It was one of the better DS RPGs I've played, and stayed in my system for quite a while.

Overall, I enjoyed Puppet Combo’s latest horror installment. It started slowly, then escalated to full nonstop combat. The characters were intriguing, as was the backstory that drove the narrative forward. I enjoyed learning about the downfall of Dr. Edward Sullivan through all the pages obtained in the house, as it gave it a very Alan Wake vibe. My only issue with the game was the aiming mechanism. In ’90s games, when they often utilized fixed camera angles, the auto-aim would automatically lock on. Unlike in this instance, it aimed straight ahead and then had to be manually maneuvered to where I wanted to shoot. If ’90s aesthetics are the goal, then I believe that only one aspect of retro gaming gameplay should be implemented to not overwhelm the player with all the non-intuitive controls that annoyed us when we played these games when we were younger.

The best version of soccer that EA has put up to date, and just gets me excited for what lies in store for the full game called FIFA 09 this fall!

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.

There’s a lot to discover and uncover in Golf Club: Wasteland. Each course offers rewards in the form of log entries, detailing the events that lead the character you play as to where he is now. The game may not be super long, but a lot of love is clearly present from the development team. If you’re looking for a calm game to just kick back, put on some headphones and just play, few get to nearly the same level of peacefulness.

Only pick this up if your are crazy for the O2 series of video games or are new to the genre.

Monday Night Combat is a game that doesn't take itself seriously, nor is the game bogged down with a ridiculous story line. This is a balls out, frenzy of fun that will appease any twitch shooter fans out there as well as those who enjoy class-based multiplayer.

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.

To be sure, as a whole, Super Neptunia RPG is far from perfect. Even as it recognizes all the ways to lampoon games, it still indulges in its own worst impulses a little too often to be considered anything more than a niche. But if you’re a fan of that niche — and, to be honest, I kind of am, at this point — it delivers an experience you’re not likely to find anywhere else.

The freedom afforded to the player, not to mention the story, would be impressive coming from a recent RPG, but we’re talking about a game that’s over half a decade old. Sure, it may not be the most portable game on the system, and sure, it may be a port, but that doesn’t stop Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth from being one of the best role-playing games on the PSP.

Although this may not apply to every PSP owner out there, the WiFi modes, both local and over the internet, are incredibly fun and provide a near endless opportunity for new challenges.

While not as polished or well designed as we all hoped, Perfect Dark Zero is still worth a play-through, if only for the cool weapons and the enjoyable online battles.

Extra Twisted Edition is basically a super enhanced, director's cut-style PSP to PS2 port with loads of extras and a cheaper than cheap price of $19.99. For anyone who has ever enjoyed blowing up things in previous TM installments (including the PSP version of which the game is based on) Extra Twisted Edition is really hard to pass up.

No matter how mediocre The Raven's gameplay might be, it's still got an engaging story with some interesting characters and a wonderful soundtrack. There's definitely a trade-off there, but it's one worth making.

It’s not on the same level in terms of…well, anything, really, but at the same time, it’s well-made enough that if you’re the kind of person it’s targeting, it’s absolutely essential.

It's much deeper than I would have expected from a current age Musou style game, and I highly urge people who aren't usually enamored with the Dynasty Warriors series to check this out, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Even though The Rub Rabbits is leaps and bounds over its predecessor, and weaves a unique tale with amazing style and grace...playing the game will give any Feel the Magic vet a fit of deja vu.

The mix of strategy and action blends well, and the controls do the Zeon justice.

The only real disappointment I can point out is that it’s obvious that Microsoft chose to focus on online this year, more so than features.

I definitely think Rune Factory 4 is worth a look, whether you’re a fan of the series or not, as it offers up a pretty unique experience on the 3DS.

A great collection for nostalgic fans and newcomers alike. None of the spin-off Mega Man X titles are included in the package, but what’s included is more than enough to keep any player blasting for more.

In other words, it won't win Game of the Year, but it will keep you playing for awhile — and really, what more can a game do?

The controls are solid, the storyline is at least entertaining, the cop chases are fun, the graphics and sound are both well done and polished, and the time it’ll take you to finish it makes it worth a purchase.

