There is a lot of fun to be had with Yakuza Kiwami 3. But the cracks are really starting to show with this series, and it feels stale in a lot of areas. On its own, Kiwami 3 is lot less fun than other entries in this series, despite some good new management games here. As a remake, however, it certainly isn't good enough to justify the original being delisted and for this to now be the definitive version of Yakuza 3.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. Fighting Force Collection didn't reinvent the wheel here, and I really wish it had. It's the same game. Take that for what it's worth.

Cairn is a mixed bag that I don't think will be for everyone. Persevering through a difficult section of the climb is extremely satisfying, but on the other hand, it can be extremely frustrating as well. I enjoyed my time on Kami, but there were times I felt beat down too, both by the mountain and its abrasive protagonist. Ultimately, it's hard to give Cairn a broad recommendation.

Mutant Football League 2 is one of the funniest video games I've ever played, with raunchy jokes that take no prisoners. But once the nostalgia of playing a violent arcade football game again fades, and you're hearing the same punchlines repeatedly, I don't know that its on-field gameplay will keep you coming back.

Contraband Police is both too much yet not enough. Sometimes less is more—I wanted more simulator and less first-person shooter RPG, but there are still certain types of simulator comrades that will dig it, I think.

Three unsatisfying modes do not make a full package. A decent story mode is kneecapped by terrible racing, the racing "arcade" mode doesn't have the saving grace of story moments, and the Playset—which could be its own standalone product—is undone by a lack of basic figures and Quest 3's memory restrictions. Hardcore fans will find some fun here, but everyone else is likely to be frustrated by the game's lack of focus and inability to deliver on its own great potential.

LEGO Voyagers is a fun journey along a short trail. There is groundwork here for what could be an amazing cooperative experience, but in the end, it comes across as simply a proof of concept.

Agatha Christie: Death on the Nile will likely intrigue fans of mystery adventure games, but others will likely find the game's somewhat obtuse puzzle structure frustrating. The 70s setting is fun, and the characters are well done, but overall the game feels a bit too mechanically dated to draw in new fans. If you know you like this sort of thing, check it out. But the merely curious might want to keep on sailing.

Chips 'n Clawz vs. The Brainioids has big ideas for the strategy genre, but it doesn't quite pull it off. I still think it's worth playing if you're interested in an easily digestible, save-the-world-from-aliens strategy romp.

In this brave new world of Destiny, a new saga begins, and major shifts and changes alter the very systems on which the Guardians stand and progress. Unfortunately, these are changes I’m going to have to sit out until they get dialed in over the coming weeks and months. This game has been a constant in my rotation for nearly 10 years. But it now demands time that I just don’t have to give, offers rewards that aren’t worth the heavy investment, and promises to reset the clock and devalue that commitment every six months. The shooter part of Destiny is still excellent, but I’ll check back in December and see if they’ve worked out the looter bit.

An overall bland cyberpunk combat racer with a cool aesthetic and soundtrack that stalls out due to lackluster gameplay.

Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition is a minimal preservation effort. At least it's not abandonware anymore. Higher resolutions and controller support make it playable on modern PCs and now consoles, but old bugs and dated assets remain. It’s still a richly layered D&D adventure — with all the charm of its 2006 origins.

Golden Tee Arcade Classics is 6 Golden Tee games, a bowling game, and a shuffleboard game. It has the same exact feel as the arcade. The controls feel wonky without a trackball, and there is no online play. A faithful recreation, which makes this a little dated, and a little under par.

This simple nonogram puzzle encourages the player to unlock items to decorate a mouse's home, but falls short on providing reasoning or goals for the player. It's cute and simple, and fun for a nonogram puzzle fan, but doesn't fully separate itself from the competition in a way I was expecting or hoping for.

Sadly, R&A does not deliver the experience I have been dreaming about for so many years. What is here is a very promising technical demo of parkour in video game form, which is great in terms of the technical accomplishment, but it lacks the game experience. Instead, it becomes a test of your dedication and patience to walk away feeling anything but frustration.

