It took me only fifteen hours to get into the third act of the game’s main quest, less than the some 20-25 hours to play through all the DLC. While these new quests fail because they’re so battle-heavy, the stories in Beasts and The Forgotten Sanctum are still complex and engrossing.

My only major knock against Furi is having to repeat tedious bullet hell sequences during some matches, but otherwise I enjoyed the physicality of the duels. And to my surprise, the story actually comes to a head in a fairly satisfying way at the end. Overall this is a win for The Game Bakers, and I’d recommend Furi to anyone who appreciates demanding (but fair!) action games.

Despite a cliché story, unnecessary combat and some borrowed elements, Valley delivers a well-paced, beautifully scored, and engaging first-person adventure. At times it achieves an extraordinary sense of majestic isolation, but more peaks and less valleys would have helped this adventure truly soar.

That said, the original Etrian Odyssey was a rough, brutal and vaguely experimental experience that I managed to complete out of sheer tenacity. In contrast, Millennium Girl takes the same content and makes it a thousand times more beautiful, approachable, and enjoyable for an all-new audience.

At first, I wasn’t sure what to think of this, but as it progressed, it grew on me since the dev does an excellent job of making each puzzle make sense. There’s no “moon logic” of the type seen in older LucasArts games or other classics. I was happy to find more realistic (although occasionally ridiculous) solutions and the character interactions they triggered. Apart from my issues with the lack of choice and nitpicks like a thin soundtrack and a confusing save system, I very much hope the developers at Serenity Forge create a sequel to Half Past Fate — with this initial foray into blending of genres, I’m hopeful for more!

Overall, World War Z: Aftermath is a great team-based shooter, and if players have been waiting for the game to be significantly updated before checking it out, the time is now. Likewise, anyone who played at launch will find that this revamp is well worth a second tour of duty against the undead.

Paradise Lost’s biggest strength is its ability to communicate two very different sensations — freedom and dread — deep into the player’s mind at the same time. It’s one thing to discover the knowledge hidden behind a puzzle, but it’s something else entirely to witness what else might be revealed by the same knowledge.

The introduction of a new type of weapon to a military organization really hit home with me and probably added to the allure of this game.

A great roguelite doesn’t just ask players to keep coming back for more, it creates a gameplay loop so satisfying that it makes it impossible to stay away. It makes players desperate to delve back into its world over and over again to experience every potential way the world can be reshaped. Feed the Deep, with its simple controls and bold graphical style, achieves this as well as any roguelite I’ve played — I’m still diving back into the depths, feeding the Deep over and over.

Nothing could have realistically lived up to the immense level of hype that Ubisoft stirred up for this game, and while I value strong narratives and envelope-pushing technological advancements, I place just as much importance in the ability to enjoy the gameplay that's being offered to me. Watch Dogs is one of the more exciting sandbox games of the last few years, and if this is to become Ubisoft's next big franchise, I'm excited to see where they take it.

From the top-notch characterizations to the ethical indecision of its cast, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker is a significant step forward for the series's maestro.

The fights, though violent, are unfortunately completely bloodless—not a drop of claret is spilled—and the bodies of his enemies, once beaten, magically vanish. This makes the game feel as tidy and antiseptic as a Disney ride.

Yatagarasu: Attack on Cataclysm is aimed at the very niche audience who genuinely champion gameplay over graphical achievements, and who aren't afraid of putting in some hard work to get the most out of it. Given its Indiegogo campaign, this game had the potential to become one of the worst cases of buyer's remorse that I've ever had, but it turned out beautifully in the end. Weird PC port quibbles notwithstanding, of course.

Overall, I predict that Pode’s problems will come more from external forces than from within the game itself. With 20-30 new competitors flooding into the eShop every week, this charming little puzzler will inevitably have a hard time getting noticed. For those who give the bud some attention, however, a beautiful flower will grow.

Once I recovered from the shock and awe of the T&A, the thoughtful design and satisfying mechanics of Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus had no problem keeping my attention. I'd recommend it to any Vita owner looking for fast action in short bursts, but I'd never let anyone watch over my shoulder, though...

I very much enjoyed the thought and balance that obviously went into the creation of this new mission, and as a true Mass Effect fan, this attempt to return to form is probably the most welcome thing I could possibly imagine.

