You could see the developers had high hopes for a lot of the new functionality of the game, but when it is all said and done, everything doesn't gel together all that well.

If you’re interested in a fun card game that plays out in a Japanese role-playing fashion, then definitely consider Monster Monpiece. But if the forced and repetitive rubbing mechanic is too much for your tastes, then pass over this title that is centered around fan service.

60 Parsecs!, unfortunately, fails to provide that basic working mechanic that makes it entertaining from moment to moment. It suffers from relegating you to the role of decision maker only, when most games also let you play through your decisions or give you something meaningful to do in between them. 60 Parsecs! is perhaps worth a look when it shows up in a Steam sale, but it doesn’t deserve a place on your must play list.

In many ways, War in the North is a Gears of War version of Lord of the Rings. In fact, the game introduces an enemy type that looks and functions identically to the Ticker and there are wave-based Horde modes to play through. Like Gears of War, however, the game's saving grace is the three player co-op because it is much more fun to slay Orcs with friends.

The Final Battle is a very divided experience. On one hand, the Territory Recovery mode features the same blisteringly fast and thrilling action which made Attack on Titan 2 so great. On the other hand, though, the top billing of the expansion is a big disappointment. Season three content is made with a shamelessly little effort, botching up the upheaval and drama it could have had if it were handled properly. Asking a whopping 50 bucks for the expansion alone is a daylight robbery. However, as a bundle with Attack on Titan 2 and the expansion together, it’s a worthwhile choice for those who haven’t experienced the superb action of the game before.

Lackluster RPG mode aside, Granblue Fantasy Versus has the looks and the gameplay mechanics to be a worthy contender in the fighting game ring. However, the lack of content and thin character roster work against it. The game has simply too little to offer at the moment to seriously challenge its more established fighting game rivals. More characters are promised to come but, of course, they will be paid DLC, that unfortunate bane of modern gaming. Only time will tell if Granblue Fantasy Versus has any staying power but I’m afraid it might be a bit too impersonal to appeal to bigger crowds.

Overall, I had a mixed feeling about Anoxemia. The game is, by no means, terrible. It has a rather interesting story, although told in a minimalist style. It successfully evokes the ambience well with both music and aesthetics. However, I found myself unable to invest in both story and the environment. There is foreboding presence in the deep, but instead of being pressured or scared, I am just largely annoyed by the glaring flaws in the game design. If one could overlook these frustrating factors, this could be a somewhat enjoyable adventure game with a unique premise and solid puzzles. Unfortunately, these infuriating shortcomings require a great deal of willpower to overlook.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is not a bad fighting game, but I would rather play almost any other fighting game that came out this year before it. I didn't find the fun that I was looking for, and considering that this is a $60 retail title, I find it hard to recommend over games like Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown, Persona 4: Arena, or even the older Tekken 6.

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

Senran Kagura Shinovi Versus brought a lot of change to the series by integrating a 3D world into the experience. Many of the old problems that were previously seen in Burst are still present however, including things like repetition and performance issues.

Ultimately, whether you play Skyhill once or a hundred times, there is little chance of becoming a better player, and there’s zero chance of seeing something new along the way.

The best advice I can give is to not come into Persona Q looking for another handheld version of the previous two games. The changes made to the formula may seem minor but they have a huge impact on the experience.

Auto Age: Standoff is a tough one to recommend at $20. There's a great game wanting to claw its way out, but there’s hardly any content, and it doesn’t go far enough with its concept to leave any kind of lasting impact. I was ultimately left wanting more. There are upcoming content updates, but without a solid singleplayer mode or a strong playerbase, there's simply not much to enjoy here.

Gal Metal is an average rhythm game that definitely falls in the “lost potential” category. With the huge falter that is the main plotline, the most appealing part of the main campaign would be the character interactions. Gameplaywise, Gal Metal is a novel concept that is ultimately limited by the accuracy of the motion control hardware.

