Grey Goo feels like a complete RTS package, built to spec in a time when enthusiasm for the genre is at a low. It helps show there's life yet in the formula pioneered by the likes of Command & Conquer and Dune, and while it might not have the weight to stand up against the likes of Starcraft 2, its own place in the contemporary strategic constellation is secure.

With this return to the world of rally racing, Codemasters has delivered something special with EA Sports WRC. It’s rock-solid and jam-packed, and I’d expect any gearhead to get lost in it for hours. Rally fans rejoice!

I may not know what other MMOs offer, but something that feels like a single-player game where other people just happen to show up is just about the best possible thing I can imagine. Coming from this perspective, Defiance delivers.

The end result of their labor is a rock-solid videogame that almost perfectly captures the dread, majesty, and sheer abject terror of Lovecraft's world. One doesn't need to have read the fiction to enjoy the game, but those who're familiar with the world of Cthulhu and Innsmouth will find the game even more enjoyable because it works on multiple levels.

The game offers entertaining car combat with enough car, weapon, and track variations to keep players from getting bored.

In the end, Pragmata is a great new IP from Capcom. It’s endearing, it offers a unique and satisfying take on third-person combat, and also boasts plenty of scope for exploration, impressive bosses, rewarding payoffs and a significant amount of built-in postgame content. What more could someone ask for?

For players who'd be interested in a truly dark fantasy world and don't mind pushing through roughness to enjoy top-quality writing, worldbuilding and characterization, Of Orcs And Men is an overlooked gem waiting to be discovered.

It's weird, but familiar in all the right ways. I was addicted, but it did drive me batty.

Sniper Elite VR has scrunched down everything great about the series and created a near-perfect recreation that players can now experience from the inside.

With Modern Warfare 3, Sledgehammer has tried to offer something both for fans of the classics and those who want to see this series evolve, and like Ghosts, Black Ops 3, and Infinite Warfare before it, I suspect this will be an entry that people will be calling underrated five years from now. I’m not waiting that long to show it some love, though. I’ve had a blast playing Modern Warfare 3, both in the campaign and in multiplayer. The Zombies mode may be lacking, but I can live with that. My only real concern is that I hope Sledgehammer and Treyarch aren’t forced to crunch like this again for the sake of annual release deadlines.

Lake is a comforting game that lives and dies based on how well a player will connect with its very specific setting and vibe. It worked for me, and I hope it works for many others.

This is a game that, on every level, is built around reaching out to the player and making sure they’re having a good time. The developers have tuned every part of it to put power in the player’s hands, as long as they’re willing to learn. No, it doesn’t play like anything else out there – it’s not supposed to, because it’s something better.

The game controls nice and tight—a necessary element for successful fast action. Every button on the Dual Shock 2 is used, but it’s an extremely comfortable and intuitive layout.

Despite its roughness, The Last Guardian is absolutely worth experiencing for the beautiful relationship at its heart, and for the flawless manner in which the adventure closes. Ueda’s ability to develop smoothly-running games may remain in question, but his expertise in crafting ravaging narratives and developing deep bonds with minimal dialogue remains nearly unmatched. He’s one of gaming’s premier storytellers, and of the three experiences he’s created, this may be my favorite yet.

The critic in me tells me this series needs to innovate, but as a gamer I'm once again completely satisfied by the experience. Defying conventional wisdom, Dynasty Warriors is unique in that the gameplay achieves a near perfect harmonious balanced and change would only upset that.

It’s bizarre, to say the least, and I can only assume it works better on PC (I played on Switch). I also experienced a few framerate dips, though they never detracted from the overall experience. However, those issues don’t get in the way of telling a simple, effective story of survival in a harsh country. Its politics might be a bit too idealistic and simplified for my taste, but I have yet to see another interactive experience tackle these themes more directly than this. It may be based on hitchhiking, but this is definitely a trip worth taking.

Gamers who can't stand reading should probably stay away, but for everyone else, Judge Dredd is great stuff.

