Zombie Driver: Immortal Edition was an odd game for me personally. Overall, the game feels very arcadey and over-the-top in some ways. The narrative is very shallow and you aren’t given that much depth into the world. The top-down driving is a classic for every race fan or just as a throwback to your favorite arcade games. Running around taking down the undead, racing through the streets, and mowing down creatures is honestly all you could ask.

Big Farm Story, in all its glory, is tedious and skimpy with gameplay. That doesn’t mean it isn’t a fun game because I have played the heck out of it this past week, rather it means that it isn’t quite near where it needs to be.

Windbound is a fun experience that breaks the survival game mold. The boat crafting and sailing are innovative features that were exciting to explore. Although the positives were very strong, the quality of life issues made the experience tedious. Windbound excels in standing alone in a saturated genre, but doesn't shine through enough.

Madden 21 is a great game that old and new players would be excited to play. New modes and updated features like Superstar X-Factor and The Yard have put youth into a veteran series. The way the players acted and how the games sound makes it feel like a real NFL game and in 2020 that is needed. While it still has flaws, it may be one of the best Madden games yet.

Overall, No Straight Roads is an epic adventure that hits all the right notes with its design, story, and deep gameplay design. Sadly, the coop mode is a complete disaster that needs more work.

An upgrade from the original, but sometimes for the wrong reason. The lack of local play is an odd decision, considering the original thrived on it, and especially when so much thought and execution was put into the online multiplayer aspect of the title this time around. The fighting system probably won’t win over most fans of the series or of the original 2004 title, but the charm of the original game is still intact through this edition’s exploration and treasure discovery. In the end, this game still contains some fun aspects of its original gaming intentions, but only if you can see through its faults.

Overall, I think that this might be my favorite re-release on the Nintendo Switch so far. King of Fighters R2 has a fun fighting scheme, features unique and fun personalities renown for the series, and preserves most of what made King of Fighters great — cool moves to pull off during fights. If the screen size could be fixed, we would be golden.

It’s a bold release that they took a chance on. For the most part, they executed it decently. I wish more developers took on something oddball like this, as it does provide a unique journey that most wouldn’t have dreamed could be translated.

PGA Tour 2K21 is a good game that delivers a spot-on golfing experience. It brings a variety of courses, great mechanics, and plenty of reasons to keep playing. If the presentation could have been improved it would have been the perfect golfing package. As it stands, if you’re looking for a good golfing experience than you got it.

EA Sports UFC 4 shows that the quality of a sports game is far more important than the amount of quantity in it. UFC 4 improves and adds areas that needed work. It brings in new systems and tighter control designs to make the experience for more entertaining than previous years. This is the best of the best in the UFC series right now, and there is still good room to grow it.

Mortal Shell does a lot of things right when it comes to being a “Souls-like” game. It nails its environmental and character designs, its combat feels satisfying, especially when I found the build that worked for my playstyle, and it’s difficult and unrelenting. I found a lot to chew on with Mortal Shell, even if it wasn’t necessarily apparent in the first few hours. Though not quite as polished as I would have hoped, for a game developed by such a small team, it’s quite an achievement.

Bottomline, all things considered, if you’re looking for a fun, fast, short-lived, throwback FPS game, Hellbound is definitely worth considering. Just don’t expect too much out of it and you’ll find your time and money well spent.

Overall, Cuphead is a wonderful throwback to the days of old. Classic cartoons, old school animation, video games, and lots of jazz music. It’s a game that will make your life a living hell but in a way that’s addicting and forever challenging. Artistically, this is such a wonderful look back to older animation and design. Combat for the game is tight and fun, and while there is a little bit of confusion with aiming at times. Once you learn the nuance though it becomes second nature to you. Cuphead is a damn good time.

Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash!’s Space 39 miku Pack is one level from Space Channel 5 VR Kinda Funky News Flash! with an insert of Hatsune Miku. This seems like a reductive description but it is in fact a rational observation. The Space 39 miku Pack is for superfans of Space Channel 5 and Hatsune Miku and proudly, absolutely nobody else.

