Rage 2 is a great game for the right reasons. If you’re looking for a game with a phenomenal story, you’re in the wrong place. The story is boring to me, and rather short at 13 hours of leisurely gameplay. At the very least it doesn’t drop off the planet like Rage did. Gameplay is fun, and vehicle combat works well, giving you an open world Mad Max-esque experience that is simply enjoyable and hard to put down.

Giraffe and Annika is a rhythm adventure game that is short on rhythm, and too heavy on the tedious portions of the adventure. Still, Giraffe and Annika manages to make the most of this title, with beautiful manga inspired panels, enjoyable dialog, and a very fun rhythmic battles, even if they are in short supply. Children and young adults could find a lot to love here, but in comparison to other rhythmic games and adventure games on the market, it may not hold your attention for long.

It’s not very good as individual parts. But as a collection of send-ups to indie gaming, it’s perfectly serviceable.

If you enjoy the Final Fantasy series and are looking for a team-based brawler for some competitive play or just want to kick back with some decently intelligent AI team mates, DISSIDIA Final Fantasy is worth checking out after the $60 USD price drops a bit.

Obviously, this is just the beginning of a long journey, and for the first game from a very tiny studio it's a huge success. The enthusiasts did what the players asked for. One can only guess what fate awaits the FYQD studio, but I would not be surprised if in 10 years Bright Memory becomes a huge franchise under the wing of a major publisher.

While Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-tered doesn't bring any new content to the ten year old game, the graphics upgrade is well worth checking out, as it brings it up to par with all but the top-tier AAA titles of recent times.

A great meshing of different types of gameplay styles that I love.

Chronos: Before the Ashes entails stalking through ancient corridors in alien worlds, and an innovative death mechanic, to boot. There are puzzles a-plenty, and boss fights, just as one would expect from an adventure like this. Nevertheless, Gunfire Games’ latest offering is an action RPG that forgets to deliver on the fun.

Frozenheim has a huge amount going for it and manages to touch on a number of ideas that do, largely, work. It just needs a little more time to the in game combat, but there is a great game in out there on the open plains just waiting for Odin’s blessing.

Alone in the Dark (2024) developers decided to run away and jump into the rich Survival Horror genre, without having any trump cards at the ready. That’s exactly what the authors of the new Alone in the Dark decided to do. The mystical plot of evil in the Louisiana swamps quickly turns into a disjointed kaleidoscope, where characters and any semblance of integrity are lost. The game system turned out to be obscenely poor: four types of weapons, five types of enemies, two types of puzzles! This thing can only be recommended to researchers of the genre, and other players do not even need to know about the existence of Alone in the Dark.

An incredibly intoxicating single player game dressed in breath taking artistry.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance - Tactics is a fairly entertaining game, and if you’re a fan of the turn-based RPG genre or The Dark Crystal I think you would do well to give it a try. Players who have seen the Netflix series might be able to connect more to the game than I was. As a standalone game, I can only imagine the confusion that could go through a new player’s head if they hadn’t experienced any of The Dark Crystal franchise. At that point, I think it struggles as a standalone game.

There is definitely a magic to it and a draw that I found compelling.

This whimsical, family-friendly title manages to join two unlikely game genres together quite well. The genres being platformer and puzzler. Neither of these areas is exceedingly challenging but just difficult enough to make you feel good about yourself once you get to the next save point. While the story is not a gripping tale of suspense the platforming moments will have you feeling some Super Mario nostalgia.

If you are a fan of RPG’s with a good steady story and is anime-styled characters dialogue, you may enjoy this. I enjoyed my time with it and love the combat. For those whose wheelhouse this is in and those that are looking to try it let me know your thoughts on Nights of Azure 2 down below.

Nine Parchments is a solid twin-stick, isometric, Action RPG with some great multiplayer fun. As a single player title, it does begin to feel a bit repetitive but this is offset by the exceptionally fun multiplayer. If you own a Switch or PC, or other console and are looking for something to scratch that twin-stick shooter itch but with a magical twist, Nine Parchments is definitely worth checking out.

Few stories in games can successfully make me hate the “protagonist” and at the same time draw me compulsively further into the events and plot twists. Paired up with the simplistic and impressionistic art of the story frames, the atmosphere and the complexity of the intertwining yet opposing factions bandying for influence over hopelessly corrupt Jack Boyd and you have a Noir story set in the 80’s that could rival the classics.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead is first and foremost a game for fans of the franchise. Horror fans can also give it a try and even get some emotions and challenges, but I'm afraid they won't live to see the end credits and will quietly leave to find another place to tickle their nerves.

If you want a reason to return to Darksiders 3, or want to start a new run through of it with additional content to freshen it up, Keepers of the Void is well worth purchasing. Its puzzles are rewarding to overcome, the combat is as entertaining as ever, and the new equipment you unlock enriches the entire game. That’s a fairly successful piece of DLC in my book.

What has the beginnings of a great 8-bit rogue-like RTS title that feels like Disgea and Slay The Spire heavily influenced. There is a great comedic value and the characters are unique. I love where the narrative is going and the systems in place are impactful, but that's where you start diving into some of the issues, the longer you play.

Destiny 2: Lightfall was off to a great start but quickly fell flat due to a plethora of problems, including bugs, convoluted plot, and more.

For the first time in a long time, a game has lived up (and in my opinion surpassed) the hyped that’s been created around it. Frankly, I’ll be surprised if BIOMUTANT is not game of the year.

Overall The Crew 2 has been set up for some big improvements to the series and the developer has done a lot to make it fun for everyone. There are lots of missions to unlock, as well as the ability to expand your vehicle library with the money you make in-game from races. You will lose yourself in this game.

Achilles: Legends Untold is an absolutely good game. It has a very interesting idea, and ideas nowadays are valued even more than the quality of the product itself, the game has a good leveling system, and battles can (albeit rarely) be a real pleasure (yes, I'm talking about cutting through a crowd of skeletons). But it needs a lot of polishing, and I'm not talking in technical terms, but in gameplay terms

OUTBUDDIES is a fantastic homage to Super Metroid, with a few new twists thrown in.

Mutant Football League is the only football game on the Switch this year, and we're lucky it's a fun one despite all its warts. If you can handle its quirks, and want a football game that doesn't take itself too seriously, this one is for you. It also helps that it's half the price of that Madden guy's game, if you're counting.

Tiny Metal is a very promising, and likely the best, attempt at replicating the successful Advance Wars formula that fans have been looking for. Although multiplayer has yet to be added to the game, and there are some minor performance issues, each of these can be taken care of with a few patches. This puts the game in a position to be great after a bit more work has been done to it, or to make an easily improved sequel.

Did I enjoy Someday You’ll Return and is it worth the money? Yes, understatement of the year. It has a few problems, but that doesn’t stop it from being a pretty great and enjoyable game. I actually streamed Someday You’ll Return for some friends as I played it, and had them hooked from the first jump scare. It’s not quite as scary as it is thrilling, though it does have some terrifying moments here and there that get your adrenaline flowing. After you see the monster for the first time, the tone of the story shifts from the suspense of being hunted by the unknown, to the suspense of finding your loved one, and in turn, finally finding yourself.