In a game like this there's careful line between frustration and elation, and Octodad walks it (or slides down, falls along, slithers against - whatever) with appreciable balance.

Madden NFL 23 proves that content is indeed king, as the modes included drive the experience and do a good job more than not. There are some glitches in the game, especially in some menus featured in some modes, but for the most part, the gameplay has improved considerably in this year’s title for those not to get in the way of the experience.

Croc – Legend of the Gobbos Remastered from developer Argonaut Games is a throwback to a simpler, more experimental 3D platformer time. The remastered game represents the old one nicely without going too far or destroying any of the original game’s essence. While some of the 90s gameplay concepts in Croc – Legend of the Gobbos Remastered are still stuck in the 90s, some elements are improved. This may not hit with new gamers but it’s undoubtedly going to please those raised during that 90s video game era.

Sega has produced a better game with Virtua Tennis 4. With the added depth to the career mode and solid motion control support, you're getting a good tennis title. While it's not perfect, Sega appears to be guiding this tennis franchise in the right direction now.

I'm glad to see the DOA series come to PC, but this port is a bit shaky at launch. The core gameplay is good, but no online play (for about three months when a patch comes out), a mixed graphical presentation, and other oddities make this hard to recommend right now -- might be best to give it some time to simmer.

A well-executed mashup of two genres that's worth checking out if you're a fan of either.

For gamers looking for a hardcore challenge then this might be the game for you. For casual gamers, this might be a frustrating experience.

Tornado Outbreak is fun, simple and one helluva ride.

Call it a movie-game if you must, but The Amazing Spider-Man is a standout superhero game that is accessible, fun, and pretty addictive.

Portraying the casual indifference from nature to it residents is a neat idea, but Shelter can't come up with enough ways to cleverly explore that relationship. The message is clear pretty early on and a change in scenery and context isn't enough to make it any more interesting. It sure is beautiful, though, and as the final scene fades away you can't help but smile.

Overall, Erica is a unique undertaking in the FMV world that worked out well and has set new standards for the genre. It brings an engaging story to life with superb acting, and enough interactive choices for the player to make it a cut above the rest in its genre. It does waste time in unnecessary interactions on occasion, but nothing too detrimental to take away from the mystery and intrigue of its narrative.

Built from pieces thought too inscrutable to survive 2019, Daemon X Machina is sincere in its appreciation for a bygone era of mech action games. It understands the charm of assembling giant robots, the appeal of blasting exotic weapons, and the fantasy of combining both together in dozens of pleasing arrangements. Daemon X Machina revels in its esoteric reverie.

WWE 2K17 has clear focus with what makes for a good wrestling experience. The visuals, the options for gameplay and the beautiful atmosphere of the game make this wrestling title worth your time. The controls do bring the gameplay down a bit, though, as they feel stiff and linear for the most part. Regardless, the rest of the game shows that Yuke’s and Visual Concepts has certainly started to point this series in the right direction.

Rehydrated is as close to a perfect 1:1 recreation of the original 2003 fan-favorite. While the gameplay certainly feels outdated to modern platforming standards, there’s a lot here that fans of Spongebob will find enjoyable. Much of the writing and humor from the original doesn’t hold up in 2020, but there’s something to be said about wanting to preserve all of the original content. Rehydrated is a fun little romp through Bikini Bottom, and it makes me hopeful for future games with everyone’s favorite sea-sponge.

Gang Beasts' madcap brawling creates a dynamic alliance between conflict and chaos. It also enables human responses like surprise, merriment, revenge, and screaming. Driving a wobbly creature to comically murder another flailing mess, as it turns out, is a pleasant and repeatable practice. If only three of your friends could always come along for the ride.

If you're a child or are buying for your kid, they should enjoy the experience (though they will be expected to do a lot of reading). However, if you're an older Pokémon fan such as myself, don't expect an evolved gameplay format from what was seen in the original two Ranger games.

I did thoroughly enjoy the mixture of old school art that is quite simplified and defines an RPG generation long since gone, while still maintaining massive amount of details in environments and characters that make you understand it was built for the current generation systems. To boot, you get a very strong soundtrack that I could probably listen to on a daily basis. In short, presentation was excellent, though not completely forgiving of the difficulty.

With Scribblenauts Unmasked, the addition of DC characters brings an equally impressive cast of references from the legendary comic book universe. Unfortunately, though, die-hard fans of the DC universe are likely the only group of people who will appreciate this game to its fullest. For everyone else, if you haven't played a Scribblenauts, you may want to purchase Scribblenauts: Unlimited instead (equally polished game for less than half the price).

At the end of the day, Red Wings is actually a good game. Is it great? Probably not, mainly for longevity reasons, but it’s fun to play. It feels like a well-designed and executed WWI dogfight game and it certainly is a comfortable bit of fun on the Nintendo Switch. Will it be replacing your Flight Simulator on your PC anytime soon? No, but that’s okay.

A sort of diamond in the rough perhaps, in that Daedalic did a fine job with many aspects of Blackguards, yet a handful of problems, certainly some more crucial than others, and yet all patchable, keep the overall experience stunted.

A well thought out and executed DSiware game, Amoebattle is well worth the cost of admission.

Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse‘s fair controls and slightly dated design are things I can accept because this is an old game that was given a layer polish rather than a complete overhaul. I’m sure its small pool of veteran players will appreciate bonus content like unlockable costumes and filters for the photo mode. But ultimately behind all that is a solid horror game, warts and all. And like many updated classics, this could potentially serve as a litmus test of whether a long-running franchise will receive a new entry. Maybe the same applies to Fatal Frame.

NBA 2K21’s current-gen version isn’t necessarily the biggest step forward the series has taken, nor should it be expected to be. The next-gen version of the game is just around the corner, where we should all expect to see the biggest changes and additions. But what’s there is still fun, even if it is more of the same. 2K’s reliance on microtransactions still feels incredibly out of place, and the game still doesn’t necessarily respect the player’s time. If you’re a fan of the series, chances are you’re already playing the game. If you’re on the fence, it may be worth waiting to see what the next-gen version offers.

Blade & Soul is a great MMORPG experience. It’s big in scope, easy to pick up and play, and it’s fun as hell. It’s not perfect, but it has a solid formula to possibly achieve such a feat.

Illfonic completely understands what it takes to fulfill every player’s wish of being a Ghostbuster in Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed. While some of the gameplay elements could be tweaked a bit better to provide a bit more of a responsive experience, I truly felt like a Ghostbuster the entire time. With awesome story beats placed throughout to keep the leveling-up experience worthwhile and exciting gameplay to keep every job feeling fun, Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed is the realization of the perfect Ghostbusters experience.

Zoo Tycoon is engaging, rewarding, and fun, just don't burn yourself out on it too quickly. It isn't so much for the hardcore sim manager, but for those not looking for a tremendous amount of depth, there's a lot to like with what Frontier offers.

Midnight Murder Club from developer Velan Studios is a cool idea that will have hardcore online gamers frothing at the mouth to show their stuff. While the entry point for novice players might be difficult, and the lack of longevity beyond modes is a tough sell, what you get with the price point you pay is enticing.

Killing Floor: Incursion, while visually accomplished and very pretty, doesn’t have anything on its mind. We’re two years into commercial virtual reality and Killing Floor: Incursion is as plain as it is tired.