Hand of Fate 2 has a perfect home on the Nintendo Switch, as it is the perfect game to play between classes or just before going to sleep. The portability the Switch offers for a game like this is phenomenal and I could not see myself playing on any other system. However, I've never felt both so frustrated and so satisfied by a game before. I simultaneously want to keep playing it and also to never touch it again. As a result, I have no idea how to rate this. I guess I will rate it right down the middle, with a few bonus points for the truly amazing voice talent.

It’s clear that earlier Frontier games like Kinectimals, Zoo Tycoon and Planet Coaster have been stage-setters for this ultimate zoo sim. Whether you enjoy theme park builders, economic sims or most importantly, creating the zoo of your dreams, Planet Zoo will satisfy you, but be prepared for an order of complexity that the previous games managed to avoid, or at least hid a little better. Although it lacks an “immediate gratification” mode, Planet Zoo is still an amazing tool for exercising your imagination and enjoying your love of animals.

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

The plot and characterization revolving around Joseph, the Heralds, and the cult are very engrossing, and combined with the solid first-person shooter gameplay and free exploration, it’s a game that’s hard to put down. The fact that you can play the entire game in co-op is icing on the cake.

The plot is certainly original for an RPG, with the concept of cells as the unseen enemy of mankind. Certainly would have made a good movie by Hollywood standards.

Maldita Castilla EX: Cursed Castile is very much a love letter that will satisfy people who yearn for the good ol’ days of arcade games; however, it carries with it the same kind of content, blemishes and all. There are no bugs or crippling design choices that ruin the game, but there’s little incentive to play it more than once unless you’re truly enraptured by the initial experience.

Overall, Fast RMX is a blast, especially for the low cost-to-entry on the eShop. It may not fully satisfy those who have been clamoring for a new F-Zero for so many years, but it certainly comes closer than any other game that springs to mind. While the game’s content might not be able to hold certain players’ attentions for lengthy periods of time, Fast RMX’s capacity for fun multiplayer, especially at the local-level, makes it an easy recommendation.

Mirrors Edge is an intense and intensely enjoyable experience from top to bottom that manages to capture a very interesting gameplay element and perfect it.

Goodbye Despair is a perfect example of how a sequel should be done.

For fans who played and loved the early games, Battlefield V is like a memory on steroids. It’s a very good game, not quite a great one yet, but six months from now it may prove to be a high water mark in the franchise.

The PS4 version of The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is an amazing port of one of last year’s best adventure games. The strong narrative, complex puzzles, and amazing graphically prowess makes this mystery one worth solving.

This in no way shape or form is a bad game, but I also felt like there was more they could have done to take it further.

The cult movie gets yet another video game treatment, this time on the PSP. It's yet another solid outing for Rockstar, with plenty of brawling and side missions to do.

After years of churning out wrestling titles, Yuke's further refines the whole package, making this one a solid choice on the next-gen 360.

The PC’s Komplete Edition is the best way to experience this game, technically. A modest gaming machine can run it with a nice smooth framerate and settings set high. The game has never looked more detailed and crisp, and timing your movements feels a little easier with the improved performance.

Sine Mora EX doesn’t do much to differentiate between its older version. Apart from an added local couch co-op mode, new time attack variants, difficult challenge modes, and a boost in visuals, you’d be hard pressed to find anything out of the ordinary. I enjoyed the game more after playing it on a larger television screen because the game’s beauty and detail are done justice on a 55” screen as opposed to the smaller OLED on the Vita. Even if shmups are not your thing, passing on Sine Mora EX for that reason means missing out on a great, story driven side scrolling shooter that has style, maturity, and unexpected plot twists.

For the most part, the Shadowrun reboot has been a success, but not a resounding one. If you played the old SNES or Genesis game and wanting that same experience, you will be pleased by what Shadowrun: Dragonfall has to offer.

Despite the game's age, it still looks really nice on the Xbox One with the upscaled resolution and increased framerate, but even more impressive perhaps is the fantastic score and intricate level design. Ys: Origin isn't a long game, but the time spent is surely satisfying. Story issues aside, there's a lot of enjoyment here for JRPG fans and the game is also a great starting point for any newcomers to the series.

