Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is competently built, attractive to look at in some areas, but rather bland in others. The gameplay was approachable and the difficulty curve was shallow, so players experienced in the genre may find it to be too easy to provide a meaningful challenge. Conversely, players new to the genre, or those that aren’t especially good at it, will likely find it to be more engaging.

The conjuring house has confusing, repetitive level design and cringe-worthy voice acting, but the scares are hard-hitting and the gameplay is a constant risk balance of exploration and self-preservation. It’s not a great horror game, but it does have some great moments that make its relatively brief campaign memorable.

I really want to like this game more. NiCO's a fun new character to add to the mix, and the DOA Quest mode is a lot of fun. But the middling story, and ridiculous costume grind kind of shows how little new content there is to this game. Maybe down the line it'll be a fully fleshed out experience, but at least it's off to a better start than Street Fighter 5.

Disney's Magical World is a pretty decent pick up for anyone burned out on Animal Crossing. The gameplay styles differ enough to make them stand out as two separate titles, but Magical World has a slight leg up on the competition.

Curious Expedition 2's gorgeous backgrounds and good-looking characters improve on the first title, but don't do enough to make the management part of the game sparkle. Expeditions become a trudge, especially when your party robs you of all your alcohol; and combat can be fun, but not much fun to look at.

Surgeon Simulator ER completes the requests by many VR folks for the original game to be played this way. It doesn’t present too much new in terms of gameplay or graphics. If you didn’t enjoy the original game, you’ll probably pass on this one as well. Surgeon Simulator isn’t for everyone and doesn’t have the mass appeal as say Job Simulator, but for those that found some fun and charm in the original game, Surgeon Simulator ER can give you a new way to play and some more enjoyment out if it.

Iron Man VR is a good finale for the PS4's lifecycle of PS VR titles. While there are a few technical issues with Iron Man VR – mostly related to the Move controls – it's still a pretty enjoyable affair. Just gotta take it in small doses to make sure you get your VR legs first.

While you were partying, Narita Boy studied the techno-blade. Impossibly good pixel art is locked behind bad-but-gets-better platforming and okay-but-gets-cool hack n' slashing.

It makes a terrible first impression, but #killallzombies ultimately proves to be worth your time.

Good, not great. Fun yet frustrating. Scratching the itch while giving me athlete's foot. The new modes feel rushed and not completely thought out to be much more than a stunt. The game feels balanced when choosing which character to play, and the adventure mode will easily fill in the void of playing by yourself, just don't go looking for a gripping story. Mario Golf: Super Rush tees it off, but has the ball landing in the rough.

Conarium is hauntingly beautiful and competent as an adventure-puzzle game with some light horror elements, but as a true H.P. Lovecraft survival horror game it isn’t long or scary enough.

Hitman is off to a good start, but the ridiculous load times and the always-online issues bring down an otherwise impressive entry in the Hitman series.

Overall, it’s a fun jaunt through the past, and although I’m sure I’ll get tired by the eventual repetitiveness, just like all open-world games, it’s a great experience for what the gameplay provides.

Monster Rancher is a unique take on a game, it also takes someone who wants to play a unique kind of game to get the maximum enjoyment from it. I don’t think that was me, but I can appreciate two well made games, even if they’re not my perfect cup of tea. The Nintendo Switch might be the best place for this type of slower paced, menu based game. Overall I enjoyed my time with the games, but not as much as I hoped to.

Jumpjet Rex is a great game but it can often as frustrating as it is fun. As long as you pace yourself, especially when things start getting difficult and your progression slows, you will find it to be an extremely enjoyable trip down memory lane and a great reminder of how challenging 2D platformers can be.

Evil Dead: The Game brings a lot to the table within the realm of asymmetrical multiplayer horror experiences, with its cast of iconic characters, locations, and dialogue. It is an absolute blast to play as Ash Williams - voiced by Bruce Campbell himself - against the Forces of Darkness. There's even a solo mission mode that pays homage to famous scenes from the movies and tv series. Unfortunately, there's a slight lack of content due to repetitive objectives, and many quality of life concerns that the developers need to address if they want to prolong the longevity of their passion project.

What the Bat? isn’t going to set the VR world on fire with it’s ground-breaking use of VR tech, but it is going to make VR fans looking for a simple, fun game smile and laugh for a few hours. With a barrage of minigames and weirdo mechanics, this game radiates creativity and fun. Just, uh, don’t expect any baseball.

