Spin-off or not, and not going into long-winded arguments for and against, the game does some things better than some of the latest main series entries. The turn-based combat is not only welcome, but it’s implemented on a level that surpasses the nostalgic legacy of it. Also, the writing is worth of a praise. As one half of the twins myself (with a brother though, not a cute thing like Reynn!), I really appreciate the banter between Reynn and Lann. It’s so fun, acute and savvy! World of Final Fantasy might be a bit of a slow burner, as it takes some time to get familiar with it, but when it opens up, you’ll be lost in the beauty of it, hunting mirages and resolving the mystery of the twins and the world around them.

Towards the end of the game, the mechanics finally start playing with its stratospheric scale. It’s here that Megaton Rainfall’s potential becomes more apparent. The scored aspects are largely botched by dull and awkward mechanics, but the sandbox portion is incredible. If you just do what this god tells you, you’re in for a mediocre experience. But when you learn where the real fun is, it becomes something more. Hopefully, we’ll one day see a game like this that uses its scale as part of the scored challenge. Until then, pick this up when you see it on sale. The feeling it gives you is just too special to miss.

Gorogoa is worthy of everyone’s attention. Writing about it doesn’t do the game the favor it deserves so walk away, grab your Switch, a cup of tea and unwind through the calming waters of Robert’s evocative creation!

It’s great that pinball is back, and it’s even better that Zen Studios seems to be back to form after the time off. The Universal Classics are just that, and while they don’t check all the boxes, particularly in the voice/sound department, the looks, complete with higher resolutions and crisper textures, and table accouterment are enough to make these a worthy buy.

So should you take the dip into Destiny 2? If you are looking for something to sink your teeth into, have a ton of time on your hands, and like shooters, there’s a lot here to get behind. But if, even for an instant, the thought of grinding out slightly better pieces of equipment in a near endless loot to get just to see a number go up just a tiny bit, seems unappealing, you are going to have some issues with Bungie’s future shooter. In the end, I think it may be just a bit to close to the original for me.

Do not spend your money on this game. Thirty dollars could buy you so much more than what Touhou Kobuto V: Burst Battle has to offer. It's almost appalling how badly designed this game is. Even if it were five dollars, I still don't think that the price could excuse the pitiful piece of software that I was given to review. The game looks and feels like a PS2 launch title that went wrong. Thankfully, as all Touhou fans have come to expect, the music is the only redeeming quality that this game has to offer, but that's no reason to buy the game. Do yourself a favor and forget this even existed. As a Touhou fan, I can objectively say that this is one of the worst games to have come out in the series, period.

I cannot recommend this game enough if you are a fan of slow-moving tactics genres. If you aren't, well, I would still give this a try if you have some cash burning in your pocket. It really is just that much fun!

Demon Gaze II is a confounding experience, with enjoyable combat and a strong premise undercut by poor writing, inconsistent tone and graphics that really belong to a tiny screen. Hardcore fans of JRPGs that lie on the fringe of mainstream gaming might appreciate its quirky humor but for the rest of us, there are better RPGs to spend our limited time with.

Teslagrad takes the single premise of magnetism and stretches it out through a good three to four hours of gameplay. The main character’s abilities to manipulate the environment pave the way for incredibly clever puzzles. Controlling the boy and moving objects aren’t always predictable or intuitive, making some challenges feel artificially difficult. Nevertheless, the title has made a positive jump over to the Nintendo Switch and is recommended for fans of 2D Metroidvania platformers.

With co-op and additional skirmish modes available on top of the main campaign, SpellForce 3 is a generous -- and largely successful -- merger of two genres. While it isn't the world's deepest or most complex RPG nor gaming's most substantial RTS, it is a very effectively constructed and balanced hybrid and most important, makes a strong and compelling case that the mashup works. With over a decade between installments, it's not like the SpellForce franchise has overstayed its welcome. It's perfectly timed to delight both fans of the series and surprise new players looking for something new and different.

Lumo is a disappointing example of good intentions leading to bad results. While it pays admirable homage to the old-school, fixed-camera video games, Lumo falls victim to frustrating difficulty spikes and unwieldy movement. A short run-time coupled with a lack of depth perception spoils the fun, ensuring that Lumo is best left for those craving old-school puzzle games. The game isn’t without its charms, but it's hard to recommend it. Those interested in an old-school take on puzzle platforming may be willing to overcome its flaws, but modern gamers will want to reconsider their options before doubling down on Lumo.

The train simulator market is not exactly burgeoning, but there are other games in the same space as Train Simulator 2018, most notably Trainz: A New Era, which features new graphics and physics engines and a slightly less -- though only slightly less so -- egregious DLC model. Still, the enthusiast has choices. While Train Simulator knows its trains and offers (at a price) a lot of available content, its outdated visuals, bland presentation, bugs and technical issues and inflated-price DLC make it hard to get on board with.

If you enjoy survival horror games which rely on atmospheric and subtle visuals and audio cues instead of cheap jump-scares, you will definitely love Yomawari: Midnight Shadows. It's an extremely creative game with an adorable outlook and incredibly dark undertones. Prepare to forgive the repetitiveness later in the game, and I can assure that you will have one scary (and cute) survival horror experience.

Farming Simulator on the Switch doesn't add any new content or special modes or new machines that aren't included in versions on other systems, but it does competently bring a well-liked sim to the new generation of Nintendo handhelds and gives Switch owners another decent, full-featured game in the sim genre. This isn't Stardew Valley, another farming-heavy title ported to the Switch, but a tycoon game that spends as much time with facts and stats as it does behind the wheel of a tractor.

