Whether you buy John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando to play online or offline, you can’t go wrong. If you liked the single player in World War Z (like I did), I think you’ll really like this game’s single player mode as well. The game has the same overall feel of World War Z for the most part. It gives you satisfaction through constant leveling up whether you are victorious or suffering defeat in each stage. Besides the faulty AI teammates, the main thing I found lacking is that the game has no other modes besides the campaign. With some extra DLC, this game could be just as good as World War Z. I’m really hoping that Toxic Commando gains a cult following like World War Z to where Saber will keep supporting it for a few more years. For a value price game, it has a lot to offer!

Ground Zero is a game that I really want to enjoy, but it is too mechanically demanding for my tastes.

F1 25 is a polished, confident, and highly enjoyable Formula 1 game. It doesn’t reinvent the franchise, but it refines it where it counts—especially in driving feel and presentation—while expanding its appeal through story modes and F1 World.

Monster Hunter Stories 3 allow the series to grow up and it’s truly a refreshing experience. It’s still very much on par with the past two games – it doesn’t do all that much outside of them, but you can definitely tell that the series is now on more powerful systems. I feel that this game will please both longtime fans of the Stories series and newcomers. If you didn’t like the past games, you may want to give this one a try and it might change your opinion on the franchise. It doesn’t change the gameplay that much at all, but visually, it all looks so much better this time around.

Even though the gameplay concept is pretty basic, the challenge is not. If you’re expecting something akin to those simple mobile games featured in the ads that you see while playing other mobile games, you may find it frustrating that you can’t breeze your way through this game. If you like a little challenge, though, you’ll appreciate that there is actually a spot the differences game that will actually test your powers of observation a bit.

Poker Night at the Inventory is fun enough while the fun lasts, but Texas Hold ’em can only hold your interest for so long.

If you like the Resident Evil series in any way, you need to give Resident Evil Requiem a try. It’s such a great blend of the newer RE’s all in one game. RE7 is often said to be the scariest RE (some say too scary) and RE4 is said to be the most fun in terms of gameplay and this game combines both of them. Between the two character scenarios it offers a lot of variety. No matter which system you choose to get this on, just buy it. You can’t go wrong with any console – it’s a blast either way.

Cozy Caravan is the kind of game that you can play when you just need to relax and unwind. There’s no pressure to quickly advance within the guild or to avoid bankruptcy. You can easily return to the game after a while and simply jump back in without having to worry about remembering anything about where you are in the story or what quests you left unfinished. If you’re looking for challenge you won’t really find much here, but sometimes you just need to chill and pick some fruit, right?

For players who appreciate atmosphere, exploration, and methodical pacing over constant action, Routine offers something distinct. It’s not a game that rushes you. It asks you to slow down, pay attention, and absorb its world.

There are some interesting mechanics at work in Anthem#9, but its scale and interface make it a game better suited for mobile.

I Hate This Place is a decent craft-based survival horror, but it doesn’t truly excel in anything. It’s such a mediocre game overall that isn’t worth its asking price. There is a lot of potential in the game, but it just needs more in many areas. The way it is, the game looks way better than it plays. I Hate This Place is not a bad game, but in the end, it comes across as very “meh”.

Despelote is a playable masterfully done trip down a nostalgic era when games, friends and football mattered in a way nowadays kids will never understand.

On a system in which there are plenty of games that are actually fun to play that are free or will cost you a one-time fee of ninety-nine cents, this game has the gall to force you to pay each time that you want to play. And if you do break down and buy more coins, what does that really buy you? More time poking at the screen in the hope that one of your laser beams will actually destroy a fish. No thank you. I can barely take wasting five minutes on this pointless game, let alone actually paying for the right to spend more time with it.

Given my limited knowledge of Digimon, I was not expecting to enjoy Digimon Story: Time Stranger all that much but it really surprised me. The game has a good story and it’s just overall a good turn-based RPG. The game is quite long and it has a lot Digimon to filter through if you’re going for adding them all to your list. If you like RPGs such as SMT, be sure to give this game a try. Even if you don’t know anything about Digimon, you can easily pick this game up and enjoy it like I did.

If you’re a fan of splatterfest games where the blood and guts go flying all over the place when you kill enemies, this is a game for you. The overall mayhem is actually one of the best parts of the game. The game is simple and easy to play. The main flaws that I find with the game is its lack of story and the slowdown. The lack of story can be overlooked if you’re just in it for the gameplay though. If you like old school shooters, this is definitely one to check out.

For fans of stealth-based FPS’s, I’d highly recommend Blood West. The game is highly immersive and atmospheric all the way through its very long campaign. The game encourages exploration and you can get so very easily lost for many hours just exploring each open world. This game will last you for a great deal of time and is well worth its asking price. If you’re expecting a boomer shooter, then you will be disappointed since the game is more like an rpg where you slowly work your way through the campaign.

