Though it has some issues with framerate drops and its approach to control is definitely not for everybody, Dadliest Catch kept a smile on my face for most of its duration.

Despite the marketing of a more 'serious' tone this is still very much EDF.

Praises and complaints aside, Heroes of Ruin does exactly what it wanted to do -- give 3DS users a solid hack n' slash RPG. While it flounders on the way to that simple goal, it's a goal that has been undoubtedly reached. Better may come along in the future, but right now, this does the trick.

Touch My Katamari looks and plays better than ever, has a hilarious new story, and new touchscreen controls give players additional ways to roll their own, but that all doesn't change the fact that this is basically the same game we've played so many times already.

Incomplete, glitchy, and visually degraded, Silent Hill HD Collection is Konami's greatest insult to the series.

I struggle with claiming the game is great for younger, uninitiated gamers because I cut my teeth on much more challenging, varied, and interesting platformers at a young age, but that audience is there. For the rest of us, Max and the Magic Marker is a cute and fun, albeit simplistic, romp through an upbeat, pretty, childlike fantasy world that does some neat things but struggles to stay consistently engaging.

So long as you aren't bothered by an utter fumbling of features in this port, you're still getting a solid fighting game that should at the very least, function as a portable training simulation for the console version. I'm pretty torn on the review given the omission of such a major function, but ultimately Guilty Gear is a great game, and that core was preserved here.

Paperbound isn't all that exciting even for hardcore arena veterans, but the foundation is there for a fast-paced frag-fest. The developers employed a half-measure when it comes to aesthetics and content, but there's plenty of fun to be had once you start flipping out and making gravity your bitch.

There's a fascinating story here, but it's seemingly stretched out just to justify a price point comparable to That Dragon, Cancer, at the expense of quality.

The wonderful art, music, and lore deserve to be in something more original than Dragalia Lost. There are a hundred different versions of this game already available on app stores and it doesn’t do very much to hoist itself above the competition. This title may represent Nintendo’s riskiest attempt at breaking big into mobile gaming, going with an original IP instead of known property, but it also represents its least creative.

Episode 2 also brings two strong new characters into the cast, a mysterious new friend and a dangerous antagonist, with the narrative immediately stamping the importance of both roles into the story.

I can't fathom a situation where fans of the franchise will be disappointed with Dillon's Dead-Heat Breakers. The music is fantastic, the world well-realized, Dillion has never looked better, and the shift away from predominantly touch controls is a wise decision. This is a solid adventure through and through, and it gives me slight hope we'll see other forgotten eShop gems get another chance to shine in the future.

Going in with modest expectations despite that price point, this is a decent DLC release. The main draw, the robot-building feature, is cooler and more extensive than expected.

Onee Chanbara Origin remains a cathartic, bloodthirsty, and goofy bit of chaos, whose aesthetic charms have been boosted thanks to Tamsoft's excellent audio/visual upgrade. Unfortunately, the passage of time has somewhat dulled Origin's gameplay, which has been far superseded by other franchises. Offering a short campaign, above-average action, and a slim package, Onee Chanbara Origin is for franchise fans only - and not at its $60 asking price.

So we've got a game that I don't enjoy from any angle (which sucks), but it's also dominating the cultural conversation right now (which is great). I'm torn on this one, honestly! See, I don't recommend Pokémon Go the video game. But I can't get enough of Pokémon Go the cultural artifact. It's a Videodrome-esque obsession, and I'm very disappointed in how excited I am to play my part. Long live the new flesh.

Novaleaf has created a fully fleshed out game, one that is packed full of replay value and keeps the old school "one more try" spirit alive. Some gamers might not want to drop 800 Points for a Community Game, but there's more value here than some of the 1200 Point XBLA games out there.

As someone who grew up adoring the Dizzy series, I definitely got a kick out of Mystik Belle's whimsical trip down memory lane. Props should also been given for some lovely colourful sprites, cute characters and nostalgic tunes from yesteryear. But it is certainly a short trip down said lane, and one which will present the majority of gamers with very little resistance.

In retrospect, I like having this unique story to tell. However, I found little joy in actually playing it. Frustration, irritation, and boredom, sure. But little joy. I might have been better off playing the slots in my local, dilapidated amusement arcade. At least then there would have been a chance I could have won a few quid, and with my winnings, I could just have bought a book.

