In its current state, Sea of Thieves comes off as a boring and meaningless. It’s astonishing how void of content it actually is. Absolutely beautiful to look at but completely underdeveloped as a game. In comparison, Pirates! from 30 years ago was ugly even at the time but brimming with things to do and rich world to explore. As a full-priced title, Sea of Thieves is daylight robbery.

This is not a perfect game, it has some issues, and could have used a bit more work, but in the end it still is enjoyable enough to be worth a rental.

You might enjoy the time that you spend with Violett, but you should approach it with modest expectations and a good deal of patience.

Tied Together is a fairly entertaining co-op multiplayer game at core but marred by the lack of variation. Although not a long-lasting experience, it does promise moments of family-friendly fun.

DOOM VFR sounds like a great idea but it doesn’t do enough to justify its existence. Take away the VR headset and it would be just as playable on a TV or computer monitor. It might have actually been better that way, because then I wouldn’t have gotten so uncomfortable. Control issues aside, this is a competent and solidly designed video game that means well enough even though it strips away the cool things that made DOOM great. Skyrim and maybe Fallout aside, not every Bethesda game has to be made into a VR version of itself.

So should you take the dip into Destiny 2? If you are looking for something to sink your teeth into, have a ton of time on your hands, and like shooters, there’s a lot here to get behind. But if, even for an instant, the thought of grinding out slightly better pieces of equipment in a near endless loot to get just to see a number go up just a tiny bit, seems unappealing, you are going to have some issues with Bungie’s future shooter. In the end, I think it may be just a bit to close to the original for me.

The fast-paced scrolling fighter aims for a gentle introduction for PSP gamers, but ends up being too simplistic, despite its excellent visual quality.

For an anniversary edition, Namco's latest compilation just rehashes some of the classics, and doesn't bother with anything else.

I felt like I started the game rushing through each level and making little to no progress at all. But by the end of my time with it I felt like I had learned the ins and outs of the game, despite a few deaths I didn’t feel I had earned.

Although there are a few environments in the game that feel fully realized, and sections of story and dialogue that hint at a much more satisfying gameplay experience, Call of Cthulhu only sporadically engages with the imagination of Lovecraft and too often seems like a sketch that needs to be more completely filled in, shaped and polished. Once again, the particular genius of Lovecraft has eluded us in the video game form.

Towards the end of the game, the mechanics finally start playing with its stratospheric scale. It’s here that Megaton Rainfall’s potential becomes more apparent. The scored aspects are largely botched by dull and awkward mechanics, but the sandbox portion is incredible. If you just do what this god tells you, you’re in for a mediocre experience. But when you learn where the real fun is, it becomes something more. Hopefully, we’ll one day see a game like this that uses its scale as part of the scored challenge. Until then, pick this up when you see it on sale. The feeling it gives you is just too special to miss.

Thea: The Awakening isn’t a bad game, but it’s hard to recommend. Those looking for a tough survival game could do better, yet they could find some enjoyment in it. The highs, though few and far between, did provide a sense of accomplishment when there was actual difficulty behind them. However, the anger and lack of joy found in the defeat, with restarting being almost the only option, is enough to turn off a lot of people.

A trip back to the drawing board would probably be the best bet for the developers as this is a game that has some good intentions but not great execution.

The sequel continues where the hit movie left off, but the action is constantly marred by repetitive gameplay and surprisingly uninspired visuals.

Its definitely worth a look and you might even find yourself enjoying it rather a lot, if you can look past a lot of the games obvious shortcomings.

Sniper Elite V2 felt dated in 2012 and V2 Remastered definitely feels dated in 2019. The game is not terrible by any means, but it’s not particularly good either.

I can’t help but think that Kandagawa Jet Girls is a rather half-baked attempt at a new media franchise to please Senran Kagura fans. With a more prudish approach to the looks and the game, the possible audience might even be wider than before but that would require a great game as an incentive. Beneath their lewd surface, Senran Kagura games were excellent third-person action games. Unfortunately, Kandagawa Jet Girls is a mediocre racing game at best as it fails in the essentials of the genre. It simply lacks the speed, the excitement, and the challenge to make it to the top.