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.

It’s easy for Coromon to be labeled a clone. It almost begs you to think of it as one. On the surface, it looks like a new set of monsters were dropped into a nearly identical world. But dig a little deeper. A story that doesn’t have gyms or badges, customization in both difficulty and player options that you don’t see in the competitor. Coromon feels more like a spiritual successor to monster trainer games of decades past. Sharper pixel graphics and features that people ask for are present throughout. The look of Coromon is more refined than what you’d expect from a "clone". If you enjoy collecting monsters, then Coromon has it. If you want a new twist, something that helps define the genre moving forward, you might be let down.

With a particle-heavy 8-bit paintbrush, Songbringer is a glam metal Zelda. Songbringer doesn't try to finish what Hyper Light Drifter started; Songbringer has heart of its own. It's easy to like but hard to love.

There were times I wanted to root for Goodbye Deponia, and there were times I wanted to, well, say goodbye to all of it. Deponia happens to miss almost all of my laugh bases with its self-aggrandizing jibs and jabs, but that doesn't mean its puzzles and gameplay mechanics fail. It's confident and consistent in its tone, even if its tone isn't laughable when it should be, which means its drama is off-kilter when it shouldn't be.

Harold is one of those games where if you don’t like steep difficulty curves, you’ll likely want to stay away from it. If you can get past that though, Harold does provide a pretty good challenge even in the early going and really tests your reflexes as the races get harder and you have to multitask even more obstacles.

Tomodachi Life isn’t for everyone, but it's still a fun game that can also be enjoyed in short bursts when pressed for time.

Kinect Sports Rivals is a great leap forward for the series but it still shows the shortcomings of the Kinect technology.

Despite this score appearing low. I freaking love this game. But I would be remiss if I didn't point out the flaws that felt more common than the shard drops in the game's early going. I'm really hopeful for the future of this title, because I don't think Iga would be willing to let this game (Blood)stain his legacy.

If you already love Devil May Cry 4, then this brand new special edition is everything you could hope for. It looks great, runs fast and is loaded with playable characters. On the other hand, new players may not be able to overlook some of the game's outdated designs, including fixed camera perspectives and tons of backtracking.

Oozi: Earth Adventure is an enjoyable adventure that really conjures up memories of classic platformers from the 8-bit and 16-bit days. It is simple and accessible which is a nice change of pace in today's market. Unfortunately however, that fact may turn the more "diehard" gamers off. Don't expect incredible depth here, just simple fun that can be enjoyed by gamers of all ages.

Soulstice is a solid, albeit unnecessarily dragged out, hack-and-slash action role playing game that features a great cast of characters and an engaging narrative. There’s a ton of replayability and a high skill ceiling to achieve, but the lack of variety in gameplay elements and wonky camera angles keep it from being truly amazing.

I’m glad I was able to mark these off my bucket list of games I wanted to play but never got around to. Whatever I had to sacrifice to be able to play these games on my Switch was worth it. The story of Ezio Auditore starts a little slow, but by the end of his third game I was ready to seek out the next game. Everything can feel a little outdated compared to newer entries, but as someone who has never played these games this was a great way to experience them.

A solid, but still returnable, second serve that could use a little more mechanical tinkering.

Nitroplus Blasterz: Heroine's Infinite Duel is definitely an above average title. It's a shame that cutting corners in a few key places (like the online play menus, and the lack of a good combo training mode) really cheapens the experience.

A fun concept and addictive gameplay cannot make up for an overly short single-player campaign and a lack of variety. Z-Run has all the right elements, but is over far too quickly. On the other hand, I cannot deny having a great time running through the urban wasteland dodging zombies.

A standard space-based RTS. Short, but also cheap, worth picking up if you are a fan of the genre or are just itching for some old-school RTS action.

Starship Corporation has the features you would expect from a vehicle designer / guy-in-charge game, provided in an easy to use set of menus and helper screens. A thorough tutorial gives the player a good background for moving forward. We did encounter some stability issues, though.

Fans of competitive puzzle games will eat this up. But Magical Beat is marred by questionable gameplay mechanics, a barebones presentation, no online modes and an annoying soundtrack. If you can get past some of these problems, you'll find an interesting puzzler that doesn't quite meet its full potential.

While the presentation is spot on, the gameplay is marred by combat that seems to favor the enemies. Couple this with obtuse puzzles and an aimless story and you have an adventure game that is good, but doesn't stack up to the best games in the genre.

