulation mechanics. And all seven levels are a spectacle, hosting beautiful environments and impressive gigantic bosses. The ability to slow down bullet barrages, combined with a fair checkpoint system, makes it more approachable than others in the genre. Regardless, most won’t get mileage outside of the main campaign, which ultimately makes this a hard sell for anyone but enthusiasts. And although the Nintendo Switch edition has that trademark portability, it’s tough to justify that higher price compared to other systems’ versions. Nonetheless, it’s an exceptional experience that will offer hardcore shoot ‘em up fans a great time.

Destiny was, out of the gate, kind of a mess that got much better with the Taken King expansion. It was, for a time, incoherent and obtuse but attracted a rabid fan base that appreciated its multiplayer combat and mystical story and worlds. Destiny 2 arrives as a much more polished, tightly focused experience that has far fewer glaring faults and many core strengths. It looks fantastic and the combat is still really fun. Its campaign is far more coherent and probably better executed but lacks passion or characters with whom we can engage. From its lavish advertising campaign to its lavish production values, Destiny 2 has a bloodless, corporate feel that acknowledges the sins of the first game, but maybe goes a little too far in its zeal to correct them.

10tons has truly mastered their unique concept of top-down shooters. The more they make them, the more addictive they get. I’m truly impressed by how simple yet genius the game structure and gameplay mechanics in JYDGE are. Nothing superfluous, just beautifully honed bare-bones concept of fun. Just like in the old times. Re-playability is built into the game as a key factor and the customization options are eventually exhausting. You can pretty much decide how you play the game and even exploit it to some degree by creatively combining certain upgrades. As big Arnie slurred in Terminator 3, the jydgement day is inevitable, so you might just as well jump in there right away.

Batman: The Enemy Within is Telltale at their best, and The Pact simply continues to prove why.

At the end of the day whether you jump in for the grind or not, NBA 2K18 is an amazing game of basketball. I know the microtransactions are going to drive some nuts, but for me personally, I found a ton of enjoyment without ever once thinking about spending money. I believe that the foundation that 2K has laid with the neighborhood could revolutionize not only this franchise but others out there. It’s a compelling way to extend the life of a sports game far past the initial season. If 2K is able to soften the grind without having to pay to win, NBA 2K should have no problem remaining the king of sports games.

It has simply been done too many times before, and the game seems content to be a comfortable -- in both a good and not-so-great way -- and immediately recognizable experience. Easy for me to say. I'm not sure how to make the storming of Normandy or the frigid Russian winters surprising again, especially in an RTS where the human drama takes a back seat to pushing around little units to solve tactical puzzles. For console gamers less affected by ennui, Sudden Strike 4 is approachable and not terribly obtuse and provides something that PC players have come to take for granted: a great looking, fun-to-play, well-made strategy game about one of history's most turbulent and strategically interesting periods.

Sonic Mania is a wonderful celebration of what's made Sonic so great in the past while also striving to push it forward. This isn't to say it's perfect – it has some of the problems of the previous games as well – but it's such a perfect encapsulation of old Sonic games, it's impressive. If you've ever been curious about what makes these old games special, or if you're just interested in revisiting the series you loved as a kid, this is the best way to do it. It's the old and the new wrapped together in a way that makes both shine. I hope this team goes on to do more, and eventually break themselves away from needing to remix old levels and just make their own.

All the additions to the base game, from the new hero, to the ultra creepy Mosquito Vampires, are glorious, and in the end, add a fantastic amount of good content to an already great game. Ten dollars earns you an easy 30+ hours re-exploring the Ancestor’s Homestead, and while I am loathe to make value calls, this one is so easy that not making it feels wrong. If you have not picked this up yet, stop wasting time. The Countess calls…

R.B.I. Baseball 17 is a decent arcade sports game but doesn’t do anything particularly special to sell itself beyond its authentic rosters and MLB license. There is some fun to be had with scoring big plays or home runs, but that should be a given for this type of game. This one is only recommended for the biggest sports fanatics who are craving a baseball experience on Switch and can overlook its glaring drawbacks. While the simplistic gameplay promotes pick-up-and-play matches, the lack of online, faulty fielding, and bland presentation make it feel like a watered-down version of other sports titles. Add in the game-crashing glitches and R.B.I. Baseball 17 strikes out.

