I’d be lying if I said it didn’t keep my thumbs busy for a few days and a smile across my face. Filled with light-hearted comedy, the game is a breath of fresh air for those looking for lighter fare in their Fall lineup. And while the game certainly feels limited due to it being so tied to the underlying movie it is based on and technical issues, the game is a solid purchase for both children and children at heart.

I hate to sound like I didn’t enjoy my time with the game. There’s a lot to love about Dark Arisen, but it’s hard for me to ignore some of its more glaring issues. If you’re an action RPG fan who has been looking to sink their teeth into a meaty game before the end of the year, Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is definitely worth checking out.

Chaos;Child is a thrilling visual novel that every fan of the genre needs to play.

Bad Apple Wars explores the afterlife in a way that is sure to grab the interest of visual novel fans, especially those who are already fans of Angel Beats!. However, the inconsistencies in character routes and a few dull events involving Rinka’s pathetic attitude holds the game back from being a great otome. There is plenty to love of Bad Apple Wars, but to me it doesn’t stand out when compared to some of the better otome visual novels available.

A slice of life approach to storytelling with a cast of characters that I’ve had the honor to see evolve over the past seven years. Aside from taking on missions and wrecking thousands of enemies, the story and characters drive this game forward which is important because there is a lot of story here.

When a game is purposely difficult solely due to the amount of overpowered enemies it can throw at you, it makes for an unsatisfying experience. This blended with clunky gameplay only amplified my disappointment. I would not be surprised if someone stopped playing twenty minutes into Ruiner with its uninviting gameplay.

Multiplayer is where I had the most fun. I was evenly matched with most player and the game’s mechanics made for some very fun and intense duels.

The story is as absurd as you’d expect from a game bringing together Marvel and Capcom characters and trying to make it coherent.

Shadow of War finds its success in perfectly expanding upon everything that made Shadow of Mordor so great. Despite the game’s slow start, once you get into the weeds of Shadow of War’s systems, you’ll find yourself engrossed and addicted to its satisfying gameplay loop for hours on end. This increased depth along with the much larger scale of the world and battles within Shadow of War make it a far better game from top to bottom than that of its predecessor.

Forza Motorsport 7 is a fantastic game — as a whole, the series has managed to tweak a near-perfect racing series to provide the best sim racing experience year after year. If you are a die-hard Forza Motorsport fan, I can assure you this game is worth its purchase price.

Final Fantasy IX on PlayStation 4 has rekindled my imagination that for years I thought I had lost, giving me a reason to return to these characters and story that deserve to be experienced by any fan of the genre. Final Fantasy IX on PlayStation 4 is upgraded and re-rendered up to the best possible version for every fan of Final Fantasy, new and old.

But on a technical and artistic level, Cuphead is a stunning achievement in both gaming and interactive art, and unlike anything I’ve ever played before. Some of the game’s levels had me on the edge of sanity trying to best them, and I ended Cuphead with a few sore spots on my thumbs because of it. More importantly though, I had a smile on my face the whole time through it all.

What it comes down to is Metroid: Samus Returns feels like a game that would have killed (and in many ways belongs) in the 90’s. But in a current climate where the game has to compete with powerhouses Ori and the Blind Forest, Holloe Knight, or SteamWorld Dig 2, the title feels tepid in comparison.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar shows what an independent studio that cares about their graphic novel IP can do.

While you’re not going to find an in-depth customization, with tuning, and handling changes, you will find some of the most balanced customization I have ever seen.

Dishonored: Death of the Outsider, shows that if Dishonored is indeed coming to an end, it is a fitting tribute to its engaging world.

Culdcept Revolt is a niche game that is directed at those willing to take a chance on a series that disappeared for quite awhile.

Blue Reflection tells an accurate story of a high school girl who is coming to terms with becoming a magical girl. The game is graphically one of the best looking games from Gust that I have played and I applaud them for trying something new. There’s a lot to see in Blue Reflection if players put the time into the story, but if you’re looking level grinding and item collecting, this isn’t going to be the game for you.

LEGO Worlds is fun in small increments and I would be lying if I said this game does not hit the target audience’s expectations. If you like sandbox games with open-ended gameplay, or are looking for a decent Minecraft alternative, this game is for you; unfortunately there just was not enough substance in the aimless gameplay loop for me to keep me coming back.

FIFA 18 is by no means a perfect game, the lack of customization and emotionless animations from players puts the game back a few steps, but this is not a bad game. Whether you have been on a FIFA hiatus or you are a long-time veteran, you should come back to this series — if only for the single-player content.

