Under Pressure is moving Telltale’s Guardians series in a positive direction. The central conflict is more defined at this point, and the character setup work attempted in the first episode is already paying off. A few technical problems, including a couple of non-repeatable hard crashes during my playthroughs, dampened my enjoyment of this outing. However, this second installment left me interested to see where the writers go next, and in episodic video game storytelling, that’s what it’s all about.

Rev 2 has a lot of new content for returning players to dig into for a low cost, and the Guilty Gear Xrd package as a whole should be enticing to newcomers, even if Rev 2 itself doesn’t have a whole lot of new things for them to do. The fighting is fast, complex, and fun, and it features one of the best on-ramps for fighting games this generation. If you have a penchant for anime, belt buckles, and an endless love of guitar metal, Rev 2 has a lot to offer.

Dirt Rally was an amazing title that simply lacked features. Dirt 4 doesn't merely fill some of those holes; it gives the franchise a rich backdrop that makes the game the best in the series. It also has a new identity beyond the multiple racing disciplines. Codemasters has given us a feast that spurs our appetite for the kind of hasty danger you can never get enough of.

Arms is a zany fighter that delivers excitement and fun at every turn. While I wish there was more to do, what is included in the package is worthwhile. If you're looking for a fresh and exciting experience to play on your Switch, Arms is worth a look.

At its best, Friday the 13th is a compelling multiplayer experience that captures the excitement and terror of going against one of the most notorious movie monsters and (hopefully) living to tell about it. At its worst, the game is a frustrating trial of patience, whether you're waiting out the clock or dealing with numerous technical issues.

Star Trek: Bridge Crew nails something that franchise fans have long desired: a chance to control a starship, tap out commands on a console, and work together as a team. But Star Trek is also about character interactions, moments of discovery, and stories that address the human condition. Without any of that flavor, something feels off in the endless torpedo launches and ship scans. As a VR experience, Star Trek: Bridge Crew is another step forward for the medium, offering some of the most compelling interpersonal communications, cooperation, and deep presence in a shared space that I’ve yet seen. I’d love to see Ubisoft continue to iterate on this franchise; the core mechanical systems here are solid, and the rest of the Star Trek fantasy would fill in some notable gaps.

Embers of Mirrim is a nice surprise that seemingly came out of nowhere. It doesn’t feel like a “me-too” platformer, establishing a unique identity with its crazy dual-movement sequences and zen-like platforming. It just needs to hold your hand less when introducing new things, which sadly affects the experience from start to finish.

Old Man’s Journey takes around two hours to complete and makes the most of that time, showering players in an array of lovely images and sounds while also giving them some fun manipulation puzzles to solve. I left this beautifully animated countryside having felt that the journey was indeed one worth taking.

The final product is a strong contender, offering a mostly smooth online experience, gorgeous visuals, and clever twists on a combat system that flips between methodical and frantic in a heartbeat. But in other ways, Tekken 7 feels like a missed opportunity and (ironically) a rush job.

The finale focuses on your legacy and what you want to leave behind with Javier, who made his share of mistakes before the apocalypse. Seeing the man he grows into is satisfying, especially knowing you had a hand in influencing his relationships and choices. However, it all leads back to Clementine in the end, making this adventure just feel like a side story in her larger arc.

This season has its bright spots, but it also suffers from recycled plot points and uneven writing. From The Gallows represents this season's inconsistencies; it has some satisfying moments, but it also features just as many head scratchers. At the very least, From The Gallows is a decent conclusion to Javier's story – but it didn't leave much of an impression on me.

This season has its bright spots, but it also suffers from recycled plot points and uneven writing. From The Gallows represents this season's inconsistencies; it has some satisfying moments, but it also features just as many head scratchers. At the very least, From The Gallows is a decent conclusion to Javier's story – but it didn't leave much of an impression on me.

While Danger Zone undoubtedly sets the world ablaze, it also requires thinking along different lines. Danger Zone's more open levels and moving traffic creates situations requiring a more calculating kind of destruction.

Despite its sparse offerings, Danger Zone still proves that you can do beautiful things with a car, no matter how damaged it is.

