Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate is a smaller, more intimate expansion compared to the usual Bungie annual release. It contains a smaller story that is more focused on new avenues to explore in the universe, while also featuring some hit/miss gameplay mechanics that work more than they don’t. It’s the right direction for the franchise and a spark of hope that better things are to come from a decade of world-building.

The first five minutes of This is the Police will no doubt hook players into the world they’re about to step foot in. Unfortunately, the only way to progress through the story is to grind through the gameplay, which at times can slow the game to a screeching halt. This is upsetting due to the game’s fantastic storytelling. There will be people who will pass through the gameplay with ease and find enjoyment in it. However, in my case, it provided me with a negative experience. This is the Police is by no means a bad game, it just fails to hold up after the player starts the gaming sections. There will certainly be those who enjoy the gameplay and find it thought provoking, however, if a player wants something more involved, they might be disappointed.

Overall, I think Super Bomberman R falls short as a complete package. The single-player, while reaching for something a bit different with level design (and it achieves it), falls short with uninteresting bosses and slow enemies. The online play of the game is only good on a local level, while the actual online gaming experience is hindered by the lack of players and atrocious delay.

Dirty Bomb is a nice shooter that is a perfect F2P alternative to a lot of the major FPS titles out today. The game is still in beta however, so there are a lot of features to be added and a lot of flaws to buff out. Hope that the devs can fix what needs to be fixed and polish this game to fulfill the potential it shows.

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, Shadow Warrior 3 was fun to play through, but I’m glad it ended relatively quickly because the gameplay loop is very repetitive. Flying Wild Hog has some great ideas here, but the lazy arena battle design and some (not all) lackluster level design needed to be more robust and creative. As it plays now, the gameplay is just paper thin like an arcade game — and I love arcades games, but those are short by design because they don’t have enough substance and breadth to hold the player’s interest for very long. All that said, I still enjoyed playing through Shadow Warrior 3 mostly, though I won’t be coming back for seconds. With due caution, I recommend it to anyone that enjoys the franchise or likes a raw run and gun FPS experience, and especially if you can play it on PSNow or GamePass.

A quasi-interesting experiment that Move owners with an interest in electronic music might want to invest in.

Windlands' swinging and soaring facilitates a manic relationship between serenity and stress. It's either a holiday bounding across lush vistas or a white-knuckled, vertigo-inducing parkour utopia. Windlands isn't terribly inventive, however, its considerable accessibility options and presence inside virtual reality's honeymoon do well to suppress effective objections.

Omega Force certainly takes the core gameplay of Dynasty Warriors and boosts it considerably. A wider and deeper landscape for networking, invading and scheming, and sometimes playing as a politician, helps to make this title more than just another hack and slash experience. This depth will overshadow the lack of visual upgrade for current generation hardware.

Making Destiny more accessible in this way is a welcome addition to a game built around its cooperative environment. This remains a game best enjoyed with friends, so the more people playing, the better.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a time capsule from 2004 that allows its recipient to survey the United States’ enthusiasm for boisterous violence and blind patriotism. The President stomping around in an eight-gun mech suit and delivering outrageous dialogue while suppressing a coup is nakedly hyperbolic, but it’s also a lens to an outsider’s interpretation of mid-aughts American culture. Metal Wolf Chaos, in addition to presenting a clumsy but capable action caper, has only improved with age.

Worldshift is a game that had a lot of potential. It's sad to see such potential wasted when the end result is a poorly executed and rushed title.

The Descent is a good addition to the Dragon Age: Inquisition family. It has great atmosphere, wonderful level design and motivates the player to explore the Deep Roads a bit. It does get repetitive in the enemy department, and brutal at times in terms of difficulty, though the rewards help to ease the pain a bit.

If you want a strategy game with zombies, this is probably your best option. Be warned that you may get frustrated with the difficulty and tired with the tedious nature of the stages.