Overall, there is no doubt in my mind that Horizon Zero Dawn on the PC is the best version of the 2017 title if you have the right hardware to handle it. If you don’t, you can still bring down the quality to near console and find one of the best games in this generation.

Othercide does not want you to fail. It wants you to learn, to accept loss, to make bold sacrifices. Lightbulb Crew has designed a beautiful game with truly stunning imagery. But just as striking is the attention to detail in its gameplay. This dark, broken world is meant to be tamed by players who seek out the boldest strategies to purge evil forces. Caring for the Daughters, understanding their quirks and randomly generated names and looks will create an inseparable bond that lasts not only for the first run but every subsequent one. There are several secrets to unfold in Othercide but it’s little secret that it is one of the best strategy games to have graced us in years.

Kiwami 2 is best thought of as a remake masquerading as an encore. More separation may have allowed it to better stand out and ease Yakuza’s encroaching sense of repetition. It’s impossible to deny the charm of its weird idiosyncrasies and the power of its serpentine drama. Kiwami 2 hits the modern Yakuza standard and, with any reasonable hope, breaks it for good. It also, for better or for worse, will finally allow people to cherish Yakuza 2 outside of its legendary tiger battle.

Borrowing from greats like Binding of Isaac and Dead Cells, Neon Abyss throws every type of weird ability and gun imaginable at players, making for a roguelike not lacking in substance but strangely missing a touch of style.

Lithium City’s neon violence is a fountain of ideas that expands until it explodes. Its objective may be to clear tricky bad guys out of hostile rooms, but its justification is to force creative and spontaneous solutions out of an evolving set of kinetic problems. What’s left on Lithium City’s table is a full meal served in a medley of exquisite morsels.

While Fae Tactics could get easily looked over and story progression feels slow at times, it is still a fun play for anyone. Combat progresses and becomes increasingly strategic, which can be frustrating at times but also engaging and slightly addicting. Leveling up and evolving characters are simple enough for anyone to understand, but also allows for various modifications to your playstyle and strategy. Visually, the game may seem simple but the character designs and enjoyable atmosphere make it a very cool game to look at. While there are some issues with combat, selecting characters, and small bugs with the camera, it does not take away from the experience. Overall, Fae Tactics is a solid game, delivering players a fun, thoughtful adventure with enough unique combat and visuals to justify spending time with it.

As another varied entry in the expansive franchise, Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus gives players a gloomy turn-based adventure with enough good ideas and personality to differentiate it from similar titles, while overcoming a few minor downfalls.

Superliminal is a lesson about perspective on life. You can look at a situation and try the same solution over and over again. But if you take a different look at the situation at hand, you may find a new perspective. In that new perspective, you can find a new solution that can create a more favorable outcome. As a metaphor for transforming inane frustration into gratifying solutions, Superliminal was a profound experience. One of its particular moments stuck with me. It tells the player, “The problem is not that the problems we face can’t be solved: the problem is that we become so afraid of failure that we refuse to see our problems from a new perspective.” 2020 has been far from normal, but as Superliminal suggests, you could look at it from a different perspective.

Overall, Rocket Arena is a very young battle arena shooter. It is off to a decent start, though the pain points of the game are blatantly obvious. Its intentions are to capture that Fortnite crowd with its personality but definitely falls short with its delivery in certain gameplay areas. There is hope for this game and I can see it succeeding with updates and expansions, but right now it’s a tough sell when compared to its competition.

Destroy All Humans (2020) is a fine offering by updating a fan favorite PS2 game for the modern era. Technical issues plague this remake from being the perfect 1:1 recreation, but what is there is fun enough to warrant a few hours of destructiveness. Fans of the series will surely find a lot to enjoy with Black Forest Games’ remake, but Destroy All Humans doesn’t offer enough actual new content to bring new fans in on the invasion.

