It’s got a great idea but it doesn’t come close to living up to its promise, and you’re better off playing any number of other superhero games or XCOM-alikes.

UI issues aside, I have been enjoying my time with Throne and Liberty, and do plan to play more of it post-review. I’m still not entirely sure the end-game content is going to be for me, but NCSoft seems to be putting out steady updates and has a solid content plan in place so far which seems promising. Even without engaging in the PvP side of things I still feel that I have plenty of other things to do within the world, and provided you’re not just mainlining the story to hit level cap as quickly as possible, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by how much Throne and Liberty has to offer right out of the gate. Considering it’s free-to-play, I see no reason to not check it out whenever you have a chance.

Even if you give the artistic style the chance it deserves, the game play and combat system are unsatisfying at their best and annoying and tedious at their worst.

The completely over-the-top sense of style and the lack of obvious next generation attributes will work against the success of the game.

The story was well told, the acting believable, the action enjoyable, and the new ideas implemented will inspire future games, but when all is said and done, the game just feels unfinished in too many areas to feel like a AAA title.

Area 51 is the antithesis of what first person shooter fans want. It is actually a better offline title than it is online.

For most people, who just want to beat Trump/Clinton from the comfort of their computer, I imagine that The Political Machine 2016 will do just fine.

Probably the best fully original title to hit Sony’ Portable since "Lumines." It’s a solid action RPG set against an old Eastern backdrop that bears a resemblance in style to Bioware’s "Jade Empire."

To be sure, Akka Arrh is a niche game: to enjoy it, you not only need to enjoy old school arcade shooters, you also need to enjoy Llamasoft’s specific brand of psychedelic weirdness on top of that, as well as the weird idiosyncrasies in the game design. But if all of that appeals to you – and to be honest, it appeals to me way more than I thought possible – then the good news is that Akka Arrh exists, and it’s pretty fun.

I’d probably recommend the original release, which is available at a much cheaper price across all platforms, and then maybe pick up the DLC on the side, instead of opting for this new Spacer’s Choice Edition. Ideally additional patches will get this version of the game to where it needs to be, but out of the gate this is not a version of The Outer Worlds I would recommend picking up.

The only complaint I have to make about the game is that the difficulty levels are a little imbalanced.

It's a simple game, from a simpler time in video game history. Maybe not the best there was, but definitely far from the worst. Would I spend $10 on it? No. Am I glad I got to play it to make sure? Yeah.

While the title doesn’t soar as high as it’s predecessors it is an absolutely competent release in this pseudo series. Players of all ages will be able to pick up and play and it even provides hardcore players a hook to keep the game installed/inserted into the console. Given that it is announced that golf would be added as a free addon later in the year, one would hope that some other missing sports can be added post launch (give me back baseball and boxing damn it!). Let’s just hope that Spucco Square can be expanded to something like a rectangle or anything. The foundation is solid, let’s hope Nintendo will build more on it!

Unless you are a MK fanboy (and I mean so die hard that you don't care if the game is the same old song and dance) or a DC fanboy who wants to see where the writers take their beloved superheroes, then this game is a rental at best. Hell I'm a fan of both, although not die hard for either brand, and I still couldn't find myself very interested in the final result.

Still, there's not a whole lot to the game, and without some challenging puzzles, it's only something I can see appealing to gamers that feel like they need to hit that 100% completion mark.

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

The original Ghosts 'N Goblins was famously difficult, so it's hard to fault the new game for being difficult, too. The difference is that the new Ghosts 'N Goblins is difficult in manufactured ways - controls and structure - which force replays of previous levels.

Normally, of course, solid wouldn’t be a descriptor you’d apply to the best basketball game of the year. But when the alternative is the hot steaming garbage that is NBA 2K18, solid will more than do. It may be a tainted victory for NBA Live 18, but after years of being second-best, they deserve applause for eking out a win this time around.

Pro Street provides tons of race variations such as grip class, time attack, sector shootout, drift races, ¼ mile drag, ½ mile drag, wheelie competition, top speed runs, and speed challenges. The career mode does a nice job mixing up these race variations to help the game from growing stale too quickly.

In this day and age of remakes and annual releases, it's refreshing to see a brand new IP that happens to be a platformer. The frustration of the controls coupled with the camera just broke down my enjoyment and the lack of real replay value hurt my logic to push through the frustration. I should also mention the musical score is fantastic and feels ripped right out of a Donkey Kong Country game (which makes sense since it's the same composer). Overall I think Snake Pass is worth checking out but curb your expectations a bit. I'm sure if it sells well, Snake Pass 2 will correct my problems with this first entry and slither its way to a better grade.

