Assessed purely on gameplay, it’s everything I tend to fear about indie projects; Beautiful, heartfelt, but like Yarny himself, not robust enough.

Full Metal Furies is primarily a brawler, and a good one that promotes teamwork instead of button-mashing. But it's also a very hard puzzle game, one that challenges you to perceive each level, as well as the game's mechanics and characters, in new ways.

Arcade Edition is the most comprehensive version of Street Fighter IV released to date, and an essential buy for fans who don't already have Super Street Fighter IV.

Orion Pirates has an impressive amount of content for a stand-alone expansion, so it's great for new players; but ardent fans of "Starfleet Command Volume II" will merely find more of the same.

It's still a relatively simple and short action game at heart, but a solid combat system, some extremely intense and cinematic levels, cool extras that fans of the movies will enjoy, and the option to play cooperatively with a friend all add up to make The Return of the King deserving of its name.

For big-time puzzle fans who like the idea of competitive and cooperative puzzling online, Puzzle Pirates may be just what you're looking for.

Though third-person action adventure games are very common these days, Crimson Sea's unusual style and characters and its effective blend of action elements make it stand out.

Responsive controls, great graphics, and a control scheme that offers players a phenomenal amount of control over the fighters in the game.

Given that "Hitman 2" was such a huge improvement on the original, it's inherently somewhat disappointing that the new Hitman: Contracts is really just a rehash. It's more of the same, replete with everything that was good and everything that wasn't so good about the 2002 game.

If you already own FIFA 2002, then there really isn't any reason to own 2002 FIFA World Cup, and if you don't own FIFA 2002 but are looking for a soccer game, you should get that game instead.

This version of Pandora Tomorrow was effectively gutted. Not only is it missing the other versions' most exciting feature but--much like the PlayStation 2 version--also it doesn't look nearly as good as its PC and Xbox counterparts.

There's no doubt that this is EA Sports' best soccer game to date on the pitch, but it's really unfortunate that the career mode isn't more user-friendly.

Hours upon hours, this little passion play repeated itself throughout my playthrough. Even after stopping everything to grind for experience, the next major area would present another drastic difficulty spike, with help nowhere to be found. Stacking debuffs on enemies was often the only effective recourse, forcing the enemy to unwittingly murdering themselves, rather than handle the task through my own attacks. While effective, it's also the least enjoyable way to experience a turn-based RPG.

Plug in your gamepad and brace yourself: Devil May Cry 4 on the PC is every bit the equal of the console versions.

Features an original tactical combat system and numerous gameplay twists that will surprise players well accustomed to the standard RPG blueprint.

Soul Bubbles is charming, beautiful, and soothing, but it won't keep you coming back.

The challenging and lengthy single-player campaign and the tough AI will keep you busy for a long time, while custom skirmish modes and multiplayer capability add to the game's value.

The extra bells and whistles that Sonic Rush Adventure add to the formula might not equate to much of an overall improvement, and the game might not have as much impact as its predecessor, but this is still a mighty-fine platformer that is guaranteed to satisfy Sonic fans.

Despite certain underdeveloped elements, this is the most ambitious and accessible Naruto game yet.

There's very little that's truly new in Tiger Woods 07, but it's still one of the best ways to get your golf fix while on the go.

This decidedly old-school role-playing game got a fresh coat of paint but not the complete overhaul it needed.

This fun take on the Pixar movie has lots of entertaining content for younger players, but control issues and a lack of depth limit its appeal.

This old fog needs to learn some new tricks.

Its stealth and action mechanics may be simplistic, but they're functional and regularly enjoyable. And the maps--with their impressive scale, open-ended objectives, and clever level design--coalesce these disparate systems into a creative and fulfilling whole. There are still some issues with AI inconsistency, a bland story, and some dull competitive multiplayer, but it finally feels like this series is living up to its long-standing potential.

Mutant Year Zero's clever focus on stealth and pre-combat preparation reward your diligence, its turn-based combat encounters are complex, and they help bolster its all-encompassing post-apocalyptic atmosphere. It is a superb tactical combat campaign that you shouldn't let sneak past.

New multiplayer additions make this the best Lost Planet experience so far, but there's not enough here to warrant another purchase for veterans.

The conclusion to DeathSpank's tale doesn't veer far from the original, but that doesn't make it any less fun.

A beautiful and charming point-and-click adventure, despite a few idiosyncratic puzzles.

The relationships you forge define your adventure through Ashen, and helping your new friends is a powerful motivator that drives you forward through the game's beautiful world.