The Impossible Game is a good way to burn 10 to 15 minutes at a time. All in all I can’t complain much about it. It was what I expected it to be and was a good bit of fun to boot.

There is fun to be had in Megabyte Punch but just not to the extent of its obvious inspirations.

The game is put together competently, but missteps and minor issues are repeatedly encountered to the point where they grow large in scale. A good concept and the intent to make a strong game is there, and by trying to reap a niche market, the developers clearly have the passion to make a great game. However, there aren’t enough hooks to keep you strongly invested in Titan Quest.

All in all, I did not really enjoy Trials of Mana. It feels rushed, cheaply made, and the gameplay just doesn’t engage me. I realize this may be a frustrating opinion for fans of the series (who are very passionate), but this game just isn’t for me and I feel like it is not put together or balanced very well. If you’re already a big fan of the series, you might find this title to be quite enjoyable. As it is, though, I find it to be a bit of a mess.

AO International Tennis is sadly not a great game of tennis. It can still be buggy (I’ve had it hard crash a couple of times), has really long load times, and just isn’t all that compelling. I put a ton of time into AO International Tennis and I can say that I never once found myself fully invested.

I really can't recommend Tiny Troopers for the PC. Even ignoring my own issues with the trooper design, I think the publisher's are asking a lot and not delivering enough for the $9.99 price tag. While the controls are tight and responsive, I think this title is one better left to the quick play opportunities of the less expensive mobile market.

The game has the mechanics down in the flying and running, but the combat and the game's progression just isn't up to par with where it needs to be.

That beauty is just so fleeting, though. Dustforce doesn’t give you these moments enough and often it felt more like attrition instead, where the game and I just beat each other down until we were both bloody messes with me as the last one standing.

Limbo’s idea of a challenge is to lure you into false solutions until you happen upon the one that works, that is to say, if it works within the parameters of your limited movement. But the harsh truth is that trial and error is actually quite easy once you accept its inevitability. In fact, at that point it even manages to be minimally frustrating. The real issue is that it’s just so overwhelmingly dull, so mentally unstimulating, akin to floating in some kind of... limbo. Hm.

In the end, Dying: Reborn VR could have been a fairly okay product if it weren’t so harshly abridged. It’s a good enough VR experience, but without a coherent story to back it all up, it amounts to nothing more than a paid demo. If you're new to PlayStation VR, there are much better ways to spend your money and time.

It was a valiant effort by Dontnod, but it missed the mark. Graphically beautiful but mechanically messy, Twin Mirror is a failed attempt at a psychological thriller. The worst disappointment, however, is that the game made me want to visit Basswood, which...doesn’t exist.

Nostalgia is the sole reason I can fathom someone would want Dragon's Lair at this point and, admittedly, the Xbox Live Arcade version is as solid as a HD release as either the iOS or PSN release. Regardless, Dragon's Lair is a quest best remembered in kind aged memories rather than on your Xbox 360.

A hack and slash game should have been a decent choice for a newly launched console, but this one is made nearly unplayable by its frustrating camera system and shallow gameplay.

Sadly, about halfway through the lessons, the difficulty of completing the challenges spike, making the training far more aggravating then helpful. With this being the only other mode, the entire package feels feature light, even for a moderately priced downloadable offer.

Samurai Riot is a flawed take on the beat 'em up genre. While the game may supply a few fun nights of mindless gameplay, especially if conquered with a friend, its combat lacks the depth needed to truly engage the players, despite its interesting narrative and characters. Given beat 'em ups' storied history, there are far better games deserving your time.

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

The cartoon might be a hit with the younger crowd, but the game disappoints with its unresponsive controls and lackluster action.

Assassin’s Creed Liberation HD fails to meet the same measure of fun that previous games in the series managed to accomplish.

