The satire of GUTS would be so much better if the gameplay stuck its landing. Sketchy and numb gameplay simply doesn’t cut it. As it is, GUTS is a mere curiosity. A quirky look at a gory game show with some genuinely good ideas, like a combat log after a fight (I would love it in Tekken!) and fighting not measured in habitual health and time. Even though GUTS doesn’t take it seriously, it’s done seriously. I can only hope that Flux Game Studio continues to develop their obvious labor of love further. Maybe by the time the game makes its way to the consoles next year, its gameplay will have evolved further.

Monopoly for Nintendo Switch isn’t a bad option if you’re looking for a digital version of the board game. As a plain adaptation, it does its job well, with the added bonus of portability without risk of losing parts. Unfortunately, the Living Boards and Action Cards don’t add anything truly significant. Plus, when playing with AI or even online without chat, it feels like a shallow experience compared to the inherent joy of gathering around the table and laughing as your friends go bankrupt. And it’s hard to talk about a game so rooted in capitalism without mentioning that this game isn’t cheap. At its fairly high price point, the game’s few additions hardly justify the cost. You may as well buy a game that isn’t a mere digital replication of a tabletop experience, or just pick up a nice physical collector’s edition of Monopoly.

This L.A. Noire remaster is more than worth revisiting, even if it is lousy with issues that just start to seem more apparent with time. It's the definition of flawed ambition, shooting for the stars and never quite reaching it. It's rare to find a game like this that is willing to be so simple and down-to-earth, about a cop with a wife (who's never even threatened or fridged!) just doing the work. Hopefully Rockstar's remastering of it is a suggestion that they're on their way to starting the franchise back up – it may still be enjoyable, but there's a lot that could be improved.

Mutant Football League is fast fun and easy for casual fans to get into. It's also incredibly violent and full of cheesy horror puns. In some ways it's everything I wanted it to be while simultaneously leaving the door open for improvements. My only gripes are that it's occasionally repetitive and can be frustratingly unpredictable (for those who hate huge game swings from dirty plays and being consumed by stadium hazards). Still, Mutant Football League is great fun!

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.

I went into this game hoping for an example of a well-made arcade hunter. And with Glu’s record, that was a reasonable desire. I take no pleasure, then, in acknowledging that Deer Hunter: Reloaded is simply atrocious. It’s ugly, sluggish, obtuse, counter-intuitive, and brimming with game-breaking bugs. Its few positive qualities are directly negated by some of its many, many faults, resulting in what sits among the weakest functional video games I have ever played. Maybe one day we’ll get a nice version of what this game was trying to bring to consoles. Regardless, I am confident that we won't get anything worse.

Though I would have appreciated an in-game help guide to keep the inner workings of battles in check, I genuinely enjoyed its complex intricacies once I got the hang of it.

Larian studios has yet to make a bad game, and Divinity: Original Sin 2 is among their finest. As a sequel to such a beloved RPG, it gets about as much right as you can reasonably expect. The game doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it doesn’t have to when you consider how much its predecessor already got right. It does have its issues – the frame rate could be higher and if you play the game for 50+ hours, there is a good chance that you will get a little worn out from the combat. These issues are easy to overlook though, enough to make the game a must have for fans of PC RPGs.

I was already hooked by the idea of a golfing game with an overworld, side quests, stats, and leveling, but it wound up being so much more than that. The fact it's not trying to be a sim makes it so approachable, and I have no problem suggesting this to people who don't even like golf. Technical issues notwithstanding, Golf Story is an unexpected and excellent addition to the Switch's eShop lineup.

Like so many Piranha Bytes games, it's easy to feel some affection for the sheer ambition and quirky execution of the premise. Even some of the messy, so-bad-it's-good acting has a bit of hokey charm. The reality is that Elex is several significant patches away from any greatness and even then, some fundamental mechanics are too hardwired into the game to be patched away. As I played Elex, I kept wishing that a triple-A developer could get its hands on the story, setting, and concept. Then again, maybe the appeal of Elex lies in it being messy, broken, and ambitious, and not the product of a bland corporate insecurity.

If you can look past Skyrim VR's visual downgrade on the PlayStation VR, then there’s absolutely no reason not to dip back into the well. It's not perfect, as you can definitely see the limitations of the PSVR compared to the higher end VIVE and Oculus, but Skyrim's award-winning gameplay and storytelling, which is brought in completely intact, survives the transition completely unscathed. It's also a really great VR game to show off to people and let them explore a well-realized fantasy world. Skyrim VR also represents a good first step towards future VR ports of open world Bethesda games.

