Candleman: The Complete Journey is a very nicely developed 3D platformer that has a great hook or gimmick that it introduces immediately and utilizes throughout. For $15, it presents a good value for anyone that is seeking a clever, charming, accessible, and fun platformer.

F1 Manager 2023 from Frontier Developments is a detailed F1 experience for the F1 fan that needs a bit more than what F1 2023 can deliver. It has every aspect of running an F1 team, designing success on the racetrack, and juggling the business side of the sport. What it doesn’t have is up-to-par visuals for this generation, but that takes a backseat to the F1 managing the game successfully delivers.

Black Mermaid’s Moonscars is a tough game that has a thick amount of creativity in both story and presence. Not all its pieces work perfectly, but enough work to warrant a hard look at this title.

In sum, another year and another solid NHL release; it might not have enough to stir series veterans, although the inclusion of the World of CHEL and the Legends is certainly cool. Furthermore, the investment EA Canada has made to those who have long sat out on the series or always wanted to give it a shot is quite strong, so if you’re in that boat, NHL 19 may be what you’ve been waiting for.

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.

Super Bomberman Collection from developer Red Art Games and publisher Konami is a good collection that maintains the wonderfulness of some classic Bomberman titles, reignites the fun competitiveness included in them, and lays the groundwork for more classic Konami titles to come back to life in a modern gaming world. The collection may not have every great Bomberman title in it, but what you do get is darn good.

For right now, Marvel’s Avengers is constantly fun to play with its easily accessible combat and a story that should not be missed. Yes, some assembly may be required but like every great superhero story, you need a great origin.

We Happy Few is a great game that has the potential to be an excellent game with a few tweaks here and there. Perhaps wait a little while for an update to fix the problems if you really want to maximize the enjoyment you get out of it, though. I could easily imagine rating this a point higher after the glitches are patched.

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.

People of Note proves that turn-based RPGs can offer synergistic fun as long as care is given to both the combat and the content. By centering the game around its musical core, Iridium Studios pays off their efforts in dividends. Not only is the narrative heartfelt and the combat engaging, the creativity used in incorporating song constantly surprises, making People of Note just as catchy as its catalog of earworms.

Calico from developer Peachy Keen Games is a cute experience that features some good gameplay design geared toward a younger audience. The amount of customization, collecting, crafting, and questing that goes on should lock a Roblox-type audience into its gameplay. There is a lot to do and explore, and that just bodes well for the game’s longevity. There are some hiccups to the gameplay design with the HUD and clipping issues, but nothing that brings down the entertainment Calico dishes out.

As it stands, Episode 2: Brave New World is far and away the best of the two episodes so far and has already made this game something special. Deck Nine did an absolutely fantastic job of creating a beautiful story and wonderfully tragic characters to make this type of dialogue-driven game a force to be reckoned with, especially when compared to the first game. It will certainly leave you hanging at the edge of your seat without apologizing for the drama and stress it creates.

Loot River‘s strange, seemingly disparate elements fuse in a surprisingly elegant, razor-sharp roguelike. The unforgiving progression may deter a few but excellent combat creates its own tangible reward. While being able to literally shift the world around like a game of Tetris may be Loot River‘s defining, identifiable quality, its individuals pieces fall into place so seamlessly you won’t be thinking of any other game.

Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium is a spectacular follow-up to its predecessor. It is packed full of different arcade experiences covering a variety of genres and years, while also introducing some new features that help bring a bit more fun to the journey. As with any journey, it’s not always smooth sailing, but for the most part, it’s good.

Overall, The Eternal Cylinder is a fun romp through a weird and wonderful world and I would consider it to be a must-play indie game for 2021. While its survival mechanics are typical of the genre, the transformative abilities of the Trebhum allow the player to get creative with their choices on how to survive and outrun the colossal cylinder bearing down on them.

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.

Beyond the challenge and gameplay depth, Tomb Raider IV-VI Remastered continues to shine in its atmosphere and world-building. The sound design and music create an immersive experience, heightening tension, especially when playing with headphones—footsteps echo through tombs, distant growls send chills down your spine, and enemies often catch me off guard, making me jump in my seat more than once. Each level is expertly crafted, filled with hidden secrets and environmental storytelling that make exploration feel rewarding.

Astral Chain is the latest and most accomplished model of PlatinumGames' ability to combine stylish action with player agency and accessibility. Exhausted storytelling and haphazard platforming also continue to underline their limitations. If Nier: Automata sought balance between power and ambience, Astral Chain finds power in power. It's a pure, grandiose spectacle.

Dune: Spice Wars from developer Shiro Games is the ultimate experience for any Dune fan looking for a well-designed and respectful translation of the sci-fi series into an RTS gaming form. It has all the intricate details and power moves that are featured in the books, while at the same time crafted to be a familiar real-time strategy experience at its forefront. The only downer is the amount of gameplay element juggling a casual RTS fan might have to do to enjoy the game, which could turn them off from playing it.

Three large games, all solid in their own right, now refined with slight visual upgrades, all their DLC which includes playable episodes, characters, and costumes, as well as the ability to toggle running during Exploration and fast-forward during Battles makes this the best way to play these Atelier games. At $90 for the complete set, it feels a little pricey, however. Regardless, whether you’re a newcomer to the franchise or just nostalgic for last-gen’s Ateliers, this deluxe trilogy set is an easy recommendation to consider adding to your digital library.

Gearbox's release of Borderlands: Game of the Year Edition brings the missing piece of the franchise to current generation consoles. Mechanical and visual improvements solidify Borderlands has always been a fun, beautiful game that was quite forward-thinking despite some things not aging well.

Sega Ages: Fantasy Zone is another solid release that retro gamers should strongly consider picking up.

Moonlight Kids have a hit on their hands with The Wild at Heart. It brings a strong narrative, some clever puzzles, and enough of an endearing journey to make it one of the better releases this holiday season on the PlayStation.

Overall, Catan on the Nintendo Switch is a treat. The inclusion of a large campaign helps to sell this game easily. The addition of strong AI makes the experience valuable and challenging. If the menu system could improve, then you’re looking at one of the best versions of the board game to ever grace a console.

I think it’s critical that publishers and studios offer more than just tweaks to gameplay and new lines of dialogue. EA Vancouver and Romania have done quite a bit in that effort this season. VOLTA is an adept component with surprising depth. Yes, it is ostensibly inspired by 2012 Street and borrows heavily from its bag of toe flicking tricks. But the iteration isn’t chintzy. It’s implementation isn’t some hasty, tacked-on remastering. The mode is fleshed out, thought out, and plays out effectively. It also seems to set an influential tone of fun across the 20 landscape. This is the most enjoyment I’ve had kicking it around on the FIFA pitch since 2015 and should be this addition’s memorable stroke.

Overall, Dragon Marked for Death isn’t a perfect title, but damn it’s fun. It has all the right elements of a simple action platformer, but RPG attributes to make the experience deeper and more engaging.

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

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 on the PC from developer Insomniac Games and Sony Interactive Entertainment is solid, thanks to multiple patches, on the PC. While it didn’t launch in the best state, it has since reached a point comparable to the PS5 version. It maintains a great story, fun gameplay, and graphical gorgeousness that is somewhat better than its PlayStation counterpart.