A fast-paced shooter from Sega that works well as an online game, but it doesn't have enough to it to outlast the likes of "Unreal Tournament" or "Quake III Arena."

Stellaris is strange in that it wants you to play on its terms, but within that you have amazing latitude. Its emphasis on exploration is exhilarating. It makes each run feel inviting and special. But that doesn't always hold.

The real reason that you're driven to keep playing Squadrons is for the pure joy of dogfighting, whether that be in the game's team deathmatch mode, campaign setpieces, or perhaps in VR on PS4 and PC, where the sensory deprivation and head-tracking give you an extra layer of physical response to your flight maneuvers, which can be exciting for as long as you can stomach it. The campaign's narrative leaves you wanting, and the flagship Fleet Battles can be incredibly uneven. But the feeling of Squadrons' core flight combat is gratifying enough to sustain you through it all. The involved nature of juggling all tasks required to operate your cool starfighter at peak efficiency while soaking in the more mechanical sights and sounds of Star Wars is a stimulating experience that Squadrons just gets right.

Unmechanical is a pretty and pleasant puzzler, though it doesn't make a lasting impression.

Widespread refinements and fun new creation tools make it another good year for Smackdown vs. RAW, but the lack of online play and lingering issues keep the series from flying high.

When it hits those strides, it's a novel look at what hell might look like for most of us, a vision that turns the concept of eternal damnation into something more palpable and threatening. It fumbles when it reaches outside its comfort zone, and the focus on small moments means it lacks the grandiose ones that make our lives feel more meaningful than they might otherwise be.

Journey to the Savage Planet borrows plenty of familiar elements from other games, yet it does so in a carefree way that sets it apart from other sci-fi exploration games, settling on a relaxing playstyle that's informed by its single, vivid planet and tightly focused design. It only takes a couple of hours to reveal its humdrum combat, but this is the only significant damper on what is an entertaining slice of lighthearted planetary exploration.

Lumines Plus is a good puzzle game, but there's so little new that you'll find yourself wondering why the word "plus" is in the title.

Even if you don't particularly care for Tolkien, there's a lot to love here in spite of the annoying server issues.

The actual gameplay aspects of Necrobarista aren't all that satisfying, but the game more than makes up for that by leaning into the "novel" part of the visual novel genre and crafting a bittersweet story about accepting death, learning to grieve, and moving on. That isn't to say the game slouches on the "visual" part either--its 3D cinematic style adds plenty of unspoken characterization and also better sells the witty writing with some excellent comedic timing. I can't help but feel like all the characters I fell in love with got to go on an awesome journey while I just had to sit there and watch, but the overall themes and storybeats still hit pretty hard as a passive observer.

No, Disney isn't for everyone, but unless you're laden with a heart of stone, it's hard not to be taken in by Kingdom Hearts 3D's many charms.

Jump Force is a worthy celebration of the legacy of Shonen Jump manga, but it honors its source material a little too well with how filler-heavy the middle of its story arc is.

This GameCube update is largely the same as last year's Game Boy Advance game, right down to the GBA-quality graphics used in the minigames themselves.

But then, even a hazy, dreamlike story could be interpreted as a tribute. Penny's Big Breakaway is a loving tribute to a bygone era, warts and all. Its new and inventive ideas, like the acrobatic yo-yo mechanic or the penguins hot on your tail, show a level of cleverness, but it is also a sweet, earnest throwback. I'd like to see Penny return, though maybe next time, this lost-gem motif can be applied to a less restrictive era in 3D platforming.

Bluey's Quest for the Gold Pen isn't likely to sustain an adult's interest like the hit animated show has. The movement is just a little too slow, and the puzzles are just a little too simplistic. But that's also what makes it a great introduction for younger players who need a gentle onboarding experience. And for them, they get to have that introduction wrapped in a lovely art style and funny, heartwarming story that captures the spirit of their favorite cartoon dogs.