I never sat down with The Escapists 2 without smiling. Even during its rough first hours, its personality and a keen sense of humor kept me going. And as you discover its layers of challenge, intrigue, and variety, you'll be hooked. By turning the routine into a steady and engaging flow of progress, and by spicing things up with historical and fantastical locations, The Escapists 2 gets tremendous mileage out of its premise. Then you have the online, which is mildly problematic yet brimming with life and new ways to experience the game. You may be serving time in jail, but The Escapists 2 will ensure that you won't feel guilty about it. Now excuse me, I think I've earned some kind of punishment for that awful wordplay.

Voltron VR Chronicles is a small and sweet love letter to a great cartoon series. It also makes great wish fulfillment—on par with Star Wars Battlefront’s VR Mission—for those whose childhoods were enriched by the series back in the day. If there’s a specific thing to call out against the game, I was a little bummed that there were no interactive bits involving Voltron itself. Then again, as the giant robot’s right leg, what is there to do except kick furiously? With a nice balance between in-engine cinematics and simple, yet solid gameplay, this is one of those VR games I plan to keep on my PlayStation 4 to show others the immersive capabilities of the PSVR and to keep me satiated until the next season of the show debuts on Netflix.

It is too bad that what was good about AereA did not ultimately find a better game in which to reside. It is a bad game, but it is one that does not feel like a soulless cash grab. On the other hand, it is also not a game that stumbles because it is overly ambitious or because it banks on one or two game mechanics that just don’t work. It is a game that sets a low bar for its gameplay and then fails to hurdle it. It is hard to tell what, exactly was the goal of developer Triangle Studios when they developed this game, which is far too simple and repetitive to compete with any action RPG produced in the past 20 years. What is easy to conclude, however, is that AereA is not good, and regardless of your interest level in action RPGs or classical music, you will likely not enjoy it.

Don’t Knock Twice is a short, play-it-once-and-forget kind of game whose purpose is to promote a film that might have flown below a radar or two. I enjoyed the genuinely unnerving moments of psychological terror that I thought brought the game within arms reach of Silent Hill. As a media tie-in, it’s not an especially bad game but the schtick doesn’t last as long as it should. The game does have two different endings but to ask the player to go through the whole game again just to see them is almost too much. If given a more polish and additional content, Don’t Knock Twice could have been a fantastic VR horror experience.

In the end, I feel like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battles is a great game just falling short of a few paces from becoming a masterpiece, which I mean in a positive sense because there are rooms for improvement in this already exceptional tactical/strategy game. Ubisoft went above and beyond to prove that they can make a Mario game that can make Nintendo and its fans proud while opening the door for many possibilities in the future.

Bleed is a game that ends before it should. The silver lining to that statement is that it's an absolute blast while it lasts, with tight, satisfying gameplay and an unforgettable protagonist. And while its levels don't provide enough content, its flexible difficulty and upgrade options will compel even non-completionists to stick around after beating them. You may want to wait for a sale on this one, but do keep your eye out- it's a game you really ought to play.

Knock Knock is driven by a neat idea and an evocative presentation. It’s a shame, then, that its goodwill is hampered by gameplay that feels a little broken. To give it the benefit of the doubt, the issues I ran into seem to be a result of the game not going far enough to give the player a proper explanation outside a few needlessly cryptic notes in between stages. The game is equipped with the right scares but I found it hard to invest in the experience because of frequent, unknown fail states.