As experiments go, The Dread X Collection is a complete success. Out of ten games I found four to be legitimately wonderful, and I only regret loading up two. That’s an incredible ratio for a game jam, and the highs more than justify the paltry purchase price. I don’t know if I’ll ever get to see expanded versions of any of these works, but I’m happy that I got to see developers going hog-wild and coming up with truly unique experiences.

There is no question that Apsulov is a flawed work that can sometimes be incredibly frustrating to play, but by fully committing to marrying science fiction and Norse mythology, it ends up in a good place. I can be forgiving of gameplay faults if the overall experience is as enjoyable as it is in Apsulov and it is safe to say that I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

In the end, Like a Dragon: Ishin is yet another strong entry in an exceptionally strong series, finally having been translated into English and lovingly reworked for the current generation almost a decade after its initial release. The combat’s showing its age around the edges and there are other minor quibbles to be sure, but this is still a trip to the past that’s well worth taking.

With an interesting plot, likeable characters, and gameplay that manages to hold up to the series' standard, Megadimension Neptuna VII is the best entry yet.

The King’s Dilemma is the closest I’ve come to a regal advisor simulator, a position that has always fascinated me… although to be honest, this is one of the most underserved niche genres out there. While I appreciate that players’ lives are never at risk as they might be if they were manipulating things in the Game of Thrones world, it’s not perfect — but it is a good start. One can only hope that it leads to even greater attempts in the future.

It’s charming, it’s pretty, and it clearly sets out to provide players with a good time. It doesn’t quite nail every aspect of its design, but it’s easily one of the better open-world games on the market right now, and for my money is the freshest and most enjoyable release from Ubisoft in years.

There are endless variations on the small level/three star structure made popular by Angry Birds, and I've come across many that don't warrant a second look. That's not to say that the structure has nothing left to offer, however. Creative developers can certainly put a new spin on things, and that's just what's happened with Space Holiday.

Despite the roughness and ever-present loadtimes, I can honestly say that The Con took me by surprise by being more interesting and engaging than I would have expected.

Shenmue III is not the best game of the year and it’s not even my favorite game of the year, but no title in 2019 brought me as much sheer joy and jubilation, and I can’t possibly imagine any fan of the franchise walking away disappointed. For that reason alone, I can only see it as a tremendous success.

This is the friendliest, most approachable tactics game I've seen in a while, and it's a credit to the 3DS.

In the end, Toukiden 2 comes as a nice surprise. It improves upon the decent original in many different ways that make sense, and most of these changes ensure that smashing boss after boss doesn’t feel anywhere near as repetitive as it did in the past. When I was done with the first Toukiden, I was completely burned out and desperate for a break. After finishing Toukiden 2? I’m raring for more.

Beyond its successes as a light, accessible fighting game, Burst Limit's greatest achievement as a DBZ fighting game is finally presenting the story and characters in all of their utterly ludicrous glory.

Warriors Orochi 3 isn't likely to change anyone's mind about Omega Force's flagship series, but it's undoubtedly a fan-pleaser of the highest caliber, and an excellent entry point for those who might be curious about the Warriors series.

The open-sandbox creation genre is still in its infancy, and Terraria is a good, solid, and inexpensive entry.

Though it's been streamlined, simplified, made easier, or even completely changed in parts, it retains all the elements making these games what they are—and the fact is, there is such a thing as being too hardcore. In my eyes, anything that can help Shin Megami Tensei gather a larger audience stateside is a positive thing.

The price may be a deterrent, but for fans of the movies (and of course, pinball!) Indiana Jones: The Pinball Adventure comes highly recommended.

It may not be different enough to justify a replay for those who’ve already experienced the original version, but for those wanting something crisp and clean on new consoles, or for those intrigued by Bloober Team’s work but put off by tense horror, >Observer_ is a great choice.

The biggest obstacle facing would-be Phasmophobia players is finding enough people willing to join in the shared roleplay that it requires. But, anyone able to put together a quartet of ghost investigators who are free for couple of hours on a particularly dark night will find themselves in one of the most effective co-op horror games ever made.