Marvel’s Avengers–Age of Ultron looks like a 10-car pileup glued together with overly looping dialogue and a few forgivable missteps. Even without prior existing knowledge of these superheroes' thoughts and motivations, it’s still a challenging table with subtle rewards.

With smooth gameplay, a well constructed narrative, and AI that is sufficiently intelligent; Dawn of Andromeda offers enough to overcome its learning curve and keep replays fresh. There will be a learning curve because much of the nitty-gritty of managing settlements never really grace the tutorial or hints, but after a few matches, likely leading to a few annihilations, much of the game management, must-do's, and politics fall into place. It errs a little heavy on the necessity for a strong early military, but I guess that's just the proof that it exists in the space of a hostile galaxy.

Ruiner is a fun and fast twin stick shooter that ends all too soon and leaves you asking way too many questions.

Maneater is a solid first entry in a new open world RPG franchise. Repetitive missions and some fairly severe framerate issues hold the game back a bit, but overall Maneater is a good bit of summertime gaming fluff. You can't beat the feeling of chomping people at the beach, and Maneater provides just what gamers are looking for – fun carnage with just enough structure to keep players motivated.

For a platformer with some Mega Man-esque elements, the controls can feel weird at first and the attacking takes some getting used to. If you can get past that, the game can be pretty fun as long as you’re not one to get frustrated too easily by precision platforming.

Infliction feels like a mash-up of elements from other, better-known games. However, a strong game loop and stellar sound design elevate Inflicted beyond being a tired retread. While the lighting is questionable at times, in general the visuals reveal an eye for detail. A fun photo mechanic also sets the game apart from its contemporaries. Infliction is well worth a look for horror fans, and those nostalgic for the early '90s.

Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker’s Memory is a surprisingly deep and complicated game. Coming to the title as a franchise newcomer, I did have some problems assimilating into such an established universe. But underneath all of the anime trappings, I found a solid and enjoyable (if somewhat standard) RPG. I would recommend this game to Digimon fans, and to RPG fans looking for something a little weird.

It's really short and you won't get much replay value, but being Batman even for one a night, and in a more passive role, is still pretty cool.

This is a Battlefield experience through and through. However, I find myself staring more at the gaps in the menus than the accessible parts that are there. The promise of future content is a great thing, but not when you are constantly reminded of the voids it will fill. Fans will love this entry, and rightfully so, but in its current form Battlefield V won't be recruiting any new soldiers to this battle.

There's nothing particularly amazing to NES Remix 2 if you didn't grow up with any of these games, but for those of you out there who have fond memories of these games, give NES Remix 2 a shot, it offers a short burst of some sublime gameplay.

Jupiter’s Forge is an intimidating economic battleground. That's entirely intentional. Don’t come here waving your old strategies around; they won’t gain much traction. Only veterans need apply to this meaty, punishing DLC.

Gun Commando is a solid Doom clone with a number of fresh ideas. Unfortunately, it is plagued by imprecise controls and too many cheap deaths. Even with that weighing against it, this is still preferable to most first-person shooter games on the PS Vita!

Necropolis is a solid foundation with a really weird, questionably designed house built on top. If you're willing to take the time and try to spruce the place up, you may find it was worthwhile, but beware that it may require more work than you're willing to put in.

At the end of the day, Super Cloudbuilt is a well-designed and challenging game that just needs some minor tweaking to be a major player. The story is just uninteresting and the rewards for completing the levels of the game are lousy. There is definitely enough here – 4 branches of 9 or so levels, plus a hoard of challenges – to keep a parkour person happy... just don’t look for a higher meaning.

White Day: A Labyrinth Named School is a great experience for those looking for nostalgic old school survival horror. What it lacks in modern day graphics and mechanics it makes up for with a plethora of lore and swimsuit DLCs. Still, many questionable and outdated design choices hold it back from being truly amazing.

It kind of feels like Koei Tecmo dragged this franchise out from the closet under the stairs, dusted if off, then threw it back out to the masses. It's more Deception, and it's pretty good. But beyond that, it's a game that's strictly for the fans.

There are a few big twists, some of them you will see coming from miles away, and a few that you won't. But I did mostly enjoy my time with the game. I don't necessarily know when I'm going to go back and play again, but I am interested to check out a few of the other twists. I have a hard time justifying the $60 cost to anyone but fans of this kind of game.

