A wonderfully different dive into the Caped Crusader’s past culminates in a worthy chapter that further defines his future, and small problems aside, I could not be happier with the way it all went down.

Final Fantasy XV takes a lot of chances, with combat, story, characters, and its open world setting. More often than not it manages to hit that sweet spot nexus of innovation and familiarity: the game world is immense but not overwhelming, the combat is chaotic but manageable and exciting, and the story and characters equally endearing and unfathomable. Assuming that Final Fantasy XV is a template for future installments and not simply a one-off, ten-years-in-the-making experiment, the game may cry out for refinement but hints at an exciting direction as well. It definitely breathes new life into a franchise that was on the verge of irrelevance for many gamers.

I have nothing against scantily-clad bodylicious anime babes and in this time and era when the western games are stripped down of all sexual innuendo it's refreshing to see something so lewd and uninhibited. But as it is Senran Kagura: Bon Appétit is nothing more than a glorified peep show. To be fair it is the game's ultimate purpose in itself and everything else is just glazing but I wouldn't have minded more seasonings in its recipe. Onechanbara and Dead or Alive series do it all better as they offer more game in their fan service.

Pirate Pop Plus is really just a victim of changing expectations in the market – if it had come out on the original Game Boy, say, it would be an easy rec. Fun, high score challenge, and look at how much to unlock, just incredible! But now it just feels very shallow, and the $5 asking price starts to feel weirdly steep for a game that would feel so much more at home on a phone, the last bastion for these kinds of "boot em up quick at the doctors office!" types of games. If it comes out there and has an awesome high score tracking feature or something, it's easy to recommend, but now if you just want to grab something fun and don't mind spending the $5, you could do worse.

Small Radios Big Televisions is an interesting project and those keen on trying it out should either wait for the game to go on sale or watch a Let’s Play on YouTube. With no real challenges to test your mettle and a game length of just under two hours, it doesn’t come with much staying power. It might be more fun as a VR game, given the premise and the places the cassette tapes reveal. Either way, there is little more to the game outside of it being a “Hey, check this out” experience.

Its varied just enough to make the entire experience quite refreshing. And really that’s what Watch Dogs 2 comes down to. It’s a refreshing and easy going world to be in. Even when the narrative tries to up the stakes you can go on hacking the world and making it do whatever it is you want to do. The game is opened up just enough to allow for the insane to happen and when it does Watch Dogs 2 really shines. It’s not a momentous step forward for the franchise but anyone sitting on the sideline worried that Ubisoft slept on the criticism of the first, fret not, Watch Dogs 2 is a better game in every way from its predecessor.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare does little to really push the series forward in a meaningful way, beyond the addition of space combat. Although well written and acted, its story is still too binary and lacks the subtlety of real-life geopolitical conflict. Amazing, its short campaign can feel too long in places, and its stop-and-start pace suffers in comparison to its shooter peers. Multiplayer and Zombie modes fare better, and for many players, that will be good enough.

With dragons to fight, weapons to craft, a home to make, and children to adopt, Skyrim: Special Edition represents the better gaming experiences I’ve had from Bethesda. Their fantasy games are more visually and narratively interesting to me instead of the the cynicism and nihilism that lives in the Fallout series. And because of its wintery locale, Skyrim is a really cozy game to play on a cold, rainy day. Unless you’re still playing it, picking up Skyrim: Special Edition is a good enough excuse to enjoy the video game equivalent of comfort food.

There’s just a ton of content packed into FIFA 17 including an updated Ultimate Team that makes this an extremely compelling package. I’ve sunk nearly thirty hours into FIFA 17 already and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. The new engine increases the spectacle of the sport while still keeping true to the franchise. This is a great looking game and easily one of the best sports games of the year.

Other than the Cities franchise, the building-sim genre has been a little under represented as of late, and the amusement park-sim world hasn't seen anything this exciting since the early, glory days of Rollercoaster Tycoon. Planet Coaster represents a return to form and sets the bar very high for sim designers in general. Fun, flexible, deep, endlessly entertaining -- and at a bargain price -- Planet Coaster might not be for every gamer, but for fans of the genre it can't be beat.

