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.

Still, in a world full of VR demos and proof-of-concept games that are barely that, The Mage's Tale feels and plays like a real, fully-realized product that is actually worth the $40 price tag. It has a genuine story arc, excellent combat, and visuals and game play that would be far less effective in another medium. The game makes excellent -- if perhaps over-zealous -- use of the Touch controllers and although The Mage's Tale reminds us that the VR genre is still learning to find its way, this game is certainly a milestone product for the Rift.

I feel on principle, I should be over the moon with Jedi: Fallen Order. Even with all the negative things I brought up in this review, I strongly feel that it is one of the best Star Wars experiences money can buy. It certainly washes away the bad taste of Force Unleashed II. As much as I struggled with the SekiDarkSoulsBorne gameplay, it offers the best realization of lightsaber combat that I really, really wanted to get good at. I don’t feel it matches the finesse of the From Software titles but at the end of the day, I can appreciate it. What hurts the game overall, though, are its technical problems that cover the product with a notable stain.

If the intention of Coteries of New York was to remind me how excited I am about Bloodlines 2, and how much I enjoy the lore of Vampire: The Masquerade, then we’ll call this a win. As a visual novel, it is a solid story, flawed only by visual repetition and some bare-bones production. It’s an intriguing tale, well told, but over too soon and not inviting to revisit.

Nancy Drew games are often considered as “girls’ games” but I think that conception is ancient and belongs to the past. Anyone who likes a good, relaxed crime story without excess violence is allowed to enjoy Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem.

This is a hardcore Japanese action game, through and through. Its rigid, uncompromising mission structure can be less than accommodating but nonetheless charming. It's difficult, rewarding, and satisfying in equal measure.

Lydia is a tough game to recommend to everyone because, as a video game, it is too short and has only a minimal amount of gameplay. However, if you're looking for a thought-provoking experience that will stay with you even after you have finished the game, I can confidently say that Lydia is a very strong candidate for you.

Overall, the game was pleasant, refreshing and frustrating.

The combat balances its melee and ranged weapons, and the enemies offer enough unique challenges. It may not excel at the things Metroidvania games are generally known for, but Kunai is a fun action-platformer in its own right.

The decision on this game comes down to the pros vs the cons, and whether you think you'd be happy to enjoy it as it is, or if you'd rather wait until some more updates. The load times and staggers can be mildly irritating and can amass during longer play sessions, but are by no means game-breaking or a reason entirely not to give it a go. Especially for those looking to play a little more casually, or in shorter bursts, or maybe aren't now accustomed to the world of SSD loading times, I still have to recommend this title as worth a go - just perhaps not necessarily the one to pick above the others.

For the most part, you'll spend your time solving pleasant puzzles, enjoying a pleasant story, and having a pleasant time. The Layton series can be so much better than this, though, and I hope their next outing, no matter who it stars, aims higher.

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.

A pretty decent street racer, with great selection of cars and juicy customization options.

While poor performance often makes the repetition more of a chore than it needs to be, a truly interesting world, game design that understands its gameplay is repetitive and regularly finds new contexts for its loop, and fantastic atmosphere still kept me having a great time with Disaster Report 4. There were times when the game made me groan, but there was no point in its campaign where I didn't want to see what was coming next. Its a game I know I'll remember.

Arizona Sunshine is a just OK zombie game that, with the exception of being a PlayStation VR title, doesn’t really differentiate itself from other, better shooters. The Move wands add immersion to the action at the expense of comfortable and sensible movement (I’d kill for the option to move backward). For those who feel that graphics matter, the game is not especially pretty. Frequent texture popping and load-in ruins already bland and uninteresting environments occupied by 3D models that range in quality. At its worst, it looks like a middle- to late-stage game for the PlayStation 2. Take away the novelty of VR and free aiming, and you’ll find there is nothing to differentiate Arizona Sunshine from any other run-of-the-mill first person shooter. Wait for a sale or, if the urge to play a VR shooter compels you, consider Farpoint instead.

Way of the Samurai 4 is plain simple fun, but it is still fun!

Perhaps I am asking too much of this quirky little indie game. It doesn’t come from any major company like Sega. The developers have taken the Tetris formula and worked it in a brand new way. It’s fun and cute, but it does grow old more quickly than it should. Overall, the lack of additional gameplay modes keeps this good party game from being a great party game. Even just two more modes would have been just the right amount to keep it from going stale so quickly.

