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.