While NightFire is hurt by its relatively short length, the game's single-player mode is well constructed, and its multiplayer mode is good too.

Crucially, every emotional breakthrough, every new revelation, every gut-stab of a memory in That Cancer, Dragon must be discovered, confronted, and processed, as it undoubtedly had to be in the minds of its creators as it happened.

It doesn't matter whether you're a hard-core simulation fan or you simply crave speed, destruction, and mayhem in your games -- if you want to play a very fun racing game, then Midtown Madness 2 is for you.

While MVP Baseball 2003 isn't perfect, it's still an impressive first entry in a new sports series and a very good baseball game in its own right.

The well-designed mechanics, combined with its sheer amount of content, make Culdcept easily recommendable to fans of strategy games and even to fans of role-playing games.

Digital Devil Saga's great demon combat and tenebrous world full of myth and mystery make it worthy of the Shin Megami Tensei name. If you don't mind cliff-hangers and lots of turn-based combat, definitely consider giving this role-playing game a try.

While this might leave Street Fighter fans scratching their heads, any package with Forgotten Worlds, Commando, Gun.Smoke, and Final Fight in it is easily worth the price of admission.

This first-person action game hits you like a sledgehammer with its astounding, stunningly creepy presentation, but it sacrifices opportunities for more shocks and surprises by settling for repetition.

Frame rate and control issues aside, Tomb Raider: Anniversary remains a dynamic and exciting adventure.

A beautiful, comprehensive, and highly enjoyable racing sim that's suitable for just about any driving enthusiast.

Whether you're a staunch pigskin purist or arcade all the way, you really owe it to yourself to give Blitz: The League a look. It's easily the best football you'll play all year.

Mass Transit adds more character and depth to what’s already the premier city-building simulation. It may be a bit disappointing that some of the original game's big-picture philosophy and mayoral authenticity has been sacrificed in the process, but it can be argued that these changes have also done an impressive job of filling out the public-transportation element of city design.

When Mothergunship is firing on all cylinders, it's a satisfying and thrilling shooter where it really counts. With an incredibly fun and never uninteresting gun-crafting mechanic, it certainly goes a long way with its clever hook and an endless flow of enemies to gun down.

The Missing is smaller and more mechanically conventional than Deadly Premonition or D4, but its components remain focused on distinctly a Swery game: a dark, idiosyncratic experience that tells a deeply personal story that's as confronting as it is sincere. It is absolutely not for everyone, but as the game reminds us, there is nothing wrong with that.

The environment is lovingly rendered down to the most minute details, and it paints a full and clear picture of what life is like with your makeshift community in the California forest.

Riders Republic is a thrilling, approachable, and incredibly varied extreme sports game, featuring an awe-inspiring open world that impresses with both its scale and diversity. There's nothing else quite like it, and while it's too talkative for its own good, there's a sprightly energy to the whole thing that makes it easy to recommend for anyone seeking an exciting adventure.

Banishers' strengths lie in its storytelling and characters. These aspects--along with its combat--can't quite match the caliber of its genre-defining contemporaries, but Don't Nod differentiates Banishers from the pack by implementing the studio's signature brand of choice and consequence. It's easy to become enraptured by Antea and Red's story; shaping their relationship and who they are as a couple makes for a compelling experience. That still doesn't mean I can wholly recommend Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden, but those looking for a dark, story-driven tale of love and sacrifice won't be disappointed.

Even if we're not seeing the members of Cadence band blend their sounds together much in the story, we at least can see it happen during combat. And while that combat drags a bit in the last act of the game and messes with your mind by not matching the tempo of the quick-time inputs to the background battle music, the turn-based system that's there rewards creativity and strategic thinking. Plus, this game has awesome music and fun puzzle-filled dungeons. If you're down to immerse yourself in puns galore and tons of pop-culture references, People of Note is a delightful musical treat.

The Wonderful 101 is a bright, bold adventure that occasionally struggles to control its big ambitions.

Heroes doesn't take any chances with the Kingdom Under Fire formula, but it adds just enough to move the series forward--if only incrementally.

Enjoyment of the game's dark subject matter is diluted slightly by some awkward controls and strange pacing, but there are still plenty of good chills to be had.

SmackDown vs. Raw 2009 successfully returns to the fundamentals of realistic WWE action and impressive creation tools.

There's a lot of fun to be had here, and with classic Nintendo characters backing up the action, World Tour is a thoroughly charming game too. What a shame, then, that it lacks the cohesion and refinement to make those sometimes-brilliant moments easier to digest and access.