Hotel Barcelona is oozing with style but the gameplay drags the game down way too much to be fun or memorable.

If you’re looking for a new type of action rpg that has a good mix of many other games, Hell Is Us is a good choice to try out. The game has a lot to explore and it’s not just about combat. It has much exploring, puzzle solving and character interaction throughout its gameplay. Fans of Dark Souls that want a “Dark Souls” type of challenge, should look elsewhere, because this game only has the core mechanics of Dark Souls and it basically ends there. Hell is Us has a very fresh feel to it overall and I highly recommend it to players that want a dark story mixed with various RPG elements taken from different games.

I enjoyed the time I spent visiting The Berlin Apartment. I felt engaged with the people, and seeing some of the tumultuous times in 20th Century German history through the eyes of people living through those times. This is a game with a story to tell, and it’s an interesting one.

Unless you really don’t like side-scrolling, bullet hell shooters, it’s easy enough to recommend Platypus Reclayed. It’s not the kind of shooter that’s going to test the skills of hardcore players, but with the adjustable difficulty it will provide a fun challenge to most gamers. And, honestly, it’s just a lot of fun in and of itself to be a part of such a creative Claymation experience.

The game uses left and right arrows for movement that sit in the lower left corner of the screen and another arrow for jumping in the lower right. For a game built on high-speed runs and well-timed jumps it's a deal-breaker.

Marvel Cosmic Invasion is somewhat of a mixed bag, but overall it’s still a great beat’em up. I enjoyed the game much more once I finished the story mode and went into the Arcade Mode. I feel this game mainly excels with its tag team gameplay and overall roster. Story mode just has a sort of dull feel to it with little challenge, but Arcade Mode makes the stage progression feel more meaningful. Cosmic Invasion is not as good as Shredder’s Revenge, but I do feel it just enough unique mechanics to stand out on its own. The hardcore Marvel fan will be pleased, but those looking for something along the lines of Shredder’s Revenge might find the game to be somewhat lacking in areas. I do feel that this would be in the upper bracket of Marvel beat’em ups, but ff this game could get some impressive DLC (more stages and characters), it could very well be a legendary Marvel beat’em up.

Overall, Painkiller (2025) is a decent online shooter, but it really lacks content. You can rush through all the levels very quickly and complete the full campaign in a few hours (like maybe 4 hours). It is nice that it has multiple difficulties, but that just doesn’t hold up when you have so few of levels. The single player is basically an afterthought – it’s like a mode that punishes you for not playing online. If you plan to play Painkiller online with friends or randoms then you might find something to like here, but those that want a single player experience, look elsewhere or just go back to the older Painkiller games.

All the games are pretty much arcade perfect. The only game with changes from its original platform is MK Trilogy, but those changes are for the better. My main problem with the collection is the spotty online and the fact that it has no lobbies. Lobbies are said to be coming soon. Hopefully, the existing problems can be fixed. If everything is fixed, this collection could be a 90% score for me but with everything still messed up, I have to lower it. Even with the existing problems, this collection is really a must buy for any serious MK fan!

Overall, Black Ops 7 is the best Call of Duty game I’ve played in a few years.

Silent Hill f is beautifully grotesque and fresh. The game is a change that the series needed. It doesn’t have the same rules as the Team Silent games, but it has familiar elements that those game had such as metaphorical meaning. I’m very pleased with the overall progression that Silent Hill f has to offer for the franchise. Just like Team Silent games, you start out not really knowing what is going on and then start to pick up on things as the story progresses. If you’re a fan of the Team Silent games, be sure to give Silent Hill f a try. The game is a big change for the series, but it still has the Silent Hill elements at its core.

Overall, Cronos: The New Dawn is a fantastic survival horror that should be played by fans of RE4 and Dead Space. I was very impressed with the Silent Hill 2 remake and feel that SH2 remake is a better game than Cronos, but Cronos impresses me more since it’s an original franchise that Bloober didn’t have source material on. It would be awesome to see this as the start of the a new franchise for Bloober. Cronos definitely is a game that I’d like to see a sequel to down the road. Good job on this Bloober!

The story was very good overall. Crane is just such an interesting character and it really shows when we return to him. Aiden was good, but it’s so much more satisfying to return to an established character to see more of his story. You can honestly tell that the developers have more fun with Kyle Crane and Roger Craig Smith definitely does. Overall, if you’re a fan of the first game, go out and buy this game right now. It’s made for you. I honestly like every piece of Dying Light that I can get my hands on, so each game has been great for me. The Beast has a few bugs here and there but nothing like what Dying Light 2 had when it first released. The Beast runs at a VERY smooth framerate from the start on Xbox Series X and PC. No doubt, Techland will give this game support for years to come, just like they have done with Dying Light 2. The Beast stands out as my personal favorite Dying Light so far. It just has all the best of Dying Light combined into one – tons of zombie splattering, decent amount of parkour (not overdone), the Kyle Crane character and a great story. Bravo Techland!

