New World brings you into the mysterious world of Aeternum after sailing into a wild storm that leaves you stranded. While there are many things to do in New World, it can often feel tedious to make any progress as the leveling system relies heavily on the player grinding out tasks.

For Super Monkey Ball fans out there, this game is going to be fun because of the variety of creative mazes SEGA has in store for you. The modes beyond the main will be hit or miss depending on expectations. Nonetheless, Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is mostly entertaining.

‘Hot Wheels Unleased’ is as close as you can get to a kid’s dream (or at least mine). There are some slightly clunky things like the track builder at first, but once you get past the learning curve you’re able to set sail and take the wheel. It handles like a dream.

Far Cry 6 strikes me as the apex of the series, mechanically, structurally, and narratively. Far Cry has gone through its fair share of growing pains since Far Cry 3 became the de facto standard. Yet all roads, rocky or otherwise, have led to this point. Crazed villains, bombastic mayhem, and open freedom have been polished to their highest sheen. What’s presented is a dramatic piece of open world escapism, rife with possibility. Players can become decorated contract killers, loosing the bonds of an oppressive regime with any amount of chaotic bloodshed, engage in aimless side quests, or paint the world red with friends. The massive scope of Yara provides a playground of opportunity for engagement, transforming Far Cry 6 into the best yet, a date with destruction.

Metallic Child doesn’t really suffer from anything aside from its lengthy dungeon crawls. Even then, the frenetic melee combat and constantly shifting nature of its core mechanic provide many avenues for players to maximize their time. Compact rooms mean that challenges are never too difficult and can be cleared rapidly. Mostly, though, I was surprised by the game’s charming take on narrative perspective and the colorful worlds that really popped on the Nintendo Switch. It might not be the most traditional spin on a roguelike but Metallic Child offers enough action and bosses to entertain you for quite some time.

Alan Wake has aged well and still offers a compelling thriller story with some fun gameplay to keep you entertained for a dozen or fifteen hours. Whether you missed the game way back when it first came out, or just haven’t played it in a decade, it’s a worthy addition to any collection.

WRC 10 is a solid entry into the franchise. While there are usually updates, pretty landscapes, and nods to the parts and history of the sport that’s about all that’s new. It feels like last year’s edition, but just with some more polish and finesse. That’s fine, but I’m just not sure if it’s worth taking your keys and trading them in for the newer model. It is a fine ride and time, but overall nothing special to take for a spin.

While I think Scarred Stars’ story could be a bit more refined, the intensity of the gameplay and how airtight the world is by design truly helps to make this horror survival from indie developer Tuomo’s Games something to look forward to in the spooky month of October.

Diablo 2 remains a seminal ARPG and a defining gaming experience. For many Diablo 2: Resurrected is just another excuse to play a favorite. Other players may see it as an ancient relic, barely approachable with its stagnant, unevolved gameplay. For me, it was a harrowing hill to climb, a portal through time, but one I ultimately could not help but regret that I had not gotten to it sooner.

Dreamscaper is an exceptionally heartfelt, engaging roguelike. By offering up a gameplay loop that hopes to fuel a deeper narrative, players may find that the game is one of the rare instances of synergy in the genre. Using a smart upgrade system to fuel its weighty, acrobatic combat, Dreamscaper so frequently punches above its weight. For those who get lost in ever-engaging loops, this one is for you.

NBA 2K22 is seemingly a step in the right direction for the franchise. While I felt the same with last year’s NBA 2K21, I feel NBA 2K22 is more evolutionary than revolutionary. Its gameplay systems feel solid enough and fun enough to play for hours on end, however, the game’s heavy reliance on a player’s time to progress through any chunk of content is still prevalent. I would have liked to have seen more openness and choice to MyTeam’s new Draft mode, as it’s the best mode the game has added in years. Of course, I fully expect refinements to continue throughout 2K22s lifespan, so we’ll see where the game ends up in several months. But upon the first two weeks of release, there’s enough here to be excited for what’s to come.

