Packing Life offers a simple and satisfying premise: packing oddly shaped items into boxes. But its awkward story mode, clunky camera movement, and frustrating placement restrictions constantly get in the way of what could've otherwise been relaxing organization gameplay. It scratches the packing itch for a short time, but the jank makes it hard to recommend.

Aethermancer is a beautiful representation of the roguelite and monster-tamer genres combined into one, and it’s got a lot to offer for those who enjoy the nuance and difficulty that these games can be known for. It’s worth picking up for anyone looking for their next run, though it’s not without its flaws. [Early Access Provisional Score - 80]

Town to City is the latest city builder now in early access, and it’s a must-play for fans of the genre. This new beautifully blocky game lets your creativity run amok against an absolutely stunning landscape, and with a wide array of customization options, it sets itself apart from other entries in the genre. It's not without minor flaws, but aspirational players should by no means let that prevent them from giving Town to City a go. [Early Access Score = 80]

Whereas the Switch 1 had games like ARMS and 1-2 Switch to show off the new tech, NS2 Welcome Tour carries the burden of being somewhere in the middle-ground of those and a free tech demo. If it was a free pack-in, this would've felt like an entirely different experience. But alas, it is unfortunately its own thing, and it's a thing that I hope does not become commonplace.

Tedious dialouge, bland visuals and confusing combat make Xuan-Yuan Sword: The Gae of Firmament a joyless experience.

I get why Path of Exile 2 has the Early Access moniker since GGG plans to have double the classes and campaign acts, not to mention other types of content added before launch. But even in its current state, Path of Exile 2 has set a new bar for the ARPG genre. I'm ready to pour thousands of hours into it over the years to come, and I'm confident that GGG will only make it magnitudes better over the next year as they continue to grow the game towards its full release. [Early Access Review]

Into the Hive isn’t the bigger and better follow-up that Paint it Red deserved. It’s only half of one, and what happened to that other half is a mystery of its own. All that was found was an empty shell and some bloodied remains. Not the way it deserved to go out.

If you’re looking for a solid RPG in a beautifully built world, Dragon Age: The Veilguard is certainly that. The combat is fluid and satisfying, and the world of Thedas is well-designed and fun to explore. The story has its drawbacks, but overall it’s still better than most. Whether it will live up to the prestigious storytelling of the previous Dragon Age games will very much depend on the RPG’s curtain call. [Review in Progress]

A lot of the issues I outlined and other big stoppages I ran into could be ironed out with time focused to careful playtesting. I think that another couple of months, and Fruitbus would have been closer to where it needs to be. But barring a last-minute stomp on the brakes, this is how it’s launching. I really, really wanted to love Fruitbus, but I can only review how it was served to me.

Chilla’s Art has a long history of making games in this style and has built up a cult following. The developer’s games are bite-sized adventures into a digital world of pulp horror. While they fill that role of inexpensive uncut gems that delight a few, I would love to see a few more passes on a title and have it really shine. As it stands, even this “restored edition” feels like a first draft rather than a finished product.

If you enjoy the Ubisoft structure of games but have been overwhelmed by them lately, thankfully Outlaws avoids most of the pitfalls. I feel safe in recommending Star Wars Outlaws to anyone who is a Star Wars fan who is looking for a solid story in the beloved universe, with stealth-focused gameplay that allows you to truly live the life of a scoundrel on the Outer Rim. [Review in Progress]

The best thing I can say about PO’ed is that it can be completed in around three hours. Aside from that, I really didn’t enjoy it. It’s not the worst FPS I’ve played. For all its problems, it at least isn’t bland. It has its high points, demonstrates a capable development team with a willingness to experiment, it just didn’t result in a fun final product.

If you’ve played the original, you know exactly what you’re getting here. If you haven’t—why haven’t you?! [Review in Progress]

I really do believe there’s a great horror game here. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve played up until this point and love the breadth of content on offer, as well as the intriguing puzzles and an environment that slowly evolves over time. Still, for now, I don’t recommend you buy this game until a patch has been released and I’m able to get through the entire thing for our final review. [Review in Progress]

It’s great for some rather mindless fun, but don’t expect anything too intricate. I have some genuine fears about this being live service, as I’m not sure there’s enough to really justify that sort of design. But I’m also currently Infamy Rank 6 out of 10, and maybe as I reach the maximum rank and experience some of the new content I will see more that gives me hope Skull and Bones could find its sea legs. [Review in Progress]

We’ll continue to follow Palworld as it develops throughout Early Access. But right now, Pocketpair has managed to both deliver on its surreal vision.