Puyo Puyo Tetris 2S seems like the game version of redundancy. If you have the first sequel, there is simply no good reason to get this one. This could be the worst thing that's happened between Sega and Nintendo since the "Genesis Does What Nintendon't" commercials.

Maximum Football is a disappointment in its 1.0 version, with stale, robotic gameplay and some troublesome bugs in key places. Still, it does show real potential, and with a base version available for free, there's no excuse not to try it if you're into football simulations.

Firebreak could be 2025's most underrated shooter — if it can hold players' attention long enough. But Remedy isn't punching above its weight anymore. It's pacing itself, for better or worse.

There is a lot of jank to CarX Street, yet the game is miraculously still pretty lovable. Don't go into it expecting it to make much sense, and you'll likely have a good time. With design that is bordering on anti-player, the game forces you to pay to refill your gas tank while constantly ramming you off the road with cross-traffic. But somehow, someway, it's still pretty fun.

This short, sweet detective game is exactly that—short and sweet. With the ability to allow hints or turn hints off, you can increase the difficulty if you're a super sleuth, or keep it easy if you're looking to veg out. The cast of characters is vibrant, and the jokes are plentiful. Follow Detective Eugene McQuackin and find some not-so-hidden clues to help quack the case.

For less than the price of lunch, Nubs! Arena is worth a go if you’re into competitive arena battlers or battle royales. Its cute art style and twin stick-style hack-and-slash combat leave the door open for it to find a niche, but it needs serious performance and balancing improvements to have a chance at sticking around.

I think the group at Firaxis Games had their hearts in the right places when they tried to overhaul this series, but so much of this lands with a thud, I cannot tell people to buy this game. There's plenty of things I like, but the bad outweighs the good. The condensed age system coupled with a modern era that seems to be condensed for the sake of simplicity is a huge disappointment. There are some good ideas, but this game needed another six months to a year of cooking. I hope patches and DLC can help this game out, or else I worry about what Civilization VIII is going to look like.

A beautifully rendered but ultimately familiar adventure game, Karma: The Dark World is neither scary nor thrilling. Meticulously built and gorgeous to look at, the gameplay is nonetheless a slow roll through a pre-rendered Kafka-inspired story, with little in the way of interaction beyond some environmental puzzle solving. I can appreciate the artistry at work here, if not the final product.

This sweet little comfort game is an adorably cozy little farming simulation. Difficult to learn at first, but easy to play as you continue on. Grow crops, sell them to the townspeople, make money, restore harmony to the island. And best of all, adopt cows and chickens! But unfortunate technical issues that cause the game to randomly lock, resulting in a repeated loss of progress, eventually took their toll. I'm hoping the game's issues are resolved so players can actually enjoy the charming experience at the core of Sugardew Island.

Tape 1 of Lost Records introduces us to a charming group of characters and presents an intriguing story that sets up a lot of questions and mystery for Tape 2, but a ton of technical issues and awkward dialogue really hamper the overall experience for the first episode of this two part adventure.

MACROSS-Shooting Insight may feel run of the mill with the way it covers four types of shooters, but is still enjoyable and a bit challenging. If you’re really good at shooters or bullet-hell games, you’ll find a decent challenge here while those not as experienced can tone down the difficulty a bit to their liking. While the game looks nice graphically and is fun to play, for genre veterans the gameplay is a bit average.

Eternal Strands has potential to be a great action adventure game, but it is weighed down by eternal fetch quests. It's beautiful to look at, but hard to withstand the hand holding hinderance. I know who this is for, but there are better entries to scratch your magic weaving itch.

Ambulance Life: A Paramedic Simulator largely achieves what it sets out to do. I take issue with its means-and-methods, as it relies heavily on minigames for many of its paramedic tasks, but that doesn’t make it a bad game – just a far less immersive one.

