Playgrounds certainly has its faults. Some of its mechanics are strangely hidden in mystery as I continue to miss layups that no professional should ever miss. But, in terms of off-the-wall two-on-two basketball, it can be a blast.

3 on 3 NHL Arcade doesn’t have a comprehensive slate of gameplay modes and options, and it’s easy to write it off for that reason. But what’s there is enough to keep gamers coming back again and again: tremendously enjoyable core gameplay, superb sound design, impressive visuals, and a wonderfully old-school-oriented multiplayer experience.

This one just fell flat. It uses an outdated weapon changing system that's more annoying than useful, doesn't do enough to engage the player in combat, and feels unfinished.

Double D isn't the most tightly produced of shooters, but it's a laugh. With genuinely amusing, self-deprecating humor peppered throughout, and increasingly ridiculous opponents to tackle, Mommy's Best Games has produced something that is sure to entertain, even if it doesn't inspire.

Viral Survival is pure arcade score attack action. What you put into it is what you get out. If that's not your thing, that's not your thing. However, I believe there's just enough depth and variety to hook someone looking for quick bursts of fun. It's challenging, addictive, and just plain ol' dandy.

As a VR experience though, Tale really sells the idea of 3D platformers, and I'd be very happy to play a fully-fledged sequel one day.

Sure, Never Alone is far from perfect, but its highs are much more significant than its lows. Rarely is an experimental take flawless, and that's the case here. But, hopefully everyone involved can take what's on display with Never Alone, improve the formula next time, and continue to teach because it's a fascinating way to learn.

Though not all of the 50+ characters are worth maxing out, the eight heroes of the campaign and the unlockable bosses are an absolute joy to play, learn, and master. With so many modes and so many quests, this is yet another quality Switch title ready to suck up dozens of hours of your life.

It just feels like there are a lot of missed opportunities in Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition. The gameplay certainly works, but there's really nothing all that spectacular about it.

Despite the great storytelling mechanics, I can’t help but wish there was a little more to the game. When all was said and done it wrapped up in a handful of hours at most and I was left craving more.

The multiplayer works about 45% of the time. The "challenge" mode is more like a training simulation for Skynet. 2/3rds of this game are not up to par. I cannot get three other people together to play Lethal League on my couch. My experience with Lethal League is valid even though I didn't contort my life to satisfy a hypothetical. Some other people might be in the same position, and I hope this review is useful to them.

No, Tiny Metal is no substitute for Advance Wars. It does a lot of cool things, and it absolutely satisfies the same craving. But as much as I loved it at times, I hated it at others. It allows for pure turn-based strategy bliss, but there's a lot of garbage to sift through in order to get to it.

There's a decent multiplayer action game concept buried in here, absolutely. Some of these characters deserve to live on in future projects. At the same time, it feels like there are only so many team dynamics to experience. It's all too fleeting. Once you've hit that point of no return, there's no real motivation to continue. I'd like to pick this back up one day, but realistically, I don't see that happening...If you're even remotely interested in Bleeding Edge, play it now while the matchmaking is still lively.

Despite my qualms, I had fun playing Just Dance 2016 -- but then again, it’s hard not to. It’s still a favored party game and one that has almost perfected the fun-for-all game model. Heck, it’s reached a point where it’s thrown in some mediocre new modes and a subscription model just to keep itself fresh, so in some cases you can call this a success. However you can also say that Just Dance is a dying breed, one that is taking its last breath to capitalize on the streaming craze that’s enveloped our little gaming world. I say we don’t think about it too deeply, and just dance.

A very standard action game that won't excite masters of the genre, but it has more than enough charm to make up for its simplicity. It also certainly helps that it's an original story, so hardcore fans of the manga or show will want to get in on Red even at a discount just to experience more Straw Hat action.

If you’re heavily interested in a vampire-fueled mystery game with some good “a-ha” moments, Vampire: The Masquerade – Swansong can deliver. It’ll falter and miss some notes here and there, but it does at least sate my thirst for some vampire storytelling for now.

In a world where THPS 2X is still readily available for less than $10 on eBay, it's hard to give this HD downgrade any sort of recommendation. The original games earned our nostalgia, while this release abuses it. It's short on content, quality, and personality. This is not the Tony Hawk I remember spending middle-school summers with.

If you really love Monkey Ball, have no intention of playing anything outside of single-player, and come in with low expectations, you might enjoy Banana Splitz if it ever goes on sale one day. While it's not offensively bad like Super Monkey Ball Adventure, you'll most likely want to roll right on past this one.