In the end, I didn’t feel that Bit Dungeon+ respected my time. Much of the gameplay is tedious, and the dungeons are very simply designed. The repetitive and annoying grungy chiptunes and the lack of story didn’t do anything to motivate me either. The roguelike structure is more stressful than entertaining, mostly because death can await at any turn, including via game-crashing bugs caused by errors in the programming. There are better dungeon crawlers and roguelikes out there, so while this is a cheap option, you get what you pay for.

SteamWorld Dig 2 is a sequel that does more than simply update the original. It creates a larger world structured like a Metroidvania by adding more mazelike corridors and open rooms. On the flip side, the digging segments feel more tedious this time around, especially when compared to the excellently designed challenge caverns and environmental puzzles. Regardless, the constant progression loops and enticing upgrades carry the game along, keeping the adventure interesting. And the prospect of uncovering the secret truths underground remains alluring throughout. If you enjoy games like Metroid, you’ll likely dig this game.

My initial thought towards the renewed interest in Windjammers was little more than a fun, limited time joke. Only after emerging victorious against fake international flying disc enthusiasts and human players did I get why the game received the attention it did. For something made over twenty years ago, it still has legs and the entertainment value to stay in the consciousness of new gamers and those that still play cash games of Warlords to this day. A wonderful relic of the past (seeing the Data East logo pop-up after all these years brought a tear to my eye), Windjammers is an awesome and unique sports game that, having survived semi-obscurity, might have the cache to become a staple of modern competitive gaming.

Fictorum, to me, feels like a game that has a single focus, its destruction mechanic, and everything else was slapped on after that was nailed down. It feels like the kind of game that is acting more as a business pitch to bigger companies, a way for the developers to say look at this cool thing we did instead of hey gamers, check out our awesome game. There is a great mechanic here that is fun to play with, but Fictorum lacks any kind of soul beyond that. It’s worth checking out for a weekend or two, but I can’t recommend much more than that.

Mario Party 7 has a minigame, Tile and Error, in which players must ground pound tiles to claim territory. The fact that Flip Wars can so easily be compared to a 30-second minigame from over a decade ago should say a lot about what you’re getting yourself into if you purchase this. Some of the hip dropping, tile-flipping mechanics are genuinely interesting, but Flip Wars is essentially a $10 minigame and a rather average one at that.

Clocking in at just over an hour and a half, Episode 3 has been the shortest on time, and yet still managed to bring the heat with some great scenes and set pieces. With as much as they have riding on their shoulders, the fact that Minecraft: Story Mode hasn’t turned into a heavy, Walking Dead-esque slog is a testament that you can still work through some deep subjects without needing to crush your audience beneath the heavy stone weight of dystopian reality. Minecraft and Telltale both continue to surprise me with this series, and I can’t wait to see how Jesse and Company deal with The Admin… eventually.

Repetitiveness can sink in the long periods of playing and if anything - besides obvious skills - Sundered demands time. Difficulty spikes can be punishing as the more you play in a one go, the enemies will mount in ever-increasing numbers and toughness. But again, what does kill you, makes you only better. Sundered is a hardcore game, not some casual fun which can be completed in a matter of few hours. The game rewards the time spent on it, and the more you put into it, the more awesome it gets. Just like Eshe, who in the beginning is a mere shadow of the lean, mean killing machine she’s to become. To me, she is the Starkiller that never was and the caverns are her proving grounds.

There are more than enough indie games that involve survival and crafting. That Wrongworld can enter into this crowded genre and still provide an experience that is unique enough to be worth playing says a great deal. Despite containing many of the conventional trappings of a survival game and some significant flaws, it still feels fresh for at least a dozen or two hours. It isn't the most ambitious indie title on the market, but it is a tightly focused experience that is intelligently targeted to a specific audience. If you have reached the end of this review, then there is a strong chance that you lie within that audience. If so, then Wrongworld is a fairly easy game to recommend to you.

