In the end, while the gameplay and repetition required can be frustrating, The Masterplan is very well put together from an aesthetic standpoint.

This is first person shooting distilled to its purest and most action-packed form. Updated graphics, fun co-op, and a budget price tag join together to put this on any shooter fan's wish list.

2Dark is a compelling horror game that tackles some truly horrific subject matter. But cheap deaths and uneven level design hold it back from being truly great.

Lords of the Fallen is both a shameless Dark Souls rip off and a solid action/adventure game.

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.

When Gungrave is at its best, it's an extremely entertaining action game with a satisfying storyline. At its worse, it's still pretty repetitive and about as deep as a wading pool. Overdose doesn't break any new ground, but still manages to be a great waste of time.

A solid tower defense experience on the console, The Castle Game plays things safe from start to finish. There is a solid foundation here, which offers an enjoyable experience, but it really doesn’t do anything to make itself stand out or try anything new.

Ageless is bright, colorful, and sounds great, but is just a bit clunky. The game gives off a Celeste-vibe, which is a good thing, but it can take some time to get used to the age mechanics and the precise aiming required for a lot of the puzzles.

Atari Mania is not going to have an issue finding its own audience. There are gamers out there who are historians and will get a kick out of it. With 150+ minigames, and some very challenging unlockable items, it will keep you busy. These are the hardest Atari games rolled up into one charming, nostalgic mini-game extravaganza. Grab this one if you like that good ol' Atari pain.

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

Estival Versus continues to build on a formula that's working for the franchise, but is starting to wear thin on its fanservice schtick. The gameplay is really hitting its stride now and has quite a bit of good additions this time around, with plenty of characters and variety. The excellent localization also helps strike a good balance between the comedy and touching story bits.

In a Land Far Far Away is where this title needs to stay. Despite good graphics and decent game play, the latest installment in this inexhaustible franchise leaves much to be desired.

While it might not be the most complex role-playing game available, it's a worthwhile and entertaining purchase for players eager to set out on a casual fantasy adventure.

Overall, it's a short DLC that doesn't have much in terms of role playing.

The Simpsons Arcade Game has a story that makes no sense, shallow gameplay, very little comedy and nonsensical boss battles. For ten dollars you're getting a brief experience that you'll likely never want to revisit. On the other hand, it's nice to see this game get a proper home console release after more than two decades!

Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed looks and sounds great, like a well-made game from 2022 should. The issues start to arise with the gameplay. Open world maps feel small, missions are short, and the story lacks depth. I never hated my time spent with Reprobed; it started as pushing a pea up a hill but felt like heaving a boulder up a mountain by the end. There are times when I like to think back to being a 13-year-old boy who finds fart jokes amusing; you just don’t see games with the same raunchiness to them as you did back in my youth Destroy All Humans! 2 - Reprobed has kept that level of humor, for better or worse.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Fragment transcends its license to become a truly engrossing portable role-playing game. Unfortunately, this lengthy adventure is far from perfect, with problems ranging from bad translation to simplistic missions. But none of that gets in the way of one of the most ambitious anime games ever constructed.

From the addictive loot gathering to the endless slaughter of robot overlords, Shoot Many Robots offers hours of chaotic and entertaining gameplay. Unfortunately, issues of repetition and a difficult single-player experience distract from the overall experience. Shoot Many Robots can only be recommended to gamers that are willing to take their fight against the robot apocalypse online.

Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is going to be a tough sell for those who aren't familiar with the franchise. It's got a lot of questionable design decisions and feels like a more bare bones experience than past games of the series. But it's Fatal Frame, these games only come along in a blue moon these days, so savor them while they still exist.

Engrossing and enjoyable for its brief run time, Open Roads tells a quiet, witty story of discovery that spans three generations of women. Though it never veers into melodrama, I found the narrative to be engaging and intriguing. Great performances lend a realism to the well-written characters. If you think Open Roads seems like something you might enjoy, you are likely right.

For someone who has never had the best relationship in the world with old-school 2D platformers, The Fancy Pants Adventures acquaints it itself quite well. Exceptionally strong art design, level design, and music more than make up for the fact that sometimes, no matter what you do, Fancy Pants Man's momentum is going to kill you. However, with all the secret areas and collectibles smartly hidden in each level, there's bound to be something new to do when you try again.

The great graphics and expressive characters aren't enough to make this two year old port worth $20!

In two hours of gameplay, you'll fight a few old and new creatures, but you won't find the compelling content BioWare has become known for. Ultimately, the DLC to Dragon Age: Origins comes down to two more hours of battles playing under the role of a bard.

It might be geared towards younger audiences, but it’s good enough to be placed up there with the big boys.

As lovable as ever, Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is right at home on Sony's portable. It feels as though this is where the game belonged all along. Everything has carried over: the old school, beat-'em-up charm along with a heavy dose of gameplay variation and customization, but the added portability makes it even better than before.