Outlaw Tennis won't win any awards, nor will it really gain all that much recognition. But what it will do is it will give you a fun experience and it won't go wreck your wallet in the process.

I really liked the way Trüberbrook looks, and although that isn’t enough to carry even a short game, Trüberbrook had enough interesting story beats and characters to keep me engaged. Mechanical issues and slow pace would have killed a longer or more complex adventure but the game’s imperfections were a tolerable price to pay, given the rewards of experiencing its hand-crafted world.

As a free to play game, ÆRENA is well worth your time if you enjoy turn based strategy games.

Headliner: NoviNews isn’t meant to dazzle people with super tight, unique, and revolutionary gameplay. It is, however, immensely replayable as it gives room for you to play through the story again and make all sorts of different choices the second or third time around. Whichever route you take, the entire practice of selecting which articles to publish is to get you thinking about the role journalism plays in society. It’s meant to provoke thought and test the player’s willingness to stay true to their own self in the face of ever-growing moral quandaries.

One of those games that did not live up to the hype that its fan base put out for it.

If you like the song list and you like Singstar titles there is no reason why you should not pick up this game.

Jon Shafer’s At the Gates is not a mass-market game. It decries the populist and dumbed down direction in which the Civilization franchise has moved, replacing it with a strategy title for the patient player that tolerates a measured pace, likes the challenge of long-range planning, can overlook some bugs, and finds satisfaction in a cerebral, hard-fought victory. For the average strategy fan, At the Gates may frustrate but the rewards of pushing through to comprehension are significant.

The developers went back to the core ideals of the franchise, and came out with what made it fun, and fully customized to really shine on the DS.

Although this expansion is short and skimpy on features, it’s still fun and I had a great time to playing through it.

There are definite issues with timing between the gorgeous soundtrack and powerful art direction, but they’re still worth playing despite this. The levels are on the shorter side and don’t demand perfection, making them palatable in addition to being complementary to the story. M.I.R.A.I. has a decent enough story that was worth going through. But sometimes it can be just a single piece that defines the full experience. In this case, Lost in Harmony became a recommendable title thanks to a touching tale between a boy and a girl.

>observer_ offers a glimpse in a terrifying cyberpunk future that is far more frightening than any pursuing monsters of unreasonable size. The stealth action moments of the game failed to make an impact and I usually greeted them with a “let’s get this over with” attitude. No, the game is at its best when you’re exploring the claustrophobic corridors of an old world building appropriated by corporate interests, lazily retrofitted with invasive technology that is much more of a hindrance than any sort of benefit to mankind.

It is a shame that the story for Conan wasn't developed further, it really could have been something that pushed the experience from start to finish.

While the movie wasn't exactly a resounding success for a Pixar-less Disney, the game is a surprisingly decent adventure that will please the younger gamers.

The game heartily emphasizes family values, where the unifying factor is ultimately to love over good food. Those who enter the family from outside are as much uncles, aunts, and cousins as those who were born into it. Of course, the story is mushy, but these days when gritty games try their hardest to tear you into pieces, there’s a vacant lot for feel-good entertainment. In this context, it’s heartless to moan about some gameplay and design issues, like mostly uneventful driving parts or linear nature of family meetings where a failure is hardly an option. All these gripes are fully acceptable if you put your heart into the game. Road to Guangdong might not be the next must-buy hit but it has more humanity to share than most games out there put together.

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.

It's a series that needs a lot of work and WWE'12 is the first step towards something that could be great. While it's nothing drastically different from what it was in the past, this game is still improving on a franchise that could have just as easily repeated itself into oblivion. The improvements made here aren't perfect but it manages to set the ground work for something great in the future and helps make this game stand out among its predecessors.

While the actual story felt like it was trying to drive me away from the action, Guns, Gore and Cannoli 2 kept me in by being a really stellar side-scroller. The shooting felt great, the environments were well-designed and chock full of enemies to beat, and the arenas were challenging without being cheap. Certainly not as sweet as its namesake overall, but you’d be crazy to turn down this cannoli without giving it a chance.