The vibes are right, the story is good, the graphic are fun, the sound effects are amazing, and the Xenomorphs are legit frightening. But all of that is almost undone by an antiquated save system, which combines with bugs to strand the player in frustrating gameplay loops. As a franchise fan, I would still play this game. But Xenomorphs aren't the only bugs you're going to be fighting.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Revenge leaves a lot to the future. If the DLC and future patches make the game faster, and more enjoyable, then you'll have a solid game on your hands. In it's current state, it's slow, it's repetitive, and some features are admittingly missing. A wise man once said "A delayed game is eventually good, a rushed game is bad forever." MMPR: RR is somewhere in the middle.

Uncle Chop’s Rocket Shop blends simulator-esque puzzle solving with a roguelike framework. The result is an often tedious slog that requires the utmost patience, a laser-focused attention span, and a love for tinkering. Put simply, at the end of a long day at work, this is not the game you want to cozy up with.

Wall Town Wonders is a visual delight, an charming burst of creativity that will awaken the inner child in any player. But the amazing experience of having a community of tiny humans taking up residence in the walls of your home is marred by the fact that interacting with the titular town can be a struggle. Technical issues mute the magic somewhat, but cannot stifle the fact that this game is indeed a wonder.

Tetris Forever is a pretty slick package. You learn a lot that you didn't know, and it's cool to know that Tetris will definitely be around if all other games were to go by the wayside. With so many ways to play it, and so many systems, I would've loved to see more of a variation, or versions of Tetris. "Play Tetris, My Friends" is the quote in the opening by Mr. Pajitnov himself. I would, but there's so much Bombtriss blocking the way.

It has been some time since I’ve come into contact with a game that seems loved by the masses that I don’t understand, but that’s Phasmophobia. I don’t understand why it’s ok that you have to have a team of four people in order to find mild success. I don’t understand why I need to spend time looking up a cheat sheet to help understand why a haunt is fun. I hate that I need to do so much outside the game, or to play round after round, just to have a better understanding of what is going on. I’m not opposed to playing Phasmophobia again, but it would take some convincing from at least three friends who are in need of a fourth played to have a full party. I also think each session is very dependent on having a good group of people around you in order to enjoy Phasmophobia, or at least a funny group of people to laugh at the misery of playing.

It has been some time since I’ve come into contact with a game that seems loved by the masses that I don’t understand, but that’s Phasmophobia. I don’t understand why it’s ok that you have to have a team of four people in order to find mild success. I don’t understand why I need to spend time looking up a cheat sheet to help understand why a haunt is fun. I hate that I need to do so much outside the game, or to play round after round, just to have a better understanding of what is going on. I’m not opposed to playing Phasmophobia again, but it would take some convincing from at least three friends who are in need of a fourth played to have a full party. I also think each session is very dependent on having a good group of people around you in order to enjoy Phasmophobia, or at least a funny group of people to laugh at the misery of playing.

Starship Troopers: Extermination on console puts the rough in Roughnecks. Technical issues, poor crossplay implementation, and frustratingly chaotic gameplay design leave much to be desired.

If you haven't played Until Dawn before, then sure, go ahead and pick this up. But for those who have played this before I see no reason to pay full price when it's pretty much the same game. While some of the updates to graphics are nice, there really isn't any thing new here that is worth the price of this remake.

Wrath of Cobra is a game that shows the love the developers have for the source content through and through. Unfortunately, that love doesn’t equal a polished and fine-tuned gaming experience. It is can enjoyable romp for fans to see and experience, but its shortcomings and technical issues keep it from being something they will truly enjoy.

Khaos Reigns is a mess of multiverse nonsense featuring mostly a cast of characters we know and care nothing about because they aren't from the main timeline. The whopping $50 price tag for this is insane. I would say that if you care about the characters, then just wait and buy them separately because the story expansion isn't worth that price at all.

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a sandbox collect-a-thon that pays homage to the earliest eras of Disney creations. This no risk/no reward game looks good from the opening, but just seems like an animated feature that went on for 12 hours too long. With too much chatter, not enough fun, and literal pocket thinner, Epic is not the word I would paint here.