SteamWorld Dig 2 is a game that — much like the original — has no issue reveling in its simple yet undeniable gameplay loop. Fans who expect much of the same will be surprised by the polish and excellence that a hand-crafted world, power ups, and more dynamic art bring to the table.

NBA 2K18 is the biggest departure that the series has had in recent years, which is both good and bad. Elements such as MyPlayer feel like they have the potential to be fantastic, but are still too mired by microtransactions and bugs in its current form to truly be the experience that I was hoping for.

If you want a serious straight-faced, team-based TPS, this probably isn’t the game for you. Yet, if you simply would like to have a lot of fast-paced and exhilarating fun topped by all the eye-candy that can be squeezed into a single Blu-Ray disk, then the new adventure of Marvelous’ ninja waifus can easily fit the bill.

Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is by far the best sequel to a video game series that I have ever played.

Mary Skelter: Nightmares provides the dungeon crawling experience fans of the genre crave. The game offers a unique battle system that requires attention and skill to master, many different ways to customize characters, and large dungeons to explore with many hidden rooms and valuable loot.

If you missed Pokkén Tournament on Wii U and are a fan of fighting games, I highly recommend it, as it is easy to get into and brings some interesting changes to genre.

Just when you think you’ve run out of things to do in Destiny 2, the game teases you with an additional 5-10 hours of gameplay. What I’ve reviewed doesn’t even include the additions of Iron Banner, Faction Rally, or the hard mode for the Raid. You’re getting a lot more game this time around.

Tokyo Dark offers some great animation and character design that reflects Japanese anime and film noir.

Drive Girls is for those Vita fans out there that are dying to play an action game from Tamsoft and can’t wait for some of their other games to come West. The game fails to deliver a proper fighting system or campaign to make it worth the short gameplay experience, but if you’re looking for decent graphics and cute anime girl illustrations then maybe this niche Vita game is just what you need.

Death Squared is an incredibly fun puzzle game for Nintendo Switch.

Resident Evil: Revelations is a true survival-horror experience with a lot to offer on modern home consoles for only $20. Not everything in the game has made the jump to console perfectly, but if it’s anything to go by, I sure as hell enjoyed this game a lot more than Resident Evil 6.

When I sat down to play this game I had one mission for Bungie: prove to me that Destiny 2 isn’t just another expansion. Thankfully, it turns out that Destiny 2 has listened to the fans and has taken a look in the mirror: the product is one that I –so far– thoroughly enjoy.

The game’s lengthy scenes and repeated statements can feel more like padding on the game’s runtime which makes Utawarerumono: Mask of Truth feel redundant at times, but the conclusion of the story will not disappoint the ones who have stuck with it this far. If you are a fan of visual novels that have elements of the SRPG genre, then very few games do it better than the Utawarerumono series, you won’t be disappointing.

LawBreakers is fun and fast and a breath of fresh air for a space that needed some infusion of change from the monolith and trends dominating the genre. LawBreakers should be played by all fans of the genre, and all comparisons be thrown out the window; just enjoy the rush, literally.

Life Is Strange: Before the Storm's Episode 1: Awake focus on themes of depression, loss, and the inability to fit in, which it does an excellent job at presenting throughout this first episode. Sadly, the episode's main focus on Chloe and Rachel's friendship can feel a little forced early on, but inevitably lands on plausible after learning about the mental state of each of the characters.

Last Day of June doesn’t feel like it takes place in a virtual reality, it feels like it takes place within a beautiful, breathing summer painting.

With a dynamic and engrossing story playing out on a personal stage in front of you, Augmented Empire is a class act.

The truth is after picking up Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana I simply couldn’t put it down until I finished the story. In the end, I found myself attached to many of the characters that I met along the way and part of me wished that this Ys adventure never had to end.

After spending over 25 hours playing myself, I was able to complete many of the character’s stories and had a pretty good time doing it. However, the issue with the game is that the dull level design, lacking story premise, minimal voice acting, and visual novel style scenes made it feel like this game could have been so much more.

Pillars of Eternity: Complete Edition is without a doubt a brilliant game that nearly singlehandedly revived a genre that has been replaced in the hearts of many by World of Warcraft, The Witcher, or The Elder Scrolls series. And while those series (and their respective genres) are amazing in their own right, Obsidian’s re-imagining of the poorly-aged genre is a must play for any fan of similar games and a great jumping off point for those interested in dabbling in something more complex.

Nidhogg 2 is an exemplary symbol of how to create a gratifying multiplayer game.

