A relatively modest upgrade from last year's release that doesn't detract from the series, but doesn't really make itself a must-have, either.

Hitman’s improved world, which includes smarter NPCs and versatile ways to complete goals, has brought the series onto a higher level of entertainment. Definitely worth a go.

Headlander doesn't spend all of its time building a monument to Super Metroid, opting instead for a dangerous medley of absurdity that's nevertheless stable and, once you really start to look at it, kind of marvelous in its ability to stand upright and qualify as evidence of meaningful dissent.

While far from perfect, ZombiU is nevertheless an compelling launch title that no owner of the Wii U shouldn't at least rent.

Graphically, Shardlight features some really pretty pixel art. Not every scene is worth writing home about, but the vast majority are. Tiberius’ appearance and voice-acting set an appropriate chilling tone for example, while the wide color palette from the radioactive greens of the shards to the browns and darker tones of a dystopian world push for a great atmosphere. Combined with a script and voice-acting that ranges from good to excellent, and a soundtrack that compliments the mood perfectly, and you got yourself a great game.

As a third person monster hunter with JRPG elements, Toukiden 2 gets a lot right. It has some important limitations that you should consider before diving in, but if you enjoy the franchise or the monster-hunter genre, keeps this one in mind.

Long review short, Steep: Road to the Olympics is worth the money and provides you with some solid expansion to an already entertaining title.

Solar Ash excels when it captures that dream-like feeling of gliding across cosmic, surreal spaces. There are moments when the speed of Rei’s skates across the back of a terrifying monster will exhilarate, reminding players why they love games. But as a platformer, Solar Ash can be tedious, repetitive, and a bit clumsy. While these issues may clash with the lovingly crafted world and gravity-defying puzzles, they never truly harm what is ultimately a uniquely engaging game.

Hue presents an accessible, familiar, yet unique-enough experience that is absolutely worth checking out if you're a fan of this genre. I would even suggest that if you got burned out by similar games that got too hard too fast to give Hue a chance.

Though Immortals Fenyx Rising may borrow familiar elements from other series, this new IP from Ubisoft establishes a unique identity through the lens of Greek mythology by using humor, intelligent puzzles, powerful combat, and clever world building.

An accessible, rewarding, deep, and fun JRPG that has a lot to offer to veteran Tales fans and newcomers alike.

Furi becomes essential by identifying and removing what it declares expendable.

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.

The Komplete Edition is a compelling release, especially for those who held off on purchasing Mortal Kombat to this point.

The art style is pixelated and feels very Dragon Force mid-90s, which I adore. The action sequences are over-the-top in the best of ways, and the music…good GOD…the music is an electronic, bass-driven masterpiece. Related to the music, I’m not sure I enjoyed a set of sound effects before as much as I did with this game. I know, I know, that is a ridiculous statement, but they’re well done and add to the atmosphere of the game. Anyway, the presentation is a treat during the fights and the maps are equally well done with a forced depth of field to make the scenery very pleasant and visually active. Star Renegades is an impressive game that is easy to start and will keep you playing with its strategic depth.

Taito Milestones 3 from ININ Games represents Taito arcade classics well. While it’s nothing more than a collection of Arcade Archives games, it still is nice to have more bang for your buck all in one place. I wish there was more history added to each game, just giving them more context and beef, but the price doesn’t warrant that type of Atari 50 effort. It’s still a solid collection.

In sum, Sniper Elite 5 is another evolution in the right direction of this long-running series. If you enjoyed any of the previous entries, this one should be right up your ally and I would lean towards calling it the best yet. The additions of more traversal mechanics, the workbenches, and Invasion mode, along with even bigger maps (that are also the best looking/designed yet) make this an all-around compelling game. However, some age-old issues still rear their head at times, including some jankiness with AI, bugs, and invisible walls. Some of these are likely to be patched out, and frequent auto-saves also help work-around these issues.

Gnog distills the joy of fiddling with switches, dials, and knobs into a potent liquid and then uses that fluorescent elixir to invigorate a monster’s brain. The result is a collection of orderly puzzles eager to illustrate logic while soaked in giddying medley of spaceships, electricity, and mother birds. If you were ever allowed to peer inside of a candy monster’s skull, Gnog is precisely what you would find.

Darksiders Genesis is a strong entry to the franchise and it’s one that should appeal not only to fans and newcomers of Darksiders, but also to anyone that enjoys a isometric dungeons crawlers with two player co-op support.

Mothergunship is a solid title that hangs its hat on weapon customization, while sacrificing some gameplay. It’s definitely worth a go, even if only to show the insane weapon designs one can concoct.

I was taken by surprise with War on Cybertron and how well that turned out. And, honestly, I think Activision and High Moon probably felt the same way. The gameplay was steady and the multiplayer was just really fun. This sequel carries on that favorable edge.

At first glance, Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 is a typical monster hunting RPG, but its efforts to streamline some of the mundane foundational aspects of its brethren help to set it apart. Such conveniences don't come without sacrifice, however; with the shameless implementation of level grinding, a throwaway storyline, and a frequent problem with pacing, you'll have to look beyond its blemishes to if you wish to embrace its triumphs.

I have not replayed through the Warmastered Edition on Switch as I write this, but I have played it some — enough that I feel ready to report that the game is still great but that this release is quite simply a direct port to the Switch with no new features or changes that I can discern.

While certainly still needing some improvement, Project Aces is drawing closer and closer to a perfect Ace Combat game. With improved visuals, a fun dogfight mode and strong online play, there is a lot to be happy with when it comes to Ace Combat Assault Horizon.

While this collection has about every iteration of Space Invaders that was popular back in its day, and in modern times, the concept of Space Invaders has grown old. For avid collectors out there, like yours truly, this is nice to see on a modern system and all in one game. For newbies looking to try out old video games, there may not be as much joy to be had.

Overall, if you can accept the difficulty of New Super Luigi U then you probably will love the additional challenges, 80 levels and complexity of it all. Nintendo did do a lot to this DLC, far more effort than most companies would have put into their own DLC. Give them credit for delivering the goods the way you would expect Nintendo to deliver them -- except with a little bit more difficulty included.

Republique is a response to an insular system closing in around the defiant and the virtuous, avoiding the pratfalls of mobile/touch game development while detailing a fascinating Orwellian nightmare.

If you're looking for the soccer equivalent to NFL or NBA Street, this isn't it. If you want an accessible alternative to the "big brother" FIFA, check this out.