Combining some fascinating mechanics I've never seen in a card game with a lot of variety, there's plenty to recommend Faeria. Its held back however by poor tools to really learn the game and design decisions that just don't fit a portable console. Add in concerns for the future of the game and I'm nervous to invest too much more of myself into Faeria, but it may be too late for me to stop. It has that wonderful just one more game quality that will keep me firing it up. Just make sure you know what you're getting before you decide to follow me.

It’s not necessarily a game for players looking for brilliantly devious puzzles and new mechanics, but from an artistic standpoint it succeeds in some important ways. Its pleasant visuals and music are cornerstones for a quality adventure time, even if it’s otherwise not overly ambitious and suffers from occasional flaws. However, the game is fairly easy to recommend if you’re looking for a story that explores themes such as mental health and tragedy.

Overall, Atelier Sophie is a mixed bag. This game serves as a good point of entry for newcomers due to the removal of the series’ notorious time limit, but fans may find the experience middling. While item alchemy is surprisingly fun, the elements surrounding it are not as engaging. The tedious gameplay loop may turn players off before the plot finally gets going. Much like the items synthesized in Sophie’s cauldron, the game excels most when everything comes together – rallying the townspeople to jointly make a gift for Plachta, forming a party of townsfolk equipped with handcrafted weapons and armor, and painstakingly creating amazing items to destroy the toughest foes. At its best, Atelier Sophie devotes itself to its alchemic theme, synthesizing a pleasant experience.

While the combination of frustratingly underdeveloped combat and a short length weigh the experience down, there’s definitely enough worth seeing here, at least from a visual and narrative standpoint.

Hybrid is decent, but not essential. The well-executed mechanics that make up the core gameplay are interesting for a little while, but how long it holds your interest for depends on how willing you are to look past the game's niggling problems.

With nothing to call its own, other turn-based strategy games have a distinct edge over Panzer Tactics HD. Make no mistake, the game is by no means bad, but there are plenty of other more memorable entries in the genre to keep you busy.

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.

What's really interesting about this game is that for all that it's doing differently, it still just does not feel all that much different from the typical Sims formula.

There are many gamers, I’m certain, who will not only enjoy Ghostrunner’s challenges but be perfectly happy with its demanding and repetitive mechanics. I enjoy challenge, too, but I also want to learn from my mistakes and maybe even succeed the first time around. Ghostrunner is a well-made game with a very specific intention, and there are players for whom this title will be Nirvana. Just not me.

This is a game with a ton of content, but too much time is spent in less rewarding downtime or grinding for materials in environments that simply aren’t that fun. It’s obvious that My Time at Portia would love to be both a dream game for the building/crafting fans as well as offer a substantial narrative. The slow pace of the former undercuts the momentum of the latter but My Time at Portia does offer a legitimately different variation on what has become a pretty formulaic genre.

In the end, Warhammer: Chaosbane is more about its satisfying gameplay than being an accurate and respectful representation of its franchise. Here, Warhammer is actually a mere coating to a competent Diablo clone rather than being an essence of it. In many ways, the game has budget title sentiments to it when it resorts to simple narration and recycling assets but still it’s sold for a full price. That’s a fact, in addition to the lackluster performance of the online game, that drops Warhammer: Chaosbane from an essential purchase it would definitely have been as a mid-price title. Wait for a sale and you’re probably happier with what you get.

The major downside to Battlecry was the repetitive nature of the game, which thankfully is not present anymore in the game.

Psychonauts Rhombus of Ruin has its feet firmly planted in foundation laid by the first game - as it should. Though it is trapped within a medium that is still trying to find steady feet, Rhombus at least has the heart and spirit of what made Psychonauts so enthralling. It's a fun and delectable morsel designed to satiate the palate until the second game comes out. While it does excite me for Psychonauts 2, it's only because I know that a console game will let Double Fine’s imagination soar much higher than the VR platform would let them.

For representing an untested genre on consoles, Guardians of Middle Earth acquits itself pretty well. If only the online functionality was as airtight as its core strategy, we'd have a truly great mashup on our hands.

No one is going to play Zombie Army 4: Dead War for a nuanced alternative history or thought-provoking story. Its raison d’etre is killing hordes of undead zombies in as many interesting ways as possible, alone or with some buddies, and maybe caring enough to try to earn a high score in the process. Whether solo or coop, Dead War is entertaining enough, though visually a bit behind the curve and in need of a few bug fixes and pass with the polishing cloth.

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.

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.

