The worst part of Metal Gear Survive is its opening hours.

Codemasters' attempt to revive GRID has a lot of great ideas but struggles to bring them all together in a cohesive fashion.

A lack of technical polish will likely be a persistent problem for The Council.

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

Twin Mirror is a beautiful-looking game but doesn't have the same narrative punch that made previous games from Dontnod so memorable.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a bloated collection of uninspired quests that quickly turn into a repetitive, boring grind. While the art and history teams deserve recognition for their efforts, it's all unfortunately wasted on a narrative that goes nowhere, is poorly explained, and has no satisfying resolutions. None of the changes and tweaks that Ubisoft brought to the table move the needle, and the game is ultimately more frustrating than it is fun. This is a game that desperately needed to succeed, and instead, collapses under its own weight. Future Assassin's Creed releases need to innovate instead of being yet another rehash of games we've already played in different locations. There are other open-world games in similar settings that are much more worthy of your time.

The numerous pitfalls and issues in Godfall prevent the better aspects from shining through, leaving only a dull mess that isn't worth the hefty price tag.

I'm sad that Gecko Gods didn't ultimately resonate much with me. It's a game with clear indie charm and care poured into it, but also one that never clicks in terms of puzzles, platforming, or exploration. The presentation is nice, but it's also held back by many technical hiccups, both cosmetic and core progression-based alike. The devs do seem eager to keep improving this one, but it unfortunately wasn't quite ready for release.

Ultimately, Earth Defense Force 5 boils down to a very shallow entry in a series that I’ve typically enjoyed in the past. Single-player only works in short spurts, as this is a title that’s meant to be enjoyed with others. I think it’s time for Earth Defense Force to evolve into more than just a game that relies on nostalgia and monotonous killing. There’s definitely potential here and it shines through at multiple points throughout the game. If you’re a fan of this series, this game is definitely worth giving a shot, even if it’s your first time. But if you’re hoping for some improvements over Earth Defense Force 4.1, you may be disappointed.

A new coat of paint improves both Blood Money and Absolution but with few other additions, Hitman HD Enhanced Collection is a hard sell.

The weird thing is that I never felt this huge sense of growth with my characters as they leveled up.

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.

NBA Playgrounds does not stand out more than any other basketball game before it, and I think it’ll be remembered as such.

Everybody's Golf Hot Shots is a really disappointing swing and a miss. Poor performance that directly impacts your shot on a consistent basis totally kills the experience, and the gameplay in general is wildly and randomly imprecise. The presented modes feel bare bones, the lack of custom player creation is a bummer, and the stock characters are largely annoying. Fans of the franchise should stick to the classics, or 2017's Everybody's Golf, which is clearly superior in nearly every facet.

The Seven Deadly Sins: Knights of Britannia manages to disappoint in just about every category.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 had the potential to be something special, but instead of offering the sweet taste of vitae pulled from the neck, it has only the porridge-flavored final drips of a blood bag. While the combat and boss fights can be satisfying, the game’s shallowness in pretty much every other department, as well as Fabien dragging the entire experience down, left me hungry for the game it could have been. While it has the trappings of the World of Darkness, this game does a disservice to Vampire: The Masquerade.

Legacy of Kain: Ascendance is the first new game in the franchise since 2003's Defiance. It really misses the mark on quite a few things, not the least of which is its story, which tries valiantly but just doesn't succeed in a meaningful way. In many ways, it's a step backwards and makes the franchise's most defining feature feel like a throwaway. It also just feels so bad to play, and if you were even a casual fan of Legacy of Kain back in the day, there's not much here I can really recommend outside of hearing Michael Bell and Simon Templeman again.

Rocket Arena is a hero shooter that tries to make a mark, but doesn’t do nearly enough to help itself stand out.

Jurassic World Aftermath's VR heritage looms large in this Switch port. Sections that no doubt feel thrilling in the confined space of a VR headset feel repetitive and dull on a flat screen. As a result, Jurassic World Aftermath feels like a walking-sim with some survival horror sections. The lack of enemy variety, the overly simplistic puzzles, and some frustrating stealth sections prevent Aftermath from staking its claim as the apex predator of its genre.

On the tin, Windbound offers a fulfilling and exciting survival/adventure endeavor but when delved into, I was left with an empty and exhausting experience.

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

As a fan of beat ’em ups, I did find a bit of enjoyment in the game at a basic level, but there is no reason for me to return to Raging Justice in the future over something like Streets of Rage 2. Raging Justice should provide some adequate indie beat ’em up fun for genre veterans, but it is not very memorable, and its appeal likely won’t ever be any broader than that.

Fans of the series and setting will probably find validation and likable aspects here, but I wouldn’t suggest jumping in here if you’re unfamiliar. There are better strategy games out there for cheaper with more depth, options, and personality than this one. By the end, I preferred the idea of just playing Civilization VI as China — that’d probably be a more fun evening of strategy for me.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion isn’t ready for launch. The performance and balance issues sour what could have been an excellent mecha experience. There are a few bright patches, interesting ideas, and a ton of potential for the game. It could be, and maybe it will be better in a few updates' time, but it’s not worth checking out at launch.

My suggestion would be to invest in something a lot more engaging and more extensive like Unravel 2 or Overcooked 2 to satisfy your couch co-op desires. It pains me to say that the implemented co-op feature has defeated the whole purpose of Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons and it should have been left how it was — in the past and untouched.

The Church in the Darkness is marred by several technical shortcomings that draw players out of the experience and kill the pacing.

The actual driving of The Crew 2 is not up to the standards of modern racing games, and that is an important facet of any game that focuses on driving.

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.