As designed, Sable is a freeform journey across gorgeous landscapes in pursuit of self-discovery. Agency is at a premium and the player can go as far as their initiative can take them. As executed on an Xbox One, Sable is a devastating technical calamity unfit for basic service. It was a cruelty to observe the heights Sable was capable of reaching and yet not be able to experience them for myself.

I got to a point where I was not enjoying playing Death Stranding, but I was enjoying watching Death Stranding to see what happened. For me, it would have been better, probably, if the game were much shorter, because I got to where I wanted to experience the story without having to deal with the gameplay. I rarely find myself in that situation! Even still, I recognize the sheer quality and accomplishment Death Stranding is, and the value the Director’s Cut offers, so I find myself still recommending this game. If you are at all curious, you owe it to yourself to try it out, and odds are, you’re going to enjoy it more than not.

Rustler is a game that does a little of both but doesn’t commit to either idea enough to make an interesting experience. This indecision to commit hampers the game’s enjoyability and leaves players with a confused understanding of what the game wants to be. This compounded by a lack of black representation while directly referencing black culture everywhere, makes this game difficult to recommend.

Flynn: Son of Crimson is an excellent indie specimen of what makes action platformers great. The refreshing combat system and beautiful yet increasingly complex level design will remind you of what you loved the most from your childhood platforming classics. Aside from Flynn’s unfortunately short length, I am quite excited to see more from Studio Thunderhorse, as they created a fantastic game. And they let me pet a gigantic dog.

The gameplay loop can be repetitive but is able to be consumed in such small morsels that one may enjoy picking up Garden Story every day just to get a small fix. There’s a lot of promise here in terms of a sequel but in the next go round, I think a bit of editing might be beneficial. As much of an embarrassment of riches Garden Story may seem, it can be a lot to take in for such a compact adventure.

To say that Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part 2 is better than Part 1 in every way would be glossing over the strengths and weaknesses of both expansions. In some ways, TAG2 is the DLC I wished Doom Eternal had released much earlier; most of the new enemies, the platforming sections, and the Sentinel Hammer refreshed my interest in becoming engulfed by waves of demons Doom Eternal had prepared me to slay. In other times, I felt that TAG2 seemed shorter and more linear than TAG1, and was utterly disappointed by how quickly the game ended. Be prepared to have a helluva good time, but not for a bloody long time.

The Medium on PlayStation 5 feels like the best version of the game and one worth trying if you have yet to experience it elsewhere. While its unique dual-reality perspective lifted the game up, players expecting an outrageously different spin on psychological horror may have seen these scares before. But it’s hard to deny that Blooper Team aimed for the fences with The Medium and payed homage to the classics while crafting a new universe that they may wish to refine further down the line.

Even if you do the minimum amount of side content and just stick with the main story as much as possible, you’re in for a long, interesting, and fun game. The story matter is heavy, though, and might tax some players into taking breaks more often than they might typically. To balance that, there is a lot of good humor and zaniness that you would expect from this studio, but also some endearing missions in the School Stories section where you do everything from lead a dance team, help engineer robots, box, join a motorcycle gang, and partake in a Virtua Fighter 5 tournament. Additionally, the changes that LJ has compared to the original are all positive, too — big new areas to explore, new gameplay elements in both the action and adventure portions of the experience, and yet the best parts of the original are carried over. Ultimately, this is an excellent game that I readily recommend.

Life is Strange: True Colors is a rumination on loss, empathy, and finding your place in the word. A great cast is bolstered by improved visuals, animations, and a truly remarkable protagonist in Alex Chen, making this the true highlight of the series.

Sonic Colors Ultimate takes one of the best 3D Sonic games from the past and brings it to platforms it has never reached before, all in a fairly-priced, nicely done Ultimate package. It’s easy to recommend to any fan of Sonic games, including those like myself that never got around to playing the original in the last decade.

Deathloop is a fascinating and brilliant game. It subverts expectations out of the gate, providing players with a deep mystery that is solved by compelling, diverse gameplay. While being similar to Arkane’s previous work, it is almost like anything else you may have played while still housing familiar, recognizable elements. A whirlwind of intrigue, action, and style crafts Deathloop into a melting pot of smart, bold choices. Thankfully, Deathloop transcends its shackles as an amalgamation of “Arkane’s Greatest Hits” by offering players a thrilling take on shooters. Combat puzzles involving webs of untruths and harrowing escapes turn Blackreef into a time loop you won’t want to break from. And a definitive candidate for one of the best shooters in years.

