Sadly, I would only recommend Double Dragon IV to you if you are a Double Dragon fanatic or very die hard beat ’em up fan, and if that’s the case, you probably already own it. It is fairly cheap, but even then, I have played much more enjoyable games for the same price.

Seeing the lack of variety in the design of these is one way [Morphies Law] falls short of the games that inspired it.

Extinction’s story and some repetitiveness do ultimately let the package down as a whole, but I am glad to see Iron Galaxy tried tackle a different idea outside of their comfort zone, even if it didn’t pan out entirely.

League of War: VR Arena isn’t a bad game, so much as it is underbaked.

The process felt incredibly slow and you’ll probably be burned out after a couple of hours — if you were ever actually planning on playing this game, that is.

Fear Effect Sedna is saved by a great story and awesome puzzle design.

Tennis World Tour is a disappointment, plain and simple. It’s one thing to not have key features at launch, but the absence of solid gameplay puts the final nail in the coffin. It’s not only dull with its weak and monotonous presentation but frustrating as you watch your generic created character not swing at a ball they could easily hit across the court.

I really wanted Bubsy: The Woolies Strike Back to be good, or at least entertainingly bad, but I was just left with a tepid, overpriced, and somewhat generic 2D platformer that wasn’t funny or fulfilling enough to justify a $30 purchase.

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.

Spheroids feels like the video game equivalent fast food. And while there are plenty of great games with shallow experiences, Spheroids is pure junk. Like the Arby’s of video games, the game is a mix of ingredients that deserve to taste way better than they do, and should ultimately cost much less than Eclipse Games is charging.

I am still excited to see what WWE 2K21 will look like, especially since Visual Concepts will have the time to actually learn how this engine works and use it properly, but it really is a drag that the entry with some of the best features just plays like hot garbage.

La Quimera would have benefitted from a few more months in the oven to smooth out some of the issues I found during my playthrough, but it also has a solid technical base that it could build on. The weapons, setting and world are outstanding, and while the combat feels like a chore in a lot of levels, it's nothing that a balancing pass cannot fix in future updates. I don't know what Reburn's plans for the game in the future are, and while I can understand if they are ready to move onto the next project, it would be great to capitalize a little more on the strong points of La Quimera. New levels that make the story not feel as aggressively short would go a long way toward making it feel like a fully realized game. For now, this project has given us a taste of what Reburn is capable of, and I'm waiting for the company's future endeavors to incorporate lessons learned from La Quimera's failings. Hopefully, by then we won't have to factor a war into the development process.

Contra: Rogue Corps joins Bomberman: Act Zero and Hideo Kojima's firing as one of Konami's biggest disappointments.

In Werewolf The Apocalypse Earthblood, every advantage is neutralized by a disadvantage, leading to a totally mediocre experience.

Microids' remake of XIII is the equivalent of injecting a deadly virus into the structure of the original game that results in nothing more than corruption.

I wish I were joking in saying that the game’s horrid music and sound quality has been haunting me every night while trying to sleep—I cannot get that damned music menu out of my head.

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.

I didn’t really enjoy Senran Kagura Reflexions at all and I don’t think I’ll ever be going back to it. Somebody awaken me from my long Asuka-induced hangover when a normal Senran Kagura game comes out on Switch, it sure as hell deserves one on the handheld-hybrid.

The Deer God may be a great visual experience to unwind with, and it has a spiritual message to match. But when it comes down to the actual gameplay, the game just feels too stiff and uninteresting. Despite an almost enchanting presence, the actual mechanics of The Deer God will do as much as possible to push you away.

Blood of Mehran is a game that might look the part from the outside looking in, but if you spend any extended time with it at all, you'll see that it's far from a polished Prince of Persia clone. The visuals have that Unreal Engine sheen to them, but the animations, voice acting and overall design let the side down. However, nowhere near as egregiously as the wafer-thin plot, the derivative, the wonky gameplay, or the aggressively linear format. It's one of the most predictable, uninspired, and underwhelming action RPGs you'll likely ever come across. There is a certain level of cozy comfort that comes with that, but all in all, this is not worth your time or money.