Anyone who played and enjoyed Dishonored will recognize that its sequel meets or exceeds what players enjoyed about the first game. Excellent level design and a convincing world are coupled with a rich suite of weapons and abilities, guaranteeing that every enemy encounter is an opportunity for creative mayhem (or cleverly avoiding it). An underwhelming story, rote voice acting, and aging graphics aren't enough to do more than tarnish what is at core a fantastic and fun experience.

Two Tribes were always known for their tight gameplay and responsive controls and in those areas the game succeeds in flying colors. But the new things they invested in for their final game such as voice acting and an actual plot just feels average in comparison. The game is 15$ on PSN, so if you want a 5-6 hours long game that will push you to your absolute limits in terms of sheer skill, then RIVE is definitely worth checking out.

Several technical issues aren’t game-breaking but they hurt the flow. As it its, some parts of the game take more perseverance than they should. All the problems bugging Ginger: Beyond the Crystal could be fixed with some serious patching. I really hope the developers rise up to the challenge as there’s clearly a fun and chirpy game bubbling under, something a whole family can enjoy together.

Azure Striker Gunvolt is a fresh take on action platforming. The developers utilize Gunvolt’s signature electric Flashfield effectively throughout as both a unique form of attack and a means to engaging with the stage. Its emphasis on playing fast will attract speed runners, and an in-depth scoring system provides a thrilling arcade-like experience. The game doesn’t last long nor will it leave long-lasting impressions, but Azure Striker Gunvolt’s mold-breaking gameplay will please fans of the genre.

One weird bug aside, this was a tremendous episode. Telltale’s creative use of Batlore was on full display with their low key use of his most famous villain, and they created an episode that managed to stand on its own while also leaving a jumping off point for the season finale. Guardian of Gotham delivers on all fronts.

Perhaps the main reason why Slain: Back from Hell is both a successful tribute to the old school gaming and a damn good game in its own right is the track record of its developers. They really did some of those Amiga games I grew up with back in the day. A heartfelt thanks to the graphics artist and the man behind the concept, Andrew Gilmour, and his co-developers for taking me back to my teen years. A time machine isn’t invented yet but Slain: Back from Hell is surely the next best thing. Those pampered modern gamers might think otherwise as the game takes a good chunk of old school masochism to go with it.

Event[0] is a short, flawed, fun and memorable experience.

Jackbox Party Pack 3 is a mixed bag of interesting party games and subpar experiences. At the very least, the pack looks and sounds good, with appropriate aesthetics matching each game’s tone. Each game’s announcer is consistently humorous, making light of each situation and reminding you to have fun. If at least a few of these diverse party games sound entertaining, then give this package a try. Otherwise, stick to some of Jackbox Games’ older offerings.

Xanadu Next would have been just a relic from the past if it wasn’t such a blast to play. If you can overlook somewhat dated graphics, the lack of voice-acting and the quiet demeanor of the silent protagonist, there’s a gripping and enjoyable action role-playing game awaiting in Xanadu Next. Easy to grasp nature of the gameplay mechanics and effortless controls tell about respecting the player but the game doesn’t underestimate its adventurers either. It’s easy to get into Xanadu Next but hard to leave its dungeons and secrets until they’re fully revealed.

Though a sluggish leveling system prevents a consistent sense of progression, the stirring single-player campaign, and endlessly enjoyable multiplayer modes cement Battlefield 1 as a new staple in the first-person shooter genre, and prove that WW1 is just as captivating of a time period to explore than any imagining of modern or future eras.

If Dead Synchronicity sounds intriguing (it did to me when I first heard about it), playing the game should be done at your own risk. This game has no ending. The conclusion is thoroughly unsatisfying and because I have no idea what the future looks like for this game on the platform, I’m at a loss to offer much in the way of a recommendation

Even if you never touch the multiplayer side of Titanfall 2, the game is worth the price of admission for its creative and continually engaging single player experience. Challenging, puzzling, surprising, funny, and above all, satisfying, the campaign elevates Titanfall 2 to one of the best shooters of the year. Pair that stellar accomplishment with an equally full-featured competitive suite, and the result is the definition of “must buy.”

Although it does a great job of nudging the player along the way, Civilization VI is complex, deep, and endlessly replayable. Like every entry in the series, Civ VI will no doubt be followed by a number of rebalancing tweaks, small changes, and expansion packs but fresh out of the digital box, Civilization VI is simultaneously familiar, fresh and remarkably fun.

