Fall of Cybertron is undoubtedly an improvement over an already impressive debut, yet it doesn't feel nearly as invigorating or daring as War for Cybertron did.

Crimson Alliance is a fun, and well-built game. I have to question if it would have been nearly as fun if I didn't invest extra money on gold to upgrade my character. Due to this, Crimson Alliance is a major set back due to ridiculous micro transactions. If someone pays $15 for a game, they shouldn't have to invest $5 more into each character in order to fully upgrade their gear.

If you are a fan of the Speed Racer label then you will have a good reason to go check out Speed Racer: The Videogame.

Hardline is liable to satisfy Battlefield diehards for the next few months until something new comes along or new content is offered. For those sitting on the fence, the changes made to the Battlefield design are interesting but not enough to warrant paying full price just yet.

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.

Sega seeks to reenergize the arcade racing genre, but just slaps some rehashed tracks from OutRun2 and nothing much else.

It would be harsh to call The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics uninspired, but it’s clearly more focused on promoting the Netflix series than providing a rewarding, standalone gameplay experience. Fans of the streaming show may enjoy seeing their favorite characters through a different and more interactive lens but those unfamiliar with the series may find Tactics’ story opaque.

Demon Stone could have been a great game given a little more depth and better computer AI.

Although it conflates and confuses a lot of historical reality to conform to its alternative universe, Close to the Sun really impresses in a few key areas. It looks incredible and is founded on a solid story concept. Some of its puzzles, mechanics and pacing issues get it in the way and remind the player that moving through the world needs to be just as satisfying as looking at the world. Fans of “walking simulators” and BioShock will feel at home but Close to the Sun does a good job of creating its own identity despite the obvious influences.

Agatha Knife is all barks and no bite as it makes fun without being mean or mocking. I expected to sit through some profound lesson but much to my surprise – and without spoiling too much – the outcome was positive for all the parties involved. In the end, the unique presentation and a curious premise hide a somewhat familiar parody and the so-called criticism the game likes to think it represents isn’t as sharp as Agatha’s knifes. Or maybe I’m so used to all things weird that it would take something more outrageous to freak me out. On the other hand, maybe it’s better that Agatha Knife plays it safer because even the most straight-laced individual can enjoy the charm of Agatha’s sincere antics set against a strange world of (make)belief.

If you like turn based strategy games and want one that takes place in space then Endless Space can surely scratch that itch.

Star Renegades is fine enough a game in its genre but it hangs too tightly onto its rigorous gameplay loop, exhausting fun out of repeated attempts.

If you aren’t a big fan of turn-based combat, then Hard West is probably not a game for you. If, however, you have played through the XCOM series, Wasteland 2, or even the Shadowrun reboot RPGs, then Hard West will provide something a little different if you are still looking for more turn-based combat.

I would never argue that escapist entertainment such as videogames should not explore the dark reaches of the human psyche or behavior. Where My Lovely Daughter falls down for me is not the grim subject matter but the somewhat artless narrative and pacing and the repetitive gameplay loop that sustains the experience.

From its price to its story to its demands on the intellect and reflexes, Swords & Souls: Neverseen is modest. Likewise, it’s modestly successful and moderately fun. Training, upgrading and short and fast-paced battles are great ways to spend a few minutes but in the long haul, the game’s limitations become a little more apparent and concerning. If I knew anything about sports, I might say that a good, solid stand-up base hit is better than swinging for the fences and whiffing it. Swords & Souls: Neverseen makes a good case for itself as a fully-formed PC game.

It’s worth the price tag for the borderline ridiculous long-range shots you can pull off, but the campaign isn’t so good that I’d want to play through it a second time right away.

For its beautiful presentation and for all of the ponderous ruminations about life that it might invoke within the player, it’s a crying shame that Rain World just doesn't feel very fun to play. While there is nothing wrong with sluggishness and weight as intentional designs, the options given to the player feel totally at odds with the sheer relentlessness and urgency of the systems at work.

