If you're willing to take a chance I'd say that you should bench Madden and take "NFL2K5" for a spin. In our opinion, it's the better football game this year.

A near perfect expansion pack. It gives gamers more levels, more bad guys, and more multiplayer content. What else can you ask for in an expansion pack? Not much.

United Offensive is a lot more intense in action than the original Call of Duty. That’s both a good thing and a bad thing. You’ll rarely get a chance to rest in this one and I, for one, did enjoy the constant action.

Transformers Prime is a fun game and I do recommend it for younger fans of the series. However, experienced players might find it too easy as the main story only takes a few hours at most to complete if you don't have any problems.

Witty, and with a wink and nod to the limitations of the point and click style adventure genre Edna & Harvey: Harvey's New Eyes gives gamers an adult experience while providing the necessary cover for a teen rating. Recommended for old school gamers looking for a reminder of the past, or those who enjoy quirky plots.

Forget Darkstalkers, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max is the must-own fighting game on the PSP. In many ways this is the best version of the game yet, despite having a few quirks associated with the system's D-pad.

The Hulk is a bit of a loner, though, so there's no multiplayer. That's a bit of a shame. I think it would be a blast to play Hulk vs. Villian, raining terror and destruction on the battle arena, similar to the mess Godzilla and whatever mutated monster he's fighting make of Tokyo when they clash.

It may not have the productions of "Resident Evil," but Call of Cthulhu is easily one of the scariest video games ever made. It's also a great story full of mystery, intrigue, and a few twists and turns you won't see coming!

With the huge selection of playable Marvel mutants and the horde of extra goodies, X-Men Legends II is another solid and enjoyable action-RPG entry into the comic-book genre.

Some minor control issues, slight framerate stutters and a brief musical selection prevent Geist from being perfect, but the intriguing story, innovative multiplayer and spectral gameplay keep the game fresh and make it a must-have for GameCube owners.

There are just hours and hours of game play modes and there were more than a few nights where what was supposed to be a one hour gaming session turned into a three and four hour session.

The sound track for the game is excellent and EA has done a great job of putting together a very listenable collection of music.

A fantastic hack and slash RPG that fans of the genre will love. Gas Powered Games added a ton of new features into the game that should help gamers who didn’t like the first game back into the fold.

A solid entry in the Mario franchise. It doesn't do anything to shake up the formula, but I think this is one of those franchises that have proven time and time again that you don't mess with a good thing.

At the end of the day, you’ve got a fairly good port of a PS1 title with a few new bells and whistles which are greatly appreciated, but are left with a few old nagging issues.

Aside from some repetition and a few minor technical flaws, Sonic Rush delivers a wholly satisfying old-school experience, kicked into extreme overdrive.

After some patching and a couple of expansions, Victoria 2 is rounding into shape. It is still deep with a killer learning curve, but it is starting to feel like a fun game rather than a buggy spreadsheet.

Still free to play, World of Tanks brings explosive action and hours of fun with each sitting that will make it hard to put down. Veterans and new players alike can appreciate the upgrades that Wargaming.net has implemented, making for a solid title that's still one of the best free to play games on the market.

Hello Kitty Adventure Island – City Town is new downloadable content that builds upon the existing game. It offers a new character, new landscape, new quests, and more. If you're a fan of the original and want more, this is a great way to expand your story, with new areas to explore and characters to meet.

Rock Boshers: Director's Cut DX is a fun little action game that attempts to emulate the old school charm of the ZX Spectrum. But even if you don't have nostalgia for the very specific era being referenced, this brand new PS Vita game still delivers a satisfying amount of thrills and action.

Night of the Rabbit faithfully follows the tried and true traditions of the adventure game genre while leveraging modern technologies in a very well produced game. Appropriate for the entire family and providing a compelling, well-written story, this one is worth a look.

Over two years after it hit the home consoles, Mortal Kombat is finally making its way to the PC. This port may be called the "Komplete Edition," but it lacks much of the content found in last year's PS Vita release. Even in its inkomplete state, Mortal Kombat remains one of the best fighting games of this generation!

