I do honestly think that most people can find an entertaining Pokemon experience in this generation. I have, too. But it’s come with enough baggage to unsettle me for what future generations will look like. I’m going to keep playing Pokemon Scarlet, and I’m going to keep hoping that the next Pokemon game doesn’t come with so many asterisks.

f you’re a dedicated follower of Akira Toriyama’s work, then you’ll find a lot to enjoy with this title. It takes some risks and offers a complete compendium of characters from each installment of the anime. It also puts an emphasis on creativity with the fusion system, but lacks focus. I want to love it, but I can’t fathom sitting through that story again.

Shank 2 can be summed up as "fine." It isn't going to revolutionize brawlers or bring anything truly unique to the table, but it isn't a bad game either. Some of the strongest points also seem to be the weakest, but there are some places where they get done right.

Has WWE 2K22 convinced me to rebuild my custom roster? Hesitantly, I guess so. The actual in-ring gameplay is solid, and MyGM mode is a little addictive slice of management. I want to be hopeful and believe that 2K and Visual Concepts will take the foundation they created and finally build a wrestling game that doesn’t just feel like a bunch of compromises. However, that’s exactly what I’ve wanted for years, but they just keep hitting the same.

Death's Gambit resonates as a flawed gem, one I'm happy to have played. It's an uneven experience bogged down by technical woes and stilted combat, but if you can enjoy less-than-pristine games in spite of rough spots, it's worth taking a chance on. Just hold out for a few patches first.

I'm not sure if Takahashi will ever be able to top Katamari Damacy – for my money, it's one of the greatest video games ever made – but Wattam captures that sense of whimsy and magic in its own way. The care-free music and gosh-darn-huggable character designs make this a must-play for fans.

More than just an HD remake, Warlords adds enough new things while keeping the core gameplay at its heart to make everything fresh and fun. It may not be a perfect game with the (thankfully occasional) framerate dips and a story mode that could honestly have been left out, but it's certainly an entertaining one, and a blast to play with others.

Ultimately, while Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series: Under Pressure's array of choices doesn't quite feel as "consequential" as one might expect of the typical Telltale pitch, the new episode improves on the promise of the first outing's strengths in characterization, while still building up the main narrative into something a tad more engaging. Only the future will be able to show if these decisions will snowball properly, but the series now has me wanting to actually see that eventuality, which means it's done its job.

I suspect it's going to be highly polarizing (not only due to the adherence to retro style difficulty but the newness of the art and humor), but it somewhat won me over due to sheer force of will.

Enjoying Sir Hammerlock's Big Game Hunt is about managing expectations, about knowing what you want out of Borderlands 2's constantly expanding menu -- its strong suits are the subtle twists on combat and enemy behavior, exploration, farming, and a hidden raid boss that costs almost 100 Eridium to spawn.

A fun if slightly derivative third-person shooter. It certainly isn’t close to perfect -- the melee is kind of wonky and disappointingly underdeveloped, it suffers from a fair bit of repetition, and the enemy A.I. is only somewhat smarter than the girls on Flavor of Love. But the infected powers, the occasionally dazzling visuals, and Michael Rosenbaum’s sweet, sweet voice definitely make the game worth a look if you’re a fan of the genre.

Tembo the Badass Elephant is a really enjoyable game at its core, but it can get tiring to replay the same stage five times over just to grind out a few kills to see the next set of levels.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend picking up the entire Metal Gear Solid V package just for online play, as it still has a lot to prove. I'm pulling for it to get better, but I don't trust Konami.

I found myself largely enamored with Phoenotopia Awakening. Its often humorous and sometimes sentimental dialogue got through to me, and its challenging but tight platforming action really appealed. I’m a little bit weary from my trek through its expansive campaign, but I’m satisfied all the same. It’s an aesthetically pleasing, unforgivingly mean, but an altogether lovingly assembled experience.

Despite a few nitpicks here and there, I can't compliment it enough. The Splatters is a truly wonderful game, one that reminds us how terrific a platform Xbox Live Arcade was during its prime and still has the potential to be. Go add points to your account and download this immediately.

A surprising little game. It manages to rise above the status of a throwaway mictoransaction-begging App by providing a deep and compelling system at the core of the experience. With a few more tweaks, it would be worth spending more time with, but as it stands, depending on your ability to play with others it may be a more fleeting experience.

Those who yearn for a return to Black Flag's sandbox will take comfort knowing this is "more of the same," as the clichéd review expression goes. But, Rogue's systems do nothing to move Assassin's Creed forward, leaving it fittingly stuck in the past like the last-generation consoles it graces.