I’d stay as far away from Left Alive as possible. For all of you hardcore Front Mission fans hoping for a proper sequel in the series, you can bury those hopes and dreams. With a team consisting of so much talent behind it, I truly wonder what went wrong with Left Alive. I love Square Enix games to death typically but this is frankly unacceptable…and it’s $60.

Perhaps my biggest issue with Past Cure above everything else I have mentioned is that it feels so uninspired. I’m hard-pressed to believe that Phantom 8 Studio found anything in Past Cure to be what I would consider “fun” because there’s just none to be had.

Tokyo Tattoo Girls is an extremely niche strategy RPG that doesn't build off of what is most interesting about the game's systems and instead chooses to rely on cute anime girls for appeal, which might work for some.

Fast & Furious Crossroads is like if Hobbs & Shaw was called Orange Julius & Slap Jack.

Corona Blossom Vol.3 Journey to the Stars isn’t a visual novel that is going to blow seasoned fans away like Frontwing’s other visual novels, such as The Fruits of Grisaia series. However, they did a great job at developing a group of friends and making the player care about them over three volumes. Some will find absolute joy in this story, but by playing it safe, I was left wanting more than a typical harem.

If you’re looking for a difficult game and nothing else, Hunter’s Legacy delivers in the end. Parts of it are fun, but so much of the game feels like a missed opportunity, especially in terms of its plot, characterization, and world-building. The relentless gameplay near the end does nothing to redeem Hunter’s Legacy from what it’s ultimately missing.

There is a good game buried underneath all the usual tiny developer fodder: unfunny in-jokes, unneeded cameos, the ultra-hard mode(s), the obsession with 80s and 90s gaming and pop culture, the detailed sprites. More energy should’ve been put into making more memorable environments and bosses, a more well thought-out leveling system, and a stronger story that used NPCs more than once, and fleshing out the already engaging ‘gunseed’ mechanic.

To a very limited extent Bridge Constructor reveals the reality of building and maintaining bridges in today’s world. Sometimes, to some people, creating something with fewer resources is considered more valuable than something that’s safe. And in this game, that can be a fun, devious, and humbling experience. Headup Games gets that right. However, little can save the game from simply underperforming in every other regard. Frequent crashes, game-altering performance slowdown, and tutorials that leave only the most resolved standing truly hurts the final product.

I must say that for the $9.99 Steam price, there is a good four to six hour story here that won’t let fans of adorable cat-girl illustrations down. I only wish that the first half of the story was as good as the conclusion, but as whole this a decent visual novel.

Grisaia: Phantom Trigger Vol. 1’s premise fits in perfectly with the rest of the Grisaia titles, that includes the beautiful character designs that the series is known for. However, the introductory chapter felt rushed, which ended up hurting any chance for proper character development. As such, the climax of the story feels out of place. Phantom Trigger Vol 1. begs to be longer in order to allow the reader to care enough to want to move on to the later volumes in the series. Hopefully, now that the introductions are out of the way, the real story can start.

The art and character design is some of the best I’ve seen from a lighthearted visual novel.

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

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.

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

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.

Project Nimbus makes a great attempt at capturing the mech action genre that rarely comes West. Fans will find a lot of what they want from mech action, but the lack of motivation to complete missions could potential hurt the chances of them completing the game. For a small indie game, Project Nimbus hits all the right ques to be a great action game, but dated visuals and confusing story might hold this back from reaching a wider audience that it deserves.

2MD VR Football was slightly underwhelming from what I initially was anticipating; however, this game is fun in bits and pieces. If you are looking for a cheap sports game and you just happen to love American football this is the game for you.

Romancing SaGa 2 presents many unique systems to unpack since the game is told over multiple generations of the kingdom of Varennes.

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin may not be Psychonauts 2, but it provides enough substance and allows fans to sink their teeth into something new.

[Tiny Hands Adventure] may be a fun game if you give it the chance, but it’s a more risky choice with other remastered classics readily available.