Perhaps I would have enjoyed 2064: Read Only Memories more if I hadn’t been spoiled by The Red Strings Club, another cyberpunk adventure I reviewed beforehand. It dealt pretty much with the same themes as 2064: Read Only Memories. But in comparison, it was tight, smart, emotional and really involving with its moral choices. There’s an attempt at social commentary here too, mostly regarding human rights (hybrids are the big debate in Neo-San Francisco), but most of the acute agenda is buried under tons of preaching, failing to connect emotionally. In the end, 2064: Read Only Memories plays its hand perhaps too safe. It should provoke when it preaches, and affect when it lectures. Read Only Memories… Indeed! Play With Memories would have been more involving.

EA does the easy job and ported over the console version to the PSP. Nothing too fancy, but still feels like a dumbed down Potter adventure.

The sublime Xbox tennis game looks set for a turn on the PS2, but becomes almost unplayable due to its obscenely long loading times and visual glitches.

Bond is back, and this time on the PSP. While it's great to play Connery on the handheld, it misses some of the memorable elements from its console counterpart.

Zeno Clash II has that unique quality about its world and combat that the first game possessed but it’s polish that is sorely lacking from the overall package.

A medieval version of River City could have had robust stat progression, a sophisticated fighting system, and at the very least, a more interesting story. Instead, we have a barebones palette swap that is still the same beat ‘em up on the inside. Though the core mechanics are fun, it gets repetitive due to a lack of combat depth and stat progression. Regardless, this fantasy palette swap of the old-school games is a valiant effort. Fans of the series will likely find Kunio – or I should say Alexander’s – adventures in Riverandia to be an enjoyable, albeit short, experience. Others unfamiliar with the series seeking a good beat ‘em up may want to consider the original River City Ransom or the 3DS’ River City: Tokyo Rumble instead.

Rainbow Moon is not a bad game, but it's not a particularly good one either. It has a few nice tweaks to circumvent some of the frustrations of JRPG's and tactics games, but it adds some new frustrations of its own.

SpiritSphere has a lot going for it: dedication to the 8bit style, a fantastic soundtrack, novel gameplay, interesting characters, and a myriad of spheres and arenas. There was clearly a lot of work put into SpiritSphere to marry together two disparate genres and it shows. Unfortunately, when stacked up against other competitive games of this nature, SpiritSphere looks like a novel idea that is fun to play for a few hours but lacks the real competitive nature of faster, more hard-hitting games due to its self-imposed 8bit restrictions. While the idea is great and executed in a fun way, it’s hard to recommend SpiritSphere to anyone not interested in an interesting 8bit competitive game due to its lack of depth and competitive multiplayer.

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

Sparkle 2 has some fun moments in the form of color matching addiction, but little else makes the title worth playing.

Of course, every console launch has a few hits and a few misses and ports that feel like cash-grabs. If Bright Memory was a free game, it would be easier to recommend. As even a low-price game, it is hard to sell as representing the power of the new console. If anything, it might be responsible for a little buyer remorse, so my suggestion would be to skip this port and wait for Bright Memory: Infinite in 2021.

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

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

While not pushing the boundaries of the genre in any significant way, Xeodrifter is a well made game which is sometimes all we need.

It's just really disappointing if you ask me. You have a movie in which has a concept that you would think could be golden, but the execution just seems rushed.

Third time's usually a charm, but Pac-Man's adventures on the consoles doesn't capture the magic of its arcade-origins, ends up just an average platformer.

You get a sense that if they had focused more on one of the mechanics or the other, they’d have made a better game; it was just too difficult to balance. But the idea of an interactive sitcom is kind of novel, and the writing is fine enough that in the spots you can actually read it, you can get a good bit of entertainment out of it.

Midway ports their treasured arcade title to the PSP, but renders it almost unplayable due to the wrong display option and unbelievably long loading times.