Even if it’s not very original, Trifox captures its influences so well that it carries with it a lot of residual charm. It’s not going to make you forget the games it’s borrowing from, but it’s a solid enough entry in the genre that if you miss those games, you could do a lot worse than trying it out.

Soul Hackers may as well be a new game, considering its incredibly limited release. At this rate, it's almost worth playing just to enjoy a blast from the past that you never had, but also to promote the localization of such titles; this one an ambitious experiment in party management, hinged on the consequences of the relationships with your party rather than the benefits alone. I'd find it hard not to recommend to anyone interested in an RPG with a twist, with the caveat that it may be a tough egg to crack at the start.

A nifty little title. It's light, fun, but it's more a diversion than a primary game. However, if a puzzle fix is needed in short bursts here and there, it's hard to go wrong with Prism.

The biggest problem with a game this deep is that all the distractions prevent you from actually getting through the campaign, which I admit is fairly bizarre (and could be a very subjective criticism.) I kept thinking that playing through certain aspects were either required or would benefit me, when they actually weren't, and I could have just as easily blitzed through the campaign.

Still, there’s definitely things that work in Drifting Lands, and I’d love to see this idea refined a bit more down the road. I think a lot of the ARPG mechanics are solid right out of the gate, but I wish the shoot-em up side of the game was just a little flashier, more diverse, and overall just more enjoyable to play. I’d still recommend checking out Drifting Lands however, it’s a neat concept and there’s enough here that you’ll easily squeeze some enjoyment out of the components that work.

Overall, there isn’t much content to even write about with Battlefield 2042. There’s 7 maps in the base game (this doesn’t include the 6 maps available in Portal, because those are just direct pulls from their respective original games), and 3 game modes to choose from. The game is enjoyable, but it doesn’t do much to stand out from the last few iterations of the series and without a campaign, feels like it’s lacking in content. Hopefully some updates and adjustments can help clear up some of the issues I experienced, especially with the balancing in the Breakthrough mode. As it stands, if you’re looking for just more Battlefield, but with a different setting, this is a good option. If you’ve not been a big fan of Battlefield in the past, or at least in the recent past entries, I don’t think they’ve changed enough here to change your mind.

Clearly, as 3D platformers go, The Smurfs – Mission Vileaf isn’t exactly going to make anyone forget Super Mario Odyssey. In fact, it’s not likely to make anyone forget New Super Lucky’s Tale. But if you – or, more likely, the young children in your life – are after a game that will provide a few hours of entertainment, you could certainly do a lot worse.

This is a big, ambitious game, and like any big, ambitious game, there's some stuff that goes wrong, but a lot more that goes right. And with all that right stuff…well, that's what makes the game so worth playing.

While the game is mostly focused on exploration and education, every so often you have to fight off sharks and other predators. It feels totally out of place with the rest of the game, watching it veer from “Save biodiversity” to “Zap that shark!” and back again. I understand that the developers probably wanted to gamify sea exploration, but that doesn’t make it any less odd. I wouldn’t say any of those flaws ruin Deep Diving Adventures, though. They may detract a little from the overall experience, but, at the same time, that overall experience is different enough from most other games out there that it still feels pretty unique. As long as you don’t go in expecting something flawless, if nothing else you’ll come away with a whole new appreciation for water levels.

Madden NFL 20 takes a step in the right direction and I really enjoyed the X-Factor additions to the series. While I still think some form of competition would force EA to make more drastic changes, I’m not optimistic with any developers taking a spin with the football genre (maybe the XFL?). If you haven’t caught the pigskin for a few seasons, Madden NFL 20 is the right route to run for this year. With the new consoles coming (most likely) next holiday, I’m looking forward to seeing what EA builds upon from Madden NFL 20 and brings over to next gen. For now I’ll enjoy taking the Broncos to the Super Bowl, while beating up the cover pretty boy, Mahomes (not bitter at all).

A good sequel that would have been great if the story had more substance.

PES 2017 is undeniably a fantastic soccer simulation, but is it any better than 2016’s title? The gameplay additions are marginal at best and if you bought last year’s game, it’s hard for me to recommend picking up 2017

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.

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.

As with Eat Lead, Blood, Bath and Beyond isn't without its fair share of problems, this time around though, it's more forgiving as this game speaks to the inner child to those of use in our late 20s to mid 30s with its 8-Bit nod to classic shooters that toss in nostalgic references that speak to our Gen X attitudes.