It sometimes feels antiquated; a late arriver to a bygone era of JRPGs. An amalgamation of the directness of SNES RPGs and the pomp of the PS2 flavor. I can only dream of what the series would be like with a bigger budget and staff. But even with what we have now, Metal Max Xeno Reborn is something special. Now, you’ll have to excuse me while I go to work digging through the series past. I need more, and I need it now.

Breakers Collection offers 2D fight fans the opportunity to relive one of the finest examples of myriad Street Fighter II clones, refreshed with polished gameplay and modern online technology. While first-timers may be warned off by its perceived simplicity, Breakers remains a fun, satisfying, and compelling scrapper, deserving of its resurgence in the competitive scene. Breakers may have dated somewhat over the ensuing decades, but this solid scrapper, much like Tia’s legwarmers, never goes out of style.

Phantom Abyss isn’t a perfect endless temple speedrunner, but for a dozen or so hours, it has a great hook.

Die-hard, devout rougelikes may feel the urge to gripe about the fact that you can reload from last save when you die (on Easy mode), but I think most gamers will be glad that this game is more player-friendly overall.

The Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle offers seven good (if repetitive) games for a great price. There's zero excuse for a 30-year-old game having terrible online in 2018, which is a huge minus here. But for those who fancy a violent trip down memory lane, especially with local buddies to watch their back, The Capcom Beat 'Em Up Bundle still provides simple-minded mayhem for not a lot of coin.

As long as you can deal with a little skin and a silly plotline, Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed is a fun little action romp.

Dedicating more attention to it than that may prove to be a bit tedious (not least because of the simple, repetitive music) and the design lends itself far better to touch controls for mobile devices than a mouse, so your better bet is to grab it on the phone and take it with you places.

A fine game. It seems to lack a bit of polish and charm, the game does become a bit repetitive, and there's some flaws in the game design in some areas, but the experience was still fun overall. Moon won't win any awards for its story, either. But the spot-on control, slick interface, and impossibly smooth FPS play on this little portable game system should be commended.

If you have a child or a friend who loves Disney and just can't get into simulators, this is their gateway, but I have a feeling that a lot of hardcore fans won't really get their money's worth.

It serves as a good system launch game that shows off the 3DS' new features. Don't go in expecting deep entertainment and you'll likely enjoy this. Again, what it lacks in depth it more than makes up for in cuteness.

For all my complaints, Bound is an interesting beast. The way it incorporates its animation style has been rarely, if ever done so well. It's well worth experiencing in some fashion, just maybe not at full price.

While Job Simulator may not be my personal favorite virtual reality game, it is one of the easier titles to recommend given its intuitive design, effective comedy stylings, and broad appeal.

Watching an early decision ripple out to future consequences, then rewinding and seeing what would have happened if something else were chosen is an entertaining exercise. I'm going to keep playing at least a few more times until I see all of the different scenes and maybe even find my true story.

Let me make this clear -- if you find yourself playing any of these games yearly, whether it's for nostalgia or because you think they're genuinely good games, you will love NES Remix.

While it could have exploited fans at every turn like EA tried to do with Dungeon Keeper, it's actually a nice little way to spend an afternoon while you wait for Fallout 4 to come out in November. Just don't expect anything particularly exciting, as it is slightly skewed towards enticing you to spend money on it -- lest you wait to enjoy it in short spurts.

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel is, by most counts, a really bad game. However, for such a technical disaster, I have been playing it solidly for a week since I got the thing. It's a technical mess and its flaws are impossible to ignore, but its sheer character and the strength of some incredibly addictive gameplay have allowed it to surpass all its problems and become a truly fun game.

Its sometimes aggravating difficulty might not be for everyone, but anyone looking to bring back that warm, pit of your stomach feeling of playing Double Dragon for the first time needn't look any further.

After the awful showing of Episode 2, I had absolutely no expectations going into this one. But hey, I came away relatively pleased and somewhat looking forward to what is to come next. The underlying issues that have plagued every episode thus far still persist here, but at least The Council is finally utilizing its strengths in the best way possible, despite its flaws.

Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is worth it for 9 alone, but you'll also get to experience several legacy games that were passed by.

When assessing these packs I try to rate the sum of their parts, and more often than not, the A-game of the zombie team elevates these DLCs. Call of Duty: WWII: The Resistance is another one of those times where the extra bits upstage the main attraction of the maps.

