The game does a great job of letting players logically put together clues. It hides them well at the center of the Roottree's web, but the farther out it goes, it may grate over time. The writing is worth absorbing as players go along and this feels like a real family that could have existed. While this story is certainly told in a way that makes it one of the more unique mystery games out there, it's the method in which players are asked to discover it that holds it back.

Roster omissions, a tedious story mode, and a poor presentation all hold Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite back from reaching the same heights as its predecessors. While it’s still fun and accessible at its core, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite‘s flaws are just too much for it to overcome.

Stranger's Wrath was a great game... fifteen years ago. It's still good, but after so long it does not age well enough to warrant the $30 price tag. It is a bit too simple and repetitive to be fully redeemed by its careful design. It is still a surprisingly entertaining romp, and will likely provide a lot of fun for younger players or nostalgic fans. By modern standards though, there are plenty of better games out on the Switch that have a similar level of polish but feel smoother to play and benefit directly from being on a portable console.

The arrival of Yo-Kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits provides fans with a familiar experience that changes very, very little when compared to the first iteration of the series.

All told, the nostalgia rush of reliving a classic game is enough to make Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection a worthwhile experience, but the game's underwhelming design decisions may make some players bust out an NES Classic to enjoy the original Ghosts 'n Goblins instead. It has some unique concepts of its own, but those can only carry it so far.

The campaign is made up of Warzone content, the multiplayer is comprised of maps that are 14 years old, and the Zombies mode uses a map that will be recycled for the battle royale. $70 is a high asking price for what's here, but those that do decide to take the plunge will find the best Call of Duty multiplayer experience in years and an intriguing open world Zombies mode that, while not quite as fun as the classic round-based Zombies maps, can still dish out memorable moments with friends.

A fun experience with tons of content to grind through but Battle for Neighborville never gives players meaningful incentives to stick around long enough to see most of it.

At its best, Torchlight 3 is a fun and colorful (if mindless) romp through mobs of enemies in the search of loot. At its worse, it's a premium game that feels like an empty, free-to-play MMO, and it becomes clear that the game has an identity crisis. That doesn't mean it's not fun, it just means that "Frontiers" feels like an invisible subtitle to Torchlight 3.

These improvements are nice, but they don't justify anyone buying the same mini-games again, and newcomers would arguably be better off going with a different entry in the series instead. There's nothing wrong with The Jackbox Party Starter content-wise, but it's hard to see its appeal when one would be better off spending slightly more to get a proper Jackbox Party Pack game with more mini-game options.

Aliens: Dark Descent takes place in a setting that could have been a fantastic place to unveil some gripping sci-fi drama or lore, but instead it's basically just a point-and-click sequence. Even without tripping at the finish line, Aliens: Dark Descent has enough issues that prevent it from excelling. There's fun to be had here, with some great mechanical choices and tactical possibilities that keep the excitement high. It's not the weakest in the history of Alien games, but it's too close to the middle to be memorable.

Like similar games, future updates will likely go a long way in improving Evil Dead: The Game. Besides some muddy graphics, the game is polished and runs remarkably well for a freshly-launched online-only multiplayer game, and it can be a genuine blast for a few hours with the right group of friends. However, in its current state, Evil Dead: The Game lacks enough content to keep anyone that's not already a massive fan of the franchise engaged for the long-term.

NEO: The World Ends With You gives players a tremendous soundtrack and a ton of content, and once the combat clicks, it's a genuinely good time. However, that comes with the caveat that players have to invest roughly 10 hours before the game really starts to be fun, and then they still have to deal with its repetitiveness. So as long as fans can put up with those issues, they will get a lot of game time out of NEO: The World Ends With You.

Samurai Jack fans who simply want more of the franchise in their life may find this game is worth its $40 price tag. On the other hand, fans who care about the canonical events of the show or those who are less invested in the franchise may find they have mixed feelings about it. It has the fun factor many may seek but is ultimately a mixed bag of odd decisions and nostalgic moments.

