As a survival horror game, Condemned 2 is too short on horror. As an FPS game, it’s too short on strategy and level design. At best, it’s a brawler with some horror and FPS elements.

Bomberman Land Touch! 2 proves that deception truly is a sly creature.

One of those games that coulda, woulda, shoulda, but didn't. It introduces some great ideas and lets them fall flat.

Nintendo Switch Sports has a weird emphasis on online play, a frustrating unlock system, and is sadly underwhelming compared to its predecessors, which launched over a decade ago.

Its levels are far too structured for me to believe in its weird world, while its secrets are more laborious to uncover than they are fun. I had a reasonably enjoyable time with New Pokemon Snap, though it’s still a missed opportunity to do something with these creatures other than beat them up.

Arcade racers should be better represented on console and PC, with Cruis’n Blast ticking a lot of boxes for those who love this genre and wish that it wasn’t almost solely confined to arcade cabinets. There are few games that will pitch a unicorn in a race against a UFO, and such possibilities in Cruis’n Blast should be celebrated appropriately. However, performance problems, the absence of online multiplayer, and the lack of things to do for the solo player make for an altogether disappointing port, that nonetheless just about offers enough to warrant the attention of arcade racing fans.

While the shooting and free-running gameplay are enjoyable when everything works, Shadow Warrior 3 remains both fun and frustrating in equal measure — while it lasts.

The Saints Row (2022) reboot takes things back to basics but with very little push for innovation. It still gets a lot right, but that success is in areas where it was already strong, and little effort has been invested in strengthening the weaker aspects. A reboot should offer a chance at a clean slate, at cutting ties with what held you back in the past, but Saints Row (2022) fails to do this in any meaningful way.

Unfortunately, Far Cry 6 has missed the mark again, with too few significant improvements and a lot of bloat. For those who love Far Cry, it’s yet another game to blast through and add to the pile, but compared to the competition, this series is starting to fall seriously behind.

While Dying Light 2 does a lot right with its gameplay and new-gen presentation, it’s still a far cry from zombie gaming greatness. The weak story, uninspired mission design, limitations on initial player skills, and bugs let it down in a big way. Sure, a lot of this will be easy to ignore when fighting the undead as a four-man squad, but “it’s fun with friends” is an excuse that can only get you so far.

Although the game sadly doesn’t use mechanics to tell its story, it represents both the good and bad extremes of what only gaming can do: imbue an emotional tale through interactivity and be technically busted. While Anamorphine’s story is still worth seeing through, it’s a shame that its shoddy optimization tries to actively thwart its touching message at every turn.

This means that anyone else is probably better off just letting the thing sit on the shelf unless you need to unwind with the video game equivalent of pedestrian smooth jazz: bland, boring, uninventive, but still technically a functional example of the art form.

Fans of the series will find more to love than the rest, but Paper Mario 3D allows players of all levels to get to the point a lot faster. Though Dream Team has one of the better 3D effects, in both 2D and 3D gameplay, you're more likely to shut your eyes than cross them. There are hours of entertainment for patient players willing to read and giggle at silly accents, but I'd rather explore Bowser's dreams instead.

Guild Wars 2's first expansion is a modest addition for fans of the original, but those who haven’t found themselves captivated by it already are unlikely to walk away satisfied.

Beenox did a commendable job juicing up the visuals and maintaining the fluid first-person shooting mechanics, but time has not been as kind. Modern Warfare 2 is a dated game due to the archaic framework that surrounds its gunplay and primitive storytelling, showing that the “modern” part of Modern Warfare 2 is no longer as applicable.

The battle system controls easily and is fairly easy to learn; those who see this game basically like chess will enjoy it. Those looking for a new RPG to get into, however, should look elsewhere.

Sniper Elite V2 certainly includes much more sniping techniques than your normal action shooter, which makes it different and fun to play, but it needs more of a storyline and varied missions to emphasize those features. Despite its sub-par and repetitive gameplay, there is still much to do after the SP campaign is completed, making this game worthy enough to at least try it out and see if you have steady aim.

All in all, Worms: Revolution just doesn't have the polish to make it an improvement over previous games. Among these is the virtuous Worms 2: Armageddon, which looks prettier, plays more quickly, and has a far more concise HUD. It's also available on most of the same platforms and boasts a better single-player experience. Worms: Revolution just falls short of that comparison.