If you don’t like word games, then you should stay away from Birdigo. If you do, though, Birdigo adds some unique twists to the standard scramble gameplay formula that you’ll probably find both novel and challenging. You’ll also appreciate the game’s visual style and animations, which give the game a lot of charm and will bring a smile to the faces of bird lovers. Spread your wings and give the game a go!

It's too bad that so much of the game is tedious, because the game’s battles are actually a bit interesting. The battles are turn-based, with the order of attack displayed on a timeline on the left side of the screen. In most turn-based games, the timeline is mostly informational, but in Varlet the actions that your characters take have a direct effect on the timeline. When selecting an action, you will see how many turns it will take to complete. Once you select an action, it will appear on the timeline that many turns ahead. In addition, if the action has a target, whether it’s an ally or an enemy, the target will be shown on the timeline as well. And it’s not just you doing this – your enemies are selecting actions and targets as well and those will appear on the timeline, too. You’ll need to be smart about your choices and how they will affect the timeline, carefully picking your attacks and targets, and timing them with guard and interrupt actions. This one bright spot is not enough to make the game recommendable, though. There’s just too much tedium and blandness in between, and there are plenty of better options available for you to play in this genre.

Most people will probably enjoy the game at first, but the amount of time spent grinding and losing will quickly cause them to lose interest. This is a game for masochists and those willing to spend hours upon hours of their time running into a wall based on the slim hope that just one more run is needed to break through.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is a definite pickup if you’re a Ninja Gaiden fan and appreciate the old NES games. It might even appeal to newer fans as well. The game has a great difficulty balance. It is not easy and not too hard. The game has checkpoints that you’ll constantly respawn at, so you never have to repeat much if you die. The game has multiple difficulties (beat the game once to get “Hard”), and just like the old NES titles, it is a great speedrun game. The combat is very satisfying and the game is overall a really good evolution of the NES games. Be sure to try out this game if you’re a Ninja Gaiden fan!

I imagine that some gamers who played this pair of Tony Hawk games back in the day may find some nits to pick with it, but for me it’s been so long since I played the originals, I can’t say that I’ve got any of those sorts of complaints. The levels do jog some memories for me, and the modern facelift keeps THPS3+4 from ruining any nostalgic memories for me. If you missed the gamed the first time around, you’ll probably be quite happy with THPS3+4 – there’s a lot to enjoy here and all of the various aspects of the game are well-implemented and come together quite nicely.

Monster Energy Supercross 25: The Official Videogame might be a good game for you if you can learn its controls. For new people, I don’t recommend this game at all. New players should just stick with the last installment since it’s actually friendly to new players and you can learn as you go. Supercross 25 seems to think that you learn its new feel instantly or are willing to spend hours learning it. If you’re patient, you might like the game, but it’s definitely not for everyone. The graphics have improved, but that is about the only area where I see improvement with this installment.

The Switch 2 release of WWE 2K25 is a very solid release! Besides all the expected flaws, the only true flaw that I find is the lack of an image manager. If you can deal with the lack of creativity that the game leaves out, this release is nearly just as good as the other current gen consoles. It’s really amazing how well the game runs on Switch 2. You can’t go wrong with the Switch 2 release if you just want to have some fun with its many modes.

Overall, The Cecil: The Journey begins is an ok survival horror. It’s not bad, it’s not good, it’s just in between. If you like horror games, you’ll probably enjoy this game for what it is, but it’s nothing that memorable. The main problems that I have with this game is just that it’s hard to find item to manipulate a good bit of the time and also the game has a major need of variety. Just finding an enemy to shoot is such a blessing when those moments come!

If you still have yet to try Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate then pick up the Deluxe Edition. The DLC is very much worth it. If you’re into rogue-like games, be sure to give this one a try.

For a 45 minute game, The Hole is quite a memorable experience. I highly recommend this to horror fans, especially those that are into psychological horror. The game has no jump scares. It is all about atmosphere and tension with this one, which I am very fond of. Be sure to give this game a try if you like a good horror experience with in-depth story that leaves questions in the end.

With such an expansive roster, this game is easily the best of the Budokai games. It also plays well and it certainly looks fantastic. The only true flaw is that it is somewhat lacking in single player content compared to other DB games. It also has some character balance issues, which is kind of common in games like this. Unlike the past few DB games, this is more of one that you buy for playing against a friend or online rather than single player. Overall, Dragon Ball Sparking Zero receives a high recommendation from me.

Karma: The Dark World is a trippy ride through the mind of others and one that is very surreal.

Tape 1 is mostly build-up, and I’m left wondering how significant its more mundane events will be when the story concludes in Tape 2.