EA has gotten much better over the years at making expansions that are worth the cost of entry but Pirates and Nobles doesn't fit the build.

My advice would be to rent Rage, it can be completed within a weekend and has a few great moments, just keep your expectations to a minimum.

As it currently stands, The Escapists 2 isn't a bad game. Those able to overlook its flaws will find something wholly unique and immersive, and even those who aren't should find things to enjoy within the first several hours of gameplay. At the same time, however, it's painfully clear that a few more quality of life improvements would have made the game so much better. For those looking to become the next Andy Dufresne, The Escapists 2 will certainly whet your appetite. Unlike the movie, however, don't expect it to be smooth sailing.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a reasonably priced title that is good for pick up and play sessions.

The game works on some level, so you may get more enjoyment out of it than I did. I don’t wholeheartedly recommend that you avoid this game, but you should exercise caution if you decide to take on its challenges.

Tower Wars feels as if it were designed specifically for hardcore strategists. With a tutorial that skips important concepts and the tendency for matches to become one sided, the result is an uncomfortable and frustrating experience for beginners.

With lackluster looks and a lame story serving as ballast, the combat would have to be spot on perfect to carry this game out of mediocrity. It’s good, far and away the best part of the game, with the scoring system adding challenge, thought and tension to the proceedings, but it’s not enough to push this into “must have” status.

Even though I may have sounded a bit overly critical of Momodora:RUM over the course of this review, there is still a perfectly serviceable game here that will certainly find its audience. If you're the type of person who skips cutscenes and plays games at a decibel only a pigeon could appreciate, then I just might have the game for you. While the actual act of playing the game is a pleasure, it's kind of like building a sandcastle in the middle of a construction site; there's fun to be had, but the circumstances you find yourself in are less than ideal.

Chime Sharp is like that old bicycle you’ve left in your garage for the past few years: the framework is solid, but the tires are flat. You take out your old hand-pump that barely works and start pumping away, and after all of the energy spent on that you can finally ride free. Perhaps my analogy is a bit cheesy, but it’s the truth. This game will not offer you a helping hand, so if you want to succeed, you’d best be prepared to put in a lot of effort. It might look a little bland, but it’s certainly not a bad way to spend some of your time. Honestly, if you’re a fan of electronic music and have a lot of patience, those are good reasons to try it.

HEVN is a patchwork of sci-fi, survival and puzzle game influences that almost feels reverse-engineered. All games are the product of thousands of hours of labor and the sincere effort to create an entertaining result. In the case of HEVN, I wished the focus of all that effort had been on a smaller, more original game that started with a compelling character and story that suggested the most appropriate genre, instead of the awkwardly seamed collection of bits and pieces it ended up being.

A mediocre wrestling title that has a great list of wrestlers, and game modes, but doesn't have the goods to back it all up.

I can't emphasize enough how much potential this game had on the Nintendo DS, but unfortunately none of this was put to use and we are left with a sub-par video game that I would only recommend at most as a rental.

It would be really hard for me to recommend Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd you steal our garbage?!! for anyone who wasn't a fan of the show, even at its discounted price of $30. As a game it's solid, neither particularly good or bad. Still, if you like Adventure Time and want to experience more of it, this is a pretty good way to do that.

Mad Riders is not a bad game. It has some truly fun moments that remind me of the best arcade racers. The unfortunate part is that there are a lot of games that are simply better than Mad Riders. The game is cheap enough, at $10, that those who are interested in off road racing should consider checking it out. All others should probably look elsewhere for their racing needs.

What would be more perfect to reach out to the youth with a video game? Except that it features dated visuals and ordinary gameplay features.

Seasons After Fall has its share of issues, but it has enough going for it that there is an audience out there that will gain some enjoyment from it. The game's production values are top notch, so if you can look past the game's problematic level design and simplistic gameplay then you may find it to be a very serene and immersive experience. It is a shame that those issues exist though, because the game's mechanics show some terrific potential. There are scattered moments when all of the game's elements -- its atmosphere, its gameplay, and its graphics -- come together to provide some memorable experiences. In the end though, the story in Seasons After Fall is too vague and confusing to be satisfying, and a game's graphics and music can only carry it so far. There is more than enough art in this package, but there is not enough game.