The King’s Bird has the potential to be wonderful—and in its art and music, it is. Based on that alone I would play it all day. But the sense of freedom it is trying so hard to evoke is held back by its finicky controls, and since the game’s very foundation is meant to be freeing, it falls short. Altered controls and a slightly wider margin for error, especially on console, would really let The King’s Bird soar beyond the confines of its cage, and boost its mechanics up to the high tier of its design.

Dungeon Hunter has reminded me why I love the action RPG genre. The lackluster story is overshadowed by great gameplay mechanics and a top-notch multiplayer experience. Fans of the genre will find plenty to keep them occupied while they continue to wait for Torchlight 2 and Diablo 3.

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.

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.

The ideas of power, giving in to hegemonic cycles just to feel safe, and other gameplay systems are unfortunately overshadowed by the technical hiccups found in the game's software. It's a shame, because this game could have been good.

Train Fever is a highly ambitious transportation management game that unfortunately suffers from gameplay issues ranging from slow progression to a lack of objectives. Train Fever is only recommended to those who are strong fans of the genre, while other players are better off with more welcoming and polished games.

Nier has a lot of interesting aspects to it, but none of them come together to make a cohesive experience. It feels like they are all fighting amongst each other and the product as a whole suffers for it.

The UnderGarden can't quite decide what it wants to be. Is it a simple puzzle game in the vein of Ecco the Dolphin, or is it a Zen experience? Had the developers focused on one or the other this could have been a great alternative to Call of Duty and Halo, but as it turns out this is yet another soothing game that goes nowhere.

Riverbond is a simple game that follows a blueprint. By mixing up characters, weapons, and environments, Riverbond does a decent job of reiterating this predictable path in such a way that each level is still a unique world – which is necessary to keep the player engaged and entertained. Overall, gameplay is easygoing and doesn’t require much effort or critical thinking, making Riverbond a solid option to power up and knock out on a slow day.

A solid turn-based outing in a generic fantasy setting, Fantasy Wars offers some good, but not great, tactical fun.

If you are looking for a challenge, then I would absolutely recommend giving Do Not Fall a try. There is a lot of trial and error but there is some satisfaction finally beating some of the later levels after dying a lot. If you are someone that has no patience, you may have fun with it but just know that you will be smashing your controller in no time.

Gust has some pretty good ideas with the Servan system, and the gameplay is pretty smooth once you get yourself properly kitted out, but Nights of Azure has a few boring aspects that really make it a chore to play.

Not the iteration I would have gone with, but it's nice to see Worms make its debut on the PS Vita. Although it adds new weapons and locations, this updated port is still an ugly mess. With depressing levels and questionable gameplay tweaks, Worms Revolution Extreme still leaves me cold!

First to Fight introduces a few nice features with the realistic squad behavior and easy to use interface, but suffers from an out-dated game engine and annoying sound.

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.

Modern Combat: Domination won't be taking the FPS crown from any of the big boys but is a really fun diversion that is likely to draw a faithful following.

Razor's Edge attempts to fix Ninja Gaiden 3. In some ways it succeeds, offering an experience with more modes and levels. But even with all of these changes, Ryu Hayabusa's newest adventure is hard to recommend. Ninja Gaiden 3 looks good, but is derailed with uneven difficulty and gameplay that is too fast for its own good!

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons comes during a time where we wouldn't mind some good ol' fashioned beat 'em up side scrolling games. A huge roster of characters and a great new tag team feature really push the franchise forward. While it gets everything right, it baffles me that we have to wait for online co-op. Still, that shouldn't deter you. Double Dragon fans should grab this right now.

The good news is that PaRappa the Rapper, along with Gitaroo Man Lives!, proves that you can have solid music games on the PSP.

Gamers looking to run and gun will be disappointed, but everybody else will get a kick out of this solid World War II shooter.

Turok: Dinosaur Hunter is an intriguing walk down memory lane, and Night Dive Studios have done their usual good job of optimizing it for modern hardware. That said Turok hasn’t aged very well at all, and there are some inherent flaws that keep the original from being as fun as the sequels.

It does offer you a new twist on the genre, but it’s not necessarily one everybody will like.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie Game is a terrific contribution to the LEGO games playlist. It's a fun experience without needing to be anything else. It can err on the side of triviality at times, but that's the cost of making a game like this.

This is a great family game and a good deal at $30.

Train Simulator 2012 is good at what it does but unfortunately that will appeal to a very narrow audience. Diehard train enthusiasts will love the incredible details and depth of gameplay but it will be lost on everyone else. Hardcore hobbyists need only apply.