After giving it some thought, I actually can see how Onslaught could be someone's game of the year, but only if that someone was very young, and/or has never played a online FPS before.

Whether $10 gives you enough value for a mechanically simple, short game is down to you. It's rare to to play a game that has such simple mechanics but resonates in the memory for so long.

While the difficulty curve is smartly placed overall, there are some levels where you'll feel you've hit a brick wall and will have to try over and over again. Still, the leaderboards will offer dedicated players a reason to keep coming back and doing exactly that.

As is the case with any free-to-play game, you really have nothing to lose but time by trying out Destiny of Spirits. It helps if you're a hardcore Sony fan and strive for some of the more unique characters, but otherwise the pace is far too slow, and the rewards are far too little for the amount of time you need to invest in it.

Ultimately, this is a low-cost horror game that does a lot of things well. However, the game would be better served if it were less mechanic-heavy, since the gameplay tends to detract from the tense themes created with the art, writing, and sound.

Anybody who has played any other motion-based carnival adventure, however, will find nothing remarkable at play with this one -- not unless they really want to see animated raccoons screaming incomprehensible drivel at them.

There's not much to Black Knight Sword. It's a platformer, it's kind of weird, and it doesn't really do anything new.

There are many games that will only appeal to "fans of the genre," but this goes farther than that and becomes a game that appeals to "fans of the series." It's not really a terrible thing, but it's not a great thing, either.

On top of the technical issues, there's barely anything new that's been added here to justify another purchase. It's a shame, because I really enjoyed the original Ninja Gaiden 2 and Sigma 2.

With better targeting, and less mentally sub-normal allies, I could very well find myself in Heaven. Until then, Strike Suit Zero will undoubtedly help you scratch that space combat sim itch you must have by now.

If you can embrace Burnout Crash!'s design with open arms and wave the few annoyances away in the scope of a thousand retries, submit to the Autolog addiction with a bunch of friends, and devote yourself to hours upon hours of fighting for that high score, I can't recommend it enough. Still, Burnout Crash! can be entirely different things to different types of players.

F1 fans will be drawn in by the licensed racers and circuits from the 2011 Formula 1 season, the idea of using the DRS rear-wing control, and KERS boosting abilities. They may even be entranced by the depth of the career mode or the number of race options both online and off. But when it comes down to the presentation -- endless menus, muted graphics, and the races themselves -- many will lose interest in F1 2011 very quickly.

Angry Birds 2 proves that the Angry formula is still fun, but Rovio isn't doing itself any favors by gating that fun left and right. Angry Birds is supposed to be a series you can just pick up and play, and I have no idea what they were thinking here -- other than "more money."

Since there is a lack of truly new enemy types, the combat is the same as it has ever been, which can be good or bad depending on taste. However, the story does something more interesting than previous entries do, and the comedic value is about as densely packed as Borderlands 2 gets.

As-is, Citizens of Earth is at best a semi-mediocre journey with lots of quests to complete. Alas, it seems that while it tried its best to do so, it just couldn't quite grasp EarthBound's true form.

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.

When I do play, I enjoy Forge, but I wish that I was playing an MMORPG with the same gameplay setup instead. In the end, unless you're someone heavy into shooters who is looking for something different yet familiar, or are into MMOs for the PvP mainly, then it would be worth waiting for the game that will be "forged" a few months down the road.

I found the overall experience to be a little underwhelming. It's fun for a short rhythm game, but with only 12 levels, it felt like Laserlife never really got a chance to fully explore the broad topics it brought to the table.

I didn't really know how I felt about Saints Row until I hit the open world segment, and this current team showed me what it is capable of.

Maybe the idea was kind of clever, or you may have fun accidentally, but everything else is horrendous.

The controls frustrate, the missions bore and the multiplayer has the potential of being quite unfair. While the basic idea is sound, the failure to implement its features in a compelling way makes LEGO Battles one you can easily skip.

Kirby Fighters 2 has the right stuff buried underneath its foundation: you just have to dig to get there.

A good, competent point and click game, even if Pendulo's attempts at a "darker" story don't mesh with the game's art style and humorous nods. The tale the developers have woven with serial killers, satanic cults, and immortality does wrap up in surprising ways.

I was pleasantly surprised by Onslaught, especially considering the fact that Ghosts was so underwhelming. Although it won't do too much to change your mind if you're an adamant Call of Duty hater, the new Extinction episode is promising, and there are three solid maps here for the taking.