Overall the Grandia HD Collection is a good one, and if you enjoyed the original game, this is a great version of the release. Grandia II by comparison didn’t get much in terms of upgrades aside from the Japanese voice acting, so it pulls down the overall package somewhat.

The mission variety and complexity, with multi-tiered goals and mixtures of dog fighting, bombing and strafing, make Secret Weapons Over Normandy a long-lived, rewarding experience.

Awesome audio-visuals and spot-on gameplay (most of the time) make Sonic Heroes the best next-gen Sonic game available. Get rid of the camera problem, put in some truly innovative puzzles and the next Sonic game will really shine.

Pid is not only fun and challenging, but nice to look at as well. It's one of those games that needs to be experienced first hand as screenshots and video will not do it justice. If you are still on the fence, I recommend trying out the demo as always to see if it's a good fit for you.

It’s not the sequel I expected, but it’s the one we deserve.

While not as intriguing or long-lasting as something like Tokyo Jungle, I think PS3 players will still find themselves enraptured by the unique design of Rain's water-soaked world.

While the overall feel of Max: The Curse of Brotherhood might be a bit uneven, it’s well worth checking out for the moments that work.

Of course, this leads back to the game's main problem, which is that building up your characters inherently means letting them live to see another dialogue sequence or cutscene — and the more you see of them in those sequences and cutscenes, the less you'll want to let them live. It's a dilemma with no real solution…apart from the obvious one, of not playing Ray Gigant unless you have a strong appetite for generic characters and you don't mind if their combat isn't that interesting, either.

The perfect follow up to a great original game, as well as a wonderful way to get the DBZ story without re-watching the entire anime. Every aspect of the first Xenoverse is taken and expanded upon to great effect. Character customization is deeper, the campaign is longer, parallel quests have more substance, and the world itself has more life.

If a top down hack ‘n’ slash action RPG is something you’re into and you’ve got a few extra bucks this is definitely you should look into.

It feels kind of weird to describe a Hyperdimension Neptunia game as being for fans only — since, after all, “being for fans only” often feels like the point of the whole series. In this case, however, it feels even more appropriate than usual, since Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls really is just for fans of both Sega Hard Girls and Hyperdimension Neptunia.

Invincible VS pulls together many concepts and mechanics from fighting games such as Dragon Ball FighterZ, Killer Instinct (It certainly helps that Quarter Up do have devs from Double Helix, the studio which revived KI in the 2010s) and Mortal Kombat. The end result is something that is accessible to both casual Invincible fans as well as fighting game veterans. I guess if Quarter Up had to answer Omni-Man’s infamous query “What will you have after 500 years?!”, they can hold their heads up high and retort “One hell of a debut title”. Although I do hope they’ll have made more than just a singular game in half a millennium, nonetheless this is a great introduction.

Still, it’s an often charming, fun, and light-hearted romp through the LEGO version of Middle-Earth, and it certainly warrants a look.

Basically, don't pick up Wolfenstein for the multiplayer, especially if you're hoping for some type of Return to Castle Wolfenstein experience out of it. It's fun, and worth checking out, but hardly competitive or well polished. Instead, you'll be buying this game primarily for the single player experience, which isn't without it's own set of faults, but still manages to be fun despite that.

All the little things that game incorporates into combat, like the drop ship spawning, the customizable load outs, the base control with automated defenses, and the various modules, keep Section 8 from being a bland multiplayer shooter, and help it stand out against the pack of Halo's and Call of Duty's that currently populate the system.

The love of Rick and Morty, Gundam, and old school cartoons/comics is evident, and Romeo is a Dead Man is proof that you can be inspired by a variety of mediums and your creativity can still show it in an all-new way. From DeadMan’s design to the wild supporting cast, there is so much to love about the game and all I want next is for DeadMan to meet up with Travis to save the world and time together. I’m all in.

While most of the game exists in single-player, the multiplayer offers enough to really quench the thirst of Sudoku heads with a PSP.

While it's clear that Microsoft Game Studios isn't quite ready to overtake EA or Sega on the gridiron, there's no denying that they've made it a three-man race.

The offline modes of Sega GT Online are completely intact and even deeper than before, with more cars and tracks, so at $20 it's a fantastic deal if you haven't already played it. But if, instead, you're looking for the best online racing game, Sega GT Online just isn't it.