Carrion excels at creating realistic tentacle locomotion in the shape of a bloodthirsty nightmare. It falls behind when it requests precision from a monster only capable of blunt violence. As mad science grants sentience to raw brutality, articulation must be sacrificed for overwhelming power. It leaves Carrion as a mesmerizing concept overcommitted to its code.

Carrion excels at creating realistic tentacle locomotion in the shape of a bloodthirsty nightmare. It falls behind when it requests precision from a monster only capable of blunt violence. As mad science grants sentience to raw brutality, articulation must be sacrificed for overwhelming power. It leaves Carrion as a mesmerizing concept overcommitted to its code.

Death Stranding on the PC is the best way to play this game. It contains everything the PS4 version brought and it looks far better, as it should if your sporting a nice GPU.

Ghost of Tsushima is a narrative-driven game that has unique combat, a plethora of exploration, and enough heart to keep gamers coming back for more even after the game is beaten. The lack of a combat camera locking system will certainly cause some frustrations, but that is small potatoes when compared to the rest of the experience. This is the game Sucker Punch said it would be, and you won’t be disappointed.

Overall, the gameplay design for Edna & Harvey: The Breakout – Anniversary Edition is clunky on a console controller and might give too much freedom for a point and click-based game. That said, the story is good enough to push beyond those issues, the puzzles are incredibly clever as they relate to the story, though enormously difficult to overcome at times. At the end of the day, the experience might well be worth the frustration the design causes.

Mind Control Delete reforms Superhot’s signature slow motion power fantasy into the shape of a procedurally generated roguelike. It retains the shiny spartan aesthetic, the bellicose narrative, and the most satisfying first-person shooter gimmick of the last decade, but the twists and tweaks behind its operation don’t alter its basic complexion. Superhot felt euphoric when it was new. Mind Control Delete can only reheat that sensation of extravagance.

By blending FPS and RTS mechanics, Disintegration carves out its own niche but despite a promising world and engaging multiplayer, the main action is often undercut by a generic campaign.

Mind Control Delete reforms Superhot’s signature slow motion power fantasy into the shape of a procedurally generated roguelike. It retains the shiny spartan aesthetic, the bellicose narrative, and the most satisfying first-person shooter gimmick of the last decade, but the twists and tweaks behind its operation don’t alter its basic complexion. Superhot felt euphoric when it was new. Mind Control Delete can only reheat that sensation of extravagance.

Overall, F1 2020 is a really great game a fun and challenging play. Whether you looking to continue your yearly quest of trying to take down Mercedes, or you’re a complete newbie to the sport and just wanting to get out there and run, this is a great game for both. Even if you’re a casual race fan with a controller, the game will push you as hard as you can to make the best laps possible. The addition of ‘My Team’ has been long-awaited and is great to have. The biggest negatives that I found were the lack of customization for your ‘My Team’ car and driver (though with this mode being in its infancy, totally understandable), the menus can be a bit much, and loading times can kill the player experience. Once you get out on track though, my goodness it’s so much fun to go toe to toe, wheel to wheel with the AI.

Catherine remains a skilled caricature of a hysterical, impossible man’s moral frailty and romantic insecurity. Characters and complications introduced by Full Body, however, lack the connective tissue and social maturity to support its expanded ambition. A tower-climbing puzzle game fused with a supernatural infidelity meditation, even in its spiraling convolution, still survives as a provocative oddity.

Iron Man and Tony Stark are conduits of chaos. Virtual reality is a medium that demands comfort and sophistication. Iron Man VR attempts control of both worlds, combining Iron Man’s breakneck speed and giddying repulsors with the crafted elegance of a maturing medium. The product is a confident and convincing presentation of Iron Man, albeit one that feels limited by its budget and hardware.

Trackmania's thrilling speed and simplistic style make it an easily accessible racer that will thrive on a dedicated, creative community who have the patience to navigate its subscription model and basic menus.

Overall, the two-volume set that honors the NAMCOT brand is worth a go, especially if you revel in 8-bit history. It’s a neat departure from the usual Museum releases, but there are certainly some forgettable titles amongst the bunch.