On one level, it’s incredibly satisfying just to see popular characters from various franchises hanging out with one another. Especially when the franchises are as incredibly different as these – what could William from Nioh possibly have to say to Ayane from Ninja Gaiden? A lot more than one would think, apparently. Beyond the fan-friendly concept, the developers have put together one of the strongest and most playable musou titles, ever, and is a beautiful thing that will satisfy both genre fans and newcomers alike.

I’ve played my fair share of indie games, but few felt as polished as Gibbous: A Cthulhu Adventure. A great deal of care has gone into its production, and despite getting pretty dark and serious towards the end, the memorable characters kept me glued and did a fantastic job of propelling the story forward — in every aspect, it’s a fine introduction to the point-and-click genre also title worthy of any veteran.

In the end, Pirates Outlaws is a hidden gem of a game. It’s easy to pick up, has a wide variety of characters and strategies, and also offers enough depth for deckbuilding players players who really like to dig in. Strongly recommended!

Scarlet Nexus is one of the most surprising releases of the year for me thanks to a bombastic combat style and storytelling. I enjoyed my time in the OSF and look forward to flinging more big rigs into unsuspecting enemies soon.

These minor quibbles aside, and in an industry that is seemingly allergic to any form of historical preservation, titles such as Alisa should be celebrated as an interesting alternative to the real deal. The choice to stick so closely to the aesthetics and mechanics of yesteryear makes Alisa feel like a game out of time, but it provides a perfect means to engage with the past in a genuine, more digestible way. At the risk of sounding wistful, for me Alisa is a window back to a period in my life that feels safe and warm, where the scariest thing is what lies waiting behind a digital doorway.

FFA would have easily gotten a 9.5 if only it included "FFV"; the game is so good by itself that it warrants such a high score.

Saviorless isn’t perfect, but this beautifully animated, enigmatic world offers an incredibly artful and engaging experience that I would ultimately recommend.

Despite this light narrative, DYSMANTLE remains an accomplishment — it’s a crafting adventure that doesn’t just have a destructible world, it makes destroying that world important and satisfying. DYSMANTLE may just be a gimmick stretched out to full-game length, but it’s a hell of a gimmick, and it certainly deserves praise.

Descenders is a great experience, and the only thing that makes me scratch my head is why it’s in the Game Preview (a.k.a. Early Access) section. The title is both stable and fully-featured enough for a proper release to seem perfectly reasonable, and I’d like to see it in the main store page instead of relegated to the section that suggests a promising but incomplete product.

The Surge 2 is a thrilling ride from beginning to end. The foes are a joy to battle, the maps are built to invite and reward exploration, and the story offers just enough intrigue to keep the player hooked until the final battle. It’s wonderful to see developers taking a hard look at the successes and failures of their previous effort and ensuring that the sequel surpasses it in every way.

That said, those are extremely minor concerns—Broken Steel is an absolute necessity for any Fallout 3 player and certainly justifies the cost of the download.

All in all, Croc: Remastered is a lovingly crafted, updated version of a high-quality 3D platformer that should please players even without the nostalgia factor. While there are no gameplay changes or new levels, the phrase “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” holds true here.

It may not be the most original or inspired product I've seen, but there's something to be said for nailing the content and pulling it off beautifully.

That Death’s Gambit is beautiful and rewarding enough to be worth the struggle is what makes it a more successful homage to Dark Souls than most. It’s not the most creative game, but that doesn’t matter when so few developers are capable of pulling this kind of trick off.

Great presentation, (mostly) great gameplay, and an above-average set of characters combine to deliver what I see as the most diverse, entertaining Trauma game to date in a series that really doesn't have a weak link.

I'm really glad I decided to take on Disgaea 4: A Promise Revisited despite the steep, steep learning curve and the "fend for yourself" approach. I'm guessing that its audience will likely be fervent series fans and very few newcomers (like me!) but it has a lot to offer to any fan of SRPGs.

In short, Rise is a great iteration on the classic Monster Hunter formula, making things more approachable and getting rid of some of the series’ less desirable elements. They may have made sense in the past, but the removal of much busywork is a net positive in my eyes. It’s a shame that Capcom didn’t include the massive Sunbreak expansion with this release given that it’s already out on Switch and PC, but it’s not like this package is lacking in content or value. For hunters of any experience level, Rise is a great entry in a storied series.

