Rainbow Billy and The Curse of the Leviathan was a great surprise. It’s an experience that refreshes the soul and left me feeling uplifted through an entertaining mix of genres, fantastic graphics and an addictive premise. They don’t make them like they used to, but Rainbow Billy sure does feel like the good old days.

Even if World Brothers were just a quickie distraction meant to tide fans over until the post-apocalyptic madness of EDF6 it would still be worth a look. It manages to be so much more than that, though — the huge cast, constantly surprising powers, humorous writing and huge numbers of classic enemies and heroes all combine to turn this into a celebration of the franchise. Earth Defense Force: World Brothers is a love letter to one of the craziest videogame series ever, and its simplified look and gameplay ironically make this unbelievably niche title one of the best jumping-on points the series has ever offered.

I very much enjoyed this game, and the good elements definitely outweigh the bad, but I sincerely hope that a sequel gets produced someday, because with a few changes and some better writing this could be among my all-time favorites.

I haven’t even scratched the surface of what the slot machine has to offer in terms of winning strategies or clever tricks, as there are countless items to unlock, game modifiers to equip, and just more to play. In a decade where certain titles toe the line between gambling and games, CloverPit performs that dance beautifully and produces an unforgettable roguelite experience as a result — it’s a delight, and one of the most delightfully frustrating things I’ve played this year.

What I can say is that the concept of rewinding and rewriting has much potential. If it delivers genuine variances based on player decisions, there could be many interesting outcomes, but it's too early to tell how much Effect the Butterflies will have.

The saddest part about Vandals is that it’s over too soon — I’d estimate the average running time to be a little over two hours. With how short the levels are, 60 doesn’t feel like enough. That said, given the fact that Vandals is also available on mobile devices, it’d make for a great time-killer during a commute or break at work.

I played Refunct on a day when I was falling apart from an overload of the chaos and hate in America, and retreating just for a few minutes into this serene, danger-free experience removed from news feeds, shouting politicians and burgeoning hate was much-needed balm for the soul. I heartily recommend it to anyone who is in need of same.

Frank and Drake is an impressive feat thanks to its inventive art style alone, but the game manages to shine even more so hanks to a thoughtful story. Its approach to point-and-click based gameplay coupled with mature themes in its narrative make it a unique title worth trying out.

Clocking in at around five hours, Mr. Shifty struck a good balance for me between wanting more versus wearing out its welcome. I enjoyed my time with it despite some of the later levels being slightly frustrating and the finale being a little anti-climatic, but overall, this is a solid addition to the Switch’s growing library.

In fact, I was this close to simply quitting the series and not coming back, but Clementine & co. definitely recaptured some of the original Walking Dead magic before the final credits rolled, and I was grateful for that.

While the Legends edition content remains a bitter disappointment and not worth investing in, the bad taste it leaves in one’s mouth isn’t enough to sour one of the best yearly sports franchises on the planet. F1 2019 is a fantastic representation of its sport, and while this year is more evolution than revolution, there’s enough here to keep fans coming back.

The boss fights are a sore spot that killed my momentum and pushed me towards rage quitting, but I still had a blast pushing the oppressive corporate world back with vibrant colors and great music, and plastering the world with gorgeous graffiti pieces was always a good time. With a campaign that takes around five to six hours to complete, it’s an enjoyably stylish way to spend a weekend.

I enjoy roguelikes in general and I did enjoy the card-combining mechanics overall, but it feels a bit like the window for Dandy Ace‘s success has now closed.

From Russia With Love is a great film. From Russia With Love is not a great adaptation of that film, as it seems to believe that what the source material really needed was a few more rocket launchers and gatling guns.

Despite its lack of long-term staying power, Pac-Man 256 is a fantastic reinterpretation of an arcade classic that looks and plays great, and this port is easily the best version. That said, it’s not meant for extended sessions, so I recommend playing in small chunks to avoid burnout.

Kathy Rain is still among the best narrative-driven titles in the point-and-click genre, and time hasn’t diminished it. The Director’s Cut is surely the best way to play. Any fans of the genre who missed it the first time no longer have any excuse not to give it a try.

In total, Warp Frontier was an unexpected surprise. This well-written, well-designed point-and-click adventure please genre fans and — perhaps — might even entice a few newcomers to try this storied genre.

It’s clear that Berzerk Studios put a ton of effort into Infernax, with even the most obscure moments and references often being fleshed out in unexpectedly engaging ways. Aside from a few platforming quibbles and one ‘puzzle’ that felt like a complete waste of my time, Infernax offers up a solid and engaging experience from start to finish. It has a great sense of humor, strong gameplay and it honors the humble ’80s sidescroller adventure genre far more enthusiastically than I ever expected.

All in all, the game does a phenomenal job of weaving its tale of murder thanks to a fascinating plot and riveting character interaction that kept me coming back for more. Even though the risk of annoyance thanks to repetition is high, players that love a good puzzle shouldn’t miss this one. The Sexy Brutale feels like a love letter to fans of classic Whodunit novels, and in my book, Lafcadio Boone’s adventure is a must-have addition to any Adventure player’s library.

My own interpretation aside, Crime Opera: The Butterfly Effect doesn’t require any theorizing to enjoy since its story stands strong on narrative tension and thrill alone, and showing this side of the mafia that’s often glossed over is something that I can thoroughly appreciate.

If nothing else, Hunters establishes itself as a solid and important entry into the Metroid canon with new elements like peripheral characters and a revamped game structure packaged in a more streamlined, enjoyable adventure than its immediate predecessor. For that alone it deserves respect.

Another downside I had with this game was that it uses BMX jargon to a point where an introductory course on the subject would probably have been welcomed.

I could go on, but over the course of this review I've already described a litany of qualities that should win over players who appreciate mature RPG experiences with quality commensurate to the amount of time spent in them. However, there's no getting around the fact that first impressions will likely turn a lot of potential adventurers off.

In spite of these less-than-stellar choices, I will say that Crysis 2's high points outshine the low ones. Frankly speaking, it's rare that I'm able to completely disconnect from a game's plot and remain interested enough to roll credits, but in this particular case, putting the Nanosuit through its paces was more than enough to keep me playing from start to finish. If the developers tweak a few things and put more emphasis on the free-form parts of play that shine the brightest, I'll be quite interested to see what happens when Crytek starts hyping Nanosuit 3.0. Rat

For the genre fan, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor will be a sublime, smoothly controlling treat. For the novice, it's a fairly gentle introduction to a classically hardcore experience. For Treasure, it's a great chance to addict a vast new audience to their style of game.

If you’re looking for a good JRPG comfort food, it’s definitely that and I think a lot of people play games and don’t finish them right so like if you want to just jump in and like level up and have a bunch of cool story. You could do that and play like 20 hours of it. You know. there you go. As people have said many times most people do not finish most games. So right if all you want is a good 10 hours it sounds like it delivers that good 10 hours you can bounce into something else.

A fantastic stealth shooter that, for the most part, utilizes its strengths to great detail, providing a unique experience in terms of level design and the morality of killing in videogames.

We both agreed that what the game achieves for kids is the ability to transport them into the world of Woody and the gang. For adults, it's a venture back to their own childhood.