NBA Live 19 is a capable and competent basketball game that offers a multitude of different ways to play and numerous reasons to keep coming back. Its impressive attention to detail complements the strong foundation set by its presentation and gameplay. However, the AI logic and animation problems are impossible to ignore given they're at the heart of the experience the entire game is based on. These issues, combined with a lackluster franchise mode and a push towards microtransactions, detract from what is an otherwise solid basketball game.

This brutally difficult side-scroller is good, bloody entertainment.

Like Liberty City Stories before it, Vice City Stories isn't nearly as appealing as a PS2 game, but it's still got worthwhile qualities.

Hiding amid an onslaught of tedious puzzles is some compelling dungeon-crawling action.

A decent dungeon crawler that invests some energy into lampooning RPGs and high fantasy in general, but like a stand-up act about airline food or the line at the post office, its perspective isn't very interesting, and it lacks any real follow-through.

Playing Chibi-Robo can sometimes feel like a chore, but the game is redeemed by a great sense of humor and colorful cast of characters.

The Next Big Thing creates a lush vision of an alternate-reality Hollywood, but its knockout visuals can't make up for its frustrating puzzles.

The first installment of Hector: Badge of Carnage is a crass and creative detective adventure.

In the cute and clever Cubetractor, simple mechanics give rise to fiendishly difficult situations.

I left the third episode of The Wolf Among Us with my heart in my stomach; I left the fourth with burning curiosity, which is not as striking of a feeling. But given what other fables tell me of the Crooked Man, I suspect that it will not just be my curiosity that burns in the final chapter of this episodic tale. I want closure, I crave closure, but The Wolf Among Us has taught me that conclusions aren't always neat and tidy, and that you must suffer pain before you can earn relief.

The ruins of a time long forgotten will always darken the horizon, and there'll be a part of you that wonders what more there could have been before you find yourself shunted to the next life goal in a long series of life goals. That feeling is unfortunately hard to shake, and it's a shame that there's not as much to the world of Portia as first appears.

Lost Records explores and depicts adolescence in a way that not only surpasses many games, but several works of media in general. It's no secret that we are inundated with "coming-of-age" stories, and as a fan of the cliche, I'd argue it's for good reason. The era between childhood and adulthood is one filled with hormones, emotions, self-discovery, lust, defiance, and experiences that ultimately shape the person you will become, shedding some semblance of your former self. Yet both the story that Lost Records explores and the one being shaped in the "current" time, in which women in their 40s come together and dispel the grating notion that women of that age are decrepit, matronly, and boring, do so in a way that feels fascinating, new, and important. As it stands now, Lost Records: Bloom and Rage is poised to be one of Don't Nod's greatest titles. Ultimately, however, much of the game's success is dependent upon the release of its second half, which is scheduled to release this April. It will take answers, action, and rewarded patience to stick the landing, but as of right now, I have faith that the team will do so.

Its slavish dedication to convention will scratch the methodical, cerebral itch all diehard adventure game fans have. As a genre exercise, though, it exerts little energy to draw in new players.

Packs some of the most brutal hand-to-hand combat ever, and there's plenty of story and intrigue to conveniently justify all the gory violence.

While it doesn't spring any surprises, Green Day: Rock Band packs high-energy rock into a solid package.

While Sonic aficionados will be disappointed by the omission of a few notable titles, such as the superlative "Sonic CD," there's a ton of solid Robotnik-thwarting to be had with the Mega Collection Plus.

Road Not Taken is an ambitious endeavor, a substantial puzzle adventure with that special something that keeps you returning for yet another trek through the harsh wilds. It's sometimes too unforgiving for its own good, but the urge to travel along another path is difficult to resist.

As with the other arcade classics currently available on Xbox Live Arcade, the addition of scoreboards, achievements, and online play breathe new life into Smash TV, an already-classic game.

Definitely a more well-conceived game than The Power of Juju, and there are some genuinely fresh, inventive ideas at work here. The problem is, the whole experience is muddled by an inconsistent difficulty and slapdash level designs, and these good ideas don't quite coalesce into a good game.

Despite its problems, Nidhogg 2 is spectacular, engrossing, funny, tragic, and dramatic in equal measure, and it will no doubt become another party game staple.

While the game is currently the best choice for hoops fanatics looking for a portable fix, veterans of the console versions may find themselves a little frustrated with controls that aren't quite as responsive as they could have been.

Even though the wingman mechanics and canyon races don't quite pan out, it's still a stylish and enjoyable street racer.

Not every mission is a success, but charismatic characters and a great final stretch elevate this enjoyable add-on.

