It doesn’t make a lot of significant changes to Far Cry 3, outside of streamlining some of the light RPG concepts in favor of something even more action-oriented. And it does a really great job of capturing that kitschy, hyper-stylized wave of 80’s nostalgia that few manage to get outside of the recent Hotline Miami.

So while this first episode is a bit light on the adventure game tropes you might be familiar with, and certainly doesn't require much head scratching in the puzzle department, I think it still serves as an entertaining introduction to what could possibly be Telltale's best work yet.

If you go into this expecting a light hearted, breezy romp through the Mushroom Kingdom, you'll definitely have some fun with it. But the more hardcore player out there might find themselves a bit put-off by the overall ease and lack of challenge, so here's to hoping that New Super Mario Bros. Wii U can strike a better balance between fun and difficulty than NSMB 2 managed to do.

Basically, if you want a portable DW experience, Warriors Orochi 2 is the way to go. It's the best version of the series on the PSP so far, and you can tell that KOEI is getting better and better at porting the console experience over mostly intact, so it's absolutely worth buying for fans.

The atmosphere that this game creates with its dialog, character interactions, and its intriguing story set in the real life city of London is completely amazing.

There’s plenty to like about Botworld Odyssey. It’s made the jump from mobile gaming to PC without feeling like it had to sacrifice much, and it offers players a nice twist on the creature-collecting genre in the process.

It is nice to see EA Sports use their license for something a bit different.

My affair with the Tomb Raider trilogy is one I am disappointingly glad to be done with, and I'm sure my individual scores will baffle fans of the games.

Create your Mii and challenge your friends (both gaming and non-gaming) to a game of bowling. I guarantee they’ll be hooked and so will you.

Getting Treasures of Montezuma: Arena will cost you only a little space on your memory card, and in return you'll get literally hours and hours of addictive gameplay. All things considered, that's well worth it.

So while I appreciate the cosmetic changes made with the menus and the inclusion of the Japanese voice track, I'm not a huge fan of the slight changes made to the actual gameplay.

I’m sure that if you were to pull 150 games from any system, you’d have an equal number of hits and misses. So it is with Atari Flashback Classics. It may not make you rush out and find an old Atari cabinet or console in an antique shop, but it will make you appreciate exactly why Atari was, for a time, synonymous with video games.

There's so much optional content involved that you'll be able to keep yourself busy for a long time, and most of the mini-game like activities, like the approach to golf found here, are actually well implemented and fun.

It doesn't advance the stealth genre in too many areas other than the aforementioned headset idea, but what's assembled here is such a strong core of atmosphere, gameplay, and overall tension that the game as a whole doesn't suffer as much for its linearity as it probably should.

The multiplayer aspect gives it a lot of longevity, which is supplemented with New Game+ features as well. Mission variety is decent and enemies are well varied within their types, although the most addictive part of the game's missions will be the underlying RPG elements that allow further customization and adjustments throughout the length of the title.

Twin Breaker is a nice diversion while we wait for the year’s bigger releases. Surely Moriarty’s detractors will find ways to nitpick his initial foray into game development, thankfully I won’t be one of them. I do look forward to the inevitable sequel which will probably introduce controlling 6 ships. Until then I will ask…Switch when (cause you know it’s the only handheld that matters)?

Obviously, the big problem with Gnosia is that it seems to exist more in relation to other, better (or at least better-known) games, rather than standing out on its own. While this status is mostly deserved, compared to most visual novels I’ve played/read, there’s still lots here you’ll find interesting if you want to give it a chance.

Classic trilogy or not, the idea that you have to sink 40 or 50 hours into a game before it gets really good is kind of insane. By itself (or, I guess, going by the two games included here), Muv-Luv falls a little short of being a must-buy…though, at the same time, if you want to check out the third game (and I do after playing through Muv-Luv Unlimited), it’s probably unavoidable. So — buyer beware.