A massive disappointment and not a very good game in the slightest.

For fans of the point-and-click genre, The Wardrobe will be a game to check out–especially for those who loved the style of the 90s. Overflowing with references to basically everything related to gaming, movies, television shows, and even creepypasta, it’s fun to pick out each one as they appear in each brightly colored scene to search around in.

There was a lot of potential afforded by the world jumping mechanic as well as its emulation of recognizable classics, but Old School Musical doesn’t do much with them. While the story, and especially the Chicken Republic post-game mode, can offer some challenging rhythm tapping, Rob and Tib’s tale stumbles to offer more than a textbook case of saving the world.

It’s simple, family-friendly, and an absolute joy to play. From the gentle pumpkin-orange glow of the DualShock 4’s light bar throughout the game to the fact that extra lives come in the form of trick or treat buckets; it all feels like a genuine love letter to the spirit of Halloween.

While I don’t see this as a game that will revitalize the genre, if you are looking to scratch an itch after playing Golf Story, this will be your game.

While Persona 3: Dancing in Moonlight is weak on content, the game does a great job at celebrating the absolutely stellar soundtrack of the third entry in the iconic JRPG series.

Though I’m not necessarily getting a 100+ hour experience in this title, I still enjoyed every moment of my time with the Phantom Thieves.

Xenon Valkyrie+ is far from being the best roguelike on Switch, as it will leave players with a taste of injustice and frustration.

Star Wars Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast still provides the best lightsaber combat in any Star Wars game to date.

Police Stories is a solid tactical shooter that is great to play together with a friend. It is a short experience with a story that doesn’t really matter but is competent enough to fulfill its role. I’m hoping that more levels are added in the future because the entire game can be completed in six to eight hours. Even with the small tweaks that need to be fixed, Police Stories offers fun gameplay and the need for extensive communication in co-op, which is exactly what I wanted and expected.

For players who don’t have a lot of time to invest in a long game and who also enjoy experiencing the journey of a tormented mind, The Last Sky has much to offer. The fact that it wasn’t as thorough as I would have liked minimizes its true potential. Since this title is currently in early access on Steam, my hope is that the developers will include more branching story paths that become more personal; not only to Jake but to the player’s experience as a whole. With further work, it could also provide a deeper and boarder understanding of the complex mental health condition of PTSD. [Early Access Score = 70]

Harrowstorm is a forgettable side quest in an ocean already swarming with far better content.

If you ask me, Grounded could be much more successful than it is if Obsidian would have launched it a few months later. It’s really important to hook your audience in the first few hours of gameplay, and Grounded could’ve done it much better if it had more to do at the start. That said, the game still has its strong advantages that keep you engaged with its world. [Early Access review score = 65]

Cloud Gardens is an utterly charming and well thought out simulation game that does exactly what it says on the tin. If you need a chilled out and truly captivating game that encourages its players to be mindful and to de-stress while also being creative, I honestly couldn’t recommend Cloud Gardens enough. [Early Access Score = 90]

Unreal Life just ended up being a delightful experience that I really enjoyed exploring. That sense of the developer's passion for their creation was clear throughout the whole thing, and the game felt so much better for it.

Emily is Away < 3 doesn’t wear your nostalgia like a mask, it brings you back to the feelings of being a high schooler when the world is only as big as your social group.

As a PC player of Rimworld, I’ll be returning to the more bespoke experience I’ve turned the game into on its home platform, but I’m also delighted that games like this are coming to consoles, and being ported with this much care and attention. This is one of the best management sims and story generators around, brought to console in almost all its glory. The quality of this console implementation should be a guiding light for other games in this traditionally PC-only genre to do the same.

Cosmoteer is a surprisingly deep and satisfying space sim. Its many systems complement each other beautifully, and, although its grinding gameplay loop may not be for everyone, I really enjoyed the time I spent with it. Exploring is fun, and combat is simple yet satisfying in its execution. The meat of the gameplay is found in how well you manage and assign your resources, and once these systems get their claws into you, they sink deep. [Early Access Review score = 80]

Stay away from Serious Fun Football. Seriously, it’s not fun, and it’s certainly not football.