Mary-Ann reminds me a lot of Twin Peaks' Laura Palmer, a girl known primarily as a victim. It's only until the movie Fire Walk With Me that we know just how much was going on behind the eyes of that idyllic photograph we saw of her every episode. In Tell Me Why, our clearest, enduring image of Mary-Ann Ronan is the dead woman whose childrens' lives were destroyed after her death. Finding out everything beautiful, intelligent, and loving that was going on behind those eyes is the most powerful thing in Tell Me Why, and matched in how her life created two strong, empathetic children who knew her well and didn't even realize it. There's a lot of empty disengaging space to be filled in in this game, but with a little patience and sympathy, what it does provide you is worth the effort.

A tepid campaign mars this otherwise solid real-time strategy follow-up.

Myst IV still offers a one-of-a-kind experience for the Xbox, and it's available at a budget price, for good measure. But you'd be better off playing the PC original if you have the means.

Just one of the two campaigns along with the multiplayer mode and customization features should be enough to keep you busy with Airfix Dogfighter for a while.

It continues a long-standing tradition by offering just enough in the way of improvements to warrant at least a cursory glance from past customers.

It's often frustrating to play, and it's frustrating to see that there's clearly a wonderful game hidden amongst the major bugs, cumbersome controls, questionable AI, and other flaws.

Dynasty Warriors 2's beat-'em-up gameplay is simple enough to make it easy to get in to, and the game is interesting enough to keep you entertained for a while.

With the exception of its unique super-move system, it doesn't really have any strong points for or against it.

A good fighting game that offers a good variety of attacks and reversals, but the real stars are still the blood and fatality moves you'll see during each match.

Dragon Ball fans should definitely pick this game up, and non-fans should at least consider doing so. Dragon Ball: Advanced Adventure is a fun, diverse action game that does the license proud.

Calling Dynasty Warriors 4 an evolutionary game is a bit of a stretch--as the core gameplay is almost identical to that of its predecessors.

The best BMX game on the market.

Warp is an entertaining top-down puzzler that's hobbled by a bumpy transition from console to PC.

Despite these faults, Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is an extremely fun game with a contagious reverence for classic '90s shooters and the Warhammer universe at large. Its entire arsenal of flesh-combusting weapons is a joy to use, and its simple gameplay loop is kept fresh by a steady supply of new armaments and enemy types to squash under the almighty boot of the Imperium. It's not trying to revolutionize the genre and that's perfectly fine; it's the type of game to hire avid Warhammer fan Rahul Kohli (Gears of War 5, Midnight Mass) to voice its protagonist, only to make him exceptionally easy to miss unless you stumble upon the "Taunt" button. There aren't any gameplay advantages to hitting this button, but you do get to hear Kohli relish in delivering some Space Marine-appropriate lines as he nails the angry, regal tone. That's almost worth the price of admission alone.

If you had a mandate for all of the things a No More Heroes game shouldn't be, "boring" would be near the top of the list, but this sequel frequently is just that. No More Heroes 3 lacks the irreverent charm and personality of its predecessors. Combat picks up the slack, and there's a degree of vivid style to be found there, but the game falters in so many other areas. After an 11-year wait, maybe No More Heroes 3 was always destined to fall short of our expectations. But to end without so much as a touchdown is a mighty disappointment.

It's an interesting bit of role-reversal for Peach, and it does a good job of defining itself outside the Mario formula, but the game is just too easy for its own good.

Marvel Rivals feels like the first hero shooter since Overwatch launched in 2015 to fully capture the magic of the genre. It offers a ton of heroes to play with, a great visual style, and a focus on making the game fun for everyone. While it does lift directly from Overwatch, its more original ideas make it feel fresh in the space. Marvel Rivals is a great multiplayer shooter in its early days, and if it can deliver on future updates, it could remain one for years to come.

Perennial issues aside, with Thrones of Britannia and now Troy, the spin-off Saga series has proved adept at delivering a kind of Total War that is more focused, flavourful, and even experimental than the mainline series. In the specific case of Troy, it's not always an unmitigated success; for every dose of granular detail that reveals more strategic options there's another element of graininess that obscures. At its best, though, Troy is a pretty epic series of bloody enjoyable battles that is just about as good as the series has delivered.

Not so brightly wrapped, but the game brings with it some unique gameplay elements and a great, ethereal visual style.

Despite the dated presentation, The King of Fighters XI is one of the best fighting games in the entire series.

Beyond a roster update and a couple of small additions, there's little to Madden NFL 08 on the PC to make it worthwhile to anyone who bought last year's game.

An adept fusion of music and gameplay.

Golem attempts but fails to find harmony in bringing a vague tale together with any sort of emotional resonance. That might have been easier to forgive if the journey itself was exceptional. Instead Golem's inconsistent puzzles and jarring difficulty spikes will infuriate you more than they infatuate.

A shallow reimagining of the classic adventure that fails to justify its existence in the modern era.

