As a longtime fan of the series, Paper Mario: The Origami King has its trademark humor and charm, but misses its appealing RPG gameplay.

State of Decay 2’s experience will boil down to how talented you are at surviving. The game challenges you to last for as long as possible. It has its moments where it can drag on, and if you’re after a game where you just want to kill mindlessly, this isn’t for you. Zombie survival simulator though? It does what it set out to achieve.

NBA 2K20 feels like the smallest leap that the series has made in years, even if the core gameplay still remains enjoyable.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a great horror game in a vacuum, but it is held back by trying to double as a quasi-adaptation. The brilliant mechanics and environment can distract you from its shortcomings most of the time, but it periodically reminds you that this could have been so much more. The foundations are well laid out though, and if Stormind can improve the storytelling and optimization, any sequel to this would earn an easy 9/10 rating.

Darkwood is a survival-horror game that does not rely on jump scares to get you encapsulated in its world.

King of Meat is effectively like one of the most eye-catching and elaborate LEGO kits you'll ever see. The composite parts are excellent, with soft-play-like visuals, a world that is wacky, silly, and engaging, and surprisingly nuanced combat and progression. Not to mention killer animation, a sublime creation kit, and cosmetic items that actually feel worth grinding for. However, like all LEGO kits, they don't come assembled, and you get out what you put in. As a solo experience, this game is hollow and quite one-note. Meaning that this game will only be successful and enjoyable if it gains a following, as community creations will be the lifeblood of this title. If the game gains that player base, it could be great, but it's a huge 'if'. The game doesn't have that lightning-in-a-bottle feel, and there's a genuine concern this game could be dead on arrival.

EA Sports UFC 5 looks and feels great on the Frostbite engine, but under that new coat of paint is the same old gameplay we've had for the last 3 years.

Sure, its lackluster story is made up for by its perfectly built tension and horrifying atmosphere, but a more in-depth story, some more thought-provoking puzzles, and refined visuals could have made for one of the most horrifying experiences in gaming.

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

For people such as myself who fall in the middle, the title acts as a nice distraction to pick up and play everyone once in awhile. The racing element is bogged down with all the minutiae and it’s hard to get really into everything without becoming frustrated. Too much detail in the wrong area can cause even the nicest ride to become bumpy and unpleasant.

Red Faction: Guerrilla is still the wacky, high octane dose of fun that I remember sinking many hours into last-gen, and the Switch version (mostly) plays to its strengths.

Super Mega Baseball 3 is not a total home run, but the franchise and its brand of wacky baseball continue to trend in the right direction.

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

Lost Soul Aside left a bitter aftertaste of hype seasoned with unmet expectations. It's one of the few RPGs that made me care less about its characters and story the more I played, due to its shoddy narrative and half-baked cutscenes. The gameplay is excellent, offering plenty of versatility for everyone and depth. The post-game challenges will undoubtedly please those wanting to test their hack and slash proficiency. That is, however, if they have the grit and tolerance to see the game through to the end.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly Remake. While it may not necessarily be as scary as the original released in 2003, it does have its moments of greatness when it comes to scares, and there will be times that even the biggest survival horror fans have to take a breather. The stars of the show here are the atmosphere and story, both of which are so incredibly well-made, do the original justice, and validate the need for this remake to see the light of day. However, the combat is a major let down and definitely won't be for everyone. The controls feel outdated, the movement speed is excruciatingly slow, and those two mixed together can make for a rather frustrating experience at times. Still, if you were a die-hard fan of the original Fatal Frame II: Crimson Butterfly, you'll enjoy what Team Ninja and Koei Tecmo have created here.

For $29.99, Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-Ality is a game worth adding to your library. It may have a linear design and a short length, but it is still a great game that stays true to the Rick and Morty IP, and I look forward to future Rick and Morty titles.

Remedy Entertainment takes a safe approach to the multiplayer scene with their red-hot FBC: Firebreak. The game delivers exactly what it says on the tin—an easy pick-up-and-play cooperative FPS title with a simplistic footing, but without the traditional live-service elements plaguing its future. The gunplay, albeit a bit too arcadey for my liking, thankfully gets outshone by the teamplay-style presentation during jobs and their tunable modifiers, and the unique character classes and their traits. Although most of its rewarding features add variability to custom loadouts, there's not much else here that, unfortunately, makes it worth spending an effort on. I'd much rather see a sizable number of differences in the job variety, missions, and power fantasy elements that actually heighten the sense of being an FBC operative who's exterminating the evil corruption of the Hiss.

While some of its bugs and awkward graphics take away from the game as a whole, Remothered: Tormented Fathers is an homage to classic old-school survival horror games that fans of the genre will definitely appreciate.

The Longest Five Minutes is almost the standard definition of an RPG, brought to life with one of the most interesting storytelling techniques for any Switch game.

The video game equivalent of eating your favorite childhood junk food as an adult: not as good as you remember, but heartening.

Wattam is not a great video game by any definition. However, it is a great, zero-stress experience that wants to show how great friendship can be. If you’re looking for a game to test your skills or provide you with a mature narrative that makes you think, Wattam ain’t it. However, if you’re having a bad day and just want to unwind by kabooming golden poops all over your screen, Wattam is more than happy to take you under its bowler.

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.

Pokémon FireRed & LeafGreen have their fair share of annoyances, especially for people who have only played the modern games, but once you get adjusted to them, there's a solid and fun Pokémon experience to be had. Anyone with a nostalgia for Kanto will be right at home here, but the slower pace might make it trickier for newbies to get on board. Just be ready to take off the rose-tinted glasses.

I expected a little more from iRacing Arcade. What's here is a very simple and easy to understand racer with a very approachable learning curve, which makes it a decent entry point for genre newcomers. It is pretty consistently fun, but it also makes some confusing decisions between available game modes, totally omits some base level racing game features you'd expect, and has a lack of gameplay depth even compared to other arcade-style titles. It's still a good time and worth checking out (especially at the price point), but I don't think it'll become a staple of my racing game lineup.

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.

David Jaffe and co. have created something wildly novel, moderately fun, and slightly frustrating with Drawn to Death. In the finished product lies a blueprint for a great game, but mediocre shooting mechanics and a slightly shallow level of content holds back Drawn to Death in the end.

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

A Way Out has some ambitious, fantastic ideas at its core, but it’s unfortunately surrounded by tiresome gameplay mechanics and a story that is just a bit too straightforward.