Toukiden 2 can get repetitive at times with battles that go on way too long but it's still a fun monster hunting game that fans of that genre should be able to enjoy.

There is a lot to love with Sacred Citadel, but I can’t help but think it could have been much more.

Man in a Maze: Deathmatch is a fun game, but a bit on the easy side.

If you like going on long walks, if your favorite color is safety orange, or if you're never taking "must love dogs" out of your Tinder bio, then Hunting Simulator 2 is sounding your mating call.

Simply put, Aluna: Sentinel of the Shards is your typical action adventure RPG. Zones are fun and unique enough to satisfy. But the frame rate dips so low at times that it’s easy to become frustrated. There’s nothing eccentric here, and that’s ok. Not every game about saving the world has to be, I guess.

Minecraft Dungeons is a competent hack n' slash RPG; nothing more, nothing less. It has the outward charm of the creative masterpiece that inspired it, but very little depth. What is here is fun for a time in solo or co-op, but don't expect it to hold your attention long-term.

Evolve offers an excellent mix of competitive and cooperative gameplay but it is buried behind a muddled progression system and lengthy matchmaking / loading times.

American Fugitive is good in spots. And those spots are fun. But on the whole, the game just barely keeps up with its own scope of ambition.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon is a fun game, but it still has its frustrating moments.

Overture is a great idea with decent execution. The groundwork is certainly laid here for a new take on the roguelike genre but there is still a lot of room for improvement and expansion.

Take simple, Pitfall-like platforming (minus the rope swinging), mix in a hint of Sword & Sworcery’s art style, and then you have an overreaching X-meets-Y makeup of The Deer God. I feel like its motivations are far better than half-hearted; creatively and intentionally. But The Deer God keeps asking me to return to a life I find less and less interesting with each reincarnation.

While AquaPazza may not appeal to the masses right off the bat, if you are a fighting game fan it is certainly worth a try. And for fans of the AquaPlus titles, it should be a no brainer that this game is made just for you.

Samurai G could have been about anything -- Godzilla, grandmothers, ghosts or even gangsters. Unfortunately, UFO Interactive decided to make this particular samurai money hungry. Samurai G is an action game full of gold collecting, but the concept gets old far too quickly. If only there was an online leaderboard or a check point system!

Nihilumbra is a good first effort from BeautiFun Games, hopefully this promising title leads to better things from the studio in the future. It's definitely a standout title on the Vita's indie store, even with some minor issues.

Guardians of the Galaxy is a great table, but the lack of direction given to the player really sets it back. There is a lot to figure out on your own here, which could turn some gamers off early on and prevent them from getting all that it has to offer.

The horrid framerate and numerous bugs make this game like tap dancing in a minefield, but the game itself is deep, with a quality narrative, superb voice acting and rich gameplay.

If you ignore the insipid faux-noir dialogue, you’ll find that White Night is a pleasing old-school survival horror gameplay experience with a sharp visual style and an intriguing story.

Earth Defense Force 2025 is a perfect game to just relax with and let your brain take a break. But if you want something that provides an old-school arcade styled challenge, this is also a great game to check out.

A cute concept is not enough to save Jungle Rumble: Freedom, Happiness and Bananas from being a disappointing rhythm-action game. Tapping the screen is fun at first, but too many of the levels play out the same way, and the whole ordeal becomes too repetitive for its own good.

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.

There are a couple of technical issues that hold back Life is Strange 2, it's got some weird visual glitches, and I encountered a few crashes in the short, but ultimately interesting story of two brothers, and their suddenly upended life.

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.

Bloodshore continues Wales Interactive's streak of entertaining interactive genre films, this time in the exploitation late-night action arena. With a fun battle royale plot, a few twists and turns, and some gnarly violence, Bloodshore provides several runs worth of solid entertainment. Cleaner in editing than some recent efforts, Bloodshore is a step in the right direction for interactive films.

KickBeat is an interesting idea that really works well when you get the hang of it. It just takes a while to do that, so know that going into the experience.

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure isn't a bad fighting game, but it may be too weird for its own good. The 22 characters are hard to relate to and the action is often chaotic for no reason. Worse yet, the game is too expensive for the amount of content. If you can get over some of the imperfections you'll find a good looking fighting game with a lot of memorable characters!

The highest compliment I can give is that this game is probably the closest I'll ever get to that Starship Troopers shooter I've always wanted to play but will probably never realize. If I squint my eyes just a little bit I can make believe I've left the EDF and joined the Mobile Infantry. Welcome to the Roughnecks. Would you like to know more?