Although it does have some redeeming qualities, it’s hard to justify paying full price for a DLC that barely gives you access to its biggest new addition and introduces even more arbitrary difficulty spikes.

Overall, this DLC takes everything that made the base game of Vampire Survivors such a surprise success story and gives you more of the same, but with a more involved map and a theme to bring the whole thing together. If you're one of the many who has been enthralled with the allure of Vampire Survivors, you're going to appreciate the additional content that poncle has thrown in here, and with a price point set at less than $2.00, there's very little reason for any fan to stay away.

Toy Soldiers HD is a fantastic tower defense game that fans of the genre should definitely play. It's easy to learn, hard to master, and there's a ton of replayability with the lengthy campaign, the extra levels, collectibles, achievements, and survival modes, which I've spent a lot of time playing. The controls for vehicles can be a bit stiff and the lack of co-op multiplayer is a big disappointment, but given how few decent tower-defense games there are on console, it's easy to overlook the very few shortcomings Toy Soldiers HD brings to the table. Now, when are we getting Toy Soldiers Cold War?

With a confusing setup, a really poor user interface, at times abysmal presentation, and a Career Mode that offers no meaningful progression, Fernbus Simulator should stay back in the garage and let the more capable sims hit the road.

A narrative game that makes you reflect on the real world and your place in it is always a blessing, and in my view, Frank and Drake accomplishes what it sets out to do. It's a game with a lot of heart.

Rivals of Aether II gives fans of the genre a lot to love, with the promise of even more on the way, and the game is constantly getting patches and improving. If it offered a proper story mode and slightly more intuitive mechanics on top of cleaning up the skins for clarity's sake, it would be up there with the best fighting games ever. It feels incredible to play, the music is awesome, and the visuals are some of the most unique in the industry without feeling like they're compromising for frame rate. If you're a fan of Smash Bros. gameplay, you owe it to yourself to give Rivals of Aether II a shot, but you should know that it's still a work in progress, even after release.

Closing Thoughts: It won't blow your socks off, but Mind Over Magnet will at least loosen your legwear with its incredible understanding of game design fundementals, a magnet gimmick that feels fresh, solid visuals that serve the gameplay perfectly, and music that I could listen to for hours. It won't last you too long, and it doesn't try to do anything super out of the ordinary, but it's a short and sweet game that hits a home run for every ball it's batting at.

Symphonia is a sleeper hit that I can only hope will soon take the platforming genre by storm. The platforming mechanics here are refined, satisfying, and a joy to master. Which is only accented by the incredible art direction that serves as eye candy as you go. This symphonic-inspired world is a treat for the eyes and ears, with level design that walks the tightrope between challenging and satisfying with aplomb. And while the narrative present here hits a bum note, I can wholeheartedly recommend Symphonia to any platforming fanatic.

Nikoderiko: The Magical World is an adventure any fan of classic platformers will surely enjoy. With tight and colorful 2.5D platforming, challenging and fun boss battles, and seven worlds to explore, it's a great time. It just falls short because it doesn't do enough to trailblaze its own vision, and often instead references more iconic titles, which admittedly, is fun, but also feels like a crutch. Still, if you're looking for a fun, short adventure, you'll probably get your money's worth here.

Warden's Will feels like a beta of the next great multiplayer shooter, but its nowhere near the level of its inspirations. It's very fun to move around, dodge attacks, and try to get a build going, but this game feels so dull and slow at times that it's painful to get to the fun part. Charging transmitters takes forever, upgrades are a slow burn, enemies take a long time to die, and this only gets better once you've permanently upgraded to the point where your friends will never keep up with you. The aesthetics and music are nice, and all the characters feel incredibly polished and well-thought-out, but the underlying gameplay and progression leave a lot to be desired.