Rather, you'll want to avoid playing a game in public that features a scene just a few minutes in that seems like it could get you put on some kind of sex offender registry. Instead, download Corpse Party: Book of Shadows, turn off all the lights in your house, put on some good headphones, and enjoy. And try not to play before meals, because it's definitely going to spoil your appetite.

While enjoyable and intriguing, it wasn’t the most original game. Even though I appreciate what it takes inspiration from, it relies too heavily on the inspiration. Having said that, that may have lulled me into a false sense of security, thinking I knew what to expect from the moment I started. I had to clear my mind of preconceived notions that I would know what would happen and live in the moment. That’s what I liked about You Will Die Here Tonight. I had to work at it. It was challenging. I was transported back to the ’90s without having a strategy guide or GameFAQ to aid me. I had to rely solely on my guile, and completing the game was that much more of an accomplishment!

Men's Room Mayhem may not be the greatest mobile game ever, but it's a decent diversion if you've got a few minutes to kill, and by that low standard, it's probably worth checking out.

In the end, for a mere $20 you can't go wrong with a game that has all the excitement of the Olympics, even if it doesn't have all the names and places accurate due to licensing agreements. Summer Stars 2012 plays great with friends or even alone in the massive career mode and will surely deliver more than your money's worth of enjoyment.

The addition of the new play styles, attitude, and story mode only enhance this great title. This is easily the best of the Blitz titles, and Midway has given fans a truly fun and entertaining football game that is not hindered by rules and penalties.

There are very few gripes here and there; camera issues and confusing career for newbies, but this is undoubtedly the best FIFA game in many years and seems ready for taking on "Winning 11" this season.

The story, acting and graphics are great, but the gameplay just doesn’t bring enough new ideas to satisfy what I’ve been waiting and hoping for. Add in the fact that the game isn’t very long and it becomes hard for me to recommend Quantum Break at full retail price of sixty bucks.

You’ll need to be in the mood for something very short, and very weird, but in the end, you’ll be left with a game that leaves you thinking about it for a while afterwards.

CastleStorm is proof that ZEN Studios can do more than exciting Pinball games. The amount of fun you can have here largely outweighs the minor gripes and annoyances you will come across while playing.

The levels and quests are less interesting than other RPGs, with less of the puzzle solving and interesting characters that appeared in the original.

It’s nothing you haven’t seen before as numberlink puzzles go, and it’s pretty barebones. But, like most other games from this publisher, Link-a-Pix Deluxe is addictive enough that, if you’re a puzzle game fan, you’re guaranteed to sink all kinds of time into it.

As a puzzle-platformer, it’s got some issues. But as a Monkey Island-style adventure game trapped in the body of a puzzle-platformer, it’s interesting — and funny — enough that it’s more than possible to overlook those flaws.

Basically, there's a whole lot of trial and error involved at the outset, which will definitely be off-putting to some players that have grown used to in-depth tutorials right at the outset of their games.

For now, Trials Fusion should satisfy those masochistic, perfectionist gamers who adore the challenge of Trials.

It’s very nice to look at, and, visually at least, the game feels just at home on a console as I imagine it did on a phone. Add in the whole environmentalist robot angle, and the game manages to borrow some charm from Wall-E. But it’s not enough to make Doomsday Vault a must-play game. I’m sure it’s great on a phone, where your play sessions may be a little shorter, but it doesn’t feel substantive enough to be worth any major investment of time or money now that it’s on the Switch.

Well worth checking out.

if you're just after a game where the only goal is a high score and unlocking new guns, then Deadlink more than delivers on that. Not only do you have great weapons to start, your character flies with ease all over each room, and for the most part you do that without the game ever stuttering to catch up. Couple that with a pulse-pounding soundtrack, and it's easy to see how someone could get sucked in.

If you can get The Game of Life 2 on sale, it may just be worth it. Again, your enjoyment of it will likely be proportional to how many people you have to play the game with, but as board game ports go, this one isn’t too bad.

Basically, there's a whole lot of trial and error involved at the outset, which will definitely be off-putting to some players that have grown used to in-depth tutorials right at the outset of their games.