Even when it's not sounding like an improv group at a Bernie Sanders rally, Heroland is a gem. It's incredibly funny, the characters are some of the most charming I met all year, and its unique take on turn-based battles made a strategist out of me. I just wish I didn't need to do so much grinding to see the game through to the end.

I'd recommend Star Wars: The Force Unleashed in 2022 with caution.

Mundane boss confrontations don’t allow you to exhibit your fighting prowess. Awkward platforming segments slow the flow of the game to a crawl. Weird clipping issues and dangerous framerate drops deter the action of the rather short (five to eight hours) span of play. I wish there was more to Afro Samurai, but there isn’t much to sink your teeth into. The game feels 75% complete.

Its lighthearted nature is hard to recommend if you're not a fan of the genre, but if you're willing to try something a little different, there’s enough delicious pleasantries served throughout to satisfy anyone's dungeon-crawling cravings.

Dexed is the kind of thing you might play a few times, in short sittings, and never return to again. There's not enough here to earn your continued interest, and while the on-rails shooting works well and seems promising at first, the game it's attached to fails to build on that initial seed of an idea.

But regardless of what caused the project to get derailed, it still means that Phantom Fury is a disappointing result. It’s a mash of ‘00s FPS cliches without reprieve. I spent most of its runtime wishing it was over. Or, at least, wishing it was what it promised to be. Its overall blandness has done the impossible and made me appreciate Duke Nukem Forever just a little bit more.

I really hope Indigo Disk brings it, because at present, the current incarnation of the season pass is tough to recommend.

It's quite good for a licensed product, and can be fun for a couple of kids to play together, or for a parent to play with their child. It just isn't anything special, and in a game all about being Incredible, that's kind of a letdown.

It can be breathtaking at times, and it can also be pretty banausic, but the Musher's journey to her new home has enough beauty, adventure, and adorable dogs I just don't want to stop petting to make each trip worthwhile.

There isn't much for me to love or hate here. Torchlight III is a slow burn, one that struggles to stand out like its predecessors did back when this genre wasn't nearly as stacked with great competitors. If you're down for a simpler grind, you might find something to latch onto, but don't count on it.

Immortal Planet is mostly a game for Souls fans that just cannot get enough of FromSoftware’s particular brand of action. While it could also work as an introduction to the series proper, what with its short length, Immortal Planet doesn’t bring enough new to the table to really justify a purchase for anyone not already familiar with the Souls series. That it starts to recycle content in such a short time frame is also a crime, even if the combat can be engaging.

Dillon's Rolling Western demonstrated a lot of promise out the gate, adding a literal "spin" to the tower defense genre, but the journey is just too long and tedious. It's the videogame equivalent of a triathlon, only with the added bonus of having to redo any one leg of the event or the entire event itself should your performance ever fall slightly below satisfactory.

If you already like Dynasty Warriors and have friends that do, or just a strong masochistic streak with regards to challenge, then it's a definite buy.

A re-release of a 10-plus-year-old game that doesn't have enough new content to appeal to those who already own it and will be hard to adjust to for those who have no nostalgia for the original.

Twin Mirror is the rare game where I love the world, premise, and characters, but can't actually professionally recommend it. The foundation was laid, but a good story needs more than just the building blocks. In hindsight, following Life is Strange's episodic model might've worked wonders here, as it would've bought Dontnod extra development time along the way. All throughout Twin Mirror, people complain that Higgs abandoned Basswood and won't spend any time there. As it turns out, we need to spend more time in Basswood too.

Don't get me wrong, Arrival sits comfortably between Overlord and Lair of the Shadow Broker in terms of quality and I still want to play Mass Effect 3 badly, but I don't want play it that much more badly after having played Arrival.

With a longer run time and more complexity, Dino Frontier could've been the next great PlayStation VR game. As is, though, it's still high up there as one of my favorites for the headset. If you have Move controllers and want a light city-building sim to chill out with, jump on this right away.

It's very simplistic, despite the appearance of having a complex system of creature building. Apart from my issues with the combat, at no point is the game really bad, but it's never a whole lot of fun either. It is charming for about an hour's worth of play but not much else.

There's not much going on in Maize. As a video game it fails on both the technical and interactive fronts. The gameplay is so simplistic that it may as well not even exist. Breaking the fourth-wall is cute, but never really amounts to anything other than a cheap laugh. The story is a decent experience thanks to its humor, but everything surrounding it drags it down.