Overall WWE2K25 is a much better step forward than previous years. The franchise has been playing it too safely ever since 2K22 and it finally has stepped away from that safe haven to advance a bit. Each mode seems to have gained some extras that make them more relevant. I think My Rise has improved the most overall. It’s gone from a bloated filler story that I would never want to play again to a shorter more plot focused story that is easily more replayable. If you’re a WWE fan, this game is definitely one to pick up. It’s the best WWE since 2K22, and the My Rise mode is the best one since 2K19. For the developers to have only one year to create this game, it’s quite impressive with what all they have done with this installment.

There were times when I’d spend my entire play session simply wandering around and painting the world, which I found to be a relaxing and pleasing experience. I also liked playing with the paintings, both in making original creations to sell and in interpreting the requests of clients. I can see gamers who need a bit more structure in their games or who are looking for something with more of a story to it, more of what would be considered an adventure game, feeling a little lost or disappointed with Été. However, if there’s even a little bit of an artist within you, even if the talent isn’t necessarily there, you will probably find Été to be a relaxing and enjoyable experience.

Overall, the DLC is quite good. It adds a good bit to the main game. The Casey Jones character is a lot of fun. Like I said, he doesn’t seem like much from the beginning. He doesn’t have a special that completely saves you from damage like the other characters and he starts out extremely slow, but if you can take advantage of his potential for heavy damage, he is an absolute beast. The new stage is like a double decker stage addition, so it’s quite fun to play.

The game is quite a decent brawler rogue-like experience, but it is heavily brought down by its bugs. You might play the game and not get any in the short-term, but keep playing and your bound to run across one. The worst part about the bugs is how they soft-lock you out of progressing. Without the technical problems, I’d give the game somewhere in the 70% range easily since it’s quite good on its own, but the problems bring it down quite a bit overall.

I really wanted to enjoy this game. I collect Funko Pops and love many of the franchises represented in the game, and fully expected an experience at the same level of quality as the LEGO games. I’m also surprised that given the popularity of the Pop Yourself custom figures, the game doesn’t have any kind of character-building feature. Unfortunately, I can’t really recommend this game, you’ll probably find it as frustrating and disappointing as I did.

It’s amazing how good the game still looks for a game that is two generations old. It moves quite smooth and the lighting effects are really good. Shadows of the Damned deserves more recognition than it gets. I hardly ever heard anything about it when it first released and even now with the Hella Remastered release I still don’t hear much about this game. Suda51 fans already know of its greatness – I’m pretty sure of this. If you haven’t played this game and you like RE4, you definitely need to give it a try. This game is literally calling to you but you haven’t heard it yet. Answer the call. It’s trying its best to get through to you!

Glitches and processing hunger aside, I did enjoy playing the game. The devs have done a great job of capturing the fun, spirit, and adventure of an Indiana Jones movie, and they’ve done a lot of work to make The Great Circle more like an interactive movie than a video game. If you want to immerse yourself in a great adventure, and have hardware that can handle the game, you’ll have a good time donning a fedora, grabbing a whip, and traveling the world.

Some of the updates to Star Wars Episode 1: Jedi Power Battles may please fans of the original, but those updates can’t change the fact that this is a very dated game.

This is really not my type of game but I enjoyed messing around with it and found a lot to enjoy while playing it, but I’ve been curious about this game for a while now. I prefer more of a solo play type of game without the use of a mic. Playing solo on Bounty Hunt is fun but very challenging. I didn’t like the Soul Survivor mode at all. I mainly respect the overall look and feel of the game more than anything. The Bounty Hunter mode has a lot of distraction from the core team deathmatch mode that made it far more enjoyable than the other mode. Overall, Hunt Showdown 1896 was a lot fun.

Phasmophobia is one of few games that gives me a sense of dread when starting each run and I love it for that. Very few games make me feel this uneasy. It’s amazing that this game is still in its “preview” run on both Xbox and PC. The developers must set their sights very high since the game feels quite finished overall. It would be nice if they would add some sort of story. That’s about my only nitpick with this title. If you’re into horror games, be sure to give this game a try. It’s more of an online co-op game, but even the single player is fun to mess around with. The game is so very rewarding once you start to get adjusted to it.

Slay the Princess is not for those looking to make their way through an adventure game to enjoy a tidy little story. It’s the kind of game that will get inside your head, make you contemplate ambiguous moral and philosophical matters, and leave you with unanswered questions to contemplate and answer on your own. If those types of games are as interesting to you as they are to me, you’re going to love Slay the Princess.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is a decent game to try out for fans of the movies and survival horror fans. If you can look past some of its problems, the game is quite well made and unique. Fans of Alien Isolation will most likely find something to enjoy with this game. It’s not perfect, but there are definitely moments of greatness here and there.

I greatly enjoyed my time with Bloodless. It’s got some incredibly interesting visuals and everything about the game just works so well. It’s near perfection. The only real problem I have with the game is that battles can sometimes get a bit too intense once you get crowded into a corner. Thankfully, save points are everywhere, so every skill level can eventually work their way through tough battles. I highly recommend this game to fans of Dark Souls and someone that just wants a good samurai action experience. Players that like an artistic-style game will find plenty to enjoy with Bloodless as well.