Devil May Cry: Peak of Combat is one of the most joyless games I’ve ever played. Its combat system doesn’t even come close to living up to the Devil May Cry legacy, and any entertainment that could have come from it is buried under its overwhelmingly aggressive monetization. It is, at best, functional and, at worst, utterly devoid of any value. If this is the peak of combat, I’ll just hang out at base camp.

It took me 10 hours to get to the end of Flashback 2, but I suspect I could have cut that down to 5-6 hours if it wasn’t for bugs frequently forcing me to lose progress. I didn’t enjoy much of it, and I barely paid attention to the plot because it didn’t matter. You can’t focus on the plot when the game is so broken. I cannot in good conscience recommend this. Your time and money is better spent elsewhere.

I think the developer, Cheesemaster Games, had the passion and the vision to make Spirittea something special. And, to be fair, one person’s boredom is another’s relaxation. However, all the parts should have been better planned out before they were assembled. Instead of a bunch of complementary systems that build into a satisfying, captivating, and relaxing game, it’s just an inescapable tub of annoyances. After that experience, I really need to take it easy for a bit.

Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis is just a gacha game. Nothing more, nothing less. It’s not the worst thing I’ve ever seen, and it does offer adequate fanservice for those who love Cloud and friends. But otherwise, Ever Crisis doesn’t do anything that other free mobile games already do better. Maybe it’s worth a download for bored Final Fantasy fans, but otherwise, you can spend both your time and money better elsewhere.

Overall, Exoprimal is a bit more interesting than I’d thought it be. It’s not anything to shout from the rooftops about, but it’s got a little more charm and more enjoyable combat than I was expecting. But that’s just day one. [Day One Impressions]

Minabo boils life down a bit too far. Life is so unbearably exhausting and complicated, and Minabo is boring and simple. It’s not that I think that it needs to be crushingly depressing or maddeningly frustrating, but there needs to be some sort of conflict or tension. Don’t ask me to walk through life 25 times with only minor differences each time. Once is more than enough.

I can't recommend anyone play NightCry unless you have a steel resolve, unlimited time on your hands, and a penchant for terrible physics and animations straight out of the PS2 era.

There’s still some work to do, and I have a laundry list of things I want to see, but I have zero regrets about binging the whole thing over a single weekend. [Early Access Review]

I hope every Resident Evil game from here on out has VR support, because it’s a great long term value add. At this point you kind of know that if you’re buying into an RE project, there’s something cool coming down the line. I can get behind that!

I wish I could say I nailed New Tales of from the Borderlands with a bad score because I was holding it to a higher standard because it was developed by Gearbox, and that it had a lot to live up to by following the original Tales. Those things may be true, but this game is a soulless slog regardless of who made it or what series it’s a part of.

Despite the cliche of the angry video game reviewer who “doesn’t even like video games,” it’s not that fun tearing down the work of people who haven’t done anything catastrophically wrong. Because there is nothing about Valkyrie Elysium that is outright bad or broken. It’s just the experience as a whole is so dreadfully dull.

The most heartbreaking part of Food Truck Simulator is that the core gameplay is solid-ish, but the foundation they put it on is built out of Saltines. I feel like I could stick my finger into every orifice of the game and come up with a different disease each time. It’s rotten.

In a way, Disney Dreamlight Valley is a wish come true for me. [Review in Progress]

Even though it’s not a painful experience, it comes up short on almost every facet by which I would rate a game’s success. Its gameplay is shallow, the narrative is simple to a fault, and the aesthetics don’t nearly impress. I’d suggest maybe giving the afterlife a pass, because Restless Soul is a mere ghost of a game.

While Last of Us still has some of the same issues the original debuted with in 2013, the PS5 version (and likely the upcoming PC port, based on Sony's past efforts) is the best way to play it to date. [Review in Progress]

A lot of us have been recommending this game for almost four years now, and with the slick visual upgrade, it's even easier to vouch for.

In order to make a game with this subject matter really stand out, you have to put a new spin on it like we’ve never seen before. Unfortunately, Hindsight didn’t really manage to do that, either in its gameplay or its story. At the end of the day, story is what’s supposed to matter the most here, and if the writing were stronger, I’d be able to forgive Hindsight many more of its transgressions.