The Artful Escape is a visual and audio masterpiece that creates a sincere narrative that gives hope to any struggling would-be artist that they will find their own voice at the end of a tough journey. As good as that message might be, the gameplay mechanics don’t nearly live up to the hype the rest of the game creates.

Ori Mees did a superb job with Blake: The Visual Novel. The story is compelling, the choices feel real, and the consequences will have you trying the game again once it’s done.

Bravely Default II (PC) is an excellent JRPG for those new to the series and want to relive the strategy found in Final Fantasy V OR for those familiar with the Bravely series who have yet to play BDII on the Nintendo Switch. The improvements that exist in the PC (Steam) version elevate BDII’s quality, but there is little reason to purchase this game if you’re already playing it on the Switch.

Tormented Souls gets way more right than not, and I came away from it very impressed. This was the kind of game that once I got the hang of it (I have not played many survival horror games at all) I became enthralled with playing and exploring every area and uncovering all the secrets and story material I could. This game does not try to advance the genre; it doesn’t do anything particularly new or better than previous champions of the genre have, but for all that it does, it does it very well. I’ll always say there is room in any genre for another solid entry, and that’s what you get here — a great survival horror game built with intentional classic/retro design.

I’m just about beside myself with how cool and surprising of a release Quake Remastered is. I hope we’ll see the same treatment for Quake II down the road, but wow it’s really special to see this classic revitalized and given such good treatment in the process. Bravo to Bethesda, id, and Nightdive for doing such a great job with this release and offering it up to the masses at a price (just $10!) that you shouldn’t miss.

At the end of the day, the upgrades from the PS4 version aren’t massive, but they are significant. If you’re looking for a solid sniping FPS on PS5, not only is SGWC2 you’re only choice, but also it’s a great one.

No More Heroes 3 is the obvious product of an auteur’s vision and a team looking to bring a series back from the brink of vaporware. You may come in wanting a story that makes no sense while shattering the fourth wall. Plenty will flock to an action game that isn’t greedy with challenge and presents a bizarre kind of fun. Or maybe you just really want to cut some damn digital grass like the shovelware from the Wii era. Many parts of No More Heroes 3 are brilliant. Brilliant because their nonsensical parts create a joyous harmony that can only really be found in games. Sure, it might seem like SUDA51 is doing his damndest to not make a game. But I guess he failed because when you cut through it all, you’re left with a juicy good time.

Dovetail Games provides an accurate train simulator. It’s unforgiving, brutal at times, but oddly relaxing and fun when things start running smoothly. It is truly a train simulator.

I want to have faith that Ion Driver is a proof of concept for something bigger and better from Gammera Nest, but what currently exists is less of a test of racing skill and more of a test of patience for a futuristic racing enthusiast. The lack of content, inconsistent hit detection, and buggy racing experience will leave you disappointed. You will see everything Ion Driver has to offer within a few minutes of playing the game, so don’t expect an experience of progression, futuristic and high-speed racing, nor skill.

Aliens: Fireteam Elite looks the part and plays the part, to wonderful effect. Aliens is an action movie at heart, and it’s evident that Cold Iron Studios made a strong effort to capture that ‘80s action movie feel. While the campaign is lackluster and mission variety is sparse, it’s hard to deny that tearing through hordes of Xenomorphs with your friends isn’t fun. While I don’t know if the game has a long-term impact in the way of future content that Cold Iron Studios is going to be putting out in Seasons, there’s enough content here to enjoy for a weekend or two with friends. I know I’ll be going bug hunting again, real soon.

Madden NFL 22 has some good parts to it, mainly the usual suspects, but falls flat with Face of the Franchise. I know Face of the Franchise is a key part of Madden’s success and what fans look forward to as a main piece of the Madden pie each year, but honestly, it has so many glitches in it that at times it is unplayable. Could these be fixed, and this year’s title saved? Most definitely, but as it stands at launch, the game has issues that need rectifying.

Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut is truly a masterpiece, much like its original release. It introduces an entirely new and separate experience with Iki while bringing and refining the beauty of the gameplay and visuals.

Tribes of Midgard is far from a perfect survival game. While it maintains a steady loop for players to engage with, the process of scavenging, crafting, and building can be pretty boring during the first few days and relentless as deadly winter encroaches upon the player’s safe haven. Yet despite its flaws and lack of meaningful post-run progression, it’s hard to deny that when a full lobby of ten Vikings are working together, the game is at its strongest. Though there might be something for those players who prefer to be a bit lonely, the game’s large worlds may prove to be far too much to tackle when the difficulty ramps up.

NEO: The World Ends with You was absolutely worth the fourteen year wait. Its unique battle system, beautiful art, and accessibility for multiple audiences make it a must-buy for those wanting a new JRPG to play. Beyond that, the lack of a grind and ability to play as you want make this JRPG worthy of being added to your collection. Although the menus can contribute to information overload and the game itself is fairly linear, NEO: TWEWY succeeds in telling a unique and engaging story without the slog of other games in the JRPG genre. In short: NEO: TWEWY is outstanding; be warned: you will become addicted.

An exemplary roguelike incentives and broadens its intrinsic repetition. An ideal narrative adventure paces its characters and their conflicts across a finite timeline. Hades is a vantage point engineered to showcase both perspectives. Whichever side you ultimately settle on, Hades’ character-rich action is a capable ascent from the dregs of genre stagnation.

Toodee and Topdee is a really fun take on puzzle platformers. While it can get lost in the wild collection of current puzzle games, it tries to be its own thing (for a good reason). It’s a little quirky and odd. That’s what makes it special though. The story is fine and the gameplay is challenging and fun. Overall, ‘Toodee and Topdee’ is a solid game for anyone looking to get through some puzzles and work their brain.

Doomsday Vault from Flightless is a pleasant puzzle game that will keep your attention in short stints. Its simplicity will keep your interest, while its flexibility to come and go will keep the experience casual.

Paint the Town Red (PTTR) is a decent action sandbox game that can appeal to multiple kinds of players. For those of you who wanted a gorier version of Minecraft, this game is for you! However, the controls/mechanics are difficult to deal with. The roguelike mode Beneath is an interesting step in the right direction, but it pales in comparison to other modes. If you want this game, it’s because you literally want to paint the town red in a sandbox environment, and paint the town red you shall.

Ender Lilies: Quietus of the Knights is a well-planned and executed game from Binary Haze Interactive. It has some repetitive shortcomings, but the fun boss fights and massive levels will help you get through the grind.

DariusBurst Another Chronicle EX+ is as thin as $40 can stretch the fifth iteration of its namesake. Its cumulative and sweeping arrangement of DariusBurst’s horizontal shooting excellence is, objectively speaking, worth an investment of time. Its position against Dariusburst: Chronicle Saviours in the same marketplace, along with its own slapdash assembly, weakens its necessity in any enthusiast’s collection.

Last Stop is endearing with its story and characters with a Hollywood caliber narrative design. It just wants to be a movie more than it wants to be a game, but it is entertaining, nonetheless.

Mushihimesama (Switch) is a great replayable shmup to play on your Switch console. For Switch owners new to the bullet hell genre, Mushihimesama is a fantastic place to get your feet wet. For Switch owners itching to replay a classic bullet hell, look no further than Mushihimesama! Either way, you will have a great time navigating the seemingly endless waves of bullets in beautiful bug-filled arenas.

Death’s Door‘s brisk and satisfying story pace allows players to soak up the adventure with efficiency and delight, never dragging on because of complicated puzzles and strenuous combat. Ultimately, though, I never wanted Death’s Door to end because this is an immensely satisfying, lovingly constructed world Acid Nerve has made. Both a fairy tale and an epic journey, it’s packed with wonder and whimsy. Anyone who has a love for gaming will recognize something they adore in Death’s Door. This universe is too good to resist and it is my sincere hope that this first taste won’t be the last.

