Omen of Sorrow offers a lot of modes, unlocks, characters, and some decent fighting elements, but it doesn’t quite have the polish or draw to keep me invested. For genre fans, though, it’s worth checking into.

Despite some very annoying bugs that absolutely need to be addressed, the game is both a wonderful online experience and an underrated solo adventure if you enjoy the exploration aspect of games such as No Man’s Sky.

I have enjoyed the X Games pass for Steep. I think it has far more positives than negatives. The inclusion of actual events means that you have something to play for, and the design of said events is more impressive than not. It’s a solid expansion to an ever-growing game.

When a game rewards players for having fun and being creative, there’s little to be unhappy about. Hitman 2 offers that in spades and promises further additions and events down the line. And even after all those targets have been pushed off this mortal coil, I dare you to dive back in and complete every challenge the game has, you won’t be bored.

Spyro: Reignited Trilogy is a wonderful recreation of three of my favorite games from my childhood. I’m so happy that I got to experience the games again in a new way, and it really excites me knowing a new generation will get to experience it as well. Is it the last time we’ll get to see Spyro and his buddy Sparx outside of the Skylanders franchise? I certainly hope not. And if this much love has gone into this remake, it would be a shame if it was.

Knowledge is Power: Decades is a fun trivia game that, like its predecessor, wasn’t meant to be a longterm experience. It serves its purpose, brings some fun trivia (sometimes difficult trivia) to the forefront, and delivers a bit more variety when it comes to special moves in the game. It doesn’t try to change things too much from what made it work the first time around, so don’t expect something drastically different.

Overall, Chimparty is a fun PlayLink title from NapNok that gives off a nice Mario Party vibe, while not quite reaching the level design that usually comes with a Mario Party. Chimparty is a good family game, though, and a good addition to the PlayLink family.

While it misses the mark in general and douses the hopes I had when I first saw the E3 2018 trailer, The Quiet Man does have some value. It’s reasonably priced despite its issues and brevity, and if you’re looking for something a little different, it’s worth a look, just keep your expectations considerably tempered.

The Elder Scrolls Online was always my favorite MMORPG, though I had not played it in some time. If you have also stepped away from it for a bit, I would recommend giving it a go again and playing the Murkmire DLC. The zone is such a breath of fresh air, though the air in Murkmire may smell like sulfur.

Déraciné subverts Japanese horror tropes as easily as it conceals the limitations of virtual reality. By casting the player in an active and passive role in its narrative, it juxtaposes agency with accountability as it creates a tranquil, sinister story. Déraciné is a return to FromSoftware practicing their talent inside of darkness, but mercifully away from Souls.

Nothing can topple Tetris. Tetris Effect accepts this premise and surrounds Tetris’ core with audio and visual cues that tap into subconscious, kaleidoscopic emotion and draw raw optimism out of the player. This combination is now inseparable. It’s essential. I don’t want to play Tetris without Tetris Effect.

Graphically, the game looks quite dated. The music is, well, bad — and the effects, while capturing some of the characters’ uniqueness, is still pretty flat. Likewise in general for the game, while there is some fun to be had, especially in local multiplayer, the overall experience is more underwhelming than not. That makes this game very difficult to recommend to all but the most ardent kart racing or Nickelodeon fans. Even within those camps, who are more apt to overlook flaws with NKR, the experience leaves a lot to be desired.

Taiko no Tatsujin’s return to the western hemisphere should have been cause for celebration. Instead it’s a capable but antiquated rhythm game that feels lost and out of place without its natural hardware.

Battlefield V is full of a lot more content than people might be expecting. War Stories contains meaningful experiences in short spurts, the maps in the game are huge and well designed, the modes of play raise the entertainment bar when compared to Battlefield I, and the customization/progression system will keep people occupied for a while, as well as provide motivation to keep playing. This feels like a Battlefield game, which should tame concerns of lack of launch content.

