All in all these games are truly a blast from the past, and back in their day (1999 / 2000) were some of the best RPG outings you could find on the PC. Today though, I can't say that they are anything more than a nostalgic cash grab. There are no updates here and the amount of bugs I had to get through is just plain unacceptable. Don't get me wrong: Icewind Dale is still a fun dungeon-exploring D&D adventure and Planescape has one of gaming's best stories hands-down but even with them coming to modern consoles these games really show their age. Tread carefully!

Serviceable combat and graphics aside, Vampyr is one of the best and most nuanced games based on the ever-popular vampire mythology. As with most vampire-centered entertainment, Vampyr uses vampirism as allegory, in this case less obsessed with Victorian sexual repression and more focused on larger ethical issues. We need more games like Vampyr, with an interesting cast of characters, moral ambiguities, and most critically, vampires.

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.

Despite how short the game is, it maybe emphasizes why the other games use this idea to break it up – the concept never really evolves or grows in any way, and with the platforming so basic, there’s really not much else here to dig into. It winds up being a rhythm game with disposable musical elements, a platformer with uninteresting mechanics.

Death Squared has been marketed as a puzzle game that anyone, from hardcore gamers to grandmas, could pick up and enjoy, and I think in that respect it succeeds. I see it being most worthwhile as a party game to be played with friends, where everyone can work together to solve these puzzles that are often times both intricate and exceedingly challenging. The concept behind Death Squared is sound, but with a startling lack of variety in its content, the satisfaction from solving these inventive puzzles only lasts so long.

The repetitiveness of the obstacles, the cheap deaths, the annoyance of later platforming sequences set in low gravity, frequent trial and error, and the time it takes to pass through elongated hallways that connect puzzle rooms and platform set pieces all contribute to making the whole thing a bit too tedious and empty for my liking. Now that I think about it, if Planet Alpha were an animated short, I think I’d like it a lot more because the visual storytelling is far more interesting than anything else.

There really isn't much to be said about Smart As. It works as advertised and accomplishes what it set out to do – no more, no less.

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.

Hardcore DBZ fans would be happy with the new flying skills and bigger environments to traverse, but be mindful of its basic and shallow combat system.

Developer Strange Company is to be lauded for creating a VR RPG that is lengthy and far more substantial than so many of its brethren. While aesthetically Left-Hand Path can't quite overcome the technical limits of the Rift or Vive, it is built on a magical combat system that is robust and challenging (and occasionally frustrating) to use. Now that we're a couple of years into the their retail releases, no developer has managed to produce that killer app that makes virtual reality systems an essential purchase. That said, games like Left-Hand Path are moving the creative progress of gameplay and storytelling in VR incrementally forward.

In the end, Death's Gambit is a solid 2D Souls clone that actually attempts to tell a direct story and provide the same challenge that fans are looking for. And it's just downright beautiful. Unfortunately, the gameplay is fairly shallow, with limited weapons and abilities. Death's Gambit can also be rather short if you are skilled at these types of games (I mean, I definitely grinded some levels). If you can't get enough of Souls action and are looking for your next challenge, you should definitely have your eye on Death's Gambit. If not, this is a title you can definitely save for a rainy day.

A wonderful soundtrack and a visual style which is simple but appealing finish setting the tone for Wattam. While it’s a simple, direct game, during my time with it, I almost constantly had a huge grin on my face. Takahashi's brand of weird works for me and even all these years after Katamari, that's still the case. If his style works for you, I think you'll have a great time with Wattam. It may not last you long but it's a time that will stay with you which is worth celebrating.

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.

Battletoads isn’t perfect, but it sure is a lot of fun. Despite some of its shortcomings, notably in its excessive use of mini-games and short overall length, the story is entertaining and combat is surprisingly deep. Some of the artistic design choices may not be for everyone, but those who are able to look past that will find developer Dlala Studios has done a solid job in reviving this dormant franchise.

While it may not be the best platformer of our time, it’s a decent enough romp for the $15 price tag.

Tecmo hears your cries and produces a decent and fun golf game that takes full advantage of the Wii's unique controls.

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

Capcom's free-flowing Zelda-esque adventure title is a surprisingly decent blend of action, platforming and puzzle-solving.

One of the best budget titles I have played in quite sometime.

For what it brings to the table, PixelJunk: Monsters Ultimate is a great package. Tons of content, engaging gameplay, and a cute look really set it apart from other entries in the genre.

It is easy on the eyes, fun to listen to, and its cruel satire and toilet humor make it an entertaining journey from the beginning to the end. The game would benefit from more fleshed out gameplay and more imaginative puzzle design, but it is still one that left me wanting to see more out of this developer in the future.

You could kindly call Albion Online old-school or hardcore, which might appeal to gamers with a nostalgia for the days of corpse runs, griefing, and ganking. Less graciously, you could say it is repetitive, cynical, uninspired, and opaque. In truth, MMORPGs that survive their infancy often grow into very different games than they were at launch. Patches and player input often have a way of shaping a game for the better, and given time, Albion Online may evolve as well.

It’s a shame that Team17 have found it hard to strike a balance between complicating things enough to keep Mugsters interesting but not too much to make it tedious and frustrating. The first few levels are a fantastic hook into the game, showing off its terrific abstract graphical style and some fun, yet simple puzzle mechanics, but the more you play, the more it gets bogged down by the burden of adding more. The multiplayer does add some fun novelty, but ultimately Mugsters probably isn’t a game you’ll feel like completing.

After finishing the story and grinding through free missions, though, you can’t help but start thinking why on earth am I doing this anymore? Even though you can play Daemon X Machina pretty much the way you prefer due to all different weapon combinations, the thinness of the gameplay is unavoidable. However, in years’ long absence of new entry in Armored Core franchise, Daemon X Machina will satisfy the hunger for heated mech action. It’s colorful, fast-paced and sweet while it lasts.

Fancy trying a spot of golf in your living room? Wii's unique motion controller does somewhat of a decent job, with plenty of fun and exercise to boot.

Its art design is excellent, its pacing is spot-on and it has a light-hearted approach to its dark-themed subject that consistently takes real menace out of the premise. Pumpkin Jack’s combat my lack the depth of many ARPGs, but the game is short enough that this never becomes a problem. Although it is a Halloween-flavored game, there’s no reason not to enjoy it any time of the year.

I tried my best to like Toy Odyssey more than I did as there’s much to love about it. The idea and the execution are mostly fine but unfortunately some game design decisions made playing the game more laborious than entertaining. Toy Odyssey deserves to be more fun and exciting. Dull routines should be for parents, not for brave toy soldiers!

Senran Kagura Estival Versus appeals to a very particular taste. Those who love fanservice and ecchi-rich anime will have a fantastic time as the girls fight and dilly dally on the beach. I do appreciate that the game made some changes to its design and presentation, making it a more animated and spirited game than Shinobi Versus. With a new dynamic camera, sexier transformations, and “interesting” finishers, and more robust playtime systems for the girls, the game knows its audience. Though the plot is lacking and the battles are often repetitive, such concerns are not going to stop fans from having some fun in the sun.