With the Mr. X Nightmare DLC, SOR4 feels fresh all over again. The new characters, moves, and weapons make replaying through the campaign with friends a treat, and the Survival Mode offers an intense barrage of enemies to beat with interesting gameplay elements. At just $8, it’s easy to recommend the DLC, but if you’re a fan of physical media, there is a fresh re-release of the game that includes the DLC on the medium, too. Regardless, Streets of Rage 4 is not to be missed, and this DLC is worth adding to an already stellar game.

F1 2021 continues to grow on what 2020 built. It’s a technical, story driver, fast, and fun ride. It’s a continuation into a franchise that has become what any F1 fan, or honestly racing fan in general has been wanting for years.

For a VR experience, I have to say Sniper Elite VR is one of the better titles I have played. Part of that is surely from both the familiarity of the FPS genre and even more specifically the series itself. However, the variety of options lends itself well to a comfortable and enjoyable experience. The Aim Controller worked great, and though sure there are some camera/position glitches and some graphical issues from time to time as most any VR experience has, none of these were so off-putting as to keep me from playing. The narrative was interesting and well-told, too. Mission design is balanced well for a VR experience, meaning that it’s much more than ‘tech demo’ or entirely on rains, but, it’s not as wide in scope or sandboxy as a non-VR title either. In sum, for anyone looking for a good sniping experience in VR, this is an easy one to recommend.

Maybe the final challenges will be a little sharp for those who haven’t honed their skills to the max, but Boomerang X is also set to be a speedrunner’s paradise, broken and contorted by those who will accomplish impossible feats. But for someone like me who went in blind to Boomerang X, I can’t help but be pleased at how beautiful, fun, and ridiculous this short journey was–and how easy it will be to pick it back up again when I want to fly around like a wizard ninja.

Scarlet Nexus is one of the better action RPGs to hit this current generation of consoles. It’s a gorgeous game with a complicated backend that makes you want to keep playing. The side-quests might be forgettable, but it certainly has a lot more to offer with its main story.

Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods Part 1 (TAG1) walks a very fine line between crafting a new narrative versus providing players with more to do beyond KILL ALL THE DEMONS!!1 There will be moments where you find yourself in brand new environments and in an entirely different story, but there will also be moments where you’ll think you’re playing a “New Game +” kind of scenario, where you’re immersed in end-game encounters comprised of waves of demons that you would also find at the end of Doom Eternal. The difficulty feels harder, to boot. You should expect TAG1 to take you around 6 hours or so (more if you like to be a completionist and find all of the secrets). You will enjoy this if you played Doom Eternal, but you’ll be left with a cliffhanger at the end that prepares you for what’s to come…

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is a great addition to the Doki Doki Literature Club! franchise, but I do wish there was just a bit more in the game. For those of you who have already played through DDLC!, you’ll have a great time playing through it once again to learn more about our characters’ prologues and other secrets embedded in the game itself. You might not be as surprised as you were during your first playthrough of DDLC! back in 2017 (or whenever you played it), but you will be quite intrigued and puzzled as you try and unlock the additional content. Just do your best to avoid spoilers that will be posted online. If you haven’t played DDLC! before, DDLCP! is worth your time and an excellent way to get into the franchise. Just know this: This game is not suitable for children or those who are easily disturbed. You’ve been warned.

Right now, Curved Space is a good game for those looking for an arcade shooter with leaderboard support that has a handful of new things to offer. If the action was dialed up and a few gameplay tweaks made it less exploitable, I may have wanted to stick around longer.

The core gameplay of Wonder Boy is platforming and combat. Both turned out to feel their age. Simple jumps between platforms and the occasional glide were all that really encompassed the gameplay. The different enemies were bland and if you couldn’t defeat them with a simple slash, then the solution was to jump and slash. The game needs just a little more depth. There were magical slashes that did more damage, but maybe a more complex magic system would have enhanced the experience. Thankfully the puzzles break up the monotony.

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.