Hyper Light Breaker, despite being in Early Access, has demonstrated its outstanding qualities in full force, with a tightly designed gameplay loop and extremely satisfying combat. It manages to pull off a roguelite that's genuinely fun in multiplayer, a randomized open world that feels full of life, and balanced upgrades that never feel too overpowered, all while keeping up beautiful aesthetics and non-visual storytelling. It's only held back by its hefty performance requirements, unfair boss design, and over-tuned difficulty, which may be polished out before full release. If all my qualms were addressed, this game would be near perfect in my eyes, but as it stands, it's well worth your time. [Early Access Review]

Dice 'n Goblins is a fun, cute RPG dungeon crawler that suffers from an extreme lack of polish, gameplay that doesn't shake things up enough, and some questionable mechanics. The style is adorable and looks quite good, but it lacks animation and has a low number of drawings for characters. With a good story and great illustrations, it still felt like a worthwhile romp, but it ends up being mind-numbing or frustrating in most other aspects. It's a victim of incredible ideas with half-hearted or poor execution, and had me wishing it was so much more.

All in all, Cubic Odyssey is a good game that gets a little bogged down by its own complexities, like character abilities and battery power. It's a solid game thanks to all the quality-of-life changes it brings to the genre, along with the strong atmosphere and interesting visuals. While it probably isn't a game that I'll add to my repertoire, I think it will certainly make a name for itself in the industry. If you really enjoy survival exploration games, then this will be a game you can sink countless hours into. Cubic Odyssey is a solid game that simply gets dragged down by some odd design choices that clearly serve to add difficulty, but that difficulty ends up becoming inconsequential at a certain point. Still, it is enjoyable, and all the things the game does right make it a meaningful addition to the genre as a whole.

Kulebra And The Souls Of Limbo wears its heart on its sleeve for the entirety of its 10-hour runtime. The Paper Mario-style artwork is a treat, and the Latin American-inspired representation of the afterlife is a beautiful and refreshing setting. As an Adventure game, most of the puzzles and quests are pretty basic, but that doesn't stop the charming characters and emotional, lore-filled story beats from shining through. It's mechanically highlighted by some creative no-combat boss battles and cute puzzles, though the moment-to-moment gameplay isn't always the most exciting thing in the world. Still, there is a lot to like here, and Kulebra will have no trouble winning most players over who are onboard to discover a thoughtful indie gem with plenty of endearing dialogue.

Throes of the Watchmaker feels like a love letter from Sabotage Studios to all the players and fans who believed in, funded, and engaged with Sea of Stars. The DLC doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, and despite introducing new features, the essence and gameplay loop are the same as the base game. The highlight of the DLC is how it tries to give more personality to the protagonists, Zale and Valere. While it succeeds in doing so in isolation, it still feels like sugarcoating an unfixable problem. If you miss Sea of Stars, try Throes of the Watchmaker. Otherwise, it might not be worth your time.

Overall, if the main objective of a puzzle game is to provide you with ‘eureka’ moments as you work out the puzzle, this game succeeds about 50% of the time. Other times, I’ll complete a level, still not entirely sure how I did, or having to have a break from the next level, as I don’t want to do the manual scout work at the beginning of the level in order to get my bearings. There are moments of a good game here, but it's all underneath a frustrating layer of bugs, mediocre puzzles, and design choices that I would have taken another look at during testing.

Camper Van: Make it Home shares a main principle overarching in all video games: losing yourself in something. But the no-stress approach means that although it still requires concentration and effort, it's something you really want to do rather than something you have to do. In that context, the visual design is excellent, and the audio is almost perfection. Have a go, and like me, you might be surprised how quickly the outside world drowns out - and thus, in its own context, how fantastic of a game it is.