The game is very rough around the edges, and the gameplay may not offer the level of depth many strategy fans may yearn for, but Immortal Empire is a fun title for those with a bit of time to spare.

For long-term players, Overwatch 2 may feel more like a glorified update with problematic progression and roadblocks to enjoyment that didn't exist in the original game. In its current state, Overwatch 2 is more product than art, but there is still plenty of time to turn things around between now and whenever the game's 1.0 version launches.

With a ten dollar price tag for PlayStation Plus members, don’t expect to get a ton of mileage out of Whispering Willows. Unless you get stuck looking for a way to cut through some vines or get lost in a maze of hedges, the horror puzzle game shouldn’t take more than five hours to complete.

With rudimentary characters and extremely basic tasks, it almost feels like the Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town gameplay was made for those who haven't played any farming sims in the past. But for folks familiar with the genre, they'll find that there's not much to find here and little reason to justify spending $49.99 on an unoriginal, redundant farming sim aside from being a relaxing and easy-going experience.

Tipping Stars may not live up to the standards of Nintendo’s all-time classics, but it’s certainly an above-average puzzle game. If the core gameplay gets its hooks in, it can be difficult to pull yourself away.

Wanted: Dead has glimpses of greatness but is held back by mediocre systems and design choices that keep it from flourishing. Brief flashes of brilliance can’t help but be overshadowed by combat that feels repetitive, and voice actors that sound bored despite the surrounding chaos. Its difficulty, combat style, and visceral style will bring it some attention, but it more than likely won't be enough to keep most players enthralled for long.

Aspyr's Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles has some nice graphics and quality-of-life improvements, but it doesn't really add anything substantial that wasn't there in the Dreamcast version. And unfortunately, Jedi Power Battles is far from the best Star Wars game out there.

Ubisoft’s Uno does a good job of replicating the original card game as a video game, and it’s a good option for players who want to play with friends that aren’t close to home, but its shortcomings for in-person players means it definitely doesn’t qualify as a party game.

Like the anime it's based on, Fairy Tail 2 is a case of too much style and not enough substance. Despite its popularity, Fairy Tail has seemingly never been able to escape a reputation for being too formulaic, adhering to the style and qualities of Shonen anime just a bit too close for comfort. Similarly, Fairy Tail 2 is a game that ticks all the right boxes for a brisk and low-stakes RPG, but it lacks the depth that other similar games might offer. It's a title that players' enjoyment of will vary depending on their appreciation of the Fairy Tail manga and anime, with its snappy combat and eye-catching visuals the definitive silver lining of what's otherwise a fairly shallow experience.

Overall, Temtem is a fine alternative to other monster-collecting games with plenty to do. The balance can be a bit troublesome, but that may vary from person to person. However, it offers enough differences to be unique, with its default two-on-two battles and mechanics adding variety to each fight. Plus, playing with friends is easy and a blast.

It's hard not to suspect that deciding to put SaGa Emerald Beyond onto mobile gaming platforms hurt the game in many ways. From its lackluster art style, to a bevy of mostly un-engaging characters, the few hints of that Square Enix touch can't be found anywhere except within the cinematic combat moments and the length of the story overall. While interesting combat can carry a game a long way, there isn't enough of it to satisfy the majority of users. There will be some players who don't mind the pages and pages of dialogue, and won't care about the seemingly made-for-mobile art styles, but it's hard not to see these dragging SaGa Emerald Beyond down towards mediocrity and below.

Ghost Recon Breakpoint is a good game but struggles to establish itself or stand out in a genre that is already small. It tacks on too much from Division's loot system, random game design choices, and RPG elements, muddying what Breakpoint is exactly meant to be. It can seem like a Looter Shooter at times but fails to capture what makes Looter Shooters great.

Arizona Sunshine 2 has its flaws, but it's still a competent VR shooter game that gives players a great deal of freedom when it comes to interacting with the game world. Killing zombies is perfectly functional, and the combat can be fun, though it's best experienced in short bursts. That being said, it's head and shoulders above the first Arizona Sunshine game, and an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a new VR shooter to play despite its shortcomings.