It's not the most immediately appealing of games, due to its uninteresting character lineup, but digging beneath the surface reveals a solid fighter that's fun to learn and play. It's unlikely to replace some of the bigger, more technical, and prettier fighters as your go-to versus game of choice, but it's a pleasant, enjoyable diversion when you need some airy, unfettered fun.

Tiberian Twilight's online play and persistent unlocks make for short-term fun, but the mediocre campaign doesn't give Kane the send-off he deserved.

Despite my distaste for all the hand-holding, Murasaki Baby's mesmerizing art style and strong emotional backbone left me too invested to let go.

An enjoyable game that should appeal to dinosaur buffs and park simulation fans alike, thanks to its attractive graphics engine and unique features.

It's a fairly sturdy, combat-heavy platformer with a good hook, but it lacks a real distinct attitude.

It finds a middle ground between being a destructive playground and an inventive puzzler, with enough variety throughout to make its brief playtime feel well-balanced. You certainly aren't the best person for any of the jobs you're thrust into, but it's a lot of the fun bumbling your way through it all anyway and still getting the job done at the end of the day.

Tetris Party Deluxe keeps a decades-old formula fresh with new mechanics and strong competitive multiplayer.

Corralling livestock is a fun new way to solve puzzles, but some agitating quirks will push the impatient away.

Is Trove the kind of MMOG that I'd like to spend a part of every day in? No. But it is an MMOG that I'd enjoy visiting every now and then, possibly several times a week.

Tecmo Bowl Throwback is a surprisingly enjoyable blast from the past.

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.

Improved gameplay structure makes for a markedly better--and funnier--second episode.

If you think all good mysteries should offer their own solutions, Home may feel like hollow entertainment. But by allowing you room to interpret, Home keeps you intellectually engaged even when you aren't playing it, and that's a triumph worth celebrating.

Tiger Woods 08 is good, but it's only slightly better than the last game.

But as a game of ideas, The Novelist works. It's not a challenging game, but the choices you have to make are.

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.

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.

Inconsistencies of time reversal aside, Life is Strange is an involving slice of life that works because its situations eloquently capture a peculiar early-college state of mind.

A glorified song pack it may be, but this is still as fun a party game as you're going find, one that revels in its own brilliant silliness and that's all but guaranteed to get the party started.

The Banner Saga is a beautiful game, filled with interesting ideas and enjoyable battles. It's too bad the story gets entangled within its own winding web, but this chilly journey does a fine job of reminding you that being a respectable leader is about more than just giving rousing speeches and schmoozing with the high and mighty.

It offers a solid new campaign, as well as some new units, textures, and AI upgrades, but it also neglects to address some old problems.

The combat is frantic and tense, but often feels samey and superficial. The in-match leveling works wonderfully in the campaign, but can become problematic in multiplayer. The varied cast of heroes adds longevity, but the game still feels relatively content light. With so many moving parts that never quite gel, I found plenty of things to love but just as much to feel confused by and ambivalent about.

The lack of a link-cable option, the limiting of power-ups to the jam mode, and an absence of mid-shot passing are the three problems that ultimately keep NBA Jam 2002 from attaining all-star status.

A pretty good game, though it could have been much better.

Playing by myself for an extended period of time was boring and monotonous, and the absence of certain single-player modes is a major oversight. But Nintendo Switch Sports is a fantastic multiplayer game that, for the most part, invites anyone and everyone to pick up a controller and flail their limbs about. It has its issues, but they fall away when you have other people to play with and are joyously going toe-to-toe in virtual sports. As with the original Wii Sports, Nintendo Switch Sports finds beauty and fun in simplicity. And bowling is great. Better than real-life bowling.

Brain Age 2 provides more of the same noggin-teasing puzzles in the same format and presentation as the original game.

When PowerWash Simulator leans into its best qualities, as a soothing and low-impact way to pass some time, it shines like the chrome on a recently power-washed classic car. On the rare occasions when it breaks up its own flow with granular fussiness or interrupts your plans for the in-game economy, it detracts from the experience. At its best, PowerWash Simulator is a quiet, relaxing experience that's best enjoyed in small doses. It's time-consuming, yes, but once in a while, we all need something to consume our time.