Boost Beast is an underwhelming take on the established match three formula. The few attempts Arzest make to set it apart backfire, making much of the game dependent on luck. You either lack the correct colors to defeat the zombies or you score ridiculously big boosts with very little effort, making even victory unsatisfying. Unless you absolutely must have your match three fix on the Switch, there are better puzzle games out there.

I honestly believe a video game where you play as the eagle that eats Prometheus’ liver would be more exciting than Theseus. Everything about Forge Reply’s game is superficial. It’s pretty to look at, but the gameplay is terribly hollow and lacks variety. Adding to that, it fails to do anything meaningful with VR, using it only to create tension through a series of fixed camera angles whose transition are jarring and disorienting. It pains me to say that this is one game that should have been sacrificed to Hades.

The first episode debut of Before The Storm will make returning Life Is Strange players feel like they never left Arcadia Bay. The characters might be younger but all the familiar locations, tone, and controls are pretty familiar (except the camera controls of which I am not a fan because it’s too fluid for its own good). As a first episode, Awake performs its task of setting things up for the adventure ahead, one that I really curious to see its direction. The original game used time travel to create a story with all sorts of unpredictable twists, turns, and emotional trauma. It would have been nice if Deck Nine didn’t religiously follow DONTNOD’s design but all the same, I want to see what Chloe Price got up to during a moment in time she needed a best friend the most.

While the moody synth pop driving the action forward is exceptionally good, the graphics and the narrative design are modest to say the least. Still, they’re sufficient enough for what Time Recoil sets out to do. As most Finnish indie games do, Time Recoil finds a comfort zone in a playful side of things, toying with an idea and then making it a plausible game mechanic. Here it’s time that matters, making some levels play out more like puzzles. I was most glad to discover how tactical the game was, which in my books is more fun than mindless mayhem. As challenging as Time Recoil is, it’s a bit on a short side. It takes only about five hours to complete the story chapters but as mentioned, the time attack mode adds replayability. With all its quirks and polished gameplay, Time Recoil is a nifty little game to kill time with – or in this case to kill with time!

Maybe it doesn't have gore-drenched animated encounters between knights or copulating pawns, but Chess Ultra VR manages to check off just about every fundamental requirement, at least to some degree. Overall, though, it seems a bit bare-bones, with VR being its niche feature. It isn't necessarily a great tool for learning the subtleties of chess, but in most ways, Chess Ultra VR rises above baseline competence to something much better. And owners of virtual reality headsets can dust them off and enjoy a game that never loses its challenge.

Ultimately, Marooners doesn't have any staying power and almost no depth. But it's fun in the short term. This is a good game to whip out at a party or with a group of good friends once a year, but that's about it. If that's what you are looking for, then this game is right up there for you.

Ultimately, Killing Floor: Incursion is an atmosphere-and-action-heavy game, so most of its flaws will be subsumed by the moment-to-moment need to survive the next wave of enemies or to solve the puzzle that opens the next area. Relative to the short, demo-like products that continue to populate the Oculus store, Killing Floor: Incursion feels substantial. If this genre is your jam, and you have the Touch controllers, you won't be disappointed.

You could kindly call Albion Online old-school or hardcore, which might appeal to gamers with a nostalgia for the days of corpse runs, griefing, and ganking. Less graciously, you could say it is repetitive, cynical, uninspired, and opaque. In truth, MMORPGs that survive their infancy often grow into very different games than they were at launch. Patches and player input often have a way of shaping a game for the better, and given time, Albion Online may evolve as well.

Phantom Trigger is decent at being the top-down hack-and-slash game that the developers at Bread Team set out to create. The compelling story, stunningly pixelated neon world, and challenge are its strengths. If it weren’t bogged down by dull dungeon design, a limited move-set, and tedious gameplay, this action title could have stood out. As it is, Phantom Trigger is recommended only to those willing to look past its repetitive nature to experience this hardcore neon slasher.