Situs Inversus also ties the season together excellently by not only being a satisfying mission on its own, but by featuring several callbacks for longtime series fans. Some of the assassination options mirror those from older games, and thorough players might notice some special cameos. IO taking the time to provide these little nods to fans was great.

Not only is Ape Out primed to be one of the most stylish games of the year, but it’s a strong argument for how far style can elevate material.

All in all, Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection is a must for fans of the series and those wishing to explore its roots. Even with some redundancy across titles and control hiccups, the overall package is stellar. It’s no small feat to pull off a true retro port of this size, and Digital Eclipse has done laudable job of it.

Though I can’t tell if The Lion’s Song is any better on Switch than it is on PC or mobile, I can say that it’s a unique and brilliant narrative adventure that offers an artistic journey into the hearts and minds of creators amidst a singularly dynamic time in history.

Paratopic‘s unique approach to storytelling and its unsettling content come together in a lo-fi, short experience that left me wanting more of this world and this story. But seriously, don’t watch the tapes.

For those who haven't completed the game, or for those who who eat, sleep, and breathe Mass Effect, the information in Mass Effect 3: Leviathan is a must-see. For players who've wrapped Commander Shepard's adventure and long since moved on, there's nothing here that truly warrants reopening those old wounds, although it remains an interesting, well-crafted quest in and of itself.

The Color of Madness is another welcome addition to Red Hook’s tough-as-nails Lovecraftian horror RPG, and in contrast to the way the previous DLC,The Crimson Court, was implemented, this new content is mostly self-contained and doesn’t bleed out into the main campaign — a plus for newcomers who aren’t ready for it. While the add-ons in other titles can often feel superfluous or like a grab for cash, The Color of Madness delivers a strongly-realized idea that improves the core content while also adding to it.

Samorost 3 is an excellent point-and-click adventure game for those looking for a slow, surreal experience.

While getting up to speed with Rebel Galaxy Outlaw takes more trial and error than it should, the experience ultimately becomes an addicting mix of combat and micromanagement that I never thought would hook me the way it did. In a time where I am seemingly taking on any odd job I can in real life, I never expected bounty hunters/delivery person/space pirates to be some of them. I might never get the chance to live out my dreams of flying into space anytime soon but I’m happy to know Rebel Galaxy Outlaw has my back for the time being.

Apex Legends is fast, fluid, and quite possibly the best battle royale game yet.

It’s not overstating the case to say that overall, Dying Light has aged like fine wine. There aren’t many parkour-focused games to begin with, and and of those, the ones containing zombies are even more scarce. So, Dying Light is still a unique experience and I’m glad to report that it still holds up. It may have gotten a bit lost in the shuffle when it first debuted, but there’s no better time to play it than now.

I was more than glad to revisit Knights of the Old Republic, despite the no-frills port. It’s a great way to experience (or re-experience) what remains one one of BioWare’s best RPGs, and one of the strongest narratives in the world of Star Wars.

Playing Draw Chilly isn’t complicated, but it has just enough nuance to keep it interesting. The story isn’t particularly deep, but absolutely no one will be able to predict the bizarre zigs and zags the script takes. The graphics are bursting with humor and charm, and even now after rolling credits, I’m still pleasantly confounded by this nearly inexplicable project. There were a few moments between unlocks when slaughtering monkeys lost some shine and a couple of bosses had me pulling my hair out (PROTIP: upgrade worm milk capacity ASAP) but I couldn’t stop playing Draw Chilly once I started, and as soon as I finished it, I bought the developer’s previous game. If that’s not a solid recommendation, then I don’t know what is.

Overall, Dark Deity may not have the polish or reach the heights of those classic ’00s Fire Emblem games, but I wouldn’t expect it to — it’s an indie title with a development team of six, but the passion of that team for the genre is apparent throughout the finished product. This is a love letter to classics that’s still accessible enough for those who may want to give the genre a try. And for those of us who miss a TRPG uncluttered by slice-of-life mechanics? It’s a much-welcome addition to the library.

As wonderful as Gone Home is, it mostly demonstrates that there's still a long way to go.