I can definitely applaud CE2 for not just resting on its laurels and just releasing more CEDX but with more maps and skins or something, but what they actually did with the gameplay managed to take a lot of the thrill out of it. Despite the fact that it seems to run a lot faster, there were too many times while playing this game that I just got bored in the middle of a run. “This still going, huh?” I thought to myself. For all its bells and whistles, bumping music, and sleek framerate, Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 just doesn’t keep the thrill alive.

The game takes the approach of building a relatively small but highly detailed, rigorously simulated world. It prospers with this approach, instead of building a large world and filling it with copy-and-pasted material. Unfortunately, it bogs down often, either due to its poor interface or its puzzles that force you to spend way too much time trying to figure out what the developers where thinking when they designed them. In the end though, the positives outweigh the negatives, making Wuppo a game that is worth playing for the opportunity to explore its beautiful and immersive world.

Dragon Quest Builders is definitely a great stride of creativity in the gaming world. Going in, I didn’t expect anything more than the ability to build things and killing a bunch of slimes. What I got was something far greater, and far better than anything I could have imagined. You have the ability to completely change everything around you, and you can truly feel the importance of your role; even the aesthetics and sounds are great enough to evoke that kind of emotion. It gives you an awesome sense of accomplishment, surrounds you with some of the most interesting concepts that this genre has ever seen, and makes you feel like you’re worth something in this world. This is what it means to be a Builder.

Ashes of Ariandel offers a whole new bestiary of challenging creatures to murder, a beautiful, if haunting, world to explore, and a new story to figure out. Although the zone is built using a lot of familiar pieces, it evokes a rich sense of place. That’s the benefit of being separated from the rest of the game’s playable zones.

While I did like The Bunker, it definitely feels like it suffers from the same things that old FMV games like this always have, feeling like the only difference that’s occurred in the 20+ years since the first FMV adventure game was released is fidelity. With a stronger script, the game would be an easy recommendation, but as it is it’s mostly coasting on novelty, with just enough hooks to get you going through to the end.

Mafia III has me torn. On one hand, it presents a crucial and engaging narrative full of astute social and political commentary and emotionally anchored characters, but on the other hand, it falls short in nearly every other aspect that is synonymous with successful open-world games. Overall, my experience with Mafia III was not a bad one, and the story was strong enough to keep me engaged until the credits rolled. It’s just unfortunate that the artistry and vision that went into the narrative did not carry over to the rest of the experience.

I fell in love with my little blue poor janitor in her small alien world. I don’t know if the game started its life as something of a jest against usual gaming trends but it has turned into a poignant metaphor of today’s world, like how it feels to be struggling, different or alien to your surroundings. I must warn you though, this game is not for everyone and certainly not for those who only seek their thrills from the latest big-budget extravaganza. Or is it? Maybe a modest but honest game like Diaries of a Spaceport Janitor can help to see these strange new worlds beyond AAA-games.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is a love letter to the series’ biggest fans. Newcomers might not understand what’s happening, but fans will appreciate the high-octane supernatural martial arts. The attention to detail is astounding, from the lovingly made hub world to the cutscenes that recreate classic scenes from the anime. The story takes about 15-20 hours, but building up your custom character and completing quests easily quadruples that number.

No Man’s Sky is a missed opportunity to do something truly epic, and while the final game, when measured moment by moment, showed glimpses of something more than merely ordinary, the final result, was far less than. Promises aside, there’s just not enough to this universe to make it worth exploring.

Killing Room certainly has some interesting surprises up its sleeve when it comes to gameplay innovation, the enemies are creative and the item descriptions are usually funny yet the rest of the game just feels average in comparison and does little to nothing else to stand out from the crowd.

I tried my best to like Toy Odyssey more than I did as there’s much to love about it. The idea and the execution are mostly fine but unfortunately some game design decisions made playing the game more laborious than entertaining. Toy Odyssey deserves to be more fun and exciting. Dull routines should be for parents, not for brave toy soldiers!

I have never played a farm simulator video game and based on my experience with this game, I don’t want to ever again (despite how interesting the new Farming Simulator looks). A simulator like this doesn’t have to be sexy, but Professional Farmer 2017 has all the energy of a pig waddling in the mud.

Considering its mid-tier price point, Shadow Warrior 2 is a pretty astounding value, with a lengthy, breathless, and goofy campaign — also playable in coop — that provides an incredible amount of fun for less money than some of its full-priced shooter brethren.

