The sequel does exemplify some of the gameplay flaws of its predecessor but tells a fantastic sci-fi tale and builds a world that I never imagined it would.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order is one of the most cathartic and fan service heavy Marvel games ever.

King's Bounty 2 is worth every penny for RPG enthusiasts. It's an enjoyable experience that you won't regret playing and one in which the more you immerse yourself, the more reasons you'll discover to continue playing.

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.

The limb targeting mechanic offers up some true innovation to the combat formula established in Demon Souls. This makes The Surge the one of the first real competitors to the Souls series, as The Surge offers up its own unique gameplay style that keeps each encounter fresh in a very unique setting. Fighting multiple enemies at the same time can be a pain, and the game does suffer a bit in the narrative department, even with its interesting world, but overall I found The Surge to be a well built Souls-like.

The Deluxe Edition on Switch is not only a great way for old fans to return to the franchise, but an excellent jumping-on point for new players to dive into the Layton series.

I get why diehards love System Shock 2, but it doesn't change the fact that it hasn't aged all that gracefully in 2025. This game deserves its legendary status for the influence it had on the industry at large, but it's one most of us should just appreciate from afar. This remaster is undoubtedly the best way to play the game on modern hardware. Still, it also ultimately feels like a low-effort endeavor that's devoid of desperately needed Quality of Life improvements, making me question why they even bothered. The lore and vibe are still incredible, but the moment-to-moment gameplay can sadly be a downright slog. You'll already know if this remaster is for you, and I think you'll enjoy it if that's the case. Curious newbies should just watch a playthrough.

Star Ocean First Departure R is an underwhelming port of an excellent but often forgotten Square Enix JRPG.

Yooka-Laylee is a fun, familiar, and nostalgic trip to a genre from the past that still holds up incredibly well in the present. It certainly proves that there is a place in the current landscape for games of this genre. If you miss the mascot platformer of yesteryear, then Yooka-Laylee will almost certainly give you your fill and make you feel warm inside.

If you can get past the somewhat janky visuals and combat, you will find a decent action-adventure game that does an excellent job exposing new people to an intriguing culture and mythology.

Though it has technical issues and an unoriginal story, Iron Man VR is a great game that could have delivered more from its iconic hero.

Raiden V: Director’s Cut offers a wide variety of weapons and difficulties that are sure to keep players busy for some time.

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

Cladun Returns: This is Sengoku! is for gamers who want a quick and satisfying dungeon-crawling experience. The game is fast enough to pick up for ten minutes and complete a few missions, but also has some deep systems that can take hours of your time and push the game to its highest potential. While the repetitive dungeons might be a problem for some, I felt that the range of different activities that the game offers completely makes up for the redundant trips to the story dungeons. In addition, fans returning to the series will find enough updates and new systems here to warrant jumping back into the game and rediscover what they enjoyed most about the previous entries.

For all its superficial swagger, it'd be remiss to call Evil West a case of style over substance, because there's a deceptive amount of substance to its combat system and the vibrant world its set in–just the amount you'd want in such a game. It's a good game for a good while, before its relentless pace runs of steam in the final third when repetitive, tiresome battles highlight the limitations of a mostly solid combat system. With the ability to play the entirety of the campaign in co-op however (with appropriately scaled enemies), I wonder whether spreading the relentless heat between two players could actually be the best way to play the game, and I plan on finding out soon.

Muse Dash is a fun game that is very simplistic in design. For having not listened to really any Japanese music outside of anime, I ran into a fair amount of tracks that I really enjoyed that I could see myself going back to playing just to give it another listen. At $29.99, I personally think that Muse Dash is a bit steep in price but there is a decent sized catalog of songs to keep you preoccupied and master. Muse Dash has a nice art style with great colors but it also likely isn’t a game for everyone. For those that are into this genre of gaming and music, Muse Dash might be one to look into.

Temtem aims to set itself aside from Pokemon as a solid monster collecting game in its own right. For the most part, it succeeds. [Early Access Score = 70]

World War Z provides a fun zombie killing experience that should leave fans of the Left 4 Dead titles pretty happy.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain really shines due to the well-designed and thought-provoking single-player activities, despite a rather lacklustre multiplayer offering.

While it has been a long wait, Sakura Wars is a satisfying blend of everything that the franchise has done well for a new generation on PS4.

Dandara is more than the average Metroidvania and is a game worth your time.

Double Kick Heroes is a great little game for fans of bashing their buttons and keys along with fast-paced heavy metal, and the zombie aesthetic feels well handled. I like how you’re able to adjust the game a bit to make for a more enjoyable experience that you can handle, and I’d hope to see more guest bands joining to fold in Hellgate. It’s a game that does sometimes feel unforgiving and you should probably get your hand muscles worked up in preparation.

Total Chaos is an exciting survival-horror game that follows a man descending into madness within his own mind. The story and combat are the standouts here, as both are engaging enough to keep the player on the edge of their seats, pushing them further into the depths of the game's world to learn more about the protagonist and take down deadlier foes. Discovering the lore of Fort Oasis, the game's main location, and how its hidden meanings connect to the main character's mental state and sickness shares a strong resemblance to Silent Hill 2, and it's fascinating to uncover. The biggest negative is the game's core survival mechanics and how it often feels too punishing because of its lack of resources, to the point that some players might be forced to go back to an earlier save depending on their situation. The extreme lengths it takes to make the player feel hopeless may be too much for the casual player, so it's definitely not a game that could be recommended to everyone.

Supermassive has an incredible talent for creating gripping narratives of a horror persuasion, and despite some technical bumps in the sand, my retrospective opinion on House of Ashes still remains the same: It’s a bloody good creature feature.

Evil Dead The Game is one of the best and biggest surprises of 2022 so far. It’s a fantastic multiplayer experience that has enough quirks and unique features to stand out against other asymmetrical titles like Dead By Daylight. A field-of-view slider and jump button would have been appreciated, and the new Castle Kandar map can’t come soon enough. Players are also right to worry about its online-only infrastructure as the game is wholly dependent on an internet connection even though it has content that should be playable offline. However, despite its few drawbacks, it’s a near-perfect tribute to Sam Raimi’s creation as the game is groovy fun whether you play as a survivor or a demon. It has a great foundation so here’s hoping Saber Interactive keeps us coming back with plenty of post-launch updates.

Those Be A Pro changes are great and all, but it isn’t too much of an incentive for those who already own NHL 20 to go out a grab NHL 21. While there are some new gameplay features, it doesn’t really feel like it differs much from last year’s installment. If you missed out last year, now may be a good time to check out EA’s take on hockey, but if you’re looking for something new and exciting, maybe wait for a next-gen entry.

For everything Rage 2 does right, there’s another thing hindering it from being great.

The Wonderful 101 is not for everybody, and while the Wii U didn’t really do it any favors, I think it’s initial reception was proof of that. But time has passed, tastes change, word of mouth spreads, and appreciation grows. So maybe, with The Wonderful 101: Remastered, “not for everybody” includes at least a few more people this time.