It needs to be said once more that Ultra Street Fighter 2: The Final Challengers isn’t a bad game – it really isn’t. But it’s a game that’s been making rounds since the early 90’s, with a port that feels eerily familiar to a version that first arrived roughly nine years ago on Xbox 360 and PS3. Then there’s the price point of $39.99 USD, which feels more like a gouging than anything nearly reasonable.

Being able to build a retail business from the ground-up is by far the best highlight of the expansion, and hardcore fans will ultimately feel pleased with the amount of content offered in various career paths. For casual fans, the $40 price tag will seem a steep price just to have career options.

Digimon Story: Time Stranger does some things right, but its repetitive quests and dungeons drag the experience down significantly, to the point where it becomes almost a chore to play at times. Still, hardcore Digimon fans may be able to overlook even its most glaring flaws, as the game was clearly built with love for the franchise.

Despite its short length and occasional technical hiccups, Gylt is an OK stealth-horror game with knockout visuals and great audio design. It's not nearly compelling enough to sell someone on the Stadia service, but those with the platform wanting to check out something original will likely have a good time with it as long as they don't go in expecting the game to be Stadia's killer app or anything like that.

While it does offer some strategy thrills, all of this really holds it back from being another genre kingpin. With DLC and future updates, it may have a chance to iron out its weaker aspects. But, outside a few unique twists, it feels like it is missing something to make it truly worth the price of admission.

Pokken Tournament is the first Pokemon-focused fighting game ever released, but the final product feels more like a barebones offering rather than a fleshed out product.

Black Myth: Wukong is a game that shies away from the Soulslike label, yet it is clearly gunning for the Soulslike audience. It is far from the best in the genre, but it's also not the worst game that has followed in Dark Souls' footsteps. If you go into it expecting a mostly standard Soulslike experience with some blood-boiling boss encounters mixed in with basic level design, you will have a better time than if you were going into it expecting it to be like a traditional character action game. Black Myth: Wukong offers about 30 hours of gameplay for its first playthrough with a ton of side content to check out as well, but many will tire of the limited combat options long before they reach its dazzling yet equally aggravating final boss fight.

The game isn’t without hiccups—it’s downright frustrating at times due to procedural generation and an inability to escape from some obstacles—but there’s a lot to like, too. The Deer God‘s art and music are beautiful and soothing, painting a striking picture of the natural world.

Deathbound won’t be the next Soulslike sensation, but at a time when they’re around every corner, its courage helps it stand out. When there's a story to hear and monsters to fight, Deathbound’s rag-tag gang of alter-egos can hold their own, even as unfulfilled potential continues piling up. Its demo and low asking price should help prospective buyers decide if Deathbound is for them, and promised post-launch DLC could reward those who do stick with it. This is a solid title for Souls enthusiasts between major releases, and the emphasis on weaving disparate play styles together will make Deathbound an experience to remember, despite how hard its flaws are to forget.

The core gameplay of Shovel Knight Dig is solid, and the level design is a lot of fun, but the lack of build options, unfair-feeling deaths, and bothersome bugs hold it back. Perhaps with a few improvements to Shovel Knight Dig it can stand shoulder to shoulder with its predecessors. Ultimately, however, it's not quite there yet.

It’s hard to call Bladestorm: Nightmare a good game, but it is an oddly satisfying one. The main campaign is riddled with pacing issues, and the combat isn’t nearly as deep or tactical as Omega Force would like players to think it is. Still, leading a flock of powerful, sometimes supernatural soldiers is undeniably exhilarating.

There’s a potential for greatness within Etherium, but this isn’t fully realized throughout the game.

It contains the charm and strong mix of minigames that fans have come to expect, but much of the game seems stripped down in order to facilitate ease of play. As a result, it feels like Mario Party 10 loses part of the strategy that helped to tie the board game aesthetic together.