While the allure of these two franchises coming together may be the draw for many, the surprising depth to its combat and the replayability that it offers are the real highlights.

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy makes for a fun but brief journey while still boasting the same level of high quality that we have seen in past entries.

The title finds pacing issues in its story and gameplay early and the cadence of its dialogue regularly drags down the overall rhythm, but it brings more than expected in both interactivity and style. Bringing a story the scale of a thousand-page novel to the video game format could not have been an easy endeavor, but Deadalic Entertainment has brought the first act to us with plenty of appetite for more.

Matterfall is a mechanically sound game but has very little to keep you coming back to chase high scores. As it stands, I enjoyed the handful of hours that I spent with it, but I can't see myself going back anytime soon.

ChromaGun is the absolute standard of a puzzle game done right. While it’s not on the same level as Portal 2 or The Witness, it is an absolutely solid puzzle game.

White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a great game for fans of the survival horror genre, you will feel right at home throughout the entire game.

Yakuza Kiwami will go down in history as one of the best remakes ever created, for a game that was already great on PS2.

Madden NFL 18, with its variety of new modes and features, has quickly become my favorite entry in the Madden series to date.

Smashbox Arena could have been a great competitive game to play on PS VR, instead it’s just another generic VR shooter with an underpopulated online community.

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a charming and visually pleasing experience that will remind you immediately of 3D Legend of Zelda titles, mainly The Wind Waker, in how the towns, island, and citizens are portrayed.

Undertale never fails to surprise you and unconventional things will happen when you least expect them to.

If you’re looking for a game that is not to be taken seriously, full of half-naked monster girls, has a basic battle system, and a touching mini-game then look no further because Moero Chronicle is exactly what you have been looking for.

From a creative standpoint, Agents of Mayhem is great. Its world stands on its own, looks good, and is hilariously written well… for the most part. Playing around with the agents’ special abilities can even be fun, but many missions felt repetitive and dull.

Ironcast’s gameplay makes you feel like you are inside a mech’s cockpit, constantly checking on tons of different systems, and becomes very addictive and rewarding as the game goes on.

Sonic Mania has helped me rediscover what it was I loved about Sonic growing up and it took me back to a time where I could just pick up a game and have fun. This is for Sonic fans everywhere and it will not disappoint.

Despite a bug that forced my first playthrough to end prematurely, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice is an incredible game that will continue to linger with me as a singular and emotionally affecting experience. For its audio and visual design alone, it is stunning, but for its ability to use the video game medium to bridge our understanding of mental illness while also telling a personal and powerful story, it is a masterpiece. If you feel capable of withstanding the emotional strain it requires, a dark and fulfilling tale awaits.

While I won’t be forgetting this Western romp anytime soon, I’ll be remembering the witty dialogue exchanges and unique graphics more than its gameplay.

It would have been neat if all of the games in this collection could feature online multiplayer, but even without it, the titles still manage to be entertaining in single player or local co-op.

Now that Capcom has ported all of the main entry games to console, I hope that they bring us the Mega Man X games next in a collection. Or maybe even Mega Man Legends 3 — a guy can dream, right? If you haven’t played the original six games, I’d say the original Mega Man Legacy Collection is a better buy in terms of quality when compared to this one, but nonetheless, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is still great, and the best way to replay these classics.

Its addictive gameplay and unique approach to playing party games offers hours of replayability, all the while remaining fun to play.

Circuit Breakers is a decent arcade shooter with a nice retro style aesthetic. I wish there was more variety and more extras, considering there are a good amount of titles similar to this already available on consoles and PC, and because of this it becomes hard to fully recommend as a purchase.

Collar X Malice is a great visual novel that happens to also be an otome. The story is dark, stressful, and creates an atmosphere that forces the player to want to continue. True, there are many wrong paths, but once you see the end in sight you will understand what makes this game so good. I enjoyed my time with Collar X Malice and I’m eager to experience the remaining routes and endings that I missed, which could easily take 40 hours of accumulative playtime.

All in all, DeadCore is not a very good game. While it’s $7.99 price point may be appealing at first glance, it pains me to say that it quickly descends into a incredibly boring, and clunky jump-fest, with its only saving grace being its theme and atmosphere.

The game is gorgeous and that compliment goes for the guardians, the creatures, the maps, and especially the characters.

The Town of Light is an experience with the power to enlighten many to the anguish of those few still lost in the dark.

If the whole game was more open, Miitopia would have been more fun, but the game’s repetitive and linear nature starting to frustrate me as a got further in the title.