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.

Payday 2 brings crime to life with an alluring intensity that entertains in spite of some rough edges.

For all that The Hulk misses on, like the repetitive level designs and the clumsy stealth action sequences, the game gets enough of it right to tip the scales in its favor.

Time reversal is Life is Strange's most unique element, but also its most problematic.

This charming adventure has its pitfalls, but it's still a lot of fun.

Battleborn's strong Saturday morning cartoon vibes might actually be the game's single most defining aspect. Outside of that consistent, permeating voice, the game feels like an elaborate patchwork of ideas that compete for attention without necessarily adding much to the experience.

Get Even tells a devastating story that ends with a striking M. Night Shyamalan-like twist. Interestingly, it's the most crucial part of the entire story, and you see none of it. The visuals are left entirely to the imagination, which is unexpected and impactful. It is these kinds of powerful moments that emphasize Get Even's key strength--delivering a twisting narrative that is fascinating enough to make up for its lackluster gameplay elements.

There is potential replay value if you want to find everything you can and experience the full experience, but that is a big if. One time was enough for me and hopefully if they do make a LEGO Batman part Deux it has new gameplay, because we need it.

The fighting modes deliver some excitement, but the adventure loses its way with too many boring fetch quests and repetitive environmental puzzles.

Tetris Party Deluxe keeps a decades-old formula fresh with new mechanics and strong competitive multiplayer.

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.

Like the mindless Hollywood blockbusters that it emulates, Turok features plenty of dinosaur-hunting action and not too much else.

Manages to convey the same feeling of deadly tension that its PC counterpart was famous for, and the compromises that were made to make it portable are fairly minor.

At its most imaginative, Color Splash's visual gags and thoughtful manipulation of 2D objects rival any "wow" moment from Sony's Tearaway games.

As long as you can find some felons to fight alongside, Payday 2 is an addictive and challenging criminal pursuit.

Rhythm fans will find a lot of music, challenge, and customization to love as they get to know Hatsune Miku: Project Diva F.

WWE 2K22 is a surprising return to form after the Shockmaster-sized disaster that was 2K20. The extra year of development has done a world of good, and the only hope now is that the series doesn't return to an annual schedule. There are still failings when it comes to multi-person matches, and not all of the new modes are particularly engaging, but 2K22 establishes a solid foundation for the future. Ideally, WWE will calm down when it comes to gutting its roster, and the next game in the series won't feel quite as outdated. It will also be interesting to see how Yuke's upcoming AEW game fares. Competition can only be a good thing.

Despite its lacking final moments, The Park makes the experience of searching a haunting, abandoned amusement park feel genuinely tense. This, rather than a specific plot point, is what sticks with you after you turn off the game and return to your normal, less disturbing reality.

The Settlers: Rise of an Empire is the most fulfilling game in the series, adding easy-to-play charisma to the usual Middle Ages economics and trimming much of the micromanagement that made playing past releases in the series as much fun as doing your homework.

Ska Studios has created an ambitious sequel that takes various elements from both Monster Hunter and the Metroidvania genre and combines them into one sprawling 2D Souls-like. For the most part, this curious amalgamation succeeds, offering snappy combat, a labyrinthian world to explore, and tense boss battles against a vast array of challenging foes. Unfortunately, it also elicits plenty of moments of frustration, whether it's because the absence of a map and fast-travel system adds additional tedium to its grind, or because the combat system is overly punishing in a way that feels unfair and unbalanced. Salt and Sacrifice still offers an enjoyable distillation of familiar elements, but too many issues hold it back from achieving greatness.

The quality of Blackguards' story is generally good enough to justify tinkering with different choices to see how they lead to different outcomes. But make no mistake: this is a game aimed at the hardcore crowd seeking a good struggle above all else, and on that front, it mostly delivers.

Above all, Anodyne never lets you forget that it's a game more concerned with the journey than with the destination, and at 10 bucks, it's a journey worth taking.