Onimusha 2 may not be as great as it could have been, but it's clearly improved and worth your attention if the idea of samurai hacking up demons from hell sounds good to you. It sure does to me.

While I wish the developers would give their awful UI a top-to-bottom revamp, anyone who makes it past the initial mess and manages to dig in will find a challenging, persuasive roguelike actioner that delivers an unexpectedly sophisticated good time. The exterior needs a fair amount of elbow grease, but the engine underneath is purring.

The holiday season is noticeably bare, and Modern Warfare 2 stands tall, with its brilliant, value-packed missions, maps, and promised endless nights of thousand-yard stares and slack-jawed home entertainment

StarCraft II is not ground-breaking. It will not have the same lasting impact on gaming that its predecessor did. There's no way it ever could. It will, however, be remembered as a worthy sequel to one of the all-time greats.

With a few decent plot twists and likeable characters, Gal*Gun 2 is a satisfying relationship comedy with a solid rail shooter at its core. With multiple endings and dozens of girls to meet there’s a robust amount of content, never falling for the trap of offering just a handful of missions with no reason to come back after a couple of hours. As games about supernatural romance go, it will be difficult to find one cuter or sweeter than this one.

There are few games as fun as Bomberman, and even though it is just in a new shape, the refinement of the multiplayer battle mode makes you want to take it with you everywhere.

After everything I've written, it should be quite clear to XCOM fans that The Bureau: XCOM Declassified is an entirely different kettle of fish despite sharing a few superficial elements. If the developers hadn't tried to connect the two, I suspect that more people might be pleasantly surprised by what it offers—a fantastically detailed 60's setting, an interesting approach to squad-based shooting, and a genuinely surprising sci-fi story that's told with panache.

On my list of “most pleasant and unexpected surprises” this year, Struggling is near the top. The sad, blobby heads are endearing, it offers a significant test of skills, and it has a sense of humor that I found absolutely delightful. I sometimes wanted to pull my hair out and I had to walk away from my Switch and cool off a few times, but I always came back to it and I’m glad that I did.

It's quite refreshing to play something that feels like it wants you to play it.

The Darkest Files doesn’t simply retread expected courtroom cliché — it asks hard questions, demands patience, and treats its players with the respect they deserve. Putting a few minor mechanical shortcomings aside, The Darkest Files succeeds by refusing to sanitize history and doesn’t oversimplify the complexities of justice and the human spirit.

While some might look at EDF5 and point out the recycled levels and long-established gameplay mechanics, I see developers devoted to delivering the best possible version of a concept, and an unwillingness to settle for merely improving the graphics each console generation. This is a series that truly gets better with each iteration, and as such, this is the best EDF game yet.

If Square Soft wants videogames to be compared equally to other forms of art, then they are going to have to gain that respect by producing a game that is more intellectually and culturally aware and not a game that is essentially a video game screaming for attention and respect.

I adore Indivisible. I enjoyed all of the characters, I appreciated how the story made Ajna reconcile with her choices, and as a fighting game player I loved the style of combat. Even though some of the hiccups had me muttering unkind words, Indivisible still sits with me as one of my favorites of 2019.

Retribution gave me absolutely nothing that I was expecting it to, what I was offered in its stead was amazingly violent and fast-paced action. The game achieves almost everything it set out to do, and I have to applaud that.

The linearity of Metroid Fusion was definitely a disappointment, but not something to write it off... In terms of simple gameplay mechanics, control, boss-battles and overall design effort, it is top notch.

Knock on the Coffin Lid offers a tried-and-true deckbuilding combat system mixed with a lovingly-crafted world and a treasure chest of possibilities. As such, I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone interested in the genre and systems — just be aware that it’s a long haul and fatigue might set in before hitting the major milestones.

Wild Bastards sounds like it shouldn’t work. Its foundation is a patchwork of different genres frankensteined into a single title and the frenetic FPS portions are broken up by long stretches of slow-paced tactical movement and galactic navigation. Despite all this (and the damned RNG) I can’t deny that it all works. The story is filled with fascinating and funny (if not likable) characters I wanted to see succeed. The tactical portions present interesting choices, and the FPS sections are fast and furious. if there was ever a game where the whole was more than the sum of its parts, it’s this one — and it comes highly recommended!