Atelier Ayesha Plus: The Alchemist of Dusk looks good and has a great crafting system, but it pales in comparison to Atelier Rorona.

Game & Wario is a fun collection of distractions but it’s missing an engaging core experience.

Chocobo GP is a very well-made kart racer that looks and controls very much like Mario Kart. With a funny, weird storyline and a ton of different characters, tracks, and modes, this will keep fans of the genre busy for quite a while. I would recommend checking out the free “Lite” version of the game, and if you like it, take the plunge.

Minutes surprised me with its challenging yet fun gameplay.

The Escapists oozes charm, but due to the inherent nature of the game, it has a tendency to be boring. It takes a lot of patience to make your escape, and you'll spend a lot of your time waiting. This may be a turn off for some, but for others it may make that final escape all the more satisfying.

Flame Over is purposely vague, to the point of being perplexing at times. While the game is action-packed and full of interesting ideas, the package doesn't come together in a cohesive fashion.

Mechstermination Force feels like it comes very close to having a manageable learning curve. Quality-wise, it’s great, and a good homage to its boss-filled predecessors. However, there’s nothing more game-ruining than, you know, not being able to play the game. There’s hard, and then there’s hard hard, and then there’s Mechstermination Force. It can be done. It can be beaten. I just hope you have a spare hour or two for every boss, and some throat lozenges and ice water nearby.

Expeditions: Vikings is a fantastic role playing strategy game for those of us whom feel the need to raid and pillage. It creates an authentic social environment where traditions and customs and be enforced or forsaken, much like the gods and myths in the Norse universe. Its a bit clunky, and not very pretty, but neither were the Vikings. With a few more character portraits, and some spit and polish it could be a real gem for any gaming collection.

If you are a die hard RTS fan looking for a new challenge, Infested Planet's mutated hordes might be just what you are looking for. Everyone else be wary. Infested Planet is easy to pick up and play, but its alien army wants nothing more than to tear you apart.

Antigraviator can be pretty challenging for those not familiar with anti-gravity racing games such as F-Zero. There aren’t a lot of upgrades for your vehicle and requiring credits to attempt later leagues can be a bit detrimental as you might have to replay the first league multiple times just to grind credits. The traps are also not really my cup of tea and I could do without those personally. Beyond that though, Antigraviator is a solid game, but it’s not for everyone.

The story and dialog aren't anything new or interesting. In fact, there isn't much about Alien Rage: Unlimited that brings anything new to the table. But there's a lot about it that hits you right in the nostalgia.

As a multiplayer-focused free-for-all, Starwhal is a lot of fun in short doses. Sadly, the game is too repetitive and the extra modes are bafflingly unbalanced. I can imagine this being a hit with large parties, but solo players need not apply.

From the creator of ToeJam & Earl comes a game about a robot searching for humanity. Doki-Doki Universe has players flying through twenty different planets, all in hopes of finding what makes humans tick.

With good looks and tight controls, Table Top Racing has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, this Vita-exclusive is marred by unoriginal weapons, boring track designs and the most annoying use of the rear touchscreen I've seen in years. It's not bad for the price, but should have been a lot better given the talent behind Playrise Digital.

Red Strings Club is more of a visual novel than a true adventure game, but its roughly four-hour story will give you some topics for your brain to chew on. The conversational gameplay, not to mention the drink mixing minigame, are a lot of fun.

Hyrule Warriors Legends is a pretty amazing achievement on the 3DS hardware, but that same hardware imposes some rather glaring limitations. It’s almost feature-complete compared to the Wii U game but a smaller screen and lower resolution hamper the overall experience.

Good puzzle games make you see the pathways in your mind before they show up in the game. Mini Motorways does this, and does it well. At its heart, Mini Motorways is about failure. Or your attempt to push failure back as long as possible, just like my parents' marriage. Eventually your city will collapse under its own pressure. But if you need a half hour to kill Mini Motorways is a great choice.

While not the best “game” there is, this is one of the best displays of the latest Kinect technology. The move to digital is a great choice, as is giving you the ability to compile the soundtrack of your liking in the long run. There just needed to be a lot more meat on the bones of this meal, as well as the ability to get to the main course a bit quicker.

If you missed out on Deadlight when it was originally released and are into action platformers, I do recommend checking it out. Just be prepared for the frustration to ramp up as the game goes on.