Rugrats: Adventures in Gameland is a fun little game based on the classic Nicktoon, but unfortunately it’s a little too short and too easy for the price. The ability to swap between the four main babies and each having their own strengths and weaknesses is nice, plus the graphics and audio are pretty spot on from what Klasky Csupó gave us over three decades ago. However, the high price point for a rather easy game that can be completed in under ninety minutes will likely be a bit of a turnoff for a lot of people. If you’re able to wait for it to go on sale, it’s definitely worth checking out.

While there may have the smallest step taken toward improving the gameplay, Madden 25 falls completely flat because the proper simulation modes still feel the same and haven't changed much. The UI may look different, but the same options for relocation/renovation, the same team management options, and soulless superstar options drag this game down back to where the franchise has been for the past several years. It's disappointing in every sense of the word.

While it is almost miraculous that many of the properties in this game are represented in video game form, Funko Fusion is missing a sense of fun or satisfaction. With very little explanation of the game's mechanics, the player is left to wander from world to world, shooting endless waves of enemies, fiddling around with obtuse puzzles, pondering the universe and the point of it all.

Caravan SandWitch is a gorgeous, cozy exploration game with a story that falls flat. It won’t hold a spell over you for long, but a weekend is all it needs.

Shoulders of Giants: Ultimate is not the roguelike that breaks the mold for those trying to get into the genre, and I can’t say that roguelike veterans would find its gameplay loop compelling either. It’s wide range of weaponry and abilities does create bursts of fun, but unfortunately it wears thin relatively quickly.

On Point is a throwback to the shooting gallery light gun games of old, and will definitely take you back. For how long is the question. It's still in early access, so there may be more to come, but right now, maybe download the demo first. With no online or multiplayer modes, it's tough to recommend. It's not bad, but something is keeping me from calling it great.

Sword of Convallaria: For this World of Peace is not a game made for me, a person who enjoys a good, story-rich tactical RPG. Not much story there, and I found it confusing, to say the least. There are a lot of moving parts to this one, some of them feel like old-school TRPG traits that I love, and some feel like it’s wearing the mask of a TRPG. If this is not made for someone who, by all accounts should enjoy this, then I am unsure who this is made for. Have fun, but be cautious.

Super Evil Mega Corp may have struck gold with their take on the TMNT franchise, but with an empty story, a myriad of audio problems, and the same difficulty as an actual turtle flipped over, a game that wants you to play it over and over makes it impossible to play it over and over. I guess everything that turtles, ain't gold. Splintered fate, indeed.

Good track design and a blistering sense of speed are not enough to compensate for relatively mindless racing. Horizon Chase 2 serves as an ode to arcade racing classics that reminds us just how far the genre has come.

XDefiant will likely divide competitive shooter fans, as it did us here at Gaming Nexus. Fans of classic competitive shooters will find a lot to like in the Ubiverse shooter, even its take on hero abilities. But it may not go far enough in any direction to truly stand out in a crowded market.

In the end, traversing through the labyrinth of memories in The Gap has left me with a sense of both fulfillment and intrigue. Despite the disarray of Joshua’s world and mind, there was joy in piecing together the fragments of his existence. Most interactions served as a breadcrumb leading me deeper into the intricacies of Joshua's life, his struggles, and the mysterious forces at play beyond his control. The experience, though at times bewildering, was immersive, drawing me into its web. Perhaps one day, when the memories of this journey have faded, I'll return to unravel the mystery again. Until then, The Gap remains an echo in the corridors of my thoughts.

Be warned: There isn’t any sort of ”game” to the Summerhouse experience. This is a simple, doodling-sandbox meant to allow users to craft serene landscapes without needing any drawing skills. It does exactly what it sets out to do but could easily be SO much more.

I would love to say that I loved South Park: Snow Day. But the shallow combat, light story, and general lack of depth made me feel like this game was just scraping the surface of what it could have been. Grab it on sale to play with buddies, but beyond that, stick with the classics.

Taxi Life: A City Driving Simulator proves that not every occupation can become a worthwhile video game simulation. It’s infested with bugs and soulless gameplay, making it more of a mundane taxi than a crazy one.