Battleborn has a strong cast of characters and exciting action, but suffers from a lack of content, frustrating server issues, and some questionable design choices.

Those who have been waiting for Final Fantasy to get back to what it does best, this is the best thing going right now.

Need for Speed Heat has issues that could easily be overlooked if the game had confidence in itself, but there seems to be some type of hesitation everywhere. Whether it's hesitation to move the story along, hesitation to introduce something new, or hesitation to strike out from the ghosts of its past, there just seems to be some lack of definition for Need for Speed Heat's release.

Hyrule Warriors Legends is a worthy port of the original The Legend of Zelda spin-off, allowing fans to take the game with them on the go – with a few noteworthy additions.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege has the polish of a big budget release, but the amount of content that one expects to see from a low budget free-to-play game.

It's a great throwback, but has a very specific audience in mind. The visuals are fairly standard and the complicated customization and tons of game modes will be great for fans, but might be overwhelming to more casual players. For $40, Pacer is focused on those who miss this type of game and know exactly what they want out of it. Still, there's a reason that the games it emulates are considered classics, and it nails that core gameplay.

There's nothing about INAYAH that is objectively bad, but the few very frustrating design decisions the game features are systemically baked into the title's gameplay to where even the good parts are undercut by them. At 15–20 hours to complete the game, INAYAH asks a lot of the player in terms of a time commitment, and while there are glimpses of brilliance in its execution, it's ultimately undone by the parts of the experience that work against it. Considering the sheer number of options players have for quality Metroidvanias, INAYAH's few annoyances hold it back from being worthy of players' time when there are so many similar titles to choose from that execute the formula better.

A brand new take on the series that manages to make moving furniture fun, but fails to innovate in a meaningful way.

The more serious technical issues will likely be addressed in future Scarlet Nexus updates, but in the meantime, the game is still a safe bet for big anime and Japanese action-RPG fans. There's serious bang for the buck, as Scarlet Nexus has New Game Plus and is stuffed with content, being one of the few games with two playable characters where going back through with the other one is actually a worthwhile endeavor. If the combat didn't lose its luster in the last five hours or so and if it wasn't bogged down with so many boring static cut-scenes, it would be much easier to recommend it to everyone else, too.

When stacked up to the Wii U version, there’s little doubt that Super Mario Maker For Nintendo 3DS is the lesser of the two – and it doesn’t even support 3D on the notoriously 3D-enabled handheld. The lack of online sharing is only made more baffling by the fact that apparent user-made levels from the Wii U iteration can be accessed through the ‘100 Mario Challenge’ mode, while the exclusion of Mystery Mushrooms also makes little to no sense given how prominent amiibo support on the portable is nowadays.

Oddworld: Soulstorm's bugs are a huge downside and keep the game from reaching the same heights as its predecessors. The original version of the game, Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus, is a much more polished experience and it may be best for players to check out that one instead while they wait for Oddworld Inhabitants to fix the many issues that Soulstorm is currently dealing with.

As it stands, though, Expeditions: Viking is simply a solid and at-times frustrating entry into tactical role-playing games, and should only be seriously considered by diehard strategy fans and history buffs – at least until it has been thoroughly rebuilt.

While Keeper's last 45 minutes finally offered the energy and creativity you expect from a modern Double Fine project, the 3 hours preceding it are sorely lacking those distinctive, integral elements. Keeper is a truly beautiful game where almost any and every frame can be a painting, but it's one that's best enjoyed when the controller is in someone else's hands.

The groundwork of a solid game is there– even if those roots mainly have to do with the character customization and world design. Mechanically, the game isn't anything special, far from it, in fact. But that may not be why players are here in the first place. For those that simply want to experience One Punch Man as a part of the narrative, there's no better alternative than A Hero Nobody Knows, even if it would fall apart were it not for One Punch Man's recognizable heroes reminding players what universe they're in.