This Collection is a decent tip of the hat to games of old, though it’s a shame that NG3 is still as bad as it is. The Master Collection is also priced fairly at $40, but it’s too bad that these games did not get more love on this release — the Master Collection is about as barebones as you can get for a compilation release. Still, if this is maybe an indication that the door to a whole new NG adventure is forthcoming, one that embraces the design of the first two, then that’s great news. Anyway — speculation aside — if you’re looking to relive these games or want to get into the franchise for the first time, this is very good way to do it.

For die-hard Wasteland 3 fans, this expansion offers a compelling reason to return, but at a price that’s a little bit proud. For more casual players, or those who have yet to dive into Colorado, you may be well advised to wait for the inevitable complete edition that will probably release next year.

Legend of Mana is a beautiful game full of wonder and whimsy. Every time I hopped into this gorgeous remaster, I found myself grinning from ear to ear. Though I do not have experience with the original Legend of Mana, I feel fans will be quite happy with the work put into this remaster.

Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is a good game that features a variety of good-to-decent events and a wonderful ability to play alongside friends. The inconsistency of the game’s design with controls and the difficulty arc that spikes hurt the game but aren’t dealbreakers.

MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries and the Heroes of the Inner Sphere DLC represent the best mech experience on modern consoles. Piranha took what was a good game that was only on PC via the Epic Store in late 2019 and turned it into a great game with dozens of improvements across the board, with a major DLC pack available as well. For newcomers like I was, it can be a little intimidating at first boot, but a good tutorial and focused-play on your part makes this a very approachable, fun, and deep game.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a concise, focused sniping experience that packs a good punch at just $40. With lots of long range shots, fun gadgets, and good mission design, it’s an easy recommend if you’re looking for a summer sniping romp.

For the past few years, ZeniMax has been bringing wonderful stories to The Elder Scrolls Online and done amazingly with building out Tamriel. To see them bring Oblivion into the fold is fantastic. I can’t wait to see what the rest of Gates of Oblivion has in store for us.

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.

Beautiful Desolation is one of those games that has a lot of strong points, but has a few significant drawbacks that keep the experience in check, so to speak. Still, despite its few drawbacks, I found myself hooked on the game after the first half hour and I had to see it through, not unlike the captivating experience that a good page-turning book can do for you. Plus, at only $20, you really can’t go wrong here if you’re looking for a solid sci-fi adventure with gorgeous visuals.

All that to say that this surprise re-release of Virtua Fighter 5 is a welcome one, especially for PS+ members who get it for free. The series still has a special place amongst all of the other fighting franchises out there, so hopefully enough interest is generated with this re-release to warrant a full blown sequel in the future. In the meantime, AM2 and Ryu ga Gotoku Studios have done a fine job with Ultimate Showdown, such that any fan of the series or fighting games in general should check it out.

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is a breathtaking thrill ride of action, utilizing the PlayStation 5 architecture in truly impressive ways. A heartfelt story and gorgeously crafted worlds are complimented by stunning combat bursting with visual flair.

Flight School Studio’s Stonefly is a lovely game that features a creative story, a gorgeous art style, and gameplay that is more relaxing than it is intense and frustrating. The only knock is some finicky controls, but that isn’t an obstacle that is going to get in the way of your enjoyment of the game.

It has a flawed story. There’s a convoluted system of choices and morality. It even looks kind of gross at times. Yet with every flaw or complexity Biomutant throws at the player, there’s another redeeming quality. It’s a wholly unique world that might seem to copy and paste from the past decade or so of gaming but it’s blended in such a unique way that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Perhaps enough players will find the diamond in the rough so that a second, more focused go round will happen down the line. Biomutant is digestible, weird, off-putting, entertaining, baffling, engaging, and a million other variables. But, thankfully, it is never bad.

The Capcom Arcade Stadium is a wonderful trip down memory lane that may not contain everything that you want or love, but has enough variety to justify the price and keep you entertained when you need a break from today’s big titles.

Rust Console Edition is, simply, a console port of an 8-year-old PC survival game that has managed to stand the test of time. It may not perform as smoothly on console yet but the desperate fights for survival against hostile forces still remains.