Overall, Kong Survivor Instinct is a fun and satisfying game. I must repeat, this game caught me off guard. I was not expecting such a greatly polished Metroidvania and Shadow Complex-style game out of this. If you like either type of game, be sure to check this game out. This game seems quite “under the radar”, but hopefully, more people will try it out and give it the attention it deserves. Fans of the Legendary’s Monsterverse definitely need to pick this one up.

Pneumata might look good and it has some overall good enemies and play control, but there are tons and tons of negatives in this game that weight it down. Outside of achievements, this game has no replay value at all. I’d only recommend this game to the most hardcore of hardcore survival horror fans. If you have to play every single horror game out at the moment then give it a try and judge it for yourself. Other than that, I would recommend Fobia or Jack Holmes for those that want a taste of an RE7-inspired survival horror.

Overall MotoGP 24 is a really good motorcycle racing game. I don’t know how it compares to the rest of the series, but I hear many other gamers commending it. Just like all racers, it has a learning curve, so you’ll be crashing a lot at the start, but once you get over that hurdle, the game is quite satisfying. It’s often hard to find a racer that controls just as good as it looks, but MotoGP 24 is definitely one of them.

Because of the unique way that the game blends the effects of its cards with its gem board, it took me a run or two to really understand what was going on. After that, though, I began to appreciate how well the gameplay mechanics work together and really started to enjoy the game. If you enjoy games like this, like me you’ll probably find yourself playing just one more battle until you find that you’ve just put a few hours into the game.

Jack Holmes: Master of Puppets is an overall decent survival horror. The enemies in the game do get annoying, but you eventually get used to it. The game can actually be quite tough at times. There were points where I got a bit concerned about ammo, which is quite rare with survival horrors nowadays. If you enjoy RE7 and its overall horror atmosphere, be sure to give this game a try. I feel you’ll enjoy the game the most. The game is also comparable to Fobia: St Dinfna Hotel, which also played like RE7 overall, so if you like either of these games, Jack Holmes is worth a shot.

There are some interesting ideas at play here and the reality TV show simulation genre is far from crowded, but the problem is that there is so little to the actual core gameplay. The voyeuristic nature of reality TV makes this a game in which you spend a lot of time simply listening to the characters speak to each other and finding that what they have to say isn’t all that interesting. I can’t help but feel that if this was more of a real simulation of reality TV that gave you a lot more control in staging and forcing dramatic moments, then The Crush House would be more fun to play. As it is, it’s a bit of curiosity that will keep your interest about as long as it does your fictional viewers’.

While it’s not your traditional horror game, Conscript is easily the closest you can get to an old school survival horror without having zombies or some other creatures in it. The horrors of war are definitely felt in this game. There is such a sense of hopelessness and loss throughout the game. The notes in the game help to add to that feeling. If you like horror games, you need to experience this game. It’s definitely a game that has classic survival horror fans in mind.

Welcome to ParadiZe is an ok game if you can deal with the repetitive combat. You’re basically just R1’ing through zombie waves much of the game.

Overall, I do truly enjoy Withering Rooms, mainly for its presentation. The combat feels lackluster, but you do get plenty of help in the form of items and other collectibles that you find that help out during combat. The game seems like it is a constant learning experience, which is great! Even with the combat flaw, I still really like this game however. It’s not completely perfect, but it sure is one very unique horror game. This game should be tried by all horror fans at least once. Just because you’re a horror fan doesn’t mean you’re going to instantly like it, but I’m sure you’ll be able to enjoy it for its atmosphere and overall look once you get adjusted to it.

If you’re looking for a management style game – time, financial, etc. – you won’t find it here. This is more of a game about collecting things – sushi recipes and ingredients, décor for your shop, hats for your bot, … – and interacting with a quirky cast of locals. Animal Crossing fans will certainly enjoy their time with the game, although the number of things you can do and collect here pales in comparison. Rolling Hills oozes charm, though, and even though your time in town might be relatively short, it will definitely be cozy and relaxing.

After playing the first game, it is noticeable that the characters seem more lively and full of charm in the first game when compared to the sequel. The characters in the sequel are still really good, but I just favor the original game’s characters. With the sequel now being on PS5 and Steam, it is highly noticeable that the game doesn’t have slowdown during town sequences. The Switch version struggled to maintain a consistent framerate while in towns, but the PS5 version has no problem with slowdown in those areas. If you missed out on Monster Hunter Stories 2 for Switch, definitely give this game a try on PS5 or Steam. You can’t go wrong with either the first game or its sequel. Both games are just as good as the other one and have their highs and lows. For me, both of them come out as being equally good. It’s hard to recommend one over the other.