The smoothness of the 13 Sentinels Switch port extends to the handheld mode as well, which is how I spent most of my time with the game. That’s something of a rarity for me, but in this case, I wanted to spend every waking minute I could with the game, so that meant trucking it around with me wherever I went. While handheld mode does appear to run at a lower resolution than when playing with your Switch docked, it’s not really that much of a downgrade (if it even is one). I’m about 55% of the way through the game on Switch, and it’s truly impressive to see how well Vanillaware and Atlus optimized this game for the hardware.

I’m not convinced Core Keeper can match the quality and scope of its best-in-class inspirations, but it’s already worth a look in Early Access, and if the rest of the pieces fall into place leading up to the full launch, it’ll be fondly remembered. [Early Access Review]

Given that these are single-player experiences first, it makes sense that there wouldn't be a focus on bringing in multiplayer.

Unless there are some inherent issues with certain types of machines, God of War is an easy recommendation if you're looking to get in for the first time on PC.

Stick to your original copies if you still have them. If you need to see this mess in action for yourself, either wait until developer Grove Street Games heavily patches this collection or wait for a deeply discounted sale.

Six years later, in that timeframe, Capcom did the opposite with Resident Evil 7 — which has now sold over 10 million copies, making it one of the most popular games in the franchise. I think if Koei Tecmo still has an interest in reviving the Fatal Frame franchise, they need to go back to the drawing board or give newcomers a good collection of games that made this survival horror series great in the first place.

My advice? If you’ve got a partial PS4 save file ready to go, or even an endgame file that’s not at 100 percent completion, Death Stranding Director’s Cut is a wonderful way to tie up loose ends. Some of the additions are interesting distractions at best, while others are genuinely helpful tools that provide alternate plans of attack as a futuristic delivery man. The short but memorable line of new side-quests is essentially icing on top. Brand-new players, by all means. Tear into this poignant, artisanal, off-the-rails hiking video game, even if it’s slow at first. And don’t forget to smash that “like” button.

If you’re wondering why it took so long for this review to show up on Destructoid, I’ll tell you: I dreaded playing Baldo. Every night over the past three weeks, I looked down at my Xbox controller with unease, worried the next two to three hours of my life would be agonizing. And every night, that intuition turned out to be correct.

All in all, I wish I could say that playing Where the Heart Leads was fun — I was really rooting for it, and hoping it would rise to the occasion. But, regardless of how long I held out, playing this game turned out to be a pretty miserable experience, and one I would have given up about an hour in if I didn’t want to finish it for this review. This game bit off more than it could chew, it seemed, and when you try to say too many things at once, you don’t end up saying anything at all.

I wrack my brain trying to figure out Dark Alliance’s strengths, and I’m not coming up with much. The level design works surprisingly well for multiplayer. I was afraid looting would fall by the wayside, but every time a fight would wrap up, everyone would run off in different directions and grab chests before finally moving on. I didn’t feel like things were getting missed. Well, except for the shoes that would pop out of chests some other player would open. Those just rot, forgotten on the ground.

If FuturLab can continue adding creative levels, further flesh out the Career mode, and implement its planned multiplayer and "experimental" mechanics, PowerWash Simulator will be in a great place. As is, it's definitely good enough to recommend. Not so much "oddly satisfying" as it is "satisfying, period." [Early Access review]

Again, loads are quick, the DualSense is up to the task (and feels great with the heavy emphasis on gunplay in Control), and the game itself runs extremely smooth: especially on performance mode.

You can also wait and just pick up the Vergil DLC on current generation platforms. The choice is really up to you, but I'm happy with the change.

Carefully consider your options before you dive in, but for those of you who are up to the challenge, it actually does work far better than you'd expect it to.

The reality is: WWE 2K Battlegrounds is a game nobody will remember a year from now. It lacks so much of what made over-the-top arcade wrestling games great in the first place, while also being filled to the brim with microtransactions. The spectacle of its over-the-top moves and abilities are quickly lost in the tedium of its progression, lack of depth, budget presentation, and technical issues. It almost feels like 2K has come crashing down with the WWE license...and it hurts inside.

Too much of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition is tied to an experience that is no longer available. The moment in time that made the GameCube original possible has long passed, and trying to capture that nostalgia with so many missing pieces, is a fool's errand.