The Last of Us is truly one of gaming's best, but the PC port is not the ideal way to experience it. Eventually, The Last of Us Part 1 on PC will be in a state where it lives up to or even exceeds its PlayStation 5 counterpart, but right now it's difficult to recommend. Buried beneath the poor performance is still one of the best games ever made, though, so PC gamers who don't mind playing with Medium graphics may still be able to enjoy the incredible story and gameplay if they absolutely can't wait for everything to be fixed.

When Steel Seed is at its best, it's a blast. Unfortunately, its best moments mostly end up emphasizing what could've been, making the weaker points that much more disappointing. It's not a bad game by any stretch; it's easy to get sucked into and, for the most part, is enjoyable to play. However, it doesn't do enough to stand out from the similar titles that came before it. As much fun as it can be at times, it falls short of being something truly memorable.

Realistic to a fault, with a player’s determination tested throughout the game.

At launch, Marvel's Avengers is a passable experience, with some big upsides to be found in its combat, stellar voice cast, and fun single-player campaign. However, its loot system, repetitive endgame missions, and technical hiccups seriously hold it back from reaching its full potential. But it's worth keeping in mind that Marvel's Avengers is a live-service game, and so a year from now, it may be a far better package. Those on the fence should wait for Crystal Dynamics to address some of these issues, especially since the superior next-gen versions are right around the corner anyway.

Anyone wanting a basic hack-and-slash game with great graphics for their iOS devices can't go wrong with World of Demons on Apple Arcade, though fans should keep in mind that it falls quite short of PlatinumGames' best efforts.

It’s a solid driving game, but it’s non-essential. Anyone thirsting for a brisk trip around the block in some souped-up motors will likely come away satisfied, but for the unconvinced, there’s little here that contradicts waiting for a bigger, better installment next year.

There's a great RPG buried somewhere beneath Cyberpunk 2077's mountain of issues, but it's going to be a while before that RPG is revealed to the world. Those that have followed the game's development since the reveal may want to hold off on picking it up until the problems are sorted out. Journey in now, and there's a good chance that Cyberpunk 2077 will leave behind a sour taste. Night City and a well-realized cast of characters may help with some of the disappointment, but Cyberpunk 2077 still needs some time in the oven.

Don’t bother with Gauntlet: Slayer Edition if playing solo, and expect the end game to be little more than a massive grind for gold.

Star Ocean: Integrity and Faithlessness is a clunky, sometimes beautiful mess, navigating between some exciting highs and many disappointing lows to fall short of its promise.

Despite its frustrations and some half-measure design, Boneworks is still a game that is easy to recommend for VR fans. There's a lot about its immersion that other VR games could learn from, and hopefully build an overall better game around.

Princess Peach: Showtime has a lot going for it, but it sometimes comes across as a concept demo for a larger game that will be much better. Peach shouldn't have to wait another 19 years for her next solo outing, but hopefully her next game takes the time to give the Mushroom Kingdom's princess a proper, full-scale adventure.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands is an easy recommendation for Borderlands and D&D fans, but those who have had their fill of the franchise may get tired of the repetitive combat and constantly looting useless items. The technical problems are the biggest issue, so hopefully, Gearbox Software releases new Tiny Tina's Wonderlands updates to address them soon.

For a game that only exists because a die-hard group of fans demanded it, Mirror’s Edge Catalyst should have been better. Unfortunately, it’s a mediocre follow-up at best.

It’s certainly more finely polished than free alternatives online, and does a decent job of challenging Plague Inc. and Pandemic in the sparse market for strategy disease-based games – though it’s not the greatest cure for boredom out there.

Warsaw is a solid foundation, but the balancing issues may make it difficult for players to love.

Unfortunately, those looking for a game with a deep and innovative stock simulator system will not find it in The Invisible Hand. What players do find is an entertaining experience for a few hours, driven by a desire to be a better stockbroker than their coworkers. Power Struggle Games should be proud of the release of The Invisible Hand, letting players live out the fantasy of being a big-time stock trader, all the while warning them of the greater consequences of capitalism's, and Wall Street’s, "invisible hands."

