Jupiter & Mars presents a sincere restoration of the radical environmentalism that permeated pop culture in the early 90's. Steering its pair of dolphins through a neon post-human wonderland measures against its persistent undercurrent of despair and culpability. Jupiter & Mars lets players smile at what's left while scowling at the wreckage we're doomed to leave behind.

Beenox did a good job with Edge of Time, but they left a lot of room for improvement for their next endeavor.

TRON: Evolution has the look and feel of everything that makes the TRON universe cool. You get the lightcycle, tank and identity disc battles that you've been craving for some time. Regretfully, all of this is plagued by very loose controls that create too much frustration to enjoy the rest.

Gusto Games got some things right here, but there is still a whole lot of room to improve. Worth a look if you're an avid golfer (and PlayStation Move owner), but I recommend a rental first.

If you are a passionate Bleach fan, then by all means you should check out Soul Resurreccion. Otherwise, proceed with caution; under the pretty graphics lies a repetitive experience that only Bleach fans will likely appreciate.

htoL#NiQ's flaws are significant, and I experienced a lot of frustration in the process of grinding through it. It's hard to recommend to a general audience, but if you're into 2D platformers, especially ones with puzzles and unforgiving difficulty, htoL#NiQ is one to consider.

Spark Unlimited's take on EDN III is engaging and fun. It's not going to turn the genre on its head or come away with any game of the year awards, but it is the best in the series and makes the franchise relevant again.

If you're into these types of heavy management and sim games, Nobilis has put together a potentially compelling package for you at a good price.

Overall, The Suicide of Rachel Foster does its best to get you in that uncomfortable gameplay horror structure it aspires to achieve, and it succeeds in engaging and pulling you into the experience. The game just falls short in the story and never really brings the actual horror you would expect to the table, which hurts the gameplay. The long journey to start the horror and the payoff by the end doesn’t match up. That’s not to say you won’t get something out of the game, at least some mystery and suspense, but your expectations of what you should get and what you want to get will never quite come to fruition.

God of Rock is an interesting concept blending rhythm and fighting game elements, with some elements being executed better than others. On the rhythm side, the large soundtrack, complex note patterns, and vibrant visuals offer a good experience for those who excel at multitasking. On the fighting side, the combo system may feel familiar but less satisfying because of so much attention needing to be had on the note chart rather than the visually striking character dishing out damage. I am excited for the future of God of Rock, because once this ends up in the hands of creative community members, I’m sure that the competitive experience will be wild.

Pac-Man Mega Tunnel Battle: Chomp Champs from Amber Studio and Bandai Namco Entertainment is light on the competitive entertainment that the game seemingly promises. While it does have spurts of fun and some solid customization options, it just doesn’t create enough competitive motivation to keep the game engaging or interesting.

It has its drawbacks, but UTF is a pretty good game that would make for a solid purchase during Steam's holiday sales this year.

Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is a game about girls of indeterminate age exploding out of their shirts. Sometimes there is fighting and usually it's with another girl, but it's mostly about Tamsoft creating excuses to watch gigantic breasts wobble from different angles. If that's your thing, cool, but it's not mine.

A generous number of titles with a handful of really choice stuff. Stylistic preservation is coupled with better resolution. Add in solid options, PSN leaderboards, with local multiplayer, and the $30 asking price becomes quite reasonable. Still, online play would have taken pushed this up a few levels.

Even had Bladestorm: Nightmare came out several years ago on PS3 I don't think I would have enjoyed it much. But, for those who like Dynasty Warrior-esque games and want more unit control and strategy, Bladestorm is worth checking out.

The Wii U version of Sniper Elite V2 misses the mark and is inferior to the game on other platforms.

If you're looking for an accessible and often-fun four player competitive splitscreen game, Cel Damage HD is worth a look.

It's great that Team Ninja made a new Ninja Gaiden, I just wish they stuck to what had worked so well in the past rather than try and take the series in this awkward new direction. It's still worth considering, just check your expectations and hopes at the door.

Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection isn’t beyond redemption (one saving grace being that the game wasn’t steeped in the microtransaction controversy that accompanied the 2015 Star Wars: Battlefront release), and I think Aspyr realizes it, having announced a forthcoming patch to be delivered soon. This comes at a crucial moment for Aspyr, which lost out on the Knights of the Old Republic remake for Windows and PlayStation 5, and its parent company, Embracer, moving the project over to another studio. Aspyr, in turn, is under the gun to make Star Wars: Battlefront Classic Collection right, get the bug count down, and deliver the experience that was promised to an eager world of Star Wars fans. It wouldn’t be unheard of for a series of patches to make everything as it should be, but the uncomfortable question remains as to why this went out the door in the condition it was in the first place.

Sometimes despite itself, AoT3 proves that a fun co-op experience can go a long away in masking flaws.

Mario Party is continuing to see sequels and unfortunately it isn't seeing much change. In its 3rd portable experience, Island Tour, I had hoped for more enjoyable single player and internet multiplayer to keep players interested when they can't get their friends around. Unfortunately, the bread-and-butter experience of 4 players is easier to implement and more enjoyable on console experiences.

You get the feeling Datura's elusive narrative and moral ambiguity was intended to be the subject of rampant speculation. If only it were complimented by proper tactile feedback, or if the whole detached hand mechanism managed a legitimate grasp of Datura's nebulous constructs, we'd be talking more about Datura as a great game and less as an atrophied experience.

inXile Entertainment had a clear vision with what it wanted to do with Hunted: The Demon's Forge. That vision came up short due to clunky controls, linear gameplay and a very frustrating single player experience. The game's core fun is based on co-op, but there are still some design flaws that hurt even that experience.

It's not the best racing game on the iPad, but it sure does bring the arcade fun of the original title.

Would you prefer a tenacious coach who encourages you to do better or an obstinate teacher who seems aroused by failure? Necropolis expects its audience to compose the latter. No one needs their games to be nurturing or complimentary, but the decency to spotlight meaningful content and abandon waste is a manner Necropolis could stand to learn.

Most of what I have had to say about TLM2V has not been awesome as Emmett would say, but for the most part I still enjoyed my time with the game, especially when playing co-op. Keeping in mind the target audience and the price point of $40, the Lego Movie 2 Videogame presents a game worth considering for fans of the movie, Lego, or casual, family-friendly play.

FOAMSTARS from Square Enix is an interesting competitive game that borrows its surface-level gameplay concept from Splatoon while offering deeper and more intriguing gameplay underneath led by solid upgrade and buff systems. Unfortunately, the lack of meaningful solo missions does hurt the game, as it feels like half a game made it to launch.

Destiny 2 - Expansion I - Curse of Osiris is a good addition to the Destiny 2 package. It brings a lot of grind to the players, but the rewards are nice and intriguing. It adds more depth and fun to the PvP portion of the game, which I think needed it, and provides some new strikes to keep the fun moving forward. I hope in the coming months with the coming changes to the game that there is more added to this first expansion, but as it stands it is worthy of your time and money.

For every tiny victory over the failings of the original, the sequel commits a massive oversight leading to even bigger problems. And in spite of the undeniable appeal of its twisted interpretation of all things Disney, what ultimately sinks this sequel is the sheer absence of fun in its formula.

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.

It hits some of its marks—a generous frame-rate and a firm commitment to kitsch melodrama among them—but it's closer to the edges boredom and mediocrity. For a game meant to elicit a range of responses, all that it leaves the player is trite indifference.

Armikrog is a missed opportunity, but despite its design flaws and technical issues, it's worth playing even if just for the unique visual experience.

Breach has some great moments, but it suffers from too many noticeable flaws.

This is a competent port of MJ: The Experience. It's technically sound, but it just feels a little short on content and a bit high on price.

Army Corps of Hell starts off interesting but after just a few short hours you reach that uneasy realization that the game is not changing and the experience gets very repetitive. I can appreciate that it's a new IP for a new platform, and I encourage that, but this one falls considerably short of greatness.

At the end of the day, Eclipse: Edge of Light is a fun exploration game that will certainly keep you in awe at times without pulling you away with overcomplicated controls or a messy narrative. It simply asks you to traverse the alien landscape, discover a small narrative along the way, and be there. It doesn’t do more than that, nor does it do less than that, which is acceptable for a VR experience.

