In the end, Daymare: 1998 is clearly a passion project and it definitely shows (and I absolutely love it for that). Granted, there are some bumps along the way in the gameplay and design departments, and the game itself looks like it is a generation behind current gen. However, if you can live with those things, you have a solid survival horror experience here. Just make sure you've played all the classics first!

Layers of Fear 2 is impressive to look at and listen to but like so many games in its genre, it feels sterile. Dream logic environments and an actor’s unraveling personality are interesting hooks but the game does little to make us care much about the star of the show to begin with. Real fear comes from attachment and the prospect of losing something or someone close to us. By the time Layers of Fear 2 has really defined its leading man, we’ve long grown impatient for the voyage to be over with.

Jaws of Hakkon is a well-made addition to Dragon Age: Inquisitions. It provides a beautiful new location to explore, more loot to acquire and enemies to vanquish. But in the end, that’s it. There aren’t any truly meaningful additions here, no new gameplay elements or characters interactions. It is literally more of the same.

Scarlet Curiosity is the video game equivalent of comfort food. It is an experience with little substance, but I still wholeheartedly enjoyed it. It’s a game that’s clearly has flaws and lacks polish, but the good parts outweigh the bad. Overall, Scarlet Curiosity is a game that I would primarily recommend to fans of Touhou or those interested in getting into the franchise.

There's certainly fun to be had, and there's no doubt in my mind that there's an excellent foundation here for future updates, but Chasm lacks the qualities needed to make it an essential player in an already competitive genre.

Sony Interactive Entertainment and Sumo Digital’s Sackboy: A Big Adventure on the Playstation 5 is a charming, vibrant, graphically astounding platformer that serves as a great entry into the genre for newcomers. However, more seasoned veterans of the platforming genre, who were just given the marvel that is Astro’s Playroom, might feel that the narrative and mechanics are quite simple and annoyingly familiar due to Sackboy: A Big Adventure clearly borrowing mechanics and level progression from iconic genre mainstays such as The Super Mario Brothers franchise.

While it lacks the processing punch of a PC-tethered headset, the mobility and no-strings-attached freedom of the Oculus Quest has allowed me to dive deep into the headset as a fitness product, and Beat Saber, Box VR and a few other titles are in regular rotation. Synth Riders has the potential to challenge those products if it can expand the range of its playlist and offer a few more bells and whistles (like a campaign) to the generally solid foundation. Synth Riders’ approach is definitely influenced by Beat Saber but it has expanded the earlier game’s vocabulary and mechanics in several interesting ways.

Exit the Gungeon is much smaller game and is more focused on platforming action that disregards much of what made Enter the Gungeon so excellent. It is still a fun game, but one that I doubt many people will play to completion.

Killing hasn’t been this fun since Blood Money. Despite the technical issues, Hitman is off to a promising start to the “season”. The smooth controls, beautiful visuals, and incredibly detailed level design does a solid job in bringing the world’s deadliest assassin to current generation consoles.

Although they may have been late with a Finding Nemo game, THQ releases a fun party game with lots of mini-games to thrill the younger gamers.

Judged purely as a strategy or a simulation game, it is mostly a failure. It suffers from too many game design mistakes and it has too many broken systems to survive on its gameplay alone. Judged as an overall experience, however, and the game fares better.

Still, in a world full of VR demos and proof-of-concept games that are barely that, The Mage's Tale feels and plays like a real, fully-realized product that is actually worth the $40 price tag. It has a genuine story arc, excellent combat, and visuals and game play that would be far less effective in another medium. The game makes excellent -- if perhaps over-zealous -- use of the Touch controllers and although The Mage's Tale reminds us that the VR genre is still learning to find its way, this game is certainly a milestone product for the Rift.

I feel on principle, I should be over the moon with Jedi: Fallen Order. Even with all the negative things I brought up in this review, I strongly feel that it is one of the best Star Wars experiences money can buy. It certainly washes away the bad taste of Force Unleashed II. As much as I struggled with the SekiDarkSoulsBorne gameplay, it offers the best realization of lightsaber combat that I really, really wanted to get good at. I don’t feel it matches the finesse of the From Software titles but at the end of the day, I can appreciate it. What hurts the game overall, though, are its technical problems that cover the product with a notable stain.