Magikarp Jump doles experience out at a steady pace, so it took a long time before I considered looking at the available microtransactions. This bodes well for the game, but even if there is nearly always activity to do without having to wait too long, it doesn’t mean I enjoyed doing them. Training is boring; the jumping competitions are boring; and having to click through the dialogue of the guy who can’t tell if I am a boy or a girl who gives me a handful of coins is incredibly boring. The lack of interactivity sometimes makes it feel like a visual novel, but without any real story. The bits of enjoyment I did draw from the game were based mostly on the goofiness of the silly premise, but repeating jokes only makes them less funny.

If playing Street Fighter II anywhere you go sounds like fun, Ultra Street Fighter II isn’t a terrible version of it, and playing with friends brings back fond memories of when fighters were less intimidating. It may even kindle a newfound love for a game that has aged beautifully. But as a package, Ultra feels like the version of Street Fighter II we’re stuck with for now (since it’s otherwise not available on modern consoles), when it could have been the one we’ve been waiting for.

Perception is a memorable horror experience that thrives because of its unique setup and gameplay. Although more unsettling than downright terrifying, Perception managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, forcing me to solve a compelling mystery by facing what lurked in the dark.

Perception is a memorable horror experience that thrives because of its unique setup and gameplay. Although more unsettling than downright terrifying, Perception managed to keep me on the edge of my seat, forcing me to solve a compelling mystery by facing what lurked in the dark.

In the end, everything is sharply pulled into focus with a simple, but dramatic final story revelation and level. It made me want to replay the game from my new perspective and even seek out the collectibles I had earlier written off as unnecessary. Many elements of Rime are familiar, but it is an effective use of the medium and expertly builds up to (and executes) its cathartic finale.

Rime never strays too far from the “indie” trappings of ambiguous narrative, mysterious puzzles in a mysterious land, and a young protagonist incapable of fighting, but it delivers a meaningful and satisfying finale that shook me in a way I was not expecting.

Rime never strays too far from the “indie” trappings of ambiguous narrative, mysterious puzzles in a mysterious land, and a young protagonist incapable of fighting, but it delivers a meaningful and satisfying finale that shook me in a way I was not expecting.

The characters, their stories, and world they inhabit are divorced in a way that doesn’t make The Fidelio Incident a rewarding journey. When complete, I could look back on the story and appreciate it. But the two hours it took me to finish the game and gather the narrative components made me doubt it was worth the effort.

If you don’t mind taking the scenic route, Mages of Mystralia provides the unique opportunity to write your own spell book. Up until the end of the game, I was unlocking new runes that exponentially added to my magical arsenal. Piecing all of those runes into a new master spell made me feel like the most creative mage who’d ever lived, making this light-hearted adventure truly magical.

Farpoint is not the system-selling game the PSVR desperately needs. This competent shooter sews together a few VR thrills and benefits from the excellent PlayStation Aim controller, but the linear design feels dated by comparison to contemporary shooters. Therein lies the rub for virtual reality right now – you can’t innovate with dated concepts, even if they have a sheen of novelty overlaying them.

To call Fire Emblem Echoes a step back for the series would probably be unfair. As a remake it works on a number of levels, showing off the series’ strange roots while also serving up an entertaining 30-hour epic fantasy. However, the brutal and dull difficulty and large amounts of necessary grinding left me feeling as frustrated as I was invested in Echoes’ offerings.

Injustice 2 is a huge game, offering a lengthy story-based campaign, a great fighting experience, and a nearly endless supply of notable loot. The small tweaks to combat go a long way in creating a more dynamic flow, which resonates well in multiplayer matches. I ran into a little lag in a few online bouts, but the game ran smoothly most of the time. Even if you don’t enjoy the competitive aspects of the fighting genre, this is a game you can dive into for an enjoyable superhero story. Brainiac is a tough fight, but anyone should be able to march to him and take him down on the easiest difficulty.

I didn't mind investing over 50 hours to the grind in The Surge. I felt powerful at times and exploring every little area rewarded me with a nice bounty. It just clings too tightly to a one-note approach to world building, enemy encounters, and level design. This is a genre that has a rich history of wowing players, sometimes from the look of a boss, and maybe even the design of the world it inhabits. I was never dazzled by The Surge. I mostly felt like I was battling animated junk in a junkyard.

A delightful, daring, and different expansion that reinforces Forza Horizon 3’s reputation as one of the best racing games ever made.