To be sure, even with its bugs and glitches, there’s still a decent game to be found in The Lamplighters League. It doesn’t quite hit the highs it could, however, so if you’re enticed by the promises of XCOM-meets-Indiana Jones, be aware that performance issues mean it’ll never quite be as good as it could be.

Of course, I’m sure I’ll regret complimenting Golfinite a few months from now, when there are half a dozen different versions of the game clogging up the New Releases section. But for now, before we get the rush of “Ultra Deluxe Summertime Fun Editions” that are surely in its future, I’ll say that golf fans could do a lot worse than checking Golfinite out.

Crown Wars: The Black Prince is a competent tactical RPG that fits squarely within the confines of its chosen genre, so if you want more X-COM-likes in your life, and don’t mind feeling like you’d get the same experience playing any number of other, similar games, you could do worse than checking it out.

It’s definitely an improvement over its predecessor, but some annoying design decisions mean that it’s still not as good as it could be.

It’s a gorgeous game set in a well-imagined world, and even if its gameplay isn’t as absorbing as its environments, it’s still a solid puzzle-platformer.

Overall, the Until Dawn remake is a stunning game, however it does have its flaws which will hopefully be corrected with future updates. Gamers playing it for the first time will enjoy the storytelling and structure of the game, and those returning will appreciate many of the upgrades and added scenes. I can’t say if it was a necessary remake as the original game is only nine years old and still holds up, and at this point I recommend holding off on purchasing it until the price gets an adjustment and the current glitches are corrected.

There’s a little too much grinding to go through for not a lot of reward, and while some people may love the challenge, it makes for a less addictive experience.

Everything in Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 comes back to how much you like Smash Bros., and how much you want to play a game that’s similar to it but ever-so-slightly different. If your answers to both of those questions is “a lot”, then you’re definitely going to want to check this one out.

There is a ton to do in Starfield, from building outposts, to designing your own ship, to crafting and cooking. Overall, I think Starfield is just okay, and while it does have some shiny spots, it still has a lot of rust on it too. I like the game’s story, and it grabbed my attention and held on tightly enough where I just wanted to do the main quest, as everything else was just noise to me. I was not a fan of the non-space combat but both flying, and ship-to-ship combat was quite fun. Overall Starfield just didn’t hold my interest like past Bethesda games did.

Ultimately, though, Rainbow Gate succeeds or fails on its moment to moment play, and that’s where it lands as a unique entry in the genre. If you’re looking for a stable, smooth running PC mascot horror game with a strong opening and a handful of enjoyable puzzles and chases, Rainbow Gate is worth a look at the right price. Just know it doesn’t evolve much past its first impression. This is a good placeholder until Poppy Playtime: Chapter 5.

Even as someone who likes cats and puzzles – in other words, the target audience – I wouldn’t say I’d recommend Quilts and Cats of Calico unless you’re already a fan of the board game. No matter how cute and cuddly it may present itself as, the reality is much more demanding.

Snoopy & The Great Mystery Club is relaxed and undemanding, kind of what you’d think cozy games would be like if the term hadn’t come to be used for a genre that’s aggressively twee and “quirky.” If you have kids and want to steer them in this direction, you could definitely do a lot worse.

As for the meat and potatoes of the game – that is, its combat and its traversal – there’s really not much to say about it. In those respects, INAYAH is pretty much exactly what you’d expect. You get your choice of weapon early on, and you can upgrade them throughout the game with a pretty thorough skill tree, but really, there’s nothing in INAYAH, gameplay-wise, that we haven’t seen before. Which means that we’re left to judge INAYAH on things other than its gameplay. And even if there’s some good there (specifically, the artwork), that’s balanced out by design decisions that make the game a lot more annoying than it should be.

Dread Delusion has a very clear idea of what kind of game it wants to be, and who it appeals to – and if you’re in that target market, then this is a must-play game for you.

The Land of the Magnates borrows from so many games that you can’t accuse it of being a clone of anything. On the one hand, it makes it feel like innumerable other 2.5D platformers. But on the other, it means that you can’t go the lazy route and say it’s imitating Prince of Persia. That’s hardly a ringing endorsement, but you could probably do a lot worse.