In the end, there isn't a lot that can be said in the extreme about Rise of Insanity. It is competently executed, other than its shoddy translation. It doesn't look to redefine the first person horror genre and it doesn't shoot for the stars, but it has enough going for it with its story and its environments to make it worth a play through. It might not be an easy game to recommend at its full price, but if you are a fan of psychological horror and you would like to experience a slightly unique twist on it, then Rise of Insanity might be one worth checking out.

In the end, Stranglehold is a good solid action game that struggles from being too repetitive and lacking a lot of what you need to have a long lasting action experience.

As far as puzzle-platformers are concerned, Creaks doesn’t quite break the mold. It makes a fun first impression through a neat call to adventure but it wasn’t long before I developed a wandering eye. Throwing in new obstacles injects excitement when things get overly familiar but the trick eventually loses its luster. Creaks stands out by its beautiful art style, especially when it comes to the various paintings found throughout the mansion. Amanita Design has made a puzzle game that offers just enough accessible cerebral challenges. Though by no means a poorly constructed piece of software, Creaks’ minimalist approach to gameplay is entertaining in the moment but doesn’t quite leave much of a lasting impression.

The HD collection brings the on-rails action to the PS3 with zombies and leeches and yeti looking things, oh my! The Umbrella Chronicles and Darkside Chronicles keep you entertained with huge worm looking enemies and zombies. Yes, more zombies. I've enjoyed the majority of the Resident Evil series and feel that this collection is a great addition to any gamer's backlog. It retains the dark, ominous mystery that Resident Evil encompasses in each game and only surrounds you with the story of good versus evil in a world covered in zombies.

NHL 14 is a great game of hockey, and technically speaking its one of the best playing sports games on the market today. Sadly its foray into the new career mode, Live the Life, was extremely disappointing, and left me wanting more out of this year’s game. So if you’re looking for some great hockey this is a good choice, but there is still work to be done to improve the modes within it.

In short, it’s a more interesting, more fully-fleshed out extension of Battleship.

That Storm is a pleasant diversion is ultimately both a compliment and a failing. Storm is beautiful, thoughtful, and tranquil, providing some nice puzzle content to work through. It stutters a bit with checkpoints and introducing new info, but it’s never enough to completely derail its over all package. Though not overly gripping, Storm is worth more then a cursory look through a rain-slicked window.

Agetec gives you the means to fulfil the dream of creating your own RPG, with an intuitive interface and loads of customization options.

This might not be the best edition, considering the text issue, but it is a great game that lets you be the jail bird you always wanted to be.

Even though the port has extremely clunky controls and horrendously optimized graphics, The Long Dark’s survival and challenge modes offer hours of unhinged fun trying to cope and survive in the harsh Canadian wilderness. The campaign, while unfinished and episodic, offers a wholly divergent approach from typical post-apocalyptic genre norms. Unfortunately, if you are the type of player who is looking for a completely fleshed out campaign, this is not the game for you. Even with its misfortunes, Hinterland Games’ The Long Dark provides Nintendo Switch owners a breath of fresh air as it is the first somewhat enjoyable, open-world, survival game on the console.

There are a lot of holes that X-Men Origins: Wolverine would need to clean up in order to make this the top tier game it had the potential to be. With that being said fans of X-Men or of the movie should still check it out, this is a very competent action game that has enough variety that I think does warrant a sincere look.

Shadowrun Returns is enjoyable while it lasts, thanks in large part to its great writing and enthralling murder mystery.

It would have benefitted from quicker movement through most of its areas, and perhaps a little more challenge to its puzzles. Despite these issues though, its characters, scenery, and atmosphere are good enough to carry the game.

With a decent number of modes and a solid core gameplay system, Aqua Moto Racing Utopia has the opportunity to surprise a lot of people. While it has some rough edges like its trick system not being easy to utilize and some issues at the start of races with overall chaos, I found myself having a lot of fun with the game more often than not and I’ll probably be heading back into the game to continue beating my best times and shaving that last second off wherever I can.