In the end, the game fails to be anything more than a Senran Kagura also ran. While I’m not opposed to over the top games of this type (not to mention that the combat is pretty fun), it annoys me when the developers don’t do enough with the material they have. The best thing I can say about the game is how well it adapts to being ported to the PC from the PlayStation Vita (which I played quite a bit). The graphics are sharp and the frame rate is slick with minimal slowdown even when numerous enemies fill the screen. That’s where the good mostly ends. Valkyrie Drive Bhikkhuni has short sidedness to its design that Senran Kagura addressed in its own sequel. So who knows? Perhaps Valkyrie Drive Bhikkhuni 2 might be better.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is a fairly enjoyable fighting game. It has some cool gameplay hooks that you don't see in many fighters, but the game does a very poor job of teaching you about any of this. Because of this and the game's $20 price tag, only those who really enjoy fighting games or JoJo's Bizarre Adventure should consider this release.

Imprint-X has style and that goes a long way in terms of making the game stand out. Without its look and without its music it really is just a simplistic game about clicking to solve puzzles. Solving the puzzles provides a sense of accomplishment at times but overall there is no greater purpose or reason to solve them other than the game wants you to. But with that bass beating along in the back maybe you don’t need a better reason than that. For an inexpensive, well-designed puzzle game you can certainly do worse than Imprint-X and it will definitely whittle away the hours without you even knowing.

If you want more story, higher production quality and more layers of control that is fine, but try looking elsewhere. If you are like me and not the greatest strategy player in the world but still want to feel the thrill of managing an army to victory, then this game is for you.

Looks like even Tim Burton can't help but succumb to the movie-game conversion curse. Decent action and gameplay, but nothing to write home about.

The Eternal Castle is a neat experience that prides itself on its unique aesthetic and interesting environments. Unfortunately, gameplay felt a bit dated, though, and left me with conflicted feelings. Overall, The Eternal Castle is undoubtedly a title that is definitely style over substance.

This successor to Blitz: The League starts off strong with an open mode, but let down by simplistic and shallow gameplay. Fun, but only for a while.

While Alwa’s Awakening nails the graphical look and chiptune sound of 80s platformers, it’s too anchored in the past for its own good. Some would say the platforming is too easy compared to those games, but it makes up for those easy spots with frustrating save rooms and making the player replay through the same few screens to get to the next point. Backtracking comes with the territory and while it’s expected in games like this, that doesn’t make it any less tedious. Overall, Alwa’s Awakening sticks to its inspirations for better or for worse, leading to a game that feels like an homage to the 8-bit era without bringing anything new to the table.

Unfortunately, the compromises necessary to make SimCity a multiplayer, always-online game detract from what’s most enjoyable about city-builders, resulting in a product that feels like it’s actively trying to keep the player from having a good time.

Resident Evil 6 is a conflicted game that offers a fun but flawed core experience punctuated by some outstanding moments of action and suspense, along with a host of questionable design choices that often hobble what can be (and often is) an otherwise enjoyable game.

Hotline Miami’s difficulty already kind of bordered into unfair territory, so it’s likely that fans of the original will be able to forgive this sequel’s faults. It does absolutely nothing to attract new fans, but then, no one was asking it to.

Any goodwill to come out Ancient Amuletor (there is a lot!) is largely ruined by a shocking lack of content. I don't know what the developer’s post-launch plans are but unless they offer the game for nothing over $5, there’s no reason to play this (admittedly) great game until there’s enough content to justify your time.

It really is a shame to see this once powerhouse FPS struggle the way it does on the PS3.