Overall, Episode 3 feels like a middle episode. The story had some wonderful beats, with a beautiful middle section that blends Batman and Bruce’s problems together nicely, but it ends with a hard cut that practically begs for the next episode to start rather than providing a break in the action.

It is so blatantly similar to Nintendo’s Zelda series in every possible way, I’m surprised the game didn’t catch much flak. Those without any personal connection to Zelda adventures will enjoy a solidly built adventure that just so happens to have an amazing soundtrack from maestros of the industry. This is the sort of game that’s perfect for people who, for one reason or another, completely missed the Zelda train and are looking for a chance to see what the fuss is about.

The game shines most through its aesthetics with impressive environments and an atmospheric score. Its lack of agency and action may bore players, especially if the confusing story doesn’t reach them.

As fun as it was, playing through Rogue Wizards left me with an ever-expanding wish list: I wished the characters (who are unvoiced and under-written) were more distinctive and that combat and environments were more varied. I wished player characters would visually change throughout the game and the darn tiles would stop dropping in. But, I also know that the small team at Spellbind Studios also got a lot right, and that Rogue Wizards is still full of depth, charm and promise.

It’s repetitive, unrewarding, and confused.

I’ve played a lot of the launch lineup for Playstation VR but nothing has come close to the amount of fun that I’ve had with Keep Talking and Nobody Explodes. It’s one of the few VR experiences that can be even more fun for people without the headset on.

As far as hidden object puzzle adventures go, Eventide: Slavic Fable is a quality product. Sure it won’t revolutionize its genre but it’s innocent and relaxing entertainment. Even hardcore gamers can found some solace in its soothing atmosphere. After all, some casual gaming now and then can’t hurt anyone or ruin reputation.

Coming in at around six hours for a pretty thorough playthrough, Headlander was an absolute delight.

Despite how short the game is, it maybe emphasizes why the other games use this idea to break it up – the concept never really evolves or grows in any way, and with the platforming so basic, there’s really not much else here to dig into. It winds up being a rhythm game with disposable musical elements, a platformer with uninteresting mechanics.

Gears of War 4 is one of the most visually impressive games on the Xbox One, period (and yes, I am one of those who think that graphics matter). While the combat is familiar, it is also fine-tuned and polished for maximum challenge and enjoyment, whether in the multiplayer modes, or plowing through the campaign alone.

While it pushes the series forward the on-court moment to moment action is just beginning to show signs of age.

The real bright note though is a tightly constructed story that makes the slightly under two-hour experience worth going through, but left me wanting so much more.

Nightmares from the Deep 2: The Siren’s Call is a top tier title in its casual gaming genre. From game mechanics to visuals, everything is polished to max out the entertainment this kind of game can offer. It’s also a great stress relief. The game makes you forget your mundane worries for the time spent on weather-beaten alleys and hidden rooms of Kingsmouth.

Forza Horizon 3 is an absolute masterpiece. You’ll be hard pressed to find an open-world racing game that is this visually stunning, sounds this phenomenal, has this much content, and most importantly; this fun to play.

Hue presents a different interpretation on the puzzle-platformer genre with its color-shifting concept and non-traditional storytelling approach; but even with all its inventive ideas, it suffers from a lack of development for each one.

In the end NHL 17 is a really great game of hockey. It’s got a full suite of features and modes that are complimented with excellent on-ice action. I found myself more engrossed in NHL 17 then I’ve been with a hockey game in quite some time. It’s a well-rounded and extremely polished game of hockey that fans of the franchise will be mighty happy with.

It succeeds at being scary, but that is about the only part of the game that lives up to expectations. It’s poorly designed and poorly refined stealth mechanics make for a very frustrating experience, and the game gives you no reason to endure that frustration. There is little to reward you for your troubles.

Anyone with a fondness for classic, old-school strategy games will certainly enjoy the comfort-food vibe of Cossacks 3, at least in the short term. Where things become a little more problematic is with the overall lack of variety in both mission pacing and nation-to-nation unit design, where the small details are there but the big, gameplay-shaping differences aren’t so apparent or effective.

The last tiresome act of ReCore just drags on and erases the kind intentions the developers might have had before they decided just to bully you.

