With an enthralling mystery to solve while trying to survive a supernatural event, Oxenfree challenges you to solve a mystery, care about the characters, and make you want to play through the story again and again.

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

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a deeply emotional collection of human stories, of both the protagonists, but also the settlers of New Eden. The combat is nothing great, but the stories within certainly are. You’ll be surprised at how easily you can empathize with late 17th century colonials, which is the magic of developer Don’t Nod.

Dead Rising 3 provides plenty of zombie killing fun and is a great game to pick up if you bought an Xbox One. Newcomers to the series will find an incredibly fun game with tons of replay value and co-op fun. Returning fans will find the same thing but may be turned off a bit due to the fact that the core game hasn't really changed all that much.

A game by people that really know a thing or two about making a memorable experience, and some of the extra features will have you coming back well into the new year (especially if you have friends).

Not only is this one of the best puzzle games on the Xbox Live Arcade, but it's also a fantastic looking game with a compelling gimmick.

Dead Space 3 capitalizes on everything that made its predecessors great, and expertly executes everything new. It has the psychological scares and claustrophobic environments of the first two games, but proves they aren’t the only ingredients for a tense experience, adding vast expanses that alter both the mood and gameplay.

I am a sucker for this very type roguelike deck building game, and in RogueBook I have found a worthy successor to my favorite in the space, Slay the Spire. While I might think Slay the Spire has that edge on the given mechanics and strategies of a single run, I believe RogueBook excels at world building, game progression, and re-playablity as new power-ups, characters, cards, map items, and challenges are unlocked not just on every run but especially after successfully completing the core game. Each is excellent, each game deserves to be enjoyed. To prefer one over the other is to prefer chocolate syrup over caramel, but in both you are treated to a delicious dessert of fun and strategic gaming.

EA UFC 4 takes a few steps forward with the changes in the fighting game but takes some back as well with the career mode which was bait and switched once again and barely has any significant upgrades.

While the game suffers in performance in docked mode, the pleasures gained in handheld mode more than make up for it. Even with the technical issues, this is a fine collection, and well worth the investment of both time and money.

Overall, a fun little puzzle game with a few nice quirks. Being able to build your own machines was a nice touch as well. However, its not really knockout stupefying or gorgeous, as the graphics are merely decent and the game's creative energy tends to drag a bit at times.

A good-looking, accessible, charming city-builder. Not much new here from Tropico 3, but lots of potential for Tropico 5.

PGA Tour 2K21 scratches the itch for the hardcore golf fans out there, but casual players are going to find a game that is lacking deeper options even though the game itself is beautiful. It's a good entry that hopefully is built upon in the future.

WWE 2K26 is a great move forward for the series and the developers have laid down a lot of exciting groundwork that can be expanded upon in future games. The grind is still as bad as ever, though, and the Ringside Pass needs to be changed so the DLC wrestlers can be earned much earlier than they are now. Those issues aside this is a WWE game that I will absolutely be playing through most of this year.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a mess. There is fun to be had but there it really feels like Infinity Ward really had no idea what direction they wanted to take the series in. Space battles are fun, the campaign missions are fun and the new Zombies mode is a blast, but everything else is just so mediocre that it really brings down the experience.

Everspace took me a while to warm up to, but once I changed my control layout and started getting better at the dogfighting aspects, the game became a lot more fun. Between finding resources to survive and picking my fights with nearby outlaws or running away so I could live to fight another sector, Everspace never really feels like the same run twice, and that’s definitely a good thing.

Tales from the Borderlands is killing it in just about every capacity. The writers, the aesthetic, the voice actors, the gameplay, everything is living up to what I would want out of a non-FPS Borderlands game.

A solid and entertaining expansion to the series, Crossworlds offers up plenty of additional goodies to pull players back.

Offworld turns a spreadsheet simulator into a knock-down drag-out scrap for Martian resources and almighty dollars. The pacing is almost breakneck. But with so much transparency in delivering the numbers, it maintains a sense of fairness, even as black market tactics from less-scrupulous rivals threaten to tear down your 30-minute monehy-making empires.

Overall, FIFA 22 is the best new entry in recent years. But the nefarious gutting of play-to-win rewards in its most popular mode means that the shadow of pay-to-win microtransactions looms ever more over FIFA's latest entry.

This is yet another Capcom collection that pits two similar fighting games together for one cheap price. The good news is that both Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel Super Heroes are great games that hold up well. Unfortunately, the bad news is that you're going to get stomped online. With its creative use of filtering and goals to complete, Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is a must-buy for anybody with an interest in fighting games!

