Windbound is a game that sounds good on paper but in practice, it falls apart. It’s a very interesting case study in design that takes inspiration from certain games yet doesn’t quite understand what made them fun in the first place.

Earth Defense Force 4.1 isn't out to change the action genre, or win any technical awards for that matter. It simply provides a fun, over-the-top experience where you lay waste to aliens – and the city, oops. It's built pretty solidly, though, and is a sheer joy to play, whether alone or with friends. And when you hop into the helm of a mech, your heroic meter will definitely jump up a notch. Here's to you, EDF!

While I still kind of prefer Evolution in terms of its broader scope and better loyalty to Tron's world, Run/r is a game that works far better on its runner principle on console than I would've expected. Even with certain limitations (and an unnecessarily high price tag), it's a good time, especially if you're a fan of the franchise.

A:THO ignores the mechanical DNA that make open world games and survival RPGs so much fun. There’s nothing revolutionary about depriving you of map functionality and an adequate tutorial. This isn’t an evolution so much as a freak mutation that will die off in the wild. There are other games that achieve what A:THO attempts; play them instead.

If you’re really, truly desperate for a new adventure-horror game in the vein of Dear Esther and you consider yourself to literally have the patience of a saint, at the very least Kholat will look and sound pretty as you play it. Anyone who doesn’t want to deal with tedious gameplay, a confusing story, or frustrating progress roadblocks however should steer clear.

An FPS roguelike wearing the suit of a 1996 shooter, STRAFE is a unique game that seems destined for a small but passionate following.

I enjoyed my time with We Happy Few mainly because it both respected my time as a gamer, and also immersed me in an fascinating world that was driven by an equally fascinating backstory. The game’s potential may get a little tripped up on the technical front, but if you can look past the occasional unloaded texture or random loading screen, you’ll find that Compulsion Games’ latest was well worth the three-year wait.

For better and for worse, Party Hard is one of the most faithful tributes to the slasher genre. It overstays its welcome, but it's still a bloody fun time for the most part.

There’s no denying that Batman: Arkham Underworld was created in order to capitalize on the popularity of Rocksteady’s Arkham franchise, but whether the familiarity of the Arkhamverse is enough to give the game any real sense of staying power is something only time will tell. In the meantime, whether or not you enjoy Arkham Underworld depends entirely on your opinion of mobile microtransaction-driven games in general.

Darksiders III will go down as the black sheep of the franchise. While the core gameplay itself is fun and it does a good enough job streamlining things with a more interesting cast of characters, it all just comes across as a bit too by-the-numbers to turn heads and doesn’t push boundaries enough to really stand out. If it weren’t for the technical issues this could be more highly-recommended, but as it stands, only die-hard fans should consider checking this one out.

Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India looks authentic, but has lackluster audio; the story just doesn't compare to previous Creed games; the gameplay has its moments but not enough of them; and, well, China was just more of a bad-ass example, and didn't make you pace yourself through tedious segments. It leaves me wondering just where the final chapter of the Chronicles saga, Russia, will end up when it debuts in a few weeks.

Overall, the narrative is predictable while set in an interesting world, and the movement is slick and enjoyable, but the constant back-tracking to collect more keys weighs down the experience. It’s unfortunate that the game couldn’t be tightened up under Microsoft’s tutelage, because ReCore has nuggets of good ideas buried beneath the monotony and tedium of its primary activities.

There are times in which Poncho could've used some smoothing over, like with glitches or painfully missed jumps. That said, it's still an entertaining little treat for the retro crowd, especially those seeking something different from the usual platformer.

Citizens of Space never really tries to shake up RPG genre conventions, but the game is clearly not out to do that. This is a game that, by all intents and purposes, is meant to provide a fun and laidback experience, and it does that very well.

As someone who was a big fan of the Assassin’s Creed multiplayer template, I’m saddened to see that Murderous Pursuits basically functions as a stripped-down barebones version of that same concept. The game’s Victorian contest of cat and mouse where players are always both the cat *and* the mouse is certainly a unique find amid the usual competitive fare, there’s just not enough meat on its bones to keep more casual players invested over the long term.

If you're even remotely intrigued by the prospect of an FMV game being able to tell a good story with interesting characters, the first episode of Missing is $4 well spent. There's no word on when the next episode will arrive, but let's hope it's not too far off.

Secret of Mana’s remake is fun because Secret of Mana was fun. However, Square could have done a lot better, especially with a beloved classic such as this.

If Loot Interactive and the developers at Night Light took away the hand-holding with puzzle solving and given us a speedier way to get around, Whispering Willows would've fared a lot better. As it stands, however, it's still a decent title for fans of the genre, mainly due to its effective presentation and unique abilities. It's not recommended to everyone, but if you're up for a ghost story, dig in.

Dangerous Golf is a fun game best played in short bursts and with friends.

Madden NFL 21 is the clearest example yet of how unwieldy the series has become, so your en-joyment will vary depending on which modes best suit your play style. For me, that comes from seeing my virtual 49ers hoist the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the end of the season, so anything else on top of that is just a bonus.

Call of Cthulhu suffers from a slow opening, but those who can make it deeper will find a satisfying horror mystery with plenty of twists and turns.

You’ll likely have a really good time with Gods Will Fall. Straight up, it’s a good game. A lack of polish keeps it from being a great game, but there’s still plenty of fun to be had here.

River City: Knights of Justice is a fun little side story in the Kunio-kun series. It's not exactly varied, but it features a satisfying challenge and familiar beat 'em up mechanics that fans are sure to love.

Hyper Scape has promise, but it’s just so infuriating to play due to poor aiming controls. Some don’t seem to have a problem with it, as I see other PS4 players racking up kills all the time. Still, it’s better to wait and play something else until this gets fixed.

If anything, I think the game is worth checking out for the story alone. It’s unfortunate that the gameplay is so much of a slog that some players may not think the story is worth the trouble. However, if you have the time, the extra coin, and love mob stories, this tale has a satisfying end.

Agents of Mayhem has enough gameplay diversity and fun characters to keep you occupied for a few hours, but it won’t take long for the repetitive missions, horrendously heavy-handed comedic overtones, and tired gameplay loop to wear on your patience.

As much as I loved the story mode in Super Bomberman R, I can’t help but feel like there was something missing. It felt almost too gimmicky and over-reached. The in-game cut scenes were drawn out and the story line is subpar at best. If you are looking for a good couch multiplayer game and you already have 1-2-Switch and Snipperclips, then this game might be worth a try, but I wouldn’t make this your first choice.

Destruction AllStars may not be a killer app that sells you on a PS5, but anyone who owns a PS5 will be happy to add it to their library. It is definitely one of the best perks of owning a PS5 yet.