There’s an argument to be made, I guess, that if you stop thinking about it as a Batman game and just judge it on its own merits, it’s not half-bad – but even if you do that, you’re still left with the reality that the game that doesn’t come anywhere near matching up to what the genre is capable of. This is a mediocre game through and through, and Batman branding or no, it’s not really worth your time.

Mages and Treasures may come from a developer with a decent track record, but this is proof that even developers who know what they’re doing have a misfire once in awhile.

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.

As solid as NHL 23 is, it’s hardly a must-play game if you have any previous entries in the series. Given that year(s)-old sports games tend to be pretty inexpensive, that makes it hard to justify buying this one new when you’ll get basically the same experience buying a game from last year or the year before. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll get a very well-made game if you do decide you need all the latest rosters and draft classes, but it’s up to you to decide how badly you need those things.

The DioField Chronicle is a game that I had little trouble sticking with throughout the review process, and could easily see myself going back to in order to finish up the few remaining trophies I have left. The fun gleaned from this strategy title is almost entirely due to the engaging battle system, which while a bit basic compared to other titles, is still a lot of fun to play. It’s not a game that I’d wholeheartedly suggest picking up at full price, but I’d certainly suggest giving it a go after a sale or two.

I mean, I’ve clearly fallen in love with it. How could I not, when it’s as fun as this? Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope doesn’t just prove that the first game was no fluke, it shows that it’s possible to take a crazy idea and turn it into one of the best games of the year.

Atari Mania is a fun and challenging microgame experience for just about anyone who likes games. The concept, games and the overall presentation is both equal parts classic and innovative. Even after a long play session, I was drawn back to it to get further into the vault and challenge more mini games! I do wish you could unlock the actual Atari games you collect the artwork for, but not having those isn’t a deal breaker by any means. This is a great game to represent Atari’s 50 years of innovation and rich history that is the foundation of what we have today. Check this one out if you want a great challenge while reliving gaming’s incredible past.

It’s not quite there yet thanks to the challenging controls, but if you can overlook that, there’s fun to be had here.

Rather than playing this game, you’d be much better off watching Vertigo, and Notorious, and Psycho, and Rear Window, and whatever other movies you could squeeze into the 10 or so hours it would take you to play Alfred Hitchcock – Vertigo, and I guarantee you that it would be time better spent.

No More Heroes 3 is a welcomed good time for fans of the series and may be a little hard to get into for new fans. Its crude humor remains the same (taking a dump activates your save files), but there is something very punk rock about this game that Suda51 has given us here. If you can look past its clunky visuals and repetitive gameplay, you’re in for a treat. This an excellent send-off for Travis Touchdown and his friends.

I wouldn’t call Moonscars a must play game, but I can appreciate that it tries to do a couple of new things with a sub-genre of Souls-like games that has become increasingly popular over the past few years. I think there are better examples of 2D Souls games out there, but Moonscars doesn’t overstay its welcome and the combat/exploration is fun enough that I found myself willing to overlook most of the other issues. I wish the magic/special abilities were more useful, as it would be nice to switch up combat encounters a bit more, but it’s perfectly serviceable as is. So if you’re in the mood for another attempt at a 2D Souls-like, Moonscars might just be the game for you.

It’s an absurd tale featuring dinosaurs, monsters, and lost civilizations, and the voiceovers of the two characters are enough to make it enjoyable. In other words, Little Orpheus’ two strong points are the same as the strong points from The Chinese Room’s other two games. The thing is, here they’ve added a third element – platforming – that’s not nearly as compelling, and it’s enough to make the game a far cry from their previous standard.

There’s a massive gulf between finding a game’s concept charming and actually wanted to play that game, and Bear and Breakfast never comes anywhere close to crossing that gaping chasm.

Technical issues may mean that doesn’t like up to the standards of the games it’s trying to emulate, but even so, there’s a lot of good stuff going on here, and if you can look past those issues (or even wait for some patches), there’s definitely something here worth playing.

The main thing, though, is that Easy Come Easy Golf is a joy to play. Whether you’re a newcomer to the sport/the developer or a seasoned veteran, this game will have something for you. It shows that even if the name on the game may have changed, it’s still fully lives up to Clap Hanz’s very high standards.