You’ll need to refresh your 8-bit platformer skills to survive the tower in Teslagrad, but doing so is well-worth the effort.

Inmost delivers a variety of gameplay styles, delivering three thoughtfully discordant narratives that tie together with a gut punch at the end. Beautifully constructed pixel-art graphics set a surprisingly somber tone, and the music is top notch at setting the horrific yet contemplative mood. Recommended.

Super Impossible Road has a solid core of gameplay, with a racing mechanic unlike any we've seen. The gameplay is fast and tight, and the visuals are astounding. Perhaps most fun in multiplayer, as the career can be a bit of a slog, this is still a unique racing game will worth a look.

Nine Noir Lives reminds me of childhood Point & Click titles with a grown-up edge. The cat detective and his misadventures with his voice recorder held my attention the whole time. If I were more into the genre, my detective skills might be better. Some puzzles that slowed me down probably won’t stump others, but I found them challenging. A story that required my attention throughout made Nine Noir Lives worth my time.

Bringing a new, adult spin to Zen Studios' winning pinball formula, Pinball M does enough new thing to differentiate itself from the Pinball FX mothership. Bringing a strong opening selection of tables and many ways to interact with them, Pinball M feels like the start of something new and mysterious. I can't wait to see where it goes next.

Despite having a strong legacy to build upon, this game somehow manages to somewhat disappoint. In fact, it may be time to let the entire WW II, FPS genre die with dignity.

Deathtrap's unique take on the tower defense genre by expanding player interaction with action and role-playing gameplay elements results in an entertaining and worthwhile experience. Both fans of tower defense and role-playing games are recommended to take a journey into the world of Deathtrap.

Until the sequel arrives, however, we now have even more GalCiv goodness, adding more addictiveness and content to an already insanely addictive game.

Republique Remastered is an effective, modern point-and-click adventure, and one of the few good mobile-to-PC upconverts. The controls and gameplay take some time to get used to. But it's well worth it to explore the lovingly realized world of conspiracy and paranoia.

Mega Man Legacy Collection on the 3DS is a great collection of games and extras, but players who already have the Virtual Console games might be hard pressed to spend $30 on 54 challenges that have little replayability without any online functionality and leaderboards. It also doesn’t help that they left out the widescreen option from the console/PC versions. If you can get past that, you’ll find a lot of classic NES enjoyment within this collection.

Your level of enjoyment will hinge on how often you can play this game with friends. When there are plenty of people around this game is a blast. Playing it solo can still be a lot of fun, but it feels like some of the magic is lost.

Who says you can never go home again? Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral town takes an already great game in the storied franchise and throws it into HD, with a hefty bushel of new content along for the ride. Whether you're a nostalgic veteran like me or a greenhorn just starting out, Mineral Town is a worthy addition to your Switch library.

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is a fun trip down memory lane; playing in handheld mode on my Switch further pushes that nostalgic feeling. The weakest part of this collection is the lack of innovation made throughout the series, something I wouldn’t have noticed if I was playing a different game once every few years. But none of the negatives drag down the overall fun of this collection. The best part of the Battle Network series is the combat, which still feels unrivaled. Added features make it a great collection to add if you’re into either Mega Man or RPGs in general. A collection of six games, with ten different versions to play, the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is a worthwhile investment.

Starhawk is truly a gem in the PlayStation lineup of 2012. Frantic and addictive multiplayer combined with some unique gameplay elements make for one of the best multiplayer experiences available in the industry today. It's just too bad that the multiplayer experience fails to carry over to the single-player campaign.

Railway Empire is a game that has a lot of promise, plenty of substance, and can be enjoyable to those who have 20ft train sets in their basements. However, most will find this game poorly designed, easily finished, and a tedious use of their time. Suddenly doing laundry sounds like a good idea.

Equal parts brilliant old-school action game, tired last-gen title, and brutal masochistic fever dream, the Devil May Cry HD collection slaps a dubious coat of paint on a classic series and asks the world to pretend it's new and relevant. While fans of the series will dig it, everyone else will be better served by dusting off their PS2s and borrowing a copy of the original Devil May Cry from a friend.

Etrian Mystery Dungeon continues the streak of great Etrian titles. The shake-up in gameplay doesn't rattle the game too much for die-hard fans and will give them exactly what they want, while giving people unfamiliar with the franchise, a good entry level introduction.

In the end I do feel that there's enough room for an arcade racing game, but it's important to realize that this type of game is not for everybody. Then again, this type of game will surely scratch a certain kind of itch that neither Forza nor Project Gotham Racing has been able to get to.

