All in all, Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is pretty enjoyable, but definitely lacking on content at launch. There’s a really good launching point presented at the moment and I expect the long term lifespan of Darktide will be great. There are a few small bugs to work out, but nothing I encountered that was unforgivable. I don’t think there’s much you haven’t seen here before, other than maybe the setting, but it’s fun nonetheless.

New Joe and Mac: Caveman Ninja just barely passes as a decent remake of the original. Making gameplay mechanics fit the new visuals better and fixing sound problems really needs to be top priority, possibly with a few update patches. The Hunger/Health meter also really needs to be adjusted as not to deplete as fast as it does here. It’s definitely not horrible overall, but also doesn’t live up to the fun factor of the original. If I had to break everything down here, I would say this release largely feels unfinished. In it’s current form, it’s good, but it can, and should be, much better. I would recommend waiting for a few quality patches or a price drop before diving into this one.

I enjoyed revisiting Front Mission, and I think the base game is neat enough to warrant a look for any RPG fan out there that hasn’t had the opportunity to play one of these games yet. Both campaigns are pretty sizable, it took me a bit to finish the initial OCU campaign, and then there’s the tougher UCS campaign to check out that I haven’t finished, so you’ll certainly get a number of hours out of the game if you decide to dive in. I’d suggest giving Front Missions 1st: Remake a shot, maybe more so if you’ve never played the game before, just keep in mind that it’s a prettier port of a classic strategy RPG that may not have all the bells and whistles you’re used to with more modern titles.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is an improvement from the previous game; Integrity and Faithlessness, but this is not a return to form to games like Star Ocean: Till the End of Time, or The Second Story. tri-Ace, to me, could do no wrong during the PlayStation and PlayStation 2 era. I would love to see tri-Ace return to greatness with a higher quality new Star Ocean title, but with this one I’ll have to settle for average.

The bottom line is that Super Kiwi 64 is an enjoyable 3D platformer that brings its influences to mind without ever feeling like it’s just a copy-paste of older, better games. Add in a pretty decent price, and it makes Super Kiwi 64 difficult to resist.

Retro Goal is just a really fun game all-around. It captures not just the spirit of the sport it’s trying to emulate, but also the essence of what makes a great soccer game. It may not look like the new standard for soccer games on the Switch, but if you pick it up, you’ll soon find it makes a very convincing argument.

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.

It may not last that long, but it also never comes close to wearing out its welcome. Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is an excellent sequel to an equally excellent game, and now that it’s out on PC, it’s absolutely worth your time (even if that time is over far too soon).

I know that, as a middle-aged man, I’m clearly not the target audience for a game about rebuilding your family estate and bonding with your horse. At the same time, though, I can’t imagine that the people who would be interested in that would want to put up with it, either. Horse Tales plays poorly and performs even worse, and it’s bound to disappoint anyone who picks it up.

To be fair, during the more traditional gameplay sections, the game performs mostly fine. But seeing as you spend the vast majority of your time here wandering through a hideous open world, the performance is an issue. If you can put up with that thanks to a deep and abiding love of all things Sonic, I wouldn’t fault you – but if you take one look at this ugly mess and decide you don’t want any part of it, I wouldn’t blame you for that either.

As I said, there’s pleasure to be found in a bit of neatness and order, and A Little to the Left appeals to that specific part of the brain. But it doesn’t do it consistently enough to make the game worth playing, unless you like having a bit of frustration mixed in with your cute and cozy puzzles.

Even with all those pros working in the game’s favour, it’s hard to recommend Alan Wake Remastered when it means suffering through such a terrible port. Unless you’re a Switch-only gamer, you’d be well-advised to ignore this altogether, and playing the game on any of the many other systems this is available on. And if your only option is the Switch? Maybe skip this one and just trust everyone who says it’s a game well worth playing.

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.

It’s a love letter to gaming – as in, a love letter to almost every genre you can think of – and it’s designed to look like someone drew it up in a notebook, which only adds to the charm. It’s all over the place, but if you want something unlike anything else, this is the game you’re after.

Dorfromantik is all about keeping things calm and challenging you just enough to keep you coming back for more, and it’s guaranteed to get you hooked.