Creating effective horror depends on powerful moments of the the unexpected juxtaposed with long stretches of calm and the mundane. In general, The Crow's Eye understands the basics of the genre, but frustrating puzzles and platforming both dispel the drive of the narrative and alienate the player. Kudos for looking at a somewhat tired format through a new lens, but points off for implementation. Suggestion: give the player control over save points, pare the platforming to a highly-tuned minimum, and don't repeat the puzzles. Despite these caveats, The Crow's Eye is still worth a look for fans of dread-inducing exploration.

Players looking for a truly innovative first-person shooter will find glimpses of one, but not as a single-player experience. Syndicate's world is oppressively violent and cynical, which doesn't do its messy story any favors, but when opened up for 4-person teams and a standalone mission structure it makes perfect sense.

The Last Guy is in no way a bad game. It is just too much of a love it or hate it title to recommend to all, and the best way to decide is to play the demo.

All in all, I think Bridge Constructor Medieval is a pretty neat little game that is only held back by its core mechanic.

The bottom line, though, is that I can’t help feel disappointed that the bugs I experienced really ruined it all as I hate losing game progress over something that wasn’t my fault. I’m hesitant to recommend the game until it gets patched (again, let people make setting changes from the pause menu! And give us a manual save, too!). Or, at the very least, let me caution you to be extremely conscious of how and when you go back to the game’s menu screen to avoid harsh, mental anguish.

So, while the game’s rough edges may be off putting, you should still check out Salvation Prophecy if you are looking for a change of pace, or if you are starving for a space combat game, of which there have been very few lately.

The core experience in Tetris Ultimate is fondly familiar and as enjoyable as it was thirty years ago. As a product created to honor its legacy, however, it is lifeless and bland.

It was a cool enough game in 2009 but a lot of time has passed and other games managed to do more with the open world genre. It serves as a nice nostalgia piece but even in its remastered state, the game feels like a relic.

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

Owlboy is obviously a labor of love, and not some cold and calculated syndicate product. Altogether, it would have needed some outside help to do doctoring, especially to the latter half of the game. In the end, Owlboy is true to its inspiration: a retro-platformer both in good and in bad. It’s a shame that it couldn’t grow beyond that.

If Operencia: The Stolen Sun was really a 28-years old game, I probably wouldn’t bother with it anymore. As much as I love old games, sometimes modern comforts are just nice to have. Operencia plays with old-school expectations but turns them into a meaningful experience where a modest budget is mostly turned into the game’s favor. Some further playtesting would have perhaps solved sudden difficulty spikes more efficiently than constantly loading a save until you succeed. However, if you are interested in dungeon crawlers in the first place, you are probably prepared to take in some extra punches along the way.

A pretty simplistic game and many people might look at this as a bad thing but I see this as actually what makes the game so fun.

The game can get a little dull over time, especially if you’re trying to get through all fifteen levels in a one sitting, but like most things in life, Trine: Enchanted Edition is better with friends. One last point I’d like to make: I staunchly recommend against playing without a Pro Controller. I thought the Joy Cons were rather unwieldy for this particular game and not at all comfortable during some of the more intense platforming sequences. Do yourself a favor and splurge on the better controller if you have the means to do so.

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

That the whole story ends here, with the franchise that started this wild ride, in a manner that leaves the fates of its characters in limbo, is somehow fitting to The Walking Dead as a whole. In the end, we were the real monsters.

The game doesn't really have a whole lot of content to go along with its full retail price but the single player campaign is extremely fun and is worth playing.

The game works within its microverse but it has a tendency to get locked up in its gameplay loop. When nothing is happening apart from routinely harvesting ore, it takes persistence to keep the expedition going on. I can imagine a real space travel Genesis Alpha One portrays in its video game terms being rather uneventful. Heck, you wouldn’t even want anything unexpected happening but being safe and sound even at the risk of getting bored. So, as odd as it may sound, uneventfulness is the game’s biggest virtue. Otherwise, you’d be desperately running and gunning around corridors until you run out of ammunition and crew members and start your trek all over again.

With 50 songs and multiple skill levels to test yourself in, there’s definitely a good bit here to dig into. I wish the game was a little more involved and the soundtrack was more memorable, but it’s enjoyable nonetheless and has enough charm to make it worth finishing.

