I could go on, of course, but the main idea is that Goliath, for having an authentically fun concept is not that much fun itself, venturing into being frustrating and overly cynical.

It is, as many have said, the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2 of indie sidescroller skateboarding games. However, the Xbox One version is crippled by this one small but significant hitch, much like the proverbial pebble in the pavement.

DOOM is hands-down one of the best reimagined and exciting FPS games this generation.

Unless you're an aquatic dinosaur fanatic who has a thing for submarines and listening to facts about dinosaurs, you're probably not going to enjoy this. Your time would be better spent at a local museum; at least they have the cool dinosaurs there and not just the underwater ones. [Tested both Vive and Rift]

When you walk away from Total War: Warhammer, you’ll feel like you’ve played yet another decent Warhammer game. It has the attention to detail and adherence to lore that fans of the IP look for, but without many of the compelling qualities that are needed to substantiate AAA games in a release-heavy year like 2016.

Shadow of the Beast is as dull as it is brown, which is to say extremely. The platforming is clunky, the AI is bad, the story requires multiple playthroughs, the game defies its own logic, and it reeks of other laughably awful design decisions. Don't bother with this beast.

While this almost feels like "Sim Universe" at times, the core difference is in something for which to strive and active threats beyond your own mishandling of resources and the occasional fire to put out. There's a whole universe out there, and I can't wait to play through Stellaris as many times as it takes to experience the whole thing.

Throughout the twenty-two chapters and a wonderful final level that you won’t want to miss, Nathan Drake’s story is finally complete. Whatever a future developer chooses—Naughty Dog has said this is their last Uncharted—they have mighty big shoes to fill. Muddy, worn out, hilarious shoes.

This is the kind of thing I love about quirky little gems like this: They can either fall entirely flat, or they can be the diamond you know is easily lost in the dark recesses of the cheap-o games section of your online retailer of choice.

While the Paris episode is fun, it still feels like it's holding your hand a bit; Sapienza and especially the "World of Tomorrow" mission feel like they're really dropping you into the world and seeing how you react to its challenges, while being much more playful with the game's ecosystem.

Despite its flaws, it remains a unique experience and a rare, intimate look into an illness that is often misunderstood by media.

Battleborn could have easily been a soulless copycat of Borderlands or just another MOBA, but this is one fusion game that has its own identity and lays the solid groundwork for much more to come.

Before that though, What We Deserve is a solid finale as a standalone Walking Dead adventure. I loved getting to spend more time with Michonne and the supporting cast left an impression too. The art style and gameplay mechanics fit nicely into the Telltale world.

Cyberpong VR is fun, polished, and easy to jump into and play. Most notably, its multiplayer mode showcases remarkable potential for social experiences in virtual reality. [VR Tested]

At the end of the day, Final Fantasy IX is still a terrific game, and unlike many from its era, its core gameplay and plot have aged admirably.

While Evolution is largely based on the original, can be a bit repetitive with puzzles that aren’t all that compelling, and has run-and-gun gameplay that might be a bit too basic, it is still highly entertaining. I recommend this to gamers who enjoy a tongue-in-cheek, cinematic platformer that oozes bloody cartoon carnage by the bucket load.

Overall, Severed does a lot of good with its excellent and challenging combat, intricate dungeon maps full of collectibles, unique and visceral upgrade system, and a fantastic presentation.

It’s a nice package, and the 3D is proof that classic titles from what I consider the golden era of gaming can pop fantastically well on the 3DS. Next time, hopefully the selection can vary more broadly, making the package both worthy of a full price tag and hours of investment instead of a burst of nostalgia and the question of why my wallet feels lighter than it should.

Despite the feeling of catharsis I achieve when playing Koi, it still lacks many of the fundamentals that make a video game compelling. Add in the fact that the experience only lasts around two hours, and the result is a game that feels incomplete.

I had a good time with Star Fox Zero, but it feels like a game whose design is built on contradictions; the desire to have the new targeting control, but with the classic Arwing gameplay keeps both from being entirely functional. It prizes arcade-style progression, but lacks modern concessions for console titles, like adequate checkpoints or multiple difficulty levels.

Still though, while I can’t find a reason for Siege of Dragonspear not to exist, and while it completely entertained me throughout its unbelievable 30-hour run time, it comes off more as wholly unnecessary.

The last few minutes of episode two work terrifically, putting all the pieces in place. Without giving too much away, a showdown is on the horizon.

So if you like classic RPGs, there’s no reason to avoid any of the Bravely games, and if you’re not sure about this one for some reason, download that free demo and get crackin’.

On paper, the whole thing sounds delicious, but in the end the effort to combine them gives you a stomachache. It’s not a bad game; it just doesn’t do anything striking with the mechanics it borrows.

This re-imagining of the original has just the right blend of enjoyable gameplay features mixed with tight controls and impressive visuals, sprinkled with a liberal amount of jocularity.

With three episodes left, Telltale is considering Episode 5 a sort of bridge between the end of the Witherstorm finale and post-season tales. While I’m looking forward to Episode 6 more than I was before, Order Up! greatly benefits from being self-contained.

Even with minor issues with linearity, framerate, and the originality of level design, Dark Souls III is an outstanding send-off for a seminal trilogy that has influenced and legitimized difficulty in games with unapologetic force.

Despite some quite good late-in-the-story character beats, Quantum Break is still just another cautionary tale about time travel. It seems the one thing that never gets an alternate universe path is the notion that time is something that we should never mess with, which is kind of obvious by now. Perhaps this story could have bucked that trend. What saves Quantum Break, though, is the abundance of content and its integration of time-based abilities in combat. I might not have like the live-action episodes, but someone might especially when compared to narratives in other games.