Whimsical and cute despite the sinister subject matter, Lovingly Evil is a short but endearing experience. A full playthrough of the story will take around an hour and a half (depending on the player’s reading speed) but with five romance options and 12 endings, there are plenty of reasons to return for repeat players. As for me? I finished it twice, and I’m considering going back and finding out what’s up with Satan.

Fans of Trine‘s previous entries may feel like this entry is a bit overfamiliar, but for those coming to the series for the first time, Trine 4 is a good place to start. This sequel might not reinvent its wheel, but in this case that’s not a bad thing.

Though still a bit flawed in execution, players who want to see how narrative-based games can evolve should absolutely play Event[0].

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.

It’s the best traits from those classic AKI games that remain at the core of AEW Fight Forever, though, along with some clever and sometimes whimsical additions made along the way. (The Mario Party-esque minigames are, hands down, some of the wackiest additions I’ve seen to any sports game.) Though All Elite Wrestling is still a relatively young wrestling company, it can point to Fight Forever as a great first foray into console gaming and one of the best wrestling games in years.

Even if the game can't provide a consistent level of excellence, there are enough great parts to recommend the whole package, as hit-and-miss as it may be.

It doesn't re-invent the wheel, but it does provide a solid football experience.

Outside of those minor issues, NASCAR Heat 4 is an enjoyable racer that had no trouble making me want to take another lap around the track.

With top-tier writing and characterization, Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory does its series proud.

All complaints aside, Lee and Clementine are characters that will stay with me for the rest of my life, there's no question in my mind that The Walking Dead is a milestone that should be recognized and honored for the achievement that it is.

Putting Eric’s handling aside, I had a great time with Boyfriend Dungeon. It’s a low-stress series of engaging dates and the character artwork, voices and music are superb. The combat could be tightened, but bouncing back and forth between the dunj and the attractive cast was exactly the kind of easygoing experience I was wanting, and after rolling credits I’d say that Boyfriend Dungeon’s attempt at genre fusion was a successful one.

Flipping Death’s slight mechanical complaints don’t detract from the strength of a great voice cast and an understanding that the audience should care about what happens next, not just that they should be laughing.

Despite some minor bumps in the road, my younger self would have looked past them and enjoyed The Low Road, and my older self agrees – It’s a point-and-click adventure that delivers a satisfying story, a wonderful soundtrack, and fantastic design.

For older gamers, the save feature means that they may finally get to experience those later levels that they never had the skill or stamina to reach back in the day.

Overall, I can look past the grind of obtaining new cars thanks to everything else Hot Wheels Unleashed does. I loved its commitment to the memory of racing around my bedroom floor, and for those looking for an accessible arcade-style racer full of personality and flair, look no further.

Maiden of Black Water is a twisted and engaging experience. Though it has shortcomings, they never diminish the powerful storytelling and atmosphere. I might be too squeamish to comfortably endure the title’s cathartic terror, those brave enough to venture forth will surely be rewarded with a suitably haunting adventure.

As long as players are happy to hang out with a likable cast of characters and watch some cute flirting, Rio Reincarnation is a success. It’s a pleasant diversion even for someone completely unfamiliar with the source material, and as smoothly playable a visual novel as I’ve ever encountered.

Overall, Frontiers of Pandora might be the greatest virtual tour I’ve ever been on. A large-scale, densely populated world offered wonder with every step and I loved being immersed in a fictional I’ve been in love with for almost 15 years. While the gameplay is only fair and the story leaves much be desired, I can’t deny that this cured the “Pandora withdrawals” I’ve had since seeing The Way of Water in theaters.

The gameplay transcends mere functionality and accessibility to be an actual pleasure to play, barring a few handling hiccups caused by the game's undoubtedly rushed release schedule.

If nothing else, Legacy of Ys proves that revisiting your roots (or exploring them for the first time...) is a trip well worth taking. It's hard to know where we are if we forget where we came from and how we got here.

In what has become a regular mantra for my closing sections, NHL 24 is a tale of highs and lows. On one hand, the title features the most engaging, authentic hockey sim gameplay yet, and those who choose to stick with the basic modes will likely be enthralled by the slick graphics, realistic player fatigue, and top-tier presentation. On the flipside, the in-game advertising and omnipresent cash grabs — in a title that seems a little too familiar to prior editions — may leave longtime fans wondering if they should ever expect more, no matter how much they’ve already invested in the series.

Clustertruck is admirably insane. The action is so fast and engaging that it made me enjoy a randomized, chaotic platformer, which was something I’d previously thought impossible. Still, I couldn’t avoid the nagging sense that I wasn’t wholly responsible for my failures (and successes!) they way I would have been in a more tightly-designed game. That said, anyone willing to loosen their grip on the wheel and go with the flow can expect a consistently surprising and raucous good time.

With slightly more vivacious level designs and a little American bombast here and there, this very British title could have turned a lot more heads.

Demon Turf doesn’t rewrite the rules of 3D mascot-style platformers. Its design is standard fare for the genre and I had some issues with the camera, but the visual style remains one of the strongest I’ve seen in any game all year. In an era where so many titles are visually indistinguishable from one another, it’s nice to see an indie try something new and wow me on visuals alone.

Overall, Greedfall‘s setting, narrative and themes offer a refreshing change from the standard RPG soap operas and it has more than enough meat on its bones to satisfy an RPG fan’s itch, and I believe it shines when viewed like an immensely satisfying sidequest — it was interesting enough to keep me glued, but ultimately it lacks the breadth and depth of something bigger.

With over 300 maps available as of the time this review was written, there is a wealth of content to tackle. People looking for a singleplayer experience in Wargroove should prepare themselves for how difficult the campaign gets, but those open to multiplayer should jump in immediately.

Angry Birds VR launches with the promise of more content to come, so my complaint about it feeling like a brief, tantalizing experiment may be short-lived. It gives me hope for the future of VR to see such a massive brand dip its feet into this format, and it’s a joy to finally appreciate Angry Birds as a damn game once again. This is a great pairing, and I’m eager to see more of it.

There’s not much else to say about Kero Blaster. It looks cute, it’s simple and easy to play, and it’s put together well. For people who want a brief distraction that doesn’t require much time or commitment, this fits the bill and feels right at home on the Switch. I won’t turn down filet medallions if they’re in front of me, but a good ham and cheese can make me just as happy.