While still a good game, it remains overshadowed by those previous entries. Rocksteady got right all the little things that WB Montreal seemed to miss.

I enjoyed playing NeuroVoider, but it resembled the guilty pleasure of having fun with something so simple and mindless. The game has tons of options to customize your robot and it was fun to experiment various types of weapons, classes and skills in the early stages. However, the inequity of usefulness in weapon types forced me to hog only the strongest type of weapon available in later stages. It became a routine to hope for a strong and useful weapon to brute-force my way in several stages. The excitement of getting rare and powerful weapons replaced the excitement of actually playing the game. At this point, the game became tedious. Overall, NeuroVoider has both the charm and the silliness of generic shoot'em up games from the 8-bit era. It is, without a doubt, a great game to spend some time mindlessly playing couch co-op with your friends. Yet, this experience is short-lived and transient. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Sony Online improves upon their original PSP RPG with a more intuitive control scheme and online play, but messes up with a disjointed story.

At its best, Panzer Paladin leans into its great core platforming to offer genre comfort food. Its movement tools feel rewarding, with twitchy controls and a fun variety of traversal options. The game's aesthetic is similarly successful, capturing the buoyant energy of 80s mecha anime with period-appropriate character designs and vivid coloring. But unfortunately, the game’s level design isn't always as compelling. Only the boss encounters and the final few levels fully take advantage of the tight controls, resulting in stretches that fall flat. Panzer Paladin may not eclipse its influences, but it is still a very competent retro throwback.

Full Auto goes from an Xbox 360 technological demo to a full-on game, and one that thrills us with fast-paced racing and truly destructive weapons.

The remaster’s asking price is high for what it offers, but hardcore fans who want to experience a new coat of paint may still want to check this out. Although the original game was a better package for its time, the remaster is still a fair way to enjoy this classic action-RPG.

A slightly updated platformer, with just a few touches here and there completes a decent sequel.

Taking some well-worn lessons from other shooters, you won't have to strain your mind to be able to enjoy this fun and action-packed shooter on your handheld.

Hardcore DBZ fans would be happy with the new flying skills and bigger environments to traverse, but be mindful of its basic and shallow combat system.

EA builds on the success of previous NASCAR franchise with improved visuals, a more friendly control and interesting RPG-like elements.

Queen’s Quest 2 is a perfect game for adventure games newbies. It’s colorful to look at and there are lots of neat details in its numerous pretty screens that effectively depict the game’s derivative fantasy kingdom. After completing the main adventure, a bonus chapter is unlocked that offers a brief run of same leisurely gaming. Amidst all demon hunting, zombie fending, bloody revenges, averting terrorist threats or whatever most games these days like to present, Artifex Mundi casual adventures always have a place as a welcome diversion for any gamer out there. Queen’s Quest 2 fills that bill nicely enough.

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

Although it may not be as complex or well rounded as many other platforming titles already on the market today, the game does a solid job.

Garden Warfare on the Xbox One is visually impressive and PopCap did a great job translating the color palette and aesthetics of the mobile game to this third person shooter.

It’s very fortunate that The Little Ball That Could features stages that get more interesting the further you play. Otherwise, I would’ve simply gotten burnt out by its peppering of trial and error. Nonetheless, it packs a therapeutic challenge and a massive heap of stages. Despite some archaic restrictions, I can't call this a bad game; in fact, it's actually a good one. While it comes through cracked and nicked by mistakes, The Little Ball That Could rolls to a safe finish.

Transient has many interesting qualities that make it stand out as an experience. Sadly, it feels a bit rushed and the gameplay never really moves past just being a vehicle for the narrative. When melding Lovecraft with cyberpunk, Transient focuses on having the former as the core of the story, while using the latter as its shell. It works surprisingly well for the most part, but left me wanting more cyberpunk on a thematic level. Overall, Transient is a title worth playing primarily for those looking for a Lovecraftian experience wrapped in a beautiful cyberpunk package.

Airborne Kingdom is a pleasure to spend a relaxing few hours with. It has a refreshing approach to the city building genre which is genuinely unique and although it eschews conflict and drama, the survival elements, resource collection tasks and challenges of building an optimal floating city are both engaging and relaxing. Airborne Kingdom has an outstanding core premise and aesthetics but lacking some genre-standard features like a sandbox mode or customizable structures, it can offer up its pleasures and be done a little too quickly.