Tiny Trax is a lot more fun than I expected it to be. With only three championship races and an all star cup race (which pulls two tracks from each course), it’s a little light on content. That didn’t bother me too much, though, because of how fun the content is to play. Ongoing support via new courses would be a treat, but what I really want to see added is a track editor. There are a lot of talented and patience content creators out there in video game land, and I bet they could produce some stellar race tracks using in-game assets. Tiny Trax is a celebration of slot car racing, and with its great track design and worthy adversaries, I didn’t realize how much fun I was having until I stopped.

I always thought Final Fantasy XII is way ahead of its time when it was first released. Playing the remaster version has cemented that thought. The game still feels fresh and modern even after a decade. Everything I had ever expected from a modern day JRPG is still present in Final Fantasy XII - the open-ended exploration, well-designed interconnected areas, sprawling cities with various NPCs which change as the story progresses on, and seemingly endless side-quests and optional enemies, dungeons and hidden treasures. Final Fantasy XII is nothing short of a timeless masterpiece that I cannot recommend enough.

Graceful Explosion Machine is a twitch-based shooter that is one part mentally stimulating and another part emotionally exhilarating. It’s not for everyone, though. You have to play through levels over and over again, trying to achieve combos and the best grades, to get the most out of this title. If you don’t dabble in score attack games, then you won’t enjoy the repetitive looping levels filled with the same enemies. A lack of bosses and endless mode leave something to be desired as well. But if you appreciate the fine art of racking up high scores, then this shoot ‘em up is a true gem.

StarCraft is a masterpiece, a landmark game that remains as entertaining as it was in 1998. The question is whether Remastered's cosmetic upgrades are worth the $14.99, as the unvarnished original and Brood War expansion are already free from Blizzard. There are fans that would like to see the original game entirely remade with StarCraft 2-quality units, effects, and graphics but until that unlikely event happens, StarCraft Remastered will have to do.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Masquerada: Songs and Shadows. Granted, it doesn't have the deepest combat system out there, and its isometric graphics aren't what anyone would call top-notch (although both those things are solid for an indie title). But what it does have is a lot of HEART. The story is intriguing and well told and the audio is just fantastic. If you're looking for a song to get lost in, Maquerada may be just what you're looking for.

This all may come across as overly harsh and a tad vindictive, but I really wanted to love this game. There's so many juicy elements in Valkyria Revolution that could have been molded into a truly wonderful experience, but all those pieces just never seemed to properly assemble. I appreciate that the designers tried something new with the combat, but trying to blend strategy RPG elements with a hack 'n' slash just didn't work in this case. If you're curious about the Valkyria franchise, my advice would be to pick up the HD remaster of the original Valkyria Chronicles. I can't speak for the two follow-up games released on the Vita, but I can say, with certainty, that Valkyria Revolution is not worth your time or money.

CastleStorm is a fun game to play either online or against AI and that experience alone is worth the price. However, it shouldn't be blindly purchased just because it has "VR" added to the title.

Sine Mora EX doesn’t do much to differentiate between its older version. Apart from an added local couch co-op mode, new time attack variants, difficult challenge modes, and a boost in visuals, you’d be hard pressed to find anything out of the ordinary. I enjoyed the game more after playing it on a larger television screen because the game’s beauty and detail are done justice on a 55” screen as opposed to the smaller OLED on the Vita. Even if shmups are not your thing, passing on Sine Mora EX for that reason means missing out on a great, story driven side scrolling shooter that has style, maturity, and unexpected plot twists.

F1 2017 is a game that’s built for F1 fans. It does a really admirable job of bringing people like me along for the ride, but I think it rewards fans over and over again with an amazing F1 experience. Even though I’m not the biggest F1 fan I fell in love with F1 2017 and see it as a game that I’ll keep coming back to long after this review is published.

