It's hard not to cringe when a game takes such liberties with its license. The introduction of a currency system and randomly placed "stores" to buy items from seems more than a little forced in the Tolkien universe.

Headquarters: World War II is an excellent game for WWII enthusiasts and strategy aficionados alike. It provides a great amount of tools for players to use on the battlefield, in addition to plenty of options to tailor the experience to their needs. Some UI and interface issues diminish the experience a bit, it will still provide many hours of enjoyable warfare for fans of the material.

It’s easy to think that the run-based deckbuilder genre has been entirely tapped out, but Roguebook counters that notion in an instant. Though its broader narrative and post-game balance may be a little thin, everything else between these pages is incredibly rich and satisfying. By combining the elegance of tabletop map exploration with a thoughtful evolution of deckbuilding mechanics, Abrakam and Richard Garfield have found a match made for the history books.

In spite of sporadic issues with the controls and the monetization model, UFC 4 is a great fighter, even if one bases it solely on the expansive career mode. As I currently celebrate my first championship title and defending it, I wholeheartedly recommend this one, not only to fans of the sport, but to anyone looking for their next fighting game fix.

This undersea tour is quite short. I got through it in about two hours or so and was surprised by the brevity, but it’s probably better that way. No matter how beautiful it is to swim with whales or to descend into an undersea crevasse, there is precious little to do in Abzu, and it’s never particularly touching or thought-provoking. If it told a better tale or if there were more to it than swimming and occasionally pushing a button, it might have been a knockout. As it stands, the appeal of looking at pretty fish wears off in a hurry, and there’s not much else to recommend it.

Despite my issues with its tonal shifts, Altas Mugged is another solid episode with excellent acting, humorous dialog, and an ending that has me eagerly awaiting the next installment. Tales from the Borderlands is two for two so far.

Roadcraft is not a game for everyone, and it’s not even for every Snowrunner fan — but that’s what makes it brilliant for those willing to tune in, and the number of potential fans is probably larger than one might guess. So, despite how eager I am for the return of the Chosen One in Snowrunner 2, I also will be keenly watching where Roadcraft goes. I can’t think of anything in the double-A space that’s more interesting, or has more potential, than this game.

This underwhelming finale to the rebooted Doom saga would be limp enough when judged on its own merits, but the fact that the developers went back and screwed around with what made The Ancient Gods, Part One work so well is criminal. This expansion is more Doom Eternal, which should be a good thing, but turns out to be the weakest and most disappointing that Doom Eternal has ever been.

The beauty of its locations can't be denied, but it seems to be at odds with the game's core. The backstory didn't grab me, and the avatar's journey lacks internal logic or a narrative thrust of its own. Rapture coasts a long way on the strength of its visuals and score, but in a minimalistic game, production values can't mask the weak storytelling and thematic inconsistency.

It's Mega Man, and there's nothing wrong with that. I'll keep playing them as long as they keep making them, but that doesn't mean that this new iteration isn't vulnerable to the same stagnation that the original series was.

The strength of this title still remains in the decision to simulate the promotion/relegation structure used throughout the major leagues of the world.

I desperately wanted more Dying Light after choosing it as one of the year's best in 2015, but now that I've gotten it, I'm bitterly disappointed that the new content fails to build on its strengths. By shifting focus away from what it does best, The Following is a mediocre, frustrating, open-world experience that's nowhere as good as what inspired it.

It's colourful, simple to pick up and play, and only the longest dungeons at the end of the game take more than a few minutes to conquer or be defeated by. Dungelot may not be the perfect roguelite, but it's certainly close.

The concept is great, I love the aesthetics, and the goal of streamlining the RTS genre and making it more approachable is one that I can get behind. And in truth, Pocketwatch has been largely successful! However, I’d recommend it only on the strength of the multiplayer. The campaign’s lack of in-game information, AI with too much advantage, and spiking difficulty curve make it tough to embrace. Perhaps RTS vets will disagree with me, but as a mostly-console player coming to this project, it’s got to go a little further to meet me halfway.