As a puzzle game, Slayaway Camp does the job, but isn't anything special – it's really saved by having such a fun look and idea to it. A puzzle game about being a Jason Voorhees type is just an awesome hook, and spotting more horror movie references has enough thrill to keep you going. The game may not have the meat to really get its hooks in you from a puzzle perspective, but this fun little love letter to slasher movies is definitely worth a look to gorehounds with a soft spot for the genre.

With a multitude of character customization options and out of control boob physics, Bon Appetit has everything one could expect from a Senran Kagura title. If the gameplay were given the same attention and creativity as the girls, it could have been amazing.

It can be frustrating at times, but the light hearted humor and the solid gameplay will get you through some of its flaws.

In the end, Mulaka's disappoints by bolting a really interesting and rarely experienced setting to a rather unimaginative action game and and art style that might be divisive. The gameplay loop is so familiar that the story and Native American setting feel arbitrary. Never very challenging as an action game, Mulaka is best experienced as a brief portal into an unfamiliar culture.

Delightfully wicked concept debuts in this fighting game, that manages to impress with its decent fighting engine.

Aaero contains fifteen music tracks, which makes it a fairly short experience that can be completed in one sitting. As an arcade style action game, however, it offers a lot of replayability, so the game's once through length isn't really a fair assessment of its value. Still, the price tag of $15 is probably on the high side for the overall level of quality and variety that the game has to offer. The game has plenty of high points and some very memorable tracks and levels, but it has some forgettable ones as well. It is worth playing for those high points, but a lower price and more consistent quality would have made the game a much easier recommendation.

EA's arguably final Burnout on the PS2 sadly doesn't bring the best racing experience to the market, but feels like a washed down and cheap title.

Strategy buffs out there will not find much to Kessen III as the strategy in the game is quite limited.

Cargo Commander does a lot of things right. When the risk of getting cargo mixes with the need to return to your home cube it’s an exciting feeling. It requires you to think of how you’re going to get through the more difficult cubes in order to get the big cargo reward. Unfortunately, the game’s repetition and unchanging structure keep it from capitalizing on its strong foundation.

It’s not a great option for those that already invested in MLB 14: The Show, in fact I probably wouldn’t recommend the upgrade. However if you’re new to the PS4 and want to enjoy a little of America’s past time this is one of the best sports games available on the PS4 today.

A game that plays extremely well but is missing the modes to go along with it.

Although the Switch version is a new way to play, it really doesn't add anything new to the game. If you were a fan before, you'll either want to play it again or you won't. But if you're a new player picking Overwatch up for the first time, then you'll very much enjoy the experience on Nintendo.

Tales of Zestiria has its fair share of flaws and blemishes, but the engaging combat, coupled with a likeable cast of characters kept me engaged; it’s just too bad that a faint whiff of déjà vu still lingers over this franchise.

Although the visceral feel of its combat comes as close to Souls as any game, The Surge would really benefit from more variety in enemies, story, setting, and player character options -- as well as difficulty -- which eventually start to become repetitive. The decision to make every fight significant and potentially deadly certainly adds tension but there is rarely a sense of power or growing mastery, simply a more easily found relief at not dying. Thanks to its sci-fi setting and excellent combat, The Surge is overall a very solid, unique addition to the growing catalog of Souls-like games.

A game like The Walking Dead ultimately lives and dies based on its characters and writing, though, which has always been something that Telltale's been good at. While it's a little weaker on average than usual, they've also never reached higher highs than they have here. The gameplay is much simpler, but they've shown the direction that the series is going, and with the promise shown here, I hope they can deliver the emotional heft that this series needs to survive.

A classic Batman story in some less then stellar trappings, Cold, Cold Heart is worth your time if you are in the mood for more of the Dark Knight.

It is great that Xbox 360 and PS3 owners can now experience Resident Evil 4 but it is a shame that more effort was not put into it to make it stand out. As it is, there is really no reason for this version to exist as it does not bring anything new to the package.

There is a lot of time consuming busywork in Niffelheim, whether foraging, crafting, completing quest events or running back to a fallen corpse. Crafting games can be relaxing time sinks, but the presence of deadly enemies makes crafting cumbersome. 2D action games can of course be a lot of fun, but the necessity of time-consuming crafting ruins the flow of combat. Niffelheim looks impressive but hasn’t quite figured out the magic balance between two competing mechanics.

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

Although the technology may not all be there in this package, it does provide us with a solid experience that many will have quite a bit of fun with.