Overall, Konami Arcade Classics Anniversary Collection brings some classics home, while also reminding us how absolutely insane and brutal the arcade age was in its heyday.

This kind of game is a welcome change to the farming/life RPG genre. If you are a player that enjoys fishing in games, then this is the game for you because it’s all fishing, all the time. Moonglow Bay is overall a fun, relaxing game, but it struggles with controls, game-breaking bugs, and glitches that can ruin the game.

A well priced rhythm game that has its issues, but is worth a look for anyone with a passing interest.

Fat Princess prevailed through idiosyncratic charm and relative exclusivity. Fat Princess Adventures applies a similar style to a much more crowded space. Diminished returns were all but guaranteed, but, with a few friends, Fat Princess Adventures soldiers on as an enjoyable hack 'n slash.

Time will tell if God's Acre is the portion of Republique you skip over before getting to its fifth episode. Before—and, hopefully, after—Republique has done much better.

All in all, this Secret of Mana HD remake is a mixed offering. Opportunities to take an aged classic and keep the best parts and refine the not-so-great parts were largely left undone. The result is a game that still carries a lot of merit, but has enough flaws and setbacks that hold it back from realizing it’s full potential, and it makes it a frustrating choice for consumers. Perhaps if the budget and desire are there — and I’m not sure they are — some patching could go a long way to making this remake more robust.

Playing as Dracula could have been handled so many different ways, and while I don't agree with everything that MercurySteam did with Lords of Shadow 2, the positive aspects overwhelm the negative. This is a worthy and fitting end to a fine trilogy.

The attractive landscapes and engaging ideas behind Sonic Lost World are no match for the demolition of morale suffered under unreliable control and inconsistent quality. Lost World is undoubtedly the most realized and best playing modern-era Sonic game, but Sonic still has ways to go before he's in a game one might actually have the best time playing.

Chapter 2 is a step back for The Raven, but it's a necessary hurdle to get to what will hopefully be a great closing act.

Alone in the Dark‘s revival has been a long time coming. And while this new take on the mysteries of Derceto Manor carry a decades-long weight of survival horror innovation, Pieces Interactive almost missed the mark. Barring underwhelming combat and a lack of polish, curious players will be met with an expertly acted, unnerving tale of madness that just might be the spark Alone in the Dark needs to reemerge from the shadows.

What Whispering Willows lacks in complicated hands-on gameplay, it makes up for in story and atmosphere.

Arizona Sunshine’s appearance on PlayStation VR splits its time between posturing as an inarticulate calamity and performing as capable virtual reality shooting gallery. Simple luck appears to be the dividing line, leaving the player to decide if a lengthy campaign, vivid environments, and zealous gunplay are worth putting up with fussy controls, hostile conduct, and anemic hardware.

Edens Zero from Konami does a wonderful job of representing the source material it was born from. It comes with a meaningful and engaging story with great characters that are well-developed, while presenting an easy-to-jump-into gameplay design that is fun to dive into without much fuss. The hiccups lie with the lack of frequent enemy encounters and the choice of how you can play the game.

Not a bad pickup to play through this holiday season with some friends or family, but it doesn't leave that lasting impression that makes you want to come back again and again like the classics of the genre (Final Fight, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Metal Slug).

Perhaps not quite what Borderlands veterans were hoping for in the game's second DLC, but it still provides a fun and challenging co-op experience.

It certainly isn't perfect, but younger gamers don't need perfection to be entertained.

Battlefield 2042 is a good game at its core. It’s fun, frantic, and as engrossing as Battlefield has ever been. While the launch has been filled with a myriad of technical issues that I failed to mention in this review, those are sure to be ironed out over the next few months. The main issues I have with 2042 are some of its inherent design decisions. The majority of maps are too large to be impactful, the Specialist system has taken away a core aspect of what makes Battlefield work as a franchise, and the tone of the game is often at odds with itself. But through it all, I’m still enjoying my time blowing sh*t up, screaming and laughing with friends, and making more of those Battlefield memories.

Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! is an admirable premise that spoils well before its implied expiration date. Creating hilarious living monstrosities out of crude odds and ends yields satisfying and impressive results, but endearment becomes tragedy when you discover there's nothing of interest to do with them. The simple act of creation might be enough for some, but I was bored to tears after that particular novelty wore off.

People thought that the previous expansions were too simple, and they were right, so Bungie kicked it in the other direction and now we have gotten what we have asked for, even if it feels like it’s too difficult. The balance between effort and reward is now a right of passage and something that is respectful instead of expected. Warmind is a good way for Bungie to begin to right the ship of their D2 game and make it closer to what was promised at the beginning of this Destiny journey.

This is an excellent release for the PSP. Two classic JRPGs re-mastered and made available in a single, well-priced package. Fans of Ys or the genre can't go wrong in picking this up.

It’s a solid shooter with all of the essential criteria in place, from the exaggerated firepower to the insuperable difficulty.

All things considered, at a $20 price point for a 4 or 5 hour experience, it’s hard not to recommend for someone looking for a pretty good story, average-ish VR gameplay that’s casually difficult (though sometimes a little frustrating), and solid presentation thanks to fine artwork and voice overs. If you’re in the market for an experience like that, Maskmaker is worth considering.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions from developer Unbroken Studios finally brings a decent version of Quidditch to the video gaming world. While the controls are going to certainly frustrate some, especially when mixed with the chaotic Quidditch gameplay, the game does a decent job of bringing some good modes and reasons to keep playing. This is very much a vanilla beginning and hopefully, that can be improved in the coming months.

Warhammer: Chaosbane is an incredibly entertaining game but at this point in time, that fun lasts as long as players continue to be invested in the repetitive nature of an ARPG. Right now, the pool of enemies, while aesthetically cool, begin to feel tired after awhile. It takes a considerable amount of time before modified enemies show up and the variety of equipment might not be enough for some players to invest the time it will take to soar to the highest echelons of skill.

Even with the reduction in graphical fidelity and the controller shortcomings, I still found LoFVR compelling to replay after five years from having played the original. The story is pretty good, but moreover I really liked the ever-changing mansion and Twilight Zone weirdness of it all. That kind of atmosphere and design lend themselves well to VR play, and to that end the game is interesting on PSVR, despite its shortcomings. Plus, at only $20, LoFVR is relatively light on the wallet for a few hours of spooky VR.

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.

It’s not perfect, but if you’re hunting for a good stocking stuffer this holiday season that the whole family can appreciate, Family Game Night 2 is head and shoulders above most other casual fare.

Call of Cthulhu is an emphatic character sheet fed to a game deficient of opportunities for self-expression. Imagine if, instead of a dramatic exploration behind the power and poison of enlightenment, Lovecraft only wrote a flat outline. Call of Cthulhu is eldritch horror without emotion or agency, and its madness is entirely mundane.

This game can be a lot of fun, and even more so at a party with MJ fans. Teams can battle it out to see who can do the best job of dancing like the King of Pop, while others can enjoy the show. With its long list of hits, the game can provide hours of entertainment. It's called 'Michael Jackson – The Experience,' because that was it is.

XBlaze Lost: Memories pushes the series forward and offers a solid value for those that become invested in its story and characters, but getting to that point is not a given.

The more I played Gods Will Fall, the more I understand its intricate design. It’s a good game that at the very heart depends on dungeon design and bosses to make it fun. It exceeds in the latter and does a good job with the design. The story is meaningful, the gameplay design of the action is simplified, and while it does have its pain points here and there, it delivers a fun and purposeful experience.

Weird Beluga attempted to merge two distinct genres of game with Clid the Snail: top-down shooter and narrative. Although they succeeded on the worldbuilding and narrative front, the gunplay feels unforgiving, repetitive, and frustrating. I can’t sleight them for trying something new, as I generally enjoyed Clid’s grimy world, but I really did want more. I can’t wait to see where Weird Beluga go, as Clid is a good start for hopefully something better in the future.