Overall, the numerous heroes filled with in-jokes and references are the game’s biggest strengths. The novelty doesn’t last long and it becomes an exercise in patience having to relearn control schemes while navigating unfairly placed traps. It’s compelling to find each character’s inner strengths but it can also get repetitive thanks to the uninspired stage layouts. Indeed, 88 Heroes is an example of quantity over quality. I like the premise but wish there were more specialized challenges that took the heroes’ unique powers into account or levels that incorporated the powers as opposed to succumbing to a generic one-size fits all design. While the game isn’t necessarily GR8, I didn’t H8 it, and there’s some value to be found for 2D sidescrolling fans or anyone who’s willing to pay for a good laugh.

While it suffers from seriously botched progression and a smattering of poor design choices, theHunter: Call of the Wild consistently provides a deep and satisfying hunting experience. Not only is it a dramatic departure from the mindless schlock we've been conditioned to seeing; it brings hunting to a height of simulation and strategy that I've never seen before. The game holds a special reverence not just for hunting, but for the spirit of the outdoors in general, making it a relevant testament to our natural landscapes in the modern era. If you're going into theHunter expecting to navigate smooth menus and unlock things at a steady pace, you're in for disappointment. If you're looking for an immersive and dignified hunting experience, you'll be absolutely hooked for hours on end. Falling into both camps, I know that the latter sensation ultimately prevails over the former. I'll be playing this one for a long time going forward, and not just because it takes forever to get new gear.

It’s a commendable effort to make a mystery-solving adventure without narrative structure but the game simply lacks pizzazz for anyone but the keenest investigators. Even I, who utterly love detective stories and games, was often frustrated by how little the game is willing to help the players wanting to solve its case. The Painscreek Killings has an exciting murder mystery hidden somewhere but it’s buried under all the extra baggage of technical issues and awkward game design.

The Green Cities expansion pack contains a lot of nice buildings and a very welcome change to the traffic system, but it doesn't introduce anything to necessitate what it offers. That being said, it's being sold at a reasonable price, and the changes it offers are fun to tinker with in their own right. And by not taking any risks with altering the pollution mechanics, you can feel free to boot up any old city you have without everyone becoming sick and the air filling up with vaporized sludge. Plus, it's kind of awesome to have a new library of slick buildings and tourist attractions (the climate research station being a personal favorite). It does what it promises, and I will say that if you see it on sale, you really might as well pick it up.

The exciting thing about 8-bit Adventures Anthology: Volume One is that the games in it don’t only possess nostalgia values. Good adventures can stand the test of time better than many other genres because they’re held up by their stories and puzzles rather than a fancy presentation or tight controls. Of course, MacVentures are short by today’s standards, but they’re not linear. There’s a surprising amount of freedom given to do the needed tasks in each game, creating exciting prospects for the player. The gameplay can be slow as the controller can’t stand in for a mouse, but that’s nitpicking. Most of all, 8-bit Adventures Anthology: Volume One shows how little is needed to create immersing experiences. I had a blast going through these games again I had played almost 30 years ago on Commodore 64 and Amiga. For eight bucks, the anthology is a steal. Do yourself a favor and relax with crude pixels with cool stories.

Neurovoider is a fun twin-stick shooter and is especially great to have and take around with me everywhere I go. The moody soundtrack bangs, the game's frantic and fast, and the loot system is engaging as you build yourself up and find new and amazingly named things. It's especially perfect if you need a game that you can play a quick couple of rounds of while you're waiting somewhere or on a commute – it starts to feel a little samey and doesn't do too much to set itself apart as different from other similar games, but it's a good time nonetheless.

All in all, Wulverblade is an entertaining but flawed trip to the lands of ancient Britain. Its engaging narrative provides a thoughtful, historical backstory to the carnage taking place, but its combat suffers far too frequently from poor controls and unfair enemy balance. Those willing to overlook these issues will undoubtedly find something to like with Wulverblade, but beware that it's not for the faint of heart!

Hands of Fate 2 leaves much room for imagination which is welcomed in this age of hyperrealism. Reading the text descriptions and imagining the events in your own mind can be more exciting than watching a fancy cutscenes. Not that the game lacks in presentation. The character models on the battlefield are chunky and likable, fighting out in nicely detailed and varied surroundings. A moody incidental soundtrack accompanies the events. And then there’s the infamous dealer, back from beyond the 13th gate. His room is at the same time homey and intimidating, as his scarred eyes peer at you, judging your play with a sneer. In the end, Hand of Fate 2 gave me more excitement than some recent big-budget dark fantasy games. It relies wisely on ageless means of gameplay and storytelling. If the first Hands of Fate was journeyman's practice, the art is mastered in the sequel. At a mere $25, the game is the best entertainment for chilly winter evenings.