After playing through both The Signal and The Writer, the biggest impression I'm left with is that these two chunks of game (hateful combat aside) are better than anything that came on Alan Wake's retail disc. They illustrate Alan as a character, they immerse him in a world of his own internal madness, and they play to the strength of the premise in a way that actually makes sense. I can honestly say that if these levels had been included in the main campaign, my overall evaluation would've been significantly higher.

Overall, Please Knock on My Door is a unique, effective experience that raises darker themes of life such as social anxiety and depression. While difficult to discuss in reality, the thoughts and feelings of the character connected. I was motivated to help turn its sad existence into a happier one, and I couldn’t help but empathize – this indie had an effect on me.

Overall, Beyond Time and Space raises the bar in the way a sequel should, and the quality of the remastering is solid. Players who enjoyed Sam & Max Save the World should absolutely pick this one up — And who knows, maybe there’s another one in our future?

While Far Cry 5 doesn’t reinvent the wheel and is not a massive change of direction for the series, it does fix many of the problems I had with earlier entries, and it jettisons a lot of unnecessary baggage that had accumulated over the years. The end result is a lot of mindless enjoyment with memorable characters that go to waste thanks to the disconnected plot. It’s not going to be my game of the year, but as a fan of this formula, I still found it worth the time I put into it.

Anyone interested in horror, Lovecraft, or top-notch point-and-click adventures has no excuse for missing this one.

That aside, I think it's fair to say that A Crooked Mile is a more substantial chunk of content than Smoke & Mirrors was, and I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing what happens next.

The choices made by Igor during his journey truly matter, and despite some rough edges and certain aspects of the experience feeling a bit underdeveloped, I loved my time with Chernobylite and would recommend spending time with Igor and his crew to anyone.

There's a great experience to be had here... Just make sure to take the proper steps needed to avoid the mid-game difficulty spike.

Ultimately, the climax of the story was driven by the choices I had made along the way, and each stacked upon the other — by the end, I felt happy with where Maia landed, though I could see how other choices could have made a differences. The ending, like the game itself, felt short, but I found its worth replaying and it left me with strong emotions.

Playing through Grid Legends’ story mode was a treat — at times I felt like I was a part of a real team with drama and stakes. I would have liked to see it expanded, but the driving is really what players are here for, and in that regard, Grid Legends is a real winner.

Despite all of my moral problems with the game, I can't deny that it's an incredible experience, one that has to be played to be believed. It's worth buying just to get a glimpse at a perfectly designed control scheme.

City of the Wolves is quite a mechanically deep game, and to my eyes, has an incredibly well considered fighting experience powering it. Such depth will require practice, which means that casual players might have a hard time jumping on for fifteen minutes a day. Basic, simple combos aren’t going to cut it against some of the insanely-lengthy murder chains that even intermediate players can whip out. The difference in damage is just too extreme, and the optional Smart Combo mode for beginners is more of a learning tool than a serious way to play. On the flip side, it’s absolutely worth putting the time in.

Any player with a taste for a medieval warlord’s life and a tolerance for dated graphics shouldn’t pass up the chance to sink their teeth into Mount and Blade: Warband. Though the PC version may be a bit easier to recommend thanks to the prevalence of mods and a more established community, folks without that option will do just fine on consoles.

It looks good, controls great, and offers a solid play formula that doesn't rely on typical zombie fare to keep interest high.

Robinson: The Journey‘s developers have built a world worth exploring, and armed players with all the tools necessary to do so. While I wish the adventure was a little larger or that its price was a little more reasonable, it absolutely delivers on its premise. Thanks to PSVR, I was able to solve puzzles on an alien planet (that looks suspiciously like prehistoric earth) while hanging out with a heartbreakingly adorable baby T-Rex. This is the kind of experience that virtual reality headsets were designed for, and one of the best available showcases for the technology.

As it is, Lord of the Mind is a great HOG for most of its running time, but the jarringly disappointing finale keeps it from being one of the classics.