Dead Hook is fun in small doses as it can get pretty repetitive, but I would say that this is also one of the best first person, Doom inspired shooters you can buy for the PSVR 2 right now.

Cricket Through The Ages isn't much about Cricket, and that's ok. It starts slow, but with a pretty cool payoff in unlocking the other modes. It's way more entertaining to watch others play it, but you playing at home, alone, trying to convince other people to play it, is useless. Fire it up, hand your friends the controllers, and watch chaos ensue.

Dynacat does its best to be a throwback to Sonic 3D Blast and while the ideas are there, it feels like it could use a bit more polish. There were times where I had to intentionally lose a life to restart at a checkpoint because I ended up landing in an area where I could not get enough speed to proceed, plus there were a couple of times I ended up out of bounds and had to restart an entire stage or boss fight. Dynacat can be an enjoyable game once you learn the physicals and controls, but it feels like a little more polish could go a long way.

The world is indeed wide enough for Skull and Bones and the increasingly few pirate games out there. But be careful. It won't let you get comfy. And after a long time in production, there's still work to do before Skull and Bones is feature complete.

It’s indifference that takes me out of Bandle Tale. I couldn’t get into the world building, I couldn’t get behind the constant back and forth running that quests have me doing. I never felt like I found my stride. The mini games - especially the cooking - was fun, something that would be excellent to play with a friend. But this single player crafting sim is too cute for its own good. Unlocking new abilities was fun, but the new abilities never felt game-changing, just another new chore to add to the rotation. If you are into League of Legends and want something that feels like a celebration of the cute characters of that game, Bandle Tale might satisfy you in the short term. But as the game spans upwards of 40 hours, I struggled to maintain interest.

D-Day Enhanced offers fun gunplay that only sporadically functions 100% correctly, in addition to myriad bugs and a paltry player base. The bugs can be squashed in the weeks ahead, but the lack of players and subsequently poor AI make this one a tough sell.

A sci-fi shooter with a strong reputation, Vertigo 2 doesn’t move the needle strongly one way or the other. It’s a lengthy outing by VR standards, so there is some bang for your buck, but it simply doesn’t do enough to standout on PS VR2.

Despite its flaws, Gothic II remains a fascinating relic, a testament to the ambition and innovation of early open-world RPGs. While its clunky controls, outdated mechanics, and fetch-quest-heavy narrative might not resonate with modern players, its intricate world-building, hidden secrets, and surprisingly complex player agency shine through even today. It's a game that demands patience, but rewards exploration with a sense of discovery and genuine joy in overcoming its challenges. Ultimately, Gothic II's legacy lies not in its polish but in its pioneering spirit. It helped lay the groundwork for the genre we know and love, and for that, it deserves our respect, even if I ultimately choose to leave its clunky controls and endless errands in the past.

While I eventually began having fun with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, the game was a very difficult nut to crack. Rather than being open to the way I wanted to play it, Avatar pushed me to find the way it wanted to be played, and then kinda punished me for doing so. Frontiers of Pandora should feel free and flowing, but I've found a lot of the experience to be restrictive and near-punitive. Once I pushed through the game's many barriers to entry, I started having a good time, but don't expect to just jump in and have fun. Like Jake Sully, it's going to take a while to find your Avatar-legs.

Some games don’t need to be ported from board to video. Settlers of Catan is one of those games. The rules are exactly the same. The resources have been left unchanged. The robber still shows up with you roll a 7. That isn’t the problem. Settlers of Catan: Console Edition has taught me that the game isn’t the board; it’s the players. The human interactions happening while playing, the back and forth between rivals, and the race to get to 10 victory points feels meaningless against AI opponents. I tried to get others to play with me in person, but if you don’t play video games, you won’t have fun, and the person trying to help you with the controls won’t either. There is zero online presence, I waited for over half an hour only to find no one. Settlers of Catan: Console Edition is a faithful adaptation, but the jump to the video game screen makes me dream of playing with a group of friends, in person at my dining room table.