Hover ends up as a game that's a blast to maneuver around and explore but becomes at odds with its own design. There are a lot of peculiar decisions that make everything much more frustrating than it needs to be. Hover is something I desperately wanted to fall in love with, and although I’m happy to have been acquainted with it, we’ll be headed our separate ways moving forward.

In light of the announcement for Call of Duty: Ghosts' dynamic maps, Vengeance really doesn't feel like enough to justify a purchase on its own, even if core fans will find themselves satisfied, and it's not a bad way to supplement the Season Pass.

Still a good game, even if it does feel like a wasted creative opportunity. It steals liberally from the Bat, but it does so with a high enough degree of skill and style that it can be forgiven.

Liberation Maiden isn't Suda 51's crowning achievement or anything, but it is a simple, fun shooter with a clever offense-defensive mechanic and several coats of glossy finish. If you aren't bothered by the stick and stylus control scheme, you'll enjoy this hearty dose of anime mech action. Certainly, the remaining Guild01 games have a lot to live up to.

My Memory of Us is a joy to play. It's a well-crafted game that is clearly made by a team equipped to tackle such a heavy subject matter. Even without directly showing any Nazi symbols, the story is heart-wrenching and manages to pay tribute to the sacrifice of those who fought against them.

The sum total of my experience with Daemon X Machina is positive. The combat is amazing, the game is bright and colorful, the framerate mostly holds up in either docked or handheld mode, and the hangar is great to tinker around in, checking out all the different configurations of my mech. That's what I'm going to remember out of all of this, which is safe for me to say because most everything else in this game is pretty forgettable.

WWE 2K17 is a poor simulation of the WWE product, often because it seems ashamed of pro wrestling.

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.

That's not to say Spacebase Startopia is a bad game, it's just something of a disappointment. At best, it feels like a remake that makes a few missteps. It's a forgery at worst. If you really want more Startopia but can't stand to look at its dated graphics, there's definitely something for you here. Otherwise, you're better off docking with a different donut.

Kao the Kangaroo feels like a game that has more potential that wasn't executed on, but the vibrant visuals go a really long way.

While some of Conan Exiles has rubbed off a bit for me thanks to friction with its more cumbersome aspects, it remains a genuinely engrossing experience to play... if you can find a spot in the queue.

I do like Rune Factory 5. It has a great cast, a wealth of activities, and much of the farm sim experience I love. But every time I found myself smitten with the game, something would come along to point out just how underwhelming it is as a whole. For those who are already fans of the Rune Factory series, I imagine any complaints I’ve listed above might be easy to overlook. For everyone else, you may want to try your hand at a previous entry in the franchise to see if you even like Rune Factory’s combination of farming and fighting before giving this one a go.

A relatively decent shooter that is better than it has the right to be, but certainly won't be considered a classic of the XBLA platform. If you absolutely love shooters and want to play every last one, then this will be worth a purchase.

Still, if you aren't keen on zombies (and many of you aren't, after nearly 10 years of it), you can probably stay away from Descent.

Automachef is home to some mind-melting challenges, but if you're up to the task, you're eventually in for blissful breakthroughs. Just don't come in expecting to unwind after a long day at work.

I've certainly enjoyed my time with the game, and I think it's worth playing. But I know deep down that in a few years I'm far more likely to replay Chrono Trigger for a twentieth time than I am to come back to Lost Sphear.

The basic gameplay concept is fine, and it works as a way to pass time in short bursts. It seems like it could work better if it were a pure skill game rather than the hybrid it is, and it surely would work better on mobile or handheld.

Blackguards is a wonderful tactics game with some rough edges. The core gameplay and character progression elements are easily some of the best in the genre, but as battles tend to drag on and more and more enemies scream “owAUGH,” the interest tends to fade.

Ninjala definitely has the look of something I should be in love with. It's bright and colorful, and the world-building happening here is genuinely fun. What's not fun are the poorly implemented mechanics that can ruin the fast and fluid combat. There is a solid template for something great here, and if GungHo can iron out all its wrinkles, it might have a genuine blockbuster on its hands.

If you loved DmC, you really can't go wrong here. But if it wasn't everything you had hoped for, Vergil's Downfall will do little than give you a glimpse into the stylish Devil May Cry of old, at least from an aesthetic perspective.