Despite the second half not equaling the taut opening, Narcosis is still a great horror title. Now that first-person horror is a dime a dozen, it’s easy to be skeptical about these games, but Honor Code left a solid impression by mixing effective jump scares with abstract horror. They also know when to let off the throttle to build suspense instead of ramming enemies down players’ throats every ten seconds — and hey, if players (like me!) are incredibly creeped out by spider crabs and other gross ocean wildlife, they should get ready for a stressful ride in almost all the right ways.

Serious Sam 4 is, without question, the series’ high point. It provides all of the wanton violence the brand promises, adds a story worth investing in, and still has the time to try out bizarre experiments like the open-world areas, kaiju battles and an extremely retro game-within-a-game. Serious Sam has never been better than this, and the sequel hinted in the game’s ending had better arrive faster than the nine-year-gap since the last one.

I don’t think Beyond Good & Evil is truly an all-time classic, but this is an exemplary remaster of a great game worthy of the classy treatment its received in this new 20th Anniversary Edition. New and old players alike will find it well worth their time.

Rogue Company wears its influences on its sleeves. Like other Hi-Rez studio releases, I have no doubt it will take off and become a popular staple among multiplayer aficionados — even with generic-looking characters and gameplay that borrows from others in the genre, I can’t pull myself away from it. It may be derivative, but it’s also an addiction, and I that in itself is an impressive feat.

Creative, unique, accessible, and polished. It comes up lacking in a few areas, but is clearly the most effectively realized version of Mortal Kombat yet.

It becomes like a dream, and when it concludes, players will wake up refreshed. They will not be able to perfectly describe what they've just experienced, but the feeling and memories will linger.

I have to assume this is a title most anime lovers already own, so when viewed as a standalone product, there isn’t enough new here to recommend a second purchase, even for ardent devotees. However, any fighting fans or ninja enthusiasts who let it slip by last year should consider this enhanced version of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 4 – Road to Boruto to be the definitive edition.

I won’t spoil the most revealing moments, but Artis Impact is indeed a work that seeks to humanize a world that’s lost everything except its humanity.

The maturation process of the series, and videogames, remain standstill because of the developer’s refusal to move outside racial and social stereotypes, and staying away from certain taboos of popular art, merely suggesting sex and drug use. Compared to what this game could’ve been, this is still kid’s gloves.

It may not be very original or innovative when compared to the rest of the games in the series, but Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow succeeds in bringing a similar level of polish and quality to the Nintendo DS.

Minor quibbles aside, Absolum is an excellent beat-’em-up full of cool combos, neat build variations, random events and enjoyable roguelike power evolution spearheaded by a team that Absolumetely knows what they’re doing when it comes to crafting quality content. For fans of roguelikes or side-scrollers, this is one to check out.

Resonates much stronger than Sony's otherwise noble hand at tactical combat. Not only is the game not held back because of certain console-based restrictions (controllers, options available, graphics, etc.), but the game seems to be less about nationalism and more about the dedication and strife anti-terrorist groups must experience.

Building an entire series around a single character was a bit of a risky choice, but I’m happy to say that Ryza, as a character, held up as someone who’s worth checking back in on over and over again. In ten years will we be looking back at Ryza as an iconic-level character the way we do Sophie and Platcha? Probably not – but that’s an impossibly high bar. Ryza had an incredible adventure to go on, and now that it’s done, I’m glad we got the chance to go on it with her.

Avalanche has built a gorgeous open world with as many framerate hitches as there are load times (i.e. basically none) and id has filled it with their usual incredible gunplay. It’s not quite a replacement for Doom Eternal, but it’s made the wait far easier.

While the gameplay of Mega Man Battle Network is excellent, what fascinated me most was the world in which the game took place.

Fear the Spotlight is a brilliant take on survival and psychological horror, instilling a real sense of vulnerability and dread in me — the developers took good lessons from classic titles and made something unique and fascinating. Players who love classic and retro-style survival horror absolutely must check this one out.

The box art might not be interesting (and personally, I think the title of the game is terrible) but once past those superficial elements it's impossible to ignore the superior design and technical mastery that's present in every minute of gameplay. Gurumin puts most of the PSP's library to shame without even trying.

Although Nippon Ichi didn't develop What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2,-NIS America just published it-the game is still a natural, if steep, Nippon Ichi-themed progression in teaching me to think for myself.