If you like JRPGs, make sure you try out Monster Hunter Stories and its sequel. Both games are fantastic. I actually enjoy the Monster Hunter Stories games more than the traditional Monster Hunter games since I favor turn-based RPG over action RPG. You can’t go wrong with either this game or its sequel. If you like one, you’ll like the other just as much. I do feel the first game has the better characters and the second game has the overall better gameplay. They both come out as being even to me.

The overall graphical design of Eresys is really good, but the game gets boring quick.

TopSpin 2K25 offers up a challenging simulation of the sport that may be too much for those looking for a casual tennis game. In spite of its efforts to teach players the subtleties of both the controls and the sport, you’ll have to try and pick up a lot of it on your own if you’re going to get any good at the game. I can certainly see some players getting frustrated with it. Those who enjoy tennis will appreciate the game’s excellent presentation and sheer content of licensed gear offered through the store or waiting to be earned through seasonal rewards. They’ll probably wish that progression wasn’t such a grind, though.

Overall, this game is very much like the first game. The main thing Dragon’s Dogma 2 has going for it are its visuals. It has slight improvements here and there and some additions, but overall, the gameplay is nearly exactly the same as the first game. This isn’t bad at all though, considering the first game was so good. If you like the first game, you’re going to love this game, but if you don’t care for the first game, this one will not change your mind. Capcom played it safe with this game, which is really fine with me – it’s better to not change what isn’t broken. I do have some of the same complaints with this game that I did with the first game, but they are overall still minor (see the minuses below). If Capcom would give this game a 60 fps option, that would please me the most.

I enjoyed the game’s atmosphere, visuals, and distinctive gameplay style. I do think that the game would have been a bit better if it didn’t try to introduce new, more complex bullet controls in the later levels – I would have enjoyed making my way through the game with just the fundamentals. There would have been more an emphasis on planning and a little less on tricky controller combos. I don’t want this to discourage you from giving the game a try, though. It is a rather unique experience, and even if the later levels prove a bit of a trial, replaying many of the game’s levels in an attempt to find the perfect plan that will push you higher in the leaderboards is in and of itself quite enjoyable.

As far as games go, Botany Manor is a little on the shorter side, but that’s OK in this case. The gameplay fully tells its story without trying to extend things with inconsequential busy work or unnecessary padding. It’s a relaxing and peaceful game that will exercise your brain just enough without taxing it. If you’re looking for a game that will help you to relax and unwind without boring you in the process, then the botanical puzzles of Botany Manor will meet your nutritional needs.

The game took around 4-5 hours to complete overall and I do take my time with games. I got so tired of the trial-and-error gameplay and overall lack of guidance on where to go that I had to track down a walkthrough (which I don’t often do). Even with the negatives I feel the game is definitely worth a shot. The creature design is quite impressive and the visuals are good for horror fans. If you’re a fan of Lovecraft, you need to give it a try and judge it for yourself. It’s easy to tell that Dragonis has a passionate love for horror with the visuals and overall creature design in this game.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU is a metroidvania that I really enjoyed and kept me motivated to keep pushing through it. I love the masterful use of color and music in the game, as well as the unique and heartfelt story. I was fascinated by the setting and the game’s mythology – it was new to me and I truly appreciated being exposed to a new mythos that is extremely underserved in gaming and other media. I enjoyed reading the additional background on everything in the game’s codex. The game’s title – “Tales of Kenzera” teasingly implies that there are more stories to be told here. I certainly hope that there are.

If you’re a fan of old-school survival horror games, definitely give this game a try. I greatly enjoyed it and could look past the flaws, but the flaws are too bad to ignore (in some instances) when reviewing the game. Alone in the Dark is a series that has been MUCH in need of a reboot and reimagining and this latest Alone in the Dark does that quite well. This game may have its problems, but it’s certainly nice to see that Alone in the Dark is actually relevant once again.

It would have been nice if Pepper Grinder was a longer game, but the time you will have with it will be enjoyable. The fast-paced nature of shooting through the levels can be exhilarating. If you enjoy platformers, you’ll appreciate that someone has found a way to add a unique spin to a genre that has been around almost as long as there have been video games.

If Berzerk were part of a collection of arcade games so that you could enjoy it in short bursts with a variety of other games it would be fine. However, there’s just not enough here to support a standalone release.

Dicefolk is really all about the battles. If you’re looking for a full RPG experience, you’ll probably be disappointed. There’s not much to the story and very little world-building. However, strategy gamers are in for a treat. The unique battle mechanics provide for plenty of tactical depth, and there’s enough of a random element to keep you on your toes and make the battles more than just puzzles to be solved. The rogue-like elements and the randomness between runs work to keep things fresh. If you enjoy tactical games, but are a little burned-out on the turn-based RPG battle format, take Dicefolk out for a roll.