Without the customization options, Overwhelm would be a neat project that would suit for a tiny fraction of hardcore players who don’t mind throwing themselves into the meat grinder of mastery. However, thanks to a developer willing to have his creation be played in a way outside the original vision, not only will more people be able to get the full experience from his work, but I imagine that it will earn him fans eager to see more in the future. I’m a firm believer that offering options can only help a game and never hurt it, and Overwhelm is a perfect example that proves it true.

By sticking to its core identity and cranking the intensity up, id has raised the bar on how I want action-oriented first-person shooters to feel, and it’s going to be hard to go back to something with less adrenaline after my time with this heavy metal beast.

I appreciate F1 2021 for its experimentation with new modes and options, proving that this franchise is much more than the average annual drivers’ update. Not only does driving feel more realistic than ever, 2021’s story mode is a pleasant surprise that I hope attracts further development for the series’ next iteration. For now, though, it remains a great F1 simulator that will generate the same excitement happening in the real world’s F1 competition right now.

Fortunately, not even the rough patches could shake the shine off of the gift that Detached had given me. The likelihood that I will ever board a spaceship in real life decreases with each passing day as the responsibilities of adulthood tether me to the ground, but at least now I can load up Detached, put on my helmet, and dream my dreams again.

These rough edges don't take much away from the overall experience, though. How to Survive is a great adventure from start to finish, the ending was great, and I can't remember the last time that I enjoyed collecting wooden sticks, seagull feathers and protein-rich roots as much as I did here.

Despite a healthy amount of competition roughly covering the same territory, Hunt: Showdown manages to find its own fresh take. It’s not as polished as it should be and the interface needs work, but as an experience it carves a niche for itself within this blossoming genre.

Caves of Qud can be a frustrating and downright hostile experience at times. It’s clearly built for those who have a fondness for older PC-style RPGs and those who enjoy diving deep into several different systems running at once, and for me the overwhelming nature of things adds to the charm. Caves of Qud is one of the most unique adventures currently out there — it’s just not one that will resonate with anyone looking for something laid back or relaxing.

From the rousing space battle at its beginning to the surprisingly intense firefight at its end, Mass Effect 3: Omega is just the sort of add-on that I would want for a game of this kind… apart from the fact that it's a bit mindbending to revisit a virtual time and place that had such an unforgettable final act. I might still be trying to wrap my head around it, but I enjoyed my time with Aria and Nyreen just the same.

There's nothing else on shelves quite like it, and it's a perfect example of the sort of out-of-the-box thinking that will transform Nintendo's fliptop from an ungraded GameBoy into a true next-generation handheld machine, conceptually as well as physically.

While Dark Quest 2 holds an extra level of appeal for people who played HeroQuest back in the day, it’s still a wonderfully compact package perfect for those who enjoy virtual boardgames or bite-sized adventures on the go. I actually kept playing once I’d rolled credits, and for me, that’s just about the highest praise I can give.

While it's not quite the final word on JRPGs, Final Fantasy XIII represents the felicitous first steps on the path to a destination well worth reaching.

No Man’s Sky NEXT was a meditative experience for me. The simple loop of landing, scanning flora and fauna, scrounging for minerals, and finally walking up a hill to experience a breathtaking vista never got old. Others may struggle with the game’s openness, and others will likely feel intimidated by such a non-guided experience. But for those craving an experience full of addictive play loops and the ability to go anywhere? This game is for them.

While Four Quarters’ title operates under the trappings of casual gaming, I’d say that Loop Hero works for quick sessions, and also as a more dedicated experience that might keep one up for long hours into the night. It cherrypicks the right elements from each of the genres it takes inspiration from, and gives back a completely fresh experience with oldschool appeal.

An undercooked ending doesn’t capsize the rest of the experience, though, which is ultimately a perfectly calibrated sci-fi adventure with an inimitable aesthetic sense. As a game, The Invincible may not be entirely unassailable, but its credentials are as solid as one could ask for.