Cyberpunk 2077 is broken on last-generation consoles. That doesn’t mean you can’t see the finer details of the game, but you simply cannot enjoy them because of that brokenness. Where the game succeeds is in story, beautiful RPG elements, and a strong amount of customization that makes it feel like ‘your’ game and story. At the same time, Cyberpunk isn’t unique as the game feels like an amalgamation of Fallout and Bladerunner. Ultimately, aside from the game-breaking bugs, the game has good aspects that could have been great with a little more time in development.

Catlateral Damage is a simple gaming experience that doesn’t offer up much variety outside of swiping items off shelves, but it does occasionally offer up some cute humor. Nothing really more or less than that, though.

Ultimately, DA is one of those games that just about goes tit-for-tat on pros and cons. With some patching, this game could really break through to another level of quality, but we’ll have to see what develops in that regard. I understand that Tuque has several things lined up for the next six months. They’re planning on new free DLC and a new expansion, Echoes of the Blood War, and that’s cool. However, I think they really need to take a hard look at the base game and make several major adjustments to it before worrying about DLC, because if the base game doesn’t get right, there might not be much of an audience to bring back in with DLC and expansions.

Trials of the Blood Dragon is a bit hit and miss, some of the gimmicks work while other frustrate and fall entirely flat. Whilst die-hard Trials fans will have preferred to have had a more pure experience one can only hope this is just a way of keep the series in gamers consciousness.

Guardians of Middle-Earth on the PC should be better in so many ways than its console cousin, but it's not. The controls and lack of online community support make this game a tough sell.

I so wanted to love this game. Hearing the story, seeing the visuals, I was ready to campaign for all to download this immediately given the creativity of concept alone. Then I hit 'start.' Sadly, the sketchy controls ruin this game.

Jump Force has plenty of potential and source material to work from, but falls flat. It is a little disappointing to see such a beloved franchise celebrate its 50th anniversary with Jump Force. The only thing that the game has going for it is the graphics. The story is dull. The combat is disorienting. Unfortunately, Jump Force does not live up to the hype.

Surgeon Simulator Anniversary Edition is still giant dripping bucket of stupid fun - and most of the new content is great - but absent is the howling laughter and pure novelty from its debut.

Mechanic Battle is a fun, fast-paced game with lots of variety. There is a good amount of replayability, customizable cars, and engaging gameplay. The steering controls were confusing at first, but as you progress it becomes second nature. The visuals are good and the racetrack designs are unique. Overall, Mechanic Battle is a fun and fast-paced game with bright visuals and exciting car races.

Perception's attractive thesis—a blind woman should be capable of investigating the menacing house from her nightmares—creates space for an original protagonist inside of an extraordinary circumstance. A premise isn't a promise, however, as Perception quickly abandons novelty in favor of rote objectives, aimless antagonism, and a narrative set adrift in a sea of platitudes.

Infinity Runner's boasts an attractive premise - a werewolf must escape a space station - but its thinly sliced narrative doesn't contain any satisfactory hooks and its moments of player agency rarely reach any sort of plateau. Infinity Runner's beautiful premise isn't an invitation to something greater; it's an excuse for an otherwise incidental experience.

This is a strong portable game well-suited for consumption in short bursts, but with plenty of content and a possibly-addicting design. It should satisfy both LEGO and Marvel fans who never want their favorite franchises farther away than their pockets.

Overall, if you’re looking for a solid experience that keeps going and motivates you to keep going through rewards and short missions, then you’ll enjoy Defiance 2050. It’s a solid title that does what is advertised. Just excuse those last generation cutscenes.

Raging Blast has a lot going for it with 70 playable characters, lots of modes, online play, and a nice presentation. The camera and controls remain the most concerning part of the package, but for any average Dragon Ball or avid fighting fan, it's well worth a look.

It's easy to get lost inside Submerged's desolate seascapes. Its desire for pacifism and drive for hope are worthy talents, but it's the call to adventure—to indulge and explore marine tranquility and conquering vegetation—that you'll keep with you, if only for a little while.

Tennis World Tour 2 isn’t necessarily the most robust or enticing offering when it comes to tennis games, but it’s one of the only simulation games out there. If you’re a die-hard tennis fan, it’s worth a shot to see if it can keep your attention. But casual fans should consider looking elsewhere.