It just feels a little too similar to what we've seen before, especially since so many of the previous Dungeon Run style expansions have been completely free.

Starblood Arena gets a lot of things right, but it failed to pull me into its world and feels dated on arrival.

If you're looking for an epic sprawling all-star experience this isn't it, but I hope this fun brawl-focused base eventually leads to that and continues to improve over time with the promised upcoming support.

We've seen Ubisoft snatch victory from the jaws of "somewhat underwhelming" before: maybe they can do it again.

And, as I sit here writing this, I can’t wait to zip up my flight suit and step back into my combat boots to bust some more. A lot of love was poured into Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, and it speaks to me. I can only hope that Illfonic is able to support it for months or even years to come because I can definitely see myself returning to it again and again. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got an unlicensed nuclear accelerator to strap to my back.

When it's not forcing a sub-par combat system on players, and when it allows itself to be as imaginative as it can be, Silent Hill: Downpour is a stylish, slickly produced, beautifully foreboding game.

It's a lot easier to play through a imperfect game when you've got an army of demon penguins calling you "dood" to keep you company.

Zoo Tycoon has a distinct lack of depth, but if you're capable of sitting down with this simplistic simulator, you'll smile more times than you can count. The simulator fan in me was a bit disappointed by the ease of it all, but the child in me couldn't help but enjoy myself.

Shado'O offers a solid tower defense experience, albeit one that doesn't take advantage of its unique setting and story. While mechanically sound, despite some frustrations when it comes to unit placement around the fog, it's nothing you probably haven't played before.

Heart & Slash is a hardcore game built on top of a niche genre, but I think a lot of people will appreciate it. Even then, those same folks won't dig the frame rate and camera issues, but the juice is still worth the squeeze.

It’s not a soulless game or one without a spark, there’s definitely a lot of love in the final product. It just seriously needed a few more sets of eyes on it to draw out its flaws. A lot of the things that vexed me most severely could be fixed with a few more passes of the floor buffer. Yet here we are, and Demon Turf doesn’t strike me as territory worth conquering.

If you've enjoyed the Earth Defense Force games in the past, you'll love this one. It has more missions, more weapons, more ways to play with the new solider classes, and just more fun. If you've never played EDF, check your brain at the door and enjoy blowing the shit out of some ugly bugs. I defy you to NOT have fun with this game.

While Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception won't break new ground in terms of narrative novelty or tactical depth, it remains an attractive, polished fantasy romp that will especially delight fans familiar with the original story. Everyone else, though, should be prepared to pick up the sequel, lest they leave the story halfway done.

SNK Playmore did a pretty good job of putting together a nice sampler of their classic titles. It's fun to poke around and play through these older games. Going through them almost gave me a sense of strolling through the dimly lit arcades of yesteryear, armed with a pocket heavy with quarters.

Dynasty Warriors 8 feels, in several ways, like an answer to criticisms fans have had of the series all generation.

Gundam Versus is great gameplay hampered by the content, or lack thereof, meant to support it. A solid roster is brought down by questionable absences, while the offline content lacks the kind of replayability that an arcade mode would have.

Touken Ranbu Warriors isn’t a game for traditional Musou/Warriors fans. This one’s aimed directly at the crowd that didn’t have to Google the term “Saniwa” when reading this review.

There is fun to be had with The Hong Kong Massacre, but I don't believe it lives up to the years of hype following it. With some finer tuning and better balance, this could be a real contender for the Hotline Miami clone crown. As it is, this is an okay time that wears out its welcome well before the end credits start rolling.

Kill la Kill: IF succeeds in translating its namesake's hyper-kinetic universe, wild action, and extreme characters into a fun experience, but is held back by lackluster side-content and flaws inherent to its own design. It's worth your time if you're already a franchise fan, but those yet to be ensnared by Life-Fibers should wait until this particular couture number moves to the reduced rail.

I'm not sold on Battleborn's commitment to the MOBA genre but there's something fun there underneath all of it. I'll probably hop on occasionally to play Capture throughout its lifetime while the bulk of my efforts are spent on more polished shooters.

Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series' finale is more a whimper than a bang, but it's not disappointing enough to taint the good times I've had so far with this crew. I can only hope that the narrative seeds planted here turn into something substantial in the future, as this is a family I'd like to stick around with, if I can.