I’m still marking Concord fairly high, as it’s a fun shooter with solid online play that I’ve really enjoyed playing, and look forward to continuing with throughout the year. I hope that the ship can be righted so the game has a chance to really come to life, and I’d like to see what the devs have planned for future modes, characters and so on, but at the same time it’s hard to suggest anyone drop $40 on a game that feels like it may be destined for heavy discounts, or even go free-to-play, in the near future. If you’re absolutely itching for a new hero shooter to check out, I definitely think you can have some fun with Concord, but if you’re still on the fence, you might be better off waiting just a bit longer to see how or if Concord can overcome its rocky launch.

All in all, I’d definitely recommend giving Yars Rising a go, especially if you enjoy Metroidvania style games in general. It won’t be the best one you’ve played in the genre, but it’s a good time throughout despite some annoying sequences that slow down the action. It also has a great soundtrack featuring a number of notable synthwave and game music artists like Megan McDuffee, FLOOR BABA, Chiyoko Yamasato and many more. I definitely enjoyed my time with it, and I think you will too.

MLB The Show 25 on the Switch certainly won’t win any awards for looks, but if you’re hoping that the game gets a decent send-off on the hybrid platform – or even if you just want it to run better than last year – you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is still a decent racer overall. Much like the studio that inspired it, it’s not going to make you forget the genre’s king, but there’s fun to be found here if you give it a chance.

I do think it’s worth at least downloading the game and testing it out, as I definitely have had fun with it despite its shortcomings. That said, I also don’t see myself sticking with it in its current state, but hopefully as new additions and patches roll out I’ll have reason to return to FBC: Firebreak.

Beautiful visuals and an inventive story can only take you so far; at some point the gameplay needs to be there too, and as you’ll see time and again, that’s not the case here.

I wish I could say that everyone wins in the end when playing Jackbox Party Pack 11…but they really don’t. It’s certainly a step up from last year’s Naughty Pack, but the games on offer here are too inconsistent to be worth your while. As always, a good group of friends can always probably make anything fun, but it’ll take a lot more effort here than you’d like.

There’s a lot of this stuff that will just never make it to platforms like Virtual Console, so I’m happy to see someone out there doing the work to try and put these releases together despite the quality of original games. It also helps that nothing appears to have been mucked up along the way, each of these titles plays exactly as I remember, which is definitely the key when going back and doing these retro collections. So if you’re like me, and have any fond memories of these games growing up as a kid in the 90’s, then I’d say Jurassic Park Classic Games Collection is certainly worth a look.

Depending on expectations, Dragon Age: The Veilguard can provide an enjoyable action RPG experience. If you’re seeking a worthy successor to Dragon Age: Origins or even Inquisition in companions or plot, it doubtless falls short, feeling more comfortably bland than outright terrible. The combat may be worth the price of admission if you’re keen on real-time action without too much thought for your companions beyond choosing which targets to detonate. Similarly, the visuals can be gorgeous, backed by incredible music, even as the facial animations, odd image quality, and voice acting can feel uneven. It’s nowhere near BioWare’s best, especially in the storytelling department, but after all its past failures and uncertainty, there are certainly far worse alternatives than “good enough.”

To be fair, I didn’t hate my time with Kaya’s Prophecy. It doesn’t do anything original, but it also copies other, better games so well that it can’t help but get some reflected glow. But because it doesn’t add anything to either of those well-established formulas, I’d be hard-pressed to recommend it over its influences. Maybe check it out if you’re a fan of Slay the Spire or Stacklands, but don’t expect it to be more than the sum of its influences.

I can’t say that Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes is a bad game. It’s a solid attempt at recreating that Suikoden experience, and I can appreciate that someone out there is still trying to keep its spirit alive in some manner. I think, and hope, that a sequel will ideally work out some of these issues and make for a better showing, but if you absolutely want to capture the feel of playing through a Suikoden title again, then Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes will likely be right up your alley.

Overall, I think there is fun to be had with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, but the lack of meaningful exploration and the meandering desert stretches from one zone to the next really drag down what should have been an amazing return to form for the series. How much of this came from the prior development issues the game faced I’m not sure, but something about Prime 4 feels really disjointed and not nearly as polished as the original trilogy. I hope Nintendo does give the Prime series another chance, maybe this time without all the starts and stops that Prime 4’s development had, which will ideally give us the next-gen Metroid Prime game I was hoping this one would be.

Personally, I can only recommend Montezuma’s Revenge – The 40th Anniversary Edition if you are familiar with the original game and already know what you are getting into or are looking for a challenge that, many people have tried and failed to beat. It’s definitely not for everyone, so if there is interest, proceed with caution.