NBA 2K21 feels like a bit of an off-step, but it is still a solid basketball experience.

Wrestling Empire is repetitive and its lack of online multiplayer is disappointing. However, it has one of the deepest rosters in the history of wrestling games, and despite modeling itself after a game that's over 20 years old, still manages to perform better than some modern day wrestling games that have much bigger budgets. If nothing else, it's something to keep pro wrestling fans busy while they wait for the next WWE 2K or the upcoming AEW video game.

We wouldn’t say that the game overstays its welcome, but by the midway point getting through the levels starts to become a chore.

Ultimately, one's enjoyment of Immortality is going to depend entirely on two things: if they like art house films and if they have the patience to sift through over 200 clips of mostly-boring footage to get the story's full picture. The story itself is interesting enough that players will find themselves compelled to keep returning to the game to look for more clues, even if they're otherwise bored, but gameplay-wise, it doesn't have much to offer beyond its one genius trick. Immortality is something that everyone should at least try through Xbox Game Pass, but they should go in understanding that the game is going to demand a lot from them and not always offer much in return.

Those looking for definitive Mario sport experiences are best to stick to dedicated games.

The sequel to Ubisoft’s Grow Home is a charming follow up that gives gamers more to explore and collect, but ultimately fails to capitalize with further innovations.

While some players may love some of the things Kaiserpunk does with the genre, many may find it is a mostly fine take on the concept. If the publisher's past games are anything to go by, there is a chance that the game will expand with more content to help build out the experience further. But, as of now, players will have to wait and see.

Long load screens and a very cookie cutter narrative hold SGW3 back from greatness, but there’s no denying that this installment in the shooter franchise has brought the series forward quite a few steps.

Overall, Once Upon a Puppet is a fine game. Its presentation is a standout feature, with its graphics, character animations, environments, and audio design all going to great lengths to make the most of the game's unique premise. But those elements aren't enough to elevate the overarching experience. The fine platforming, fine puzzles, and fine story are the strings that hold Once Upon a Puppet back from greatness, and some unfortunate technical issues can inject a layer of unnecessary frustration into an otherwise very satisfactory performance from a promising new indie studio.

With time, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War's technical issues will be ironed out and the game will undoubtedly get a ton of new content. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Season 1 alone is promising new maps, modes, playable characters, and even some content for Warzone. But at launch, Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is disappointing, and so fans may want to give the developers some time to smooth things over before picking it up.

Overall, there's a lot here that fans of Vampire: The Masquerade are likely to love, and the wide expanse of skills and choices to make should add a fair amount of replayability to the story. However, newcomers to the franchise would do well to read up on the way the series works as a whole before getting started, especially if they lack experience with tabletop games and the way that experience is rewarded and utilized.

So much of the design of Forspoken takes a starting template and duplicates it ad nauseum to the point the biggest incentive to do anything is to flesh out the magic. By the time the credits rolled after 15 hours of story (and a decent amount of side activities), there weren’t any compelling reasons to keep going and cross items off the checklist. Instead, it felt better to appreciate the things that were enjoyable about Forspoken and leave it at that.

At its core, Zombie Army 4 feels uninspired and fails to capture anything unique. With the plethora of zombie video game content out, it seems safe to say that there is plenty out there that have done it better.

Playing with friends, coming up with battle strategies, and catching Pokemon are the most entertaining activities in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Unfortunately, the bland open world and technical problems weigh down what could have otherwise been another exceptional main series Pokemon game experience. The bones are here to build something special, so hopefully future Pokemon games do the concept of an open-world Pokemon game justice.

Melatonin works smoothly without any bugs and the controls feel crisp. The visuals are dreamlike, and the color palette is conducive to making people sleepy. With all the music to discover, it's kind of like an interactive album. Towards the end, it felt like just automatically pressing the space bar to the beat from level to level wanting to hear the next song.