Although I appreciate what the Royal Pack has brought to the lore of Insomnia, its paltry additions may only appeal to the most hardcore fans who don’t mind replaying the definitive edition of a single chapter. If you’ve never played Final Fantasy XV, the Royal Edition or Windows Edition, both of which have all the DLC – including the character episodes and bonus content not present in the Royal Pack – is the way to go.

Cognition – An Erica Reed Thriller – Episode 3: The Oracle, is mostly an entertaining experience. You may miss some of the features that showed up in the first two episodes, like the forensics/murder investigation elements and the variety of locations.

It's a pretty standard action RPG with simple controls and decent action.

As time wore on so did the fun of the game, and it ended up being just another movie made into a game.

It's a shame that the single-player and online components of Nidhogg 2 are so underwhelming, because the local multiplayer itself is quite fun. As a party game, the game has a lot to offer, especially when passing the controllers around and playing the game in small doses. While it's not going to pull anybody away from Super Smash Bros. Ultimate or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nidhogg 2 deserves a place in your lineup of Switch party games, especially at its price tag of 15 bucks.

At it's default difficulty, Dead in Vinland is a very challenging game, made up of many interconnected systems, each with the potential to create a fail state if not carefully managed. The combat is pretty simplistic and not as rewarding as simply keeping the characters alive day to day but in general, this is a game with a lot of depth. It's easy to die, and each replay becomes just a little less interesting, so I highly recommend playing through on the easy mode first.

Extreme racing is truly well and good on the PSP, with solid fast-paced action on the small screen and excellent visual which would please the series' fans.

In short, Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment is a fun disappointment.

Compilations generally don't do well, but Capcom gives PSP owners quite a treat with the decent emulation of truly great classics.

Mothergunship is a cool FPS rogue-like shooter with a cool mechanic that’s hurt by technical hiccups. There's enough to like, though; gun crafting is fun and creative, the writing has a good sense of humor, and some of the boss fights are both pretty neat and intense. Building guns will soon be better with friends when a free update launches in August that will let you play with someone else in co-op mode.

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.

Death Squared has been marketed as a puzzle game that anyone, from hardcore gamers to grandmas, could pick up and enjoy, and I think in that respect it succeeds. I see it being most worthwhile as a party game to be played with friends, where everyone can work together to solve these puzzles that are often times both intricate and exceedingly challenging. The concept behind Death Squared is sound, but with a startling lack of variety in its content, the satisfaction from solving these inventive puzzles only lasts so long.

The degree to which you like Alone with You will depend largely upon how much emphasis you put on story versus gameplay. At times, the game feels a little bit too much like a walking simulator with 1993 graphics. A game like Alone with You that features survival so heavily as one of its major themes should make survival tough and satisfying, but the game does not offer that experience. On the other hand, success comes in abundance with the game’s setting, characters, and story. Whereas most “space disaster” games feature scary aliens, action, and explosions, Alone with You features realistic human tragedy. It is a unique approach to this genre of fiction that I have never experienced in video games. It is for this reason that this game can still be considered an overall success, despite its overly simplistic and deeply flawed gameplay.

Capcom's free-flowing Zelda-esque adventure title is a surprisingly decent blend of action, platforming and puzzle-solving.

Herald: An Interactive Period Drama achieves what it set out to do: It weaves an elaborate story full of entertaining characters, without being squeamish in terms of pointing out racism and cultural bias. The atmosphere is a vivid landscape of bold, striking hues, and the dialog is ripe with interesting conversation choices. I felt genuinely interested in Devan’s experience and personally invested in my decisions along the way. Each choice felt like it carried true weight, given the context and underlining exploration of very serious themes. The voice acting is top-notch, and the soundtrack is a lovely element that compliments without overshadowing. I’m a huge fan of the Point & Click genre, so titles that challenge the norm and think outside the box always capture my attention. Fans of historical themes, story-rich adventures, and compelling characters need to look no further than Herald for a great new experience.

Although Gato Roboto does not provide the type of sprawling world design that Metroidvania titles are known for, it still does a decent job at reducing this type of experience into a condensed form. The abbreviated process of upgrading Kiki’s mech suit is a satisfying sprint that takes you from helplessness to empowerment at a rapid pace. It may not offer an exciting new take on Metroidvanias, and the limited scope of the world is disappointing, but Gato Roboto works as a solid microcosm of its genre for those who are strapped for time.