There’s something awfully disarming about Nihon Falcom’s straightforward and honest approach to the action RPG genre. All the trademarks of their user-friendliness are evident in Ys SEVEN too, like saving everywhere you want, an auto-map overlay and a fast travel introduced during the course of the adventure. But above all, Ys SEVEN hooks in with its simple and blistering fast gameplay, ensuring it’s always fun to do the necessary grinding to keep up with the numerous boss fights. I enjoyed every minute - and there were lots of those minutes - with Adol and his friends.

Resident Evil Revelations on the Xbox One is a solid port of a five-year-old survival horror adventure that’s perfect for those jumping into the franchise for the first time (or those who are looking to triple dip).

Simple, yet fun. It has a few kinks, but it generally holds up really well as a goofy, yet intense multiplayer game that you’ll definitely want to play with friends. I wouldn’t recommend playing the game by yourself, so definitely pick it up with a friend for a truly fun experience. I would also consider playing the game in short bursts since I personally found myself tiring of doing the same thing for so long. All in all, the new additions to the game are welcome, but they definitely need a bit of tweaking. While nothing in the game is inherently wrong, some additions feel like a bit of a departure from what is otherwise an excellent game. I like to see bigger and better things from a sequel, but sometimes all a simple game needs is stability and consistency in order to remain at the top. Nidhogg 2 loses some of its simplicity in translation, but it’s still quite an enjoyable time.

If there's fault to be found in West of Loathing it can be in the RPG elements and mission structure -- which are fairly perfunctory -- and maybe a whiff of the belief that when it comes to comedy, quantity beats quality. That's ok. We probably need more games that don't rely on videocards being pushed to their limits or over-emoting mo-capped heroes, games that can tell a story or sell a joke with a straight line, a circle and some dots.

In the end, Archangel makes a good first impression, but the fact of the matter is this is a game you’d play at a Dave & Buster’s. The on-rail nature of gameplay makes it better suited to an experience rather than a video game. There’s no reason to play through it a second time, either. Nothing about the two to three-hour story, the characters, or the gameplay made me say, “Gosh, I really want to play this again!” As much as I wanted Archangel to be a first-person Zone of the Enders, I do have to be realistic. That sort of experience isn’t possible on the platform yet. Maybe if it came with a Steel Battalion-like control system, it’d be a lot more fun and interactive. But considering the limits of the Move controllers, what I want the game to be isn’t possible right now. And that’s a shame because Archangel has some promise, and I wish I could engage with it more than I am allowed to. A decent way to kill an afternoon, though you might want to wait for the price to drop below $40.

Smashbox Arena proves that not all game genres can weather the transition from a console game to immersive virtual reality. This is something you could easily play without the headset, though it wouldn't do the game any significant favors. With or without VR, it doesn’t change the central concern that this game just isn’t fun to play. The shooting part is pretty okay and almost fun for the first few rounds. What kills the game is the lack of meaningful challenges by way of playing against other humans. There is a single player campaign but it's not enough to justify the time you'd put into it. I could never find people to play with and the resulting skirmishes with AI bots made the whole thing regretfully unenjoyable.

At the end of the day, Infinite Minigolf is one of those games you’d play once or twice before putting it aside, occasionally bringing it out when friends and family come over. Passing the controller around for each hole would be a lot more fun that blitzing through the courses by yourself. The included level editor will surely attract the kind of person that loves to spend hours crafting elaborate stages in games like LittleBigPlanet and ModNation Racers. With the limited content provided by Zen Studios, I do feel as if they are relying on the community to keep the game alive. It’d be nice to see Zen support it with additional content. As the only minigolf game available for the PlayStation 4, Infinite Minigolf isn't perfect, but it manages to get the job done.

Super Rocket Shootout wants to be a good game, and it certainly has its moments. However, it’s held back by so many problems that kept me from fully enjoying it. Even for $10, it’s hard to recommend this game when you can spend a couple more dollars on Duck Game and have a similar experience with the addition of online multiplayer. Only get this game if you have friends to play local multiplayer with.

