It’s just overall not that well executed. The physics and gameplay are not where they should be. The levels are just okay. The goals are rarely entertaining. But you’re here for the birds, right? There are definitely skateboarding birds, I can guarantee they are in SkateBIRD. I’m not even being sarcastic, the birds are absolutely great. Just try to focus on that and nothing else.

Even if I have complaints here and there, all told, KeyWe is a delightfully panic-inducing co-op puzzle game. The level objectives are fun, the hazards are varied, the scattered story scenes are super cute, the cosmetic unlocks are worthy rewards, and the mini-games are meaningful enough to keep coming back to. If you’re feeling lucky, make it a date.

I absolutely do miss those days. I can’t get on with realistic racing games, so I crave a steady diet of the stuff that Cruis’n Blast gives. At the same time, I normally rented racing games on the N64 and rarely bought them. The same would have held true for Cruis’n Blast. It’s too fleeting to really grab hold of my grey matter and make a home there. I had a lot of fun while it lasted, but now it’s time to return to the beige, carefully curated modernity.

What sets TOEM apart from the many other wholesome games that plateau at mediocrity is its excellent execution of the concepts it puts forth. There is no design here that is questionable, no idea that feels unfinished. This is simply a well-crafted jaunt through a charming world. And it’s one that beckons me to return long after I’ve done everything I can possibly do in the game just to see what other amusing pictures I can take.

Deathloop combines a classic Arkane stealthy-shooty foundation with a genuinely interesting and fun premise.

Aside from a couple of noticeable dips with less fleshed-out areas in the final act, Zoink held my attention for my entire 11-hour playthrough. That counts for a lot. If given the chance, I’d love to return to the world of Random in a possible sequel to Lost in Random that smooths over some of these first-game-in-a-new-series pitfalls.

Sure, parts of Life is Strange: True Colors are really bleak, but ultimately it’s an uplifting, heartfelt story about what it means to find your own version of home. It tells that story in a way that feels perfectly sincere, which is something that is hard to come by in games nowadays. True Colors has officially redeemed the Life is Strange series in my eyes.

When I think back on Tales of Arise, the combat will definitely come to mind. The big boss battles that blew me away, and the wonderful feeling of free-forming a combo into a Mystic Arte and then closing the battle off with a Boost Strike. The story was ultimately good, and the world was gorgeous. But really, it’s going to be the campfire moments. It’s going to be how Alphen, Shionne, Rinwell, Law, Kisara, and Dohalim came together as a party, grew closer, fought and struggled together, and saw it all through to the end, one hastily thrown-together outdoor meal at a time. Tales of Arise nails that, and so it feels like a strong step forward for a series with a bright future ahead of it.

I'm grateful that another Wario game even exists, and WarioWare: Get It Together! is going to be a hit for a lot of people who are already dedicated to this special brand of weird.

F.I.S.T.: Forged in Shadow Torch is an exemplary action-adventure, packed full of heartfelt detail and design, daubed in a grimy-yet-absorbing aesthetic, and powered with punchy, satisfying combat. While some of its elements will be over-familiar to genre fans, the originalities still shine through, resulting in a brilliant-looking, great-playing metroidvania that will delight players, whether they have a fluffy tail or otherwise. Heed my words: It’s most definitely wabbit season.

Personal grievances aside, I think Lake succeeds in its aims, and that’s the important thing. It set out to be a slice of small-town life, and that’s what it is. I think there’s a rather narrow audience for that kind of thing, but it will be perfect for those who know what they’re getting into. If you think you’d be into a narrative about escaping the city life, then here it is. The writing is solid, the production values are decent for its asking price, so it’s worthwhile to check out of that’s your thing. As for me, I’m just eager to get back to the city.

It might sound hyperbolic because Colors is one of the better ones to trot out, but I hope this ensures that Sega stops trying to hide its Sonic history.

While Cris Tales offers a stirring adventure — packed full of wit and character — numerous mechanical shortcomings frequently put the brakes on its excitable spirit. A victim of unfulfilled ambition, Cris Tales doesn’t quite deliver on its clever premise or its chrono-combat. There’s no denying the passion and talent of the developers, however, manifested in stunning visuals and a wonderful cast. Cris Tales will definitely ostracize some players, but those with a little patience may see past its flaws to embrace its heartfelt homage to gaming’s bygone era.