Although less flashy than the more reknowned DDR series, Pump it Up debuts with a fun selection of tunes, and the brilliant 5-button setup.

Frantics is a great entry for Playlink with impressive use of mobile devices for casual mini-games. The games are imaginative, amusing and easily accessible for everyone. If you are looking for a well-made game to casually spend time together with your friends, you cannot go wrong with Frantics.

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.

It’s a shame that more time and money wasn’t spent on Fairy Tail, because, in the end, I really enjoyed large chunks of the game. Once I started playing, I could play for hours and be entertained. The guild building is really fun, as is the combat. This could have been a great game, but the developers leaned too hard on the license and not enough on fleshing out the elements of the game. If you’re a fan of the franchise, you should definitely give it a shot. If you are an anime fan and like turn-based combat, this might be a good game to put on your wishlist for later. Otherwise, you can safely give Fairy Tail a pass.

Had TERA appeared on console in 2012, it would have been an impressive and unique product. It still looks pretty good and plays well - its two biggest selling points at launch - but the endless grind, old-school quest structure, and bland story and characters make it harder to sell in 2018. Of course, the social and co-operative aspects of any MMO are important and they may help elevate the experience when the game launches, but TERA's core feels a bit hollow, dated, and irrelevant.

A solid rhythm game and probably one of the best to ever be on a handheld, Michael Jackson the Experience is a great offer for fans of music games or if you just love yourself some classic Michael Jackson songs. The audience may be limited because of the single artist in the game but if you can appreciate Jackson's music or just love any music game than Michael Jackson the Experience HD is definitely worth checking out.

It still has that Katamari Damacy charm, but if you've played one Katamari game you've played them all. The game uses the Vita's capabilities in a competent fashion, but I'd much rather use the joysticks to control the ball instead of the touch screen.

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.

Puyo Puyo 2 was a big deal for fans of the puzzler when it first launched. The rules added to the base game offer more incentive to play fast and aggressively. The Sega Ages edition for the Nintendo Switch introduces some helpful features, like save states and an undo button. It’s a solid, upgraded port and would be a good purchase for fans, if the market weren’t already saturated with Puyo Puyo games.

I still have major concerns about the game's combat, but Age of Empires: Definitive Edition is a good history lesson for what inspired me and so many others to love RTS genre so much. It’s a brilliant game with a ton of content and for such a low entry price, I think it’s worth a look even if it’s not perfect.

Carrion has a refreshing — if consuming squirming helpless human lab rats can be called refreshing — and not often-enough explored premise but it’s not quite enough to elevate it to greatness.

Even though I have my issues with Until Dawn, I was strangely absorbed into this beautiful, yet awful world where I was able to experience a Hollywood horror movie in video game format.

Going into a new generation of consoles this was the opportunity for Infinity Ward to really push the series forward. From a pure visual standpoint they do a pretty good job of that. However from a mechanics standpoint this is a very competent Call of Duty game that plays things safe. Everything about this game is solid, but does nothing from a narrative or gameplay standpoint to move the franchise forward.

Despite its length, occasional frustrating parts, less than stellar visual quality and odd gameplay anomalies, Warp is an enjoyable romp that will keep you playing until its conclusion. If you are looking for a new portal, this isn't it, but if you are looking for an interesting puzzler that doesn't overstay its welcome then you'll enjoy warp, even if 800msp is a little steep for how long it lasts

While it may have some video issues Code Veronica is still a great time and worth looking into.

Those without a Nintendo handheld system that want to know what the Fire Emblem noise is all about will find this to be a decent and competent, though not overly compelling, PlayStation analog.

Before long, you will notice that the sweat you once poured trying to get through brawlers like Streets of Rage and Final Fight is absent here. Instead of hailing your co-op partner to keep the fight going, you’re more likely to ask for a break sometime soon. There’s only so much of the repetitive action, no matter how sugarcoated it is, you can endure in a one playing session. Still, Misako and Kyoko are lovely girls, if sometimes outright half-wits. Games featuring dual female protagonists are few and far between so River City Girls must be appreciated for that alone.

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, my recommendation for Marble It Up is based upon what kind of games you like to play or are looking for. Those longing for a title chock-full of content will be disappointed, but those after a small time sink that rewards commitment and mastery, then Marble it Up is a great game to fill those voids.

Zen Pinball’s South Park offering isn’t perfect but it will serve as a lovely addition to its already robust catalog of tables.