Don’t get me wrong, the game tells an interesting and emotional story, and the acting is top notch, but it does aimlessly plod along here and there. Thankfully, Quantic Dream ensured that Beyond: Two Souls would wrap up in an amazing, thought-provoking way which does make the ride very much worth taking.

It's a fun, fast-paced game with enough eye candy to entertain the undead-killing gunslinger that lives deep inside all of us.

Tropico 6 may take its time to allow you to do exactly what you want, but you can at least be confident that you’ll know what you’re doing and how to do it. But again, there’s only so much I can sugarcoat things. Tropico 6 is one of my favourite city-building games and I’ll never say no to playing it on the go, but if you’re interested in it, you need to know that the experience you’re getting is a little rough — to put it mildly.

I'll be playing the multiplayer for months to come, and I'm sure quite a few folks will as well. I'm a little burned out on the single player experience though, and while I feel like it's a decent enough romp for a FPS title, the storyline did little to grab my attention, and the whole Call of Duty formula is starting to feel a little tired at this point.

Heavy on action and light on role-playing, Operation Anchorage takes what is the weakest part of Fallout 3 and makes it into a workable three-hour tour of the Alaskan frontline.

In other words (pun not intended), Word Forward is kind of lousy if you’re in the mood for a straight-up word game, but probably amazing if it’s a challenging puzzle game you’re after. It’s built around a concept that’s really easy to grasp but ridiculously hard to master, and if you want something you can sink dozens of hours into (or even just a couple of minutes at a time, many, many times), this is what you’re looking for.

The game controls are sluggish and difficult to use. Maybe this is a side effect of trying to do so many game concepts from an exclusively first person perspective or maybe its loose controller code.

Audio does a fine job, with some great commentary that never gets old, and is spot on accurate when calling the action on the pitch.

Overall, it’s great to see one of my favorite franchises on the Nintendo Switch and able to play anywhere. The load times are frustrating, but if you are playing in burst sessions, it may not be that bad. If you only have a Switch and wanted to play the game, it’s totally worth it, just maybe not as a rebuy for someone that has played already.

The realism may turn off some run and gun gamers, but even those fans will have a hard time not appreciating what Sniper Elite brings to the table in terms of great and entertaining game play.

Roboblitz is definitely not for the masses and the price tag will keep most of them at bay, but if you are a puzzle fan, you may want to dig into your points account as this original title brings plenty of brain for your buck.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy my time with Falcon Age. It certainly has its share of flaws, but it also features some pretty great moments, and on the whole the latter outweighs the former. Plus — and this can’t be overstated — you really do get attached to that falcon.

Despite the fact that Z-Axis games are consistently entertaining, each of them has run into a similar problem of being released decidedly unpolished. Sadly, Aggressive Inline is no different.

How did Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn stack up against the original? Well being a port with some added features and missing the co-op from the original it’s not really definitive. It’s just here on a handheld and not the Switch. So if you’re not planning to play with a friend then it might be a good bet, but it also reminds me how much I enjoyed the original and both have their merits. But for what we got it’s in a weird place that makes me wish we got a ground-up sequel or remake instead.

If you want another FIFA, that probably won’t do, but if you’re looking for something that captures of the vibe of off-brand sports games from decades ago, it’ll do you just fine.

The main problem with EDF6, though, is that there’s simply too much of it. The base game includes 147 levels, each with five difficulty levels if you really want to be a completist. While it’s undeniably fun to blast away at aliens, bugs, and robots, at a certain point it all feels a little repetitive. The game starts to feel like a slog of explosions, no matter what the setting is. Still, that’s always been the ethos at the core of the Earth Defence Force series: blowing stuff up in the service of a story that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It’s a mindset that, for better or for worse – largely for better – is alive and well in Earth Defense Force 6.

Overall, Supreme Commander 2 on the 360 is definitely a better effort than the original port, and makes for a good substitution if you can't already play the game on a PC.