These fighting games--true to their classic roots--have aged gracefully. In particular, Street Fighter III: Third Strike stands out as one of the best 2D fighting games available on the PlayStation 2.

The On-Ice Trainer is an awesome alternative to tutorials, and it makes me hope that other companies, not just those making sports games, will find a way to implement similar tools. NHL 16 is a huge improvement over NHL 15 in every way, and it makes me optimistic for the future of the franchise.

Rock Band 4 recaptures the unadulterated gratification that made the series such a hit half a decade ago, but mainly because it’s a relatively unchanged, repackaged Rock Band 2. A lack of content and general stagnation hold this particular iteration of Rock Band back, but new ideas like Freestyle Solos genuinely enhance the core experience, which remains a sincere and joyful celebration of music.

The half-baked American Idol trappings don't detract from this otherwise solid iteration of Konami's long-lived karaoke series.

Crash Commando fuses established ideas to create a wholly addictive side-scrolling multiplayer shooter.

The developers at Untame should be proud and confident that they can build thorough and robust gameplay structures around their ideas. But the concept at the centre of Mushroom 11, I would implore, is not something they should return to.

Such bloat is indicative of a game that's constrained by the limitations of its original design where additional features intended to expand the experience simply don't gel with its combat.

Much like its predecessors, MLB The Show 21 is still one of the best sports games available once you step over the foul line. The gameplay has been tightened up and Pinpoint Pitching is a potential game-changer, and all of these elements go some way to dampening the disappointment of its missing features, stale commentary, and changes (or lack thereof) to Road to the Show and Franchise. It's not the strongest debut the series could've had on new hardware, but if you're in the mood for nine innings of America's favorite pastime, MLB The Show is still the undisputed king.

A standard but enjoyable shooter and one of the best-looking games on the Vita.

It isn't consistently exhilarating throughout the entire campaign, but My Friend Pedro is worth playing because it’s full of moments where you can jump down a shaft and shoot in two directions in slow motion, or kill an enemy by kicking the skateboard you’re riding into their face.

It's a true greatest hits package that showcases Wario's unique weirdo vibe, and this style of play remains inventive and thrilling 15 years after the original Game Boy Advance game. We're still hoping for an entirely new title on Switch in the future, but for now Gold is a compelling, generous victory lap.

One thing it isn't is a generic rehash. Dragon's Dogma will remain with you, frustrations and victories alike, when your memories of other games have long since faded.

Tropico 4: Modern Times takes the series into the contemporary world, but not without a number of problems.

Confusing accurately describes Remnant: From the Ashes a lot of the time, especially when its combination of established ideas doesn't mesh. But for the most part, the experiment is a success, resulting in deeply satisfying combat against creative and challenging enemies. Remnant struggles to effectively transfer that success over to an engaging loot system and an interesting story to wrap it all up, but when you're blasting away foes with weapons crafted from the remains of your latest boss kill, it's hard not to do so with a wide smile on your face.

Big Hops is a testament to how much fun can be had with simple ideas done well. Hop has a modest suite of moves, finely tuned, that string together in ways to make movement feel free-flowing and exuberant. On top of that strong foundation, it layers on flexibility making the worlds you explore feel like playgrounds for your creative thinking and platforming finesse. Altogether, the result is a delightful platformer, and the first great game of 2026.

On the PS4, it remains a frustrating, fascinating, and beautifully grim experience that controls nicely and packs the same absorbing punch as the original.

NFL Blitz contains the same shallow fun and aggravating flaws that have existed in the franchise for more than 14 years.

While it's a definite improvement on Activision's last Call of Duty game for consoles, Big Red One still doesn't do quite enough to distinguish itself from numerous other World War II first-person shooters.

It's a fantastic package if you've missed this infectiously charming series up until now, though some of its luster has faded with time.

Mega Man ZX Advent walks a thin line between challenging and infuriatingly difficult, while bringing along a number of new tricks and improvements for the journey.

While the various non-drum-controller control schemes aren't always optimal, the Switch version offers many nice options to pick from--and if you just want to play a couple of standard-difficulty songs with pals before competing in four-player noodle-slurping, motion controls prove to be plenty enjoyable. But if you've been longing for a quirky, enjoyable multiplayer music game, either version should scratch the itch quite nicely.

