Despite the bare presentation, this cartridge is a must-have for fans of puzzle games.

And while the gameplay doesn't really do anything especially remarkable, and the adventure is unfortunately quite short, Destroy All Humans! shows such enthusiasm for its thematic inspiration that you can't help but at least appreciate what it tries to do.

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.

After hitting the credits to both portions of the game, I felt like the Yakuza series is currently at an impasse. Unnecessary story changes, questionable and problematic casting choices, visual homogenization, and uneven content changes plague the latest remake. This means that, in the grand scheme of things, there's a noticeable fatigue in re-experiencing minigames and more shallow renditions of the activities that made the series' resurgence so captivating with Yakuza 0. Getting to the end, in a way, took me back to the beginning, remembering Kiryu's walk in the cemetery. The scene symbolizes the culmination of a specific time and place for the series--one that's currently unable to shake off its phantoms.

Evidence is an experimental serial-killer tale that will raise goose bumps and tempers.

This is one of the best traditional point-and-click games out there--it oozes charm, keeps the puzzles sensible, and boasts a story that makes you laugh and warms your heart.

You might not want to live in one of The Escapists' prisons, but you will definitely enjoy the visit.

Throne of Agony gets the basics of a good dungeon crawler right, but an oversimplification of the gameplay and some annoying bugs drag it down.

The game's real problem is simply that it's boring.

Far Cry 6 is often a fun game that feels like it's throwing everything at you, and if you want a heap of content, Far Cry 6 absolutely has you covered. In isolation, a lot of its elements are interesting ideas. Taken together, though, it feels like a lot of disparate things that keep taking your attention back to menus and map icons. It's a lot of exhausting extra stuff, when really, what Far Cry 6 is good at is giving me opportunities to blow stuff up.

It's also rather unpolished. But while the game may not make a very remarkable first impression, it does have some strong gameplay elements that give it some real substance and help make it deserving of your attention.

This online RPG offers some witty humor and short-lived fun, but you'll be ready to move on after a scant few hours.

If you're a fan of flashy cut-'em-up action and Japanese mythology, you'll be glad to know that Genji doesn't stray from that path. Unfortunately, that path is a short one, and it ends just as soon as things really start to get interesting.

If the basic premise of gathering folk stories across a version of 1930s America strongly appeals to you, then Where the Water Tastes Like Wine is worth a look, but it's probably not worth finishing.

So while Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 may not take the series in a big and bold new direction, or benefit from the kind of refinement you would look for in a sequel, it does deliver the button-mashing, power-flinging, over-the-top action fans of the original would expect.

Batman: Arkham Origins is a deeply predictable game. It gives you exactly what you'd expect in another Arkham game, without doing anything to push the series forward.

It's not quite the return of LucasArts-era cartoon adventures, but this cheerful game dishes out a lot of laughs.

Rugby 08 isn't much of a step-up from the previous game in the franchise, but it still offers pick-up-and-play fun for both novices and rugby fanatics.

The Disney theme won't be everyone's cup of tea, but the core Meteos experience is still a ton of scribbling fun.

Cars 2 is a colorful and varied racer that's a lot of fun to play with friends and family.

It's definitely light on the science--you won't find any doctors endorsing Big Brain Academy right on the box, like they did with Brain Age--but Big Brain Academy's 15 exercises and three difficulty levels are more than enough to justify the game's $20 price tag.

Mercury Hg is cheaper, safer and more fun than playing with real volatile chemicals, though the experience is short lived and simple.

Viking lives in its atmosphere, so it's appreciated that most of the game is a spirited romp. For now, that experience is mangled by dozens of technical hiccups and anachronisms. At its heart lies an earnest drive to recreate a slice of Viking culture, and those looking for just that niche will find nothing better. But for everyone else, it's impossible to recommend until it's given some major help. There's a lot to be gained from stepping into the 8th century, but be prepared to have your journey hindered by bugs.

While you won't see its name on a blimp, cool community features and a great songlist make Def Jam Rapstar a sure bet if you want to get your living room bumpin'.

This arcade-style aerial-combat game has plenty to offer those flying solo, but it doesn't offer much in the way of competitive multiplayer content.

Far Cry Primal's setting is its greatest strength, and in its newest form on PC, it's still worth the many hours it takes to explore.

Despite a lot of bugs and some off-putting quirks, Magicka is still a good action role-playing game.

Clocking in at a modest six hours after an average first playthrough, Mages of Mystralia still leaves much to be explored with the plethora of hidden chests, optional puzzles, and a special mage trial combat event to take part in. Though unfortunately it feels more so for the sake of clearing the way to a 100% completion rating, as opposed to needing these items for the quest. With that said, those first six hours of Mages of Mystralia stir up a lot of the same feelings as the old-school games that inspired it, offering a spirited and endearing romp with a charming mage and her impressively complex magical abilities.