Indeed, Strangeland is on the smaller side in terms of length, but also in scale as far as the number of areas, puzzles, and NPCs. Furthermore, it’s just a little bit on the easy side (even without using the payphone), too. I also found some of the ideas in the game just a little underdeveloped, which actually manifested as my own curiosity to know more about Strangeland — certain NPCs, or rooms, for example — but the content just wasn’t there. All that said, though — keep in mind — this is only a $15 game, and at that price, it’s an excellent value.

Velan Studios’ Knockout City is a fun game that anyone can pick up and play. It has everything it needs to be a go-to competitive game that is destined to find its way regularly on an Esports schedule. If the promised content is consistently delivered, then it will certainly stick around for years to come.

The Legendary Edition is the most efficient way to consume the Mass Effect trilogy. Everything is presented in a nice little package, and with a little bow on top that is the original DLC. The series really benefits from being able to play the games right after each other in their natural order. Importing your saved character into the sequel gives you the full experience and allows your character’s actions to, seemingly, have more weight since you see the outcomes immediately. The bond that Commander Shepard cultivates with their allies is magical. I wish I could erase my memory of this series just to be able to play this collection as it was intended. Any newcomer to the series who is on the fence should absolutely jump on it, and returning fans will certainly be happy that it was treated with tender loving care.

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.

Resident Evil Village is a gripping entry for this long-running horror franchise. Capcom has excelled at translating the strengths of this series through perspective and tonal shifts. It succeeds as both a horror game and an action game.

Subnautica: Below Zero is not as large as 2014’s Subnautica but it is as deep. Between its fantastically mysterious story to its compelling biome, Below Zero builds upon what made the first game strong while being unique all on its own. The on-land segments of the game were pretty lackluster overall, which was slightly disappointing; but for a game that is all about discovering what lies beneath, Subnautica: Below Zero is a breath of fresh air.

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.

MotoGP 2021 is an impressive game that features the right balance of complication and a lukewarm welcome to new players trying to get into it for the first time. It’s a polished experience that sets the bar for the motorcycle racing scene.

In sum, Judgment on the PS5 is a must-have for those that haven’t already paid or played through it on PS4. Unfortunately, previous owners cannot get a free upgrade, but, at least the MSRP for Judgment on PS5 is $40. This release does not offer anything new as far as gameplay, but, it is complete, runs like silk, and reminds us all how good of a game this was two years ago and still is today. Not to mention, its arrival is likely foreshadowing the imminent announcement of a sequel.

Immortals Fenyx Rising: The Lost Gods is a great piece of DLC because it’s entirely unexpected. Who would have thought an open world game of this nature could be distilled into an isometric platformer with great combat? As far as experiments go, this is one of Ubisoft’s stranger ones. And I really hope its a sign of things to come. Personally, I probably won’t ever reach a point of fatigue with open world games. They are easy to get lost in or put down for a long period of time and come right back to. The Lost Gods isn’t short by any means but it’s also unique enough that it may act as proof that new genres and new IPs can amount to something special for the publisher. I truly believe Fenyx will be back in all her godly might.

Housemarque’s Returnal is a brutal rogue-lite that constantly keeps the fun coming through its well-thought-through item system that is exquisitely balanced and its randomized gameplay design that feels fresh after every death. Definitely a must-have game for the PlayStation 5.

MLB The Show 21 might not excel in vastly improving its overall package, but the smaller upgrades you do get make this game just as entertaining as it was last year. Next year will have higher expectations to meet.

Nier presented as an action role-playing game. Nier was actually a controlled demolition of genre conventions driven by a taste for subversion and a desire to explore emotional boundaries between mild sorrow and hysterical despair. Replicant ver. 1.22474487139… keeps Nier intact with distinct improvements to its operation and accessibility. It remains an eccentric, effective, and occasionally inhospitable member of its medium.

SaGa Frontier Remastered has great upgrades that positively add to the original gameplay experience, especially if you loved this title back in the late 90s. If you have never played this, it might seem like an overwhelmingly difficult game with a mess of great ideas that had not been completely sorted out. It was certainly ahead of its time and groundbreaking in some areas of gameplay.