Beast Battle Simulator has a cool premise, alright, and a lot of fun until suddenly it isn't anymore. Every encounter tend to start looking the same, no matter what species are battling. It would be a perfect browser game, or cheap tablet title but $10 seems a little steep for a game with fairly limited shelf life.

This high-octane actioner perfectly showcases the 360's graphical power, but is sadly hampered by its lack of depth and repetitive missions.

Koei's epic brawler continues its adventures on the PSP, and improves a bit from the washed-down original with decent multimedia and a large cast of fighters.

Unless you are a diehard Spider-Man fan I would say there are better games to sink your time into this fall.

Monkeys can be quite a handful when they're at school, as this party game features a simplistic and frankly not fun assortment of mini games.

There are parts of Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break that I really came to enjoy. The rolling aspect of the game can be quite rewarding and the humor is consistently outstanding. I also appreciate any game that works well in a split screen local multiplayer today, something which far too many modern games overlook. The tower defense modes just keep showing up, though, and they consistently take away from the experience. Tower defense is never easy on consoles but it can be done, yet on its third try, Rock of Ages is still not where it needs to be. These issues leave us with a muddled experience that can be fun but is hard to enthusiastically recommend.

But in terms of filling more then just a void in the market, Prizefighter doesn’t manage to live up to expectations.

Kirby Fighters 2 is a solid title and can provide some simple fun. It’s almost too simple to hold your attention for long, though, and while there’s a lot to unlock, I was tired of playing it far before I had finished. While it’s understandable why it plays so much like Smash Bros since the developers at HAL designed the early games in that series, it doesn’t do enough to set itself apart to really find a niche. Hardcore Kirby fans may find enough to justify a purchase but for most, there’s an obviously better option available on the same system which is far more worthy of your time.

A season pass promises new characters and campaign missions. I can only hope they also bring along much needed variety to the gameplay.

Tiny & Big is not an altogether bad game. It's certainly not broken, it has a lot going for it, and on paper it would sound great. But it also serves as a good example as to why publishers can be a good thing. I think that with additional play testing and someone higher up to reign in the focus a little, Tiny & Big could have been another entry into the growing list of awesome "indie" games. As is, it's a game with solid base but one that fails to do anything with it.

Fans of One Piece will find that Unlimited World Red does a pretty good job at staying true to the source material, but those unfamiliar with the story and characters will find it difficult to follow along. The combat is pretty fun early on, but it doesn’t evolve enough to keep things interesting.

It's hard to enjoy a game that offers up so little to let you enjoy it. If you don't understand what I mean, there are only a few modes in this game, none of which carry a great deal of depth.

Scooby-Doo introduces some nifty ideas, like the changing disguises, but fails to build on its fundamentals to take the franchise to the next level.

Unless you’re a chronic stat-cruncher and menu enthusiast, though, I can’t imagine that this incremental and grind-heavy sequel will resonate with you.

If I was rating this game on concept alone it would have high marks, but sadly in terms of execution Kane and Lynch 2 battles the line of mediocrity and mediocrity wins out.

With the franchise failing to replicated its handheld success on the console, XD is hampered by linear gameplay and limited options.

The Order: 1886 is such a great looking game, and it’s sad that the gameplay couldn’t be just as impressive. The game falls victim to the old cliche “All flash, no substance”. The cinematic experience is overshadowed by the boring gameplay leading to a visually stunning game but unimaginative, monotonous overall experience.

Minecraft Dungeons is fun if a bit flawed and is one of those games best spent playing online with friends so you have something to do while shooting the shit with each other.

Injustice is the most successful attempt at a fighting game on a cellular device that I have seen, but it certainly has its downsides. Simply, the game can get boring very quickly because of the simplicity of the controls and just the sheer volume of fights that are available to you.

If you weren’t won over by AC Chronicles: China, AC Chronicles: India probably won’t change your mind. But if you want a game with some solid stealth gameplay and a sizeable smattering of timed, platforming bits, you probably won’t be too disappointed (the low price of admission also helps).