Despite being a fun game, it's very bare, with few levels just relying on replaying for it to get any kind of lasting value. No matter how much you loved the game, though, replaying the same five is not enough for me to give this amazing, fun, beautiful game the high rank that it deserves.

Fans of sci-fi action shooters and those seeking death defying thrills and spills need not apply, but parents of inquisitive youngsters are encouraged to check out what Starlite: Astronaut Rescue has to offer.

The game is full of charm and little references that made me smile. From finishing a level and the leader saying “Controlling makes me feel good” a reference to the Ghostbuster’s song of the 80s. To potential employee names like “Mr. B” and “Bill Venkman,” It’s a game brimming with good fun. Pardon the pun.

It’s the kind of the game that you can sit back and enjoy with an open mind, and be immersed in a world that seems so alien to western society.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a solid RPG with a strategic battle system and challenging dungeon-crawling, but it’s held back by its harsh reliance on grinding. Regardless, its slower playstyle can work in spurts thanks to the Nintendo Switch’s handheld mode, which works well aside from some lag. If you are a retro RPG fan who won’t mind the grind, the game’s worth checking out.

The real problem with Heroland is that it can’t decide what it wants to be. Is it a JRPG? A resource management game? A visual novel? It tries to do too much and ends up lacking the necessary gameplay element to make it a complete package. However, if you enjoy a charming, dialogue-heavy game with a grind, you just might enjoy Heroland.

Life is Feudal - like many of its peers in the genre - is not enough fun or rewarding in the short term, and the long game is only for true devotees.

It’s a competent but unambitious physics platformer – nothing more, and nothing less.

To me Armageddon still is an enjoyable game, but is still one that does require a lot of patience to get into the controls and the game itself.

After finishing the story and grinding through free missions, though, you can’t help but start thinking why on earth am I doing this anymore? Even though you can play Daemon X Machina pretty much the way you prefer due to all different weapon combinations, the thinness of the gameplay is unavoidable. However, in years’ long absence of new entry in Armored Core franchise, Daemon X Machina will satisfy the hunger for heated mech action. It’s colorful, fast-paced and sweet while it lasts.

Painballing gets its own video game, with smooth gameplay and decent visuals that will appeal only to fans of the sport.

I’m torn between the amazing gameplay and the lack of content. Fighting feels fantastic but there's too little where to put it to use. What is this alarming trend that fighting games are put out without their traditional content? One can only hope that three non-functioning arcade cabinets standing abandoned in the game’s 3D entrance are a promise of arcade mode coming sometime in the future – as long as it’s not paid DLC.

While the game could need more variety in tracks and bikes, and a few technical fixes as well, MotoGP18 delivers so much and has a level of polish that makes it a worthy competitor against any racing game on the track.

NASCAR Kart Racing is still a very well polished and nicely developed Kart Racer that may not be the best the Wii has seen but is enjoyable nonetheless.

A passable entry in the long-running series, the latest Modern Warfare is polished but lacks creativity. It’s certainly more of the same as a return to a once-beloved sub-series. Sadly, it fails to invigorate and impress on the same level as the groundbreaking Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. Still , the game has a dedicated fanbase and the developers undoubtedly cater to that crowd. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare lives up to the series as a whole, but ultimately fails to match up with the best of the sub-series it attempts reboot.

The five new levels are excellent additions to the game’s collection of puzzle box dioramas, although they do nothing to change the formula. The remaining 13 challenges aren’t as worthwhile, and it wasn’t very fulfilling to trek back to remixed levels just to hunt Boos and collect crown shards. The inexpensive DLC is fairly priced, at least, even if you’re only interested in the novel areas. Just don’t go looking for a substantially game-changing experience, but rather a solid expansion of what made the original so great.

Ubisoft provides a glimpse of things may come for the flight sim genre, but sadly misses the mark with this unpolished title that just needed more time in the studio.

Mario and Sonic’s collaborative Switch outing may not be a huge upgrade from previous entries, but there’s enough variety and content, all wrapped around a ten-hour story mode and adorned with multiplayer functionality.

If you enjoy puzzle games, Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride may be right up your alley. With its variety of puzzle types, a fairy-tale story for some minor plot distraction, and a helpful hint system in place, this is a fairly easy game to recommend to any pure puzzle fan.