Towa is a beautiful and unique game, with innovations hiding under every rock and shrine, but with poor design choices and inconsistencies, it's definitely a very rough diamond.

On one hand, the game has energy provided from the fun conversations taking place at the table. And you definitely get more than $5 worth out of that alone. What kills Telltale's latest game is that, really, there's not enough diversity to keep people coming back ... at least not for more than a game or two when you're bored and have nothing else to do.

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - Mars may have flown under the radar in 2003 but it now has the chance to shine again 15 years later.

It’s just amusing to see such a loving remaster of a game that is mediocre in the most charitable of terms. With the attention Nightdive has given it, you would swear it was a classic. And I love that. I wish more publishers and developers had the guts to dredge up the forgotten dregs of the past and not just repackage them but restore them for a new audience. I was prepared for Nightdive to take a pass at remastering Turok 3 because it would be financially unviable. It wasn’t the smart thing to do. It was the right thing to do. So, they forged onward and made it happen with their signature flourishes. Respect from top to bottom. Certainly makes it difficult to slap a score on it, though.

I'd happily recommend March of the Eagles based exclusively on the multiplayer, but if you prefer your gaming to be a solo venture, then it might not really offer quite as much.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is an entertaining music-rhythm game in theory, but it slips on banana peels that Sega threw on the ground constantly. The controls are certainly an improvement from the Wii game, but the game still suffers from a lack of input when you move sideways. The roulette system is a nuisance — especially in the single-player mode where you can’t turn it off — and the song list is a little disappointing with some overused pop tracks that have been featured in other games...Despite all that, I still find enjoyment in this game as the concept of shaking a Joy-Con to the beat never gets old to me. That’s despite Amigo’s smile haunting my nightmares tonight.

2.0 feels like a natural evolution, and that's a good thing if you liked the original.

This one is for fans only; and good on Compile Heart and Idea Factory for that. So to the Nep-heads who have enjoyed the series’ take on the console wars and its obsession with pudding and boobs: I can’t think of a reason why you shouldn’t pick this one up. To everyone else, there’s probably a better RPG you should spend your time and money on.

A lot of the issues are tech-related: crashes, geometry bugs, load times, and framerate can all be fixed with patches. As of now? The interesting puzzles and fantastic music are not worth suffering through the bugs, lackluster models, and mediocre combat and skills. If your interest is piqued here, wishlist it and come back at a later time; I have no doubt that this game will reach its potential, but it's just not even close right now.

This is a safe and standard Story of Seasons game.

It’s hard to make a bad Pokémon game because the series’ standard gameplay is still so satisfying. But you can make a disappointing one, and that’s exactly what Game Freak did here. Whether it can be blamed on a lack of time, a lack of resources, or a lack of talent within the developer itself, Pokémon Violet is not up to the level where a game of this caliber should be. And while I will gladly continue to fill out my Pokédex until I’ve captured every critter hiding in this world, I’m always going to be left mourning what this game should have been rather than what it ended up being.

In all, Tomodachi Life is filled with pure, unbridled joy. It puts a stupid grin on my face and keeps it there through its duration. Some might complain that it is "not a game," but they can go on hating. It does require the player to put in some love, flair, and wit, but what comes out is magic.

It's inspired, but turgid. Brilliant, but flawed. Fun, but infuriating. Like the living dead itself, Dead Island is a contradiction from beginning to end. However, I feel you need to play it, because despite copying so much from infinitely smoother games, there's nothing quite like it on the market. That, itself, is yet another contradiction in the confused, conflicted, often completely beautiful mess that is Dead Island.

I don't know what to expect from the future of Far Cry, and that's so exciting.

With some tweaks to the pacing, it could have reconciled its warm, frank look at humanity and been something special.

I have so much love for this game as a complete package, and I'm excited to keep going with next year's PlayStation 5 remaster, but I can't shake the feeling that The First Samurai could've done more.

Where Bangkok mostly falters is the actual setting. It's less focused on Thailand and more on the "Himmapan luxury hotel," which doesn't really go far enough and frankly, isn't as luxurious as it claims.

There's something to be said for a quiet, gentle game that can take you on a journey as effortlessly as Lilly Looking Through and that's something to be thankful for.

Zeit² is like getting a present inside of a present. At first you're not sure if you're going to like it, but once you delve into the game's time travel mechanic it grabs a hold of you. This seemingly simple stratagem has managed to create a truly unique experience.

All in all, I say this is a great game to pick up if you're a fan of the genre. It's endlessly charming, and a real breath of fresh air in terms of its style and gameplay loop. On Spry Fox's website, they claim they "want to make the world a happier place" with games, and I say they have more than achieved that goal.