Overall, Supernatural feels like a fun expansion to the core Sims 3 experience, and something that's worth checking out even if you're not super vested in the series, like me. It's a far enough departure from the norm that I found it to be a lot of fun to toy around with.

Improves upon specific aspects of the original Supreme Commander, and the new Seraphim class adds quite a few new options to the multiplayer modes.

The only things dragging down Legend of Kay are the terrible slowdown and a very youthful image.

The game plays very well, has plenty of tracks and options, a fully fledged career mode, and adjustable A.I. that will allow you to play as realistic as you care to.

Even those seasoned RTS gamers may think twice about this game based purely on its awful driving implementation.

This game is very deep and a must for any soccer fan.

Overall, NBA Baller Beats is a completely serviceable, and generally fun, game to pick up for Kinect owners.

You will not find much of a challenge, or even a particularly long adventure as far as RPGs are concerned. What you will find is a game that will make you lose track of time, as you will be too engulfed in the experience.

It seamlessly combines a fantasy setting with a Wild West motif that makes the game enjoyable to play through.

Metro: Last Light improves on a lot of what 2033 left behind.

By no means is Omensight a bad game. If you’re into the story and the lore, in fact, I can see being able to overlook the action and the camera — neither is great, but nor are they the worst things ever. Personally, I’m not going to stay awake at night wondering how to uncover a few pieces of the story I may have missed, but there are certainly worse games you could agonize over.

I feel kind of icky even suggesting it's not terrible, and I'd be completely mortified to play it in public…but deep down, beneath the stupid, juvenile exterior, there's secretly a game that's kind of worth checking out. But don't tell anyone I said that.

If you’ve got a group of three additional players to enjoy Wii Party U with, I definitely think it’s worth checking out. As a single-player game there’s not nearly enough to do that would warrant a purchase, and even as a two-player experience it falls a little short.

Despite the word salad definition of it’s acronym (Seriously what does Forged in Shadow Torch mean really?), F.I.S.T.: Forged In Shadow Torch is a competent and challenging title for fans of metroidvanias. I was definitely invested into the plight of the furtizens of Torch City and would love to see the conflict which led to the current situation explored in some means. If this is the first title to come out of the China Hero Project, I am definitely interested in the other titles they are curating.

Hoggy 2 isn’t a sleeper GOTY candidate or anything. But if you go in looking for an enjoyable platformer that works well on the go, you should find plenty here with which you can be satisfied — with an easy Platinum or 2 to boot.

For anyone who hasn't given Nintendo's originator of this game style a try, I still would whole heartedly recommend Animal Crossing over Magician's Quest. There is just something about the charm that AC offers that seems to be more inviting to the everyday gamer. On the other hand, if you are like myself and have played Nintendo's versions to death since it's incarnation on the Game Cube, then you will be ecstatic to know that Magician's Quest is as close to a sequel or follow up to AC as you can possibly get.

Not being a fan of this genre, I found myself engaged in reliving some fond memories of heroes and villains I nearly forgot about.

A solid game that unfortunately doesn't quite live up its PC counterpart.

Personally, I don't have any place for a game like this on my shelf when I already have the whole Tony Hawk dynasty. Would I recommend it to my friends that have kids? Surely.

2064 is somewhere between a point-and-click adventure and a visual novel, only it seems to combine the less attractive qualities of both genres.

In short, if classic brick breaking games are your thing, then you should give Hyperballoid HD a chance. With a huge number of levels, almost as many power ups and the inclusion of power downs, Hyperballoid HD is a great way to waste some time.

Taken altogether, it makes for an interesting — enjoyable even — take on Battleship. It won’t make you rethink everything you thought about the game, but it will give you all the fun of the original, and then some.

Gamers will no doubt enjoy the flexible interface with its different options, not to mention the game as a whole.