Inversion had a neat idea, but the execution is lackluster at best. For genre connoisseurs, it's worth a look, but most can safely pass this one up.

Overall, Vancouver 2010 is an okay game, but it's very shallow. It borders on just being a collection of mini-games in some regards, but it is more than that -- just not a lot more. Good for a weekend rental, but very hard to recommend, even at $50.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III is likely going to go down as one of the weaker entries in the franchise. Undoubtedly the quality fluctuates from player to player every year but key elements of Modern Warfare III don’t hold a candle to what most expect from a superb Call of Duty game. This is most apparent in the game’s lackluster campaign that injects far too much Warzone influence for its own good. Rather than a classic, bombastic narrative with diverse mission structure, we are left with an all too brief story that leaves players with little to latch onto outside of vaguely experimental open-ended combat. Zombies is as universally weird as ever but may actually be beneficial towards newcomers with its large map and mission-based approach. Thankfully Modern Warfare III‘s exceptional multiplayer feel and suite of popular maps, modes, and customization elevate this rough going. If Call of Duty needed a break, maybe this year should have been the one. But at 20 years old, the old chap still has life left in it.

Avid, younger fans of the show may find value in this release but for any parent considering the purchase, I would advise a rental first.

In sum, Necromunda: Hired Gun is a very mixed offering. It seems that for every pro the game brings, there is a con to match it. I still had fun with Necromunda, but the experience is tainted significantly by the various issues — technical and otherwise — that the game has at the time of this writing.

Pokémon Rumble Blast is like buying a five-pound multicolored package of Runts only to find all bananas inside: there's a heck of a lot to digest, but ultimately, it's just one shockingly mediocre bite after another.

On its own, Ranko Tsukigime's Longest Day is lightweight runner with scant traces of inspiration. As integral part of the dynamic, multimedia Short Peace project, its relative value becomes a bit more manageable. That it's all being packaged and sold as a videogame leaves it feeling heavy on good natured intent, but thin on actual content.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Breakpoint is an exciting game. It knows what it wants to do. It wants to give players options, it wants them to feel unshackled by design decisions that offer to gently nudge them in a direction or possibility. It wants to give a platform to four friends to cause chaos in a variety of scenarios. Breakpoint is a freeing game and it has its flaws. But, above anything, it is fun.

To say that Redfall needs major work to fix some balancing issues would be a bit of an understatement. For a game that had so much hype during its development and was supposed to be the first big game of 2023 for the Xbox family that wasn’t called Halo or Forza, it has fallen short in its delivery. There are quite a few issues with Redfall, lots of unbalance in gameplay, and plenty to correct before it can be considered a permanent and worthwhile IP.

The adventure to take down the gang showed off how the game itself worked. It actually provided room for mistakes and was easily forgiving at the start. Players new to this genre, and this game, will certainly appreciate it. As the game progressed, though, it became steadily more demanding. That’s not a bad thing, in fact it’s an impressive way to do things, as you always want to challenge players. A steady arc of difficulty is how you want an RPG to be built and Empyre: Lords of the Sea didn’t disappoint in that aspect.

Other than the technical issues, SGW3 is probably exactly what you expected and even hoped for — a AA modern military shooter with a focus on sniping that evolves the franchise into open world. If you can wait for additional patching or don’t mind some of the stout bugs, SGW3 offers an enjoyable experience.

Super Monkey Ball 3D's total longevity for most people is likely to hover around 2 to 3 hours, and that, along with the uninspired level designs in comparison to the console iterations, is by far its greatest flaw.

Overall, Outright Games’ Ice Age Scrat’s Nutty Adventure shows some passionate love for the film series and constructs a game that young gamers will eat up. Does it have a fair share of issues? Yes, the levels feel too big and there’s not enough to do at times, but young gamers won’t really need that intricate design and complication to enjoy it. Ultimately, this game wasn’t built for me, nor was it built for teenagers, rather it was built for young gamers just getting their feet wet with 3D action adventures.

Gangs of Sherwood may be inhibited by its own limitations but I can’t express how great of a time I had once it fully released and I could merely link up with a full group of players. It may not be a game that has a great deal of permanence in this busy season and packed year but it does deserve appreciation and respect for its tenacity. Such a unique setting and basic, engaging combat are luxuries we so often forget about.