Throughout much of its length, Virginia manages to steer its story in surprising and unexpected detours, giving us moments and images that defy the intellect and yet still resonate deeply. While its abstracted art style and ambiguity might be a barrier to some, Virginia is suffused with humanity and a few memorable mysteries.

The Huntsman: Winter’s Curse could have been a pretty good game, as it has fantastic visuals, a compelling storyline, and rather ambient music selections, but the bugs make it unbearable.

This is a good time for newcomers to see what the fuss was about and a chance for longtime fans to take another dip in the ocean.

Jotun: Valhalla Edition feels like the product of ambitious artists and sound designers who had a vision for their world and executed it nigh-flawlessly. Unfortunately, this simply serves to drive home just how mundane the gameplay is. In essence, Jotun as a video game feels more like a vehicle to deliver the artistic talents of its developers. Every element is passable, but the memorable moments all come from artistic achievements, not strong gameplay design.

Mother Russia Bleeds feels like the creators wanted to make a side scrolling beat ‘em up for adults, but it ends up feeling like what a middle schooler would come up with if you asked him what their idea of a mature game would be; one that’s full of blood, sex, and drugs. While the combat is challenging and often satisfying, the lack of variety between the characters and a graphically messy multiplayer keeps Mother Russia Bleeds from being an exceptional game.

Somewhere, deep down in The Final Station, is a game that you can fall in love with – a rough adventure where you uncover a mystery and where every moment is filled with tension or despair. Unfortunately, the game that you actually get is too shallow and repetitive to be satisfying, and the story is so confusing that it is downright broken. The story’s failures are especially disappointing, because you can see the makings of something great around the periphery.

The PS4 version of Uno is an average offering that doesn’t take advantage of the fact that it’s a digital game.

Well paced throughout, and offering at least one scene changing choice, I can only hope that the future episodes can remain at the high bar Children of Arkham has set. Not content to simply tell another Batman story, Telltale is putting its mark on the Caped Crusader in all the best ways.

The cause-and-effect puzzle elements are clever but require too much trial-and-error to be truly intuitive.

Regardless of the setting and the fantastic visuals, Adr1ft feels like an also-ran walking simulator with more rules and less explanation along the way. It’s a good distillation of the limits and how the genre both does and doesn’t work. It may have been a cool idea but it’s unable to deliver on the promise inherent in being trapped in space, resulting in something too slow, too tedious, and too unsatisfying when you reach the end of its too-long running time.

However weak the ending is, it was the journey that made the biggest impression on me. In that regard, the game is positively sublime.

I do love the direction that the developers were going for, but without an entertaining storyline and exciting gameplay, there isn’t much of a reason to pick up the game at all.

The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing II offers mildly engaging but ultimately underwhelming entertainment. Hardcore fans of the genre who simply can’t get enough of hacking and slashing through fantasy worlds will probably get their money’s worth, but the rest should wait for the game to appear under Games for Gold program like the first part.

Maldita Castilla EX: Cursed Castile is very much a love letter that will satisfy people who yearn for the good ol’ days of arcade games; however, it carries with it the same kind of content, blemishes and all. There are no bugs or crippling design choices that ruin the game, but there’s little incentive to play it more than once unless you’re truly enraptured by the initial experience.

For me, Abzu came off as beautiful, but empty. And while it certainly had parts I loved and would revisit, its entirety as a package was overall lacking.

I would still love to see what this game would be if B.U.D.’s rag doll body and movements were replaced with traditional animation and controls. It would mitigate a lot of the game’s frustrating problems without losing what makes it a special experience.

SteamWorld Heist quickly seized my attention with its interesting world and charming characters, but its addicting combat and rewarding RPG mechanics are what really made the game hard to put down.

The campaign really is the center point of my complaints. Aside from that, the updated rules are fun and add a fresh take to an otherwise simple game.

Madden NFL 17 is an incredible game of football, however it feels like the safest step forward in a while.

Deus Ex: Mankind Divided is a superb experience from start-to-finish that cuts itself short long before it feels appropriate to do so. There’s a stinger twist ending that sets up an inevitable sequel, but it’s difficult to be excited when it feels like I should still be playing.

Episode 2: Shaking the Hive, for what it’s worth, benefits from better pacing than Episode 1 and it doesn’t waste as much time with Eliot performing ordinary tasks. Still, there is little in either Episode 1 or Episode 2 so far to separate Blues and Bullets from the middle of the pack. My recommendation at this point – stay tuned.

