I’m hoping that people get into it, because I plan on keeping this one in my regular rotation for some time.

The tactical demands Siege puts on players is unlike anything else on the console market today, and may prove enough for those seeking this flavor of first-person shooter. However, Siege doesn’t do enough to unite players who understand the importance of communication or provide variation in rest of the package.

It doesn't pollute the entire RCT experience, but it certainly doesn't add any content you're eager to drink in. [Aug 2005, p.105]

Even when it fails, though, Rune Factory: Frontier is packed with so many other activities that there's always more than enough to do. [Apr 2009, p.85]

Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a good reminder of why the RPG genre left some parts of its Golden Age behind. It’s also a testimony to what makes the genre special and the power of good storytelling to move and inspire. Admittedly, rigid adherence to archaic structures makes those first impressions tough to look past, but a creative battle system, extensive party customization, and top-notch writing make up for the retro jank.

Overwatch 2 doesn’t flip the formula the way you might expect a long-awaited, numbered sequel would. But through various clever tweaks, it’s a well-rounded evolution of the experience into which I’ve poured more than a thousand hours since 2016. I may never recreate the magic of those first few years in Overwatch, but Overwatch 2 is a big step towards restoring the faith in the franchise and has me thinking it’s time to pour a few more hundred hours into my favorite team-based shooter.

Isle of Pigs does VR well in that it is not a demanding or strenuous experience. Looking at a teetering structure in a 3D space, moving around it to eyeball its weakest point, and then picking up a bird to fling at it is just fun. It sticks to what Angry Birds is good at – satisfying destruction – it just needs more content to become a VR game I would universally recommend.

Alba: A Wildlife Adventure reminds players that happiness can be found in supporting worthy causes bigger than yourself. It feels nice to play a game about actively improving the world, and it does so with skill and charm instead of cringe. It’s the video game equivalent of sneaking vegetables into a tasty smoothie. This is one good deed that shouldn’t go unrewarded.

In a sport that symbolizes the cutting edge of car technology and the pinnacle of racing, the F1 series' slow progress is a contradiction. I enjoy the racing itself, but that only counts for so much. It's getting to the point that I'd rather see how other series like Forza incorporate F1 cars rather than play this franchise – and that's a bad sign.

UFC 2 improves over its predecessor in the ways it needed to. The improved ground game and deeper career mode are the biggest draws, but Knockout mode is a blast to play with a friend, and Ultimate Team offers a unique twist on the popular mode from other sports games. If 2014’s EA Sports UFC was a promise being made, UFC 2 is its deliverance.

Living up to the standard set by Legion, one of World of Warcraft’s best expansions ever, is an almost impossible task. Battle for Azeroth isn’t quite there yet. With warfronts, raids, and more story beats coming in the future, that may change. For now, the only thing for certain is that World of Warcraft still captures the MMORPG magic. And now that magic has dinosaurs.

Mirror’s Edge’s gameplay is adrenaline-filled and beautifully tailored, but the experience does end up feeling a bit hollow as the game runs out of new tricks to show the player. In the second half of the game, I started second guessing if I had already run across a particular section. I also became so in-tune with specific challenges that I could do them with my eyes closed...Regardless, this is one of those genre-defining games that everyone needs to see. DICE has pulled off a miraculous feat that hopefully will inspire other FPS developers.

Rise and Fall adds numerous new leaders, buildings, units, and wonders. It also tinkers with the nation-building strategy in some bigger ways thanks to the additions of loyalty and golden ages. In the end, Rise and Fall’s moment-to-moment action isn’t dramatically different from the base game, but the new bells and whistles provide a good excuse to return to Firaxis’ excellent strategy game.

Even through my multiple gritted-teeth attempts at the battles, I loved figuring out the puzzle of how to take down each monstrous foe. Finally executing on your plan to defeat a boss you’ve been stuck on is beyond rewarding. Mechstermination Force is action packed and exciting, but hit-or-miss controls and a disappointing final boss prevent it from reaching its best form.

From its astounding visuals to the constantly compelling gameplay, this experience will make role-playing veterans recall the good old days, and give newcomers the opportunity to start creating some memories.

That said, any brawler fans that haven’t played Final Fight should still strongly consider downloading this. And despite the fact that I’ve beaten up literally thousands of Mad Gear gang members in my lifetime, I can’t wait to do it over and over again.

I had a really difficult time adapting to the inconsistent accuracy of the weapons. [May 2002, p.92]

It adds some important elements to the game, but also has a ton of junk that really has nothing to do with the city building experience. [Dec 2003, p.183]

The ninja game the world has been waiting for. It fights with honor, but still handily slays the competition. [Apr 2003, p.80]

A solid driver, with good control and some decent graphics, but that's about it. [Jan 2002, p.80]

Mega Man X was a great experience back in the day, and this faithful re-interpretation with a sleek new look is nothing to complain about. [Mar 2006, p.120]

The problem is – despite everything mentioned above – the game isn’t that fun. While Charged is an improvement over the original, it still piles on so much craziness that it buries itself with simplistic gameplay.

This game works best as a memory of things past. [Sept 2004, p.118]

Doesn't offer enough depth or strategy. [Jan 2003, p.114]

This thing's sweeter than that beer with candy pieces in it; y'know, Skittlebrau. [Nov 2003, p.157]

It's disappointing that many of the new features fail to bring value to the table, but elements like last year's excellent motion system are at least in place to make the game exciting from moment to moment. Although I wasn't in awe of the new player hot/cold streaks, I liked the player roles and how they changed from year to year and gave your players a career progression arc. Other bright spots are the online communities that help weed out the riff-raff from your online multiplayer (thanks to stronger griefing rules), and the accompanying leaderboards also offer a larger structure to the experience. This is especially useful since the online franchise feature is still a bust.

After a troubled development and several delays, this Future Soldier looks more like a military game of ­the ­past.

Series fans might be put off by Monster Hunter Stories’ simplified combat, but I enjoyed the opportunity to pilot some of my favorite creatures from the franchise on the other side of the blade. Fans of turn-based JRPG fare, newcomers to the franchise, and younger gamers have more to enjoy here – to explore and engage with the Monster Hunter universe without having to enter through a less accessible door. Monster Hunter Stories is a warm and welcoming trek that’s only brought down by stale and repetitive combat. Despite its shortcomings, there’s still a neat egg to crack here.