Overall, the two-volume set that honors the NAMCOT brand is worth a go, especially if you revel in 8-bit history. It’s a neat departure from the usual Museum releases, but there are certainly some forgettable titles amongst the bunch.

Through the eyes of an exasperated protagonist, Those Who Remain borrows from better games to tell a by-the-numbers horror story with the illusion of morality. Rife with puzzles so simplistic they become tedious, its delivery may leave players in the dark.

Samurai Shodown (2019) still feels like the game it was when it was released on the console last year. The gameplay is sharp and the essence of the classic series is still very much intact, including its unforgiving brutal nature. The big upgrade with this release is the visuals, which look much sharper on PC than on consoles.

For accessible, deep, fun, and nostalgic-rich fighting, you’d be hard-pressed to do any better than MK11: Aftermath.

Like most (perhaps every) Sega Ages releases, Team M2 has done another great job. There’s an argument to be made for the lack of including the Genesis and SNES versions of the game given that they are a bit different than this arcade port, and seeing as how Sega Ages titles in the past have sometimes included the other versions of games, too… I suppose we maybe got a bit spoiled in having the best of all of the versions included in one release, but I did want to mention that this particular release is just the arcade one. Still, it’s a great game, arguably one of the better SHMUPs of at least the early 90s, and M2 has done another great job of making it available on the Switch.

In effort to get to the bottomline seeing as this is the same game as it was five years ago, the Switch version of KHOLAT is essentially an ‘okay’ port of a ‘pretty good’ game. This was a more compelling experience five years ago. However, if you enjoy the genre, and can appreciate that it’s based on a real, tragic, mysterious event, it gives the game an intangible intrigue that might latch onto you. It’s pretty short, easy, and worth going through once, the question you might have to really consider is if it’s worth playing on the Switch, or if playing the graphically superior version on PC is a better route to take.

Overall, Netmarble’s Stone Age World is a simplified MMO that actually encourages gamers to be just a bit lazy through automatic questing, which is perfect for this platform. It also requires gamers to go into some battles with strategies in mind, which makes it more than just a casual experience. This may not be for every gamer out there, especially since it’s on a mobile device, but it is a pleasant MMO that I might return to once this summer calms down.

Rehydrated is as close to a perfect 1:1 recreation of the original 2003 fan-favorite. While the gameplay certainly feels outdated to modern platforming standards, there’s a lot here that fans of Spongebob will find enjoyable. Much of the writing and humor from the original doesn’t hold up in 2020, but there’s something to be said about wanting to preserve all of the original content. Rehydrated is a fun little romp through Bikini Bottom, and it makes me hopeful for future games with everyone’s favorite sea-sponge.

Everything in the Greymoor chapter is wonderful through and through. The new story is engaging and dark, and the new Antiquities system gives a nice break from running around saving Tamriel. I am always amazed by the work put into each new expansion to The Elder Scrolls Online and every time it exceeds expectations. I look forward to the rest of the DLCs coming out this year as a part of the Dark Heart of Skyrim event. And, if last year is anything to go off of, I am excited to see if Eastern Skyrim will be open to explore by the end of the year. Only time will tell, and I cannot wait!

While it almost lost me with the incredible amount of story and dialogue, it set me straight when the gameplay finally kicked in. The nearly perfect juggling act between wild visuals, great story, and familiar JRPG gameplay has me sold that I need to check out other Persona games in the series. Hopefully, they make them for the PC. Persona 4 Golden was an excellent PC game that deserves gamers’ time and attention.

Naughty Dog has crafted another game bursting at the seams with passion. Coming at the close of another console cycle, the studio proves its ability to evolve and defy expectations. The Last of Us Part II is no simple sequel. It is a fully realized vision of the world players were introduced to in 2013. Evolved gameplay not only asks players to be more tactical, it taxes them emotionally. But it is also a loving send off of beloved, grounded characters. Whether grabbing a pallet in water or carrying around a ladder, subtle nods exist to the first game, showing the studio takes to criticism and can improve.