Slain: Back from Hell was a master class example in teaching how to play well. Valfaris, on the other hand, doesn’t understand the same rewarding philosophy. Luck plays too big a part in beating all the hardship in Therion’s way, controls are unfortunately sloppy (again, it could be a console-specific issue) and the game even falls to punish players with its dubious risk/reward system. Valfaris looks great and at its best, can make your hands sweat when tackling its steep challenge but ultimately, for all that the game is, it more talks the talk than walks the walk.

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

Despite its many minor flaws and even significant issues, Wolcen nails that action-combat-loot dopamine drip that fuels the longest-lived games in the genre. Even after four years of pre-release tinkering, Wolcen is pretty messy, but enough fun at the core that the problems are worth dealing with, at least in the short term.

A quite decent and demanding racer.

Colorful explosions and a variety of guns aren’t quite enough to carry Zombotron to the finish line. This all-grown-up Flash game is weighed down by repetitive design, frustrating controls and bland storytelling. Zombotron isn’t a terrible game but neither does it generate much excitement. It’s a reasonably competent side-scroller in a marketplace full of similar titles. Fans of the Flash game will appreciate that Zombotron has evolved, but those unfamiliar with its humble roots might be less impressed.

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

WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 doesn't feel like a "new" game but more of a half step forward from last years game. WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2011 is an incremental improvement that provides some solid new content but nothing earth shattering.

If you have a Wii and are looking for a simple fun game to keep you entertained go out and rent Order Up! but for someone looking to buy this one won’t keep you busy for long.

From its title screens to its combat mechanics, The Surge 2 copy/pastes a great deal from the two-year-old original and while it moves the franchise into a more open and populated world, I was hoping for a more dramatic evolutionary leap. Like its Soulsborne models and its predecessor, The Surge 2 is a challenging game, made more so by an inconsistent frame rate and sometimes imprecise combat controls. It’s still a pleasantly familiar Souls-like experience but like The Surge, the sequel hasn’t quite discovered the alchemy that transmutes repetitive grinding into a satisfying feeling of mastery.

Controlling other peoples' lives can get quite boring, as this sim doesn't give you a reason or motivation to do so. Lackluster effort, but good for a rental.

With its leisurely pace and relative lack of scripted drama, Life is Feudal: Forest Village is a pleasantly relaxing way of getting involved in the minutiae of everyday medieval life, but don't expect to immediately understand or master its systems. It can feel a little directionless at times and is definitely geared towards detail-oriented players who enjoy the challenges of both moment-to-moment micromanagement and long-term planning. Forest Village has itself continued to evolve from early access to full release and it will be interesting to see how the mod community adds content and shapes the game.

If Moon sounds like an innovative, ahead-of-its-time game, well, it is. I can honestly say I’ve never played a game quite like Moon. You can definitely see the influences to Undertale in the lack of a battle system, the skewering of RPG tropes, and emphasis on non-violence. I would recommend that classic RPG fans check it out, if only to see what the fuss is about. For everyone else, I think that the oddity of the gameplay and the old school mechanics might make this one a tough sell, but it’s worth your time if you are looking for something different.

This game deserved to be full throttle from the very beginning, because of how awesome the tone and art direction is. It is not until you master your skills that Ronin actually becomes rewarding, but when it does you feel like a ninja master.

Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet is a pleasant example of a point-and-click game. It emulates some classic experiences from the past like Monkey Island, but it does little to stand out or offer genuine excitement. Regardless, a great witty protagonist, fun characters, logical puzzles, and an overall fun journey are enough to recommend this to anyone who loves a good old graphic adventure.

Overall, The Lion’s Song presents a poignant narrative adventure that aims to invoke strong emotions. While not every tale was fun to play, they each told fascinating character pieces focused on passionate creativity that actually drove me to introspection. Even for a point-and-click game, it is light on interaction and more akin to reading a book with dialogue choices. The drab presentation and dry plot may bore some, but those who appreciate good historical fiction will find there’s more to this game than its cover.