Just Cause is able to justify its relative brevity and disrespect for physical law with some extremely visceral and often satisfying action.

Whether you're a longtime arcade beat-'em-up fan or a younger gamer who's new to the genre, Double Dragon Advance is just what you're looking for.

Observation is a wonderful example of how to do focused, self-contained science-fiction storytelling in a game. It's well-written and clever, and nails the sci-fi tropes and aesthetics it both plays to and builds upon. It's a game that demands to be analyzed and thought about further once you're done with it, and while the internal world of the game is small, inhabiting it is a real pleasure.

Symphony is an exciting mouse-controlled shooter that delivers a dynamic way to enjoy your favorite music.

While the visual fidelity noticeably lower on the Switch and there are some minor hiccups in performance that aren’t present on other platforms, The Flame In The Flood still remains a unique and absorbing survival game.

Delivering precisely what is advertised, Super Mario Bros. 35 delivers on familiar 2D platforming with an all-new competitive twist. Playing against 34 other Marios at once is a wonderful type of mayhem, as is facing off against hordes of enemies. However, early course repetition and late-game lulls slightly temper this Mushroom Kingdom celebration of Mario's 35 years.

This aquatic arcade racer is fun, fast-paced, and features fantastically varied courses to compete on.

Playing Alice: Madness Returns isn't as exciting as looking at it, but you'll still enjoy getting lost in this twisted fantasy adventure.

Even now, Broken Sword 5 still looks gorgeous, and although its murder-turned-conspiracy story feels somewhat rote these days, its characters and dialogue are still great fun to watch as the drama unfolds.

A great twist on the classic 4X formula.

If you’ve got a few hours to kill, its campaign provides great strategic opportunities. And if you’ve got a friend nearby, you could be skirmishing for a long time to come.

Spreading out your map, setting up your PlayStation Eye, and getting your cards ready is a cool addition to the usual card-battle preparations, and in that context, the game is a real winner.

If you're the patient type and can stand sitting through a fair amount of menu loading, you'll find Madden 06 on the PSP to be the best game of handheld football available on the market.

This epic role-playing game has great depth, but is hampered by a number of significant design flaws.

The Clone Wars offers an ambitious step up from previous games in the series, but a ton of small issues across the board lead to boredom and frustration.

On the Xbox 360, this short Old West action adventure feels old all right. And its fairly fun shooting action is dragged down by a slapdash presentation.

It's derivative and occasionally buggy, but solid action and over-the-top gore make X-Men Origins: Wolverine a cut above other movie tie-ins.

It's a shame that Titus is forcing Worms fans to pay stand-alone prices for what easily could have been an expansion pack. As it is--those who've never played a Worms game or never got around to picking up "Worms Armageddon" will thoroughly enjoy Worms World Party.

It's because of its accessible nature that Magic Online is undoubtedly the best software representation of Magic: The Gathering released thus far--quite possibly surpassing the physical card game in many respects.

If you fancy yourself a skilled Internet sleuth, Missing may prove to be an engrossing and unique experience.

Serious webheads will get something positive out of Ultimate Spider-Man, but they should do so with one of the console versions, as the PC version of the game isn't the ideal one.

This rim-rocking arcade classic returns, and though it's pretty shallow, it's still an awful lot of fun.

Between the character-switching with Farah and the unique ability to rewind time, there's enough new stuff here to keep you at least mildly entertained even if you've beaten all of the GBA Castlevanias and their ilk.

Tropico 5 on consoles is a great port. It's a faithful recreation of the PC classic and a welcome addition to the scant city builders console players can enjoy.

Every movement you commit, every action you command, and every item or character you sacrifice for another will be an apprehensive decision. But taking each of those tough steps makes you even more grateful to hear the soft chime of your car's open-door alarm when you make it back, and the rev of the motor when you escape down the highway, relieved to leave another pack of abnormal creatures behind.

When it's letting you live out its proposed reverse-horror fantasy, Carrion is at its best. It excels at making you feel empowered as an evolving lab experiment gone wrong, giving you ample opportunities to flex your death-dealing tentacles and tear enemies limb from limb. While giving you numerous tools to wreak havoc, it also uses them in smart ways to find a good balance between its gory combat and problem-solving. Carrion falters when it requires too much fine precision from you with a control scheme that doesn't allow for it, and is at its lowest when you're not playing as its headlining monster at all. These are disappointing distractions, but Carrion's main event is still a bloody great time.

This faithful but inconsistent throwback to the earliest Sonic games mingles high-speed thrills with a few too many frustrations.

Though this wimpy fighter still doesn't pack enough punch, it has all the heart and charm of your favorite spiky-haired ninja hero.

Stylish visuals and exciting action make The Brave and the Bold a very good re-creation of the animated series.