Minor AI and control gripes aside, all of which are simply a testament to the times and absolutely manageable to work with, this Remaster is a gem and I really hope it’s just a sign of things to come as more C&C games get remastered with this level of passion, community involvement, skill, and heart.

At the end of the day, Red Wings is actually a good game. Is it great? Probably not, mainly for longevity reasons, but it’s fun to play. It feels like a well-designed and executed WWI dogfight game and it certainly is a comfortable bit of fun on the Nintendo Switch. Will it be replacing your Flight Simulator on your PC anytime soon? No, but that’s okay.

The Persistence is a great entry into the survival horror genre, and I feel that it is best enjoyed in the original VR format. For those entering on Xbox side of this game, this is definitely one I would pick up and take in, even though you won’t get that same immersive VR experience from it. The game still offers a great story and an insane amount of difficulty, which will challenge most experienced players. While it is rather short, the addition of ever-changing maps does add to the ‘freshness’ of the short game, as no playthrough will be the same. Definitely worth a go.

Overall, Skelattack is a solid game that will put you to the test as much as it will mesmerize you with story and visuals. It might be a bit much for some, but the story makes the journey worth the trouble.

All in all, Missile Command: Recharged is a good game. It doesn’t mess with the gameplay design that the original established, but it does give you options and reasons to keep playing it.

Other than visual issues, I think the Blood Rage is brilliant in digital form. It’s tough, challenging, and it is a well-planned and sophisticated game to play in digital form. I think the developers translated the game perfectly from its table-top brethren, but there is room for improvement.

Not only is Huntdown one of the best games I have played this year, it’s one of the best retro-inspired pieces of entertainment released. Think of how Shovel Knight captured the feeling of a Nintendo adventure game or how Super Meat Boy invigorated grueling action platformers. Not only does Huntdown excel at its ability to invoke a time, place, and feeling, it is damn fun. Few games manage to bleed creativity with such purpose across every corner of its programming, but Huntdown is truly a winner and a perfect time capsule.

There are as many things that reward you as there are things that will burden your experience with Stranded Deep. It has the potential to be a really enjoyable game, but poor mechanics shoot itself in the foot. If you are a fan of this genre then this is another game for you. On the other hand, if you have interest in getting into survival games then do not start with this. I had a good time with Stranded Deep. I spent a good amount of time with it. Thinking about all the pros and cons together, my opinion on this game is mixed.

Overall, I did really enjoy Shop Titans more than I thought I would. It’s more complex than just a casual gaming experience and while it does have a traditional path of Free-to-Play gameplay structure, where real-world pay is involved, there are enough options for you to avoid that if that isn’t your thing. It just requires patience. I’m not crazy about the controls when compared to the iOS version, which is probably my biggest knock on the game.

Umurangi Generation's vibrant ambience validates the rebellion of its doomed youth culture. It also renders the player a transient witness to a surging tragedy. Umurangi Generation's key is its camera, as it allows its protagonist and its player the agency to access and capture a world beyond their control. It creates a vantage point untended since Jet Set Radio, and Umurangi Generation didn't even need skates or spray paint to get there.

Saints Row: The Third was a sacred moment in time where lunatics reimagined the animus of an open-world crime game. It enabled players to thunderously lead a prestigious gang of miscreants and also turn themselves into a toilet. Eight years later Saints Row: The Third Remastered’s glut of Content is more difficult to digest, but its outrageous ambience is still so sweet.

Maneater perfectly embodies the fantasy of being a super-powerful shark to great effect, even if there are some small technical issues and rough-around-the-edges gameplay decisions. It never overstays its welcome and is fun to devour a few hours here and there.

I Dracula: Genesis is a game that knows what it is. Even with all the clutter is a good game. It’s not a groundbreaking game, and it can get in the way of itself at times, but overall it’s a fun time.