The gameplay is solid enough, the audio is fantastic, and the visuals occasionally show off a bit of the next gen, but anyone even remotely interested in the movie needs to give the game a rental at the very least.

If RPG gaming were a diet, Dragon Warrior 7 would be several truckloads of raw meat. It ain't pretty, but there is a lot of it and it sure does satisfy. It'll also give you a heart attack in large doses.

These Discovery tours are a great addition to a very well-known series. My hope is that the team at Ubisoft finds a means to do these tours for previous settings for the series, such as Jerusalem, Renaissance Italy and even Colonial America. Perhaps if VR revolution were to take hold, it would come full circle if Ubisoft can incorporate VR into these tours thus finally getting players the “full” Animus treatment. For now, those looking to do more than take a hidden blade to the Templars should definitely give this tour a look.

All of which is to say: I'm not sure whether I can totally recommend Dustforce. On the one hand, it's so wonderful to look at that it seems like it'd be a crime to not suggest you buy it. On the other, if it's not a broken game, at the very least it's one with issues that absolutely need to be fixed before it can truly be called playable.

Still, those boss fights — those incredible, epic boss fights. However blah the lead-up to them may be, once you reach one it's easy to forget how middling everything that came before it may have been.

Faraday Protocol does a couple of things well enough that it’s clearly not the worst game that has followed in Portal’s footsteps over the past decade-plus. But it also doesn’t do anything so well that you need to rush out and get it right now, so it’s really just for first-person puzzler fans only.

At the end of the day, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is without a doubt the most faithful retelling of the source material and an incredibly enjoyable way to relive the story. The weak RPG and open-world mechanics are a bit of a letdown, but they are carried easily on the shoulders of the solid combat and awesome cinematic moments. If you love Dragon Ball, the odds are that you will really enjoy the majority of what Kakarot has to offer.

Singstar Amped is for you grungy rock and rollers out there, so show you love and scare the neighbors with your haunting melodies of death and love loss.

Once you settle into Yoshi’s Crafted World there’s a good time to be had. It feels weird to call it a mixed bag in the visuals and gameplay department but it’s a mostly good bag with some stuff you just have to get through to enjoy more of the good stuff. Like Chex Mix! And with lots to do after the big boss there’s a good amount of value past the main game. But if you’re unsure then there is a demo on the eShop and you can decide for yourself if it’s worth a whole $60. I just hope if we have another adventure with Yoshi maybe he returns to his roots.

The collection of games are all pretty varied, and tie in well with each resort.

Car handling feels great, it’s a definite step up visually, the tracks are all immaculately designed, the amount of car options are fantastic, and it feels like a true next gen racer all around. But the forced timers/practice restrictions in both Career and online multiplayer really pumps the brakes on my enjoyment of this entry so far, making it a little tougher to recommend to everyone.

The whole package feels like it should have contained a bit more, but since the foundation it's based [on] is so solid, you can't really complain about the core gameplay.

In other words, it's not something that's going to blow you away or change how you look at tower defense games. Medieval Defenders is just a solidly-made game that does what it has to — no more, no less. But considering how lacklustre the genre has been so far on the Vita, sometimes solidly-made goes a very long way.

Nevertheless Grid 2 is still a worthy sequel that offers a good and deep racing experience that should please any diehard fan, even if it doesn't give you that OMG face at any time during your experience.

All that said, the game does come with one other serious flaw: its $15 price tag. Considering the game can be had for $3 on PC, you'll have to be a truly dedicated trophy hunter to spring for the game on PS3. That, or a big fan of hidden object games, which has always been an underrepresented genre when it comes to the platform.

Had it been as balanced as its high points were, it'd be an easy recommendation, but as it is, it's great for a few hours a night to just wind down. Just don't expect to remember it when all's said and done.

It’s the kind of tough-but-fair platformer that gives this particular genre a good name, and if you’re the type who plays platformers just to die a whole bunch, you should find it to be worth your time.

You really can’t get more bang for your buck with Confidential Mission. If you like playing super spy and shooting up bad guys, this one’s for you.

There really isn't much more to say than if you are a fan of the classic side scrolling shooter series and you own a PSP, then this really should be in your collection if you have a soul.

What the game lacks in exploration (there is a little, but not as much as, say, Metroid) and fun combat, it more than makes up for in pace and puzzle-solving satisfaction.