MechAssault 2 struggles with its single player mode and strives with its multiplayer support to still bring you another great Mech experience.

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy is a great entry point for those unfamiliar with JRPGs but who would like to get acquainted with this perhaps mythical genre. At the same time, you also have to learn and put up with grinding, because now and then you will encounter bosses that are a bit too much for an under-leveled party. Thanks to the snappy combat, quick gameplay and easy traversal, you are back in the home base in no time for another go. Ryza’s bright attitude will rub on you and make it easier to go through chores and grinding of real life.

What's nice about FIFA is that it does a very nice mix of simulation and arcade gameplay that works wonderfully with the game.

I would recommend this content to any fans of pinball or Ant-Man.

Trendy Entertainment surely has raised the bar on tower defense games and have given RPGs a well-constructed challenge.

The VR Case Files, though technically well-adapted to the platform, is a novelty, a carnival rendition of a game I hold a huge amount of personal respect for. If nothing else, I thank L. A. Noire: The VR Case Files for reaffirming my love and respect for the original game.

Although it would benefit from being either a bit shorter and/or having a bit more variety, Void Bastards is easy to recommend. It looks unique and has enough fun baked in that failure rarely feels frustrating or punishing. Fans of action games as diverse as Bioshock or FTL will enjoy it and anyone who chuckles at games like The Stanley Parable will feel at home with Void Bastards’ sense of absurd humor.

All too often in the world of sports games, the same titles are offered year after year with only a new number slapped to the suffix. WRC 9 is a gratifying exception to this rule. The improvements compared to the past versions might not be big, but they are just in the right places. While the game still has some issues that need to be catered for in the future versions, it offers a great alternative reality to the full rally season with its huge amount of content and quality racing. And now, excuse me, I have the next rally to drive.

The career mode is a great addition to the series and the gameplay is definitely picking up some steam.

BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! is a triumphant return for one of Nintendo’s underappreciated square-shaped heroes. The core campaign, albeit a solid iteration that newcomers will enjoy, plays a little too safely for BoxBoy! veterans. Thankfully, the new co-op and Qudy modes are the reinvigorating jolts this series needed, delivering clever and refreshing ideas to mix up the simple block-making formula. Hopefully, this Switch debut marks a bright future for the box family.

Make no mistake, while Northgard might not have pages of tech trees and armies of clashing units, it has a fundamental gameplay loop that is never less than engaging and consistently challenging. Northgard is an RTS where neither the usual binary strategies of turtling or aggression are effective and where every victory feels especially sweet.

Dark, terrifying, and endlessly aggravating in the best possible way. While the Thing that came from the stars doesn’t quite reach the horrifying peaks of the Shambler, or the *shudder* body horror of those damned mosquito vampires, any reason to revisit the homestead and check in on the poor, unfortunate souls who answered the call is good one.

The game lacks depth, and is just too short to be enjoyed.

I am just really disappointed that the game didn't include more in the single player portions of the game, but luckily make up most of its ground in the multiplayer side of the game.

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

While it might be a surprising translation between genres, Gears Tactics plays like it was meant to be. The game is often quite challenging and instead of the twitch reflexes of a shooter, it demands smart and strategic thinking. It nails the look and feel of Gears and adds some welcome refinements and improvements to the now-standard turn-based formula. Lengthy and populated by familiar and violent Gears of War moments of triumph, Gears Tactics suffers a bit in the areas of story and character and repetitive mission structure. In most ways, however, Gears Tactics is a refreshing and unexpected take on the Gear of War saga.

There is intensity in the pre-game intro that carries into the first snap and concludes as the last second ticks off the clock. Even without any game changing additions, there was a clear focus on smoothing out the rough edges and making the best playing Madden of this generation.

For the price of the DLC, fans of the original game or genre will surely get their money worth.

All of these little changes go a long way to help make the game feel different. It's still that same great Civ experience, but it adds a lot more and does some smart things to change up the balance.

This is a wonderful port that has a lot going for it, but it’s still probably the worst version of the game unless you're determined to play in Handheld Mode despite the lighting issues that come with doing so, or you really love gyro controls. You'll still have a great time with the conversion, and I commend 4A games for translating these games so well, but you will be making a trade-off. If the Switch is your only option to play Metro Redux, though, I can recommend conversion without hesitation. There's nothing else quite like it on the system.