There are only so many bad guys you can explode to bright red bits before they — pardon the pun — start to bleed into each other. If that's your thing, then for sure you'll want to check this game out, but if it's not, you'll want to proceed with a bit of caution.

Overall I’d reckon that Final Fantasy XVI’s PC port IS a good one, albeit with the caveats that it has some beefy requirements to run at higher frame rates and resolutions. It’s a phenomenal game that is now available to a wider audience, so I’d highly recommend checking it out if you’ve got the hardware. Otherwise, if you’re on a bit older hardware (such as myself) from early 2020 or before, I’d definitely recommend holding off and getting upgrades first, or deal with reduced visual quality, resolution, and framerates. I for one wouldn’t want to buy the game to have to play at 720p for 30fps in 2024. Final Fantasy XVI is definitely a great game and a great port if you’ve got the hardware to run it, though I do wish it ran better on slightly older hardware.

While I do think the mission structure can be a bit dull, I found myself pretty entertained to the end. The inclusion of co-op is a huge plus for me though, as with most games I found everything here to be better when I knew there was another person playing through the same events with me.

Tremor has done a much better job in porting Railroad Tycoon 2 over to Sega's console than was done with the rather poor PlayStation version.

I wish I could add something nice about it, but I’m really at a loss to name anything it does that merits praise. Touhou Kobuto V is so boring that it makes me long for the days of the relatively stellar mediocrity of Touhou Double Focus and Touhou Genso Wanderer. Those games, at least, had some interesting ideas, whereas this…this is just about the least interesting game you could imagine.

I think that despite the cute visuals and simple, beautiful art style, the difficulty curve of Ivy the Kiwi's later stages are going to put off a lot of gamers.

Exceptionally fun. With a market full of sequels and repeats of ideas (Planet Puzzle League comes to mind), Puchi Puchi Virus breaths a little fresh air into the genre.

All together, this is a much better Transformers game than the previous movie tie-in, and probably the best Transformers title I've played on a console to date.

While you might not get as much life out of this as you would your typical Call of Duty or Halo title, I think it's a unique game that really should be experienced by anyone with a passing interest in the Light Gun genre, and I definitely feel like it's worth checking out.

I definitely think the game is worth checking out, provided the online issues get fixed quickly enough.

I definitely enjoyed this year's version of the Smackdown vs. Raw series, but I still think that it's time for a serious change of pace.

With a few technical issues aside, if you are a fan of Battlefield 2, you will still want to grab this expansion; if only for the new weapons, vehicles, and stuff to do.

The lack of actual innovation is what keeps it from being a stellar title, but it's a game that most RPG's enthusiasts will want to add to their DS library.

Definitely worth checking out, and Tri-Ace's best effort on current gen systems so far.

Obviously, there’s nothing groundbreaking going on here, and despite the talk of Chosen Ones saving the world, QV never feels all that weighty. But it doesn’t really need to. It’s a simple puzzle game that offers a few hours of fun, and sometimes that’s all you need.

Worth picking up if your trigger finger is itching to blast away at something new, and even if you find yourself bored with the genre, the "Hot Swapping" feature is worth checking out at least once.

I can't say I understand the appeal, but if constantly burning and suffocating to death from smoke inhalation is your idea of a perfect game, it'll be right up your alley.

This is a otome romance novel through and through – and what’s more, it’s a good enough otome that even if the setting doesn’t sound all that romantic, it still achieves its goal.

I have no doubt that if you loved Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door the first time around there’s nothing here that will detract from your memories – and if you’re looking to check the game out for the first time, it’s probably aged better than most of its contemporaries, the occasionally slow pacing aside. But throughout my time with Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, I found my attention wandering and my interest waning far too much to be able to say I have the same amount of love for it as others do.

This is a niche game. If you aren't into motorcycles, you can probably pass on this game without too much regret. If you are, you should probably rent it first to find out how it stacks against your particular preferences since it's got elements of simulation as well as elements of arcade style. As for me, it's a trade in.