Lack of story aside, it’s hard to argue that Research and Destroy doesn’t do a decent job of developing its own niche within this crowded turn-based strategy genre. It’s definitely better if you can play it with others – whether in-person or online – but it’s solid enough that even if you’re playing solo, you should get a few hours of fun out of it.

As much as I enjoyed Gigapocalypse, however, I wouldn’t say that I whole-heartedly recommend it. For one thing, it’s really hard to imagine playing it with anything other than a touchscreen (though a mouse might be a decent alternative). At the same time, though, the performance on the Switch isn’t the greatest, to put it mildly. So the window for enjoying it is awfully narrow. Still, if you’re okay with compromising here and there, it makes for a pretty fun time.

I’ve really enjoyed my time with Shovel Knight Dig, and it’s a fantastic follow-up to the first Shovel Knight adventure. Everything comes together so well here, and it feels so great to play, that you’ll have a tough time putting this one down. Ideally we’ll see the game support more platforms down the road, but for now if you’ve got access to a PC, Switch, or iOS platform, then I’d highly suggest checking it out.

If you stepped away from Aliens: Fireteam Elite after launch, I’m not sure that the Pathogen expansion brings enough to the table to bring you back, but I can’t really argue that the $14.99 price point seems pretty fair considering all the extra stuff that comes along with the new, albeit short, story content. The new class perks are fun to play around with, giving you unique modifiers for your main special skill, most of which really boosts up your power level when paired with the right modifications. I certainly had some fun revisiting the game, and if you’ve been playing the game a fair amount up to this point, I can’t really see a reason not to pick up the DLC. Just temper your expectations when it comes to the new story missions and boss fight, which won’t blow you away in comparison to the main campaign.

Whether you’re intimately familiar with Mobile Suit Gundam or a total newcomer, the basic gist of the game should be enough to suck you in and keep you riveted. That it’s not shows just how forgettable this gameplay is – and forgettable is never a word that should apply to robots trying to blow each other up.

Royal Frontier is enjoyable enough – and short enough – that it’s worth playing through. It’s fun to see a game adding new elements to a well-worn formula, and it makes this game an easy recommendation.

It’s not inconceivable that LEGO Brawls could turn into something fun one day. If it were beefed up with loads more content, along with more interesting and more dynamic fighters, it would definitely be a lot more interesting. But in this state, with so little content – and with the content that is there being of such poor quality – there’s no way to classify LEGO Brawls as anything other than a massive disappointment.

It’s meant to be pleasant and cozy, and everything about it – from the folksy characters, to the fiddle music, to the lovely voxel art – is designed to be as warm and upbeat and wholesome as possible. And more often than not, it succeeds at being a pleasant experience. You wouldn’t think a fishing game, of all things, as being cuddly and cozy and inviting – but Moonglow Bay proves that it’s not just possible, it’s also pretty fun.

Voyage is probably the first game I’ve ever played from Ratalaika where its visuals are so good that they make the game worth playing, even if the gameplay itself isn’t that challenging or exciting. It may not mean that you need to stop what you’re doing right now to play Voyage, but it does mean that if you decide to pick this game up, you may get a lot more out of it than you could’ve possibly expected going in.

Hell Pie clearly isn’t for everybody, but if you’re the sort of person who loves pushing boundaries – and your definition of boundaries haven’t changed much since you were in high school – then it might just be the game for you.

I really found myself engrossed with Metal: Hellsinger, and the solid FPS gunplay paired with a challenging rhythm mechanic keeps you pretty engaged throughout. It’s a neat concept that certainly hasn’t worn out its welcome so far, and I’d certainly like to see it expanded upon in the future, so hopefully a sequel or DLC won’t be out of the question. Definitely check it out Metal: Hellsinger if any of this sounds intriguing, you won’t be disappointed.

To be sure, there are worse ways to waste three hours than in the presence of very good voice actors doing their thing over gorgeous visuals. And, like I said, the game always tries to make you feel like you’re in the presence of something great. But the reality is, no matter how much South of the Circle aspires to greatness, with a story like this, it’s never more than merely okay.

If you’re fond of stealth horror and don’t mind a bit of shallowness, then Yuoni could be something you’ll enjoy, at least for a short time. But for anyone else, I don’t think it’ll be nearly as appealing.