High On Life 2 may falter in a few key areas, and not everything connects--whether it's a drawn-out gag or a timid shotgun blast--but it stands out in a genre where the self-serious shooter is usually king, by offering an outlandish, comical, and creative alternative. The addition of a skateboard is a literal game-changer, and there's plenty of joy to be had seeing what exactly each mission entails. Its influences are overt, yet it has an identity all its own, and there are definitely worse ways to spend a weekend.

While I don't think Tides of Tomorrow rises to the same narrative highs as Road 96, its primary incentive is a great draw. It's a little weird to want to stalk other players through a digital world, watching and listening to their every move in order to better your own lot in life, but it's a compelling enough gameplay loop that I overlooked the shortcomings in the game's story and non-player characters. And even if I don't plan on playing the game again, it warms my heart to know that my digital ghost is now out there, potentially guiding other Tidewalkers that may need a little help.

Pass protection that depicts an offensive line truly working together is a long-awaited improvement that series fans will love, and there are tangible dividends in learning the running game, provided you invest the time.

While the narrative is disappointing, Hellboy: Web of Wyrd's recreation of Mike Mignola's signature art style is mightily impressive, while its twist on the usual roguelite structure establishes a potent sense of progression that drives the journey forward. Its punchy and calculated combat is forced to carry the load of what is otherwise a fairly barebones experience, and it falters here at times, too, with a dodgy camera and lack of variation outside of its multitude of enemy types. Yet it's also the challenging toe-to-toe action that makes Web of Wyrd worth playing. Donning the crown (of the apocalypse) as the best Hellboy game ever made might not sound like an extraordinary achievement, but this is a character that has been starved of games, let alone good ones. Web of Wyrd is exactly that, which is maybe enough.

[Time reversal is] a nifty effect at first, but the rewind as a whole undermines one of the formula's most treasured elements: ownership of your decisions.

The combat is frantic and tense, but often feels samey and superficial. The in-match leveling works wonderfully in the campaign, but can become problematic in multiplayer. The varied cast of heroes adds longevity, but the game still feels relatively content light. With so many moving parts that never quite gel, I found plenty of things to love but just as much to feel confused by and ambivalent about.

While it does have some minor issues, Control streaming on Switch is impressive. Even a few rooms away from my WiFi router, the game always handled well, and I was able to fight through battle after battle with the Hiss with nothing more bothering me than a less-than-optimum frame rate. This isn't the most beautiful-looking version of Control, but it's also nothing to sneer at, and it's boosted by the opportunity to play such a big, technically demanding game on a handheld system. Venturing through the Oldest House on the Switch mostly feels great, and this is a solid, convenient way to experience one of 2019's best--along with all its DLC--if you haven't already.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure HD Ver. competently provides the bare minimum of content.

Despite the potential pitfalls and the actual flaws of Payday 2, things have a way of coming together.

Mario & Sonic at the Tokyo Olympic Games 2020 is an entertaining take on the sports-event genre that has, by and large, disappeared in the modern-day. The game aims for accessibility at every opportunity, and while nothing about it is particularly exceptional, it still has plenty of unique flourishes to offer, and the wealth of different events and simple controls make for an appealing casual multiplayer title. Thanks to a generous selection of events and a few neat gimmicks, Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is the best entry in this series.

Orcs & Elves' simplicity doesn't do much to hide its roots as a mobile phone game, but it's also what makes this dungeon crawler accessible, fast, and fun.

For each anomaly, like a poor facial render of a head coach, there's a subtle detail, like a wide receiver who tries to keep both feet in the field during a catch.

Revelations 2 doesn't get a pass for obscuring the path to its most satisfying conclusion, but it gets credit for the excitement it ultimately delivers in the true end of this journey and the flicker of the next one creeping in its shadow.

The Night of the Rabbit is a beautiful adventure with only a few pacing and puzzle quirks to trip you up along the way.

But it's disappointing to see this rerelease does not match the quality of content seen in Third Strike Online. Jotaro and the rest of the Stardust Crusaders have earned such attention, but what they got was the bare minimum.

A good-looking game with good split-screen multiplayer but a relatively dull single-player game.