Football Manager 2019 takes the series to a whole new level and finally brings in some long needed refreshment. What we have is easily the most accessible Football Manager in recent memory but one that can still many moons to master.

Lego DC Supervillains is an enjoyable game that has everything from the past Lego games. Whether it’s mechanics, a lot of characters, or free roam. That means you have to take the good with the bad aspects. The story is a fresh new take on DC comics with injecting the idea of your character being the center of the universe. This concept makes more a more inviting experience whether its new or old Lego game fans. In the end, it is a Lego game. There hasn’t been a bad one yet. So, go enjoy Supervillains because it is one of Traveller’s Tales best.

Time with Grip follows a predictable slope. It’s amazing that a team dedicated years of their lives to recreating Rollcage in 2018. It’s surprising how good it looks and how effectively it replicates Rollcage’s take on arcade racing. It’s exciting that it contains a massive campaign with a bunch of different race styles. At the end, it’s distressing that Grip can’t maintain an engaging tone across its time with the player. Without addressing twenty year-old problems, it’s difficult to make a modern commitment.

Call of Cthulhu is an emphatic character sheet fed to a game deficient of opportunities for self-expression. Imagine if, instead of a dramatic exploration behind the power and poison of enlightenment, Lovecraft only wrote a flat outline. Call of Cthulhu is eldritch horror without emotion or agency, and its madness is entirely mundane.

Evasion is a decent FPS for the PSVR, but it needed just a bit more variety to make it fun and engaging. The initial structure of the gameplay is spot-on, but the enemies and level design are just a bit too stale.

NBA 2K Playgrounds 2 is pure pick-up and play fun. Best enjoyed in short stints, the experience can wear thin quickly as the different game modes offer little variety.

Overall, Red Dead Redemption 2 is the perfect gaming experience, and what you were hoping for in the next iteration of the series. It has a rich story, deep gameplay, unrivaled visuals, and plenty of plains to explore.

The ending of this first installment of the DLC certainly ends on a cliffhanger, leaving us excited for November’s content. Whether you play it now or wait until all three DLCs are out, The Heist is definitely worth the price of admission and the four hours it takes to complete.

On the whole, Soulcalibur VI does an excellent job of advancing the series while also stay true to its roots. Character creation, two new battle mechanics, new playable characters, two story modes, online play — there’s a lot of meat here for fight-hungry fans to dive into and it’s crafted and presented with the skill we’ve come to know from Project Soul.

This is a unique product because it has toys-to-life elements but refuses to push players down that path if they don’t want to. Though the gameplay loop can grow repetitive over a long play sessions, the fact that players have so many customization options and a beautiful world at their hands keeps most frustrations away. Ubisoft Toronto has a vision for this game and it’s apparent there are more stories to tell since each character of the Equinox brims with personality. Space is a vast expanse, full of new worlds to explore and toys to make.

Dark Souls is one of the most important and powerful games ever made. Switch is the least pleasant place to play it. It works—this is still Dark Souls and Dark Souls is still very good—but sacrifices in presentation and control scream inferiority next to original and Remastered editions of the same game.

Call of Duty Black Ops 4 isn’t the best in the series, but it’s solid enough to justify it’s sequel monicker. Blackout is such an exhilarating take on the Battle Royale genre that it’s hard to not recommend it to even casual fans. Zombies is engaging and fun, especially with its story, but I wish it took more liberties with its maps. Multiplayer is great for veteran Call of Duty players, but offers little to no innovation over previous entries in the series.

This Missing is a heartfelt affirmation of identity expressed through emotional turbulence and macabre staging. Its performance as a puzzle-platformer—suspiciously slapdash and presumably exploitative—revels in instability, but finds resolution through a singular and concordant message. The Missing's pieces fit its puzzle, even if the player (and The Missing's protagonist) believe they won't.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is fantastically animated and one of the more interesting fighting games that I've ever come across. It's an epic game to play by yourself or head-to-head with some friends.