Not a good game, as I have attempted to stress. It is, however, perversely amusing and would actually make for a fun party distraction. It's one of those rare games that, no matter how poorly I may score it, still comes as a recommended purchase. It's a cheap little kart racer that will, at the very least, entertain via irony and still manages to be a competent -- if broken in several ways -- racer.

Although its premise was simple and delightful at first, playing through FEIST was a trying experience and one that I would not want to repeat.

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

Ironically, Atomega's fatal flaw is that it never grew to its full potential. It's a mostly-unique multiplayer game that's good until it's too familiar. Once it's too familiar, it's too small and simple for its own good. Call it growing pains.

Though it has some rough edges, including occasional script-related issues and town-wide events that seem to ignore changes players have enacted around the village, Gleaner Heights has enough content to make it feel like an instant cult classic.

If the eponymous Savage Planet is your Kindred explorer's residence, the space rock called DL-C1 is a timeshare. It's a decent little getaway -- probably worth the investment, a change of pace, and the vacation is over quicker than you'd like. But, despite what the name suggests, Hot Garbage is far from a dump.

All in all, Kane and Lynch is a bad game. With characters like Kane and Lynch, we should have seen more variety in the plot and gameplay -- with developers like IO Interactive, we should have seen better shooting mechanics and level design.

When you factor in Need for Speed's forgettable story, you're left with a slightly above average racing game that's not as enjoyable as past series entries. From a pure gameplay perspective, it works, but it never manages to elevate itself. If you're in the mood for a new cinematic racer though, you could do a whole lot worse.

If Opoona had a more motivating story and more enjoyable in-game tasks, it would rank as one of the best RPGs of the past five years, due in no small part to its innovative battle system and unique in-game world.

There is so much potential in a crossover between the Neptunia and Senran Kagura series that it’s a real disappointment this is the best Tamsoft, Compile Heart, and Idea Factory have to offer. What should have been a celebration of two niche franchises that have defied the odds (and critics) to succeed in this industry is instead yet another forgettable spinoff for two series that have already seen their fair share of forgettable spinoffs. Both franchises deserve better, and quite frankly, so do the fans who have done their part to keep them going.

Outside of the sheer amount of minigames and modes on offer, there isn't a whole lot to unlock in Wii Party U -- what you see is basically what you get. In terms of replay value you'd be hard pressed to be entertained for more than a week by yourself, and with two players, you may get another week or two out of it.

Darkspore isn't perfect, but it's solid, and I'm really happy to see a game in this genre that takes some risks and introduces some new mechanics.

For a game about properly communicating your emotions in order to find success, the developer did a poor job of conveying its own desires to the player. The Act is a rough relationship that woos with visual charm, connects through some fantastic, emotional moments, but leaves the player a bit high and dry, in the end. There might not be another game like it, but there are better fish in the sea out there, even for a romantic gamer.

If you don't find yourself getting excited at the prospect of L-shaped blocks or GamePad play though, you might as well just stick with Dr. Mario Online Rx. Either way, the Wii U's newest entry in the Dr. series is a nice cap on a great first Year of Luigi.

The best thing about Nekoburo: Cats Block is the art style; everything is bright, colorful and super adorable, but take that away and you're left with a generic, poorly translated puzzle game with a tilted playing field that doesn't compliment gameplay.

As you can probably tell from my time with it, Yoshi's New Island isn't a "must have," but that doesn't mean it's a bad game. It's very much by the books based on any genre standard, and there's pretty much nothing new here that you'll need to run out to experience. But even so, fans of the genre will still dig it.

The ease of play, robust upgrade system and mindless shooting should provide plenty of fun if you choose to download. But like my scuffed and worn loafers, the game is showing its age.

The Falconeer tries to be a legit dogfighting game and it plays the part to an extent; but there isn't much holding it all together. I feel like I've said this often in 2020, but I wouldn't mind seeing the developer take another crack at it, because there's a lot of good groundwork here.

Your enjoyment of Minecraft Legends will come down to three questions. 1: Are you in love with Minecraft and its extended universe? 2: Are you hankering for an RTS-style game playable on a console? 3: Do you have a minimum of three friends who are eager to play this game too? If you answered yes to at least two of those questions, you’ll have a good time with Minecraft Legends. For everyone else, Minecraft Legends offers a fairly unique experience and not much more. Just don’t expect to get any mileage out of the campaign.