As it stands now, the campaign is great, and playing as each of the Avengers is fun, but the game just offers too little post-campaign content to warrant continued play. The performance issues are just unacceptable for a AAA game of this caliber. It's clear that this game should have released later in the year or delayed for another year. It really feels like this is yet another game shoved out the door while saying, "We'll fix it later."

Might & Magic Heroes VII is an okay game overall, but seems like it’s more for existing fans of the series and doesn’t cater to new comers at all.

A retro VR tank game, Tank Universal is a bit too “old school” for my tastes. Others’ mileage may vary.

The battle system in Growlanser: Wayfarer of Time isn't really at fault here, it's the numbers game behind it that seems to be rigged in the computer's favor that makes playing this game a chore. The slow story pacing will also require a lot of patience from prospective gamers.

Rarely do you see the portable version of a game eclipsing its console counterparts, but that is exactly what the case is here. Germinator “feels” better on Sony’s handheld and result is a much more enjoyable game overall.

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.

Good Goliath is a well-made arcade game that I just didn't enjoy all that much. The central mechanic of little dudes throwing things at you and you catch them and throw them back somehow made me feel angry and annoyed. Stellar artwork and design would not overcome some mechanical issues and, in the end, I was left feeling grumpy.

Rainbow Cotton is a fun arcade-style shooter, but it has a couple of flaws. While the game plays pretty well and I did enjoy my time with it, the lack of any information on even the basics of the game’s mechanics as well as it sometimes being hard to see what Cotton’s shooting at can make the game a bit more difficult than it should be, even on the easiest of difficulty settings. It’s still an enjoyable game, but a few additions could have made it even better.

Fate/EXTELLA is a great hack and slash game that will most likely please fans of the series and please non fans who are looking for a great action game to play on their PS4.

It's a beloved series, so it's only fitting that WayForward deliver a quality title that is worthy of the Adventure Time name.

While Legacy of Ys is a solid remake of the 16-bit classics, that doesn't mean it holds up particularly well. The unique gameplay keeps the action fast and exciting, but the cliché story and silly cinemas leave a lot to be desired.

It's a very vanilla title that doesn't do much to advance the series, but is definitely going to please the die-hard fans.

Crash Team Rumble is a fun and unique 4v4 competitive game that is able to create something new and ludicrously fun out of the existing franchise mechanics. While I've played a ton and have not tired of the game, there is only one real mode, which might impact the game's longevity. Still, the game is deceptively deep and strategic, with teams needing to think and react quickly to be successful. Regardless of how long it's around, right now Crash Team Rumble is great for a blast of gaming fun for the whole family.

Call of Cthulhu sadly doesn't live up to either its literary or pen-and-paper heritage. The setting, atmosphere and some of the voice acting are impressive, but the detective gameplay is shallow and fairly linear, and any other gameplay aspects feel buggy and tacked on.

What were they thinking? The lameness of this game is a slap in the face to every NERF aficionado ever born and, quite frankly, those still in the womb.

If you can get past the game's clunkiness, you'll be in for a fun (but not mind-blowing) adventure!

If you're a fan of Mahjong, this is worth checking out.

The changes and additions to Pro Cycling Manager 2014 are really quite impressive. The extreme level of detail has finally been matched with top quality graphics, improved controls, and a tutorial system that gets you up and going, and most importantly, competitive in races, far more quickly.

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

Kill Team is an absolute blast to play. It's a no-frills action shooter from start to finish with a focus on purely destroying everything in sight. It's just too bad that they decided to leave out online coop because that could have made a good game great.

Bus Simulator 18, at its core, is a good simulator game with a whole lot of soul. It brings a lot of playability options to the table, whether you want to just drive a bus or manage the whole company. The driving is complex enough to keep the player involved, and the economic systems provide a respite for players tired of being behind the wheel. However, the game is hurt by some frustrating bugs and sub-par traffic systems.

Castlevania: Harmony of Despair is a multiplayer game first and a single-player game second. This is a daring twist on a tried and true franchise, one that may split a lot of gamers. The good news is that this experiment mostly works, even if it comes at the expense of a proper single-player mode.

Bright Memory Infinite is still at best a visual tech demo. It's lack of quality of life updates and extremely short play time still makes me wonder if this was the full game to begin with. Still, the gun blasting and blade swinging action is bombastically fun. After all, this game was developed by one person alone. So kudos to Zeng Xian Cheng.

It's got a couple of nagging issues, but Code of Princess has a fun story, a bevy of characters, and a lot of heart.

A few changes made by the development team keep Corpse Party: Book of Shadows from being truly great. It's just as creepy and disturbing as the last game, but it feels like it's held back by being a much more rigid visual novel.

