It is larger but less grand, more detailed but more opaque, deeper on one level but far more ponderous on another. It is successful neither as a Battlefield-style online shooter nor as an approachable arcade experience. That your time with this game is defined by a byzantine and oppressive progression system does not help, nor does the ever-present specter of microtransactions sure to return soon. But this would not be a successful game even if these problems were solved.

I spent much of the past 48 hours trying to figure out why I’m not drawn to play game after game in any of the modes available. I thought: the game is visually appealing and it plays a decent enough game of virtual football, what’s the core issue? I believe the problem is that the gameplay, at its core, just isn’t addictive. Can I have fun with Madden? Yes, and I probably will have some solid moments with the game this year, but not enough to make it elite.

I’m not a hardcore racing or motocross fan, which is something that should be taken into consideration by anyone reading this review. I’m a lifelong sports gamer who loves a balance between simulation and fun. MES6 isn’t a perfect title, but it feels like Milestone has taken significant steps toward delivering a well-rounded experience for hardcore and more casual fans. If the features in place are expounded upon next year, it could climb a spot in my rotation.

Madden 22 is a significantly better game than Madden 21. The gameplay is smoother, franchise mode has more layers and MUT will remain a powerhouse. However, while each of the three areas deliver on one had, they each have a drawback. Also, modes like Face of the Franchise and The Yard fail to deliver in a way that moves the needle. The good outweighs the bad overall, and you’ll likely enjoy Madden if you’re a fan of the series. Still, it feels like we’re one year shy of delivering the kind of complete Madden release that really breaks new ground for the series.

Overall, Irem Collection Vol. 2 makes three classic pre-Nazca games widely available again. These are all great shooters, but are also historically relevant as to how the shmup genre would evolve and how Nazca would form a few years later. If you are a fan of Metal Slug, then you should definitely check out this collection, as GunForce II is wonderfully unhinged.

Open Roads is a lovely way to spend 90 minutes or so. All of the elements by and large come together harmoniously in service of a story that had me hooked, and the two strong central performances elevate the entire piece. I can’t ask for much more than that.

Overall, Rainbow Cotton is a very faithful HD remaster of the original Dreamcast game. That means it suffers from the same functional shortcomings that game did. So unless you are a diehard fan of the Cotton series, you can give this one a miss.

Overall, Gundam Seed Battle Destiny Remastered is not only a solid visual upgrade to the Vita original but also has some much-needed functional improvements, both in terms of the controls and the backend progression flow. The only real downside is if you’re not a fan of Gundam Seed, as otherwise, this is a very nicely made mecha action game.

There is something to be said for simplicity in video games. Many are overly complicated, and there is also room for forgiveness for a feature set of a game that isn’t full price. However, a sports game with no online capabilities and a very limited single-player experience is a tough one to enjoy for any length of time. BRBCC is unfortunately more limited than it is simplistic, and that causes a problem with overall enjoyment.

If you approach Mafia III as an interactive journey, then you probably won’t have any issue with it overall. If you’re looking for a fully fleshed out title akin to GTA, then Mafia III could come off as a shallow release...I’m somewhere in the middle, but leaning more toward the former. The story and visuals are easily the strength of the game, and the gameplay isn’t flawed or repetitive enough to kill the vibe.

Aside from the polarizing shooting concept, a new look to the Neighborhood and a completely revamped MyTeam mode, there isn’t much difference in this and NBA 2K20. If you’re not a hardcore MyTeam player, I’m not sure this is a must-have for you–especially if you’re buying it on next-gen...Also, were this a half-priced or free-to-play expansion to NBA 2K20, I would have evaluated it through a different lense. As it is, there are some strong components, but it doesn’t feel like a completely new game in as many aspects as usual.

Despite some light areas of concern with gameplay and some of the auxiliary modes and features, the core of the WWE 2K franchise has been strengthened. It won't scratch every itch that virtual wrestling fans have, but the game is deep and fun. At the end of the day, that's what we're looking for in video games.

From a pure fun factor, NASCAR Heat 2 delivers. Driving is a blast, even though it's not all that realistic. Some will embrace the more arcade feel and others will scoff at the more simplistic racing concepts. However, no one should dismiss the depth that has been added to the modes and the massive leap the franchise has taken in just one year. The future could be bright for this series.