It’s frustrating how close to a masterpiece Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice is. It has the looks, the atmosphere, the swordplay and the heart. If only it had more focus on the storytelling and gameplay. First, it’s the burdensome narrative that almost drowns all the sensibility stored in Senua’s tale. It takes far too long to actually care for her. When the narrative finally starts to ease off towards the end of the game, it’s the repetitive gameplay that gets in the way. The game drags on for its own good, making it too often boring and laborious. All the same, Senua’s trembling journey is a one that needs to be seen to the close to get its true meaning. I realize I might have sounded quite harsh in my critique but my heart told me to rate the game better. After all, Senua's cry for help made me shed tears.

While Gigantic builds on a foundation that has already been set, the architects at Motiga have a blueprint with real potential. The Clash and Guardian system is distinctive and gives a great sense of scale, while the list of heroes is colorful, yet not over-designed. This isn’t just another MOBA; it’s a unique experience that takes the minimum requirements to qualify for the genre and goes off on its own tangent – and I couldn’t be happier for it.

When I wrapped up the 7-8 hours of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy I was sort of blown away with how polished and enjoyable the experience was. At times, Uncharted 4 felt a little combat heavy for me, but The Lost Legacy feels like it does a better job of balancing traversal, combat, and puzzles. Although there were two chapters that comprised the open-world segment of The Lost Legacy that didn’t do it for me, the rest of the experience is so polished and so enjoyable that it more than made up for it. Not to mention that Nadine and Chloe are fantastic characters that make for a truly memorable Uncharted experience. Uncharted 1-4 may have been all about Nathan Drake, but this game proves without a doubt that Uncharted can live on without him.

More Than a Feeling was an overall better episode than Under Pressure. It feels like a second half, with episode 2 having gotten all the exposition out of the way, finding and using the Eternity Forge gave Episode 3 all the oomph it needed. With 2 episodes left, I remain invested in seeing what’s in store for the Guardians and what happens to bring the Galaxy back to status quo.

Sadly, the same repetitiveness affects the enemy types as well. Legion has only one set of soldiers, and due to a miscommunication during Kingpin’s intro mission, I killed at least one of each less than two hours into the game. 20 hours later, my time with Agents of Mayhem was fine. I enjoyed the mix of agents, especially their personal missions, but felt beaten down by the repetitive missions. The boss encounters were enjoyable, but the slog through the hordes of minions to get there was not. Were it not for the overwhelming need to finish, I probably could have written this review 10 hours in and never looked back. Agents of Mayhem is fine. It is. But that’s all it is.

Pixel Heroes: Byte & Magic uses its happy-go-lucky attitude to its advantage. It’s a great game for players who are looking for a very light RPG experience, or players who don’t have the time to pour into a more absorbing game. Sadly, there is not much to fall back on under the surface mechanics, but Pixel Heroes: Byte and Magic can stand up on its own as a quick, fun, and lighthearted game.

In the end, Yonder is undeniably a fantastic game to sit back and chill with. If you're looking forward to some exploration, collection, and light building and farming elements, then Yonder is definitely right up your alley. However! There should be a heavy emphasis on "light" in the sentence up above! This is not the next Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley. No, this is a game with few puzzles, no combat, and filled to the brim with fetch quests and item collection. Yonder isn't without its charms, to be sure. But deep and engaging game play (and story) definitely isn't one of them.

While Splatoon 2 is not a drastic change from the original formula that was available on the Wii U, there are certainly enough additions and alterations that separate it from its predecessor. Some of the maps have been recycled, and one can’t help but wonder if this decision was made to expedite the development of the game. For a system that is currently starved for new, triple-A titles the way that the Nintendo Switch is, it seems plausible that a few corners needed to cut to get the game out the door. Regardless, Nintendo made good on their promise to support the first title in this series, and one can only assume that they will give this title the same amount of love and care. If you own a Switch, this game deserves a spot in your library.