In spite of some nagging issues, this 2D platformer is fun to play and captures the spirit of the series.

It's not suitable for everyone, and it will require considerable time and effort on your part in order to produce satisfying results. This same time and effort could just as well be spent learning the actual tools of the trade.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution - The Missing Link is a disjointed but ultimately enjoyable return to Adam Jensen's adventure.

Sloppy controls and a lack of cooperative play hurt Indiana Jones' first Lego adventure, but the humor and puzzles still make this worth playing.

Altogether, Sonic Racing CrossWorlds is a solid package. The single-player modes, meta-goals like collecting gear and vehicle parts, and wealth of customization options to experiment with different play styles, make it easy to recommend for players who like their kart racing with a little more mechanical complexity. Even with slightly underwhelming online offerings, it's easy to see how Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has plenty of road ahead of it.

Lenna's Inception is a lighthearted Zelda-style adventure fuelled by levity and a taste for the bizarre. At its heart, though, it's a testament to the powers of procedural generation. On balance it gains more than it loses, delivering an endlessly rearrangeable, replayable quest that suffers only slightly from the lack of a guiding human touch.

Ultimately, Amplitude fails to recapture the magic that elevated the original to cult status, but it does deliver an impressive and enjoyable slice of quick-hit rhythm gaming fun.

Warzone is a great sophomore attempt at a battle royale from Call of Duty, which finally manages to carve out its own identity with interesting spins on the existing formula. Its subversion of death and the nail-biting Gulag duels give you more ways to stay in a match, while also forcing you to be aware of your surroundings even after wiping a rival squad. Its looting is streamlined enough to make early moments feel fast, but Warzone also loses some of the messy magic from hobbled together loadouts by letting you drop in prebuilt ones far too easily and frequently. Still, if you're comfortable with Call of Duty's latest iteration of multiplayer antics and thrive in the stressful setting of battle royales, Warzone is a strong contender for your attention.

It is great in bursts, and when you have friends playing with you, Paperbound glows with energy. But the lack of online or additional content takes its toll.

When you reach Toem, the event itself, it really does feel spectacular in the context of the game. More important, though, is what it represents. Toem is a simple, cute fable about growing up and engaging with the world. And like the phenomenon, it's really best if you see it for yourself.

While the game does deliver on its promises of being a charming, challenging action game with a rogue's gallery of robots to scrap, it makes a few puzzling choices that keep it from true greatness.

There's a robust dungeon crawler buried beneath Legasista's typical anime-style trappings.

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.

The umpteenth Mortal Kombat game bombards you with characters and modes but does little to bring the underlying one-on-one fighting action to the next level.

Warzone is a great sophomore attempt at a battle royale from Call of Duty, which finally manages to carve out its own identity with interesting spins on the existing formula. Its subversion of death and the nail-biting Gulag duels give you more ways to stay in a match, while also forcing you to be aware of your surroundings even after wiping a rival squad. Its looting is streamlined enough to make early moments feel fast, but Warzone also loses some of the messy magic from hobbled together loadouts by letting you drop in prebuilt ones far too easily and frequently. Still, if you're comfortable with Call of Duty's latest iteration of multiplayer antics and thrive in the stressful setting of battle royales, Warzone is a strong contender for your attention.

Though there's a lot of recycled content in Ridge Racer 3D, its drift-based driving is as addictive and fun as ever.

Youngblood suffers as a result of the Switch's relatively underpowered hardware, but for all its technical shortcomings, the game still delivers intense, momentous, and challenging combat. Everything features-wise remains intact, and you'll get to enjoy taking a shotgun (or fully charged laser beam) to the heads of Nazi scum. The Blazkowicz sisters, Jess and Soph, bring their own unique swagger to the Wolfenstein franchise, too. So if the Switch version is your only way of playing Youngblood, you can be confident it's still one hell of a ride.

Although NBA 2Night shows potential as the first game in Konami's new basketball series, it doesn't excel in any specific category and thus finds itself a step behind EA's "NBA Live" series.