Brink is a confusing beast. Inspired and engrossing, exasperating and chaotic. Putting my thoughts into words has been difficult, as a series of garbled, guttural noises are what I want to make whenever I try to describe this game. I want to excitedly shout about how happy it makes me, but I can't do so without adding important, overbearing caveats.

Crypto-137 is hellbent on ensuring that humanity meets a terrible fate. By comparison, Destroy All Humans has met an enjoyable-enough-but-certainly-not-amazing fate. That's fine, but it's tough to not feel as though something truly great could've happened with some more creative license. If nothing else, this remake left me thinking that Destroy All Humans is still a viable property and that a brand new game might not be such a bad idea. But maybe that's because an extraterrestrial has control of my cortex.

This all adds up to a decent amount of bro-time if you really want it, but I'm fairly certain whoever you play this with will end up being a not-bro for a little while. Broforce could have been a fun "Hoo-rah 'Murica" romp, but it comes with artificial difficulty and bugs that aren't worth dealing with. You're better off watching First Blood again and pretending Satan is going to show up at the end.

Despite these nitpicks that are unique to the console editions, TERA is still absolutely worth trying out if you've never delved into it before. It's something I plan on sticking with on the side rather than as a main course, but those of you who are already chowing down on TERA should probably stay with the PC version.

It's downright frustrating, actually, as with even the slightest tweaks, Lost Planet 2 could have been another winner for Capcom, and the epic sequel fans had hoped for. As it stands, Lost Planet 2 is a shell of a potentially great game, brought down by bizarre, dated, and counterintuitive design decisions. And that's a shame.

There is a lot of potential here for a great idea and certain moments are truly awesome, but the whole experience just doesn’t hold up and ends on a low point. If you have a stronger stomach for finicky controls, though, Inked might just be the game for you.

Part of my interest in independent titles involves viewing the art form without the overwhelming gloss. Eternights has that gloss, which is an accomplishment in its own right, but when you peel that away, you just find something that seems a bit bland and lifeless. Certainly, not a night you’ll remember. You’d probably be better off just keeping your hand.

There is absolutely nothing in this industry that can compare to how weird and wonderful the whole experience is. Judged as a piece of entertainment, as a game that consistently surprises and amazes and leaves jaws hanging, I have no choice but to say that Deadly Premonition goes above and beyond. This game is so bad, it's not just become good. It's pretty close to perfect.

Witcheye is an absolutely pleasant and pleasurable adventure and easily one of the best mobile games I've played all year. With tight controls and a headphone-worthy soundtrack, it's one I'm going to be returning to. Though I'll probably just stick to the boss rush mode going forward.

If you’re looking for a stealth VR game, Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice will certainly scratch that itch. The story is intriguing and thought out enough to make it worthwhile if you care about Vampire: The Masquerade. And it’s very evident that Fast Travel Games aimed to fit into the overall material setting. But the underwhelming RPG elements, primarily the Vampire Powers, as well as buggy controls and AI, make the experience fall a bit short of what I think this bloodsucking journey could have been.

More "experience" than "videogame", The UnderGarden is a pure delight that proves you don't have to be a super tough "hardcore" title in order to be fun. It's not action packed, it's not punishing, and it's not what you would normally turn your Xbox 360 on for.

Gauntlet is a polished game that does right by its predecessors. It's a great mix of both old and new school sensibilities, and despite the fact that the art style isn't as pronounced as it could have been, the actual core of the game is very sound.

It's perfect for action junkies who love visceral and brutal fighting but hate to think about things.

If you can handle the game's intensity enough to stick with it for prolonged play sessions -- or if, conversely, you're perfectly fine with sporadically playing it for a few minutes at a time before switching it off -- then maybe Galcon Fusion is for you. If not, maybe you're better off picking it up for the iPhone.

The linchpin of these games is to develop a connection with the player. Along with that connection comes emotion. Dear Esther is simply too disconnected from itself to ever connect with me.

Thankfully, the designs of the bulk of Lost in Shadow's platforming trials are clever enough, providing a mostly fun and memorable experience, if not an emotionally empty one.

Occasionally, it doesn't feel quite weird enough to carry the whole concept of a human schoolgirl at an all-bird high school, but there's still plenty of laughs to be had for a brief experience that you're going to have to play through multiple times to fully enjoy.

