The game pleasantly surprised me with a smart (but difficult to master) control scheme, combat that was fun, engaging and difficult, and some great visuals.

Florence is an imaginative, breathtaking, heartbreaking tale of two artists trying a love they’re not quite ready for. It’s as honest a look at the subject matter as you’ll find in a game -- or so I've been told by others who've been writing about it incessantly since its release. But as much as Florence focuses on love, I’m not quite sure it’s a fan of it.

In some ways it's refreshing to see all of the fluff cut out. There's no lootboxes and the cosmetic options are slim. It's all about the sport, and as long as there's a playerbase there, I'll be hopping in from time to time to see what's up. Sparc has the potential to grow, but it needs all the help it can get from as many installbases it can get its hands on.

After finishing Dishonored I wanted more, and The Knife of Dunwall gives me exactly that. Hell, at moments I even completely forgot that I was no longer playing Corvo, as both he and Daud do play in generally the same way.

River City Girls succeeds in evolving both the Kunio-kun series and the brawler genre itself, offering entertaining gameplay, brilliant visuals, an amazing soundtrack and fun combat. While brawler fatigue, minor narrative flaws and a slim package threaten the experience, great characters, reverence for the lore and addictive co-op gameplay prevail, ensuring Kyoko and Misako keep throwing fists to the very last round.

About the only desire it does not quite satisfy is the one for a heavy, involved plot.

Poi is a competent love letter to the 3D Mario games we know and love that manages to give players a nice taste of nostalgia while still having its own charm. If you're hankering for a good 3D platformer, look no further. Your move, Yooka-Laylee, Hat in Time, and Super Mario Odyssey.

Remnant 2: The Awakened King doesn’t do anything too wild or reinvent the wheel, but that’s probably for the best, as the core game is already fantastic. It adds more content to an already outstanding action RPG and continues building on the scale and depth of its world. Content-wise, there’s plenty there with a handful of new bosses, dungeons, and an all-new Archetype. If Remnant 2 already had its hooks in you with the base game, you’ll like what Gunfire Games has to offer here. If you haven’t, now is as good a time as any.

It borrows a lot of inspiration from classic PC adventure games, but also manages to inject some of its own signature humor in and usher us into the new dawn of virtual reality without feeling like a tech demo -- even if the experience itself is fleeting. [VR Tested]

Outside of those pesky load times, it's hard to find fault with Crystal Crisis. This is just a well-made game, a genuinely fun puzzler that challenges players to imagine new strategies with every character they try. And with memory mode beckoning me to play again and again, I don't imagine I'll be taking up any of the other Switch puzzle games for a long, long time.

From its shadowy story campaign to its frantic multiplayer action, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War offers the thrilling and magnetic gameplay expected of the series, shined up with solid character models, impressive vistas, and sharp visual effects. While there's undeniably room for improvement regarding innovation, Black Ops Cold War gets Call of Duty's third generation off to a strong start.

Mutant Year Zero seems like the natural evolution for tactics games. The real-time aspects make things move faster and add a unique layer of tension. On the story end of things, it manages to keep you interested until the linear campaign finishes up. You won't find a groundbreaking narrative but it doesn't overstay its welcome, and the characters are just charming enough to keep you invested.

The hand-drawn visuals and endearing cast of characters makes for a short, nostalgic play that I could easily see appealing to parents or young children just starting to explore video games. And while I would've loved to see more of the world that Aidan and Lily inhabit, on its own, The Little Acre is an enjoyable game that ultimately still functions as a shorter experience.

Project Warlock is just a damned blast. You could say this is the best version of Wolfenstein 3D ever made. Hell, it even tops the original Doom in some categories. It certainly won’t win awards for originality, but this is a true work of passion that pays off in the end.

The new cast may not be as memorable as the folks in the initial offering, but they're welcome additions, all with their own unique personalities. I particularly like this choice because it sets up future episodes, and your first impressions will no doubt come back to help or bite you later.

It's a beautifully brief journey, but ustwo's reluctance to fully explore its possibilities only hampers its potential.

I've played a few of the RPGs available on Apple Arcade and I don't think a single one has come close to matching Fantasian's vision and execution. This is a wonderful game with an outstanding battle system that is brought to life with what could be the best art direction of 2021.

If you loved New Super Mario Bros. U., getting Luigi U is a no-brainer, as it features a collection of superior levels and an interesting re-work of Luigi as a character.

Part Time UFO is a HAL Laboratory classic through and through. It’s cute, charming, and challenging. It may not set the mobile world on fire, but honestly, it’s the exact type of game I’d love to see more of from the old-school titans of the industry.

As far as Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade INTERmission goes as a whole, I'm really glad it exists. To be frank I wouldn't mind seeing another one of these, say for Vincent, at some point.

It’s still an enjoyable journey and adds plenty of playtime thanks to the multitude of cinematics, lengthy main story, and generous helping of sidequests. The Rising Tide is definitely a step up from the meager offerings of the boss rush mode that was Echoes of the Fallen. If you’ve been looking for a reason to return to Valisthea, this is it.

It was a big risk trying so many new things at once, but it worked, and the setting carries 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.

Simply put, Prototype 2 is your number one choice for anybody who wants to inflict abject biological horror on an entire army of helpless individuals who are nonetheless just nefarious enough for you to feel justified.

The base mechanic may conjure up thoughts of Mavis Beacon, but so much has been built onto that foundation, making Epistory - Typing Chronicles so much greater than just a typing game.

A deep and hugely rewarding 3DS RPG that I'm more than happy to recommend.

Kalimba is an enjoyable solo romp, but to get the full experience you're going to need a local co-op partner; trust me, the juice is worth the squeeze if a couch friend is hard to come by.

Blaster Master Zero 2 is a clear improvement on its predecessor. The graphics are slightly better, the story is better written, and the soundtrack is more diverse; I could go on and on. Maybe Zero 2 won't make a convert out of you if you didn’t enjoy the first, but it is well worth exploring for fans of Inti Creates and Blaster Master.