Watch Dogs is far and away the best game to released for the new consoles.

It is a good game, one that continues to build upon the really great franchise from Namco.

If you're a fan of GTA, then Bully: Scholarship Edition is a game that you should at least check and give a chance, it will surprise you.

There may be those gamers that will be so turned off by Youropa's control issues that they won't enjoy the experience. If you can look past them, though, you will find that the game is everything you would hope for out of an indie puzzle platformer - quirky and playful on the surface, with a solid gameplay foundation underneath.

The best thing about a new Pokemon game is that it's more Pokemon. The core of the series continues to be sound, but in the end the series needs to get better at following up on the story that it teases us with. After such a strong departure for the series the original Black and White, it's a shame to see Version 2 take a step back and offer such inferior characters and story beats. Despite being the follow up to the best Pokemon games in years, though, Black and White Version 2 have to settle for being "pretty good," leaving us waiting for the next real evolution in the series.

One of the, if not the best, best squad based shooters on the market today.

Ever dream of sailing the high seas and plundering treasures and riches from all over? Then Sid Meier may have given you the perfect pirates game.

Tyranny takes a lot of chances and offers some brilliant new ideas, most of which pay off making for another worthy addition to the genre. Unfortunately, it clearly shows the rough edges of a limited budget and/or short development cycle, limitations that diminish the game’s appeal. Tyranny is worth playing despite these issues but temper your expectations.

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

It’s a meaningful and beautiful creation far more entrenched in the human experience than any other game I’ve played.

While The Bug Butcher won’t be amazing gamers with its unique premise anytime soon, it’s a game that is well worth playing for a handful of hours.

The mighty AoE RTS gets ported to the DS, and manages to retains much of the classic's gameplay charms in this much addictive turn-based game.

There is plenty of depth in Madden 07 to make this game a good solid purchase.

At the end of the day whether you jump in for the grind or not, NBA 2K18 is an amazing game of basketball. I know the microtransactions are going to drive some nuts, but for me personally, I found a ton of enjoyment without ever once thinking about spending money. I believe that the foundation that 2K has laid with the neighborhood could revolutionize not only this franchise but others out there. It’s a compelling way to extend the life of a sports game far past the initial season. If 2K is able to soften the grind without having to pay to win, NBA 2K should have no problem remaining the king of sports games.

Snipperclips is an absolute delight that should not go overlooked. This charming title had the ability to pull me away from Breath of the Wild, while still providing truly innovative puzzle design. This game works better as a multiplayer experience, inviting others to join in with its cartoonish designs and side-splitting gameplay. Snipperclips isn’t a long game, but it’ll still provide hours of head-scratching, gut-busting, body-snipping fun.

There are definitely some mechanics to be fixed, namely the monotony of the combat, but I enjoyed my time in this bleak world thoroughly.

Its varied level design, gratifying gameplay, vast amount of content, and palpable tension make 1001 Spikes a must-play for people seeking a challenge.

When all is said and done, Age of Wonders III: Eternal Lords is an easy expansion pack to recommend. It applies a new coat of paint to the series that is good for another 30+ hours of addictive turn-based gameplay. If you wore out the core game and the first expansion pack, then Eternal Lords is good enough to entice you to dust them off again.

Odds are there are better overall table packs out there for FX3. While the DOOM table is pretty excellent, it's difficult for me to recommend the pack that heavily because the other two tables just don't particularly give you much to go with. If you own those other and better packs and are just looking for more, then give this a go. Otherwise, I recommend reading some of our other pinball table pack reviews to see which ones are more worth your time.

At a mere tenner, Detective Di: The Silk Rose Murders is a no-brainer to pick up for anyone looking for a cerebral and emotional murder mystery. Also, anyone interested in the historic era the game presents will find a real winner here.

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

The addition of mini-games and online mode are welcome, but the absence of upgrades to the gameplay and the lack of a career mode are huge downsides to the game.