Although the lack of graphical polish could be seen as a flaw in the game, I really can’t think of a person who wouldn’t enjoy this game on some level. If you’re a fan of puzzle platforming or physical comedy, grab Human: Fall Flat right now.

Judged purely as a strategy or a simulation game, it is mostly a failure. It suffers from too many game design mistakes and it has too many broken systems to survive on its gameplay alone. Judged as an overall experience, however, and the game fares better.

Mutant Mudds Super Challenge is a welcome return to Max’s sprite-based world of tight controls and inventive hover-based platforming. With 40 levels and 100 required collectible coins in each, the amount of playtime depends largely on players’ skills. Intentionally tough but fair, the level design tests even the most hardcore players, and cruel bosses may impede progress indefinitely.

In the end, it can feel like a tedious grind. If you can round up buddies for online multiplayer and like the idea of a faster version of Monster Hunter, then God Eater Resurrection is a good way to begin your feast.

The story is a tad bit generic, but perfect in the sense of a children’s tale. The control and movement feels very fluid, and the game overall demonstrates mastery of basic mechanics typically used in games of the same genre.

BOXBOXBOY! is an excellent puzzle game that adds to the concept of the original in a simple way that smartly changes how levels play out. It still feels good, and some of the puzzles are real mindbenders, and even though there’s a bit too much similarity between it and the first game, it’s impossible to go wrong with a $5 asking price for something so fun.

If you’re a hardened horror game veteran it’s not the most illuminating of experiences, but it’s a fun way to spend a late night all alone. With the doors safely locked, of course.

It’s unsatisfying and the controls don’t feel good and it just can’t hold up its frame rate.

It’s sad to see the Zero Escape series come to an end, but Kotaro Uchikoshi and his team have created a special trilogy of games that won’t soon be forgotten. Zero Time Dilemma, despite its flaws, concludes this series in a dramatic and memorable fashion.

Deadlight is, for the most part, a well-paced game that doesn’t linger very long in any one area or on one activity. It is also a rather short game, clocking in at about five hours, which is rather underwhelming for its price.

The Trials component of this crossover came out swinging, with inventive level design and a host of enjoyable new mechanics, but Blood Dragon deserved better than this.

Mighty No. 9 has semblances of good ideas thrown into levels that are muddled with instant kill spikes and overly difficult platforming sequences, which when combined are just bad level design.

By building on a strong foundation, it allows its players the freedom of determining their own destiny, with little in the way of flaws holding it back. Sure, I may have some grudges that may never be removed from the great book, but in the end, this is the best experience I’ve had, bar none, when it comes to real time strategy games.

The game is intriguing and offers a unique experience; however, none of its well-executed ideas are worth anything if the game simply doesn’t function properly.

It is uncertain what influence this game will have on the future of the series, but what we do know is that this competitive multiplayer shooter is a colossal waste of time, and a total failure.

For their first steps in the Dark Knight’s boots, they made one heck of an entrance.

Creative achievements (that are rife with spelling errors) and a grading system offers some replayability. However, once you collect all the achievements and earn perfect grades for every level, this isn’t much to do afterwards. It’s a fairly short game with no multiplayer option, so when it’s over, there is precious little to keep you coming back.

For a game without a single living thing in its world, it has a lot of heart.

It is easy on the eyes, fun to listen to, and its cruel satire and toilet humor make it an entertaining journey from the beginning to the end. The game would benefit from more fleshed out gameplay and more imaginative puzzle design, but it is still one that left me wanting to see more out of this developer in the future.

Nimble gameplay, luscious aesthetic values, wise storytelling and truly understanding the principles of its genre make Aurion: Legacy of the Kori-Odan a breath of fresh air amidst Western games with often are marred by needless drudgery. Quite an achievement for a 2D side-scrolling action-RPG with a very modest price tag coming from an untapped territory in the world of gaming.

Mirror’s Edge: Catalyst is an admirable attempt to make a niche concept work. Unfortunately, it so intently focuses on avoiding the pitfalls of the previous game that it stumbles into a hole of its own.

The developer’s desire to recapture the magic of a previous age clouded their vision of what constitutes good design, and created an experience fraught with antithetical decisions. As a result, Hard Reset offers an average game which becomes particularly tedious long before it ends.