Pro Series is one of those games that I really wanted to enjoy beyond its actual quality. With its multitude of lakes, fish species, and upgrades, the developers clearly put in a good amount of effort. But its core gameplay mechanics just don’t match its content. Ironically, this is a fishing experience that will bore you not because you can’t catch anything, but rather because you all-too-easily can. It’s still somewhat satisfying to catch a big pile of floppers and watch your cash pile up, but it’s all done in this omnipresent cloud of disappointment. That’s Rapala Fishing: Pro Series for you; not bad, but disappointing.

Kids or no kids, if you like the Telltale style of adventure game, Minecraft Story Mode: Season 2 is worth your time.

As a console game, Nioh was in my top five titles of the year and it was a pleasure playing through it again on PC. Nioh moves Souls-like games into their own genre by expanding the vocabulary of combat mechanics and gameplay systems while keeping a structure, flow, and feel that align with From's signature games. PC purists may balk at some of the port's paltry options but the game's elegant and precise combat shines just as brightly on PC as it did on the PS4.

The Snipperclips Plus DLC is a solid choice for anyone who enjoyed the original. Unfortunately, some levels feel rehashed and others are downright annoying, so it’s not as fresh or accessible as the base game. But the majority of the game’s 30 challenges keeps its penchant for creative multiplayer wackiness alive. The new modes and minigames enhance the package, making this a fairly good deal for the asking price. If you haven’t yet tried Snipperclips, the full Plus collection functions like a complete game, and it’s worth trying out with friends.

DOOM VFR sounds like a great idea but it doesn’t do enough to justify its existence. Take away the VR headset and it would be just as playable on a TV or computer monitor. It might have actually been better that way, because then I wouldn’t have gotten so uncomfortable. Control issues aside, this is a competent and solidly designed video game that means well enough even though it strips away the cool things that made DOOM great. Skyrim and maybe Fallout aside, not every Bethesda game has to be made into a VR version of itself.

In the end, what we have in Tokyo Tattoo Girls is by far one of the most shallow strategy games I've ever seen, with absolutely a joke of a story, and shallow and repetitive gameplay. It's just so utterly disappointing in just about every aspect. As someone who doesn't have any tattoos (although my wife more than makes up for me), I think I'd rather go get my first one than play this game any more than I had to.

Lots of personality, android girls looking like cute super-deformed action dolls (you can opt for normal-sized heads too via Ex Options), mad action, smooth and fast gameplay and groovy soundtrack. These are the delectable ingredients for Assault Android Cactus’s tasty cocktail, with only sometimes samey level design adding a tad of sour savor to the mix. Even my brother, who’s usually useless in twin-stick shooters, liked the gameplay here and was actually a big help in demolishing the enemies onboard Genki Star. It goes on to show the game is catered for many kinds of players, all finding their favorite androids to fit their natural skills. Assault Android Cactus sucks you into its crazed action until your eyes start to water and fingers cramp.

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.

So, Road Rage is crap. It’s not broken as it’s still somewhat playable, despite its all rage-inducing qualities. It just feels like there’s no effort put into it anywhere. Except for the music. The soundtrack is quite good and trashy, though I’m sure I have heard some of it before. Anyway, if any effort was put to the rest of the game, we could at least have an okay biker action at hands. As it is though, Road Rage can only be recommended for the collectors of really bad games. I know you are out there! Everyone else, steer clear!

Ultimately, Mario Party: The Top 100 is not an awful game. The multiplayer is fun if you can find people to play with, but even then it overstays its welcome rather quickly. The modes are shallow, the only Mario Party style board is tiny and non-interactive, and the minigame selection leaves something to be desired.

Not a single thing about Ōkami is outdated. The ambitious creative design gives it away, though. No one really makes games like this anymore, taking wild risks while at it. The gamble didn’t pay off with the original release. Dissatisfied with the poor sales, Capcom decided to stall Clover Studio and merge it with in-house teams. The key personnel escaped the merger and went on to form PlatinumGames. As they say, the rest is history. Now that 2017 saw Japanese games taking back the respect they deserve, I hope Ōkami HD too will find its audience. After all these years after the original game’s release, I have no qualms in awarding Ōkami HD a perfect score. If only I had given it a chance back then… Don’t make the same mistake!

It’s a particularly dire case of style over substance, putting you through an easy, unremarkable rollercoaster ride that you’ll play in an afternoon and forget about a couple days later. And with the number of quality family titles and platformers to choose from this year, I just don't see a place for a game like this. There’s a point in the weak story where Classic Sonic has to go home, making Tails feel sad. Sonic cheers him up: “I’m sure we’ll run into him again.” Well, 3D Sonic, with Mania’s quality and success, I'm sure we will too. It’s you I’m worried about.

As a final interesting note, RiME was actually first revealed as a survival game with elements of health and stamina. While we may never see what that game was like, I’m thankful that developer Tequila Works opted for a deeper tale with that same boy on an island. While an open world would have been fun to explore, the segmented chapters help to tell a bigger truth. Though action would have helped bring more gamers in, laid-back puzzle-solving ensures that more people can freely explore and reach the end. A smoother presentation could have helped the game’s cinematic presence, but the story lives on despite it. RiME isn’t perfect or too original, but it does well to scratch the same emotionally driven story itch that trailblazers like Dear Esther and Journey have pioneered in the past.

It definitely overstays its welcome, and it's far from the best in the series, it's been so long since there was a Metroid game that it's nice to see it back here on the 3DS. I feel like they've built strong mechanics, which can hopefully serve a more varied and interesting quest in a future entry to the series, maybe one that DOESN'T involve doing the same fights over and over the entire game. Samus Returns is definitely a step up from the original Metroid 2, but it is unable to touch the heights of both the series and the genre.