It is an undeniable achievement: Hideo Kojima’s achievement. No other producer could have made this title, for better or for worse

While there are some rough edges for sure, for the majority of the time I found myself smiling like an idiot and admiring the developers for their nods to fans who remember Bloodborne’s story enough to appreciate it. I loved how respectful Nightmare Kart was of the source material but at the same time, it didn’t take itself too seriously, acting as both a parody and a love letter. Even after rolling credits, I still feel the same incredulousness that I felt when I first saw Nightmare Kart video on Instagram, only now my question is “How did we possibly deserve such a treat?”

Overall, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late [cl-r] is a great fighting game with a verbose and tiresome visual novel added in. The combat is enjoyable, there’s tons to unlock, and there are numerous characters to master. Some of the chatter might be a chore to get through, but getting to the meat on these bones is worth the effort.

Mighty Goose is good stuff — a slightly goofy premise, plenty of fast-paced action, and wonderful graphics all combine to make this a title that arcade action fans won’t want to miss.

Welcome to Elk is a fascinating experiment in game creation that succeeds on multiple levels, and players interested in storytelling, small-town life, or the intricacies of working with meta-elements would do well to check it out.

Anyone who’s after a colorful and quirky puzzle-platformer that just oozes personality, charm and cuteness will probably have a blast with Phogs!, and if there are kids around, then it’s absolutely recommended. Those who give it a shot will find inventive puzzles and charm galore — it’s an exquisite canine treat for humans to enjoy!

I can't blame anyone for being initially put off by the somewhat obnoxious sense of humor, but anyone passing on Sunset Overdrive will be missing one of the freshest and most exhilarating games the genre has seen in years.

I zipped through The Inner Friend in under two hours, but I’d imagine it could be completed even more quickly — I wasn’t good at the chase scenes, and kept getting kicked back to checkpoints. However, even with a short running time, this beautiful story about loss, trauma, and finding the strength to rebuild oneself after falling to pieces is a beautiful experience. It’s stunning, in a broken, decayed way, and I’d recommend it to nearly anyone who’s willing to take a chance on a game built around storytelling without words.

Mechanically, it's not quite as subversive or original as the presentation and some of its over zealous supporters might have you believe, but the chutzpah with which LocoRoco interprets the platform game's basic tenets is entirely its own and, again like the original Sonic The Hedgehog, it is a hugely invigorating and memorably stylish entry into a genre still awaiting fresh ideas.

Costume Quest isn't about providing a challenge; it's about rekindling the magic of Halloween we all experienced when we were younger, and it does an incredible job.

It's a fantastic way to scratch the strategy itch, and a damned relaxing one to boot.

Dense, methodical, and maybe even a little bit unfriendly, but there's nothing else quite like it on Game Boy today.

Even if the last decade and a half came and went without bringing any substantial change to the original Katamari Damacy formula, that doesn’t hurt this remastered version – the rotating mix of jazzy tunes and catchy J-Pop choruses provide encouragement for the prince’s reckless consumption, and it remains now, as it was then, a purely good time.

I can't help but think that a little more depth and soul underneath Kratos' untouchable repertoire of fatalities would have lifted the game into true super-stardom.

All in all, Borderlands 3 still delivers a looter-shooter from the studio that invented looting-shooting in the first place, and anyone hungry for frenetic combat and tons of guns will find plenty to love here. It may not have the same pull as Borderlands 2, but coming in second to one of the best that’s ever been is still a great place to be.

Overall, Hell Pie is innovative in the platforming space, both in narrative and the verticality and mobility of its mechanical design. It might be flying under most radars, but to me this was one of the best gaming experiences I’ve had all year.

Having beat Neko Navy: Daydream Edition, I’m still coming back for more, Yes, I’m still not exactly sure what is going on – who’s attacking and why are these cats called in for defense? But honestly, there’s no need for a coherent story when everything else is done so well.

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.