It really shows that EA not only took notes from the films and books, but listened to the fans to give them what they want.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair may not quench the thirst of all vampire hunters out there, though it does provide hope for what could lead to a solid, traditional 2D adventure.

This baby is driving for real. Enjoy, or don't enjoy...there is no try.

I was genuinely surprised as to how long I played Bridge Constructor. At first I thought it was a cheap simulator, but after hours of play, I was actually having fun.

It is true that HOI is not for everyone, but fans of RTS, Risk, or just War aficionados, will appreciate the level of authenticity and freedom that this game has to offer.

Does what the first one did and ups the ante with more characters and grooves, but doesn’t do too much new from the first.

Still, the game is just too similar to the original for me, and while the gameplay is just as addictive as it was before, if you weren't exactly blown away by the original PQ, I can't see this one winning you over either. Personally, I really enjoyed the first one, and I'm still enjoying Galactrix, I just wish a bit more had been done with it.

The bottom line is how much you'll enjoy mastering the tricks of killing as many undead as possible without succumbing to their relentless onslaught. Playing Hunter: The Reckoning is a skill more than an experience, not unlike the arcade classics of the past.

Auditorium HD isn't going to win any awards for originality or grab the attention of a slew of gamers, but if you like games that blur the line of art and videogames like Flow/Flower then Auditorium HD will fill the bill just nicely.

Though Greymoor may not be a groundbreaking new chapter for ESO, it is yet another step forward. With how rocky the launch was, it is wonderful to see ZeniMax continue to create great new content, and although the main quest is nothing to write home about, it kicks off the year-long Dark Heart of Skyrim event and holds a lot of promise.

There is no doubt that fans of the series will be more than satisfied with the new levels, story, weapons, and vehicles.

With its charming sense of humor and great gameplay, Ape Escape 3 is probably the best Ape Escape yet. It is short though, easily beaten in the span of a rental.

So basically, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team is worth picking up, but you’ll definitely need some patience to muster through its early hours. I think it compares favorably to early entries in the series, but doesn’t stand up as well against Bowser’s Inside Story if you’d like a direct comparison.

So while Avenging Spirit might not be my top 90’s arcade game by any stretch, I do think the low price point and attention to detail on this release make it worth picking up. Its unique possession hook makes it stand out amongst other classic action games, and it can certainly be fun to run through with another player a time or two in order to see everything Avenging Spirit has to offer. So check it out when you get a chance, it’s a neat addition to your classic arcade game library.

Arguably, there are other classics that should have been included, but it's an excellent sampling and a nice blast from the past if you're interested in walking down memory lane.

As a whole the Fallout 4 VR experience is a good one. This is not a 2 hour slice of the game, this is the entirety of Fallout 4 in VR (minus the DLC). You can experience the entire game again from start to finish in VR, which I think is incredibly cool and impressive. I have not played through that far yet, but I do plan to finish the game as time allows me. Unfortunately, I can only pull off 3-4 hours in VR at a time before I have to take a break and do something else. The time I do spend in the world of Fallout 4 VR however makes me forget that I am using a headset and transports me to that world with moments that make the complaints I have all but go away for a time. If you have an HTC Vive (Sorry Oculus users, no support for you guys yet) and the PC to run it (GTX 1070 listed as the minimum), I definitely recommend checking Fallout 4 VR out.

If you want my advice, keep the idea, change the time line, okay?

It’s rare to see a game in this genre – or any genre, really – that defies easy classification, so in a world where everyone wants to be the next Slay the Spire or Balatro, it’s fun to see something try (and mostly succeed) at doing its own thing.

In the end, it’s kind of telling that all the commentary around Crysis — and Crysis Remastered — focuses on the graphics. As shooters go, there are plenty of better options out there, regardless of what platform you’re playing it on. In terms of looks, though? On that front, this is still one heck of an achievement.

Even with the laughable A.I., the game is under a twenty spot, and is quite enjoyable if you love stealth, action, and gadgets.

I don't think I can argue that Magus is a "good" game. In fact, there's a strong argument to be made that it's kind of terrible. It's short, it's ugly, it's easy, it's kind of stupid — basically, by any conventional judging of good/bad, it probably comes out on the wrong side of the ledger...Here's the thing, though: I loved it.