The entertaining racing delivers a good foundation for the series, but there’s just not enough depth in this package to consider this a complete experience.

Visually the game is great and can be switched between the original arcade graphics and the newer higher resolution versions. The same is true for the audio but I prefer the newer sounds, especially as hearing Norio Wakamoto voice M. Bison never gets old. So if you want arguably one of the best iterations in the Street Fighter series on the Switch, then Ultra Street Fighter II is definitely worth getting but bear in mind that it is definitely overpriced.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is a decent Dynasty Warriors spin-off that fits the world of Berserk well enough. However, the one-on-one boss fights show up the simplicity of the combat system and missions get repetitive pretty quickly. It’s also not a visually impressive game but it is an eminently playable one.

Overall, Front Mission 3: Remake is a solid update to a classic mecha tactical role-playing game from the PlayStation era. It does feel rushed in places, and here’s hoping the game receives some patches to fix some of those issues, much like the previous remakes in the series have.

The courts and locations look outstanding. There's no real impact on gameplay from place to place, which is something that might have added some diversity, but the different lighting and filters help each court look unique.

The gameplay isn't horrible, but it's also not spectacular. The visuals are solid, but not groundbreaking. The customization is stellar, but that's still not enough to save this game from mediocrity.

It was nice while it lasted, but I doubt I’ll keep it installed. I hate waiting for most things in life, but if I’m going to wait then it had better be worth it. Angry Birds 2 is not.

If you’re looking for a game to take the place of titles like London 2012 or Beijing 2008, then bypass this one. However, if you’re after a game that can offer a few hours of fun for your family a week this summer, this is a must-have.

Anthem may thrive. Anthem may fail. It has the bones to be something great but I am tired of saying that about so many games in this genre and five years after Destiny 1, I can’t believe we’re here yet again. Get it right the first time, because everyone is losing patience.

Overall the campaign is a massive letdown. It still manages to include some fun boss fights and cool level design in an undoubtedly pretty package. The bones of a good game are here, and it makes me wish Treyarch had gone an entirely different direction, while still keeping cool ideas like crossover progression with multiplayer. [Campaign Review]

A chaotic driving game that has all the makings of a snappy romp in the vein of arcade classics like Crazy Taxi but its plot stops it from getting out of first gear.

4.1 is a raucous and fun shooter with a different as well as more open ended approach compared to the more scripted movie wannabe type games out there. The dialogue is both silly and endearing and the combat is very satisfying.

While the gameplay and consistently improving modes are the obvious strong suits of NASCAR Heat 3, the game is still just a touch short of an elite racing title because it lacks personality and high-level presentation. That said, the groundwork and the second floor are in place for a complete racing experience, the developers and publisher just need to add a rough and some pops of color.

Overall, Macross Shooting Insight is a step back in quality compared to prior Macross games, of which a fair few weren’t great to begin with. While there are some moments of decent shmup action tucked away here, there are far better Macross shmups out there. Not to mention that the first Macross game to come Westward is this lackluster and that’s just sad.

What’s here is special. Slightly flawed, but still absolutely worth experiencing for yourself. ADR1FT is evocative, chilling, tense, and unlike anything I’ve ever played, even if it isn’t for everyone. [VR Tested]

Despite some clear bright spots, Suicide Squad does not justify its own existence and feels like a colossal waste of time, money and energy when any other normal, standalone superhero game from Rocksteady probably would have blown away Arkham sales records. Everyone wants live service games to print money, but when the genre makes your game unattractive at baseline, and no one sticks around, yeah, maybe you should have made that other game instead.

Overall, this is a very faithful remake of a classic and beloved shoot-em-up with a fascinating world setting, now brought to life in a new and visually vibrant way. There is a definite learning curve here though, even for such a simple and direct control setup, but it’s worth sticking with and becoming The Divine Visitor the world needs.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD is a decent enough port of a cult classic mecha game but misses the mark over the Xbox original. That said, even if you are not a fan of mecha games, you should still give this game a go. It’s raucous and a lot of fun and finally it is now more widely available. However, as someone that poured a lot of time into the game over the years, I still think the Xbox version is the best.

