I was pleasantly surprised with how addicted I was to Island Time, as each death was a personal challenge to do better and last longer. It’s one of those games I keep thinking about when not playing, drawing mental ideas and strategies for item management and tactical seagull intercepts. Though it doesn’t offer the comforts and stress-free environment of my real world island adventures, Island Time still manages to be a whole lot of fun.

Retrovirus is a great adventure and it gives you some insight into what your computer could be dealing with each day you use it.

Day of the Tentacle: Remastered is the next game in a long line of successful updates from Double Fine, and it does a lot to show that adventure games still have a place in the growing library of games and genres.

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.

10tons has truly mastered their unique concept of top-down shooters. The more they make them, the more addictive they get. I’m truly impressed by how simple yet genius the game structure and gameplay mechanics in JYDGE are. Nothing superfluous, just beautifully honed bare-bones concept of fun. Just like in the old times. Re-playability is built into the game as a key factor and the customization options are eventually exhausting. You can pretty much decide how you play the game and even exploit it to some degree by creatively combining certain upgrades. As big Arnie slurred in Terminator 3, the jydgement day is inevitable, so you might just as well jump in there right away.

In the end, Horizon Zero Dawn: The Frozen Wilds does what every good DLC should set out to do: give players more of what they love. Needless to say, if you enjoyed the base game, you will undoubtedly enjoy The Frozen Wilds as well. Given the game's success up to this point, I wouldn't be surprised if the Banuk isn't the last new tribe we'll encounter. For now though, just remember to dress in layers and stay warm!

For the first time, Destiny feels like it’s complete. It’s not perfect, far from it in fact, and I still can’t entirely disagree when they speak of the package itself as bad. But I’ve also been unable to put it down for the past month I’ve played it.

Spartan is one of those games that may not appeal to everyone, but for those who enjoy the ancient Roman time period and like just hacking and slashing, then Spartan: Total Warrior is a great game.

Simple, yet fun. It has a few kinks, but it generally holds up really well as a goofy, yet intense multiplayer game that you’ll definitely want to play with friends. I wouldn’t recommend playing the game by yourself, so definitely pick it up with a friend for a truly fun experience. I would also consider playing the game in short bursts since I personally found myself tiring of doing the same thing for so long. All in all, the new additions to the game are welcome, but they definitely need a bit of tweaking. While nothing in the game is inherently wrong, some additions feel like a bit of a departure from what is otherwise an excellent game. I like to see bigger and better things from a sequel, but sometimes all a simple game needs is stability and consistency in order to remain at the top. Nidhogg 2 loses some of its simplicity in translation, but it’s still quite an enjoyable time.

Semblance is a game full of excellent and satisfying puzzles, marred only by some odd jankiness and a final level that doesn’t focus on the strengths of what had come before. While short, the experience was overall enjoyable, and a fun take on the idea of a world that can be deformed on your way to finishing a puzzle. It could definitely use more levels, but it doesn’t overstay its welcome, and in the end, isn’t it good for a game to leave you wanting more?

Spelunky is a great game. There are no technical issues to hold it back, the controls are solid, the art is awesome, the multiplayer is fun, and the challenge is superb. The game can be really rough when you can't make progress for hours on end, but overall I think people will find Spelunky to be a great experience. It really is a shame this game wasn't included in the Summer of Arcade, as it is extremely high quality.

It’s clear that Foregone struggles to define itself within the genre on a surface level. In practice, however, the complementary elements and design choices mesh in a way that makes it feel quite unique. It is unlikely to evoke passion from those who already dislike the genre, but there is enough value to justify giving it a shot simply for the fluidity of its gameplay.

Overall, Metal Gear Survive is a great game. No, really. I don’t blame anyone for taking issues with the company that produced it, but it’s clear that the developers really put in the time and effort to make something worthwhile. There are some obvious issues with the story and one blatant microtransaction cash grab, but Survive has a ton of genuinely enjoyable content for its budget price. If you’re looking for a Metal Gear fan service game with a tacked on survival mechanic, this isn’t for you. If you’re looking for a survival game with a Metal Gear paint job, it’s well worth looking into.

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse doesn’t revolutionize adventure games, nor will it particularly appeal to players who aren’t used to slower point-and-click gameplay. However, it succeeds in following the developer’s vision for the series: a modern update in the style of the original. The puzzles may have logic jumps, and the story’s action ebbs and flows. But the witty characters, perplexing mysteries, and traditional problem-solving are enough to win over fans of the genre.

Destiny was, out of the gate, kind of a mess that got much better with the Taken King expansion. It was, for a time, incoherent and obtuse but attracted a rabid fan base that appreciated its multiplayer combat and mystical story and worlds. Destiny 2 arrives as a much more polished, tightly focused experience that has far fewer glaring faults and many core strengths. It looks fantastic and the combat is still really fun. Its campaign is far more coherent and probably better executed but lacks passion or characters with whom we can engage. From its lavish advertising campaign to its lavish production values, Destiny 2 has a bloodless, corporate feel that acknowledges the sins of the first game, but maybe goes a little too far in its zeal to correct them.

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.

There are some minor issues with this game, but if your a Guitar Hero fan ready to make the transition to the entire band experience Guitar Hero: World Tour is a fantastic option and definitely worth a look.

Gun may not showcase the true power of the Xbox 360, it is still one slick open-ended shooter that does justice to the Western theme.

Persona 4 Arena is an awesome game. There is a lot here for fans of both fighting games and Persona. Though it is difficult to recommend to gamers who are not fans of the genre or the franchise, especially as the story mode can seriously drag at times. Still, this is a great game that is definitely worth a purchase.

Anyone who has played the first Telltale game or has watched the series owes it to themselves to give this table a shot.

EA further refines its soccer franchise, with marked improvements in the gameplay mechanics, even more modes and updated visuals.

EA introduces new GameBreaker and Rivals features into the Tiger Woods franchise, creating a solid but unspectacular golf title.

You won't find yourself challenged, but at best you'll find yourself enthralled and enjoying the world as it brings itself out to you. But a game doesn't have to be a challenge. It doesn't have to have a time limit, a game over, an antagonist of any kind. It can just be a sensory experience you allow yourself to get wrapped up in. And Shape of the World is exactly that. Let yourself get swallowed by it and you'll find yourself having a great time.

On what may have been its last foray on the aging PS2, the developers have continuously refined the SOCOM formula, and added fun connectivity with the PSP for good measure.

NHL 10 continues the extremely strong legacy of the series and proves to be yet another great hockey experience from EA.

Killzone: Mercenary is a more than capable shooter that looks and plays great on the Vita. It’s a shame that the single player campaign is so short and tackling the level challenges will only add so much campaign replayability. The story isn’t all that great but it does offer an interesting, if short lived, twist for the series.

Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour ultimately is a tweaked version of the original game with a touch of new content, though it neglects the content included in its expansion packs. It’s a bit easier to play, and the sound is vastly improved, but beyond what was already great, there isn’t too much else to offer outside of a new episode and developer commentary. The game is still fantastic and holds up very well thanks to this version of the game, which can be a hard thing to do with classic games in the same genre. It’s unfortunate that World Tour doesn’t stand on its own, but it would be a big lie to say that I didn’t enjoy playing through it.

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