Road 96 is a unique experience that truly makes every branching narrative choice a literal gamechanger. It brings the drama, the humor, and the heart to the gameplay table. What it lacks in gameplay variety, it makes up with a replayable story. DigiXart did a superb job with this release.

Yakuza Kiwami 3 is a delight of a remake, retaining the core story that you and I love alongside a new combat system that makes battles more fluid and frenetic than ever before. Dark Ties is an excellent side story, albeit one far darker in contrast to Yakuza’s tried-and-true storytelling thematics.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate takes a lot of big swings for a franchise that has been incarnated into almost every possible genre in games. Super Evil Megacorp mostly succeeds with a formula that narratively borrows from Hades but excels at providing some satisfying gameplay and upgrade paths. It may be short on content but does promise a lot of entertainment for a group of friends wanting to tackle the Foot Clan as their favorite heroes in a half-shell.

DOOM II is legendary, plain and simple. It's required gaming for any action/FPS gamer, and this XBLA release is extra special in that it has a new nine level episodes created by Nerve Software. Highly recommended.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare succeeds in most aspects of a solid sci-fi shooter. However, a lackluster and rushed story takes away from what could have been a full and complete campaign mode. Luckily where the story lacks, the gameplay and solid mechanics Call of Duty deliver.

Some nagging problems with Soul Sacrifice keep my excitement tempered, but Vita owners would be remiss if they didn't try it out.

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.

Metal Slug Tactics is refreshing, leaning into its roots as a charming 90s arcade title while reinventing itself as a tactical RPG. You needn’t be a Metal Slug fan to enjoy the amount of depth here – it’s a treat of highly engaging gameplay and a must-listen of a soundtrack. I want more from Leikir Studio and sincerely hope they make the UI more user-friendly to ease the learning process.

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

By effectively clinging on to the Halloween aesthetic from beginning to end, Costume Quest evokes the often forgotten nostalgia of childhood. It manages to create a fantastical world without resorting to high fantasy. As something that both kids and adults can relate to, Costume Quest is a heartfelt reminder that with the right viewpoint, everything can be awesome.

World of Horror from developer panstasz is a wonderful 80s-inspired horror adventure game that brings a roguelite backbone, a turn-based component with a sprinkle of RPG, and plenty of horror that might make you wonder what the heck inspired the devs to create such unsettling tales. The only place the game falls short is in its overwhelming menu system, which is far simpler than it looks once you go through the tutorial.

MLB 11: The Show is what you might call a predictable update from last year's offering on the PSP. The same, solid core experience is there with only very minor changes and additions.

Cool concept and well executed, Lost Orbit is worth your attention.

Observer is a rather well done indie title with tons of style and appeal. Think Blade Runner‘s dystopian motif with Orwellian sensibilities and shades of Snatcher. Sign me up!

Hats off to 4A Games on a job well done.

Planned DLC releases with new weapons, similar to Sniper Elite III, are on the horizon, which makes Sniper Elite 4 one possibly best waiting a bit on to purchase. During that time, we’re sure to see patches and extra polish like practically any other game released in the last several years, and an Ultimate Edition seems quite likely. But whether you dive in now or later, expect another solid entry into Rebellion’s long-running, compelling and often thrilling series.

This is the best version of the series since NCAA 06. And even though I think annual releases of sports games are, well, useless with the possibility of just downloading roster updates, this is well worth $60 and can't be missed by NCAA fans.

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.

Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1-2 Remastered is both a time capsule and welcome update to a pair of beloved games that have been shelved for far too long. The longer times goes on, the harder it becomes to preserve titles. Aspyr not only presents the Soul Reaver games relatively untouched but provides worthy updates to ensure the legacy is continued and appreciated. Hopefully, this is the first step towards Legacy of Kain rising from its deep slumber and back into the light.

Overall, people just consider these games a roster update and that’s it. There’s so much more here than meets the eye. With the new Eliminator feature for Ones and NHL Threes, plus the character customization of your own CHEL character NHL 20 is a great game. Some of the graphical changes are hard to get used to at first though and while I like there a new approach to the broadcast in-game, I can tell that it’s going to go through some growing pains. That’s fine though as I feel that it’s a step in a good direction. If you’re a newcomer or someone who has been engulfed into the franchise for a while you’re going to enjoy it.

You will find some joy in the action and some sort of satisfaction in killing tons of enemies, but if you’re looking for something with any rich substance to it at all, Strider may not be enough of a good experience for you.

Cronos: The New Dawn, from developer Bloober Team, is representative and respectful of the traditional survival horror genre. It brings gameplay elements that any gamer should expect from a survival horror experience, while testing out minor methods to improve an old formula. At the end of the day, the game is beautifully unsettling, gorgeous to take in, and does enough to make it worth your time. Is it reinventing the genre? Not really, but it’s still quite fun.

Duck Paradox is a unique gem, featuring an adorable charm and highly replayable loop that feels like an old-school platformer more than a modern roguelike. Steep bullet hell difficulty aside, it deserves more content to keep players saving the day with an ever-growing waddling of ducks alongside of Dr. Paraducks!

Metal Suits: Counter Attack from developer Eggtart is a clever and fun 2D platformer packed with good action, clever weapons, and wonderful boss and level design. While the common enemies in the game aren’t anything to write home about, the overall body of work is very well done.

Palia and its Elderwood Expansion from developer Singularity Six is a budding MMO with all sorts of green flags waving toward a long future. While the main quests may not catch your attention too hard, the customization, exploration, and new free Elderwood expansion will be enough to motivate you to give this a shot. It still has some growing pains, but right now, Palia is a solid game.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a trip of childhood nostalgia for kids who grew up wanting to slam on the gas and experience speed, but are five years old and can’t reach the pedals. If you’re looking to try and live out that experience then this will do you well, but if you’re someone who played the first and is looking to see what’s up with the newest edition, you might fall flat at the starting line.

If you can get the Kinect, and your body, perfectly placed then The Gunstringer is a hoot of a game. While it is short, there is still plenty to gain from it (unlockables, trophies and a co-op mode) including a very fun and strange story. If you own a Kinect you might want to give this a go.

Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen is a solid pick for anyone that has yet to try Capcom's open world RPG.