Although the gameplay is sometimes too light for its own good, the relaxing nature of the experience, and the likable cast of idols makes the experience worth trying to some degree. Producing Perfection is such a unique title however, that most gamers will probably want to pass over this experience to something with a little more substance.

Dog Duty’s marketing makes it seem like a blast, but actually playing it is a sobering experience. It has its moments, and will surely be to someone’s taste, but the whole thing feels like wasted potential. It blends the tactics and action together in a way that dilute both halves, and what’s left is an experience that is too hollow to be a tactical, and too automated to have satisfying gameplay.

The combination of an energetic heroine exploring a vibrant world showed enough promise to make me eager for its debut. It’s both sad and frustrating to see the final product because I know it can be so much better. Travel is tedious, with environments so large as if to inspire awe but are a real slog to cross. Half-baked ideas, poor performance, and low reliability prevent it from reaching any heights and unless there’s some serious patchwork to be done, I can easily see this game being forgotten by the end of the year, if not sooner. Ary and the Secret of Seasons has its heart in the right place and displays flashes of greatness but nothing short of a major overhaul can fix its numerous and significant flaws.

Sony throws together some mini games and slaps the "spy" moniker in this lazy attempt to cash in on the holiday buying craze.

I truly believe that Beenox needs to re-look at how they develop their future Spider-Man titles because games like Edge of Time give me little reason to ever want to play another Spider-Man game again. Sure the game is competent, but worth recommending, not in the slightest.

Asura's Wrath is a title that's light on the undeniables, but foremost among those is that there's nothing else quite like it right now. That's not an entirely good thing, as Asura's exploits are likely best suited for other gameplay styles, or even other media.

What we have in the end is a game that charms you with how it looks and feels, but then does nothing to keep your attention. It shows you that it doesn't want to be generic; that it genuinely wants to be an entertaining and memorable experience. However, it's shallow, repetitive, and tedious- things that were probably meant to be obscured by its broken online mode. With its likable premise and art style, this one really makes you wish it were better than it is. There seems to be a gore-free gem in every genre. Super Dungeon Bros is not one of them.

Unfortunately, when all of the issues stack up—the snail's pace gameplay, the graveyard-quiet servers, the small player base, the not-very-good server connections, the flat and lifeless sound design, and the futility of trying to play a squad-based game when most people just want to go for kills—it makes it kind of hard to recommend Verdun on Xbox One.

The featured gameplay is too samey and numbing to hold excitement through longer spells of playing. Even in shorter sessions, you can’t help but wonder if you’re just wasting your time. The thing is, everything in the game, from visuals to the gameplay, is definitely B-grade stuff - except for the price tag.

Deadly Premonition succeeded because it was fascinating to watch the story unfold through a series of arcs that would eventually involve everyone in the town by the end of the game. For the sequel, many of its characters are little more than obstacles to overcome and when you do, you barely hear from them ever again unless the story calls for them to make an appearance out of convenience. When you get right down to it, A Blessing In Disguise’s attempt to recapture lightning in a bottle largely fumbles because of its severe banality and ho-hum drama.

If you are looking for a cheap way to spend a few hours with some friends, and want something light enough to tear through and easy enough to put down when you’ve had your fill, you might find some enjoyment here. Otherwise, I’d look elsewhere.

In the end I found the game to be fun in small doses, but the repetitive levels and grindy gameplay turned me off.

Alan Wake is at its best when it is tense yet manageable. Those moments when you know you have little ammo but can strategically take out a group of baddies with the right timing are absolutely incredible. Sadly those moments don't pop up often in American Nightmare and the story dies out pretty quickly which was the original game's saving grace. I can't speak for every fan of Alan Wake but it was the story and atmosphere that pulled me in like darkness did to Wake, without those being exciting the gun-play does little to hold my interest.

As much as Battle of the Bands could have been, it ends up being a game that takes good ideas from other games, adds the very odd weapons, and gives a lackluster performance.