The best way I can describe Quantum Break is that it’s a game that I never felt compelled to come back to. I never got invested in the experience; when I sat down to play I always enjoyed myself, but I never found any part of Quantum Break to be all that satisfying. It’s obvious that some masterful developers put this game together but the game lacks the intangible grab that truly great games have. Quantum Break for me ends up being a middle of the road third-person action game with some pretty spectacular ideas with shaky execution.

This is just a game that was set to have high expectations and unfortunately was unable to capitalize on these high hopes and came out with a pretty down the middle experience.

Overall, if you enjoy classic point-and-click adventure games then you just can’t go wrong here. The game even has a sequence where you are reduced to a truly classic adventure game. It can get pretty wild at times. If you’re like me and find point-and-click adventures rather frustrating, there is still a lot of enjoyment to be had. The focus on humor and some clever scenarios can really go a long way into making a genre more tolerable.

The Metroid-style design could be a great fit for Strider, but this first outing comes up a little lacking.

A similar mould as the quirky Feel the Magic, get ready for a fairly confusing plot involving a slew of mini-games, most of which aren't that exciting at all.

Oxenfree has a fabulous soundtrack, well written dialogue, and it takes some bold steps into territory that’s rarely tread in games. The island Alex and company find themselves trapped on holds many secrets, but none of them seem to warrant discovery.

I enjoyed my time with Shiness but it’s not hard to see the faults in the game’s façade. I’m not sure I’ll ever go back to the game but the dozen or so hours I spent with it were enjoyable in a Saturday cartoon kind of way. Shiness is a serviceable action-RPG with a distinct look that will probably make any fan of the manga or PS2 action-RPGs smile.

The Sims has become a huge franchise seemingly overnight, but this simplified PSP port is let down by clunky controls and bare features.

Koei's previously PS2-exclusive strategic brawler makes the jump onto the 360, but sadly doesn't feature any significant next-gen enhancements for the series.

Sometimes you have too much of a focus on one area of a game that the rest seems to fall by the way side, and thus is the case here.

Whispering Willows has some pretty interesting ideas but most of them are never truly realized.

While I applaud Metrico for using the Vita’s various tools, it is a game I might not be fully comfortable playing at a park bench or bus ride. I can only imagine the puzzled looks I get as people see me twist the handheld in different directions. And when the game requires the camera, I had better be in an area with a good light source.

Assassin's Creed III Liberation is possessed of many ideas, and for that, Ubisoft should be applauded. They've managed to pare AC's entire open-world design, with new mechanics to boot, down onto the Vita's hardware, and that alone is worth a look.

Overwhelm takes the action platformer genre to extremes. Despite its borderline unfair camera, players willing to accept the challenge have quite a tense journey ahead of them. It’s a game that controls exceptionally well in order to incentivize skilled play, while leaving enemy placement up to random number generation resulting in a compromise between the two. Due to the more unforgiving aspects, Overwhelm certainly appeals to the very niche audience that values challenge above all else.

Obey Me is one of those indie games that you would love to like and look through its problems. But when you suffer from them long enough, it simply won’t work out. Obey Me’s flawed design might have been saved by proper game testing, but like too many indie games these days, it is oblivious to its problems. Too bad, really, as there are makings for a good co-op brawler, enhanced with a biting punk attitude.

Summer in Mara is as charming as it is frustrating. The game has a lot of potential but it feels rushed and unpolished. Hopefully, future updates will fix many of its issues. It has an instantly likable visual and a well-crafted world but the overall experience is blemished by awkward game design choices.

In terms of tactics and board games, and with the announcement of a bunch of other board game classics coming to the Switch, I can’t really think of a reason to pick up Armello in comparison. It’s alright, and a decent take on a fun way to represent an analog idea within video games, but the game itself doesn’t really have much to hold you beyond a couple of plays.