The crashes aren’t the main issue with Elite Squad: it’s the complete predictability and lack of imagination found in every corner of the app that’s the problem. This is nothing more than "Free-to-Play Mobile Game: The Game" with a Tom Clancy skin. A perfectly adequate time-waster, but those are a dime a dozen on smartphones.

Crucially, the driving itself just isn't fun, resulting in a bland experience interchangeable with any other street racing franchise.

Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time is a weak adaptation of the series, but the action mechanics just aren't all there either; which drags down even further.

If you're thinking of playing Among Trees and you know you need extrinsic motivators to hold your interest, you'll want to wait until the Early Access schedule is further along. If you're down for a laid-back forest hiking game and you enjoy charting your own course just for the heck of it, give it a chance. [Early Access review]

I can just imagine some kid saving up their allowance to buy this pricey meatball and crying afterward.

There are many more baffling design decisions or ideas hampered by poor execution I could cover, but honestly, this is way too long a review already and I'm only going to get more upset the further I dig. I wish there was some redeeming value to Silver Falls: 3 Down Stars or it ended up in a "so bad it's good" situation, but it's just a bland survival-horror game that's light on scares and heavy on aggravation. When I wrote about it back in 2018, I had hope it would end up as one of the great final games for my beloved Nintendo 3DS. But after a month of struggling to get through it, that hope is dead.

Although it does have some issues with text readability in handheld mode, Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore otherwise represents a clear improvement over its Wii U counterpart. The ability to speed up Session combos makes the combat feel substantially faster in the game’s later stages, and the new content exclusive to the Switch release is a more than welcome addition to an already sizeable package. Despite my one issue with it, I can’t help but consider it the superior version of an already excellent game.

For a title set far into the future, Terminator: Resistance remains disappointingly locked into the past. With lackluster design, story, dialogue, AI, and combat, Terminator: Resistance is a genre example generations out of time.

I want to like Battle Operation 2, I really do. I like the flow of matches, the gameplay is great, and I adore the large roster of mobile suits. However, every system surrounding that solid foundation seems to undermine it at every step. Maybe future updates can salvage Battle Operation 2's myriad problems. But, they've all these issues have probably been present since the game launched in Japan over a year ago; that doesn't bode well for anything getting fixed. As is, the state of Mobile Suit Gundam: Battle Operation 2 is inexcusable, especially for a sequel.

I didn’t expect to have so much vitriol for Little Town Hero going into it, however, I found very little to like. Its 18-ish-hour runtime felt like an eternity as I slogged through battle after battle. I struggle to fathom who this game is designed for, but all I can recommend is to stay away lest you get dealt a bad hand.

The Witcher III is unquestionably one of the best games to come out within the last five years, and it's still impressive four years after its release. Yes, the Switch version sacrifices some of its beauty for the ability to take it on the go, but it's still a reasonably pretty game, well worth exploring for the deep gameplay, mature storytelling, and unique world. If you haven't yet experienced The Wild Hunt, then the Complete Edition on Switch is a great opportunity to check it out. [Impressions]

As a longtime fan of the series and as someone that honestly tried to give this a shot, I'm sorry to say that Breakpoint is a failure. I suppose the game can only get better from here, but it is not currently in a shape to even be considered finished.

Mario Kart Tour is a blemish on the franchise it shares its name with. The genre-defining creativity found in past entries is completely absent here, replaced by a hollow experience that's simply coasting on the name and goodwill of the games that came before it. I can only hope this is Nintendo's mobile initiative hitting rock bottom, and that it's all uphill from here. Because I can't stand the thought of another one of my favorite series having its reputation dragged the mud in search of a quick buck.

It feels like a game created mainly to remind people that the franchise still exists, rather than actually satisfy those who'd deign to play it. Utawarerumono fans are better off waiting for Utawarerumono: Prelude ot the Fallen (a remake of the first game in the trilogy due out next year), while newcomers are advised to pick up Mask of Deception and Mask of Truth, or even just watch the anime instead.

If you've been craving more of the occult in Sims 4, it's a decent way to indulge that craving given that "Vampires" is one of the only substantial offerings in that department since 2015.

Squall and his gang are welcome in my home anytime.

The best thing about Classic is that it will evolve, and you can join in at any point without too much fuss.

So unless you're in the mood to ruin your day and possibly take a few years off of your life, do yourself a favor and skip Turok: Escape from Lost Valley. Whatever the core concept was, it has not turned out well.