While I loved the tracks on offer in Urban Trial Playground I quickly exhausted everything that it had to offer. Lode Runner Legacy avoids this problem entirely by A) providing a truly wild amount of stages and B) opening the game up to the community to allow dedicated players to do the same. I want more Lode Runner Legacy, and thanks to the efforts of Tozai and the community, there’s much more waiting for me.

Anyone willing to get knee-deep into exercises like inspecting a vase until they spot the tiny crack that proves the villain must’ve hastily knocked it over in the middle of the night will surely find much to love in Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile, and in the end it stands as an excellent example of the right way to adapt classic material for the modern age and its new mediums.

The blue bomber may have all but disappeared into gaming history, but 30XX keeps his legacy alive and energized. It offers tight platforming paired with roguelike chaos and a bevy of customizability that should keep players jumping and shooting for a long time to come.

Even with the second-screen setbacks and the wonky in-game commentary, the Director's Cut of Deus Ex: Human Revolution is still the best version of the game.

In summary, Guilty Gear Strive is an excellent evolution of a series that’s always provided players with a unique and interesting approach to weapons-based combat, and now it’s slightly less impenetrable for newcomers. It’s got room to grow, but it’s a stylish, standout fighter whose strengths absolutely outnumber its flaws.

Guru players posting how-to videos on YouTube might not get a lot of it, but those craving a fighter that doesn't require slavish dedication will find Tournament of Legends to be a very welcome offering, and one that comes at a budget price, to boot.

Everything that worked in the first game has been improved, and everything that didn't has been fixed or discarded. Is there anything new here? No. It's the exact same game that Headhunter was, only better.

Due to the bugs, it felt at times like I was fighting New Vegas rather than playing it, and the weariness I felt at the prospect of that battle sometimes was not outweighed by the draw of exploring yet another minimalist location or mowing down more legionaries. That's a real shame, because Fallout: New Vegas almost manages to perfectly synthesize the different strengths of Fallout 3 and its predecessors. Had the world design and the code been as excellent as the writing, we might have had a masterpiece on our hands.

I don’t make this comparison lightly, but Knockout City almost reminds me of the elegance of Rocket League – it’s that combination of simple and fresh, where it’s easy to understand but offers a sky-high skill ceiling. Only time will tell if Knockout City has as long a tail, but it deserves a chance.

Ambition is an appropriately-named title in terms of its genre – it is not without its flaws, but the overall experience is heightened by compelling core mechanics and a grandiose scope, and I recommend players take this captivating tour through 18th-century Paris to make their own history.

If GNOG were five dollars cheaper I’d put it up as a can’t-miss PSVR experience and a solidly diverting PS4 puzzle title. As it is, however, I’d warn that it really is just an hour long, and ask how much money players are willing to spend on such a brief experience. It looks and sounds great, and it really is the kind of light puzzle experience that all ages can enjoy, but it’s definitely over too soon.

Descenders is a yet another successful experiment in expanding roguelike concepts into new and different genres, along with tight controls, realistic physics, and easy-to-execute stunts. Randomized courses and great downhill play would have been more than enough to make it worth recommending, but the player choice of overworld maps and the risk-based scoring system raise it to another level. This is not to be missed for fans of the stunt biking experience.

I find that with League of Legends, Riot has cultivated one of the most unique spaces in gaming history—mostly for good reasons but also for some awful ones, and in the gaming museum of the future, League is sure to have its own wing.

While it might seem like a sci-fi soulslike, The Surge proved itself to be more than just another wannabe thanks to the outstanding twists on combat, satisfying choices in playstyle, and allowing for fearless engagement in its systems thanks to the ability to respec at any time. While I often felt wrecked and ruined by my journey through the hostile, unforgiving mega-corp, by the end I came around and instantly started a new playthrough. Deck 13 has taken the criticisms leveled at them after Lords of the Fallen, and not only responded to them, but actually used that feedback to improve in major ways. Great job.

For those who appreciate tightly-focused experiences from out on the fringe, it's highly recommended.

While I was probably the furthest thing from the intended audience before starting this review, I had an absolute blast with Kill la Kill: IF, and I could almost be considered a convert at this point. It probably doesn’t have much chance as a serious, tournament-worthy fighter and the supporting content is thin, but if this title can win me over, it’s well worth any fighting game fan’s time.