Overall, Exoprimal is quite a solid game even with its one mode. The amount of variety in the exosuits kept me coming back to the game often. The game has a lot of DLC, but all the exosuits can be unlocked by playing the game and leveling up each exosuit to a certain level. The game also has a good bit of free unlockables that you can get from collectible cards (basically a type of loot crate) in game. If Capcom could include a true campaign mode where you could play it solo or with a team of other players, I could see this franchise being just as good as Lost Planet 1 and 2 (mainly Lost Planet 2) in the long run. Definitely give this game a try if you like Capcom online shooters – I have a feeling you’ll like it if you’re willing to give around 5 hours for it to truly show you what it has to offer.

Suicide Squad could have been a much better game if it simply stuck to being a story-focused game with support for four-player co-op. The need to shoehorn repetitive grind missions into the game so that they could be recycled endlessly for live-service content obviously distracted from the development of a richer story and environment. The focus on weapons to support the kind of gear grind that keeps some players compelled to keep playing live-service games took the focus off of the characters, and making each one truly unique to play. I wouldn’t mind seeing a sequel, one without live-service aspirations and a focus giving each character a unique play experience, but after the disappointment that is Kill the Justice League, I think it will be a while before we see another Suicide Squad game.

All in all, this is a nice little collection of portable games from the aughts. The gameplay isn’t for everyone, but if you enjoy, or don’t mind the occasional, interactive fiction/visual novel game, you’ll enjoy your time with Apollo Justice.

Overall 2K24 has a bunch of small improvements when compared to 2K23, but it does feel like a better upgrade when compared to the transition of 2K22 to 2K23. It’s overall a worthy pickup for fans of WWE games. It has a much better showcase than last year and also the roster is the most solid it’s been in quite a few years. If you’re on the fence about it, I’d recommend trying it out before buying, though, since its similar to 2K23 in a lot of ways (mainly graphics).

Metroidvania games have always been hit or miss for me, too often the combat is simplistic and repetitive, it can be tedious trying to keep track of all of the locations that you need to revisit, and story is often an afterthought. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with The Lost Crown, though. It improves on all of the aspects of Metroidvania games that sometimes irritate me, and wraps it in a compelling story and setting. The game is a standout in the genre, and easy to recommend to anyone who has even a remote interest in Metroidvania games.

Overall, I do recommend this game to fans of old-school RE games. You’ll have the most fun with this game. The cheap deaths do get in the way, but you can overcome them with enough knowledge of the game. You Will Die Here Tonight is definitely a game that you have to get the feel for to truly enjoy it, but once you do, it is quite a fun time. The game clocks in at around 3 hours total, but it is an overall fun experience and quite impressive for an indie game.

Evil Nun: The Broken Mask is an overall fantastic horror hide-and-seek style game. It’s honestly one of the best I have played thanks to the finely tuned treatment of the main AI enemy. Sister Madeline never feels like she is overdone to where she teleports throughout the area or just suddenly appears next to you. The game is definitely one immersive experience thanks to her AI. The numerous difficulties help a lot in making the game playable for all skill types also. You never get the feeling like you can’t progress because the game is too hard since you have the means to adjust it. I highly recommend this game to all horror fans looking for a good chase experience.

On the one hand, you essentially get three times as many puzzles as the game has levels. On the other, you’ll be spending a chunk of time with each level, which really breaks-up the narrative flow of the story. I think it might have been better to limit the puzzles to single goals, perhaps with some optional bonuses, and keep the game flowing. As things are, though, you’ll need to ask yourself if you’ll enjoy spending the extra time with each level. If you’re intrigued by the idea of cracking each puzzle three times with different goals, you’ll probably enjoy Howl. However, if the thought of spending so much time with each level sounds like a grind to you, or you’d prefer to have the freedom to experiment with different tactics, you’ll probably find the game to be frustrating. As such I can’t recommend the game to everyone, just those in the former group.

Overall, the core of Pinball M is not that much different from that of Pinball FX. If you’ve played that game, once you spend a minute or two adjusting to the new menu layout you’ll be right at home. It would have been nice if you could have kept your collection of tables all in one place, but at least this separation allows the skilled designers at ZEN Studios to explore more themes – although the studio has toned down mature licenses in the past such as Borderlands. You can take it out for a test spin for free, and if you like what you see you can pick up another table or two, or go all in for about $20 at the time of this writing. ZEN Studios has consistently been providing new content based on new franchises to Pinball FX, so it’s likely that you’ll see Pinball M’s selection of tables continue to grow in the future.

After playing the multiplayer game enough to review it, I can’t say that I feel all that compelled to jump back into it. That’s a first for me, and I’ve been playing the game since before it even had a multiplayer mode. Modern Warfare III is the most disappointing entry in the series for me in a while – I haven’t been this disappointed probably since Ghosts. The franchise would have better served its fans by taking this year off and putting the time into creating a better-balanced, more complete entry in the franchise. You can certainly skip this entry in the series, or at least wait until it is heavily discounted, because it’s just not worth it.