After so many years Kingdom Hearts III needed to be a strong send-off for the series, and for the most part, it is. The gameplay is still top tier and encourages diving back in once the credits have rolled to track down missed items and a secret boss. The individual worlds are gorgeous, and deserve to be combed through for every last scrap of treasure. It’s just a shame that plot stumbles over itself so many times because it really does drag the game down, but if I turn off the analytical part of my brain just enough, there truly is something special here.

Space Wreck feels like a good first step into the bigger world of PC RPGs for a newcomer like me. It certainly has the same level of brutality that I’ve often heard of, but it remains manageable and easy to come to grips with. Even better, a run can be completed in under 10 hours, so it’s not a huge commitment and can be readily replayed. I wasn’t sure if Space Wreck would be one I would enjoy, but I’m already starting a second playthrough to see what other secrets it has to offer.

While I have concerns over its difficulty and I’m not sure that I’ll ever fully complete the entire campaign, I remain quite impressed not only at the way the developers polished their work until their gem was revealed, but by how clear-eyed and elegant the final product is — there are a lot of lessons to be learned here, and my hours climbing the Spire were well-spent.

Overall, the core mechanics were engaging and the world was enchanting enough to keep me coming back night after night. Even when it suffers from subpar writing or when the boss fights are a little too breezy, the dynamic, well-balanced combat, effective worldbuilding and ability to immerse the player in their role as the leader of a diverse group of adventurers who make choices that matter will appeal to a wide variety of gamers. There is much to do, much to say and much to discover around every corner in the world of Thedas.

While this review of Bulletstorm: Full Clip Edition has been largely positive, I have to say that the biggest problem I have with it is the price — $60 for a remastered game is a bit steep, especially when it’s fairly bare-bones in terms of content. Also, considering that the original release didn’t sell well, it seems like a bad idea to charge that much. The steep price of entry will likely keep curious players away when the correct thing to do is entice them in with the best possible version for a great deal. It’s certainly a fantastic shooter, but I’d recommend waiting to catch it on sale.

Apart from being repeatedly blasted to atoms by the pros, I enjoyed my time with Quake. It doesn’t have the same nostalgic pull for me that Doom does, which may contribute to a sense that it’s Doom’s less charismatic relative. That said, it’s a remaster done correctly, feeling like the original with technical improvements that help to showcase its timeless, quick and smooth gameplay.

Older gamers who aren't Minecraft devotees may find Story Mode skewing a bit young, but that's quite all right. We've had plenty of mature offerings lately, and it's great to have something that's fit for families and kids.

Let’s Build a Zoo is an entertaining little title that will be an enjoyable sim for any fan of the management genre. All the details and options afforded to the player show clear thought and care, and thanks to this quality, it’s quite easy to lose track of time while creating an ideal zoo full of cute crocodile-giraffe hybrids.

For those who’ve spent a month immersed in the pageantry of the college game, it might be hard to get excited for a less unique version of that same title. But for those who have waited a few years for an improved, upgraded football experience, the new Madden will be a revelation.

Void Bastards is sharp-looking, dryly ironic, and addictive. Anyone even remotely interested in systemic FPS games should play it.

Every weakness is compensated by a strength, and while I would prefer to have the latter without the former, I can't complain too much about the overall effect. I found Primordia charming and intriguing, and its mysteries well worth solving.

Its thin characters and unconvincing narrative aside, the game maintains a sense of inertia, pounding action, and a balance between solid gunplay, distracting puzzles, and satisfying environmental traversal.

On the other hand, the minimal number of changes made to this re-release likely helped keep the entry fee reasonable. As much as I loved Vanquish when it first launched, it was tough to justify paying full price for a five-hour title with no multiplayer, few extras, and little replay incentive. Now, PC gamers can finally get their hands on an overlooked gem from the last generation for a fair $20. It’s worth it for the nonstop excitement Vanquish still offers, and I’d have been far less eager to see cover-based shooters go if they’d all been this energetic.

Bloodstained “simply” being pretty damn good is more than enough, like being reacquainted with an old friend. I’d love to see the rest of Konami’s classic franchises get similar treatment.