Goat Simulator is stupid, ridiculous, and incredibly fun. Everything from the hidden areas to the different goats make this game hilarious, and well worth the price.

Some moderate updates to the gameplay (primarily with the new rules and roster changes), but if you're on any kind of budget or aren't in a rush to play, it's probably best to wait for next year when the series shifts to the current-gen.

With Logitech's new flight sticks coming out and the fast and furious pace that the game goes, the next version of it could be an even sweeter flight to take-off with. Until then, try before you buy.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is pure pick-up and play fun. Best enjoyed in short stints, the experience can wear thin quickly as the different game modes offer little variety.

While shoot 'em ups are conspicuously underrepresented on modern hardware, Ghost Blade HD's presence amounts to little more than a fleeting cameo. Just because it's the only port in the storm doesn't mean that anyone will stick around after the raging winds subside.

I think Vicarious Visions did a respectable job with the DS version of War For Cybertron. It's not a great game, but at the same time it's far from bad, and Transformers fans with a DS should give this some consideration.

I think Vicarious Visions did a respectable job with the DS version of War For Cybertron. It's not a great game, but at the same time it's far from bad, and Transformers fans with a DS should give this some consideration.

Still, "Wooden Sen'Sey" is cheap, good-spirited and chuckle-inducing. It's a charming addition to the Wii U eShop that lays the groundwork for an even more ground-breaking sequel (please?)

All in all, Super Bomberman R is one of the most interesting releases on the Switch so far. That said, unless you have a core group to play lots of local multiplayer with or expect the online community to thrive, it’s hard to give it a high recommendation at $50. Then again, if you’re a fan of the series and are starved for a new experience, SBR makes a lot more sense at face value.

Overall, Chimparty is a fun PlayLink title from NapNok that gives off a nice Mario Party vibe, while not quite reaching the level design that usually comes with a Mario Party. Chimparty is a good family game, though, and a good addition to the PlayLink family.

This sequel is, clearly, leaps and bounds over its predecessor.

Dangerous Driving bets that spurned fans of Burnout still want more Burnout made by the only people they would trust to make more Burnout. It’s a skilled recreation, albeit one that forgets wild innovation and grinning novelty were as important to Burnout’s identity as racing and smashing up outrageous cars. Dangerous Driving, ironically, is defined by familiarity and comfort.

It's an unexpected dichotomy—tranquility isn't the sort of evocation expected of extremely topical police-state paranoia—but one that Neon Struct dispenses with plausible seeds of insurrection. Colorful symmetry is the expected outcome, but Neon Struct surprises with plenty of shades of grey, too.

Sonic Boom: Fire and Ice is more positive than negative. It is developed to tap that deep nostalgia that Sonic fans have for the series, while bringing in some new elements that make it more than just an arcade platformer. While it isn’t perfect, especially the controls, it’s still a very entertaining experience that should satisfy the Sonic the Hedgehog fanbase.

Romancing SaGa 2 actually was quite fun. At the very least, it was nice to see an older game re-emerge on a next generation console and still be more fun than a hindrance. It certainly contains some classic structure, some unique gameplay, tough-as-nails enemies and some linear restriction to keep it all grounded back in 1993.

Concord is an incredibly distinct PvP shooter in an incredibly busy space. Tight, polished gameplay drives its diverse cast along a number of memorable maps. Distinctly old-school in its execution, it is multiplayer game stripped of annoyance and packed with fun.

Overall this game does what it set out to do, and it does it well, giving both veterans of the series and new players a chance to experience some of the original magic of Total Annihilation, while keeping it fresh and extensive enough to create new battles and new war stories on a galactic scale to tell around the Real-Time Strategy campfire.

Overall a very good initial offering from Eutechnyx. Their Euro background definitely doesn't seem to be a handicap as they were able to translate the "feel" of driving one of these big, heavy cars to a rather effective degree.