PQ2 manages to take the best elements from the original game and give us a lot more content, a lot more obstacles, and a lot more freedom.

For fans of single-player, Crysis 3 is an 8 hour adrenaline rush filled with cool weapons and lots of pretty explosions. For multi-player fans, Crysis 3 offers a ton of modes and action so intense and chaotic that it should test any gamer’s mettle.

Mortal Kombat 11: Aftermath is a fantastic expansion to the game with three fun characters and a great conclusion to the Mortal Kombat story. It's a shame, however, that they didn't offer people the option to buy the content individually instead of together at the steep price.

For only $10, fans of platformers should give this one a try, but skilled gamers might not find Outland all that challenging outside of a few areas.

Dark Eclipse is inarguably difficult to learn, but once you are over that hump the game is simply spectacular. Just because you don’t understand everything right out of the gate doesn’t mean that deep and thoughtful design isn’t present. There is real depth of strategy here, and the fun visuals are just the icing on the cake. I’m hoping that the audience that has currently found Dark Eclipse sticks with it (and continues to grow), because this is a great game that deserves to thrive.

30XX is a marked improvement over its predecessor. Beyond the permadeath Standard Mode, you can check out Mega Mode if you’d rather choose your level order and can also create and upload your own levels or chunks of levels. The ability to play as either Nina or Ace and can switch between runs in Standard mode, or play co-op, means you can choose whoever better suits your playstyle. Make no mistake though - even if you’re a fan of Mega Man (specifically Mega Man X) you’ll still find plenty of challenges as you make your way through, but for it’s a challenge I definitely recommend checking out.

This update to a DS classic doesn't give you much in terms of hardware upgrades, but the additional campaign and gameplay changes make Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker worth playing for a second time, or a first time if you skipped the first release.

With a likeable character, great puzzles and an intriguing world to explore, Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee - New 'n' Tasty! may be the most compelling adventure game currently available on PlayStation 4. Unfortunately, some gamers will be turned off by the game's deliberate play mechanics and the steep asking price. If you can get past these problems, you'll be rewarded with a quest that is as funny as it is long.

Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime is a fun and enjoyable take on the shooter genre, focusing on exploration of each area instead of vertical or horizontal scrolling.

What’s my final piece of advice for Long Live the Queen? Shake it off and try again. Is it worth the challenge? Yes. Being successful is gratifying. But having said that, this is a menu game; navigating menus is the core mechanic. There’s also plenty of reading that is required, skipping over it makes playing this game almost pointless. The soundtrack is beyond repetitive, nearing an annoyance, but it isn’t required to play. Touch controls are fantastic, elevating this to being a great game to sit on the couch and play.

There's nothing quite like spending quality hours slaying monsters and collecting loot and fortunately the game doesn't disappoint in either area. The game is an impressive value as the amount of content far outweighs its low asking price. The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing is a must-buy for fans of the action role-playing genre.

Returnal is a shining technical achievement, possibly the best looking game on PlayStation 5. With addictive gunplay, a brutal learning curve, and a focus on exploration and temporary buffs, roguelike fans will be in heaven. Be warned though, the difficulty level is not for everyone. Though I learned to love Returnal with time, many players may walk away frustrated.

Ultimate Spider-Man did a lot to improve on its predecessors, but it still isn't as deep as it could've been. The story was good if incredibly brief, and Venom injects some replay value, but it feels like the last pages of this book are mere pencil sketches, much less inked and colored.

Yes, you're essentially playing through the events of Kingdom Hearts in portable form, but there's enough content here to make the experience seem new and fresh again.

The Driven to Glory campaign is the big push, but is actually only a thin layer of what this package offers overall. GRID Legends has a solid career mode, with a ton of cool activities and customization options. The content gating is a bit frustrating (be prepared to grind a bit), but overall there is a mountain of fun to be had with this rock-solid arcade racer.