Can torturing prisoners in a secret underground laboratory be kinda boring? The Kindeman Remedy shows that it can. Essentially a time management game, The Kindeman Remedy has players putting an evil doctor and his nun assistant through the paces of dark experiments in a way that ends up feeling a lot like a repetitive day of work. Some cheap kicks to be had from the not-so-violent violence, but the shock value is short-lived. Not a prison I would want to spend any significant amount of time in.

Barbaria is fun in the moment, and very visually pleasing. Assembling dungeons and raiding the dungeons of other players are both very entertaining activities, and the high-end VR implementation makes things that much better, but the overly open-ended progression system ultimately left me feeling stalled and frustrated. There is massive potential here, and with a few more guardrails in place, Barbaria would be an all-time great VR game.

Nickelodeon All Star Brawl 2 has even more potential than the first game at launch. It's a good continuation, more so a way better start than the last game's abysmal beginnings. However, with clunky controls, favorite characters missing, and a useless campaign, maybe wait until "Nickelodeon's All Star Brawl 3: Shredder's Revenge 2" comes in 2025. Or at least give it a few months for things to get smoothed out.

Through all the performance and optimization issues, all the problems with shading and rendering, I believe there's a good game waiting to be unlocked. However, as it stands, Cities Skylines II is a major disappointment that should have been pushed back to fix these issues. Instead, gamers are stuck dealing with yet another game that falls victim to a rush and will need multiple patches until we see what the final product actually is.

Vampire The Masquerade – Justice features an intriguing stealth premise that should be perfect for the immersive world of virtual reality. Unfortunately, it’s a lowkey technical mess that struggles mightily to get out of its own way, in addition to losing its identity at key moments. Fleetingly fun and frequently frustrating, this vampire adventure will suck the life out of you.

DreamWorks All-Star Kart Racing is a fairly decent, though basic, kart racer. All of the usual mechanics are present, and the character roster is fun, if a bit limited. Though the sound and visuals are wonky, kids will likely not notice, and a good variety of tracks will keep them busy for a while. Nothing extraordinary, but also nothing extraordinarily bad or broken.

Wild Card Football is the first Arcade Football game with real players in a very long time, and that's progress. But some mechanics slow the game down, and there is an overall jank to the proceedings that could use some refinement. And, of course, card packs are the worst. This is Saber's first foray into the Arcade football genre, and I think it's off to a good start. But it's a false start, and they're going to start 5 yards back for a 2nd and long.

Gordian Quest runs well on Switch; it’s not the Switch’s fault I didn’t fall in love. The deck battler combat and roguelike elements are well made, carefully thought out, with good execution. But from the moment I began the tutorial I knew I was in trouble. Gordian Quest starts rocky and picks up steam, but forced grinding midway through creates a wall. The non-combat parts, like buying and selling items or mini-games, didn't appeal, and the story encounters fell short of the mark I was looking for.

Just Dance 2024 brings another fantastic group of songs to the mix, but in riding the coattails of 2023's offering, feels a bit like an oversized DLC offering. I understand the reasons for approaching the title this way, but it does leave this new edition of the game feeling like a half step.

I haven’t much negative to say about Paleo Pines. I don’t love it, but I do like it a lot. The retail price of $29.99 is more than fair considering what you get – you get a lot of bang for your buck. I was able to overlook the basic visuals to see the magic behind them. While the farming elements feel basic, the dinos make this game stand out from the crowd. Collecting and taking care of them is worthwhile and feels rewarding in the long run.

Mortal Kombat 1 gets the gameplay part right but I can't shake the feeling that this game was released way too early. While you do get a full story mode and Invasions mode there are so many small problems that really take away from what should be the best game NetherRealm has made yet.

Gloomhaven as a video game is a faithful recreation of the board game into the digital world. This is both commendable and detrimental. It is a good game, but there is also a reason no one sits around a table and plays by themselves and this is pretty much it.