No matter what your favorite character platformer series is -- be it Sly Cooper or Ratchet and Clank -- Skylar and Plux is likely a game that won't measure up to it. It is a game that can be forgiven for all of its flaws though, because so much genuine love went into the game that it is nearly impossible to actively dislike it. There is nothing cynical whatsoever about this game. Instead, it oozes with an almost childlike enthusiasm, which is something uncommon in today's environment of dark, gritty games and hopelessly bloated development budgets. It is that enthusiasm, along with the constantly changing music and scenery, that wholeheartedly carries the game and gives you the ability to overlook its shortcomings. The game may be guilty of relying on that sense too much, forcing you to look the other way at everything that it is missing or does wrong. Gamers who require more robust gameplay mechanics or more collectibles may find themselves underwhelmed by Skylar and Plux. They should still be able to appreciate the effort though, if not the result.

Nighthaw-X3000’s primary flaw is the lack of innovative or revolutionary design with its core gameplay, with levels that do little that stand out. It also could’ve been a little longer, having only eight levels that last a few minutes each. Having said that, the presentation is astounding, the music is awesome, the main hero is over-the-top in a very amusing way, and the bosses are incredibly fun to fight. Add in its low cost and co-op, it’s hard to not recommend. Retro-gaming and shmup fans alike should consider giving this a try.

Still, if you loved Dishonored as much as I did, The Knife of Dunwall is worth your time; just be prepared for more of the same and less of the extraordinary. Except for Daud. Daud’s cool.

Leo’s Fortune has all the components for fun, but it’s length and familiarity are its undoing.

A pretty standard sci-fi story filled with your standard tropes punches slightly above its weight thanks to a great performance and some okay gameplay. The shooting isn’t anything to write home about, but a few of the weapons provide enough moments that the shortcomings aren’t easy to ignore, but mild enough to put up with. To paraphrase Hurk, sometimes you find yourself somewhere without context and just kind of have to roll with it. When you’re Lost on Mars, it’s really the only way to go.

Skul: The Hero Slayer has a lot going for it, but it is also muddled with design issues. For all of its creative skull designs, interesting build options, and cool and flashy attacks, I found the experience as a whole to be draining. It’s a case where the core gameplay loop is hindered by its overbearing rogue elements. A genre reliant on repetition has to accommodate for it by offsetting the recursive elements of the game, no matter how good the combat is. Skul: The Hero Slayer is certainly enjoyable on occasion, but its roguelite ingredients ultimately harm the title as a whole.

Had a lot of potential but didn't do enough with it. They focused a little too much on Rayne's abilities and not enough on trying to make the game more difficult, and more challenging.

It's cool if you ever thought of playing a GTA-style game set in 80s' Mexico, but ultimately marred by the 'overdose' of bullet-time gameplay.

BAFL is flawed, strangely in ways that could’ve been easily patched up. What’s there at its foundation is strong, though, with a good palette of gameplay choices. You'll be done with your hour-or-more sessions in an afternoon, but it's priced with this in mind. Beyond that, the time trials give it what I’m going to call intermittent longevity; it’s the type of game that sits on your menu, playable in less than a minute, just begging you to improve upon your last score. Some additional options and visual tweaks would’ve served it immensely, but all the same, BAFL is worth a look.

In the end, I think that an FMV game should offer more variety in locations and interactivity than The Complex. A one-location drama doesn’t necessarily carry through consecutive playthroughs all that well in this media. When you are skipping through scenes, you only begin to pay attention to iffy special effects and some extras who really look a bit out of place. The Complex has a well-written story, some witty dialogue, and a likable cast, but the lack of true branching for most of its running time dilutes its appeal beyond a few playthroughs. In the hunt for all the endings, you will most likely grow feeling indifferent to everything the story tries to say.

However the final results is an underwhelming first person shooter that lacks clear direction and character.

Though sometimes derivative in humor and puzzle solving, The Little Acre has a character of its own. A great deal of love has gone into making the game and it rubs off on you. It had such an effect on me that I felt bad punishing the game for its weakest elements. The Little Acre should be celebrated for its talent, artistic know-how, and as a demonstration of its developer's skills. The shortcomings (pun intended) of the game are balanced with its irresistible charm and appeal and ultimately the running time is reduced only to a face value. In the end The Little Acre is a hand-crafted piece of art and I definitely want to see more games from Pewter Games, preferably longer by each outing.