I urge you to pick The Messenger back up and give Picnic Panic a shot: if only for more sassy shopkeeper dialogue.

If you wanted any real form of closure, it's not happening here. I was honestly shocked when the game ended. Not because of some amazing revelation that blew my mind, but just because The Council simply... ends. This is easily the shortest episode, yet it still feels like it drags at times. Now that is what I call an accomplishment.

The combo of real-time lanes and card-based abilities allows Teppen to feel more intense than most of the other card games on the market.

The Switch version...lags way behind the others in nearly every conceivable way.

Action-wise, Devil May Cry still wipes the floor with most standard genre fare.

One of the first things I did was head over to the ocean and pee in it with a dedicated button.

While Dauntless still has a lot to prove in terms of longevity, grabbing a few friends and going on a hunt is easy as hell given the free-to-play system and open platform concessions.

More of this please, Konami.

Despite just offering a taste of what's to come with Vader Immortal, the first episode has me hooked and I want more.

A Hat in Time: Nyakuza Metro is an instant recommendation.

If you're the type of old school rhythm player that's willing to look past those blemishes and just focus on the music, you'll be fine.

One of the things I like most so far is that almost nothing is simply a straight "upgrade" of another thing. Even the lowliest farmer finds use supplying the growing complexity and demands of an advancing society. [Review in progress]

If you enjoyed previous Labo kits with your family you'll probably like spending a weekend with this one, even if it won't be making the rounds and wowing Late Night audiences.

I could watch Phoenix coyly and confidentially slap documents while presenting them in court all day.

XV will likely go down as one of the most divisive games in the series, and not in a 'it was more liked over time' sort of way: I'm fine with that.

There are some genuinely cool moments buried among the slop. If this were an Early Access title, I'd be very content saying to keep an eye on it as it nears release. Considering that this game is being released like this, I will instead warn not to waste any money on this unfinished title. I look forward to a potential 2.0 release, because I really want the game that was intended to come to fruition.

One Piece: World Seeker tells a surprisingly well-realized story that fans of the series are sure to enjoy, but only if they can make it through repetitive and frustrating gameplay.

Left Alive falls flat on its face at nearly everything it attempts to do. The story and characters aren't that compelling, the piss-poor stealth is thrown out the window thanks to the forced combat, and the combat at its best made me burst out laughing in pure disbelief at how terrible it was. So, at least it has that going for it.

If you haven't played this series yet, now is a good time.

RemiLore: Lost Girl in the Land of Lore is a huge disappointment for me. When you can grab something excellent like Enter the Gungeon for a fraction of the price, it almost comes off as embarrassing. It's not utterly vile like a pickle sandwich, just incomprehensibly dull considering its vibrant, cute, colorful presentation.

Due to the marriage of puzzles and story I was swept up in Isle of Madness from start to finish.

Vane has a very strong opening, some unique visual ideas, and an atmospheric electronica soundtrack. Unfortunately, all of this is quickly muted by aimless and frustrating gameplay.

I had a blast going through the entire package again and will continue to bust it out when someone tells me they haven't played it yet.

The Lord of the Rings Living Card Game is crafted by a company that loves Tolkien, and understands both the lore and how to craft a unique world around the source material.

I think the absolute worst part, and this is unique to Skate Jam, is when the game decides that you hit an angle wrong and instantly boots you back out to a random area instead of the zone you're actually playing in.

There's no sugarcoating it: Fallout 76 comes up short at nearly everything it aims to be. It's not a good role-playing game and it's not a good multiplayer experience. It never really feeds into the gradual RPG power fantasy but it's also inadequate as a survival simulator. In wanting to be so much, Fallout 76 doesn't amount to much at all.

Episode 4 feels like we're back to square zero. One big story moment, a puzzle that leads into a cliffhanger, and more backtracking. I guess Episode 3 was just lightning (albeit a small baby bolt) in a bottle because this is crap in a can.

There's a lot of time for the studio is smooth things over, build on the season concept and trim some of the fat. For now, be cautious.

SNK 40th Anniversary Collection is a fine collective of games that helped define several genres, even if they weren't nearly as popular as their successors.

As you might have gleaned I'm totally into this eccentric insanity more often than not, but there's a limit.

As I geared up for this assessment I found myself playing the entire first act again without thinking.