I’ll take a “glass half full” approach to Smurfs Kart, though: if you had told me going into the game that I’d be left wanting more, I wouldn’t have believed you. As I wrote up top, it’s not about to challenge Mario Kart for the genre’s throne, but if you’re just after a kart racer that does a lot of things right, you’d be well-advised to look here.

As I noted above, my only real complaint about Jackbox Party Pack 9 is that there aren’t any drawing games – and that’s more a minor quibble than anything else, since I enjoyed all five games here so much. As the series nears its tenth entry, you’d think that the creative minds at Jackbox might be running out of ideas, but Jackbox Party Pack 9 suggests that they’re only just starting to hit their collective stride.

To say that the Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is jam packed with content is an understatement. Atari and Digital Eclipse really did a great job with this release and you can tell a lot of work went into making it. Despite some of the odd game choices and the inclusion of terrible Atari XE games this is a fantastic collection overall and should not be missed by anyone. Even if you find Atari rather primitive, you owe it to yourself to take this collection for a spin. The tons of informative interviews, promotion material and superior game list makes this release worth every penny. Highly Recommended!

Sonic Frontiers is certainly different from what we’ve come to expect from Sonic and company – both for better and for worse. I don’t think anyone is going to compare it to Mario’s forays into open (or open-ish) worlds, but if nothing else, it definitely provides an interesting way forward for a series that has often seemed like it’s wandering aimlessly in search of a purpose. Sonic Frontiers doesn’t give it that purpose, but it does suggest it’s not far off from finding it, either.

Gearbox Studios took a chance by giving us a sequel to such a critically acclaimed and highly regarded title. They delivered in giving us that same feeling we got playing Tales, a game with humor and heart. I enjoyed being able to play in this sandbox with these new characters and giving us one of the funniest games of 2022. Don’t let the lack of gameplay and stretched out story deter you away from the title. If you have never played the first Tales you’re in for a treat. I would recommend also circling back and playing the first if you have not gotten to experience it.

To do all that Farm Manager 2022 has to offer, you need to be willing to put up with some atrocious controls, and you need to be interested in putting in a lot of very detailed work. It’s certainly not to my tastes – give me the zen pleasures of the Farming Simulator series any day – but if it’s a management sim you’re after, you’ll find plenty to sink your teeth into here.

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.

Overall, Resident Evil Village: Winters’ Expansion is an enjoyable excuse revisit to one of my Games of the Year entries from 2021 and I recommend checking it out. It’s not perfect but it does have me begging for more of this. I’m going to pitch it now in case Capcom sees this review: Resident Evil Revelations 3: RE Gaiden Remake – we need more Barry and Leon, introduce some of the elements from Shadows of Rose, and we are in business!

I came away from God of War: Ragnarök very impressed with what the team at Santa Monica Studio were able to put together, and I think you will be too. It’s a fantastic sequel to one of the better game releases on Sony hardware in the past decade, and delivers fully in every meaningful way, making this a true showcase game for current-gen hardware. It also doesn’t skimp out in the gameplay department, offering up lots of hours of enjoyment, while pacing itself out in a way that puts a lot of other open-world style games to shame, keeping you hooked throughout. I’d highly recommend checking out God of War: Ragnarök when it drops on November 9th, you will not be disappointed.

It’s far from the best, to be sure, but it’s competent and content-filled enough that you’ll at least feel like you’re getting your money’s worth.

It’s not going to make anyone forget about the existence of Pokémon Snap, but it certainly does enough to justify picking it up.

Overall I found Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed to be a lot of fun, and certainly one of the better asymmetrical multiplayer games out there. It’s clear that Illfonic has started to eke out a nice niche for themselves with this type of game, and if you’ve enjoyed their previous efforts, you’ll likely have a lot of fun with this too. My only real complaint comes from the cosmetics, in that I’d like to see an even greater variety of clothing unlocks, and more outlandish options to boot considering the Ghostbusters comedic roots. Maybe we’ll get there through DLC, but the variations on the Ghostbuster jumpsuits and accessories feel a little plain out of the gate. Still, it’s a fun take on what a Ghostbuster video game can be, and the little nods to prior films, including the most recent one, will certainly appeal to franchise fans.

I enjoyed Letterbox by POWGI in my brief time with it, and I imagine that any word nerd who can hold out until the game is on sale will have a fun hour or so with it, but unless that describes you perfectly, you can safely skip this game.