Though it doesn't reinvent the rogeulike genre, Fury Unleashed makes a name for itself through its comic book style and action-heavy combo system that relies on agile shooting and swift thinking.

Volume One of Tales From Off-Peak City is an escalating procession of existential crises staged through instances of gentrification, corporatism, and pizza delivery. It’s a kitschy nightmare laundered through eccentric characters and their bizarre conditions and the product is a surreal but eloquent presentation on preventable social decay. A single city block and a couple of hours is all Tales From Off-Peak City needs to tell a grotesque, distinctive story.

Kingdom Two Crowns is not for those seeking out a traditional strategy or management game. It merely skirts the edges of the genre to present a unique vision of how this type of game may play out through a different perspective. Intense and difficult moments are often traded out for a serene blend of exploration and discovery. Though it has its pacing frustrations, those keen enough to go out of their comfort zone should find depth and satisfaction in Kingdom Two Crowns.

Overall, Oddworld: Munch’s Oddysee is a classic game that might be stuck in 2001 visually, but still is fun to play thanks to the story and characters.

It’s a very pretty game and built well for being a beta and while there were some glitches and bugs like freezing on menus, there wasn’t anything that made me hate it. This is a game that has a lot of potential for itself. It’s a game that was able to pull me (someone who is picky with most things) in and keep my interest in it. Port Royale 4 is a game that was a quaint and intriguing surprise for me, and I’m quite OK with that.

Every old school franchise should be so lucky to get such a great sequel that obviously had a lot of thought and care put in by the teams involved. Clearly, if you enjoy Streets of Rage or the side scrolling brawler, especially when playing with up to three other people, Streets of Rage 4 should be on your list of titles to get.

80’s Overdrive asserts that Out Run’s combination of breakneck racing and frantic traffic negotiation will fit neatly inside the progression-focused model of a modern game. It doesn’t, and 80’s Overdrive almost runs out of gas before it reaches a comfortable destination. All the lavish neon and thumping synthwave in the world can’t help 80’s Overdrive make twenty minutes last six hours.

Overall, SNK Gals’ Fighters is good, even for a game from a failed system back in 2000. It is progressive in its gameplay design and a fun fighter for a two-button control scheme. It needed to be translated fully onto a Nintendo Switch screen, but it’s manageable with the screen options the game provides you.

As always, M2 did a superb job with the overall package of this Sega Ages release. Cool borders, screen filters, a clean and concise online manual, online rankings, and just all of the top quality production we’ve come to expect is included here. Still, I can’t say G-LOC Air Battle is a game I will play very often at all, but I am really glad that it got the M2 treatment and finally has arrived in a home release, decades after its original arcade debut.

Defective Holiday seeks meaning from the isolated moments of its mundanity. The ideal traveler believes either witnessing or imagining extraordinary phenomenon can produce identical reverberations in their mind. This drifting opacity goes against the traditional idea of a relaxing getaway, but emerges as a scattershot method to capture surreal spaces between ordinary places. True to its name, Defective Holiday is a capricious but endearing vacation.

Overall, Deliver Us the Moon is quite good in its narrative design and atmosphere. The only real crux with this game is that it just needed some finer tuning when it came to difficulty and glitches. In the end, it’s still a good game to take a chance on, if not just for what it makes you feel along the journey it proposes.

At a $20 price point (or $10 for early access), XCOM: Chimera Squad is a mostly successful experiment. Firaxis Games has cherry-picked many of the best elements of the XCOM series and put them in a more fast-paced, action-oriented title. Tactical superiority still reigns supreme, especially with the intelligently designed breach mode. However, I think some players will miss the more hardcore elements of XCOM despite their exclusion not necessarily fitting the pace of this title. In no way does Chimera Squad feel like a budget title, outside of its somewhat clumsy menus and presentation. But this graphic novel-style, pulpy tactical adventure seems to be the tipping off point for something equally exciting and grander in the future.