Overall, so far Grounded 2 is not only a worthy successor but one that will eventually become far superior to the original. From the number of upgrades to the number of new enemies, Grounded 2 sets itself up for success early on. While it's still early in the development cycle, Grounded 2 has at a minimum found a good starting place to improve upon. There's a lot of good here, more than I had imagined there would be. It isn't perfect by any means, with the bugs and issues it has right now, but all of those are fixable. If you enjoyed Grounded, you'll enjoy Grounded 2 because it's just Grounded, too. No one can say where the next few years of the game will take it, but I have the greatest faith that the team behind Grounded 2 will be able to make this another incredible title with an uncountable number of playable hours. [Early Access Provisional Score = 85]

JETRUNNER is a game that proudly sets out to be a worthwhile blend of Neon White, Ghostrunner, & Titanfall's FPS parkour action, and against all odds, this plucky indie pulls it off with aplomb. While the story is a little lukewarm and forgettable, the stunning cel-shaded visuals and smooth, fluid gameplay more than make up for this, allowing players to enter a state of flow and achieve feats of acrobatic skill that are beyond comprehension. The main shortcomings of the game are that some mechanics could use tiny tweaks to avoid players adding fractions of a second to their time through no fault of their own, and the game isn't difficult or deep enough to get the most out of the limited number of courses. But, all in all, if you're looking for a new FPS-focused parkour game, you'd be hard-pressed to find one better than JETRUNNER.

Sworn is an incredibly fun action Roguelite to jump into, especially if you have friends to play with. While it certainly isn't perfect, there's enough here to at least give it a shot. Sworn in its best moments is a game that engages you on several levels and forces you to make difficult decisions while rewarding your hard work. In its worst moments, it's a bit of a slog that will have you questioning your strategy and build. If you like Arthurian legend and thoroughly enjoy Roguelite action with meta-progression, you'll find yourself very pleased with your time in Sworn.

Shrine's Legacy takes pretty clear influence from classic SNES-era 16-bit RPGs, with a fun blend of Zelda-style puzzles and action-based combat. Fortunately, it does an admirable job of using that inspiration to create its own identity, and doesn't rely too much on the nostalgia of your youth. The combat does feel a little stiff, while the magic and jewel system is unnecessarily complicated. But even so, if you're looking for an action RPG that scratches that retro itch, Shrine's Legacy is definitely one worth diving into.

Fading Serenades is a charming delivery game you can finish in an evening, leaving you wanting more. By the time you get to the end, it feels abrupt, and a little rushed, as the quests also become slightly repetitive. You're left wondering more about the neighbors you spent the game delivering for. Still, for a solo-developed game, it's very impressive. If you're looking for something short, cozy, and enjoy the delivery gameplay loop, Fading Serenades serves it well.

As Long As You're Here is an emotional journey to take if a loved one has ever experienced dementia. Navigating life as someone with Alzheimer’s is a difficult thing, but also something that results in what can only be described as an important, poignant video game. While I might wish some ripple effects on the main character's family were dug into a bit more, and some extremely small dev team limitations are present in minor ways, this is a wonderful, and unfortunately all too relatable title. The subject matter is presented in creative, respectful, and effective ways, resulting in an ultimately cathartic experience, as challenging as it sometimes may be on a personal level.

I honestly didn't know what to expect when first jumping into NASCAR 25. To say that it blew me away is an understatement; NASCAR 25 scratches the Forza Motorsport itch I've been missing for so long, even if it's nowhere near as deep as the iconic Xbox sim-racing franchise. With the game finally coming to PC, there's so much potential here for an online community to thrive. There's a lot I hope to see improved over the years, including a more fleshed-out career mode and improved presentation, but there are some solid bones here that have me excited for the future of the series. NASCAR 25 is one of the best racing and sports games of the year and is well worth your time. Boogity, Boogity, Boogity! Let's go racin', boys!

Hunter's Moon: A Sovereign Syndicate Adventure is a deckbuilder that I absolutely loved early on. The presentation is fantastic, and the Slay The Spire-esque gameplay is top-tier. Unfortunately, the more I played, the more I'd encounter substantial performance issues and an overall feeling of imbalance. Give this one some more time to be optimized, and it'll be one of the best titles in the genre. Until then, it's still a good time, but hasn't yet reached its full potential.