If you’re a true fanatic then you shouldn’t think twice about purchasing this game. It contains everything you’ve loved about the previous entries, coupled with some new mini-games and a bevy of new tracks to dance to.

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!

One of the best games I’ve played all year, and one of the best entries in the Need for Speed series. The driving is sublime, the cars are gorgeous, the art style is striking, and the soundtrack is exceptional. Despite falling short in a couple of facets, Unbound is a must-play racer.

Smartly written dialogue, strong voice acting, and terrific graphics help make up for some technical flaws as well as a couple cases of that would offer little challenge to Sherlock Holmes. A must play for Holmes buffs, but it’s somewhat slow of pace so action seekers would be wise to look elsewhere.

It took a couple years, but Klei has finally perfected Shank's combat. This action-packed sequel is strong on violence and short of depth, not unlike the movies its making fun of. Still, even with the improved combat and art direction, I miss the Tarantino flavors of the first game. Shank 2 is a fun romp!

Despite its technical issues, Sanctum 2’s blend of tower defense and first-person shooting forces you to think differently about both genres. The dichotomy has issues when it comes to balancing on a smaller scale, but it combines mechanics so well as a whole that the rest is easy to overlook.

Bohemia Interactive's ArmA II provides an ultra-realistic military shooter for those that are up to the challenge. There are some rough spots, but those are adequately compensated for by the complex and realistic battle environment.

Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a fantastic game. It reminds you of how those old SNES and Genesis games were, enhanced with plenty of quality of life elements. If all your side scrolling melee retro games got together, and created a game in the lab of a maniacal government, it would be this. If you love retro 16-bit action games, you won't regret this. Cyber ninja vanish.

With five new characters, improved online play and extra modes, Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is a great deal at $40. Fans who own 2012's model may not like buying a brand new game, but everybody else needs to pick it up on the strength of the single-player story mode.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is a great port of a great game and it's great that it will have one more breath of life on current consoles before Marvel vs. Capcom Infinite comes out.

I can’t say enough good things about Rebel Galaxy Outlaw. It’s a sucker punch aimed at all the bloated, morbidly obese space sims out on the market today. Yes, there’s room for them, too. But Outlaw distills the ‘90s space-combat and trading sim into a great-looking, great-playing game for a new generation.

Street Fighter V has all of the makings of a fantastic fighting game. Unfortunately, that is all it has: makings. There are some performance issues to go along with a serious lack of content that is meant to constitute a full game experience, which is criminal, to say the least.

It’s still a fun game but if you already have another console version, this might be one to skip unless you have friends who also pick up this version.

Embers of Mirrim is an ambitious game. It combines visual storytelling with mechanics that make the player think about how to get through obstacles, and also has a touch of fast-paced escape fights that, while aiming to fill the moment with tension, ultimately falls flat.

Gorgeous and robust, Soul Calibur 5 shows that there is plenty of soul still left to burn in the series. Fans will find plenty to do and should have no problem burning the candles late into the night both online and off; the only problem is that if you didn't love it before, there isn't anything new that will make you a fan now. Instead, SC5 serves as the perfect demonstration of a refined formula that, thankfully, hasn't aimed to fix anything that wasn't broken.

No matter whether you were there from the beginning or just now playing the game for the time, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection has something for everybody. With its action-packed story, memorable characters and strong narrative, there's a reason people continue to celebrate this game twenty years later. Even though the bonus content doesn't come close to matching the original game, there's more than enough to love about this $30 collection!

I Expect You to Die provides everything I want in VR room escape type of game. Objects are easy to manipulate, the puzzles don't require great leaps of non-intuitive logic to solve, and the experience itself is quite entertaining. It can look spendy at full price, but it's on Steam so it' just a matter of waiting for a sale.

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree's Woe and the Blight Below is a wonderful effort by Koei Tecmo and Omega Force. The visuals, the gameplay, the audio, all aspects of this game come together to make an unforgettable experience that any fan of the Dragon Quest franchise should not miss.

This is the best 4x game to grace the current generation of consoles, possible the best 4x game to grace any generation of consoles; but that's kind of like winning a race when you were the only genuine competitor. It still suffers greatly from a frustrating mid-game but if you've got the itch to explore, expand, exploit, and exterminate on a console this will scratch it.