Gameplay was a strength of NASCAR Heat 4, and that has been augmented for NH5. The play is so much fun, it helps to compensate for some of the presentation issues, and what I’d describe as a lack of creativity in other areas. Those issues prevent the game from being great. That said, I’d still consider it the strongest release in the series’ history, and a solid get for NASCAR and racing fans.

Overall, this is still a solid collection and there are some genuine gems tucked away here. I just feel that this collection could have been so much more and picked a better array of games to show off what used to make Taito such an arcade gaming powerhouse.

It’s a somewhat amusing game, but DG feels and plays like a high-level mobile game, only it isn’t.

Agents of Mayhem is a strange game. I did enjoy much of my time with it, but I kept wishing it was a fully-fledged Saints Row sequel, not some alternate universe spin-off with less content. I didn’t expect all that much going in, but by the end, I wanted more than I got.

Yes, this is “more Starfield,” a game I liked, but I am very disappointed in the way it has barely evolved a year later, and the best thing about is Bethesda going back to a Bethesda-like zone structure. That’s good, but also feels very inauthentic to what the game was supposed to be. This is not going to convert anyone, nor may it satisfy many veterans. I did get some pretty screenshots, though.

I cannot recommend this game at full price. Again, as part of a free subscription it might be worth checking out and getting a few hours of slashy combat in. But I wouldn’t touch it unless the $70 asking price comes down by at least half, and even then, there are a half dozen other better games out this fall alone. I wanted to like Godfall. I never want to see games in this genre fail. But fail it does, and in a worse way than anything I have seen in a long while.

One one hand, NFSP feels a lot like a film from a major movie studio with b-level actors, a bad script and talented cinematographers who were perhaps uninspired. On the other side, there is some fun, but simplistic quality to the gameplay. However, it is predominantly a game that is trying to do too many things at once. Unfortunately, it fails to stand out in any one area. Had it ditched the open-world concept for a more challenge and stage-based experience, the story would have been easier to follow and perhaps more engaging. Also, the game might have been able to focus more on its best attribute, which is pure, dumb racing.

WWE 2K BG isn’t going to provide you the depth that the traditional, more sim-related version aims to deliver. However, for what it is, which is an arcade, over-the-top, dump-your-rules, beat-em up, it hits on all the major points. The game is fun, deeper than you might expect and offers a very good bang for your 40 bucks.

The game is a mess, and not only that, some of the ways that Reforged is a mess actually impact the original Warcraft III. So even if you didn’t buy the remaster and just want to play your old game, you’ll still face some of the same problems with the new launcher, connecting to servers and so forth. [Impressions]

Overall, Grendizer is a solid game with a clear love and passion for its classic super robot source material. It’s also very much meant for fans of Grendizer, otherwise much of its appeal and charm will be lost. It also clearly needed more time for polish and general graphical optimization. That said, it still plays decently with these shortcomings and is worth a look for those that want to pilot an old school super robot.

I’m puzzled by all of the negative reviews from critics, though I think many outlets do not have hardcore Call Of Duty players reviewing this game. I’m just as confused, if not more so, by gamers who have finally gotten what they’ve been asking for for years and are still throwing a huge fit over it. I think the Call Of Duty community only likes one thing more than playing Call Of Duty, and that’s complaining about it...As far as I’m concerned, this game ticks all the boxes. I’m having a blast, and isn’t that the point of Call Of Duty to begin with?

TWT2 feels unfinished, underdeveloped and somewhat soulless in some aspects. The swing mechanic might be a good idea conceptually, but it falls short of supplying that satisfaction that is transferred from simply hitting the ball in a tennis video game. Couple that with the malnourished feature set and you have one of the most disappointing tennis video games in a long while.

Overall, this is an accurate and faithful remake of the original The House of the Dead but lacks the bespoke light gun controls to really make it work. While games like Virtual On have had their TwinStick peripherals over the years, it’s a shame to see The House of the Dead denied a proper light gun.