Indifferent to the temptations of aberration and bombast, Element4l's Spartan aesthetic plays nicely with its devotion to pure platforming. It also buries Element4l's identity beneath waves of difficulty and a few inventive tricks. Still, seeing Element4l to its conclusion is enjoyable enough, and worth it for moments of earned validation.

Legend of Kay Anniversary is a worthy nod to a 2005 game. Despite its flaws, such as the irritating camera movement, it contains some fun moments, improved graphics and a few other little things to remind you how good it was back in the day.

Overall, Neverout is an interesting VR title turned into a Nintendo Switch experience that seems to be better suited to handle it. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and it can be a bit frustrating now and then, but it’s still worth checking out, especially at the price point.

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.

There’s a heavy focus on an arcade-styled Titan-slaying experience with mind-blowingly exhilarating movement…and little else. This is a game that I can see myself playing and replaying with friends so long as they’re fine with Unbreakable’s quirks.

Mortal Kombat Arcade Kollection's low price forgives the absence of modes and options we usually take for granted. The problem is it's also lacking what amounts to basic functionality. The arcade ports are lazy and desperately in need of a patch and the online interface was plagued with lag. The worst part is the higher your appreciation for Mortal Kombat's golden years, the more glaring Arcade Kollection's gaffs become.

If I had to sum up Thunder Wolves with a single world it would be 'fun.' It's not the most memorable or rewarding game you'll ever play by any means, but just like any good arcade game from the 90s, it provides you with several hours of raw action enjoyment.

Little Racers STREET strikes a great a balance between depth and accessibility, but squanders its potential as soon as progression starts to favor rote upgrades over applied skill. That being said, it's an eight dollar game in an uncommon genre and loaded with options - and for some that may be an acceptable compromise.

If you like the genre, it's easy to recommend Microbot despite some of its flaws. I found it more enjoyable with the offline co-op mode, too.

As it stands, Galak-Z: Variant S is a simple shooter that is fun in short stints. The controls are fun, the level design is outstanding, but the motivating factors of the game, which include upgrades, needs to be improved a little before it becomes great. As it stands right now, it’s a good space shooter with some potential for improvement in the future.

While its position as a sandbox game for all ages should certainly benefit it as much as the LEGO brand, The Chase Begins is comparatively limited when viewed alongside its Wii U counterpart. Having said that, it holds the scope, the humor, and the basic premise well intact, so if you can look past its technical inadequacies, it’s at least a worthwhile romp through LEGO City that can be enjoyed on the go.

Polar Panic is a charming PSN game that shows how much you can get from a simple puzzle concept.

Lost Soul Aside, from developer UltiZeroGames, lacks a good, cohesive narrative that should be driving the solid gameplay and action. As it stands, the game does a great job with its action gameplay design, features interesting and compelling enemies, and contains a solid backend progression system.

Overall, the gameplay design of Torchlight III is fun and motivating, but it has some deeper flaws that need to be addressed. Players must have a balance of difficulty and challenge. Giving players too much advantage at the beginning and overpowering them will not benefit the longevity of the game. If you need proof, go look at Bungie’s Destiny 2, which is struggling to maintain challenging content, while believing that making players ‘grind’ for shoddy rewards is the right solution for the issue. Finding that balance of building up a character properly and delivering difficulty and challenging enemies along the way is what other action RPGs, like Diablo, classics. Echtra Games did a great job with the initial groundwork of Torchlight III’s gameplay design, but it needs a bit more balance in some backend areas.

While the game is not an utter failure, it certainly isn’t the title it could have been.

Sacred Citadel is a decent 2D action platformer, with good RPG elements. It pails in comparison with the likes of Golden Axe, Castle Crashers, Konami's X-Men, Streets of Rage, and others, but it is some cheap fun.

Series fans may want to play it safe and rent Revolution first. For those who do not play UNS, Revolution is safe to skip.

