A revamped Career mode and some fine racing are offset by some strange AI quirks in Capcom's latest two-wheeled racing game.

The essence of Team Sonic Racing is good; its handling feels tight and smooth, drifting has a good flow to it, and the items are fun to use, as are the tracks to race on. It doesn’t bring much new to the genre, but it delivers where it counts. The racing is fast and fun, and the team aspects offer enough of a change to the formula to make Team Sonic Racing the endearing arcade racer it is.

Farewell North is a grounded, slice-of-life game given some fantastical elements through Ches' unique perspective. As it reaches its emotional climax, it becomes a stirring meditation on the role pets play in their humans' lives as comfort and support, and likewise, the role that humans play in the lives of their pets as providers and protectors. While its waypointing can be occasionally frustrating, it's a sweet, emotionally resonant experience that will stick with you, and maybe prompt a little extra cuddle time with your own pets.

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.

Attila is more of the same and a little bit extra, then, not as convincingly realized as the best Total Wars, but strong enough to keep you clicking until the inevitable patches and expansions trickle in.

The follow-up to a tile-flipping puzzle game for the Nintendo DS features a simple, challenging design that makes up for a bare-bones presentation.

Detective Pikachu is a simple game. There's not much variety to the way you solve cases; the story follows a standard detective formula, and as long as you're thorough, you won't have too much trouble connecting the dots. But it's full of heart, and its silly characters and intentionally campy tone are what make it fun.

I imagine most players will quit shortly after having completed Dune: Awakening's main story and arriving at the Deep Desert. But that doesn't mean all the hours prior to reaching the endgame aren't worth experiencing or aren't enjoyable. Funcom has turned Herbert's legendary sci-fi planet of Arrakis into a captivating video game setting. Part story-driven RPG, MMO, survival base-builder, sci-fi helicopter simulator, and third-person shooter, Dune: Awakening is a multi-headed hydra of experiences that, somehow, coalesces into a largely satisfying whole. While it suffers from a serious lack of variety when it comes to enemies and activities, and its endgame as of writing is a largely pointless endeavor with no real goal to strive for, Dune: Awakening nonetheless succeeds at bringing the universe of Dune to life in a way never before seen. When the Spice is flowing, it's easy to lose oneself to the rhythms of Dune: Awakening's desert for hours at a time. Just take care not to attract Shai-Hulud.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is far from perfect--but it is good. It stumbles frequently as it explores Greek myths through a new lens, its best features are borrowed, and for as large and fun as its world is, it always feels like you're on a guided tour instead of really exploring it. But even as it lives in the shadow of better games, its puzzles, combat, and open-world loop come together often enough for me to not only see it through for a few dozen hours, but also want to keep filling out its almighty checklist, even if it lead me by the nose most of the way through.

Because of its high production values, fans of the movie will undoubtedly enjoy this movie tie-in, but the epic scope of the adventure is hampered by the unoriginal gameplay.

I'm enjoying The First Soldier and I'll keep it in my BR rotation, but it already seems like a game I'll struggle to get better at. This is a battle royale title that's good enough, smart enough, and different enough to attract and keep a healthy player base--it's bursting at the smartphone's seams. On PC or console, The First Soldier would take a well-deserved place against other BR powerhouses, but on mobile, it's just too cramped.

Some technical troubles notwithstanding, this derivative action game is a bunch of silly, stylish fun.

Luffy's newest voyage isn't one for the ages, but it still offers up plenty of goodhearted fun.

The thing about Call of Duty games is that, with each yearly iteration, you pretty much know what you're getting--and that's largely the case here. It's both a blessing and a curse for Vanguard, however. Elements of Vanguard feel like good additions to the franchise, but its ideas also don't always mix well with the series' framework. That framework is still strong, and the solid gunplay, exciting multiplayer, and inventive moments of the campaign are worth seeking out. But forcing those two parts together exposes the seams in Call of Duty: Vanguard at times, weakening both parts of the game rather than pushing either one to the forefront.

Although Blues and Bullets isn’t without its flaws, this first episode sets a distinctive comic-book, crime-noir attitude compelling enough to keep you playing and looking forward to what the series will offer in future installments. Anyone who enjoys classic noir fiction or the decidedly modern, bloody take on it offered up on the grim streets of Sin City will find a lot to like here.

There's still a lot to love about NHL 18, even if the core on-ice experience has only seen minor tweaks.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is far from perfect--but it is good. It stumbles frequently as it explores Greek myths through a new lens, its best features are borrowed, and for as large and fun as its world is, it always feels like you're on a guided tour instead of really exploring it. But even as it lives in the shadow of better games, its puzzles, combat, and open-world loop come together often enough for me to not only see it through for a few dozen hours, but also want to keep filling out its almighty checklist, even if it lead me by the nose most of the way through.

Because the PS2 version of Mafia unavoidably compromises the PC version's graphical presentation--while also introducing longer loading times and injecting more interruptions into the gameplay--it comes off like a mere shadow of the original.

Some flashy action, a playful sense of humor, and a clean visual style bring this otherwise straightforward beat-'em-up to life.

Tales of the Abyss is still an entertaining role-playing game, but poor 3D makes this handheld version slightly disappointing.

It's ultimately your duty to provide the fun because the included puzzles rarely test your skills, and though the extreme flexibility means it's inherently fun just to mess around, that does grow tiresome too quickly.

A great sense of humor and flashy style make the Caped Crusader's latest adventure entertaining, despite the lack of challenge.

Street Fighter V has a long road ahead of it, and Capcom has to iron out the game's issues if it wants to keep casual players engaged. If it sticks to its projected update plans, that may very well happen; time will tell. Those willing to stick it out now will discover one of the best fighting engines around, with a great cast and intelligently balanced fighting styles making it both challenging and fun.

Tomb Raider Underworld will satisfy fans of Lara's previous adventures, but it does little to address previous games' problems.

The Big Con is a pleasant nostalgic road trip, where cassette tapes still need to be rewound, MTV still plays music videos, and America's capitalist excess is exemplified by the relative quaintness of the bustling shopping mall.

The latest Armored Core makes up for the series' lack of progress by simply being fun to play.

If you're tired of the genre, Airborne won't do anything to change your mind, but if you're looking to fight for the Allied cause yet again, it's a worthy tour of duty.

A remade classic and a passable sequel meet in this fun but inconsistent package.