I think Danger Close definitely upgraded the series in some places with Warfighter, but regretfully took more than a few steps backwards in most of it.

Unfortunately while Monochroma's story manages some delicate moments, its gameplay can't escape obscene points of needless frustration and mechanical tedium. It’s the latter that comes to define the experience.

I can say that I had fun and I am looking forward to the complete game, but with some caution: I do hope and anticipate that FYQD will do a lot more to tighten up the experience on console as the cursor-driven menus are no fun, and this feels like a rushed port from its original platform (PC). Gameplay has got get more focused as well; I’m all for such an unusual mixture of enemies and cross-genre gameplay blends and inspirations, but it’s got to tie together somehow to make some sense and matter to the player. I don’t need a grand story, but I am hoping that the full game makes a lot more sense than this current offering which seems like someone brainstorming out loud, so to speak. All that to say, for $8, and with very limited new game+ options, you could do worse — but it might be just as well to wait until Bright Memory: Infinite launches in full next year.

Dolmen has wonderful visuals, interesting concepts, and a soundtrack that goes great with the feeling of the story. A sticking point could be the difficulty of the enemies and the issues with struggling to progress, which might make it hard for the players to stay engaged at times. That said, if you are looking forward to a challenge with tougher enemies than usual, alongside futuristic yet apocalyptic graphics, this is the game for you!

Magnetic works best as a platformer, which may be disappointing for those who wanted intermediate to advanced puzzling.

Like a bike without brakes or a toy with too many moving parts, Trials of the Blood Dragon is prone to self-destruction, but its cocksure embrace of 80's action cinema and good-enough mechanics don't quite violate its contract.

Instead of coming of with different ideas for a new generation, Sochi 2014 opts for another round of motion control minigames and only adds a manic insistence on a revolving door of controller hardware. It's unfocused, uneven, and typically not much fun thanks to the transient nature of most of its content.

A quick, yet enjoyable 2.5D action platformer that's worth the price of admission.

With just a little more time in the cooker, Fade to Silence could have fleshed out these mechanics. This is the kind of game that thrives off an expanded scope. The vision for this unique world is there and, for the most part, it delivers.

Exploring the destructive psychosis of a plaintive individual is a noble, if not precarious, responsibility. The Park, however, can't decide if its manic behavior is either a means of identifying with its troubled protagonist or a symptom of its own decent into chaos.

Defenders of Time, even with its pretty visuals and some redeeming game mechanics, can't stand well on its own, and is easily beat out by other free tower defense games with very difficult levels and shoddy multiplayer, this game is not a very good example of the tower defense genre.

If you're looking for a good fighting game this holiday that's accessible, not overly technical, and doesn't require a commitment or previous experience to enjoy, give Saint Seiya Brave Soldiers a serious look. It's hard to beat for the cost.

In a matter of weeks Anthem has marveled with its engaging action and technical incompetence. As a power fantasy, the game achieves many co-op thrills but the highs are often spread too thin over questionable design choices. BioWare's pedigree feels suppressed by a game that needed much more time in the oven.

It’s certainly no Crash Bandicoot or Spyro, but it is a game you should pick up in the PS4 launch window.

I commend 2Dark for tackling a tough premise, but it’s one I could have just as well left alone, too. The gameplay combined with the presentation just click with me, and it made this one a chore to play. If you’re into stealth and horror, especially top-down, retro-themed ones, there could be definitely be something here for you as some of 2Dark’s mechanics are sound. Otherwise, it’s probably safe to wait for a deep sale or a pass on this one.

Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem may appeal more to a younger audience than it did to me, but I don't think anyone will enjoy the frustrating lack of control that you have over the minions as they aimlessly wander to their deaths.

The short Story mode was the most disappointing part, but I liked using the AR booklet and my own environment to make a largely satisfying experience.

Korra's fiction and Platinum's development lineage impart a veritable dream team of narrative and design, but neither party seemed to bring the necessary hardware to live up to their respective and respected standards.

Players who have never played the series before may find this game enjoyable but other than that, only the most hardcore Pokémon fans (who enjoy even the least critically acclaimed games from the franchise) will enjoy playing this title after playing through any of the previous ones.