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is a not terrible time and a pretty good game. While the story is nothing to write home about, and the gameplay is beginning to feel more than a little played out at this point, you know, definitively, if you want to play this game or not just based on the title. After 12 years, a LEGO game is a LEGO game is a LEGO game.

Much better than the first Injustice, Injustice 2 is both a top-tier fighting game and a real treat for fans of the DC universe, equally featuring iconic heroes and quirky second-stringers just as lovingly presented. As a brawler, the game is fun for players at any skill level. Between the campaign, Multiverse, and Multiplayer components, Injustice 2 serves up a lot of content. There are some technical hitches in the PC port that need to be addressed, but they barely diminish the overall fantastic experience.

I feel a little weird having gone this far without even a mention of the start of Episode 3, but with the enjoyment I am getting out of this being so heavily reliant on the story and its turns, mentioning them, no matter how briefly, feels a bit like a betrayal. There are a number of moments that I would love to bring up, especially ones that deal with Bruce’s ability to trust and how those moments being left up to the player brings me a substantial amount of joy, but I think I’ll save those for the finale. For now, I am happy to say that Batman: The Enemy Within is Telltale at their best. We are halfway through this season, and I am equal parts jumping for joy and pulling out my hair to see where this ends up.

Abyss is painted in the usual colorful and lively Artifex Mundi style. There are lots of narrative cut scenes, some of which look quite rough with pretty hilarious mouth movement, but they still enliven the events nicely. Sadly, I found the music quite irritating as it’s looping all too brief pieces. The story could have used a bit more focus as some elements were underused. For example, in the beginning a lot of emphasis was put on a mysterious girl showing herself now and again but eventually her part was hastily exposed and brushed to the side lines. All in all, Abyss: The Wraiths of Eden is a solid Artifex Mundi casual adventure, offering the familiar entertainment values you’d come to expect from the company. The original PC version of the game is five years old and Artifex Mundi has released a constant stream of colorful adventures ever since. I hope that they will gradually shift to porting their fresher titles for console players’ enjoyment.

I was prepared that ECHO is perhaps agonizingly hard, given its unique gameplay mechanics. But it wasn’t, as I completed it somewhat effortlessly. Maybe it was due to my anticipatory play style. I confess, I watched several streams of PC version of ECHO a few weeks before the PS4 release. So I kind of knew what not to do in the game. Thank you, you all pioneering Ens on PC streams who clanged too much to their guns. ECHO is intelligent sci-fi without any artificial provocation or emotion manipulation. It’s cool and enigmatic to the end, and much like Kubrick’s movies I referred to earlier, it takes a certain state of mind to appreciate its fearful symmetry.

If you're looking for a good puzzle game for your Switch, this should definitely be your first stop. Most of the puzzles are bite-sized and easy to stop when you're on the go, but it's also meaty with so many puzzles (over 150 and double that if you count the Megas) that it can easily eat up hours of your time. While I miss the simplicity of the touch controls, it's a small quibble when there's still so much to be enjoyed from this game.

Yup, there’s no online mode in Ninja Shodown. This means that as enjoyable as multiplayer is, it’s only playable locally in a living room. Combine this with the simple truth that Versus Mode is the only good part of the game, and you’re left with a product I just can’t recommend. If the performance issues were cleaned up and the price slashed down drastically, my verdict might look very different. That’s because, again, the game is surprisingly engaging when played competitively. Games aren’t necessarily outright bad when they’re too hard or even broken; it’s when they effectively don’t give you anything to do that they truly fall apart. And because it lacks an online multiplayer mode, Ninja Shodown fits that description for many players.

The fact that a game stuffed with hundreds of hours of content runs so well on a mobile video game console is nothing short of amazing. On its own, Skyrim is a phenomenal game and now I don’t have to be stuck on the couch or on my computer. I can play it wherever and whenever I want. What a time to be alive.

While this is the sort of thing VR was made for, it’s hard to see Everest VR as anything more than decent piece of “experience it once” edutainment. The interactive sections of the game fail to generate much excitement as you very slowly climb up the mountain, listening to the breathy laments of your fellow climbers (and even see one of them die, which is treated rather flippantly). In the end, there’s not much here that’ll hold someone’s attention for longer than an hour, if that. An experience like this is a great idea--get players to explore places they may never have a chance to see in person--but it doesn’t do enough to really draw you into a strong sense of place.