My only complaint is that it was so short! I wanted more! I ended up finishing all of the levels provided and the extra levels in about 2 hours, and I was not disappointed by any means, but I did wish there were more levels to play. The replayability is pretty good though because you can’t memorize which hexagons need which number of dots, so it should be good for 3 or 4 playthroughs while you wait for Hexologic 2.

With Dark Souls' formidable reputation undisputed, other characteristics slip into transparency. Humor, long rumbling under the surface, receives a more stable focus in Ashes of Ariandel. Expectations are bent, defied, and destroyed in ways that are designed to simultaneously humiliate and impress series veterans. After five games and six pieces of downloadable content, it's hard to imagine a more suitable approach.

Overall, I think that this might be my favorite re-release on the Nintendo Switch so far. King of Fighters R2 has a fun fighting scheme, features unique and fun personalities renown for the series, and preserves most of what made King of Fighters great — cool moves to pull off during fights. If the screen size could be fixed, we would be golden.

I fully realize this is for the younger gamer that enjoys more collection/customization, but I expected just a bit more action in this game like I experienced in the console versions. The modifications and cuts from the bigger console versions really made a difference, as there is just a bit more 'dull' in the 3DS version. It's still fun, but not as fun as it could be.

Blue Fire is an enjoyable experience when solely focusing on its platforming sections, but can otherwise be a slog. Combat is serviceable if not stale, and its upgrading system is more often than not a hassle. I can’t help but wonder that if Blue Fire leaned more heavily into its platforming gameplay, would it be a more enjoyable experience? Right now, Blue Fire attempts to be a game that it’s not and it shows. The Void challenge rooms are fun and are easily the best part of the game, but everything else is just decent at best.

NHL 22 really takes a big stride forward in the franchise. Having it on a PS5 is a big part of what makes the difference in some ways. The haptic feedback really gives the game another level. NHL games have gotten stale in years past (15-18 come to mind in some ways). Over the past few releases, EA Vancouver has taken it to newer heights and this is a leap in a great direction. I haven’t been this excited to try and run a franchise into the ground because I have no idea what I am doing, or go pro and take on the greats for the cup.

Labyrinth of the Demon King from developer J.R. Hudepohl harkens back to a simpler survival horror time and recreates most of the right elements that reflect that era and genre. While it’s strong in story, atmosphere, and creepiness, it falls short with its mechanics.

Immortals Fenyx Rising: A New God stands on the strength of the base game’s many captivating puzzles and challenges. In the dense Greek world there were so many Vaults and side activities to uncover that it was an embarrassment of riches. Those who didn’t want to wait for more should embrace A New God for the handful of new mechanics it introduces–including a coveted triple jump–and be satisfied with another reason to dive back into the game so soon after launch. Players expecting more combat and more story are likely going to be disappointed but the next two episodes of DLC tease content that may drastically mix up the formula. Fenyx’s journey is not over yet and for that I’m thrilled.

The good news is Daytona USA's port is actually better than you remember. The bad is, despite some inspired extras, it doesn't last that long.

Destroy All Humans (2020) is a fine offering by updating a fan favorite PS2 game for the modern era. Technical issues plague this remake from being the perfect 1:1 recreation, but what is there is fun enough to warrant a few hours of destructiveness. Fans of the series will surely find a lot to enjoy with Black Forest Games’ remake, but Destroy All Humans doesn’t offer enough actual new content to bring new fans in on the invasion.

Some random good points I noted were the music, which worked nicely to add to the atmosphere. Great voice-acting and writing, excellent graphics, so an all-in-all solid presentation that deserves a hat tip. Great checkpointing, a nice mixture of puzzles and exploration, and a good pace overall as well that compels you to play this game to completion in just a couple or few sessions. In sum, The Medium is a great game with a few quirks, and it’s the best from Bloober Team to date. Available on Game Pass, it’s well-worth playing through as it makes for a nice early next-gen experience.

A solid RTS game right now, and with a bright future ahead, Act of Aggression is a strong and welcomed release.

Tides of Tomorrow is a wonderful game that brings a balance of fantastic branching dialogue and consequences of that dialogue, while also creating some meaningful and solid interactive gameplay that complements those dialogue choices. The game feels very well planned and executed.

The Red Star is a fine game, and should be played by fans of the brawler and SHMUP genres. Whether you dig up a PS2 version or get this one on PSP, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Ace Combat flies onto the 3DS in impressive fashion. Worth checking out for series fans and anyone that likes aerial combat.

Steel Seed from developer Storm in a Teacup is a gorgeous and stunning stealth-action game that does a lot of things right, but also stumbles at times with difficulty.

The Invincible does not stray far from the borders of the many narrative-driven games it takes inspiration from. But the retro-futuristic aesthetic coupled with a narrative that shifts with tension and mystery, makes it one of the more memorable titles in the genre. Barring some unfortunate but resolvable issues, the planet of Regis III is constantly captivating, rife with alien mysteries to uncover.

An accessible and fun dungeon crawling romp, with or without friends.

The Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle is a quirky, cool, unique release that gives players a big dose of retro gaming including several titles that have never been published stateside. I appreciate the history here, and the preservation, as well as the modernization efforts by Arc System Works. Even though several of the games didn’t hold my interest at all, and four of them are almost identical clones of other games in the same set, there’s still enough here to make this a release that retro gamers should take note of.

I commend Disney Interactive Studios for not treating this game like it was some cross-promotional item related to the film. You can see that the development team at Disney Interactive Studios really wanted this game to work and break out of the stereotypical movie-to-game mold that has been well established over the years. It has some really fantastic positives with weapon and ability upgrades (and easter eggs), but it still failed in some areas. If you have younger gamers in the household then you may want to consider this title for purchase.

Infinity Ward brings a different kind of game with Call of Duty: Ghosts than their usual CoD titles. They have an intriguing, story driven campaign that is accompanied by an incredibly fun (and deep) multiplayer experience.

As a raw turn based SRPG, Lost Dimension would not be particularly impressive. The x-factor that makes it so interesting and different is the traitor-system that adds layers of intrigue, strategy, and makes the entire experience much more interactive and robust.

Sublevel Zero's novelty is how faithfully it resurrects concepts of a fallen genre. It's cool that Sigtrap Games made a game like Descent, but pressing those ideas inside the mold of a roguelike leaves a significant amount of empty space.

So many games either waste or misunderstand their medium as a storytelling device while Cibele thrives inside of its own technology. By no coincidence, it’s one of the most human and relatable games, too.

To fans of the series of flight combat, this is perfectly acceptable (and expected). Other might have wanted a game that bothered to fly somewhere, anywhere, they hadn't already been.

New players, too, should find that Rhombus of Ruin accommodates Psychonauts with a comfortable home in virtual reality. Hardly any facet of its composition feels conditional, granting Psychonauts’ beloved motif ample room to work through PlayStation VR’s intrinsic weaknesses. Interquels, typically a model disposability, don’t seem so strained or contrived inside of this peculiar parallelogram.

The Climb is a cool and fun VR experience that takes an obvious VR concept and runs with it. The result is more positive than not and worth checking out if you have an interest in rock climbing. [Tested with Rift]

Little Nightmares III is an eerie return to this beloved, haunted universe, captained by a developer with plenty of experience in scares. Though much of this third entry may strike a familiar chord with players, the opportunity to engage in harrowing chases and solve grotesque puzzles together makes for a tantalizing offering that you shouldn’t be frightened of.