If you want the best experience possible with MythForce, play with friends. If you don’t have friends, then play by yourself. If you hate yourself, then try playing with strangers. Visually, style-wise, I love MythForce. While there isn’t enough dialogue what is there can be amusing the first couple of times. Combat takes some getting used to, but once you have the hang of that the game gets better. I love roguelike elements, I just need more randomness. With the exception of MythForce’s style everything falls flat after a few hours. Buy this on sale and convince a few buddies to do the same and you won’t be upset you did it.

Wrestlequest has a cool idea on paper, but the battle system is clunky at best. That mixed with unlikable characters, and legends that deserve a better video game, make WrestleQuest very hard to care about at all. Like a certain wrestling companies PSA, "Please, don't try this at home."

Farworld Pioneers had a promising premise, mashing together ideas from other sci-fi survival favorites, but it simply doesn’t fulfill that promise in any way. Unintuitive controls, poor AI, and a lack of show-and-tell for the game’s various systems are likely to frustrate, rather than entertain you.

The gameplay loop to UFO: Unidentified Falling Objects is simple enough, but addicting, at least for a while. You can watch a trailer for this game, and you can even play for a little bit and think you know what you are doing, but you would be wrong. The further I dig into UFO the further it gets away from just being a casual puzzler. The online multiplayer would probably help drive that thought if I could find a match. This is a smaller title; its price reflects that, but in a good way. The gameplay is sharp, pixels even sharper, and just a fun time overall, just don’t rely on playing online.

If you are unsure where to begin with this series Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist Of Salburg is a great starting place. It’s the first in the series, and the facelift it has been given is very welcoming to newcomers, like me. I’m glad I gave this one a shot before trying something else in the series; trying this one out after might have felt like a downgrade. Combat and gathering, two of Atelier Marie’s main elements, can be done automatically, making them feel unimportant when I know that is not true. Focusing on learning about the world’s characters is where you’ll find most of the enjoyment. Atelier Marie Remake has sold me on the idea of playing another game in the series, I hope they feel more modern, and require more work on my part.

There is a lot I enjoyed with Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. When I’m winning, I like the gameplay loop. The art is fantastic, and looks great when I play in hand held mode. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes starts out as a welcoming game. After a few battles, I begin to see the cracks. Enemy heroes I play against are two, sometimes three, levels ahead of me, something that is not easy to overcome. The random drops of units on my side don’t feel equal to the ones my AI enemy gets. I feel like I’m always on the defensive during the campaign. But the multiplier is excellent, pass-and-play is exactly what I want in a game like this.

There is a lot I enjoyed with Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes. When I’m winning, I like the gameplay loop. The art is fantastic, and looks great when I play in hand held mode. Might & Magic: Clash of Heroes starts out as a welcoming game. After a few battles, I begin to see the cracks. Enemy heroes I play against are two, sometimes three, levels ahead of me, something that is not easy to overcome. The random drops of units on my side don’t feel equal to the ones my AI enemy gets. I feel like I’m always on the defensive during the campaign. But the multiplier is excellent, pass-and-play is exactly what I want in a game like this.

MORDHAU exhibits flashes of brilliance, but the console port of this four year-old medieval multiplayer game is marred by combat that feels inelegant and dull on a controller.

City of Beats has a lot of genres combined into one, and it may have too much going on for itself. With the game literally stopping you from progressing the way that you want to, it's a little hindering. For the price, you may want to give it a shot. A shot. Like, just one. Don't worry if you lack rhythm, City of Beats does sometimes too.

No Mercy this is not. It's got good intentions and the right idea, but the game is not there just yet. I understand this is their first game, but there is just not enough meat on the bone to justify paying full price for this. The story mode is short, repetitive, and nothing you do matters. Matches are way too short, the creation modes are ridiculously limited, and we don't even have basic match options like turning on and off DQs or elimination rules in multiman matches to keep exhibition mode interesting. Maybe after a year or so of updates, this will feel more like a complete package, but I would recommend waiting for a sale or some major updates before picking this one up.