A poor camera system slipped though the cracks that keep it from being a remembered classic.

And while polishing the game up a bit more would do little to impact the replay value, it would certainly have provided a more lasting memory than what Papo & Yo currently delivers, which is a shame because otherwise it's a game that is definitely worth experiencing.

The price is right for what you get here, so if you are a fan of games like this, by all means give the demo a spin. If frantic combo filled beat-em-ups aren't your thing, then skip this one and wait for the 2D fighter.

It may not come anywhere close to matching the games it's trying to ape (I didn't even get into the iffy graphics or the endless loading times between levels), but it least makes a valiant effort in the attempt.

Mutant Football League really impressed me if you couldn’t tell. You know if you’ve read some of my previous reviews that I’m a big football fan, so I’m sure that plays a big role in this. I do think non-fans would have fun as well, just as arcade goers did in the late 90’s with NFL Blitz. Maybe it’s been too long since we have had anything other than Madden to please football fans, or maybe MFL is really just that good, either way I really like it and find myself going back to it over and over despite its vanilla modes at this point. Mutant Football League has character that I haven’t seen in a parody game in many years and look forward to what Digital Dreams has to come for the franchise.

Unfortunately for When Ski Lifts Go Wrong, however, it exists in this world, where Bridge Constructor is a thing and this game just feels like a so-so imitator. Given that Bridge Constructor is between half a decade and a decade old (depending on where you first played it), there’s still room for a so-so imitator, but be aware of the fact that much of the time when you’re playing When Ski Lifts Go Wrong, you’ll be kind of wishing you were playing something else instead.

Here, nostalgia probably adds to your enjoyment, but even if you strip all that away, you’re still left with a pretty solid kart racer that adds one or two things to the usual formula.

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.

ININ has done a fine job bringing these classics together. Even if the complete package offers nothing new outside of a game selection screen, these are all still pretty fun games. As before, 7 out of 10 games in this collection can be downloaded from from the eShop under the “Arcade Archives” line of games. Solitary Fighter, Darius II and Dinorex are Exclusive to this collection, but if those titles don’t appeal to you, then you aren’t missing anything by skipping this release. As for the overall presentation, not much has changed from the first TAITO Milestones, but since most of the games offered are much better this time, I can recommend this collection more than the first.

It’s one of the most good-natured games I’ve played in recent memory, and even if it was over almost as soon as it started, it’s still an extremely pleasant way to pass half an hour.

The competition today is a lot more fierce than it was a decade ago – and yet, even with that tougher playing field, Yooka-Replaylee still manages to stand out as being one of the better 3D platformers you’re likely to come across.

I was a little concerned at first that this was going to be another shovelware title but I was quickly assuaged. Blowing up hippies (and zombies and old people) with a few friends and the South Park children is a great time; which is why I highly recommend this title.

I’d love for every iteration of Assassin’s Creed to be great, as I genuinely enjoy the series. Assassin’s Creed 2, Brotherhood, Black Flag…these are all fantastic games to me. But Unity doesn’t compare favorably at all to the better entries we’ve already seen.

Mercenaries 2, much like their in-game avatars, succeeds by getting the job done with no frills and nothing more. To many gamers that just may be enough.

You won't be sinking days after days into Valley — but the one day or so you do spend with it will be enough to stick with you for a long time.

In other words, it does exactly what games like Trials HD and Joe Danger do to keep you coming back for more. That may not win Action Henk points for innovation, but you'll be too busy obsessively having one more go at each level to care.

As I said up top, it’s intriguing, if nothing else. Probably not intriguing enough to sustain a whole game, but there are still some interesting ideas to be found in Mail Mole that make it worth your time if you feel like taking a bit of a risk.

Much like Dragon Quest Treasures last year, Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince is a fun entry point into a long-running series that doesn’t ask too much of players in terms of prior knowledge (though that surely helps). If you’re after a solid monster-training game with colourful cast of characters, it delivers solidly on that front.

From the new 3D areas, to the completely re-imagined boss battles, there is something for everyone to like in Castle of Illusion. The main game might be a bit short, but you will want to keep going long after Mizrabel is dealt with.

Telltale fans and Marvel fans won’t be disappointed with the first episode of Guardians of the Galaxy, but they might have expected more from it. The soundtrack is a perfect example of this; it uses licensed music just like the movie, but it almost seems like B-sides. Clearly the game didn’t have the same budget of the movie or the same people who picked the music, because it just doesn’t seem to be on the same level as the movie, and let’s be honest, these comparisons are inevitable. Telltale announced they would be working on a Marvel game nearly 2 years ago, and I guess they decided if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, because they didn’t take any chances with this release.