The only portion of Knee Deep that works as intended is its presentation as a stage play. Sequences meant to be shocking or surprising are met with audible gasps from the audience. Intermissions come complete with player selection options of how to handle a minute or two of free time. Applause is delivered at the conclusion of every act. Like Puppeteer, it really feels like you’re watching a show.

If you're considering playing Battle of Z, it's probably because you're already a DBZ fan. If you also have some friends to team up with, Battle of Z can be pretty fun despite some flaws, but otherwise, I'm not sure it offers enough compelling new content that other DBZ titles haven't already provided before.

Space Channel 5 VR: Kinda Funky News Flash! presents an opportunity to inhabit 1999’s idyllic vision of 1960’s culture through 2020’s virtual reality. Delivering this extremely specific hallucinatory novelty required an alarming price tag and the notice of a brisk runtime. Space Channel 5 remains a lustrous expression of the Dreamcast’s ethos, and a chance to actively embrace it merits attention and applause. Space Channel 5 VR is a brief, beautiful celebration of a bygone era.

Rise of Nightmares has been a refreshing experience for me, reminding me that motion gaming can work great when developers put forth a complete effort that encompasses a solid story and smart use of motion control.

Playing as a Werewolf should be fun and exciting, simple as that. Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood doesn’t come close to offering that. Between the dull and laborious Human and Wolf gameplay and the lackluster Werewolf gameplay, it’s difficult to recommend Earthblood to anyone. Above story and visuals, gameplay for this type of game should be king. Instead, Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood ends up being too sheepish.

Simply put, Blades of Time is well worth your consideration if you enjoy third person action/adventure games.

Overall, Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia is well put together and does what it sets out to do which is provide low-stress, family-friendly entertainment for as long as you want it to. The added depth in the world and its characters as well as the thoroughness of the brawling system and the checks and balances between abilities and Bakugan allow players to dive in and optimize their team and curb their competitive appetite. As long as you look at it for what it is, Champions of Vestroia is worth the look for anyone that’s a fan of the game, the toys, or is looking for a game to enjoy while killing time.

NASCAR 21: Ignition is a new start for the brand. We need to remember that. That being said, this is a very disappointing launch for a game. The overall gameplay lacks in many ways, the AI is incompetent at times and struggles to understand, there are some larger glitches that can easily take you out of the game and ruin the experience as well. The paint booth and career mode are very good and fun to go through. That is about it. I want to add that other users and players are reporting that playing on PC is bringing a bit better of an experience so if you are looking for the game, that might be your best bet as of now. I still think there is a lot of hope for the franchise. There are some things here that are positive foundations. However, NASCAR 21: Ignition has just missed the racing line and slammed the outside wall.

Hardcore NIS fans are going to pick up The Witch and the Hundred Knight anyway, but everyone else would do well to keep their distance.

I have played a few local battles, but have not put much time or had much luck finding any games online. There is also a My Room area where you can review your stats for the game as far as number of times having played each mode, number of panels flipped (gets into the thousands fairly quickly), and how often you have visited the three arenas. Flip Wars is very basic title no matter how you slice it. From the ho-hum presentation to the lack of any real depth in any of the modes, this is a borderline textbook casual mobile game. It doesn’t do much for me, but if you’re into this kind of game, you could spend $10 in less enjoyable ways.

Dreamcast Sampler would have been a more apt title. After putting together the wonderful Ultimate Genesis Collection and the stellar Sega Ages line, it's hard not to feel like Sega dropped the ball with Dreamcast Collection.

There is something inherently relaxing about hearing cows moo in the distance while I drive a tractor to my cornfield at sunrise. And, when I feel lazy I can hire someone to drive my tractor for me. Back and forth. Up and down. Back and forth. It’s mesmerizing and boring all at the same time; and so is Farming Simulator 2015.

Bubsy In: The Purrfect Collection from Limited Run Games and Atari is a solid trip down memory lane that features good add-ons and a worthy refurbished 3D version of Bubsy 3D. Now, that said, the collection might be tough for modern gamers to get into because of its difficulty and stiff controls, as the titles certainly belong in the ‘90s from whence they came. Ultimately, it’s a good collection for Bubsy fans and video game history enthusiasts.