I just think the execution of the game is nowhere near as good as it could have been. The potential for this game is endless and I think Nintendo only brought us with an average gaming experience.

Overall a good game, but not something that is going to make it out of the shadows of the other big blockbusters on the market, even if it can control time.

Short yet sweet and thoroughly enjoyable, although suffering in certain key spots.

Starlink doesn’t have many bells and whistles as a game, but the figures are just so dang cool and easily customizable that I can see it really appealing to a wide swath of people. The core gameplay is fine and while it’s nothing to write home about, it does enough to support what comes together as a very impressive experience. Starlink doesn’t redefine the toys-to-life genre, but it does have some of the most beautiful figures I’ve seen and a pretty good game to complement them too.

There really isn't much to be said about Smart As. It works as advertised and accomplishes what it set out to do – no more, no less.

At its best, Spirit of the North Enhanced Edition is an atmospheric adventure set within an abandoned landscape that offers its fair share of challenges but little in the way of meaningful takeaways.

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

While it now feels like VR fitness and music games have been around forever, in fact they are really only in their infancy. Each new title that approaches the fusion of movement and music in a new way helps define what works and what doesn’t. OhShape brings novel, physically engaging and demanding movements to a genre dominated by shooting and punching. It can be a little frustrating, unintuitive and not always seamless but OhShape definitely expands the boundaries of the genre and has lots of potential.

The jury is still out on whether or not Dream Diary exists as a faithful remake/adaptation of the original Yume Nikki, although research has led me to believe that it wasn’t well received by the community. So if you’re a fan of the original game, you might want to temper your expectations. For the rest of us, Kadokawa’s remake is a spooky adventure game that doesn’t break new ground but will take you to some strange and exotic places.

At the end of the day, EA Sports UFC 2 does an admirable job of trying to create the complex world of UFC in a video game while still making it fun for the player. It’s not a perfect game by any means but a good game all the same.

Overall, Cognition: an Erica Reed Thriller – Episode 2: The Wise Monkey is a solid step forward for this promising mystery series, even though the technical issues on the iPad are a bit of a drag.

The added lore is a welcome addition in the episode but what Hunted boils down to is this: if what you want is to spend three more hours doing the same things you did for sixty hours, then Legacy of the Lost Blade’s first episode is a success on all fronts.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13 is a good game of golf. The new controls will freshen things up a bit and of course there are modes up the wazoo to try out. Kinect support is included but after a few holes probably won't get much in terms of playtime. I can't say it's an easy buy recommendation to make but if you have missed a few years of Tiger Woods games then this one is a good one to get back into.

In the end, if you have enjoyed the wave of Kickstarter PC RPGs so far, then you will enjoy Torment: Tides of Numenera too. It will likely be a game that you want to finish, but it likely won’t be one that calls you back for a second or third journey.

Abyss Odyssey is a simple and enjoyable game. That is, if you have patience for its learning curve!

It’s great, then, that DC Universe Online is completely free to jump in and try for yourself with no strings attached. There’s enough base content to help make the call of whether or not to make this your de facto console MMO experience. After all, your mileage will vary. At the end of the day, though, the fact that you can play a fully-featured MMORPG on your portable Nintendo Switch is pretty damn amazing and could well be a harbinger of similar games being available in the future.

I love seeing From Software getting out of their comfort zone. It’s a nice change of pace and a good way to challenge themselves creatively, but I would have liked to see a little bit more out of the game. I want them to play against the expectations of the genre a bit more because if you strip away the atmosphere and the story, there’s nothing here you haven’t played before.

If Battlefield 4 were billed and priced as a multiplayer only affair, I’d give it a higher score. Unfortunately, the quality of the single player campaign really brings the overall experience down.

In the end, Dark Mirror is a good solid title that suffers from being a bit dated and missing some key features.