Call of Duty: Advance Warfare's DLC drops have become incrementally more impressive as Sledgehammer is willing to take more risks. While I didn't think it'd be able to bring anything new to the table for its first Call of Duty outing, the studio has proven me wrong, surpassing Infinity Ward in my mind.

A touch of color, a few diversions, and some fresh ideas could really have gone a long way to making Toukiden something special. As is, it's merely pretty okay.

Xotic demands a certain competitive mindset to fully enjoy it, to be sure, but for those who want to test their first-person skills with the type of score-based arcade gameplay that is usually found in other genres, it does what it sets out to do and it does so successfully without overwhelming the player.

Personally, I want to like this game, but I Hate Running Backwards just wore out its welcome far too early.

Despite being out for nearly a decade, The Sims 4: Lovestruck has rung me back in again, even after all these years. It’s refreshing to see the characters become more lifelike, in which gameplay takes a unique turn. So, I suppose I am going to do my Sims 4 binge. Maybe it’s high time for me to finally get that 100 Baby challenge done.

One disappointing episode isn't enough to write off the whole season quite yet, but I'm certainly less excited for the finale than I was this time last month.

It's a fun mindless romp through a couple of interesting setpieces, but not a whole lot more than that when it comes down to it.

Despite the quality of the episode, one complaint does remain, and it's one that Guardians hasn't shaken the whole season so far. Mainly it comes down to tone, in which, unlike other Telltale games, there really does feel like a "right" way for things to end up at the end of Who Needs You.

I think right now, the most prudent thing to do is to wait for ZeniMax to iron out all of The Elder Scrolls Online's kinks (including how it handles post level 50 content to make it less grindy), and play the console version of the game. Not only will it arrive with all of the updates from the PC version in tow, but it'll also have full native controller support -- which feels more natural than a mouse and keyboard in this instance.

Although the occasional technical issue and odd mechanic put a damper on things, Aragami has its heart in the right place. It's strict adherence to stealth with no ifs, ands, or buts will turn some people off, but it'll speak to a lot of old-school fans who are sick of experiences that allow you to blast your way out of everything.

Ontamarama is definitely unwieldy and a bit overcomplicated, but it's still engaging, time-sucking and solidly fun. And the oddball factor actually works in its favor.

Street Fighter X Mega Man is not the best or most polished Mega Man game around, but it's solid effort by a very dedicated fan. I hope it does it well enough to convince Capcom that there is life yet in this franchise. In the meanwhile, just enjoy the crossover fun for its cleverness and not its missteps.

While Hardline is tone deaf at times, mostly it is just deafening. Explosions and bombast are used not to distract from a troubling narrative as much as a stale one perfunctorily paced and reminiscent of network television emptiness.

In years to come, Unit 13 will likely not be remembered by a great many people, but for right now, it's a good indicator of what the future of console-equivalent experiences will feel like on Sony's newest portable. The future's looking promising.

Getting everyone or everything to behave how you want in a mission or a puzzle makes thing just extra aggravating.

My enjoyment of Farpoint is inherently tethered to my experience with it in VR. As a shooter it's only slightly above average. But the team was able to incorporate various elements of sight, sound, and touch (by way of the Aim Controller) to elevate it.

If you fancy embarking on a roller coaster ride of ups and downs in the emotion department, this is certainly worth the asking price. It's a definite purchase for fans of horror games and/or visual novels, but I think that should you have a PSP and aren't against buying one of the top games I've had the pleasure of playing this year, you really should try it out.

Ikachan is a marvelous introduction to a much larger, more ambitious game. But that's all it is: an introduction. If you are willing to accept that, you'll happily enjoy the short time you spend in its watery world.

Tachyon Project isn't a remarkable shooter, but it's well-designed on several levels. There's no multiplayer to speak here, but with a decent campaign, lots of customization, and New Game+/Endless modes, you'll be perfectly fine going at it solo.

While the game is playable on both desktops and the Oculus Rift, the difference is minimal. Playing on the Rift makes it easier for those with the manual to keep from sneaking peeks at the screen, while also using your main computer screen as a location to pull up a copy of the manual, but it is just as easily played on any PC. [Tested with Oculus Rift]

If you absolutely must have this on your Switch or don't already own it on another platform, Little Inferno is perfectly fine on Nintendo's new box. The added cooperative functionality has some benefits, but I wouldn't say you're missing out if you opt for a different platform.