While Tesla Force isn’t a showcase for the power of the new consoles, it is certainly at home on them and its bite-sized stages don’t outstay their welcome. Fans of twin stick shooters won’t be disappointed by Tesla Force either.

The game doesn't do anything to go above and beyond what is already out on the market today. If you are a fan of the comic book then this is going to be a great game for you, if not this is a perfect rental.

Reborn is a beautiful but short-lived experience that continues building this interesting universe while introducing more questions than it answers.

Addicted gamer as I am, I had another turn-based tactical combat game to play and review at the same time, namely Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. Oh boy, if its audiovisual excellence could be merged with loose and imaginative gameplay of Jagged Alliance: Rage!, we would have a real killer in the genre! Then again, it wouldn’t be the same game anymore. Like its mercenary cast whose prime time is behind them, Rage! really needs its rugged charisma to live another day.

There's only one question you should ask yourself: do you give up easily in games? If your answer is yes, steer clear of 8DAYS. But if you have a masochist bone somewhere in your body, then enroll in G.O.D by all means and face the challenge. There's nothing quite like that sweet feeling when you overcome the dangers the game throws at you, especially when you have a co-op partner to share joys and hardships with.

NCAA Basketball 09 has the underlying element of what could be a huge step in the right direction, but the lack of depth ends up being the games great fault.

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.

This shooter brilliantly integrates some RTS elements into its core gameplay, but eventually becomes too repetitive for its own good if not for its superb Live support.

The biggest disappointment about ShootMania is how confused the game is, and the lack of direction will almost assuredly be the death of it.

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.

Final Fantasy VIII Remastered is a prime example of how to do a remaster well. Improved graphics modernize the experience, and modifiers help alleviate the grind issues. That said, I’ve always felt FFVIII needed real gameplay changes. It won’t get that in a remaster, and as such, those who didn’t like the game before won’t like it now. If what you disliked in the original was the grind, put your eyes on this remaster. And if you loved FFVIII in the past or are a curious newcomer, this is the best version of the game by far.

39 Days to Mars delivers on the experience that it promises; a tightly designed cooperative experience with a jovial atmosphere. The game is over too fast and it ends with somewhat of a thud, but nevertheless you should find it enjoyable. 39 Days to Mars is a decent way to spend an evening and a good use of a few bucks if you can find it on sale.

It’s when you’re unable to finance new research centers or expeditions where the game gets tedious as you sit and wait for enough money to come in to make new stuff. If you don’t mind that, then you’ll find Jurassic World Evolution to be a mostly fun exercise. Fans of theme park sims will enjoy the challenge of monitoring a park where the attractions can swallow guests whole. And you know there ain’t no coming back after those lawsuits.

I would say to EA specifically that you have a lot of great ideas, but smooth it all out, develop more on the PS3 and use its strengths and get that frame rate up and consistent.

Agetec continues this mildly popular franchise with the same turn-based RPG mechanics that we came to know and love/loathe.

Dragon Quest I, II and III on the Switch are great picks, especially if you enjoyed the recent eleventh entry and wanted to experience the origins of this great series. However, these are ports of the mobile versions with some audio and visual enhancements. So if you have them on your mobile phone already, there is little point in picking them up on the Switch again, unless you really want to play them on your TV in full glory.

Giraffe and Annika is a beautiful game with an intriguing plot and engaging characters, but the difficulty spike in the second half doesn’t fit the relaxed tone of the first half. I feel that someone involved with the game didn’t trust the initial vision and felt the need to shoehorn in standard platforming gameplay. It’s a shame, because the first half was really special and felt like something I hadn’t really played before. If you have a lot of patience and decent platforming skills, you might enjoy Giraffe and Annika.

Dragon Quest I, II and III on the Switch are great picks, especially if you enjoyed the recent eleventh entry and wanted to experience the origins of this great series. However, these are ports of the mobile versions with some audio and visual enhancements. So if you have them on your mobile phone already, there is little point in picking them up on the Switch again, unless you really want to play them on your TV in full glory.

The video game adaptation does well, offering lush visuals and decent combat, but falters with a fairly limited multiplayer mode and unbalanced characters.