Hopefully, Under Pressure is just a momentary blip in a great series rather than a signal of rocky storytelling to come. Given their reign as the all around favorites of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, it would be a shame for other stories featuring this dynamic cast to simply be regulated to “just ok” status.

It’s a shame, really: what could have been a cute, well-crafted platformer for home consoles ended up being a poorly-made port of a (much better) Vita game.

I wish I could say that the art of Shuyan Saga is amazing, the story is compelling and the game is challenging. Indeed, the premise was too good to be true. Apart from the occasionally cool fighting, the game lacks everywhere else. Even as it is though, Shuyan Saga somewhat fills the gaping shortage of wuxia games. Come to think of it, has there even been a wuxia game since BioWare’s excellent but widely unappreciated Jade Empire? The lack of better examples in the genre is the only reason I can hesitatingly recommend Shuyan Saga to the fans of Chinese kung fu movies.

It’s delightful that marginal games like Overpass are coming out that serve the need of a very niche market. What is not pleasing, though, is that the quality of the game doesn’t match its full-price tag. For all intent and purposes, Overpass should be a budget title that would excuse some of its issues. As it stands now, I can’t help but think that Overpass feels like playing a PS2 game on an emulator in HD resolution. Maybe some 15 years ago it could have been a cutting edge, but now ... not.

Darkestville Castle is imaginative and well-written, but the obscurity of the puzzle solutions, unfriendly design choices, and presence of a potentially game breaking bug make it difficult to recommend. If you love retro adventure games and have a high tolerance for difficult puzzles, you might want to check it out. Just back up your save as you go.

Slender: The Arrival is the definition of a one-trick pony. But it’s a mangy-looking pony, and it isn’t especially good at its trick. It is a shaky start for a series that hasn’t left me all that excited for any sequels. Blue Isle Studios nailed the tense atmosphere, and with some improvements to graphics and story, it could be the foundation of a decent horror franchise.

I thought I would've been more engaged in both campaigns, but I felt that both modes were pretty bland. Yes, it had its fun moments but they were few and far between.

The frame rate and over simplistic gameplay really makes this game not fun to play. Although Gretzky does have some nice features on paper, the overall play out of the game is just disappointing.

It isn’t a terrible game by a long stretch, and it is possible to like it if you don’t mind playing through what amounts to an interactive novel. It does have a few memorable moments.

To crack an old chestnut, Guardians of Middle Earth has the potential to turn newcomers into fans of the genre, but it certainly isn’t up to their standard.

While the movie wasn't quite original, the game didn't fare all that well either, bogged down by lame characters, uninspired gameplay and dull visuals.

In the end, The Suicide of Rachel Foster feels like the quintessential first draft of a horror/drama flick latched to a graceless gameplay template. The excitement and deliberate pacing early on suggest learning from the industry’s best exemplars. Ominous warnings suggest ghosts are roaming The Timberline’s halls. As it progresses, however, uncoordinated game design and tonally-tangled storytelling turns that engagement frozen stiff. Like walking through a grand hotel with years of decay, you can’t help but wonder how it could fare under new management.

To succeed in its ambition as a homage to the long-lost genre, Raging Justice should have been an excellent street brawler. Now its desires are only skin-deep, basking in leftovers of aesthetics the time deserted. The game can be fun in short bursts, but only in short bursts. Any longer and the frustration due to the gameplay issues will kick in again. It’s a shame Raging Justice is not nearly as good - and more importantly, as fun - as it sets out to be.

For a $10 game Orc Attack is decent for the price. You get what you pay for in this case. Go in for a cheap game and you’ll get is a cheap game. It will hold you over for a few hours, maybe more if you have some friends you can bribe/guilt into joining you, but don’t expect to come back to it once you’re finished.

Afterfall: Insanity is a bit of a mess. Everything about this product comes off as unfinished and if given more time to cook and iron out the bugs, the game could be enjoyable but in its current state it is barely passable.