Limerick has some great ideas, but overall it's just not that fun.

UFC 5 really just doesn’t have enough enhancements to make the game a worthwhile purchase for most gamers. For a game that comes three years after its predecessor, I expected a lot more. I loaded up UFC 4 after playing UFC 5 and it really felt just about the same. The graphical downgrade in UFC 4 was noticeable once I saw fighters up close and especially in career mode cutscenes, but that is about the only thing that UFC 5 does better than UFC 4. The gameplay is still just as good as UFC 4, but UFC 5 is just too much of the same overall. Hardcore fans of this series will benefit the most from UFC 5, but I know hardcore fans wouldn’t even be reading this review – they already have the game and are happily playing it and could care less about what I have to say. For the rest of us though, UFC 5 just feels like a mediocre upgrade that isn’t really worth its asking price.

I really want to like Ad Infinitum more than I do, but it has too many faults that ruin the experience.

You can certainly have your fun with Immortals of Aveum – its world is unique and there simply aren’t enough magic shooters of this caliber out there. The bugs are annoying, and have hopefully been patched by the time you’re reading this, but if not, you’ll have to have a little patience with the game. It’s not a must-play shooter – better battles as the game progresses instead of a “more is better” philosophy towards enemies and more freedom to experiment with different spell combos rather than just matching colors would help, as well as more interesting and challenging puzzles.

I would really like to enjoy Daymare 1994, and I do somewhat. The game has collectibles to find, challenges to try for and multiple difficulties so there is some good replay value here. Just like the first game, you can tell that the developers had fun while making it with all the references and good atmosphere that the game carries. It’s just such a shame that this game frustrates me so much with its overall mechanics and poor enemies. I feel like this is a game that some people will enjoy (like I did somewhat), but it’s hard to deny the problems we have here.

Even with the insanely boring story and dialogue, this game has some pretty good gameplay. If you can reach the point (around 2-3 hours) where the game actually starts to allow you to venture out on your own, the game gets much better, but before that time, it really drags heavily. If you can get adjusted to the quick QTEs and having to waste turns on pinning, the combat system is actually quite good. The hype system is one of the best parts of the combat system. If you can gain enough hype to build the meter all the way, each battle becomes much more fun. Boss battles are also a lot of fun and a good challenge as well. WrestleQuest is definitely a long RPG with a lot of content (side quests, main quests, hidden items). WrestleQuest is worth a try for fans of JRPGs if you’re in it for the long run. If you’re expecting quick amusement however, this game really takes a while to get good.

I can see where some players might like Dead Man’s Diary for what it is, but it is not a game I found much enjoyment in. I spent about a good 6 hours on it my first time, but eventually got tired of the usual formula and overall feeling that I was going to get stuck. Like I mention, the stage select really saves the game from getting too ridiculous, but it’s still annoying to have to go back and do so much if you get stuck, even with stage select help. If you’re a fan of survival games, you might want to give this a try, but just keep in mind the negatives that I mention since they will most likely ruin the experience. Dead Man’s Diary is a game that I’d like to enjoy, but just can’t.

Overall, this DLC is fantastic. At such a little cost, you get quite a bit. The new characters are worth the asking price alone. I’m not a huge fan of survival modes, but this one can get addicting with all the helpful power-ups. The boss characters are very fun to mess around with as well.

Madden NFL 24 does provide a pretty good simulation of NFL football when you’re on the field. The animations and AI are improved over last year, and the games are fun and challenging at the higher difficulty levels. I just wish that everything around the on-field action was overhauled. Ultimate Team needs to be revamped, and should look to Madden NFL Mobile for inspiration. The mini-games need to be reworked, if not totally removed. And, please build an interface that’s fast, easy to navigate, and gets you pumped to play some football.

All of the problems can easily be patched. The game is not plagued with bugs, but they can ruin the experience for the moment. It’s still amazing how solid the game is overall. Right now, there is no ranked mode. You are paired with other players that are around your current player level however, which is good for balance. This is definitely a game that every Texas Chain Saw Massacre fan should try out. If you’re a fan of Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th definitely give this game a try. It more closely resembles Friday the 13th, but it plays much better. It’s so very addicting and overall balanced!

Unholy is very much a mix of good and bad. The graphics are absolutely fantastic and so is the overall world of the Unholy. It’s too bad that the gameplay and story don’t hold up to the world it’s in. The gameplay is mediocre overall. It has some good ideas with its emotion-based attacks, but the stealth areas get so tedious that it ruins these ideas. I ran into a few times where attacks simply would not hit or take effect (such as enemies not being lured). If you can deal with the stress of this game’s stealth, you might find an alright game in it, but the game is overall more about style than substance. I would like to see these developers do more of a traditional type of survival horror – they definitely know how to do atmosphere well!