Sundered is an enjoyable journey that iterates upon the Metroidvania style in ways that are both satisfying and substantial. Its progression systems are constantly fulfilling and combat is complex and exhilarating. While rare moments of unfair circumstances hold it back, Sundered remains a compelling and rewarding experience that you’ll be eager to play again, if only to seek out its other endings or to simply to wipe out another swarm of grotesque creatures.

The sights and sounds of Every Extend Extra are quite attractive and varied, and half the fun is seeing how drastically the game's look changes from level to level. The actual gameplay is novel for a while, but it lacks the depth to keep you playing.

Appealing simplicity builds to an engaging challenge in this charming, accessible platformer.

Once you get past the novelty, there's nothing to keep you playing Real World Golf.

Of course, every moment of Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection feels like it could be someone's breaking point. That's the series' legacy: the feeling it champions. If you have a strong nostalgia for these games and whatever feelings they inspired in you, it is a faithful homage. And Capcom deserves credit, to a point, for recreating a game that can stand shoulder to shoulder with Ghosts 'n Goblins, and Ghouls 'n Ghosts, as peers in excruciating gameplay. As entertainment, though, it is an artifact of a time long-past that I'm happy to remember, rather than return to.

It's not the revelation that Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light was--it's a bit too glitchy and dated to herald it a new classic, in spite of the welcome addition of four-person online play.

Just Cause is able to justify its relative brevity and disrespect for physical law with some extremely visceral and often satisfying action.

Aegis Defenders is disappointing because it had potential, and I still think that potential exists. There is satisfaction to be found in setting up its towers and combining them in interesting ways to make bigger and better turrets. And its loop of exploring, defending, and upgrading is alluring. But the game never meets your expectations. Whether it's the nonsensical narrative, the frustrating combat, the numerous bugs, or the simplistic platforming, Aegis Defenders stumbles more often than it excels.

Konami has still put together a comprehensive bundle, collecting five highly influential games (and multiple variations) from a period spanning 24 years. There are other ways to play these games, but I think we often undersell the appeal of convenience. Being able to easily access them all on a modern console is a major selling point. For someone like me, who only ever owned the original games on their original consoles, Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 is indispensable. It's disappointing that there aren't any optional visual improvements or behind-the-scenes material, and the lack of a central hub makes the bundle feel scattershot. The bonus content that is here is simply a cherry on top, however, lending the entire package a sense of reverence for one of the most important series in video game history.

Neo Cab might suffer from inconsistencies and presentation issues in some places, but as a depiction of a near-future society corrupted by tech fetishization, and an exploration of how humans are adapting to automation and the rise of the gig economy, it's got plenty to say about how important it is that we all look out for one another. This is a forward-thinking game, but the issues it explores are extremely relevant in 2019, which makes for an engaging, stimulating narrative experience, even if the central mystery of your friend's disappearance is not particularly interesting.

Batman: Arkham VR is barely a game. Of all the launch titles for PlayStation VR, it's likely to be the least mechanically driven, but that doesn't mean it has no value. While playing it, I was totally enveloped in the world, and in those moments the shallow mechanics didn't matter to me. I appreciate that this is a very subjective emotional response based on my lifelong obsession with the character, but it's also a glimpse into one of the greatest promises of VR: Its ability to transport us into alien worlds and blur the lines between what is real and what isn't. To give us the opportunity to sideline our real selves and absolutely inhabit characters we've dreamed of being since childhood.

Chili Con Carnage is light on depth and fairly brief, but it's a raucous good time all the same.

Despite its short length and easy puzzles, this episodic adventure still captivates with strong storytelling and compelling characters.

As much as Above the Law advances A New Frontier’s narrative and sets up what will inevitably be a chaotic battle for Richmond, there just isn’t enough to do this time around.

When you look at Zoo Keeper strictly as a DS game and ignore the outside world, it's a great puzzle offering that looks nice and offers play that can be really habit-forming.

ClaDun is a solid dungeon crawler, but it might not hold your interest for long.

Calling All Cars! is a frantic good time that's cut short by a serious lack of content.

A few fundamental problems sour a game that exudes delightful personality.

The second episode of this clever adventure series is even better than the first.

Ultimately, Lego DC Super-Villains goes down as another cookie-cutter Lego game, and while there's still plenty of merry mayhem to unleash, it's the same kind of mayhem we've seen before. What should be as wild and riotous as the Clown Prince of Crime comes off as just another mild-mannered reporter.

Serious Sam II has a lot of levels and a few good laughs, but its simple shooting action is less likely to get your adrenaline pumping as it is to make you go numb.

Prototype 2 isn't the slightest bit novel, but it's so utterly ridiculous that it's hard to wipe that mischievous smile from your face.