Sword and Fairy: Together Forever is a gorgeous and engaging Chinese high fantasy role-playing game that deserves more attention from the West. Localization and technical optimizations have been implemented since the game’s original release on PC, making this console port the best way to experience this game. The vast number of cutscenes and depth of lore may be off-putting for some, but those willing to give this title a chance will not be disappointed. Sword and Fairy is a game that should be viewed through its own lens, without the comparisons to Japanese role playing games, and only so will this franchise truly be appreciated.

A rich, character-driven choose-your-own-adventure story and a deep, rewarding job system make The Nameless: Slay Dragon a must-play for fans of classic RPGs and visual novels alike. It may be slightly rough around the edges, but its many strengths easily outweigh its few flaws.

If you can get passed a little repetition and some frustrating boss battles, chances are you'll find Manhattan to be a great place to spin your web.

While it isn’t winning any graphics awards (not that it's terrible), Eclipse: Edge of Light still manages to achieve VR greatness. With a few simple mechanics, Eclipse allows the player to experience its eerie, lonely world in ways that feel tactile and rewarding. Highly recommended for fans of trippy sci-fi, Eclipse stands out from the crowd in all the right ways.

Atelier Rorona Plus may not reinvent the role-playing genre, but it does add new life to the poorly-received 2010 game. By fixing many of the original game's problems (including combat, crafting, exploring, visuals, etc.), the developers have turned an otherwise middling RPG into one of this year's most surprising releases.

Pushmo Worlds makes a solid if subtle landing on the WiiU platform, and offers a ton of fun in a small little package.

While not as flashy as Final Fantasy or as original as Skies of Arcadia, this updated re-release is a testament to how much fun a well-crafted turn-based role-playing game can be. Grandia II: Anniversary Edition improves the visuals, adds a new difficulty and offers Japanese voice acting, but fails to put the 15 year old role-playing game into context.

Little Nightmares II is a must-play for any fans of indie sensations Limbo and Inside. If you've yet to play the first game, it's not necessary, per se, but is wholly recommended. Having played the first game, one can appreciate how much Little Nightmares II builds upon its predecessor. It's gloomy, gruesome, ghastly, but downright intoxicating.

Hammerwatch II gets into the meat of its gameplay right away. I loved looking for better gear and never felt like I wasn’t progressing toward something the entire time I played. I also loved the freedom to do side-quests when I wanted, no longer beholden to the linear story of the first Hammerwatch. Is it hard? You better believe it, but with multiple difficulty settings to choose from, anyone who is interested in Hammerwatch II won’t have a problem getting into the game. With so many new RPG games this year, it’s easy to see how Hammerwatch II could go unnoticed. While it might not look different, I challange anyone who is into the genre to spend two hours playing and not want to play more. If the developer can fix a couple of minor issues, like group loot in multiplayer games, this will hopefully find some legs to go the distance I feel it can.

Bridge Constructor Portal is a fantastically challenging puzzle game that is dressed in $10 looks. You will not be awestruck by anything the game does, but the challenge will have you wanting more, the humor will keep you smiling, and the silly horn at the end of the level will be enough to know you did it.

Lynked: Banner of the Spark is a great game for fans of dungeon crawlers and roguelikes. The combat can be a little tricky to get the hang of as you’ll have to learn how to time your attacks and dodge when necessary to avoid taking huge chunks of damage. The town building aspects provide a lot of ways to customize your home base between missions and show them off to your friends in co-op. If you’re looking for a dungeon crawler where you can customize your town between missions, Lynked: Banner of the Spark is well worth the price.

Moody, suspenseful and elegant, Revelations does away with the extraneous complexity of other recent Resident Evil games and gets back to the basics of survival horror.

The gameplay and spellcrafting mechanics are easy to understand, and between of the sheer number of spells, races, and classes you can combine, you aren't going to run out of stuff to discover any time soon.

A visual treat, City of Brass never feels unfair, and learning to overcome its many challenges can be vastly satisfying.