Despite the time I've spent harping on Aven's issues, it's not necessarily a bad game. Mothership Entertainment has put in a lot of effort to try and create a threatening world for humanity to conquer. It certainly did the former, but the game fluctuates wildly from barely eking out an existence to being devoid of challenge. Humanity can do better on its first settlement among the stars.

Antigraviator feels great to play and has a style that will be familiar to players of F-Zero and Wipeout, but its attempts to differentiate itself like the trap mechanic don't add much to the overall package. It does, however, hit the mark where it counts. The track design is solid, the sense of speed is great, and controls are tight and feel familiar for anyone who's played a racing game.

Regardless of how you feel about the lack of challenge and the simplicity of the design, there aren’t really any noticeable cut corners. It seems to know exactly what it is. It’s a short (3-5 hours) jaunt through a lovingly created resurrection of an old franchise with a lot of untapped potential. It’s maybe not going to set your world on fire, but if you have any affection for Hebereke, then it’s a worthwhile tribute. Even if you don’t have the prior familiarity, its ease, pace, and quirks mean that it will be, at the very least, a comfortable experience...To put it more poetically, Ufouria: The Saga 2 might not be a game for your brain, but it’s one for your heart.

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.

Powerstar Golf isn't particularly special, but it'll win over the hearts of golf fans for sure. If all you're looking to do is whack a ball down a course on a next-gen system with the occasional bit of positive reinforcement, Powerstar is your huckleberry.

For your seven bucks, you get an extra hour of content that adds a new layer of mystery to the Dead Space universe and a rather shocking ending that would've been compelling if the campaign had been long enough to build up any emotional ties.

While underwhelming from a gameplay standpoint, it's easy to see how FBC: Firebreak could become a fun experience for friend groups looking for a good time in PvE co-op.

Do yourself a favor and purchase any of the other four Fallout downloadable content packs before even contemplating getting this one.

Trillion: God of Destruction isn't a game, it's a job; and not a very good one. This isn't something that should be played at home but instead in a cubical, on a desk surrounded by unsigned TPS reports while Becky from accounting reminds you to sign Bill's birthday card before he goes home for the day. And while the company you work for may be interesting, the work you do is so mind-numbingly banal you can't help but wonder if your skills could be put to better use somewhere else.

If roguelikes are your brand of fun, you'll probably like Izuna 2. For the rest, I'd still recommend trying it out, but be warned that this level of challenge isn't for everyone.

I don't think Eternal Poison is trying to be a ground-breaking strategy role-playing game. I think the developers were aiming for stylistic and different, and they've definitely succeeded at that.

Fairy Fencer F is inherently flawed, but it does boast familiar combat, plenty of items to collect, and JRPG elements that do make up for some of its shortcomings. Unfortunately, dull and grating characters, an uninspired narrative, and the slog of the game’s lengthy dungeons drag it through the dust.

Damsel is an intense, occasionally frustrating title, for those who have quick reactions, an eye for planning, and a patience for repetitive death. Those who like their games challenging, twitchy, and demanding of player improvement should consider joining Damsel on her wild ride into the night. But those expecting story, adventure, or even mercy will likely find themselves thirsty for more.

Super Motherload is simple enough so that anyone can pick it up and play, but complex enough for mining veterans to keep coming back to fully upgrade characters or even risk playing in hardcore mode. The sci-fi ’80s vibe is delightful and the perfect setting for this ridiculously addicting game.

If you're into the idea of playing an open world game where its arcadey elements are entwined with therapeutic but sometimes dry exploration, give it a shot.

The port is also quite nice, but it’s going to be an affront to purists. The modern upgrades change the feel of the game immensely, and while I’d argue it’s for the best, it’s also at the expense of the challenge. It’s a short, breezy experience. A comfortable slice of ‘90s platforming. It’s up to you if that’s what you need right now, but I certainly enjoyed it.

It's simply a shame that this full-priced retail title based on a bonus mini-game still feels like, well, a bonus mini-game. The Mercenaries 3D almost feels like a project Capcom used to test the 3DS waters for what's sure to be next year's more complete Resident Evil experience.

Even though certain design elements aren't as streamlined, fleshed-out, or user-friendly as they could have been, part of me is just thankful Birthdays even got greenlit. Niche as it might be, I've wanted something like this for years, and despite my admittedly high expectations, I still came away impressed. I hope the game is able to find an audience, because it so clearly deserves one.