Elder Scrolls Online: Tamriel Unlimited has addressed many of the issues that plagued the first title. There are still some issues with clipping, connections, and voice chat, but the game is still quite enjoyable with plenty of quests to complete and areas to explore. It isn't the perfect MMO by far, but at least it's one that won't cost you $15 a month and you can come back to it whenever you feel like exploring Tamriel.

As long as you know what you’re getting into thematically, graphically, and gameplay-wise, you’ll enjoy your time spent with Tales of Symphonia and ToS: A New Dawn.

Onrush is one of the better multiplayer games on the market and is easily a game for all ages. The customization, competition, and teamwork all make for a heck of an afternoon of gaming. And where it is 7v7, you can’t possibly run out of spots for friends to come get some.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is a great game that really goes deep into each of its cases to prove who the real culprit is, sometimes to a fault. The Mystery Labyrinths can tend to go on for a bit despite knowing who the real culprit is halfway through and Shinigami’s sense of humor can get a tad annoying at times. It also doesn’t help that after going through a few hours of how the crime was committed, you then basically get to relive the entire crime two more times which at that point just feels like the game is padding itself. Overall though, if you’re up for solving some mysteries with a purple ghost sidekick, Master Detective Archives: Rain Code is definitely worth checking out.

With issues of a lackluster narrative and trial and error single-player levels, the game doesn't quite achieve the status of a perfect sequel. Yet, Anomaly 2 follows the tradition of the original by setting a new standard for games in the tower offense and defense genres.

Corpse Party is finally available for Nintendo fans, and it's not the most optimal experience, but the game is still horrifying nearly five years later.

Madragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree provides the perfect blend of Souls-like and Metroidvania. An engaging story and satisfying combat will keep you coming back even though there are going to be things that annoy you and force you to step away from time to time. In the end, there is an excellent adventure to be found here and I look forward to more like it from this development team.

If you can't tell from this glowing review, let me come out and say it plainly: I LOVE MotorStorm Apocalypse. The game is an absolute blast and a top-class production. Evolution has created the total package, from addicting and fun gameplay to incredible track design... it's all here. The MotorStorm series finally has it's "great" game...

Not terribly long-lasting, but worth checking out for some off-the-wall entertainment.

XCOM 2 is, at five years old, a stone cold classic. The XCOM 2 Collection on the Switch may have some technical issues, with framerate and resolution being the most prevalent, but having the ability to play this amazing title on the go far outweighs any problems you might experience. Let's be real; you aren't playing XCOM 2 for the graphics anyhow. All of the strategy, depth and fun is accounted for here. Highly recommended.

Pacific Drive is an intriguing blend of science fiction storytelling and simulator gameplay mechanics. If you typically shy away from roguelikes, this might be the one that finally nestles its way into your psyche as you tell yourself “Just one more run”.

Rhythm games usually wear out their welcomes after a few weeks, but Taiko’s hands-on addictiveness provides months and months of wholesome family entertainment.

It's violent, it's lewd, it's offensive, it's Duke Nukem and it's amazing. Hail to the king, baby!

It looks the same and plays the same, but once you've started chasing down those cute monkeys you won't want to put down the control. Ape Escape 3 gets nearly every element right, it's just not very ambitious in its goals.

As good as the writing and acting are, Quantum Break is still a game and the game is rock solid.

If you didn't play the first game, you may be a little confused in terms of the story, but it's an incredibly fun game.

Even if you are playing 1 v 1 matches, it makes for an incredibly fun time and since matches are short, you will probably find yourself saying "just one more match" over and over again like I have.

A surprisingly middle-of-the-road RTS excursion, Supreme Commander 2 fails to live up to the expectations set forth by its larger-than-life predecessor.

Back 4 Blood is a worthy successor to the Left 4 Dead franchise. It maintains the fundamentals of what made the original so addictive and satisfying while adding its own little flair with the rogue-like deck building system. What holds Back 4 Blood from getting a better score is its high price tag and lack of solo play progression.

World of Tanks' stories are written and measured out in one shots, potshots, ramming speeds, camping grounds, slugging matches, and Hail Marys. It's a game that makes you study topography and geometry, and measure probability. It's a game of Know Your Role. It's a game that earns its rightful place in living rooms and tournament circuits alike.

With its attractive price and workable controls, Tomb Raider: Anniversary is easy to recommend to anybody who enjoys exploring dank and dark caves looking for hidden treasure.

American Wasteland doesn’t quite live up to the promises made by its creator, something that ultimately ends up hurting this seventh Tony Hawk installment. After all these years of teaching couch potatoes how to skate, the good folks at Neversoft have finally released a game that you might as well skate past.