Predator: Hunting Grounds is a game that on paper should make you feel like the most powerful hunter in the world, as well as a badass commando who can gun through enemies on a whim but cowers in fear when you’re face to face with an unseeable threat. But the game just doesn’t encapsulate that fantasy of Predator. Instead, the game almost feels designed around the idea that you’ll sit down and play the game casually with your friends. But once you hop into a public match, Predator: Hunting Grounds’ cracks start to show. I’m invested enough in the Predator franchise to see what Illfonic has up their sleeves in terms of additional content for the game, but I find it hard to recommend to those who are looking for the ultimate Predator fantasy.

Overall, Sakura Wars is a solid game that delivers in a lot of areas, story and dialogue choices to give your players control of their fate, and falls a little short in others, especially action/mech. There is far more positive than negative and I think the re-tooling and reboot of the series might gain more fans than lose them.

A Fold Apart brings you into a personal and deep story. It’s a story that invites you into a deep and meaningful relationship between two characters. It’s a game that’s real, and that’s why I love it.

Pattern’s blossoming world and ethereal music, forever trapped in a constant state of flux, are pathways to understanding the ambiguous complexion of the creative process. It suggests that all ideas can be transitory as it explores the rivalry between indecision and confidence. The limitations are clear, by Pattern’s own admission it’s a fleeing experience, but with it comes the power to articulate one of the more abstruse processes of the imagination.

Remake removes Final Fantasy VII from its agonizing stasis and animates its objectives with modern sophistication. In spite of its curtailed debut, Remake creates characters out of archetypes, finds class struggle amid its surging environmentalism, and generates dynamic fiction from a familiar narrative. By honoring moments held sacred and defying what may be expected, Remake stays true to the radical and dangerous ambition that defined Final Fantasy VII.

Moons of Madness suffers from itself in many ways. The story is a unique one that I really enjoy and like. It had me curious from the moment that I saw/read anything about it. Once in the world though, the game gets in front of itself and hurts the overall product. I found myself losing interest and intention with it. It suffers from this feeling of being too much like a puzzle game, and not enough like an adventure. I love a good story and the end of the day. Something that can keep me wrapped up is wonderful. With Moons of Madness, it just painted itself into a corner of putting too much in. It’s a great concept, just the execution and overall final product hinder the experience and make it lackluster and at times frustrating experience.

Overall, Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is every bit of Bubble Bobble and more. I’m just not sure the price tag justifies the gameplay.

One Piece fans will love this game. Although I have not seen a single episode of One Piece’s anime or read any of the manga, I enjoyed playing it. You don’t need to have a vast knowledge of the One Piece lore to enjoy this game, as the main storyline introduces you to the characters and locations within the One Piece universe. Overall, One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 was a lot of fun and I highly recommend it if you enjoy Dynasty Warriors-like games.

Thunderful's Curious Expedition is a very fun game. It has a lot of complicated strategic parts you have to think about in order to be successful, but all of them create a learning experience, much like Oregon Trail did for gamers back in the day, that motivates you to keep going.

DOOM Eternal follows in the footsteps of a storied gaming lineage. id Software has done an incredible job at putting care into this series since it was revitalized in 2016. Any player who considers themselves a fan of first-person shooters will immensely love DOOM Eternal because it pays tribute to the genre’s roots and how it has grown over the past three decades. Though it may feel brutal, smearing the entrails of thousands of horrifying hellspawn with a powerful arsenal is one of gaming’s best rewards. Don’t hesitate on this one.

Overall, Starport Delta is a relatively solid indie title from the developers at Cloudfire Studios. It is simple in design and small in scope as it stands. The game is enjoyable and can be relaxing over short sessions but doesn’t hold interest and lacks a significant amount of content. However, with the developers listening to reviews and user feedback, there is hope it will be added to and improved over time. If the game continues to receive updates over time, it could very well turn into a fun title deserving of its price tag.

Instead of modernizing 1999’s Resident Evil 3, Capcom has remodeled 2019’s remake of Resident Evil 2. Dazzling production and clever level design are still effective fuel for the survival horror engine, but this reliance on familiar techniques dissolves any expectation of novelty and ambition. In Resident Evil 3, Jill is less the subject of a despairing escape and more the product of a regulated, orderly departure.

