NASCAR Kart Racing is still a very well polished and nicely developed Kart Racer that may not be the best the Wii has seen but is enjoyable nonetheless.

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.

The five new levels are excellent additions to the game’s collection of puzzle box dioramas, although they do nothing to change the formula. The remaining 13 challenges aren’t as worthwhile, and it wasn’t very fulfilling to trek back to remixed levels just to hunt Boos and collect crown shards. The inexpensive DLC is fairly priced, at least, even if you’re only interested in the novel areas. Just don’t go looking for a substantially game-changing experience, but rather a solid expansion of what made the original so great.

Ubisoft provides a glimpse of things may come for the flight sim genre, but sadly misses the mark with this unpolished title that just needed more time in the studio.

Mario and Sonic’s collaborative Switch outing may not be a huge upgrade from previous entries, but there’s enough variety and content, all wrapped around a ten-hour story mode and adorned with multiplayer functionality.

If you enjoy puzzle games, Grim Legends: The Forsaken Bride may be right up your alley. With its variety of puzzle types, a fairy-tale story for some minor plot distraction, and a helpful hint system in place, this is a fairly easy game to recommend to any pure puzzle fan.

All in all, Initial 2: New Stage is an intriguing title. Although it’s technically more than rough around the edges and the localization is a hot mess, the game is not just a knockoff of similar, bigger titles. There’s honesty in how Restory Studio has wanted to a make a cool, Japanese-like hack and slash action with a meaningful narrative to complement the gameplay. The story might be naïve when it stresses friendship that reaches over hostile boundaries but we really need something like that in our dreadful world, don’t we? To fully appreciate Initial 2, you will need a certain state of mind and shouldn’t care about finer technicalities. Don’t look too much into the overall score, either, as Initial 2 is one of best gaming experiences I have had this year.

For better or worse, this is still Age of Empires III with a new coat of paint. At its core, it’s still the slightly weird and maybe overly ambitious sequel to one of the (if not the) best RTS games of all time, Age of Empires II. I still appreciate the gumption of Age of Empires III Definitive Edition and had a ton of fun going down memory lane. It’s far from a perfect RTS but there is a lot of fun and enjoyment still to be had as we wait for the eventual release of Age of Empires IV. Whether you skipped Age of Empires III during its original release or are interested in dipping back in, I think the Definitive Edition does enough to warrant a look, if for nothing else just to enjoy some good old-school RTS fun.

Floating Cloud God Saves the Pilgrims is a simple game that’s easy to pick up and play, though I don’t recommend playing it in long stretches (which I did), lest you grow bored with it entirely.

Until fatigue with the game design sets in - which will vary from player to player - City of Brass is a lot of fun, a flavorful medley of ingredients that harmonize well.

While Outer Worlds: Peril on Gorgon doesn’t introduce many new features to the game, it does offer more than enough for fans who are looking to venture back into this beautifully crafted world. The story leaves more to be desired, but still provides a solid and enjoyable experience that will certainly be a worth your time if you even remotely enjoyed the base game.

In the end though, I put more time into each of the Age of Wonders III expansion packs than I put into Sorcerer King, because they were just better games.

Developers Krome plays it safe with this solid Aussie-themed platformer, offering all the right ingredients, but not daring to explore new ideas.

MotoGP 07 is not a vast improvement over last year's game, but it is a good solid experience nonetheless.

The hockey season's here again, and the "old" console can still offer something for the fans, albeit with just an updated roster and slightly tweaked controls.

Capcom has put out a partially broken full retial game. I had fun with it despite its flaws, but $60 is too much to ask for what this game is.

Overall, it’s the same game as before but on a handheld, which worked very well for the gameplay.

If a little more effort and refinement had gone into the game’s level design, those feelings would have been stronger.

Rockstar continues to milk the GTA franchise with this PS2 port off the handheld original. Decent choice for those who want to complete their GTA gaming library.

If Effie’s combat and camera were a little more tightly refined and its open world a little more full of interesting content, the game would be a real winner. As it stands, Effie is fun and charming, and its flaws and frustrations don’t entirely ruin the experience. There is no shortage of 3D puzzle platform games in the world, but Effie stands out as a colorful and vibrantly realized translation of a fairly tale come to life.

The multiplayer portion of the game is where the game does its best.

Overall, the Fire Emblem Warriors Season Pass characters could have used more variety, but at least the few novel playstyles are enjoyable to use. Additionally, the abundant History Mode content and power upgrades will be worth it to hardcore fans. If even one of the packs sounds appealing, you may want to consider picking up that individual DLC set. If you’re interested in two or three of them, the Season Pass is the most cost effective option.

Brawl is far from perfect, with an online multiplayer that appears to be devoid of other players and a single player campaign that halts your progress with an insane difficulty spike. Despite these shortcomings it is a solid party game if you have a friend or three that wants to play, and considering how rare it is in this day and age to find a game that supports this kind of multiplayer, I am impressed.

Poi is best played in short bursts, which does work well for the platform in question. Play it undocked, right before bed, for the best experience. And I say that because in this context, it works very well as a fun, snappy, immersive little platformer that you can jump right into and leave minutes later. Staying with it for too long at a time will leave you starved for a change in scenery, and rather perturbed by the occasional sneak attacks. Taken altogether, though, Poi is still a good game. And hey, maybe next time the old man will lose his medallions over a wider radius.

There isn’t much in terms of actual content, and the developer promises to patch this in at a later date, but I can’t help but feel the game could have done with a few more months in Early Access.

iO is a fun enough diversion to play in between games, but it’d be even better to play on a phone so you’ve got something to do while waiting for a lengthy load screen to complete or the next Overwatch match to begin. As such, the Vita version may be the better option of the two. It is fun but not particularly memorable, to be completely honest. As per usual for most mobile-to-console games of iO’s ilk, it is best enjoyed in short bursts or as a means to kill some time.

Overall, I’d recommend The Flame in the Flood for those looking for a new type of survival game, and those patient enough to deal with the interface.

Overall, the Fire Emblem Warriors Season Pass characters could have used more variety, but at least the few novel playstyles are enjoyable to use. Additionally, the abundant History Mode content and power upgrades will be worth it to hardcore fans. If even one of the packs sounds appealing, you may want to consider picking up that individual DLC set. If you’re interested in two or three of them, the Season Pass is the most cost effective option.