The Pact is a fair episode, with some familiar faces and a couple of great scenes. But due to its odd plotting, overbooked roster, and distracting technical flaws, it didn't suck me in like the previous chapter did. Still, outside of the horrible lock-up issues, it was an acceptable way to while away two hours. I'm intrigued to see where the story goes next.

Humble Hearts has another fun little game on its hands with Never Stop Sneakin'. It's far from perfect and lacks the variety in level and boss design that would make me want to keep coming back, but the fast run-based gameplay is addictive as hell, and I do love those blocky polygon character models.

Cross Rays still has room to improve for both presentation and gameplay elements, but the new changes result in a better game. In an era where many Gundam games are failing to improve over their predecessor, seeing Cross Rays try and succeed to be a better game is a much-needed sight. Hopefully the team at Tom Create keeps the trend going with the next one, because they have the foundation needed to create something special, especially if they make it a crossover entry.

The gameplay is just overwhelmingly underwhelming. Poor exploration, unimpressive combat, and a merely passable narrative can’t be made up for by aesthetics. Which is too bad, because the aesthetics are terrific. The backgrounds have a stunning amount of variety to them and are of almost poetic quality. I suppose if you saw Trek to Yomi and this is what grabbed you, then you’re all set. However, if you want strong gameplay to back that up, then it just isn’t worth the trek.

I'm not sure Pac-Man World Re-Pac is going to lure in many more fans, but the ones it already had should be happy with this new packaging.

Even with the slow grind, I have no reservations saying Stranger of Sword City is a damn fine dungeon crawler.

Taken on its own terms, though, with God Eater 3 we have a pretty hunting game that moves like lightning and makes its stylish combat feel like something worth mastering. Players willing to adjust their expectations will find plenty to fill up on, but those seeking a novel new taste rather than a bit of comfort food may want to keep looking.

Although there is some excellent work put in by Catwoman and John Doe, Fractured Mask is ultimately just a series of "Choose A or B" conversations, taking place in overly-familiar locales, with stakes not quite as high as the game would have you believe.

Driveclub is fast and easy to get into, nice to look at, and it has a lot going on in the background to keep you connected and competitive with your club members and other individuals. But that doesn't change the issues in the foreground. Its approachable and enjoyable racing is marred by AI cars that love to unfairly bash and crash on the single-player side. And bugs with the interface and the networking kept me from fully enjoying the multiplayer side.

We expected the worst, but in the end, we were pleasantly surprised by the authenticity of the game's world and the depth of its story. We're glad to say that the little lakeside resort town of Silent Hill continues to be just as messed up as it always was.

It feels like something that was left on the cutting room floor for good reason instead of a complement to the original game.

To take a page from the book of elitist musicians everywhere: "Put down that toy and go play a real plastic guitar."

If you are craving some LotR action or want to play a bold new MOBA, there is a lot to like about Guardians of Middle-earth. It's a shame that its lackluster community and frustrating technical issues get in the way of that.

If InterWave manage to grow alongside the community, Nuclear Dawn could become the most important FPS game to arrive in a long time. Right now, it's a welcome replacement for Team Fortress 2 and stopgap until Natural Selection 2.

Escape Plan never aims to be anything more than a showcase of the PlayStation Vita's touch controls, but said controls are so insensitive and poorly implemented that the best it can hope for is to be used as an example of what not to do when designing a Vita game.

Time has been kind to Modern Warfare 2. The resonance of this particular entry is demonstrated with heartfelt passion in Beenox' high-gloss, finely-tuned remaster. While the overall package is slim and the asking price no doubt steep for some tastes, there's no denying that MW 2's provocative and exciting campaign has aged like wine, an explosive roller-coaster still worth riding.

If you are a fan of mindless, old-school action games you really owe it to yourself to give Blood on the Sand a try. I promise you will be thoroughly entertained. The minute things start to feel repetitive, the game throws in a random driving level or a ludicrous cutscene that you only wish could be rewound and watched again.

Not everyone will feel the same way, but at least Loot Rascals is a rougelike built for the less masochistic folks out there.

It's refreshing to get a game that knows exactly what it wants to do, executes on that idea, but doesn't overstay its welcome. The central mechanic of precision projectile motion is unique, and Lichtspeer plays with the formula enough to keep the experience fresh right up until the end.

A solid but but unspectacular point-and-click adventure. It will scratch the itch to play games of its type but breaks no ground and does little to further the appeal of such games. Its moderate challenge level may be a little low for veteran players, who may find aspects of it disappointing.