WordJong is a modest game, a simple puzzle game that does only one thing ... but does it very well.

Taking Superhot's amazing and addictive gameplay and expanding it in several directions, Superhot: Mind Control Delete feels exactly right. New bad guys, new powers, and roguelike randomized levels keep the game feeling much more rollicking than its intellectual predecessor. Mind Control Delete offers what the original game did not; endless hours of Superhot fun. Not bad for a free add on.

Lumines on the Xbox 360 is just as much fun as it was on the PSP, but due to its high price tag and awkward control scheme it just doesn't feel like much of a bargain. If you don't mind paying $15 for an incomplete version of this puzzle game then you will end up having hours of fun trying to beat your high score.

With multiple paths to take, tons of hidden areas and an endless barrage of cool boss fights, Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara is one of the best brawlers on the Xbox Live Arcade. Throw in online multiplayer, fun challenges to complete and plenty of extras to unlock, and suddenly you have an old school arcade compilation that is tough to put down!

Unravel 2 is more than just a puzzle game. It’s a journey of working with someone, sometimes that someone being yourself, and going on a journey that will change you. It’s a marvel how the developers evoked such feeling out of this slick combination of gameplay and visual storytelling, even one without words. Like me, it will leave you speechless at the end.

Strip out all of the blood and gore from the Hitman franchise and what is left is truly a thinking man’s game. The developers certainly understand what the true charm of the series is and it is highlighted in this puzzle-take on the franchise.

Poochy and Yoshi's Woolly World is a nice port of the Wii U version, though anyone with the Wii U version might not find enough to warrant picking up this one. The difficulty is easy for veteran gamers but could be challenging for younger players. That doesn't, however, stop it from being a fun and casual game that will remind you of Yoshi's more classic outings.

If you're a Wii owner and you haven't played The Godfather then by all means pick this game up and see what all the fuss is about, but if you've already fought your way to the top then there's probably not enough new content here to warrant a second play through.

The Pathless is a remarkably well-designed game, guiding the player forward with intuitive design while providing plenty of opportunity to experiment and play. With a great locomotion system and an amazing soundtrack, The Pathless will easily see players losing hours while under its hypnotic spell. Fun and rewarding puzzles, a nice story line, and plenty to see and do make The Pathless a great game, regardless of which system you play it on.

It had been a while since I last played a Raiden game and Raiden V: Director’s Cut was pretty enjoyable after reacquainting myself with the series, my eyesight issues aside. The fact you can beat the game on any difficulty can seem a tad off putting, but this is actually a good concept for newer players so they can experience the story then increase the difficulty when they start to improve so they can get a better ending. That combined with the boss challenges give quite a bit of replayability to the game and being able to take things a stage at a time makes it great to play in short bursts. Overall a pretty good entry for the series.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is proving itself to be eternal. Here we are, more than a decade from the game's initial release and it is as addictive and enjoyable as ever. This has truly become a beat 'em up classic and has demonstrated that it can stand the test of time. The Ultimate version is just that—the ultimate version of the game. It looks, sounds, and plays better than ever. Fans of the genre must experience this one and they will find a game that they'll keep in rotation forever.

A surprise entry for one of my personal favorite games of 2011. Dungeon Defenders is a standout title that anyone who calls themselves a 'gamer' should own.

While the first game was an enjoyable proof of concept, Sanctum 2 is that idea realized. A great experience all around, it brings the best of both the shooter and tower defense worlds together. Try to bring along a couple of friends for the adventure though, as they will make it exponentially more enjoyable.

Magic 2014 still provides one of the most enjoyable gaming experiences out there for fans of strategy and card games.

Dead Nation is a remarkable game and easily one of the best PSN titles available. The game stands shoulder to shoulder with the Left 4 Dead series as the pinnacle titles of the zombie-game genre. If you even remotely enjoy slaying zombies, do not hesitate to buy this game.

Black is hurt by its simple game play, short story and crummy ending, but that doesn't mean it's not worth experiencing at least once.

Tchia is a gorgeous, endearing open-world adventure filled with the heart and soul of New Caledonian culture. It’s a world you’ll love being in despite the overall experience being stymied from reaching its true potential by tedious combat.

Riders Republic can be a ton of colorful fun, with go-anywhere do-anything extreme sports gameplay that is instantly accessible and appealing, all wrapped up in a tortilla of weird goofiness. Engage with the stuff you like, ignore the stuff you don't, and get penalized for absolutely nothing. Riders Republic is most concerned with letting the good times roll—and for the most part, it succeeds admirably.