CrossKrush is just the right amount of quirky and challenging to make it well worth an hour or so.

What’s frustrating is that this game could have been really good. Setting aside the freaky true crime aspect of it all, the game creates a deeply unsettling atmosphere, as if you’re walking through a nightmare with a mysterious, unstoppable killer lurking somewhere in the shadows. If that doesn’t frighten you a little, I don’t know what will. But again, none of that matters all that much, since the game here is a buggy mess. Whatever creepiness or unsettling story This is the Zodiac Speaking is trying to convey doesn’t really matter all that much, not when the game is literally falling apart before your very eyes.

You definitely need to be a puzzle game fan to enjoy Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 and if these styles of games do not interest you then this one will probably not turn you. Since both franchises are played differently it’s difficult to merge the two into one experience, but how they did it here works great and it’s easy to jump into and play. There is enough offered in Puyo Puyo Tetris 2 that even if you are a fan of just one type of puzzler you will probably still find something to like. If you are a puzzle fan and missed the first one then this is a perfect pick up… and if you have experienced the original there’s enough new content to be found in the sequel to keep you entertained.

If you’ve got a group of not-easily-offended friends together and you’re looking for something a little different, it’ll definitely do the trick.

It’s been done better by plenty of games plenty of times over the past couple of decades, and you’d be much better off playing any of the games from which Jet Set Knights draws inspiration than playing it instead.

To be fair, it’s not as if arcade bullet hell shooters lend themselves to all kinds of different gameplay styles, but it still makes the game feel a little lacking in content. Of course, if you just want some retro-y arcade bullet hell action, then that’s not going to bother you too much. Terror Squid may not have variety, but as I said, it does one thing very well — which is one more thing done well than many games can muster.

Genshin Impact is part of a wave of titles from China that is slowly eroding the bad stereotype that Chinese devs are devoid of creativity and skill. While the initial comparisons are there, Genshin Impact does go beyond to distinguish itself…now if only the gacha rates and the free primogem are better I would have no hesitation recommending the title.

Two Parsecs from Earth does have one mechanic that deserves mentioning: when you unlock a new skill, you have to choose between two, rather than simply getting one, and the skill you don’t pick is blocked off for the rest of the game. Consequently, different choices — say, choosing to dash rather than double-jump, or vice versa — will mean means the game plays out a little differently, which is an interesting wrinkle. Or it would be if the rest of Two Parsecs from Earth was that interesting. Unfortunately, it’s pretty dull beyond that, and only people who really like Metroidvanias need apply.

Demon’s Souls is an incredibly faithful and gorgeous remake of one of the greatest games of all time. Bluepoint pulled off something incredible, all while under the pressure of being a launch title for an entirely new generation of hardware. Demon’s Souls feels genuinely Next-Gen and is in no way held back by the bones of the PS3 version. Demon’s Souls is the perfect PS5 launch title and the definite From Software game. For long-time Souls players, Demon’s Souls feels like coming home. For new players, there has never been a better time or a better entry to find your way into the dark fantasy worlds that From Software creates.

A Short Hike really is a perfect experience. It’s easily one of the best games I’ve played this year, and I loved every single moment.

The end result is like a weird take on Cold War spy movies, with a jaunty soundtrack, competing global organizations, and lasers. Obviously, given we’re talking about a subgenre within a subgenre, Blind Men isn’t going to be for everyone…but for those to whom it even sort of sounds appealing, it’s well worth your time.

It’s a pretty joyful take on open-world action, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s a late contender for Game of the Year.

It’s one of those games where the journey matters at least as much as, if not more than, the destination — and, thankfully, it makes that journey as smooth and seamless and pleasant as possible.

To me, this is the type of demo I would show off the graphics to a friend that would come over and get them hyped for what the console is capable of. In that department, it does a good job. Due to the length being so short, there isn’t much else to discuss other, make sure you understand what you are paying for before purchasing Bright Memory.

It would have been nice if the gameplay were anywhere close to being as great as the premise. If we were going by looks and ideas alone, Bartlow’s Dread Machine would be an easy GOTY contender. As it stands, it’s simply a great-looking game with more than a few flaws — but those looks are so good, they might just be enough to make this game worthwhile.

At the end of the day, video games are about personal preference. I do not have the time I used to for mastering individual games, and Black Ops Cold War doesn’t demand it of me. I have already reached first prestige in the week it has been out, and that is in addition to playing the campaign AND tackling launch titles on the PS5. Cold War would seem perfectly positioned for the casual Call of Duty player if it weren’t for Warzone. Warzone is entirely free, and offers an experience that has been built upon for over a year, and will continue to be built upon and supported long after Cold War is not the “current” Call of Duty. For the more hardcore players, I think after a few weeks in Cold War, they will be returning to Modern Warfare (2019) to wait for the next installation.

With Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Demon’s Souls dominating the PS5’s launch lineup this season it would be very easy to overlook Sackboy: A Big Adventure. I’m here to try to make sure that doesn’t happen, as it satisfies that family friendly, co-operative platforming adventure quota, and it’s definitely a colorful, creative and enjoyable next-generation adventure worth taking.

Still fun, despite its age, and despite the fact these games aren’t being played the way they were probably originally intended. This year’s version faces an obstacle that could’ve killed it — since the whole point of party games is to play them at a party — but it’s come out as strong as ever.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a perfect jumping in point for anyone who’s ever been curious about the series, however it does not abandon long time players as it includes enough call backs and familiar elements that they expect. Just as we are in a console generation change, this series is going through drastic changes and manages to pull it off seamlessly. I look forward to following the exploits of the Dragon of Rock Bottom for years to come.

It’s exactly the same game as before, only with slightly different levels. Given that there was nothing wrong the last time around — and that the game is still less than $5 — that means that Birthday of Midnight is a pleasant enough diversion if you’ve got a couple of dollars and an hour to spare.

Really, just about the only thing Costume Kingdom has going for it is that there’s no Pokémon on the PS4 (though, I’ll note, there is a Digimon game or two). So if you’re insane and want to experience Pokémon without going to the trouble of buying a Switch, I guess this is the game for you? That, however, would be an absurd course of action, since Costume Kingdom is very, very bad. Save yourself the trouble, splurge on a Nintendo system, and just get Pokémon instead, because this game certainly isn’t worth anything.

It’s surprisingly touching, and the way the tension slowly ramps up makes for a really interesting experience. Interesting enough to make up for all the ways Cloudpunk is lacking, though? Your mileage on that will obviously vary. For me, it was, if only barely. There’s some engaging stuff going on here, but you need to dig through some pretty iffy stuff to get there.

The controls are kind of wonky — as enjoyable as it is to soar, the birds here aren’t exactly the most agile things in the world, so you spend a lot of time banking around and coming in for a new pass, and doing that over and over again until you finally shoot down all your enemies. All of this is probably fine if you want to do is aerial combat for a couple of hours. The Falconeer really only does that one thing, so if it’s your thing, then you’re in luck. Don’t expect anything more than that, though, because there’s pretty much nothing else to do.

Basically, just about the only thing wrong with Guard Duty is that it’s thirty years too late to have the kind of audience it deserves. It’s a charming, likeable adventure game that borrows from the best parts of the genre’s past, and it’s very easy to get sucked into the couple of hours it’ll take you to finish it.

Beneath all the ugly/stylish trappings, you have an open-world mystery game, where you have to search for clues, question suspects, and figure out whodunnit. In that sense, the game is fairly rewarding, and it even challenges you in a way that most other games of this ilk don’t, in that it leaves the “who” of the whodunnit up to you, and makes it clear that the decision of who to convict is in your hands. Given how frequently most mystery games only offer one path to a solution, it’s intriguing to see a game that takes such an open-ended approach. But as far as I’m concerned, it’s a great idea wrapped in a nauseating package. No judgment if Paradise Killer’s hyperstylish aesthetic appeals to you, but I’m going to have to pass on this one.

As far as I’m concerned, what set Hot Pursuit apart was the combat — and honestly, if you’re after high speed racing, big crashes, and a remastered game from a decade ago, I don’t know why you wouldn’t just get Burnout Paradise Remastered instead, since that blended them a lot better. Need for Speed Hot Pursuit Remastered is still above-average as racers go, but if you’re like me, you’ll probably come away from it feeling like it’s not quite as great as you may remember.

If you’re in the mood for another open-world action game, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a fine choice. It is a little too similar in aspects to the last two games, making this feel like the point where Ubisoft may want to consider re-evaluating the series once again, but the settings, characters, and overall world are enough to overlook most of the repetitiveness. So provided you don’t have open-world burnout from the other like-minded games that released this year, I think Valhalla is certainly worth checking out.

We probably would have preferred a $40 price point for what’s included in Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales but at $50 it’s still a great buy, and also one of the cheapest launch PS5 releases. So if you were disappointed by Avengers and were waiting for the return of Spidey, it’s time to suit up with Harlem’s newest hero.