While there are some real qualities in OTH, the deficiencies in gameplay and relatively low replay value make it a hard sell even for the virtual hockey fan who is looking for a knock-down, drag-out, arcade hockey title.

Overall, Custom Mech Wars is a mediocre mecha game that gets the customization somewhat right but fails on dealing with how the combat should work. While the Earth Defense Force games have their low budget infused charm, they are at least fun to play. Custom Mech Wars sadly lacks this redeeming feature and is just an arduous chore.

Mighty No. 9 then is definitely a missed opportunity, not only in terms of crowdfunded gaming but also as a homage to what made the Mega Man games so great in the first place.

It’s also not any competition for MLB The Show 16. Then again, it doesn’t set out to be either of those things. The aim was to create a baseball game that had a pick-up-and-play quality with a splash of real-life MLB style. While it accomplishes those goals in some areas, the game just isn’t all that fun to play—at least not as a console title.

This experience isn’t ruined by other players trolling or harassing me or breaking immersion, it’s ruined by the mere concept of being on a live server itself, and the fact that this was rushed out before any engaging story elements were able to be crafted to populate this map. This is a huge, rare, total miss by Bethesda, and even if it’s improved in time, I can only judge it by the hours I’ve lost to it so far.

It feels as if this was a rebuilding year for the WWE 2K franchise. While a few of the legacy strengths such as the creation suite are still strong, the most important part, the gameplay is in a bad place. The previous years’ version of a game shouldn’t play significantly better than the new title, but that’s the case with WWE 2K20.

While the team’s modest size is betrayed by the game’s myriad technical issues, what they’ve attempted here is, quite honestly, laudable. Maybe they’d do well to view this as a functional blueprint for a future project that builds on the good work that’s been accomplished—I know I’ll be waiting for what’s next. Here’s hoping the bugs get patched out and that we eventually get a Troll and I sequel, one that focuses on cleaner controls and a more emotionally engaging story.

This is simply not a very good baseball game and the higher price point makes it even easier to accept this year. The improved graphics don't do enough to save this from another sub-standard effort. With so many high quality, free and low-priced titles like Fortnite and Rocket League, we can't grade this on a curve.

Seeing the cars come alive on the track, commander characters speak back to you when you take them down, and the slowly evolving powers of each car is like nothing I’ve encountered before.

In totality, this game feels like a shell that has a decent foundation with its gameplay. Unfortunately, it lacks variety, flair and depth.

Disc Jam is a great and interesting concept that leaves you wanting more. Just as quickly as you gain an affinity for the game, you can also get bored with it once you realized there just isn't a lot to offer. Even with the obvious shallowness, Disc Jam is worth your time.

All things considered, it's difficult to recommend RBI 17 to any demographic. No matter what box you have the game in, there's a superior version to be found elsewhere in each concept.

It’s great to see a small team of gamers attempting to fill a massive void in the sports gaming universe, but at the end of the day, the game still has to be fun to be considered a success. I wish this game was better so that it could be an option for college football gamers and for those looking for a game with the potential to ultimately become an alternative to Madden...Unfortunately, it’s not yet good enough to create that sort of optimism.

I would love for DFMF 2020 to be a good game. I would love for it to be a football game “that isn’t Madden,” and that gives consumers a real alternative. Unfortunately, this isn’t Madden. It’s much, much worse. While it delivers robust options in franchise and customization, the game is just too hard on the eyes, and not fun enough to encourage most people to delve into its underneath layers. Even at a $30 price point, this game probably isn’t worth your time. You’d be better off playing Madden 08 if you’re willing to sacrifice graphics, but still want good gameplay.

Overall, TOAPLAN Arcade Collection Vol 1 & 2 covers the heyday of TOAPLAN’s arcade shmup output. It’s also a comprehensive collection, including the international variants for each of these classic arcade games. Although I suspect Zero Wing’s appalling localization will still be a draw for some of the old school fans.

Overall, TOAPLAN Arcade Collection Vol 1 & 2 covers the heyday of TOAPLAN’s arcade shmup output. It’s also a comprehensive collection, including the international variants for each of these classic arcade games. Although I suspect Zero Wing’s appalling localization will still be a draw for some of the old school fans.