My first actual full playthrough of Quake was a pretty enjoyable experience. Not only is the port a solid effort, even going above-and-beyond of what’s expected, but it’s also still a great game. Maybe not Doom great, maybe not even Duke Nukem 3D great, but there’s room in this world for all sorts of flavors of ‘90s shooter.

Go into No More Heroes 3 with an open mind and enjoy the ride.

Buck Up and Drive is just a silly little game and doesn’t pretend to be more than that. There’s a dearth of bells or whistles, but the core gameplay is ridiculous and easygoing enough that it’s probably impossible to not be entertained. It’s a fun diversion, for as long as it lasts, but your mileage might vary. For me, I think it’s time for another radical cruise.

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.

Like the meh Terminator project before it, if you're really craving something substantial from the Alien IP, you might like to blow apart some creatures here.

A huge impact was left on me by Psychonauts. While that’s not likely to be the same story for Psychonauts 2, I wasn’t disappointed. There was no single place that let me down so severely that it soured the overall experience. Nothing that struck me as starkly inferior. It’s maybe not quite as genius, but it’s still a mind worth exploring.

Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut is now the definitive version of an already great game.

So with every repeated loop, and every new piece of info that leads to more narrative threads to pull on, Twelve Minutes is certainly fascinating to unravel. Some of it might start to feel a bit clunky, when dialogue starts mashing up against itself and characters move in awkward ways, but on the whole, it’s a puzzle I kept wanting to piece together, both fascinated and afraid of the answers I might find. It keeps the story driving forward, and if some deep, dark character drama set in a time loop sounds appealing, you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

My main takeaway, though: I can’t believe Fracked has a dual-Move control scheme that is this reliable and this much fun. It’s making the absolute most of this hardware.

The beauty of Road 96 isn’t that it’s thematically or mechanically well-executed, because it’s sometimes not. Every so often, you’ll hit a rough patch that just doesn’t jive and jars you out of your immersion. Sometimes that’s mechanical, other times a character will act against their established motivations. I think that can be forgiven, but there will be some who can’t move past the awkward moments. Yet, I can’t help but feel entranced by Road 96’s framework; the depiction of a journey as being a bunch of moments. Moments where you dig into a character’s psyche or just have fun playing air hockey. It’s lightweight, effective, and I can’t think of another place where it’s this well-executed. If you’re willing to stomach the rough patches and politics, there’s a rich game within. One that explores how people affect and are affected by the world. Personally, I think it’s worth the trip.

Haven Park certainly fits in with the current trend of wholesome games. It’s warm, it looks delectable, and you can make Flint say “Pew” every time you hit the A button. But like many of its ilk, that wholesomeness is a cover for an experience that is largely unengaging. Nothing here coalesces into a complete package or meets its full potential, leaving players with an assortment of good ideas in desperate need of some solid execution.

Even when Axiom Verge 2 wasn’t hitting perfectly for me, it feels different and very much its own. Things start out slow, but give it a little time and Axiom Verge 2 really gets going, playing off expectations with clever alterations of the original game’s conventions. It’s dense as ever lore-wise, and it’s got some good music and worlds to move through. It’s a follow-up to Axiom Verge that doesn’t content itself with a simple recitation of the first game’s high points, and if what’s detailed above sounds like your jam, you’ll probably have a good time with it.

I found very little else to like about Button City. I think it’s narratively weak; a few sparks, but never a fire. The games held within are not just overly basic, but often not even fun. Even the quest design is an escort quest and a forced stealth section away from a broken controller. It makes me feel like the bad guy when I say these things to such a cute and innocent game. I absolutely wanted to love Button City, but it gave me no reason to give up another quarter.

Even if you’re at peace with managing deliverymen with tommy guns, City of Gangsters is a bit of a difficult sell. At its core, it is a long and unexciting game. A lot of the time I felt like I was trying to decode the game’s logic and keep plates spinning rather than run a successful bootlegging operation. When everything clicks, it can be somewhat satisfying, but that happens so rarely, you’d think the game was sampling its own wares.

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.