Spookware takes a proven, winning idea and skillfully employs it to build an engaging adventure. Despite the rough start and sudden ending, its winning attitude and cheeky comedy still make it a worthwhile experience. I wish I could recommend it without reservations, but until the rest of the levels are released, consider this a review on only half a game.

Supermassive Games is responsible for the most compelling interactive movies around, and House of Ashes proves that the Dark Pictures Anthology is on solid footing after a divisive second entry. While it shares the same basic structure of the previous two games — a mismatched group explores an abandoned location, discovering the secrets of what happened there — it’s so wildly different in tone and theme that it feels nothing like the others. This was a big swing in a few different ways, and I’m glad to say that they knocked it out of the park.

For gamers who haven’t purchased a new Madden title in a few years (and refuse to spend time hunting for a new console) this is a solid, thorough sports sim that still brings a wealth of gameplay to the table.

ExZeus The Complete Collection‘s greatest sin is just how threadbare it is. There’s nothing to unlock other than a few achievements, and no modifiers to mix things up once players have finished both games. With this kind of retro arcade collection one would generally expect to see things like a written history of the franchise, concept art galleries, and a set of challenges or achievements designed to get the player to go back to the game over and over, trying out different strategies and tactics, encouraging players to see everything the game has to offer. ExZeus, on the other hand, just tosses the games out there for anyone for anyone who enjoys the genre to check out. While there are some thrills on offer for fans of Space Harrier or Panzer Dragoon-style games, there’s literally nothing else here for anyone who isn’t passionate about that specific subgenre.

This title is full of new ideas, design that is coherent with its larger ideas and it offers an attempt to draw attention to real-life subjects such as social diversity, just like a true work of art. Taken in total, The Eternal Cylinder is an unforgettable experience.

Greak: Memories of Azur is an action-platformer weighed down by a complicated multi-character concept that doesn’t feel fully developed, and it’s tough to recommend such an experience when there are so many superior offerings in the same genre. Fixing its issues and ensuring that its main claim to fame works more effectively would do wonders for it, and I’m hoping we’ll see an improved version in future.

Overall, the Crysis Remastered Trilogy is a weird product. While it’s great there’s a (mostly) high-quality version of the original Crysis available to console players, it’s also the only real highlight. Crysis 2 remains a dreary scaling-back of its predecessor, and while I like Crysis 3 more than the second, it’s not particularly noteworthy. The most compelling argument to be made here is to players who’ve been curious about Crysis after hearing about it for years — now, here’s a great way to play it. Getting the other two is just a bonus.

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.

If one is able to put these narrative issues aside, Astria Ascending is a solid and beautiful J-inspired RPG with some noticeable (but ultimately minor) flaws. JRPG fans looking for a new world to sink dozens of hours into need look no further.

MyDearest has made the best case yet for proving that visual novels can work in VR, and it’s strong enough to compete with more traditional non-VR entries in the genre as well. This is one giant robot you’ll want to get into.

While Paint The Town Red might be a more robust experience on PC, the Switch version feels almost like a tech demo in comparison, delivering a decent but too-shallow fighting experience that wore out its welcome after just a couple of hours.

I met King’s Bounty 2 more than halfway by fighting every monster, completing every quest and searching out every bit of treasure, but at the end of the day, I was left broken, bankrupt, and frustratingly unable to roll credits on a title that was almost great.

Disappointing cutscenes aside, Sonic Colors Ultimate offers a solid package that finally gives modern console owners a chance to play one of the best entries in the Sonic catalog, and any hedgehog fans out there who haven’t tried it yet should track it down.

Orangepixel’s title might best be appreciated by casual fans of the genre looking for a solid (but mostly vanilla) crafting and resource-gathering experience that doesn’t include combat. Personally, I didn’t find much value in scouring for materials the same way a hundred other crafting games do, and the odd controls, murky UI and rough graphics don’t do it any favors, either. There are better choices in the genre.

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.

Teacup was definitely a nice surprise — it’s a peaceful and relaxing experience enriched by fantastic audio and visuals. I suspect it will please both younger audiences and slightly older ones, as just about anyone these days could probably use a few hours of respite from the ugliness of the modern world.

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.

It’s a shame Hoa doesn’t try to do more with its fantastic art design, as its non-challenging puzzle/platforming mechanics have already been employed more successfully by contemporaries. It might be beautiful, but Skrollcat Studio’s title offers a quietly milquetoast experience that reaches its anticlimactic conclusion before it has time to blossom.

The combat in Tails of Iron excels. The brutal, methodical mechanics never stop being satisfying, but I wish that I felt like I was doing it for more vital reasons. I can appreciate the artistic choice behind keeping things dialogue-free, I just wish the rest of the game felt as vital and interesting as the melee does.

Is it more difficult to play than it should be? Absolutely. Did the developers make it more annoying than the 20-year-old games which inspired it? Indeed. However, it still manages to be a charming experience for fans of this content because the care the developers put in is so patently obvious via fantastic locations, a solid story, and a final boss fight that doesn’t try the player’s patience. The developers clearly wanted to bring back retro survival horror in a way that people could enjoy, and while they don’t entirely succeed, it’s good more often than it isn’t — and that’s more than I can say about the glut of Resident Evil and Silent Hill clones out there.

Seed of Life features weak production values, questionable design decisions and repetitive play. Online research tells me it’s the work of only two people, but the hard truth is that despite their efforts there are dozens of similar, better titles available. Still, the devs seem to be constantly patching it up and trying to fix things, so I commend them for at least trying. I wish I could give it my seal of approval, but from any perspective this is an extremely hard one to recommend.

Kena fills the void left by a now-scarce genre that used to be far more common than it is today. It’s a simple story of love and loss with gorgeous visuals and a play loop ripped straight from the PS2 era. I would have liked a few more concessions to help players navigate the world and its challenges, but I still enjoyed my time here — it doesn’t reinvent the action-adventure platformer wheel, but it managed to put a nostalgic smile on my face.

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom is an adventure with a whole lot to do, and a whole lot of ways to do it. I cherished exploring this bustling world, and experimenting with the stellar combat system provided hours of entertainment. I just wish the developers focused a bit more on the strong fundamentals, rather than creating countless systems for the player to digest. Nevertheless, Revenant Kingdom is an exceptional title deserving attention from fans of almost any genre.

Cruis’n Blast is great at what it does. However, there’s not much here beyond straightforward, arcade racing. While this was generally great for me, how much mileage someone will get out of it depends on how much they enjoy this relatively simple genre.

In the end, Deathloop is a pretty decent ride with a fantastic sense of style and a lot of freedom for players to experience Colt’s story as they see fit. However, the overall experience is shaken by a surprising amount of bugs, braindead enemy artificial intelligence, lackluster PVP and by-design repetition as Colt works to piece together the mystery of Blackreef. I largely enjoyed my time, though I was very ready for Colt’s day to end as I neared the campaign’s finale, and it’s unlikely I’ll be looping back into the game for more any time soon.

Despite the mild annoyances and missed opportunities for further narrative development, Lost At Sea mostly hits its themes on-target and serves its message and philosophical questions confidently. With strong core elements in place, Lost At Sea is a recommended title to anyone who might want to explore this side of life in an interactive way.

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.

Honestly, I love Black Book. This marvelous piece of work consistently avoids the expected beats, and I have no doubt that many aspects of the story and how it’s told will be quite surprising – hell, simply being exposed to the attitudes and views of the characters is eye-opening all on its own. Morteshka has brought us a title that offers a glimpse into a time and place that we rarely see, and has couched it the incredible journey of a humble Russian girl.