With a stronger central theme that went deeper than base critiques of the US and its cultures, Desert Child could have been much better. While its got style, it’s disappointing how little it does with it. Races are fine, the world it presents quickly becomes finding the quickest route to reach the end, and once reached it all ends so abruptly you can’t help but begin it again with the curiosity of there having to be something more. In the end, there isn’t that much more to it, and even an easy Platinum trophy on PlayStation 4 doesn’t make this a game I would recommend to anyone.

Having the ability to play Smash Bros. in any setting — and have it look as good as it does — is a marvel.

Gris will continue to be relevant for years to come due to its importance in society when talking about loss and mental anguish.

If you enjoyed The Last Remnant the first time around give this re-release a shot. And if you’re looking for an old-school deeply challenging JRPG, this title will also be for you.

A decent game.

If the premise as a whole seems off-putting to you, I’d recommend giving it some time and seeing if you enjoy the game more once Kanto opens up.

Dark Souls Remastered on the Nintendo Switch brings a new kind of revelry to the moment-to-moment victories like finding a bonfire or killing a boss.

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.

I really do like Battle Princess Madelyn, and while I like the way the story mode feels, I’m more partial to the Arcade mode. This is simply because the story mode can be rather unforgiving and rage-inducing, but at the same time, it’s also sweet and innocent. Battle Princess Madelyn feels like how a Metroidvania should feel, but it doesn’t explain core mechanics all that well and leaves you to just play the game and either succeed or fail.

There aren’t a ton of games that can make a two-decade jump and remain unscathed, but Spyro Reignited Trilogy does just that.

Darksiders III strays too far away from the formula that made the first two entries great while also being mired by bugs and performance issues.

Beat Saber has just about everything I want from a rhythm game.

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.

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.

Nairi: Tower of Shirin has remarkable, gentle humor with great storytelling and challenging puzzles that will keep you thinking for hours.

I dreaded every hour I had to keep playing Fallout 76 for review. As soon as the game was beginning to teeter on fun or interesting, a bug or a frustrating gameplay design element would quickly remind me that the game was otherwise.

This game, however, just fails to really stand out in any specific area that makes it worth picking up over any of the other big-hitting fighting games on the market right now.

I trust DICE, I think they’re a great developer, and I have no doubt that six months from now when all of the promised content for Battlefield 5 has finally made its way into the game that this will be one of the best multiplayer shooters on the market. But at this moment, it simply feels like more of what we’ve already seen before with some slight tweaks that only series veterans will truly appreciate.

Tetris is a great equalizer. I think that is Tetris Effect’s greatest accomplishment. Showing me that anyone can play, just like my grandmother did all those years ago. She would have loved it, just like I do.

[Valiant Hearts] perfectly captures the cold, desperate, and horrific moments of World War I.

Mutant Football League’s offbeat, seemingly nonsensical rules work to make football more strategic, and honestly, more exciting.

I just really, really want to play more.

First impressions can often leave you feeling like it’s a slow, groggy mess with too much to manage and too many tough survivors working against you. But once you get deep enough into the game, only then does it start to feel more enjoyable, which sadly isn’t how it should be.

My favorite artistic element of The World Ends With You has always been the soundtrack, which is carried over successfully in Final Remix.

When all of these elements come together the result is a pulse-pounding adrenaline-fueled frenzied fight to the finish that often borders on all-out vehicular warfare.

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.

Windjammers is a fun and fantastic multiplayer arcade game and the Nintendo Switch version takes advantage of that strength.

I’m ultimately sad to see that I have grown out of a franchise I once loved, with underlying problems that I may have not noticed as a child building on top of one another to make LEGO DC Super-Villains much less enjoyable than I thought it would be.