Cloudheim is, by all accounts, a good game, but it is marred by uncertainty about its direction. A sort of jack of all trades but master of none issue. It is very important to remember this game is still in its early days and there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact, in a few months, I think many of the issues I have with this game will either be solved or be on the way to being solved. Right now, though, Cloudheim struggles with its identity a little too much. If you can craft such a fun world to move about in, why punish me by giving me manual labor to do when I finally go home? The combat, when it works, is ludicrously fun. Using mobs like bowling balls and pins has never been better. The progression systems are a bit overwhelming, and there are probably a few too many in the game as a whole. Becoming a Nordic legend to save the world sounds amazing until you have to stop everything and deal with your overabundance of items in your inventory. [Early Access Provisional Score = 70]

Time passes equally for everyone on this planet, but it feels like ages have passed since we got a good, encyclopaedic antiquity simulator for PC. Strategos looks and feels like a finished product that can deliver engaging, realistic battles for you to flex that armchair general muscle on. The minuscule budget is on display at times, but Hannibal was primarily concerned with winning his battles instead of smelling the flowers. Strategos delivers where it matters most and has all the hallmarks of a real-time strategy classic.

Blightstone has a solid, strong foundation in terms of its combat and battle mechanics. The use of environmental hazards and interactive battle arenas is what helps the game stand out. The rest of the game feels like something of a slog, however, with some harsh RNG and an inconsistent pace that makes Blightstone feel like it can't get out of the blocks. There's something fun hidden here, but it is sadly overshadowed by a game that feels more interested in punishing you for simple things than allowing you to learn. [Early Access Score = 60]

The early access release of Task Force Admiral makes a loud entrance, with an all-encompassing depiction of naval warfare and carrier operations. This obsession with realism is followed to a fault, and the game suffers from the clunky interface endemic to most deep-dive strategy titles. None of that was on my mind as the sirens blared and torpedoes homed in on my carrier. War may be hell, but this is strategy heaven. [Early Access Provisional Score = 90]

Like most of the Sherman tanks exposed to the elements in underfunded museums, Sherman Commander is a work of art that could really use another finishing pass. The game accurately captures the role of a tank commander in World War 2, and the individual units are exciting to lead, but the amount of micromanagement required means you spend more time staring at the map than inside your tank. Still, there are moments where it all comes together, and you get to see why this is a game like no other.

MLB The Show 26 is still one of the best sports games in town, but it's starting to show its flaws. Despite all the advancements and positive additions, it's getting harder to ignore some of its issues. For the first time in recent years, I'm not sure if MLB The Show is worth the money. For all the good the game does, I can't keep ignoring all of the mounting issues.

MARVEL MaXimum Collection brings together some heavy hitters from the 1990s in terms of comic book video games. Featuring six titles across thirteen total versions, this superheroic collection is a wave of nostalgia that is well worth the price of admission if you've ever been a fan of Marvel Comics. The games are a blast, and it also features some excellent bonus content. Online appears to be rather dead, unfortunately, so keep that in mind before you jump in.

ShantyTown is a cozy game that can easily make you lose track of time as you set up each location however you like. It isn't this big game that you'll play for hours on end, but it is a game that you'll feel really honors the time you spend with it. This is a game you can play in one evening, or for hours if you want to dive that deep. It's fun, well-made, and gorgeous when you finish a location. ShantyTown is a cozy town builder you can enjoy at your own pace, and that's something incredible.

Jay and Silent Bob: Chronic Blunt Punch is a mediocre beat 'em up that tries its hardest to capture the spirit of Kevin Smith's filmography. In many ways, it does do that, and has elements that feel like they are right out of a View Askewniverse movie. Sadly, the combat in Chronic Blunt Punch is so bland and lifeless, and is an absolute technical nightmare. Fans of View Askewniverse will likely crack a smile at the game's absurd story, but that's where the good times come to an end.

Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era is a superb entry into the series and brings the game back to what works. While the complex gameplay might not be for everyone, it offers a lot of freedom in how you go about making your playstyle for each scenario. The games are long, but there are also plenty of other modes to hone your skills, which is greatly appreciated. It's still in development, so there are a few kinks to work out, but whatever the future holds for Heroes of Might and Magic: Olden Era will undoubtedly be incredible.