Travis Strikes Again has the right attitude, or at least an attitude you want to get behind. Yet it stumbles time and again with execution, taking an abundance of energy and squandering it in a game that’s often dull more than anything else. It's also frustrating when comparing the game to No More Heroes and No More Heroes 2. Travis Strikes again is not trying to be a direct follow-up, but those games still have a focus and flair that’s lacking here. By the time everything is over, it's hard to add up the experience in any sort of coherent way, and unfortunately, it's not even that entertaining of a trip.

Even in retrospect, it’s easy to look at Hoa and imagine possibilities that it just doesn’t fulfill. The way it contextualizes its mechanics is wonderful, but there’s not enough depth, risk, or complexity to complement those ideas. As a result, the brief experience becomes rather flat and routine.

Crackdown 3 is partying like it's 2010, ignoring almost every advancement the open-world genre has made in the past decade. The attempts at humor and provocation are forgettable, and if it wasn't for Echo and Goodwin in your ear, there would be almost no real meaning to any of it. Crackdown 3 excels at almost nothing, especially in comparison to several of its recent groundbreaking competitors. No matter how strong your agent can get or how much demolition you can cause, there are simply better cities to save.

Vampyr wastes its setting and premise on tedious combat and a story that’s much longer than it needs to be. Technical problems and dimwitted AI make progression a chore, while the striking locations become mundane. Just a few standout characters and excellent story moments help Vampyr claw out of the grave from disaster to mediocrity.

Even though it makes some steps forward, The Crew 2 doesn’t offer much beyond wandering aimlessly and stumbling across landmarks. The variety of vehicle types removes any barriers on where you can go, and the creative racing scenarios keep things somewhat interesting. However, these strengths are overpowered by the annoying dialogue, pointless features, and considerable lack of challenge. Stats are king of the road in The Crew 2. Racing skill is supplanted by thoughtless RPG mechanics, and before long, it all just feels like going through the motions.

Sonic Forces doesn't ever reach the lowest lows the series has gone through in the past. Yet it also has almost nothing in it that leaves a lasting impression. It's the kind of game you can breeze through in an afternoon and then forget about immediately after. The customization in Forces is appreciated, but it’s nowhere near enough in a game that lacks great ideas.

Despite having nearly seven years to figure out a way to improve upon The Last Hope, Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness is lacking in just about every department. Not even a solid soundtrack is enough to salvage this wreck. There’s nothing special about this below average RPG, and it completely misses the mark.

The Inpatient feels half-baked. The story and mechanics never come together in a satisfying way. Despite moments of terrifying audio-visual design, the cumbersome controls and a lack of interesting characters make The Inpatient a chore to play through.

Despite the piles of issues and annoyances, Little Dragons Café isn’t an unpleasant game. The overall art direction, character design, and music all present a storybook charm that pulls you in early and keeps it enjoyable in the midst of the grind. More than anything, the simple gameplay just gets stretched thin over the 40 hour story. While we don’t often focus on cost, the full $60 price tag also seems particularly difficult to justify. With a stronger investment and more developed gameplay, a sequel may still have potential, but as it is, Little Dragons Café could have used a bit more time in the oven.

Fire Emblem Heroes is a watered down version of the traditional Fire Emblem experience. While it’s completely possible to enjoy the game without spending a single cent, it’s designed with the pay to win model in mind so that spending cash will ensure a quick and fast route to victory. Coupled with the extremely aggravating and excessive stamina system, those trying to play the game for free will encounter numerous roadblocks and turnoffs. If you’ve never tried Fire Emblem before, this is a quick and easy introduction, but if any of its concepts appeal to you, you’re better off abandoning Heroes and jumping into any of the other great entries in the series.

Mafia III offers a rich narrative set in an authentic open-world. However, its memorable protagonist Lincoln Clay and beautiful setting in New Bordeux are squandered by menial, repetitive tasks, annoying glitches, and inexcusably daft AI. When the credits roll, there are surely moments to look back fondly upon, but it’s hard to recommend sifting through the trash to find them.

Redfall is an epic miss from Arkane. The combat is mind-numbing, the quests are uninspired, co-op is a bummer, and the story doesn’t reach its potential. The only saving grace is its setting, but it’s pulled down by everything else. While co-op is the focus of the marketing, it doesn’t feel like a priority in Redfall’s design. There is some basic enjoyment in the solo campaign if you just want to turn your brain off, explore the town, and blast some goons, but there are easily better alternatives out there.

Star Wars Battlefront II features stunning audiovisual design, but it sets a new low for loot crate systems. With advantages determined by random chance and possibly returning to microtransactions in the near-future, it destabilizes the fun and spirit of competition. Meanwhile, the much-touted campaign is devoid of any memorable moments. Fans will certainly enjoy playing as the heroes and villains, but it’s hard to recommend Star Wars Battlefront II.

Balan Wonderworld is a disappointing platformer that feels like a wasted opportunity. There are some bright spots in its visuals, music, and boss fights, but the bulk of the game is characterized by stale level design, overly simplistic gameplay, useless power-ups, and annoying mini-games. It throws a lot of ideas at the wall, but lacks the polish to do any of it well. And with a price tag of $60, it's a hard sell.

Ary and the Secret of Seasons feel like it's not ready for release yet. It's frustrating because there are occasional moments of promise in areas like its temples and puzzles, but the overall experience is brought down by sloppy combat, a stale world, and numerous technical issues. If the developers take some more time to polish things up Ary could be a decent adventure, but in its current state, you're better off waiting.

It's so pervasively dull. Where other prominent throwbacks have recaptured the beating heart of the games that inspired them, Mighty No. 9’s familiar pieces are thrown together without a driving vision. Hopefully the super fighting robot’s next successor is more worthy.

While it may not do anything groundbreaking, there’s a decent game buried somewhere in Need for Speed Payback. It’s hard to deny the fun that still comes from sliding through mountain switchbacks or launching through the air like a rocket. However, the promise of pulling off epic heists falls flat, and Payback is crippled by its progression system. A car’s performance shouldn’t be determined by a slot machine, and a racing game shouldn’t force you to wait out in the parking lot.

Fast & Furious Crossroads brings nothing meaningful to the franchise or racing games in general. At full price, you should absolutely stay away even if you are a diehard veteran of the series. Horrible voice acting, dated visuals, weak sound effects, no customization, and cumbersome controls all contribute to a lifeless slog. There are a few short-lived moments of success, but they aren’t worth putting up with a game where you never feel like more than a co-pilot. Hopefully in the future, Fast & Furious will know when to stay in its lane.

Umbrella Corps is another failed attempt from Capcom to capitalize on the current trend of team-based shooters. Aside from the locations and Umbrella logo, this game couldn't be further from the ideals established by Resident Evil in the last two decades. Maybe someday Capcom can find a formula that works, but Umbrella Corps is a cheap, uninspired, and unbalanced take on the genre that’s far too simple and messy to be worth the time. This game is a virus that should be avoided at all costs.