If you enjoyed Patapon back for the PSP, it’s a safe bet to say you'll still enjoy it in this glorious HD remaster. The remaster is completely barebones and features no new special features, which is kind of disappointing. I also wonder why they didn’t just remaster all three Patapon titles and release a pack, similarly to what they did with the Crash N-Sane Trilogy. The Patapon titles got better with each new sequel and going back to the original can seem like a bit of a step back, but I still recommend Patapon overall. Patapon is a great looking, affordable digital remaster for rhythm fans, and of course it plays and holds up much better than PaRappa the Rapper.

I think that Rocket Knight is a great attempt at revitalizing the character, and while I know there are people put off by the new design and the use of "2.5D" instead of traditional pixel work, I think the game looks great in action.

True fans of the anime (like myself) will get their moneys worth just by watching the opening scene, and hearing the Robotech theme song.

The most innovative and clever thing to come to golf video games in a long while is Outlaw Golf's Composure Meter.

I was absolutely impressed by how much of a full-fledged racing game Hot Wheels Unleashed is. It’s right at home with some of the better arcade racers on the market today, and offers up a whole lot of fun for the whole family, regardless of whether you’re a Hot Wheels fan or not. The track customization is pretty solid, with a decent enough opening tutorial to get you started, and the sheer number of vehicles you can obtain right out of the gate is pretty impressive. The multiplayer could use a bit more fleshing out, but at least works great, and the game controls fantastically overall. If you’ve been in the mood for a new racing experience that everyone can enjoy, then look no further than Hot Wheels Unleashed.

Fate/Unlimited Codes isn't going to take the fighting community by storm, and it certainly doesn't hold a candle to current gen fighters on their respective systems, and for a $30 downloadable title on the PSP, it's a little pricey for the content given.

There's enough new content stuffed into this expansion to warrant a purchase, especially if you play both PvE and PvP. Even for a player like myself, who tends to only play the co-op stuff, the adventure is well worth experiencing. With a new Record Book detailing new quests and how to obtain specific items, I anticipate playing Destiny for a very long time to come.

Traditionally tabletop games are getting more and more attention on screens, and Blood Bowl is one that benefits from the evolution.

Of course with all the features already being touted about for Rock Band 3 this year it's hard to think of Warriors of Rock as a really progressive entry into the genre, but I think there's enough fun to be had with the on disc content to make it worth a look for everyone that already generally enjoys these types of games.

Drawn to Life: The Next Chapter isn't an awful game by any stretch, but it barely manages to get past that average mark. If it weren't for the whole hero creation aspect, there'd hardly be a game here worth mentioning, so I wish the core platforming stuff were a little more interesting than it is.

I have very few negatives to level at Binary Domain; I think its single player mode is a stand-out shooter that I feel a lot of folks might glance over. But that would be a mistake, as you'd definitely miss out on a really fun experience that doesn't break the mold, but builds upon a solid foundation already laid by other cover based shooters.

It's a real shame that the online wasn't better implemented; otherwise this would have been one of my bigger surprise hits for this year. Just a few key changes could have made that experience great, and I'm not sure why the developers felt the need to make it so limiting.

The presentation is brilliant, there are more teams..., new modes, and the slowdown has been fixed. Top all of this off with fantastic and engaging gameplay and you have a great soccer title that should hold you off for another six months when EA releases '07.

Pretty much all of what worked for de Blob originally on the Wii still works, just to an even greater degree today. The vibrant graphics, the fun gameplay, the sense of humour — they all combined to make the game an underrated gem in the previous generation, and they’re all in full effect on current-gen systems, too.

I can only recommend this if you are already a fan or like fast paced puzzle games in general. Nothing bad or horrible with this release, but also nothing groundbreaking, Just an above average classic puzzle game with a great challenge. Pick it up if you want to experience the world of Arkanoid.

The bottom line is that 2K11 is better in the ways we wanted it to be, so it's a keeper.

With time and with patches, it’s easy to imagine it becoming a game worth playing, but it’s definitely not at that stage yet.

Everybody’s Golf Hot Shots is a great return to the series. The vibrant courses, relaxing music, and massive amounts of unlockables should bring you endless hours of replayability. Hyde, Inc. has delivered a hole-in-one arcade golf classic.

Gameplay is top notch this year catering to all walks of life. Whether you are a newbie or veteran, there are many levels of difficulty and settings that will challenge any golfing fan.