Double Cross is a pretty good platformer with an interesting story and stage mechanics, but the game itself feels a tad too easy and short. The ability customization is a nice concept, but the game itself is already easy enough to where the abilities just make the game easier. The investigation mechanic basically just moves the plot along and has no real bearing on the gameplay and is more like a linear puzzle than anything else where you’ll eventually stumble upon the solution instead of having to actually think and deduce anything to proceed. Still, Double Cross is an interesting game, but one you might want to wait for to go on sale.

Counterspy is all the best parts and all the worst parts of a great downloadable stealth game with delightful visuals. It's those worst parts of the stealth genre that keep me from recommending it wholeheartedly.

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

Urban Trial Freestyle 2 makes a few improvements over the original, but it’s not quite there in terms of network functionality. The connection issues I kept having as well as needing to type in a code just to download a track made that a bit of a hassle, but at least you can now share your tracks online. If you enjoyed the original game, you should enjoy the second outing with twice as many stages to dominate and more obstacles to trip up players with in the track builder.

When I first looked at Miitopia I honestly thought it was going to be an incredibly simple RPG meant for a younger audience. While the game is simple and somewhat intended for younger players, it still has a look and feel that almost anyone can enjoy regardless of age or experience level. While sometimes too easy and simple, Miitopia is still a lot of fun and worth checking out.

Although it comes packed with several new career paths and a brand new town, Showtime is really still just a few more goodies in the Sims universe. Good for fans, but won't win over any converts.

Infernium is a survival horror game with a creeping, insidious kind of logic. It gives you very little to go on and punishes nearly every wrong turn you take. If you’re a fan of old school survival horror you might get into this one, but most other players will probably just get frustrated with the repetition and trial and error.

Felix the Reaper is an excellent game on paper, but its execution dooms it. While the unique concept shines—and I doubt I’ll be forgetting such a lovable face of death anytime soon—the actual gameplay made it a bit of a slog.

Isonzo is an honorable attempt at creating the historical events of the battles between the Italian and Austro-Hungarian armies. The multiplayer-only component with concern for long-term player base sustainability, alongside a multitude of user experience gripes make it an unremarkable experience.

Train Simulator 2014 introduces new features and improvements for both beginner and veteran players of the series.

The visual calisthenics in Runaway 2: The Dream of the Turtle are a sheer triumph. But the dialogue-tree hula hoops will simply leave you out of breath.

Doom 3 BFG Edition isn't the complete, ultimate Doom collection I was hoping for but it's still a lot of great content in one place and for a good price. Even if I prefer the original games modded to fan perfection, BFG Edition is a great entry point for novices, or a good way for lapsed fans to rediscover the blood, carnage and white knuckle terror of Doom.

PAC-MAN Mega Tunnel Battle is a remarkably entertaining modern twist on what is perhaps the most beloved game of all time. This game manages to retain the fun of old school PAC-MAN, while adding in an extra layer of tension and strategy to the mix by letting players invade each other's games. Brilliant idea, and fun game.

The Winters' Expansion ties up some loose ends, and allows you to revisit the game 16 years later. It's a short but fun romp back into the village. The Mercenaries addition is also really fun. The third person view is a little much, but if you want to find out what happened at the end of Resident Evil Village, this will surely fulfill your desires. Is Rose the future of Resident Evil? I'm here for it.

Cave Digger 2 is just too mechanically inconsistent to fully recommend. While there is a fun roguelike at the core of this experience, I had trouble with almost every mechanic in the game bugging out or being overly difficult due to technical issues. When you have to struggle this much to get a game to perform, it's tough to recommend, no matter how good the ideas behind it.

It's certainly a true arcade port of the arcade game with the same graphics and gameplay. There aren't many new options however.

Double Dragon: Neon is either another must-own game from WayForward or the worst game of the year; it all depends on who you ask. Despite the lack of online play and a few repetitive moments, I was won over by Neon's charm. The 1980s are alive and well in WayForward's newest game!

Star Wars: Battlefront 2 will go down as one of the biggest screw ups in video game history. EA and DICE had the easiest job in the world and completely ruined it with the absolutely ridiculous and downright unacceptable progression system for multiplayer. Combine that with the incredibly boring, lazy, and cliche story campaign and you easily have the biggest disappointment of 2017.

WWE 2K18 is another decent entry in the long running games franchise. But as I said last year, it's sad that these games are just decent because they can be and should be great.

Windscape has its rough edges, but the scope, ambition and heart of this one-man passion project help it to punch above its weight class. If you want a Zelda or Skyrim-style game that’s great for relaxing after a long day, Windscape fits the bill nicely.

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.

Rubik’s World has the right idea, but counter-intuitive puzzles, less-than-helpful instructions and finicky controls make this game more aggravating than mind-bending.

Quantum Break is a great game from start to finish, and playing it with all the benefits of being on PC just make it that much better. Given that this game is coming out at a lower price point on PC as well, there's just not excuse not to get it.