I will admit that there is a sizable chunk of content here as my fifty five hour playthrough was made up of about ninety five percent main story and five percent of late game sidequests. But when the game feels chore to play, some brevity would have been welcomed. It's a shame to see a title with so much promise feel so flat, but I guess Lost Sphear's main characters' optimism has rubbed off on me. I still think the folks at Tokyo RPG Factory have the ability to make a truly outstanding game. Here's to hoping.

On the surface, Tamarin is a cute, beautifully-made action game with the most adorable of protagonists. However, while the game succeeds in its colorful aesthetics and enticing music, it lacks in its depth and storytelling. There is ultimately too much monkeying around and not enough substance. The game gets an A for effort when it comes to creativity, but ultimately the frustration outweighed the enjoyment.

There are better shooters out on the market.

Beyond just the fact that it’s a little boring to play, there are also the weird problems to deal with, and the game’s charm is nowhere near enough to make up for them. Even when you’re playing, it does so much of taking care of itself that I started to wonder why I’m even playing this when it can so easily play itself.

Even when they have no competition, Ubisoft completely misses the mark on the monster truck racing genre with this run-of-the-mill and dull game.

In the end, It Lurks Below is not a bad effort but everything it offers we’ve seen numerous times before. There is nothing about it that is objectively bad but there isn’t anything that stands out either. It’s a perfectly serviceable indie title that just ends up reminding us of better and more original games out there. In the vast sea of independent games, that’s simply not enough.

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

It just falls flat, showing small signs of life, but otherwise just not worth your time.

Square Enix's track record is questioned here, as the update to the 'SaGa' franchise fails miserably due to a disjointed plot and lack of directions.

For someone interested in the science behind things like perception and emotion, it could be a useful tool, if you are willing to dig into the provided library and spend time putting those words into action. For most though, it’s worth a look about as much as those huge birthday predictor omnibuses seen on the shelf of your local Barnes and Noble. It’s fun to flip through, but not nearly entertaining or worthwhile enough to buy.

Grinding out levels and paid for content have their places in games, and neither should be in a $10 downloadable game based on a movie. There are a few moments that the game feels really fun but those moments wear off very quickly once the grind kicks in. Unless Real Steel is a movie that defines you there really isn't any reason to go whole hog over this game. Oh, it doesn't have Hugh Jackman in it in case you were wondering.

While it is not a horrible game itself, I could not help but feel that MechRunner was a game released on the wrong platform, towards the wrong audience, with wrong core design decisions. During my play, I was expecting something unique and innovative from MechRunner, which would distinguish itself from other mindless endless runners. Sadly, my search was fruitless. MechRunner did nothing that warrants your precious time.

The Wake: Mourning Father, Mourning Mother is too uncoordinated in the game being made and the story being told. It hits a strange chord with me because I find Somi laudable and his previous work worth investigating. The visual/audio design’s toned-down, retro ethos marries well with the saccharine storytelling and yet, obstructive gameplay frequently flatlined my drive to turn the next page.

Dokuro feels like an idea with a lot of passion and little effort in its execution.

Better stick to the book as this game proves to be too simplistic and dull to be of any fun.

Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD might be worth a look if you were really into the series in its prime and want to experience a cleaned-up version of a distinct, defining moment in video games. For casual fans or new recruits, though, there's nothing in this high-def remix that will speak to them. And even the biggest of fans may feel mighty hollow by the shaky treatment of the once king of extreme sports games.

Battling zombies should be an exciting and frightening experience, but instead turns into a farce with laughable AI and linear gameplay.

Progressing through the levels felt way too slow, finding collectible candles frustrated me, and I wasn’t particularly fond of the camera. The story failed to grab my attention due to the bland protagonist and the boring narrative. The gameplay mechanics stay somewhat interesting throughout, but the level design, platforming, and puzzles hold it back from greatness. Candleman is a decent experience, but it’s not a game I’d recommend without a few warnings.

I can't say enough how disappointed I was with the final results of Kengo: Legend of the 9. There is so much potential for a realistic samurai title that it's hard to see something going much worse than this.