As Imageepoch's swan song, it may not be a slam dunk, but it's clear that Stella Glow was crafted with care from people who know the genre, even if at times you just have to stare at whatever just happened in disbelief and say, “Okay, whatever, game.”

State of Decay 2 is a flawed game, and it seems to suffer from Microsoft's increased demand for exclusive titles. If it had about six more months or so of development time, it's likely that the tone of this review would be very different.

Tex Murphy fans will lap it up, but everyone else will likely consider this a case not worth solving.

To those who are looking for another action-RPG fix prior to the release of Bloodborne and can overlook LotF’s derivative nature, then it’s worth a shot. For everyone else, though, there are plenty more games releasing just around the corner to warrant you overlooking this one.

The troublesome touch controls result in a lesser experience, but at its core Broken Sword 5 is still a solid adventure game.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth Complete Edition isn’t going to wow you unless you already have a built-in appreciation for the franchise.

In its return, NBA Live 14 helps kick off what there is to come for next-gen gaming, but as a representation for sports brands, it’s not the best outing.

Like attendants at a holy temple, developers like this keep the torches lit for any wandering players looking for a gateway into a bygone era. And those willing to track down this temple will likely feel right at home.

While GT Sport is a decent and well-crafted game, Forza 7 does arcade-style driving better, and Project Cars 2 does sim racing better. In comparison, GT Sport just can't stand up to either game.

Hellish bugs might significantly diminish the experience but Afterparty still gives players a convincing enough argument to take an express elevator down to the fiery pits of torment.

Though The Descent has the foundation of a strong side campaign, the characters aren't memorable enough and the story finishes too loosely to leave a lasting impression. Perhaps if it came coupled with a fully reimagined Orzammar or characters who have some permanence, it would have been an adventure that wasn't as closed off and didn't have an awkward aftertaste.

Unless you find this one on sale, do yourself a favor and grab Link’s Awakening DX instead. You’ll have the same game, minus the Chamber Dungeon, and updated graphics and still have plenty left over to get some other excellent titles.

Aliens: Colonial Marines is not the bad game that most reviewers have made it out to be. With the reviews it's been getting, you would think it was unplayable! However, the hoax that Pitchford sold with his video demo two years ago has clearly poisoned the well. Everyone seems to want to know: Where is that game? With Colonial Marines supposedly outsourced, all the talent went to Borderlands 2, I guess.

Overwatch 2’s fast-paced action is an excellent change of pace from its predecessor’s shield-heavy gameplay, but a lack of new content and rushed release means this sequel doesn’t live up to Blizzard’s historically high standards.

In the end, though, its lack of depth makes it hard to recommend to anyone who’s not a fan of WWE in the first place. Lucky for the game’s makers, that’s one group of people there’s definitely no shortage of.

In a perfect world, God Eater 3 would have been a leap in quality similar to Monster Hunter World and had been the big coming out party for the series. Sadly, that isn’t the case here at all. Instead, fans got more of the same with little innovation and the extra difficulty feeling more artificial than interesting.

Onrush isn't the MotorStorm Apocalypse spiritual successor I had been hoping for, and though there's a lot of fun to be had in its Lockdown and Switch modes, there isn't enough here to justify its steep $60 price tag. This is a light package that never reaches the heights of Evolution Studio's previous games, but for those seeking an arcade racer offering quick thrills, it does the trick.

Charlie Murder represents a studio heading in the right direction, but it still feels like painting by numbers.

If you can ignore gameplay flaws and focus on style, you might fall in love with its VHS trappings. However, if you want something beyond style, if you want an interesting interactive tale or a precise action game, you should look elsewhere.

Cat Quest 2 is top of the line when it comes to offering classic mechanics to those newer to gaming.

In the end, it's Mario, and it's a great party game. If you buy it, you'll get exactly what you paid for.

For better or worse, Fate/EXTELLA embodies everything that makes an anime game different from the ordinary crowd, including characters that speak only in exposition, fan service that creeps you out, and gameplay that is more about watching cool stuff happen than actually being fun. Owners of the PlayStation versions need not double dip. If, however, you feel your Nintendo needs a little more anime, this can be the figurative microwave mozzarella sticks before dinner that you're looking for.