Overall, Freedom Finger is an edgy side-scroller that has heart. It is led by raw rock music and visual design while toting a typical side-scrolling shooter underneath. It’s a good game that will definitely keep you challenged and amused.

Paper Beast allows players to lose themselves inside pastel daydreams of soft shapes and delicate zoology. They could also lose patience with some tedious mechanics and suspicious tests of logic. Paper Beast is full of gratifying ingenuity, beautiful optimism, and elegant communication. And maybe an overabundance of zealous whimsy.

This game’s animation is a beautiful combination of 3D and comic book-like graphics. It is a refreshing take on an adventure and rhythm game and I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. This is definitely a game to add to your Steam Wishlist.

The gameplay is not fun at all and the visuals aren’t that good either. Fans of the series may find some redeeming qualities within the game but if you are unfamiliar with the One Punch Man series, I would stay away from this game.

The Division 2 Warlords of New York is the cherry on top of Massive's looter. The return to New York is a confident one, where overhauled systems improve and clarify build diversity. While the new play space is underutilized, forward-thinking endgame content will surely drive engagement for the long haul.

In 2020, Saints Row IV: Re-Elected’s combat feels prosaic, its glut of content perfunctory, and its humor antiquated. It’s great on Switch but actually playing it feels like looking through a weird interactive museum.

Overall, MLB The Show 20 is another marvel for San Diego Studios. The tweaks they implemented and the gameplay options they have provided only stand to improve the product. They own baseball in gaming and it looks like they’re not ready to give it up anytime soon.

Curse of the Dead Gods is an interesting game for me. It’s super tough on a keyboard and mouse. Some of the actual gameplay mechanics felt odd to me and at times off-putting and frustrating, and the visuals were really wonderful to look at. You’re probably telling yourself now that I would probably pull apart this game, give it a like rough score and move on. Well, you’re totally wrong in that regard. This game was addicting. I kept telling myself while playing, ‘OK just one more room, then dinner’ after every room. I kept wanting to go deeper and deeper to each level. I just wanted to keep going and going. It was fun to go through and just destroy the monsters and find what lay in the next room Curse of the Dead Gods isn’t a perfect game, but it’s a fun game that is really worth the time. [Early Access Score = 83]

The stellar pace and production of Persona 5 did not require adjustments and additions to its one hundred hour run time. And yet here is Persona 5 Royal, presenting that package with integral new characters as it remodels the structure, combat, and whimsical ephemera that binds them all together. Persona 5 Royal is the most articulate and realized expression of Persona’s ethos, provided one has the time (and patience) to see it through.

Harrowstorm is the first DLC in the year-long Dark Heart of Skyrim event. Players must conquer two new, four-player dungeons - Icereach and Unhallowed Grave - and get pulled into the mystery that surrounds this year's event. The journey will not be easy, but if we've learned anything from last year's Season of the Dragon event, it is that it will all be worthwhile.

Nioh 2 is a balanced and beautiful game. It will certainly frustrate you to the point where you will want to walk away, but that first victory over a big bad demon will ignite a thirst in you to continue your difficult journey through ancient Japan. This game is not for the weak of heart, but most know that going into it.

The Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle is a quirky, cool, unique release that gives players a big dose of retro gaming including several titles that have never been published stateside. I appreciate the history here, and the preservation, as well as the modernization efforts by Arc System Works. Even though several of the games didn’t hold my interest at all, and four of them are almost identical clones of other games in the same set, there’s still enough here to make this a release that retro gamers should take note of.

Team M2 has done another masterful job with this Sega Ages release and it’s another must-have as far as I’m concerned. Sure, Sonic 2 has been released numerous times over the years on all kinds of platforms, and you may have had your fill, but if you’re like me and it’s been many years since you’ve played this old classic, there is simply no better way to play it than on the Switch.