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

Nether: The Untold Chapter isn’t a bad game by any means, but it's also not perfect. I’m glad to find, however, that updates are constantly being made available that will hopefully entice new players to join and keep playing. Best case scenario, they add in a mechanic that means you don't have to start over each time you die, whether it's a box to save some gear, or the option to respawn. Worst case, they fix the hit box on enemies, making them fiendishly difficult to kill, make them spawn a lot closer together to overrun the player, or even add a new, never before seen Nether.

I honestly believe a video game where you play as the eagle that eats Prometheus’ liver would be more exciting than Theseus. Everything about Forge Reply’s game is superficial. It’s pretty to look at, but the gameplay is terribly hollow and lacks variety. Adding to that, it fails to do anything meaningful with VR, using it only to create tension through a series of fixed camera angles whose transition are jarring and disorienting. It pains me to say that this is one game that should have been sacrificed to Hades.

Where The Bees Make Honey has some interesting ideas with presentation and puzzles. However, the persistent high level of frustration I felt with trying to navigate the majority of the adventure because of issues out of my control completely overshadowed any of the good stuff.

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

The PS4 version just isn’t up to the challenge and doesn’t deserve to be played as the PC version is clearly better in every way.

Exile’s End is a game full of ideas that have already been done before. From a narrative standpoint this leaves the game feeling predictable, shallow and uninspired. While from a gameplay standpoint, it captures the feeling of a classic 2D action side scroller that is a blast to play. If your entering this game for a thought provoking story with interesting twist and turns, you will be disappointed. If you go into expecting a classic gameplay style that feels great to return to, then you will be pleased.

Unless you are a diehard Dynasty Warriors fan, I can't promise you intriguing gameplay, but there is a fun story locked behind all the repetitiveness. Maybe one day we'll see the One Piece game that this story deserves. Until then, I think I might just search out some episodes of the anime and see how they stack up.

Boost Beast is an underwhelming take on the established match three formula. The few attempts Arzest make to set it apart backfire, making much of the game dependent on luck. You either lack the correct colors to defeat the zombies or you score ridiculously big boosts with very little effort, making even victory unsatisfying. Unless you absolutely must have your match three fix on the Switch, there are better puzzle games out there.

If you’re a fan of Ubisoft’s open-world design, then you’ll enjoy this game to an extent, but there’s little done here that Watch Dogs 2 didn’t do as well or more so in 2016. It’s a fun stealth-action open-world hacking game, but it’s one that falls under its own weight in many ways. So please, do not play the Xbox One S version. Like the first Watch Dogs, it over promises, under preforms, and this soon-to-be previous-generation version will be forgotten quickly.

Bringing the casino experience to the handheld remains an elusive dream, as this is just a lazy compilation of simplistic parlor games.

The Mooseman has an amazing musical composition that had me listening to folk music of the Komi for the first time. In addition to what I heard, the game also illustrated a history and mythology I had no prior knowledge of. Unfortunately, the game fell short in delivering a worthwhile gaming experience because it lacks actual gameplay design. After finishing the game, I felt that the Finno-Ugric mythology would have been better served by watching a cinema-quality short which The Mooseman essentially was.

Everything feels so shallow because of this, nothing hooks the player in for hours on end, instead serving as a timewaster for a few minutes before finding something else to do. Seeing as this game is available on mobile phones that would be the ideal platform to play while waiting for a flight or bus.

On paper, there’s a lot to like in Redeemer: melee combos, counter attacks, various weapons, environmental interaction, stealth kills, fun gore, and co-op. In practice, however, there’s little to get excited about. Redeemer – enhanced or not – feels painfully uninspired. All of its mechanics work, yet they do very little to enthuse. It’s the epitome of a game with few glaring issues but similarly no high points to prop it up. If, for whatever reason, you’re starved for top-down action games, it’s worth looking into. For the rest of us, it’s very much a “been there, done that” affair.

It's too bad that a game that allows you to play both as a stealth experience or a action game doesn't manage to do either of them very well.