It doesn't last all that long, and the wonky difficulty spikes early on may deter some players. But there's something refreshingly terrifying about staring down a faceless, leech-tongued shambler, or fleeing for your life from a razor-toothed water beetle that's as big as a sack of potatoes.

Star Wars: Squadrons offers an exhilarating take on dogfighting in a galaxy far, far away, which helps elevate a functional single-player story and provides a strong foundation for a focused multiplayer experience.

Costume Quest 2 is more treat than trick. Some unfortunate repetition means it’s best enjoyed in moderation, but it’s still colourful, sweet and slightly addictive.

Hogwarts Legacy is a solid first attempt. If Avalanche can be accused of anything, it's that the studio has tried to do too much all at once. Something was always going to give – between the massive open world, the messy RPG economy, exciting action combat, and adventure story that wants to cast you as a hero with homework due on Monday. But you can see a world in which a sequel sands down some of the rougher edges, and settles into a finer balance between the demands of an interactive experience and the lore of the wizarding world.

Matches are often intense affairs tempered by just the right mixture of strategy and luck.

For true Monster Hunters, this is everything you could have hoped for in a PSP version – minus the “portable” part.

It takes a certain type of person to plunge into a deep and randomly generated dungeon, but if you’re that type, Baroque is a very satisfying plunge.

It's a good game with some very solid elements – mostly those seen in past KH titles. But its lackluster storytelling, poorly paced stage progression, jarring gameplay changes, and ever-present, misbehaving camera leave it removed from the greatness we associate with some of the franchise's previous outings.

Taken on its own this is a sophisticated fantasy RPG executed with consideration and thought, but Lords of the Fallen never really escapes the spectre of Souls, and it can only blame itself.

If you're deeply invested in these games and have some friends of the same cloth looking for a twist on the genre, then DoA's multiplayer is certainly worth investigating. The learning curve is steep, but the Xbox Live action is satisfying. Defenders of Ardania isn't the prettiest game, but there's some elements in place to keep you interested.

The game is so short the included four unreleased television episodes last nearly as long as the campaign, and the humor is devoid of any Shrek-style double entendres to keep adults entertained. We can't stress enough that this game is perfect for a kid, but that's about all it's perfect for.

The usual bells and whistles are all here as well, with the caveat that this is a PS2, so the tech is dated.

While still liable to take over your every waking hour, Football Manager 2018 takes the delicate balance of previous years and weighs it down with too many superfluous, or downright irritating, changes.

The good news is OlliOlli2 retains the pure mechanics of skateboarding despite its increased absurdity. The bad news is, just like in real life, skateboarding here is hard, and sometimes the euphoria you feel at the level’s end isn’t worth the grind it takes to get there.

Lucidity is an interesting experiment, a beautiful indie-flavored game and a welcome addition to Xbox Live’s crowd of old arcade game ports. Gamers who appreciate metaphor and meaning will certainly find much to enjoy here. It’s just a shame that it isn’t more fun to play.

Eliminator improves on its PS2 predecessor. It has more modes, more customization parts, and makes for a respectable single-player experience. But the sketchy controls and oftentimes sleep-inducing levels and presentation keep it from being the king of street.

In the final analysis, the Conquest Mode alone helps turn NBA 07 from a lottery pick into an 8th seed - good enough to make the playoffs but far too flawed for a run for the title.

Essentially a stew of can’t-miss features and less appetizing filler material. You already own it if you’re a Heroes diehard. It’s just too bad, for all Nival’s hard work and lovely animations, that its legs couldn’t be a little longer.

If you can handle bad presentation and clunky gameplay at times, then the story just may be enough of a reward. Growlanser: Heritage of War is a long game in the end, and while the flaws are obvious and often irritating, it is still by no means despicable.

Though the maps feel a little small and spawn points are poorly placed, it’s executed well enough that you’ll wonder why more DS shooters aren’t this competent. Ultimately, however, the setting and controls still hold back this war without end from being anything but a quick tour of duty.

Sniper Elite 3’s focus on marksmanship over direct confrontation is admirable, but its lack of polish or any real personality keep it from standing out.

Rise of the Triad delivers on over-the-top weapons, goofy power-ups, and one of the most sincere deathmatch modes in quite some time, and it's undeniably a retro experience from top to bottom.

While the leveling mechanics are a little too shallow to keep true RPG fans invested, the dark cel-shaded visuals and easy-to-pick up combat system can make for a fun weekend with friends. Just be sure to make the right choice if you're only willing to buy one character.

A curious, frightful take on childhood trauma that whips up scares from the most seemingly mundane sources. Among the Sleep is unpolished and scrappy, yet eerily memorable.

As an action game, it suffers from poor controls and awful fleet (read: wingman) commands that gum up the works. Still, wearing down the shields of those dastardly Romulan vessels and finishing them off with photon torpedoes can be satisfying, sometimes elevating Legacy ever-so-briefly above mediocrity.

Since it’s plain to see that EA continues to Move Forward on the next-generation front at the expense of the last one, you should too.

While this is visually the best looking Michael Jackson game ever, we find it difficult to recommend this title to anyone but the most rabid of fans, unless there's a promise to deliver DLC in the future. Fifteen tracks does not a King make.

Despite its flaws and frustrations, FFXI's age gives it one thing that no other 360 game can match: massive amounts of content. You could easily lose 200 hours of your life (not to mention your spouse) during the first month of exploration.