If the intention of Coteries of New York was to remind me how excited I am about Bloodlines 2, and how much I enjoy the lore of Vampire: The Masquerade, then we’ll call this a win. As a visual novel, it is a solid story, flawed only by visual repetition and some bare-bones production. It’s an intriguing tale, well told, but over too soon and not inviting to revisit.

Nancy Drew games are often considered as “girls’ games” but I think that conception is ancient and belongs to the past. Anyone who likes a good, relaxed crime story without excess violence is allowed to enjoy Nancy Drew: Midnight in Salem.

This is a hardcore Japanese action game, through and through. Its rigid, uncompromising mission structure can be less than accommodating but nonetheless charming. It's difficult, rewarding, and satisfying in equal measure.

Lydia is a tough game to recommend to everyone because, as a video game, it is too short and has only a minimal amount of gameplay. However, if you're looking for a thought-provoking experience that will stay with you even after you have finished the game, I can confidently say that Lydia is a very strong candidate for you.

Overall, the game was pleasant, refreshing and frustrating.

The combat balances its melee and ranged weapons, and the enemies offer enough unique challenges. It may not excel at the things Metroidvania games are generally known for, but Kunai is a fun action-platformer in its own right.

The decision on this game comes down to the pros vs the cons, and whether you think you'd be happy to enjoy it as it is, or if you'd rather wait until some more updates. The load times and staggers can be mildly irritating and can amass during longer play sessions, but are by no means game-breaking or a reason entirely not to give it a go. Especially for those looking to play a little more casually, or in shorter bursts, or maybe aren't now accustomed to the world of SSD loading times, I still have to recommend this title as worth a go - just perhaps not necessarily the one to pick above the others.

For the most part, you'll spend your time solving pleasant puzzles, enjoying a pleasant story, and having a pleasant time. The Layton series can be so much better than this, though, and I hope their next outing, no matter who it stars, aims higher.

Jackbox Party Pack 3 is a mixed bag of interesting party games and subpar experiences. At the very least, the pack looks and sounds good, with appropriate aesthetics matching each game’s tone. Each game’s announcer is consistently humorous, making light of each situation and reminding you to have fun. If at least a few of these diverse party games sound entertaining, then give this package a try. Otherwise, stick to some of Jackbox Games’ older offerings.

A pretty decent street racer, with great selection of cars and juicy customization options.

While poor performance often makes the repetition more of a chore than it needs to be, a truly interesting world, game design that understands its gameplay is repetitive and regularly finds new contexts for its loop, and fantastic atmosphere still kept me having a great time with Disaster Report 4. There were times when the game made me groan, but there was no point in its campaign where I didn't want to see what was coming next. Its a game I know I'll remember.

Arizona Sunshine is a just OK zombie game that, with the exception of being a PlayStation VR title, doesn’t really differentiate itself from other, better shooters. The Move wands add immersion to the action at the expense of comfortable and sensible movement (I’d kill for the option to move backward). For those who feel that graphics matter, the game is not especially pretty. Frequent texture popping and load-in ruins already bland and uninteresting environments occupied by 3D models that range in quality. At its worst, it looks like a middle- to late-stage game for the PlayStation 2. Take away the novelty of VR and free aiming, and you’ll find there is nothing to differentiate Arizona Sunshine from any other run-of-the-mill first person shooter. Wait for a sale or, if the urge to play a VR shooter compels you, consider Farpoint instead.

Way of the Samurai 4 is plain simple fun, but it is still fun!

Perhaps I am asking too much of this quirky little indie game. It doesn’t come from any major company like Sega. The developers have taken the Tetris formula and worked it in a brand new way. It’s fun and cute, but it does grow old more quickly than it should. Overall, the lack of additional gameplay modes keeps this good party game from being a great party game. Even just two more modes would have been just the right amount to keep it from going stale so quickly.

Outlaw Tennis won't win any awards, nor will it really gain all that much recognition. But what it will do is it will give you a fun experience and it won't go wreck your wallet in the process.