With its improved combat system, fantastic graphics, cool levels and fun crime scene instigation, Condemned 2: Bloodshot is easy to recommend to anybody that enjoyed the original.

An open world racing game that doesn't leave players wandering around lost, The Crew Motorfest has landed on a slightly derivative but much more propulsive structure with it's new playlists. With a ton of interesting events, a fun setting, and a wide swath of vehicles to earn, there is a wealth of content here, and most of it feels curated and fun.

If for whatever reason you skipped out on the initial Meta Quest 2 release of The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners - Chapter 2: Retribution, then the PS VR2 version is definitely the way to go. While Chapter 2 doesn’t reinvent the wheel or present a full-fledged sequel, Skydance Interactive has still provided enough polish and content to the experience to warrant a revisit to post-apocalyptic New Orleans.

WWE 2K22 set the foundation and WWE 2K23 pushes the series forward with another great wrestling game. My Rise is fantastic, War Games is a ton of fun, GM Mode has been updated, and created wrestlers look better than ever. If 2K keeps up this momentum, WWE 2K24 could be up there along side Here Comes the Pain and No Mercy as one of the all time greats.

The Last Friend is going to keep you busy. You'll say "aww" a LOT, because the dogs are so cute. If you have an itch for a fantastic tower defense game, and a beat 'em up, rolled into one cool adventure, this is the game for you. At 14.99, you don't have much to lose. It gets a little "ruff" at times, but not enough to turn it off. Well worth it.

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown strikes a harmonious balance between combat, puzzles, and exploration, providing a satisfying blend for players. The shadow of the deluxe edition looms, introducing cosmetic items and early access at a questionable price point. Despite this, the core game experience remains untarnished, making the deluxe edition an optional, albeit somewhat disappointing, add-on. Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown is a delightful journey, offering a well-paced adventure that managed to keep me engaged from start to finish.

Far more than just an Unreal Engine 5 tech demo, Empire of the Ants is a brilliant RTS game. Smart, confident gameplay design keeps things simple while challenging your tactical abilities at a near-perfect pace. It’s one of the best surprises of 2024.

While I did enjoy Brain Age: Concentration Training and still train every day with it, there are some aspects I didn’t enjoy. Some of the Devilish Trainings can be just downright tedious and off-putting at times while the game’s handwriting recognition could use a bit of work. However, if you can train enough days to unlock some of the other types of training, it can still be a fun experience.

The clothing and furniture in The Sims 3 70s, 80s, and 90s Stuff pack are great additions to any Sims household as they successfully combine retro and modern visual styles. Ultimately, the stuff pack is lacking in content and is better recommended as a purchase when it's included in a sale.

Sega manages to pack just about every great Genesis game into one UMD. With games like Shinobi III, Ecco the Dolphin, Vectorman, Comix Zone, Sonic the Hedgehog and the three 16-bit Phantasy Star games, the Sega Genesis Collection is a must own no matter what type of gamer you are!

One of the most visually and auditorily exciting games I have ever played, Aaero provides such an exciting sensory experience that I would recommend it to everyone, despite occasional frustrations and hiccups along the way.

Guns'n'Stories: Bulletproof VR is a strong entry in the VR wave shooter genre. It's easy to play at lower difficulty levels, but challenging enough at the higher levels to support continuing replayability. Even in early access, it's one you ought to pick up.

Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is great. I don't know how they got the controls so tight, but it's magic. Bonus points for tying up a story for a game I still loathe to this day. And more Kumori please.

If you can imagine Asteroids meets Frogger in Space, you have a fairly good idea of what to expect from LOST ORBIT: Terminal Velocity. The game play is entertaining and the difficulty levels ramp up at a reasonable slope. The storyline doesn't bring much to the table, but the game mechanics stand on their own just fine.

Thunder Wolves is a great shoot 'em up with a hint of tactical finesse required now and then. It certainly packs quite a bit of bang for your bucks. Grab another controller and a good friend to have even more fun in the co-op multiplayer mode.