This is a fun little romp that captures the feeling of the old school arcade game, while adding some features that keep the game from feeling too dated.

If you don’t care about history, of course, then Cosmic Top Secret probably isn’t worth your time. Like I said, the 3D platforming element is wonky at the best of times, so if you don’t want a deep dive into Cold War history, it won’t be worth it. But if you’re in the mood to be educated as you play, Cosmic Top Secret is about as engrossing as historical games come.

A long, epic adventure that has a few problems here and there, but still stays entertaining.

I am highly impressed with Oceanhorn: Monster of Uncharted Seas, it is a very enjoyable game built in the spirit of one of the greatest puzzle adventure franchises ever built. An added bonus here is the musical styling. From start to finish, the music stands out and sets itself above other games in this genre.

For those who have played the original PC version, I'm sorry to say that the console version just doesn't meet up to it in the end.

Not only do you have the massively huge missions from the original title, but also included is the Fist Alpha expansion pack that brings on even more weapons, missions, and fun.

This is the Rock Band game that all the family can easily enjoy. If you’ve been struggling finding a music game that you won’t have to monitor the song list, Lego Rock Band will put your mind at ease.

In general, the camera is what's keeping Rocketmen from being a ton of fun. But it's still a nice diversion.

All in all, it was a fun trip though hell, even with one circle being lackluster and the game feeling rather short, I still have no issues or moral objections to recommending Dante's Inferno for fans of this genre.

Fun, addictive and rewarding and it shouldn't have it's rich history held against it. It ranks right up there with any shooting game on Xbox Live.

Halo 2 multiplayer was already a one of a kind experience. But now with a total of 21 maps to play, it's that much farther ahead of the curve than anything else.

If you enjoy hack and slash games you should have a good time with Crystal Chronicles...a great attempt at connectivity and a fun game as long as you have the massive hardware requirements needed to fully enjoy it.

Not being a fan of this genre, I found myself engaged in reliving some fond memories of heroes and villains I nearly forgot about.

I ended up finding Battle Chasers: Nightwar to be a bit of a mixed bag. I love seeing the concept of Battle Chasers come back, and I think Nightwar does a pretty good job of continuing the Battle Chasers story. I absolutely love getting more of Joe Madureira’s character designs and artwork on display here, and I think the classic turn-based RPG approach makes a lot of sense. But there is definitely room for improvement here, and unless you’re petty enamoured with the classic style of RPG mechanics, you might burn out a little too soon with Battle Chasers: Nightwar. Ideally some things will be fixable by patches, but this wasn’t quite the home run I was hoping for.

If you’re looking for anything like logic in an Earth Defense Force game, you’re missing the point. These games are designed to allow you to blow up as much of the world around you as possible with a minimum of fuss, and, like I said, you get a rocket launcher in the very first level. Earth Defense Force 5 won’t win any awards, but if you want more of the same from this now-venerable series, it’ll deliver everything you could possibly be looking for.

Of course let's not forget about those 1000 achievement points for the whores out there. God forbid you pay 40 dollars and you don't get a new set of achievement points!

The destruction effects are really impressive, as is the art style, and smashing buildings with giant monsters is really hard to screw up.

As long as you don’t expect too much – or, I guess, as long as you just want more of what was in Nickelodeon Kart Racers 2 – then Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3 does just enough to be worth playing.

Even though I’m a cat person, spending a couple of hours with your dog in Rainbow Bay is enough to get you invested in its success — and by extension, in the game. The other people were tolerable (okay, a couple tolerable, most were still pretty annoying by the end), but I was really rooting to see my rescue pup become more comfortable around people. That may not mean that Best Friend Forever is a success as a dating game, but if you’re after a pet-raising sim, it’s a nice way to pass a few hours.

May not bring much new to the table for the genre, but the new additions offer enough of a twist to keep the game interesting.