Papa’s Quiz is a game that tries different ways to spruce up the party game/quiz game genre, and it does a good job in most of its execution. It stumbles in the quiz question balance but excels in its creativity to personalize the experience for its players.

Trials of Fire is a great game for beginners or veteran of deck building games. The variety of challenges, characters, and cards to choose from allows you to use your brain and strategize while also having fun and completing the challenges.

It Takes Two has so much to give for players seeking a deeper connection or just an enjoyable, varied game. When Cody and May’s journey reaches its emotional crescendo, there shouldn’t be a dry eye on the couch. Tucked beneath a hilarious script is a beating heart of human connection, one that is easily shared between the players and their digital counterparts. Few games are able to successfully bridge the gulf between narrative and gameplay like this. It Takes Two is a brilliant fusion of creativity, placing itself at the front of the best games of 2021. More importantly, however, it’s an experience that may teach you and your co-op partner a lot about yourselves, bringing you closer than ever before.

What the Dub? is a good party game. Playing with friends and family to dub over B-Movie film clips is short stints of amusement that you can come back to when you tire of the Jack Box experience. It’s cheap enough to justify and funny enough to enjoy.

Overcooked! All You Can Eat is a delightful game. My sister has asked me more than once to bring it over so we can play. It’s a game the entire family will enjoy. My parents, though not gamers themselves, enjoyed watching us play. The chaos that comes with it is all part of the fun. Just take my advice and watch how loud you get. But I do agree with that officer. It is “one hell of a game.”

Outriders is a fresh, new IP. While it’s getting compared to others in the genre constantly, it stands alone as its own game and unique idea. I for one can’t wait to see where Square Enix and People Can Fly take the concept. There is a wealth of good here and you can see its promise for a long time to come.

Darq isn’t the most difficult puzzle game out there, but it does excel in all uniqueness categories. Its greyscale art style adds to its overwhelmingly gothic vibe while providing puzzles that are difficult enough to force you to pause yet easy enough to solve. It’s definitely something to check out, even if you won’t be challenged to the fullest extent.

In sum, Samurai Shodown is back and the release for the Xbox Series X does very well for itself. Though a little scant on content compared to some others in the genre, this is still a great game for fans of the franchise or the genre.

Narita Boy is an explosion of 80s-inspired excess, splattering the player with a viscera of technobabble and cathode rays. Yet after peeling away the fragmented flesh, some may find the splendor of nostalgic reverence does not supplant equally memorable gameplay.

Fatum Betula finds virtue in the 32-bit generation. It is impossible to return to the ethos that powered games from a quarter century ago, but Fatum Betula captures their spirit and respects their integrity. The wild sense of experimentation, the natural invitation to curiosity, and the harsh beauty imposed by technical limitations shine through every austere texture and restrained polygon.

Genesis Noir is genre fiction that slow burns from a hard-boiled detective mystery to a cosmic exploration of potential and possibility. It showcases a form of storytelling exclusive to an interactive medium, not only immersing the player in rhapsodic visual landscapes, but expecting them to find tactile interpretations from its collection of curiosities. Genesis Noir doesn’t position chaos as a subject for control, only an objective to be experienced and appreciated.

Kaze and the Wild Masks starts off as an innocent platformer from the 90s but goes from first to fifth gear quickly in difficulty. Ramping up to large amounts of difficulty and enjoying the scenery is what made platformers in the 90s good. With Kaze, the difficulty is such a dramatic shift that you’re stuck not having the ability to stop and smell the flowers that PixelHive has worked so hard to grow.

Immortals Fenyx Rising's Myths of the Eastern Realm DLC is a noble effort by Ubisoft Chengdu to infuse new and rarely touched upon mythology into the mainstream of games. Though mainly a reskin of the base game, fans should enjoy this godly romp.

Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time on PlayStation 5 is without question an improvement upon last gen. If for any reason you owned the game on PlayStation 4, there’s no excuse not to experience how absolutely crisp and clean the game is on updated hardware. The core experience remains difficult, fun, and nostalgic, hitting all the right notes a classic Crash game would. Is there a chance for a Crash 5? Let’s just hope it’s a matter of time.