Sundered is chaotic, beautiful, and addictive. The passion and dedication that developer Thunder Lotus put into this game is shown in every second of gameplay. I’m sure there are some that feel like the Metroidvania genre is overrated or overused, but Sundered is so much more and their approach is truly refreshing.

The combat changes in Story Mode actually help to make the game feel more in tune with Minecraft‘s own combat, and will definitely be a welcome change for players of Telltale’s previous titles.

SUPERHOT may be a little older than others in your list of recently released games on the PlayStation Store, but for those who have yet to experience it, this title remains a polished gem. The game has a few slight mechanical hiccups, but they pale in comparison to an otherwise solid and unique first-person shooter.

Not only is it one of the most unique experiences I have had in gaming this year, it might be one of the most unique I have had in my entire life.

Hey! Pikmin is an incredibly fun platformer that’s easy to pick up and doesn’t take a ton of hours to finish like many games that have come out this year. While I was able to get through the game in a couple of days, reaching 100% completion on each level will take some time and serious dedication.

Leap of Fate was a pleasant surprise in the crowded rogue-like genre and provides a great value for all the variations in play styles.

Thanks to a compelling mix of gameplay and atmosphere bound by an incredible art style, Supergiant Games has crafted one of this year’s most unique titles.

If you are a fan of 3D platformers and are intrigued by this game’s unique control scheme, it’s worth giving a shot — just be aware that it can fall victim to some of the genre’s more frustrating problems.

Sadly, the campaign is the only offline mode in Splatoon 2, and made me wish for something a bit more to complement it, especially given the Switch’s handheld capabilities suited for on-the-go play. Even if there was something as simple as bot matches against enemy AI for practicing on the train or bus and then hopping into online matches at home, it feels like a missed opportunity for Splatoon 2 to have some other offerings that aren’t so online-dependent.

There’s is so much content in Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy which justifies the one-time purchase. Even though this is clearly a game for another platform, it can pass as a console quality game on your mobile phone.

Where else can you play a video game over days if not weeks with email notifications letting you know when your opponent has moved?

Artdink is on the brink of mastering this fighting system, but perhaps these hiccups with the frame rate will have to wait ’til the next release.

Aiming with the Dualshock 4 is the most unsatisfying way to line up shots, but it was surprisingly more accurate than using the MOVE controllers.

Managing inventory is especially tedious with a console controller and the systems in place don’t make the control options intuitive making the process of navigating a simple menu a gigantic chore.

It’s surprising how something so basic makes leveling-up feel rewarding, and how it’s been removed from many other RPGs.

I enjoyed my time with Black the Fall because I am a fan of these kinds of atmospheric 2D puzzle platformers that tackle heavy themes.

Final Fantasy XII is an epic, sprawling tale that many gamers — myself included — missed the first time around because of when it was released. Don’t make that mistake again. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is one of the best, if not the best, remaster of a Final Fantasy game in recently memory, and is objectively better now than it was a decade ago.

There is enough variety with each character in their attack motions to make the gameplay interesting enough.

The Switch version may very well be the best way to enjoy the game, especially when on the go the game can feel somewhat like a handheld Legend of Zelda, but don’t set your hopes too high.

This harmony of conflicting tones is actually one of the only aspects of The Secret Mine that is remotely original and well-executed.

Ultimately, Tokyo Xanadu is one of the best games I’ve ever played on the Vita.

The attempt to make everyone happy resulted in a a battle system hindered by its duality.

Ultimately, Stormblood is without a doubt the best content that Square Enix created for Final Fantasy XIV since the game’s inception.

Ever Oasis proves that the six year old handheld still has the potential to pump out some great content, while also being one of Koishi Ishii’s best works.

God Wars: Future Past is a game that should be played by anyone who craves a great SRPG that tests your skills and knowledge of the genre.

Mighty Gunvolt Burst is something that you’ll want to show your friends who quit playing games in the 90’s.

Episode 2 manages to deliver far more impactful sense of decision-making (and consequences) than what we saw in the first episode.

Even though Bloody Days tries to walk the walk and talk the talk, ultimately it feels less like a creative homage to a cult film classic and more like a shallow imitation with a hint of Tarantino flair.

Aside from the introduction, the only story found in the game is one told through a couple of cutscenes interspersed between some races.

Nex Machina is quick, challenging, and exactly what the arcade shooter genre needed. The team at Housemarque has clearly taken a lot of influence from shooters of the past while still knowing how to add their own special spice to the mix.

My favorite mode in Mirage: Arcane Warfare is the 3v3 Arena. In this mode, players are pitted against each other on a small map, keeping the action fast-paced and entertaining.