Assassin's Creed Revelations will satisfy those who are looking for more of the same but if you're expecting some major innovations, prepare to be disappointed. Revelations isn't a bad game, but the experience no longer feels fresh.

What Valhalla lacks in originality the visceral and fun combat makes up the deficit—and that speaks volumes to me given that Assassin’s Creed never quite found its footing in this area. Packed with enough content on the disc and planned future DLC, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is another hefty and captivating entry in Ubisoft’s long-running historical franchise.

While it isn’t perfect, Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is one of the best action-RPGs I’ve played in recent years. With fantastic combat, a compelling story and characters, and exploration which is among my favorite in any recent game, after a slow first hour or two it grabbed me and never let go. Whether you’re a series veteran or you’ve never played an Ys game in your life, you’ll find an adventure that’s well worth taking.

It can feel weird going back to the older format after spending hours acclimating yourself to the gameplay of New Creed but neither Black Flag or Rogue feel dated in any way and remain insanely playable to this day. And if that doesn’t sell you, perhaps knowing that the Rebel Collection offers the finest collection of sea shanties this side of the West Indies will have you galavanting over to the Nintendo eShop.

Even during the game’s most frustrating and devious puzzles, I really enjoyed my time with Transpose. It looks great, with its dream-like atmosphere and abstract art skyboxes. And for as potentially confusing as the gameplay can sound like on paper, it’s easy to settle into a rhythm and really get into creating multiple copies of yourself running through different routines and movement patterns. Transpose is an attractive and creative PSVR puzzler that’s easily recommended.

If you are a Vita owner and you have loved the Uncharted games in the past, or if you just love third person action games, then there is no reason why you shouldn't enjoy this title.

The game has too many instances where things will be going great and you will be enjoying it and then you will be stuck having to get enough hero points to complete the chapter. The other big downside to the game is the fact that the enemies are more of an annoyance then a challenge.

Pix the Cat is a fun action title that features some quick gameplay, catchy music, and a vivid art style.

Condemned 2: Bloodshot is another solid outing for Monolith and SEGA.

Rarely do I laugh my way through an entire game but even in the intense action scenes Blood Dragon is still throwing humor out every which way.

Overall, if you like difficult dungeon crawlers with a sharp challenge, there's an amazing amount of content packed in Strange Journey Redux. Personally, I found it a bit too difficult and tedious to appreciate the gameplay, but I thought the story was amazing and surprisingly deep. Overall, my feelings of the game are very mixed. I can appreciate how well constructed it is and how deep its many layers go, but personally I didn't find it very fun to play.

I am shocked to say this but Driver: San Francisco is a great game that is perfect for anyone who enjoys a good arcade racing experience.

When treated like a harmless action movie, it’s hard not to have a rip-roaring time with Blood & Truth. The game knows what it is and has a good sense of humor about itself.

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

BOXBOXBOY! is an excellent puzzle game that adds to the concept of the original in a simple way that smartly changes how levels play out. It still feels good, and some of the puzzles are real mindbenders, and even though there’s a bit too much similarity between it and the first game, it’s impossible to go wrong with a $5 asking price for something so fun.

All in all I’d say if you are a fan of JRPGs you should give this one a try. The journey was fun and the characters were likable enough with some character development along the way. The combat makes gives a twist to the standard turn based combat and slight customization of skills and magic are fun to play around with.

Anyone who likes dungeon crawlers will find a lot to like if they stick with it, I just fear that far too many players won’t get to explore just how good this game is once you find your footing. Other games in the genre are learning how to welcome new players and ramp them up to what the game requires of them and in this area, Crown Trick is lacking. I hope with time and patches it can get there because the core of the game is absolutely worth your time.

Outlast is the pinnacle of a less is more design philosophy. While other horror titles use jump scares and musical cues Outlast utilizes startling imagery and precision timing to make you call for mommy.

Throughout much of its length, Virginia manages to steer its story in surprising and unexpected detours, giving us moments and images that defy the intellect and yet still resonate deeply. While its abstracted art style and ambiguity might be a barrier to some, Virginia is suffused with humanity and a few memorable mysteries.

What I like about the game is that it's simple but it's not overly simple, in that the game has a lot of different things going on in the background that you may not even notice.