Despite taking more time than it should to really hit its stride, El Paso, Elsewhere is unrelenting once it does. Its straightforward action is enhanced by its consistently evolving enemies and delicate balancing of power, while its captivating love story presents a novel take on established mythologies with some impressive performances to back them up. It wears its inspirations on its sleeve but has its own ideas to add to the mix, making El Paso, Elsewhere much more than the sum of its apparent parts. It's a game with its own interesting approach to narrative that's backed by exciting gunplay, and one you shouldn't judge entirely by what it reminds you of.

If you enjoy gripping dramas, and don't mind sitting still for a bit, The Pillars of the Earth will reward your patience with the beginning of what appears to be a fascinating tale.

Skullgirls is a risque fighter that wraps sex appeal and smooth jazz skintight around a smartly crafted fighting system.

While some great strides have been made since last year, as far as the actual gameplay is concerned, the dynasty mode is still broken, which makes the game feel like an incomplete product.

A run-of-the-mill arcade driving game that features spectacular crashes.

Pit People's irreverent appeal isn't enough to make it stand alongside the greats, but it's entertaining and mildly engrossing.

Even though it has its share of drawbacks (enemy AI weaknesses, occasional pop-up, and a lackluster ending), its positive aspects (variety of gameplay, numerous side quests, and nice graphics) outweigh the negatives.

Ultimately, Madden NFL 06 is a highly playable game of football, but in comparison with the leaps forward the franchise has made in previous years, 06 feels like a false start.

A good game, but toward the end of it, you'll likely be far more interested in seeing how the story ends--and the jokes it tells along the way--than in its gameplay.

At the heart of this game is an interesting and well-thought-out combat system, and there are so many viable combinations of characters and skills to experiment with that this game could easily keep you busy for much longer than most games do these days.

A great game overall. Its voice acting, with the exception of the Borg, is superb--the game even features Patrick Stewart as Captain Picard, who provides voice-over for the game's tutorials.

Players who lost touch with baseball games when they went 3D on the PlayStation may find that Slugfest is exactly what they've been missing.

While it's not the prettiest Xbox game out there, let alone the best-looking Star Wars game, it does offer good control and entertaining gameplay.

When you race through the new courses and then through the original courses, it almost feels like you're playing two different games--one that truly captures water racing and another that gives small little tastes of what it can be like.

The game capably competes against any other college football product on the market.

Not all of the changes that have been implemented since last year's game have been for the better, but there are more than enough improvements here to make FIFA 07 worth a look.

Apart from actually putting together a completely decent gameplay engine, Shaolin Monks is so ridiculously chock-full of hidden goodies and subtle wink-and-nod-style in-jokes that anybody who professes to have a degree in MK will be hard-pressed not to come away entertained.

06 just doesn't do anything significant for the franchise, as it just adds some ancillary features that are neat to have but don't ultimately change the face of the game, leaving some of the most important (and, in some cases, most flawed) aspects of it practically in stasis.

This is some of the best online shooter action around, and with the daunting challenges of Spec Ops and the exciting, globe-trotting campaign, Modern Warfare 3 stands tall as another great descendant of the game that changed a generation.

With retooled swing mechanics, including an inventive three-click system, PGA Tour 2K23's on-the-course golfing is the best yet, not just in the series, but in the history of the simulation golf genre. Mostly smart improvements to MyCareer mode make you feel more in control of your created golfer's trajectory–even if the new consumables have the slight potential to become pay-to-win. Finally being able to play as real pros again is a joy, but the minimal real-life course additions put a slight damper on the fun. Nevertheless, it's not lacking in content in the slightest thanks to the engaging Online Societies mode and the endless possibilities provided by user-created courses, many of which could be mistaken for layouts designed by well-known course architects. PGA Tour 2K23 continues the series tradition of being welcoming to new players while offering an authentic, challenging golfing experience for those who desire it.

RIGS controls are top-notch, and aside from the grating, repetitive announcers, the arenas are colorful places that I love competing in. But the smaller details that RIGS stumbles over make it hard to justify continuing after completing an initial season. RIGS is a great showcase for how to make a VR shooter, but it's also a game that could learn from the "less is more" mantra.

A pedestrian and unimaginative multiplayer mode is the only notable flaw in a game that otherwise plays, looks, and sounds fantastic.

Fun while it lasts and definitely recommended for anyone who enjoyed the first game.

The PSP game lacks a lot of its console counterparts' features, but on the field of play it's still the most realistic soccer game ever made.

Decryption mode, in which two teams of four are confined to a portion of the city and seek to nab and hold on to sensitive data, is anarchy in its most captivating form.