For me, Madden NFL 18 is the first misstep for the series of this generation. The Longshot mode is technically well produced but its story is far from compelling. The rest of Madden NFL 18 feels like very small steps forward for a franchise that could use some big leaps.

Echoes of the Fey: The Fox’s Trail was an enjoyable surprise. I wasn’t expecting the sheer amount of ending variations and deep themes that unfolded within this three-hour mystery. I appreciated that despite this being the first episode, it was a complete tale. Woodsy Studios has proven the worth of the intriguing fantasy world of Oraz, and hopefully, they can continue to improve in developing the second part of this magical tale.

In a gaming landscape where every game has bountiful side quests and unending DLC, it’s nice to play a game that knows what it is and sticks to that formula from beginning to end. While Nex Machina won’t be for everyone, it’s a game that absolutely excels at being what it set out to be: a challenging, beautiful arcade shooter that will constantly ask if you want to continue.

Layton’s Mystery Journey may have a new protagonist and mobile interface, but it keeps the series’ trademark style alive. The episodic cases are hardly compelling, but the puzzles reign supreme, even if some of them are awkwardly worded. Fans will feel right at home with this fully-featured installment. If you haven’t yet experienced a Layton game, however, I would sooner recommend any of the six original Professor Layton entries or even the Phoenix Wright crossover. I want to see more of the delightful Katrielle but I hope her next game either gives us something new or at least gives us more compelling cases in the future.

>observer_ is one of the most immersive games I have had a privilege to play in recent memory. It grabs you by the collar and pulls deep into its twisted cyber mystery. The game progresses with the beat of any good thriller and won’t let you have a dull moment, even with a lack of action as observers come unarmed. It took about 10 hours to solve the case (or did it solve me?), but I would gladly have spent twice the time in the bleak and oppressive neo Krakow. The game is worth jacking back into, though, as it has alternate paths to take and endings to see. >observer_ is like a direct-to-video B movie that never was that you can now play yourself. And it stars Rutger Hauer. Did I tell how awesome that is?

Episode 2 proved excellent all the way around. I really appreciated the points they chose to hit, the themes of friendship and change, as well as the fantastic trip the Admin takes the group on. I never thought that these kinds of stories would be possible with Minecraft as the background, but it just proves to show that a good story can take place anywhere. Even an exploding Heckmouth.

In the end, the whole game really does rely on a single type of puzzle game play, which makes it feel rather cheap - almost like the entire game was programmed by a single person for a college programming project or something (complete with SoundCloud.com links showing up for the music's credit section). Thankfully, the developers agreed. At a $2.99 price point, the dedicated puzzle-lovers out there may want to think about picking this title up, as it is guaranteed to get your brain working at later levels. While this review is for the PS4 version (Energy Cycle is also out on Steam and Xbox One), I can't help but think this type of simplistic puzzle game is better served on mobile devices. It almost seems like wasted potential, honestly. Weird, right? Regardless, outside of die-hard puzzle lovers though, Energy Cycle is just too repetitive to really recommend to anyone.

Cursed Castilla EX embraces in the arcade games that inspired it, simultaneously differentiating itself as a modern, more forgiving take on the old-school quarter-munchers. The only major drawback is how getting the true ending forces you to locate obscurely hidden items, often giving you only one chance to obtain each one. Otherwise, it’s a short platformer that delivers solid level design and delightfully entertaining projectile-throwing gameplay.

While I would have loved to see more new features and additional games like the oft-forgotten spinoff Mega Man and Bass, a package of four solid action platformers is enough to make Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 desirable to both fans and newcomers.

Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour is a seriously fun game bogged down by a couple of serious problems. If you’re a big Serious Sam fan, have online friends to play with, or you’re just looking for a challenging twin stick shooter, then this game is worth its $15 price tag. Just be aware that the multiplayer is pretty much dead, some of the game design needs a bit of polish, and there’s not much content outside of workshop maps.