On the PlayStation 3, Hotline Miami delivers an unforgettable adventure starring an obedient serial killer. Unfortunately, this home console port feels too loose and pulling off certain moves can be painful. It's occasionally infuriating, but that doesn't keep Hotline Miami from being one of the most exciting games to hit the PlayStation 3 in a long time!

As far as deckbuilding games go, Ascension is great.

Part RTS, part tower defense, with a smidgen of casual gaming thrown in, “Gratuitous Space Battles” is a great deal of fun and surprisingly deep, especially early on while the player is exploring the mechanics. Definitely worth 17 bucks for the collector's edition.

Empyre: LordS of the Sea Gates offers an innovative style of gameplay to liven up the RPG nature of the game. The writing is well above average and does a great job of setting the appropriate tone and, at times, is quite witty. Combat is approachable in the early stages, but becomes increasingly difficult as the game progresses.

Yes, it's vulgar, it's crude, and it's often profane. Be that as it may, Mutant Football League is probably the best football game available on the PC today.

Gears of War Judgment is exactly what you’d expect in a Gears of War game - a few tweaks here and there, but basically the same game it's been for six and half years.

DD XXL is more than an expansion; it’s a downloadable title that delivers its worth ten times over.

So far so good. Episode 2 is a nice contrast to the Paris mission and shows more of what this 2016 iteration of Hitman has up it's sleeve.

Maestro puts the hand tracking of the Meta Quest 3 to the test, and nails it. With song familiarity, unlocks galore, and a simple, yet fun and challenging interface, this is a game you don't want to pass up. Even if you're not a musician, you'll be pleased with the hand tracking by itself, and that's going to get Maestro a lot of roses. Bravo.

Both tables in the Iron & Steel Pack, at first glance, fall back on overly generic themes, but Wild West Rampage tells the more interesting story with its genre's tropes, but CastleStorm makes you earn its love.

Take the magic of NBA Jam’s gameplay, trade NBA players for robots with abilities, toss in some roguelite systems, give it stop-motion-style animation, and BOOMSHAKALAKA – you’ve got yourself a slam dunk.

Even with a few outdated quirks, this fourth (and final?) Oddworld delivers an exciting storyline full of memorable characters.

Even skippers used to playing the PC version might want to give the PS4 version a look. It has been built from the ground up in order to leverage the processing and graphics power of modern consoles, and far more content is available from the get-go. If you want to skip the process of upgrading your ships and waiting to unlock more of the fleet that the free-to-play version has, you can opt to just buy the entire fleet all at once for a fixed price.

Chuck's Challenge has finally made it to Steam, and the puzzles and mazes are better than ever. Chuck Sommerville and his team at Niffler have created the rare followup that not only does justice to the '80s classic, but improves upon it as well.

Incredible visuals and so many activities it's tough to keep up with them all, Flight Simulator 2024 delivers a heck of an experience for flight sim enthusiasts. Yes, you can question if it should have just been a patch to the 2020 series or not, but it's not enough to deter me from saying that this one is worth picking up for all the upgrades.

The tables in the Pinball FX3 Bethesda Pack are all pretty solid, though they can get complicated at times, namely the Skyrim and Fallout tables. While those two contain RPG-style elements to them to match up to their original video game counterparts, the Doom table is more of a traditional pinball table, though all three do have missions and quests to complete.

If My Little Ponies trampled a bouncy house and shot it toward Saturn, then you’d have an idea of what Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime looks like. It’ll be tough to make an FTL-like more adorable than this one. The frantic one- or two-player co-op is mandatory and makes for a not-so-lonely outer space.

Capcom Fighting Collection 2 completes the journey, and opens the door for new chapters. The interest alone in these games shows that Capcom still has a hadouken or two left. We are in fighting game heaven right now. Enjoy yourselves.

Damsel is a fun arcade-style platformer/shooter/speedrunner/whatever genre you want to call it. The comic-style motif is a nice concept that I haven’t seen for a long time and the gameplay is pretty fluid. The darkness of the stages and the similarities between the three game modes kind of bring the game down a little, but it’s still an enjoyable outing for the Nintendo Switch.