Test Drive Unlimited 2 isn't a horrible game. It's just surrounded by a bug filled world, glitchy gameplay, and a core mechanic that doesn't function.

Despite my complaints, though, I legitimately love the world Neon Giant has crafted here and would love to see even more of it. There’s loads of potential in this setting for straight-up better stories to be told, and I think The Ascent itself is kept from greatness from a lot of jank, technical issues, and weird design decisions. All that said, I think once I get my hands on a Steam Deck, I’m absolutely going to treat that as an excuse to go back for more. Hopefully, by then, they’ll have a lot of the technical issues addressed.

While Star Rush isn't the horrible 'car' wreck of the past two titles in the series, it is hardly recommendable due to a lack of mini-games and thus content, even if four players can play nearly the full game pending one other in the same room has the game (there is no online play to speak of, in case you were wondering).

A game that I truly did not see coming. Fans of surreal FMV and/or match three puzzle games should check it out.

Ultimately, though, what stings the most about seeing My Hero One's Justice 2 is how much hasn't changed since the first game.

Costume Quest 2 still has that Double Fine charm and any game that includes a Blazing Saddles joke in 2014 is okay in my book.

MLB 2K12 isn't a terrible game. But if you've played it before...well, you've played it before. If you haven't played it before, it's not a very good jumping-on point due to little to no in-game tutorials, and the animations won't win any new fans either.

Despite its flaws, Neverending Nightmares offers a striking and unforgettable horror experience, combined with an uncomfortably intimate look into the true torment of mental illness. However, its lack of content and uneven pacing prevent it from being the classic it feels like it could have been.

People who have followed the Fazbear saga up to this point will likely want to close out the story, and they'll find enough to enjoy about Five Nights 3 to make it worth their time. New players curious about all the hype and considering a visit to Fazbear's Fright would be ill-advised to choose this as their jumping-on point to the series.

Even as an adult I found Treasure World to be a fun experience. It is what it is -- a cool idea, wrapped in twee chicanery and kid-friendly nonsense.

In many ways, Tekken Card Tournament is a shame, because it's actually a decent, simple little card game. If someone laid a real-life starter deck in front of me, I'd actually play it for an extended period of time, but as it stands, it's not worth slogging through the mictrotransaction and "energy" nonsense to do it.

Thymesia isn't shy about its influences, an admittance that helps and harms the title when inevitably compared to its legendary brethren.

Almost 20 years on from its initial arrival, The Rumble Fish 2 still packs a punch as a spunky fighter that dared to hold its own in a crowded market, powered by a fun cast, a unique look, and solid gameplay. Unfortunately, this expensive release fails to capitalize on its grand comeback, offering barebones features, lacking rudimentary options, and greedily locking characters behind paywalls. That this long-lost fighter would receive such a half-hearted presentation is hugely disappointing.

I have to deal with what I have in my hands, and what I have is a single-player mode with some noticeable highlights and a multiplayer mode with too many problems to remain enjoyable, despite all its promise.

There's plenty of room for old school style FPS games like this in an ocean of looter shooters and games-as-a-service titles.

Hills and Rivers Remain will keep you on your toes and keep you coming back.

Rain Blood Chronicles: Mirage probably isn't going to stick with you as a cherished experience, but it's a competently designed combo slasher with a fair bit going for it. Players who like their 2D hack n' slash combat fast and accurate should be satisfied.

All around, Samba de Amigo is probably the best "arm dancing" game I've played yet (don't laugh, the Wii has tons of 'em), but unfortunately isn't billed as such.

Fable Anniversary may not blow you away, but it's still a good action game that everyone should experience at some point or another, and I'd consider it vastly superior to Fable 2 and 3.

It is a decent amount of unbridled chaos with some absurd enemy design and a solid weapon mechanic. While not the most innovative or engaging title, it is likely to provide enough entertainment for Serious Sam fans to be worth looking into.

Ninja Blade provides a banal and vapid experience that only truly dedicated action junkies without any other plans could justify playing.

Fortune Street is so dense, complicated, and time consuming that it's hard to imagine that your average mini-game fan will be able to get into it, especially if they were expecting a short and shallow series of 30-second competitions.