Playing with friends, coming up with battle strategies, and catching Pokemon are the most entertaining activities in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet. Unfortunately, the bland open world and technical problems weigh down what could have otherwise been another exceptional main series Pokemon game experience. The bones are here to build something special, so hopefully future Pokemon games do the concept of an open-world Pokemon game justice.

Ultimately, players' enjoyment of Pumpkin Jack will crux on how nostalgic they are for the 3D action platformers of yesteryear. The makings of a great game are definitely here, with witty dialogue, a wonderful selection of fun mini-games, and some serviceable platforming. But, outside of its clear homages and lofty inspirations, Pumpkin Jack feels like it has nothing new to say and no modern insights to add. It ultimately winds up a jack of all trades but a master of none, offering plenty of ideas rife with potential but never honing in on one long enough to make it stand out.

Ultimately, Crossfire: Legion is a competent if generic Command and Conquer style game. It will appeal to those who enjoy the nostalgia of C&C, but given its largely forgettable campaign, limited map choice, few buildings, and small unit roster, it likely won’t have the same long-term appeal as other RTS games.

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream's gameplay isn't meaty enough, and it's disappointing that there are some features missing that were present in the 3DS version, like the Concert Hall. But the game is undeniably bursting with charm and is a decent distraction for a little while. Playing it in short bursts is the ideal experience, and while I don't feel the same kind of pull to never stop playing like I do with more well-rounded cozy games, I still plan on checking in on my Miis from time to time. $60 is too steep of an asking price for what's on offer, though.

If Dragon Quest Treasures didn't insist on forcing players to engage in its bland combat, the experience would be much better. Thankfully, the world, exploration, and treasure hunting system is a lot of fun. Investigating every nook and cranny or poking around each new landmark does not get old through the game's over 55-hour runtime (with completing most quests and extras), and the rush of discovering new treasure and watching your gang's value grow is satisfying and exciting. Despite its failures, the ways in which Dragon Quests Treasures succeeds outweigh them, if only slightly.

Pathway overall feels like a lite version of a turn-based game, and the monotony sets in fairly quickly. There are no plot twists to keep the story engaging, because there really is no story but rather the shallow foundation of one. Although the game can be beaten in 10 to 20 hours, it's questionable whether many gamers will see it through to the end. It may suck players in for a while, but the game simply is not dynamic enough to maintain interest long term. In the end, Pathway feels all the more dissatisfying because it had such potential. Robotality’s creation can be compared to an itch under the skin that can almost be scratched, but not quite.

The Gunk has its flaws, but it's still a mostly enjoyable way to spend a few hours. It's a short but sweet adventure with gameplay reminiscent of PS2-era platforming games and so fans of the genre should certainly give it a look through Xbox Game Pass.

Bandai Namco’s first attempt at localizing a Gundam game in many years comes with mixed results, as Mobile Suit Gundam Extreme Vs-Force is a largely average experience.

Although Lost Sea provides fun, laid-back gameplay alongside a colourful, cel-shaded world, a lack of depth and some restrictive design choices may limit the scope of the game.

It’s a puzzle game for people who don’t have the time or energy to challenge themselves with a puzzle game. It’s an enjoyable experience, just not a memorable one.

Due to its numerous technical issues and underwhelming gameplay, it’s difficult to give State of Decay 2 a wide recommendation.

Trials of the Blood Dragon serves both properties well in its design and story, but the gameplay is overall inconsistent as the title tries to expand beyond basic Trials.

Great graphics don’t make a great game. Even if we ignore the loot box controversy, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is still just an “OK” shooter that fails to leave a lasting impression. The single player campaign starts out strong, but quickly becomes a more generic Star Wars tale and makes protagonist Iden Versio far less interesting in the process.

Tribes of Midgard's quality is largely dependant on what the player enjoys but not in the traditional sense. It's a sort of all-or-nothing enjoyment where those that like making a task list and scratching off objectives will find something worth spending hundreds of hours in, but those that are on the other end of the spectrum will find it dull. If the player is that specific type of person, Tribes of Midgard will be well worth the investment, but if not, things may start to feel stretched a bit thin.