I do love this series and I certainly didn’t have a bad time playing it, but this entry is lacking in the pizzazz that the earlier entries had. The Golf Island overworld adds nothing to the experience, and the amount of grinding to unlock new things is downright ridiculous. That said, the core golfing is still highly enjoyable, it’s nicely priced nicely at $40, and frankly, there’s no competition on the market. As such, Everybody’s Golf is everybody’s golf by default — newcomers will find it solid, but longtime fans like me might wish for days gone by.

With attractive pixel-art design, an entertaining narrative, and largely compelling gameplay, Aegis Defenders is mostly a winner. Unfortunately, the guesswork and lack of flexibility in tower implementation keeps it from being an unqualified success, though. The developers have made a valiant effort at combining genres here, but as good as their platforming is, they didn’t think the tower defense through as well as they needed to, leaving Aegis Defenders a game that gets within striking distance of greatness without ever managing to hit it.

My Brother Rabbit wants to tug the heartstrings as it messes with the mind, and it does an exceptional job of both. There’s something heartbreakingly absurd about watching a stuffed rabbit doing its best to take care of an anthropomorphized plant, but it’s the abstraction that cuts right to the heart of the situation — this is a story about children trying to process huge issues so far out of their realm that the fantasy interpretations actually make more sense. It’s challenging and touching, sweet and scary, and one of the best things that Artifex Mundi has produced. R

Despite a collection of minor technical issues, Age of Wonders: Planetfall is one of the best strategy games on any platform this year, console or otherwise, and weaves a compelling tapestry of play within every layer of its design, including tactical battles that are so good, they almost seem out of place in 4X. It may not entirely escape the colonialist trappings of its genre, but it manages to sneak in a thoughtful twist or two as it indulges in a delightfully weird sci-fi reverie.

Spaceland is a great game with a refreshingly tight approach to turn-based strategy. It’s very good as it is, but it could have been a classic if it got rid of the grind with just a bit of rebalancing.

In spite of its issues and a lack of ambition, Alwa’s Legacy is a solid, predictable experience. The platforming feels precise, exploring is enjoyable and it feels rewarding when using skills that can help navigate dungeons and defeat a deadly boss. For fans of metroidvanias or Zelda, it’s worth taking a look — just don’t expect the unexpected.

I still recommend Inmost for having a clear and heartfelt thesis, for trusting players to go along for the ride, and for providing plenty of eye- and ear-candy to keep them enthralled along the way. As disorienting and alien as Hidden Layer’s world feels, I imagine most players will be surprised by how strongly they relate to its characters by the time the credits roll.

While Mail Mole isn’t groundbreaking (pun intended), the amount of charm on display is absolutely wonderful. The visuals are colorful, the controls are fantastic, and I was more than happy to consume this gaming equivalent of comfort food. It’s definitely familiar, but fans of mascot platformers have another winner on their hands here.

I cannot overstate what a pleasant surprise it was, and I’m sure it will be for all tactically-inclined gamers like me. Every defeat only rejuvenated my interest to see how the next levels would be constructed — definitely the most remarkable ‘trick’ up Crown Trick’s sleeves. This one is a true pearl.

Fights in Tight Spaces will not be for everyone as it demands patience and expects players to fail early and often. However, it has charm to spare, the fights are satisfyingly visceral, and it’s quick to pick up and play… although difficult to master.

While not pushing the genre forward, Syberia continues to develop and expand on its established gameplay loop and continues a story that began 24 years ago. I’m sure that returning franchise fans will enjoy it, and there’s a lot to like here for those who enjoy narrative adventures and interesting puzzles — it might even motivate them to delve into the previous entries and experience the magic from the mind of creator Benoit Sokal.

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.

On the face of it, The Dark Horizon is Remnant II’s largest DLC yet, bringing a new leveling system and boss rush mode on top of the usual new equipment and remixed areas. In story and mechanics, though, it’s about as inspiring as a trip through the alien wasteland of N’Erud. Like the previous two DLC, it’s nice to have — and well worth the paltry $10 USD price tag — but I’m still hoping Gunfire Games has something juicier on the horizon.

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.