Far Cry New Dawn is fine, functional, and sometimes fun, but it mostly just hovers around the middle, neither touching greatness nor mediocrity but occupying the safe, boring plateau in between.

Unfortunately, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet didn’t get the development time they deserved. It’s hard to see a franchise that means so much to me finally start heading in the right direction only to come up short. I sincerely hope that Game Freak and Nintendo will start listening to fans and critics and turn things around.

Unfortunately, Pokemon Scarlet and Violet didn’t get the development time they deserved. It’s hard to see a franchise that means so much to me finally start heading in the right direction only to come up short. I sincerely hope that Game Freak and Nintendo will start listening to fans and critics and turn things around.

If you have a group of friends who are also willing to take the risk with you, you could certainly glean a lot of enjoyment out of the game, but it’s unlikely that you’ll still be playing it a couple of months down the line.

As a package, there's plenty of good to recommend to fans, but it'll never live up to Gears of War 3's bombastic and dramatic finish. "What's left, Anya?" Apparently there's still war left to fight, but it's up to you if it's worth it. As a reluctant fan of the series, I'm sad to see it go out like this, but Judgment seemed dead set on opening old wounds just to feel the sting.

Call of Duty doesn’t just return to its explosive roots here; it manages to create a new metaphor for the American bang-bang shooter consumers who continue to drive sales of both it and other major franchises.

Saints Row: The Third Remastered can coast on some its nostalgic value. Its multitude of upgrade systems provide the necessary carrots to fulfill a true Saints-like power fantasy and its visuals do look better than ever. And while its humor just barely gets out alive, the other parts of the game — like the incessant, anger-inducing ragdolling, banal side mission design, and lack of new content — aren’t as funny. It’s a dildo bat that still has some heft behind its swing, but it’s gone pretty flaccid in the ensuing nine years.

If there’s never another arcade-style hoops title for Switch, then Playgrounds certainly meets my bare-minimum needs. It could have been so much more though, and as such I’m hoping Saber Interactive comes back with a fleshed-out second attempt (maybe another sport?) sometime down the road. In the meantime, Playgrounds delivers the outrageous exhibitions you’re looking for - just don’t expect it to provide much else.

Scorn is arguably worth playing for the visuals alone. We’re rarely transported to somewhere truly alien in games, and it’s something I’m glad I experienced. However, it’s more of a theme park ride than a genuinely immersive experience. That’s fine, but with a little more complexity and refinement outside of the artwork, it could have been something extraordinary.

Catherine is a fascinating experiment, but it’s rather uneven and has not aged well.

With plenty of new content mixed in with plenty of old staples of the series, Ninja Storm Generations is sure to please fans of Naruto. For average users and those just a little curious, this might not be the fighting game for them. Artistically it is very enjoyable, based on another animé series with a lot of plot and storyline that could have anyone watching or playing for years. But its gameplay is rather hit or miss.

Although it has its shortcomings and a bit of an archaic framework, it’s even more interesting to explore now simply due to how much the series has changed since its inception.

If you want a game that can mix up your activity on the go or maybe a title with a ton of personality that shows off the touch controls on the PlayStation Vita, Escape Plan can't be missed. If you've already got five games, resist the urge to buy more. This one will go on sale soon.

Murdered: Soul Suspect, though it was diverting like a bit of light reading, never really hooked me. And that's its biggest problem.

That said, if you can ignore the multiplayer and prevent yourself from using gold unless it's absolutely necessary, Spartacus Legends is a satisfactory free-to-play fighter for what it is. Of course, that's a tall order when the game wants you to spend money on premium currency anywhere and everywhere.

The online is like every other shooter, and that's the problem. Deathmatch, Team Deathmatch, a horde mode, and few other standards-not very imaginative, are you? It's smooth playing online, so it's done well enough.

As I said before, Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is definitely for fans only. One last warning, though: The main game is worth finishing if you can get past the punishingly hard boss battles that plague the last ten hours.

All in all, Runbow is a decent party game that offers some laughs and a nice amount of variety, though it is unfortunately not as accomplished as other similar games.

