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.

It's when you circumvent Far Cry 4's major thematic flaws, inconsistent missions, and incessant nagging that you find the game you came looking for, breathing easy and enjoying the mountains that rise in the distance and the valleys that stretch beneath you.

Starfield has its moments, for sure. Its satisfying gunplay makes combat exciting, especially when it's integrated into setpieces within its better, more captivating questlines. And although limited in its conception of space exploration, there's a novelty in poking around the galaxy to see star systems up close and personal, and occasionally finding side content worth chasing. However, it struggles to deliver a cohesive and memorable RPG experience amid the seemingly boundless sea of stars. For all its reverence for scientific philosophy, its stories and characters paint a rather tame and sterile vision for what our spacefaring future could look like. When you strip Starfield down to its essentials, it relies on a tried-and-true, but well-tread formula while missing some of the depth of the games that came before it. Starfield is a game more concerned with quantity than quality, and leaves the experience at the surface level.

A forgettable comedy is actually a good table tennis game on the DS.

It offers an appealingly unique setting that makes it something more than a typical adventure game.

The beautiful visuals, fun battle arenas, and easy-to-grasp fighting gameplay of Dead or Alive 6 make for a brawler that packs a punch.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong feels very retro in certain respects. It's designed to be played in short bursts, which can feel anachronistic on a modern handheld hybrid that's perfectly suited for long play sessions. But it's also a throwback in the best ways, recapturing the clever aha moments of puzzle-platforming that made its predecessors so memorable, all while packing distinct visual improvements and quality-of-life tweaks that bring out its charm like never before.

Yet DC Universe Online tips its hand early on; in all too short a time, it stops offering any real surprises, remaining approachable but never wading too far from the shallow end of the pool.

This vocational minigame collection provides some wacky fun, despite sometimes feeling like a chore.

For all its minor faults and bare-bones nature in comparison to others, WRC 7 is still an enjoyable, but seriously challenging rally title. It’s not the most welcoming game for newcomers, and even experienced racers will find some of the rougher stages tricky. But ultimately, that’s also the point. Rallying isn’t easy, and KT Racing have taken that much to heart.

You'll enjoy this fascinating and intricate role-playing game in spite of its troublesome combat and scattered bugs.

Mulaka is a simple game at heart with a lot of familiar traits. The open, low-poly landscapes and characters are reminiscent of Journey. The combat and puzzle elements are similar to Breath of the Wild and Okami. But thanks to the specific Tarahumara setting and characters, Mulaka still manages to have a personality and feel all its own.

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

Pro Evolution Soccer 2009 is an improvement on last year's game, but this is a series that desperately needs a complete overhaul.

Despite these issues, it's difficult not to get sucked into Chapter One's web of intrigue. The central mystery is uneventful until its final moments, but the cases surrounding it are consistently excellent, and the role you play in solving them is incredibly gratifying. The open world is more of a backdrop than anything else, but it expands the game with dozens of side cases that are just as alluring as those found in the main story. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One may stumble at times, but it scratches that investigative itch like few games even attempt to.

Granblue Fantasy: Relink bundles a lot of familiar elements together into one abridged RPG experience, with varying results. The combat is fast and furious, but it can sometimes feel monotonous, especially in longer battles. The story is a great catch-up tale for non-Granblue fans, but it doesn't do anything to stand out from its RPG counterparts. The looks and sounds of the world are wonderful though, with Granblue's signature style bursting to life with vibrant color. It doesn't revolutionize Granblue Fantasy, but Relink serves as a solid refresh for the former gacha game.

Despite these issues, it's difficult not to get sucked into Chapter One's web of intrigue. The central mystery is uneventful until its final moments, but the cases surrounding it are consistently excellent, and the role you play in solving them is incredibly gratifying. The open world is more of a backdrop than anything else, but it expands the game with dozens of side cases that are just as alluring as those found in the main story. Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One may stumble at times, but it scratches that investigative itch like few games even attempt to.

Big strikeouts and even bigger homers make The BIGS a fun arcade baseball game, flaws and all.

When Two Brothers works, when it lines up whole scenes that bounce between funny, disturbing, and touching, it shows just how powerful the ideas it's working with are.

Your enjoyment depends on your willingness to cast aside memories of Rollercoaster Tycoon and its freedoms in favor of Screamride's aggressive xtreme attitude and unique mix of construction and destruction.

When everything's working as intended, Madden 22 marks a recent high point for the series. The gameplay doesn't move the needle much mechanically, but changes to the AI make for a more interesting and varied challenge, while Gameday Atmosphere and Momentum brings every team's fans to life to palpable effect. With Franchise making the moments between these games more engaging, it's relatively easy to sink hours into building a team to challenge for the Super Bowl. It's just unfortunate that this comes with the caveat that technical problems might prove to be the biggest obstacle standing in your way.

Survival and crafting take a turn for the brutal in this fascinating adventure.

This slow-starting platformer is simple at times but builds up to a goofy good time.

It’s easy to get lost in Hohokum’s enchanting scenes, but it’s just as easy to come crashing back down to Earth when you lose your way.

If you're the sort of player who is willing to do without a complex plot if it means you can spend more time brawling, Kung Fu Strike: The Warrior's Rise is a pleasant surprise. It sometimes lacks the refinement that you'd expect from a modern release, but the core experience doesn't suffer in the slightest. Make sure that you don't overlook it.

Rochard's gravity-defying antics make for an enjoyable adventure, albeit one that rarely reaches for the stars.

The bread and butter co-op experience shines just bright enough to compensate for this relative lack of content.

This game covers well-trodden territory, but the way that it tracks your performance and the performance of your friends makes it a fine fit for the Xbox One's launch lineup, and a pleasant way to spend some time.