All in all, Initial 2: New Stage is an intriguing title. Although it’s technically more than rough around the edges and the localization is a hot mess, the game is not just a knockoff of similar, bigger titles. There’s honesty in how Restory Studio has wanted to a make a cool, Japanese-like hack and slash action with a meaningful narrative to complement the gameplay. The story might be naïve when it stresses friendship that reaches over hostile boundaries but we really need something like that in our dreadful world, don’t we? To fully appreciate Initial 2, you will need a certain state of mind and shouldn’t care about finer technicalities. Don’t look too much into the overall score, either, as Initial 2 is one of best gaming experiences I have had this year.

For better or worse, this is still Age of Empires III with a new coat of paint. At its core, it’s still the slightly weird and maybe overly ambitious sequel to one of the (if not the) best RTS games of all time, Age of Empires II. I still appreciate the gumption of Age of Empires III Definitive Edition and had a ton of fun going down memory lane. It’s far from a perfect RTS but there is a lot of fun and enjoyment still to be had as we wait for the eventual release of Age of Empires IV. Whether you skipped Age of Empires III during its original release or are interested in dipping back in, I think the Definitive Edition does enough to warrant a look, if for nothing else just to enjoy some good old-school RTS fun.

Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims is a simple game that’s easy to pick up and play, though I don’t recommend playing it in long stretches (which I did), lest you grow bored with it entirely.

Until fatigue with the game design sets in - which will vary from player to player - City of Brass is a lot of fun, a flavorful medley of ingredients that harmonize well.

While Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon doesn’t introduce many new features to the game, it does offer more than enough for fans who are looking to venture back into this beautifully crafted world. The story leaves more to be desired, but still provides a solid and enjoyable experience that will certainly be a worth your time if you even remotely enjoyed the base game.

In the end though, I put more time into each of the Age of Wonders III expansion packs than I put into Sorcerer King, because they were just better games.

Developers Krome plays it safe with this solid Aussie-themed platformer, offering all the right ingredients, but not daring to explore new ideas.

MotoGP 07 is not a vast improvement over last year's game, but it is a good solid experience nonetheless.

The hockey season's here again, and the "old" console can still offer something for the fans, albeit with just an updated roster and slightly tweaked controls.

Capcom has put out a partially broken full retial game. I had fun with it despite its flaws, but $60 is too much to ask for what this game is.

Overall, it’s the same game as before but on a handheld, which worked very well for the gameplay.

If a little more effort and refinement had gone into the game’s level design, those feelings would have been stronger.

Rockstar continues to milk the GTA franchise with this PS2 port off the handheld original. Decent choice for those who want to complete their GTA gaming library.

If Effie’s combat and camera were a little more tightly refined and its open world a little more full of interesting content, the game would be a real winner. As it stands, Effie is fun and charming, and its flaws and frustrations don’t entirely ruin the experience. There is no shortage of 3D puzzle platform games in the world, but Effie stands out as a colorful and vibrantly realized translation of a fairly tale come to life.

The multiplayer portion of the game is where the game does its best.

Overall, the Fire Emblem Warriors Season Pass characters could have used more variety, but at least the few novel playstyles are enjoyable to use. Additionally, the abundant History Mode content and power upgrades will be worth it to hardcore fans. If even one of the packs sounds appealing, you may want to consider picking up that individual DLC set. If you’re interested in two or three of them, the Season Pass is the most cost effective option.

Brawl is far from perfect, with an online multiplayer that appears to be devoid of other players and a single player campaign that halts your progress with an insane difficulty spike. Despite these shortcomings it is a solid party game if you have a friend or three that wants to play, and considering how rare it is in this day and age to find a game that supports this kind of multiplayer, I am impressed.

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

There isn’t much in terms of actual content, and the developer promises to patch this in at a later date, but I can’t help but feel the game could have done with a few more months in Early Access.

iO is a fun enough diversion to play in between games, but it’d be even better to play on a phone so you’ve got something to do while waiting for a lengthy load screen to complete or the next Overwatch match to begin. As such, the Vita version may be the better option of the two. It is fun but not particularly memorable, to be completely honest. As per usual for most mobile-to-console games of iO’s ilk, it is best enjoyed in short bursts or as a means to kill some time.

Overall, I’d recommend The Flame in the Flood for those looking for a new type of survival game, and those patient enough to deal with the interface.

Overall, the Fire Emblem Warriors Season Pass characters could have used more variety, but at least the few novel playstyles are enjoyable to use. Additionally, the abundant History Mode content and power upgrades will be worth it to hardcore fans. If even one of the packs sounds appealing, you may want to consider picking up that individual DLC set. If you’re interested in two or three of them, the Season Pass is the most cost effective option.