Farm sims are a dime a dozen. For every great one, there’s a bad one. The problem isn’t that Everdream Valley is bad. It’s just that there just isn’t much fun with the farm life. All the staples are here, and they’re fine. What’s worst than hatred? Indifference. I feel indifferent about Everdream Valley. Is there a lot to see and do in Everdream Valley? Yes. Do I want to work my way through to see it all? No.

The technical issues in Star Trek: Resurgence unfortunately detract slightly from what is possibly the truest Star Trek video game ever made. This is a game that knows and respects the franchise, delivering an epic story with a great new ship and crew. The branching story elements and performances carry the day, but some of the interactive segments stumble. Regardless, the game is highly recommended for fans of both Trek and interactive storytelling.

It comes down to this. Graveyard Keeper: Last Journey does not have enough, “play just one more day” moments to get me to stick with it long-term. Instead of a dark, horror-filled farm sim spin off, I’m left with a dark humor management system. Building anything feels like a chore. Nothing feels explained to you, even the days of the week are needlessly confusing. I was able to have fun with Graveyard Keeper, but it took more time and patience than I wanted.

A technically solid game that has some pretty glaring issues with presentation, I still found myself going back to play round after round. It's challenging and rewarding, even if it's not the best entry in the long history of golf titles.

Another Fisherman’s Tale eventually tells a heartwarming story that many people will relate to, but whether or not they stick with it to the end is the big question. The narrative feels contorted to accommodate the gameplay, which itself stales rather quickly, and by the time it gets on track the game is over.

Teslagrad 2 is built for fans of the original. If you're looking for a longer campaign, you'll have to look elsewhere, but if you find a good deal on a bundle, pick it up. Play the first, then the second. Maybe speed run them the second time around. Graphics and sound are amazing, and the game will definitely give a challenge. But that could be where it's electromagnetism stops.

I give God of Rock credit for trying to combine rhythm games and fighting games together and while I do think there is potential with the idea unfortunately the execution here isn't as good as it could have been.

Redfall is a bigger and much more deliberately paced game than I was expecting. Fun in multiplayer, I found that I enjoyed it even more solo. Creeping around with a sniper rifle, shooting vamps with stake launchers from afar, I was able to play Redfall as a stealth game, which was highly enjoyable. Some technical issues still need to be ironed out, but there is a lot of fun here for folks that vibe with the spooky open world.

A tightly contained VR experience that performs it's one trick very well. This is a game that is short on mechanics but long on charm. Players' tolerance may vary, depending on how much they enjoy tilt mazes in the real world. An inexpensive way to experience a fairly unique - and cozy - implementation of VR technology.

Creepy enough in a low-budget, cookie-cutter sort of way, Afterlife VR gets a lot of milage out of darkness and sound design. VR horror fans won't find much new here, but the gameplay isn't offensively bad, and I enjoyed my two hour playthrough well enough. Decent puzzles, some functional - though limited - shooting. Worth a look, especially for it's very reasonable selling price.

A mix of RTS, tower defense, and open world epics, Minecraft Legends feels completely unique; a strategic breath of fresh air with interesting mechanics and an amazingly fun gameplay loop. But the absolutely stellar game design in Minecraft Legends is ultimately undone by bugs and AI/pathfinding issues. There is an amazing game at the core of Minecraft Legends, addictive and compelling. I'm frankly obsessed over it. But that makes it all the more disappointing that the technical implementation of the game can't support its lofty ambitions.

Most of the time Mayhem in Single Valley feels like a step above a sneaking game. I throw some food to distract something, jump over a pit, or dodge a train, avoiding some type of zombie creature, rinse and repeat. That’s not to say Mayhem in Single Valley doesn’t have some great stuffing going for it. The pixel art and chiptunes soundtrack are a perfect combination. While combat was not something I got into, it is different and a unique take, and could be seen as refreshing to the right person. There are also plenty of hidden elements to discover that would keep you busy. Overall, Mayhem in Single Valley can be an enjoyable game, but its flaws prevent it from being a must-play experience.