As far as presentation, my only complaint is that Buzz talks too much and repeats himself far too often. Outside of that, the rest of the audio presentation is fine, the graphics are good, and the load times are great. So while you won't find the flashy presentation of the PS3 version, you certainly will find a very competent, functional, and good presentation here.

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.

Blood Stone makes for a good weekend rental, or an 'in between' title, but it doesn't offer a lot more than that.

WWE 2K's first outing on the PS4 and Xbox One is commendable, and gives us much to look forward to for 2K16. But unless you're a passionate fan of the WWE or this series, it's probably safe to rent or skip this year.

Dozens of dungeons overflowing with enemies and treasures for you to battle and collect to your hearts content, but it will require some patience and tolerance on your part to fully enjoy. For JRPG and turn based fans, this is certainly worth your attention.

A nice upgrade from the previous Pictionary uDraw game on the Wii, and a good overall uDraw title. That said, your mileage will vary depending on who you are able to play with locally; with the right group, there's a lot of laughs and fun to be had, but in the absence of other players, there's nothing to gain from this game.

Color Guardians is a simple game with a straightforward purpose - run and button-mash. It will certainly challenge gamers with fast gameplay and demand multi-tasking sharpness from its players, but doesn't offer a lot beyond those things.

Back to Bed is a visual upgrade from its mobile brethren, but it still maintains the quick, casual fun that the mobile side sported. If you like a decent puzzle game, this might be worth looking at on the PlayStation 4.

Rory McIlroy PGA Tour may not win any awards for visuals, but it’s a solid experience in the gameplay department with flexible controls, entertaining modes and enough depth to keep you going for awhile.

Anyway, there is enough separation here with the usual blueprint for this genre to make 99Vidas worth a go. As gameplay goes, it’s easy to pick up and play, as well as stupid fun from beginning to end. 99Vidas makes me want to break open my old Streets of Rage game and have another go with it. It shows that games like that still have legs and can be exciting to play.

Blacklight: Tango Down is a good value for anyone who enjoys competing in heated FPS battles online.

While Monster Rancher 1 deserved additional graphical and audio updates, playing the remastered Monster Rancher 2 is nothing short of fun. The new music-lookup monster creation system is a much needed modernization for the series, the FF Mode is a great way to quickly grind out your monster’s stats, but I fear that multiplayer may be a letdown. I sincerely hope that these remasters pave the way for a modern Monster Rancher installment, because if these remasters are any indication, Koei Tecmo are on the right track.

For all of the faults in Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker, the game lives up to many of its ambitions. It is a grand challenge to not only follow but to also bring something new and exciting to the successor of the popular Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm series, and the game does just that. The online multiplayer format works surpassingly well for Naruto and moving through the game’s stages beautifully conveys the feeling of exploring the anime in a way that is sure to thrill any fan of the series. If the series keeps building on the successes of this game, then there’s great hope for the future games in the Naruto/ Boruto franchise, even if Shinobi Striker is a hit-and-miss.

The fun of co-oping through Middle Earth with three unique characters overshadows some of the game's shortcomings, making for a very enjoyable game that I'm happy to recommend.

Sword Art Online: Fatal Bullet is a game that is great for fans of the series. Unfortunately, I do not see this game doing well outside of that. The introduction is so painfully long and uninteresting I can see many players stop playing because of it. Also while the game is well rounded, there doesn’t seem to be anything in this game that offers anything unique compared to other franchises. The main proponent is that this is a realistic game based off the anime.

If Zindagi makes another quest for Edmund, I hope it's not on rails. That loss of freedom really hurt the experience, and lent significantly to the monotony. Still, I can appreciate the effort and a lot of what is offered here, and ultimately this is one of the better Move games I have played.

Into the Stars is a fun adventure with a bit of everything (strategy, action, adventure). It would be just a bit better with improved UI, though. Regardless, it's certainly worth a look.