The game's fun however depends on the players' knowledge of how a six-sided die can be manipulated to have the desired number on its top face. It's not easy to do, and only after that hurdle is crossed can players enjoy any aspect of the game.

It could be the best 50 (game only), 90 (game + 1 gun), or even 120 (game + 2 guns) dollars well spent, depending on your appetite.

The urge to complete the card collection, to beat up on lowly demons with monstrously powerful cards, or to indulge in the two-player affair is enough to keep most people coming back for more.

I loved the mini-games, and found a lot of the substories delivered the quirky humor that I adore from the Yakuza series. I also enjoyed the combat for the most part, even if the various execution animations get a little tiring after the first dozen or so times you see them. But everything else surrounding those things is just a slog to get through. And the story takes some really weird, nearly non-sensical twists towards the end that I definitely had issues with. So I can’t say I would suggest this whole-heartedly, to either Yakuza or Fist of the North Star fans. Maybe check this one out via discount or rental, otherwise you should probably just go back and play more Yakuza.

If you've got some time to waste, and you're looking for a new RPG, than Nostalgia can fit that bill. However, don't go in with your expectations too high, it's certainly a very average approach to RPG's that's hindered by a slow plot, boring characters, and a very standard approach to combat.

Megaton Rainfall is the kind of superhero game I’ve always wanted to play, and even if it’s not perfect, it’s still an interesting step in the right direction for the genre as a whole.

If you just want a game that looks nice, though, grinding your way through gathering materials and repetitive battles may be a fair price of admission. If that sounds fun to you — or, for that matter, if you look at the screenshots and figure that they’re worth whatever tedious gameplay the game may throw at you, then Smoke and Sacrifice may be worth investigating.

Not quite mind-blowing, but still fun, and I hope to see another adventure or two out of this duo in the near future.

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.

While not quite as consistent as either "Daxter" or "Ratchet and Clank: Size Matters," Clank's first adventure provides enough portable enjoyment to satisfy.

Altogether I feel like it's a great throwback to old Sonic games, but at the same time I wish it was a little more refined and had removed some of the annoyances I had with the previous 2D Sonic games.

It's a really solid port, but lacks any bells and whistles to attract folks who might not be die-hard fans of the series. It's definitely worth checking out, but keep in mind that you're getting the same content here that was contained in Sigma on PS3 nearly five years ago.

It's obviously not a system-seller or anything, but if you're in the mood for a fun little time-waster, then Sparkle will definitely scratch that particular itch.

I highly recommend Ghost Blade HD for fans of these type of shooters and even newcomers looking for a challenge. This is a great game and really captures the spirit of classic arcade shooters like Raiden, Giga Wing and others. I really had a surprising amount of fun with this one, and I'm sure you will do. Pick it up if you can, you will love it.

Quantum: Recharged is just an OK addition to the series and while not based on a very well known property, it’s an interesting game once you get the hang of it. This new release is not terrible by any means, but if you happen to pass this one by, you aren’t really missing much. I went back to play the original a little bit while researching since I knew almost nothing about it and I must say, I had more fun playing the Recharged version. Personally, I feel there are many other classic games out there that Atari could be “Recharging” and Quantum was not on my radar. It might be time to slow down a bit and focus on bringing out better titles for the series.

The incredibly dull combat is enough to make The Smurfs 2: The Prisoner of the Green Stone a clear step down from Mission Vileaf. You could do a lot worse, for sure, but its predecessor shows you can definitely do better, too.

The online is kind of a mess.

Overall, Call of Duty: Vanguard is a very welcome addition to the Call of Duty franchise. Sledgehammer has always helped drive the franchise forward into adventurous new territories and Vanguard is no exception. If you find yourself itching for a new FPS in your life, Vanguard is ready for you to pick up and is easy enough to drop into so that you’ll never feel out of place as a new player. If you’re wary about picking this game up because you’re someone who didn’t like the change from 2019 Modern Warfare’s engine to Treyarch’s in Cold War, then you’ll be happy to learn that this runs on Modern Warfare’s engine and the gunplay and visuals remain entirely intact.

After the first two games in the series, it was clear that Danganronpa was worth checking out if you had the slightest interest in visual novels or adventure games. By branching out to a whole new genre, developer Spike Chunsoft is showing that it's a franchise that's just worth checking out, period.

Call of Juarez: Gunslinger may not be a forgotten classic, but it is pretty darn fun, and that’s more than enough to make it worth checking out.