While NHL 07 certainly isn’t perfect, the core of any hockey game is still the on ice play, and that is where this game shines, outdoing the competition. Again, if it’s depth you want, you may want to also pick up 2K’s NHL offering, but in terms of hockey, EA NHL 07 is the clear choice.

Wreckfest offers the eRacer something not available anywhere else: the ability to race on the computer in cars and at tracks that are accessible to the common man. Don't let the 70's era rust buckets fool you, though - the driving and damage physics are quite good, the damage models are entertaining, and the racing is close and brutal. It's astonishingly fun!

It would be easy to dismiss Layers of Fear as a funhouse, but the reality is that this game goes far deeper than a ride through a spooky house. As an examination of family, artistic obsession, alcoholism and regret, Layers of Fear hits on a deeper level while still delivering quality scares.

It's been over 20 years since the last Battletoads game—and it was worth the wait. Battletoads is an enjoyable game that brings back the fun beat-em-up aspects of the originals, as well as humorous cutscenes, and minigame stages that show just what happens after the Toads realize their glory days are over.

The development team catered to their core group, and I feel they made the game that they wanted to play. But ultimately I also feel I have to hold them responsible for making a game that feels inaccessible in so many ways.

Texas Chainsaw Massacre is a ton of fun, and though it has some issues it has been pretty addicting to play. This is one of those games though that you will get the most out of it if you are playing with friends and using mics, as teamwork is a must. Some great new game dynamics elevate this one above the fray, making it the best asymmetrical horror game in recent memory.

Star Overdrive is an enjoyable open world experience, but it can become a bit tedious, specifically when it comes to upgrading the hoverboard. While you're shown the recommended stats for each area, they do change depending on the area you're in and if you waste your materials, it can be time consuming to get more. That said though, I still enjoyed my time with Star Overdrive and if you enjoy open world games similar to the Legend of Zelda on the Switch, Star Overdrive might be right up your alley.

Blind is basically a room escape game that does an excellent job of taking a fairly common type of game and making it extraordinarily uncommon. It uses an innovative simulation of blindness to add a large measure of personal discomfort and stress to truly make the player feel as if they MUST get out of that building, but doing so is going to be next to impossible with their unexpected and frightening affliction.

Nioh 2 does what a good sequel should. It capitalizes on the best parts of its predecessors while providing new content and mechanics to advance the franchise. While the story structure and level design are largely the same, added weapons, more build depth, and new combat mechanics all enhance what the game has to offer. It doesn't always hit the mark perfectly, but it's a solid addition to the series. And let's face it, being a samurai is awesome.

Far Cry 6 excels in a lot of ways, with stellar visuals, performances, exploration, and story. But the character advancement mechanics have been reworked in a way that takes agency away from the player, forcing them to use the skills they can scrounge up instead of building the character they want. There is a mountain of fun to be had here; this pivot away from skill points doesn't ruin the game, but it also doesn't feel like the right direction for the series.

There is nothing revolutionary in Max Mustard, but that doesn't mean that this game isn't very well made, and very entertaining. The story is cheerfully bewildering, but the game is so familiar and comfortable, you aren't likely to care. With solid platforming mechanics, Max seems to borrow a bit of this and bit of that from other VR platformers in order to deliver a very polished experience. In a genre that is woefully underserved, Max Mustard is a breezy breath of fresh air.

The Heist is a good bite-sized morsel of content that kept my attention throughout, and I'm excited to see where the rest of these chapters go. I just hope the Insomniac team can keep things interesting throughout.

Life is Strange: Reunion is not only a major step up from Double Exposure, it's one of the best games in the series. Almost every criticism from the previous game was rectified in Reunion and gave Max and Chloe the closure that they deserved. Great writing, great characters and a pretty intense mystery to solve, this game could have gone off the rails at so many points. But Deck Nine managed to pull off a miracle here by delivering a fantastic game.