The presentation is of a high-quality throughout, even if some cutscenes are technically a bit muddy. The graphics paint sinister yet colorful vistas of the pirates’ immortal realm. I also liked the representations of Davy Jones and the ghost girl. They were easily better illustrated and rendered than characters in most other Artifex Mundi games. I’m almost certain, though, that the backing music was already heard in the first game in the trilogy! Within Artifex Mundi’s staple, and casual adventures in general, Nightmares from the Deep 3: Davy Jones is an enjoyable and relaxing diversion to daily chores. No sudden deaths or time limits, just an involving mystery with plenty of ghost pirates. That’s quite a nice mix, I’d say.

Ultimately, the issue with Rage is that while it is not a bad game, it just doesn't live up to the hype.

It’s a shame some of the weird recognition stuff gets in the way, but if you just want to solve some puzzles, it’s more than adequate, and if you can solve them fast enough, even the time trial modes are easily overcome.

MW3 lives up to the already cemented reputation of the Call of Duty series; however, it appears to be almost like an expensive DLC for Black Ops.

As a stand-alone expansion, Aftermath is excessively pricey. However, for the newcomers to the game, Aftermath Kollektion that includes the base game, all DLC characters so far, several skin packs, and the Aftermath add-on is the way to go to join the eternal fight between Overworld and Netherrealm champions.

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

Konami's leap into 3D for the acclaimed Castlevania franchise is backed by a generally solid gameplay and combat, albeit marred by extreme repetitiveness.

The sights and scenes of the carnival are depicted in the usual colorful Artifex Mundi style. Even though numerous cut scenes are rendered in a low resolution, they liven up the events nonetheless. It should be noted that games like Dark Arkana: The Carnival are always measured up within its sub-genre of casual adventures and not compared to the big league of graphic adventures. As such, the game offers comfy and even suspenseful entertainment, and the few hours put to solve the mystery are well-spent. As is usual with casual adventures, the game also serves as a great stress relief. Dark Arkana: The Carnival might not be up to the standards of the later and more complex Artifex Mundi games, but it still comes recommended for fans of the genre.

With a cheeky narrator that doesn’t know when to be quiet, different stories that are told in brief, bite-sized chunks, and a fun and fluid combat system, Stories: The Path of Destinies is worth checking out even if its clearly lacking the amount of polish other games of this nature have.

Although not everyone will love its visual style, players looking for a decent baseball experience -- especially on the Xbox One -- should definitely give Super Mega Baseball 2 a few innings. It isn't without some issues, but overall it manages to capture the rhythm and fun of the sport in a pretty addictive way.

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

Coming at the end of a very impressive gaming year, Let It Die can't help but suffer in comparison to a whole bunch of other, more burnished titles. Still, the game's excellent action combat, weirdness, and variety of weapons give it just enough character to stand out and make it worthy of attention. The pay-to-win aspect is a bummer, and there is overall a sense of things being not quite solid, but anyone who's enjoyed other Grasshopper Manufacture games will enjoy this one as well.

Transposing the tactical turn-based combat and character permadeath of XCOM to the fantasy genre seems like an obvious idea and Fort Triumph does a good job with it, adding some physics-based combat and touches of contemporary humor to the mix. On the other side of the ledger, the humor might not tickle everyone the same way and overall the look of the characters and the story seem content to settle for familiarity instead of reaching a little more for originality. Fort Triumph is in no way a bad game and fans of turn-based RPGs, traditional fantasy RPGs and XCOM will probably enjoy the experience.

Pox Nora offers an interesting take on the turn-based strategy genre. It offers the addictive nature of tactical strategy with the zen-like practice of managing all different types of party builds. The difficulty of the offline game means some people might lose far more battles than they win. Just like Dark Souls, every defeat is an opportunity to learn from mistakes and try different strategies. Unfortunately, what holds the game back, at least on the console, are technical issues that made me feel that I was struggling to tame this beast. To those interested in Pox Nora enough to try it out, it might best to take on the PC version instead.

Defenders, unlike the previous titles, doesn’t do much to innovate or recreate the genre. Instead 11 Bit Studios decided to play it safe and gave us a basic, traditional tower defense game that is fun but doesn’t really do anything to set itself apart from an already flooded market.