The Darkness II is not a perfect game. It's short, the co-op is not as impressive as the single-player, the bosses are tedious, and some of the combat scenarios are poorly designed, but the game is extremely well-paced and can be great fun to play when everything works right, and it usually does. Combine that with a phenomenal story and great graphics the Darkness II is a game that I happily recommend.

In no way should that inevitable feeling stop your from playing this, though. The joy you’ll find from the craziest dogfight you’ve ever engaged in will far out weigh the point when you will want to put it down. So suit up, and when you’re ready, press up to Raus.

All things considered, I had a great time with Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country. However, it’s not necessarily because of what changed. While I liked the streamlined and more fluid combat, that’s balanced out by the Community system’s atrocious padding. I simply enjoy the expansion because it offers more from a game world that I loved, just on a a smaller scale. It also introduces a likable mature cast of characters with a truly dramatic narrative. The Torna expansion doesn’t just offer a novel chapter to the Xenoblade Chronicles mythos, it presents an easy, digestible way for both newcomers and veterans to enter an engaging fantasy.

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

A good run with a favorite weapon perks things up, but having beaten all the available bosses and only unlocking access to the third tier of goods, doesn’t leave me pushing to find out what else is there. It’s a little gripe, and one that ultimately only detracts from the game once you’ve definitely gotten through it. That aside, Neon Abyss is an absolute joy. Having put plenty of times into other games like this, Neon Abyss is the first where it felt like the deck was stacked equally between the enemies and the player. Sometimes, the random swings go the enemies’ way, and you find no bombs, no keys, and die to spikes while making what should have been a super easy jump. Other times, the screen is a solid wall of enemy eating fire and you are its master, leaving gods to cry and shudder in your wake. I like those runs.

Elite: Dangerous requires an investment of time, patience and regular visits to the game’s fan community. The tutorial covers the extreme basis of starship operation, combat, and docking procedures but everything else in between is up to the player to figure out. Get past these hurdles and you’ll find a space simulation experience like no other, filled with gorgeous galactic vistas and the opportunity for fortune and glory.

The single player is solid but doesn’t try a ton of new things, and the multiplayer is brand new but has plenty of room to grow. God of War: Ascension is a very well put together game and one made for fans of the series who want to get their Kratos fix in while we wait for the next true successor in the franchise.

Like the previous episodes, the game continues to be a rollercoaster of emotions offering laughs, tender sweetness, and tragedy with little warning.

Darkstalkers Resurrection is a great collection of some classic games. I really liked playing Darkstalkers 3, and the unusual round system and art style made the game seem like more than just another solid fighting game. Iron Galaxy did a great job updating the game in terms of visuals, tutorials, and online play. Night Warriors is by far the weaker of the two games, but Darkstalkers 3 is worth the price of admission. It’s not the best fighting game ever made, but it’s a lot of fun and the price point is right.

If your even somewhat a fan of game shows or even the Buzz! franchise, Buzz! Quiz TV is a must have game this holiday season.

Sure to be a fun, good natured under the tree gift this Christmas for kids and kids at heart.

NCAA Football 10 is the complete college football experience, it has the depth, the style, and the substance that fans have been looking for. For the first time in years I am happy to report that the upgrades in NCAA Football 10 game were enough to make for one of the best NCAA Football titles in years.

Overly referential with gameplay that doesn't go anywhere.

At the bargain price of $9.99 there is no reason you should not pick up this game.

The story mode is still quite impressive and has plenty of length to it.

Colorful and surrounded by mystery, Dropsy is a nice twist from “normal” adventure games and worthy of investment.

The best thing about a new Pokemon game is that it's more Pokemon. The core of the series continues to be sound, but in the end the series needs to get better at following up on the story that it teases us with. After such a strong departure for the series the original Black and White, it's a shame to see Version 2 take a step back and offer such inferior characters and story beats. Despite being the follow up to the best Pokemon games in years, though, Black and White Version 2 have to settle for being "pretty good," leaving us waiting for the next real evolution in the series.

After her horrendous PS2 debut, Lara gets back into top form on the 360 with a back-to-basics exploration-based gameplay and tasty puzzles.