Snake Eater 3D is only recommended over the Collection if, for some reason, you don't have a 360 or a PS3

While it is certainly one of the most accessible RTS games I've ever played, Age of Empires: Definitive Edition does feel too outdated for newcomers. Unintelligent AI, monotony, and unbalanced gameplay hold it back from competing with modern strategy games out right now.

From the half-hearted RPG elements that either needed to be expanded upon or removed to the frustrating story layout, there are too many issues that get in the way of enjoying creating a bristling magical city.

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends is best suited for newcomers to the franchise. If you keep your expectations reasonable before you jump in, then you can easily enjoy yourself.

This is My First RPG for a new generation of gamers, one that spells things out, repeats everything as many times as needed, and generally waits patiently as you scour the map for the one thing you need to move forward.

So while Episode 3 really nails the tension and thrills of coming face-to-face with the Minecraft-staple Enderman, I’m still not convinced this adventure adds up to much more than a mild diversion.

Mario Strikers: Battle League’s core gameplay is fun, but it’s just not enough to justify the incredibly slim package offered. There’s little to do for online players and even less for those looking for a fun offline single-player game, with it for Mario sports games in general. Nintendo fans were hoping for a hat trick here for the third entry in the Mario Strikers series, but were instead left with an own goal.

Despite some poor design choices and a few bugs, Citizens of Earth is still an enjoyable game that will appeal to turn-based RPG fans who like quirky humor. It's just too bad that there's such a strong focus on keeping players busy rather than interested.

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit captures the awkward nostalgia of being a child quite well even if it falters in other areas.

Combat is only a small portion of the overall experience, but the other aspects of the game don't particularly shine. It's as if StarDrive 2 is content in its adequacy.

The variety in game modes doesn't quite make up for the lack of heroes, but Toy Soldiers: War Chest provides some quality entertainment for tower defense aficionados.

As a budget Steam release, Outlast offers some cheap thrills for fans of the survival horror genre. Unfortunately its underwhelming visuals, combined with Red Barrel Games’ over-reliance on jump-scares ahead of more psychological frights, made my experience with it feel similar to walking through a haunted house: It’s scary, but not in a very clever way.

Pokemon Let’s Go is best approached exactly like Nintendo described it. It’s an experimental side game and in no way a substitute for a main series title. Luckily, we should get a chance to experience a new core title for the Switch next year. As it stands, Pokemon Let’s Go is a decent morsel which will help pass the time until then.

Ryse is an absolutely beautiful game, but all the beauty in the world can't make up for repetitive gameplay that will most likely bore the average gamer, even those who like hack-and-slash.

You could ask for a version more to your liking, but Ultimate seems mostly focused on getting to these new consoles before any other subtitle.

Pokemon Let’s Go is best approached exactly like Nintendo described it. It’s an experimental side game and in no way a substitute for a main series title. Luckily, we should get a chance to experience a new core title for the Switch next year. As it stands, Pokemon Let’s Go is a decent morsel which will help pass the time until then.

Whether you want to buy the complete Resident Evil Origins Collection or prefer to experience the original game on the go, Capcom did a great job with these handheld ports. Not only do both look just as good as ever before, but they are a natural fit on Nintendo Switch. The dated gameplay won’t appeal to everyone and Zero is a bummer, but the quality of the remastering can’t be denied and the REmake has plenty of fantastic scares for players to enjoy. It’s a great history lesson, even if it’s just serves as a reminder of how far the series has come over time.

There was a time when just making a solid licensed title was a feat in and of itself, and by those standards, Deadpool would have been considered something of a success. But today, it's just an average action game that succumbs to the classless, risk-averse practices of mainstream game design just as often as it parodies them.

On a whole. Alien Spidy is a platformer whose fun gameplay is slightly overshadowed by its overly stringent level progression mechanic and iffy controls.

Samurai Warriors 4-II isn't a bad game, but it will only appeal to gamers who long to play lengthy battles where mindless button-mashing trumps strategy and variety.

Adventure game fans may be delighted by this return to the old-school style game from Frogwares. However, more casual fans of the genre may find Telltale's approach more accessible and graphically strong. Fans of the genre, or of prior entries in the series, will probably want to pick it up, for everyone else it may be an anachronistic curiosity.

Firefall is middling. If you have free time to spare, the fact that it won’t cost you anything to try is a huge win. If it manages to sink its teeth into you over the first few hours, you might just be hooked. Personally, I’ll pass.

Not every game needs to be ambitious, but those that settle for the familiar must face the consequences. Toukiden succeeds with what it sets out to do, but fails to distinguish itself from the crowd of portable action games.

$60 for a game that’s approaching a year old is a bit much, especially given that it doesn’t include the DLC.

The game features online multiplayer and some other standard features, as well as being able to log your progress with Codemasters' online service, Racenet. However, it's still not Mario Kart, no matter how charming the presentation and attitude.

When it comes right down to it, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a competent platformer that rests on the laurels its namesake and plays it far too safe. That said, hardcore fans will find plenty to love solely because it's more Sly. So if pretty art and average platforming sounds worth the price of admission, who am I to stop you?

The iffy puzzles and tedious backtracking in Unravel sadly cannot be fixed by switching to an easy mode as the game doesn’t offer any kind of “just play the story” mode. That’s a shame since the world and likability of the lead hero make the kind of adventure I love to get lost in.

In many ways, Fable Anniversary is just a prettier version of the original game with the added The Lost Chapters DLC thrown in for good measure.

It’s extremely mindless grinding, which can be fun now and again when you’re feeling non-committal. And from what I’ve learned of the endgame offerings, when you’re fully leveled, you can just experience much of the same. I’m not sure how long someone would want to experience more of the same, and I don’t feel like anything I’ve played warrants going through it all again with another character. It’s just not all that compelling, but if you have friends you’d like to quest with, it’s certainly something to do… like many other things.

Konami’s brazen attitude towards its stable of classic franchises (along with Hideo Kojima) is why it doesn’t have the best relationship with the hardcore video game audience. That doesn’t factor into this Castlevania: Requiem review but this collection is almost a pure manifestation of Konami’s common perception among players since it’s a slapdash port job done with the most minimal effort imaginable.

Slender: The Arrival has solid qualities, as well as some hit or miss tendencies, leaning towards the miss side. Undoubtedly, this one is under the horror classification and does its job throwing out its scary surprises, and for better or worse, there are still some accidental funny moments that you can’t help but laugh at.

Fans of Gundam will surely love the inclusion of six different series, and the number of mobile suits and upgrades gives some incentive to keep playing. It doesn't escape the repetition that plagues Dynasty Warriors titles, but fans of Dynasty Warriors and/or Gundam will find something to enjoy.

I’m fully prepared to see the entirety of gaming journalism as a whole take the opposite opinion of The Pathless as the years go by. There’s a giant list of titles that my peers absolutely love, then I play them, and I swear we’ve experienced two different games. That being said, I can see how someone could absolutely love The Pathless, even if it didn’t do anything for me.

The Sinking City is certainly more involving and had more care put into it than last year’s official Call of Cthulhu game but besting its spiritual predecessor doesn’t mean it reaches its full potential. The detective work is quite involving, but the combat is a mess and the pretty open-world doesn’t have enough in it to justify its existence. It would’ve been better suited as a series of locations you hop between, rather than dull jaunts to get to places of interest or the various archives of information.

If you have a PSVR and you want to see Eos from an eye-level view, and you want to do some semi-glitchy fishing, this is a good title. With patches, Monster of the Deep will likely improve, and there's a lot to enjoy here for players for which it does appeal. For most though, this title will be a hard pass.

The skating dry spell may not have been completely lifted but it’s not as dry anymore, thanks to this modest splat of paint.

Tiny Troopers may be a middle-of-the-road experience, but sometimes that's just fine.

Its overall graphics and presentation are rough around the corners, but it's an enjoyable experience if you can convince friends to join your party. But if you're a lifelong Dungeons & Dragons fan and expect Sword Coast Legends to be the classical D&D experience it claims to be, you'll need to look elsewhere.

If you’re a big fan of Souls-likes and want to play a game that follows that formula fairly closely while introducing a few unique gameplay elements, Hellpoint isn’t a bad choice. However, the game lacks direction and polish, and it makes for a poor introduction to the genre.

It does just enough to get the job done. As we’ve seen with many releases on Switch, that’s usually enough for most people.