If you have wasted great gobs of your life playing Civ 6, or feel like you have figured it out, this is a good expansion to make you rethink a game you thought you knew.

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.

Old school role-playing fans who have only owned Xbox products recently will no doubt get a kick out of Blue Dragon. This is a worthwhile game if only because it's the only game of its kind currently available for the Xbox 360.

Final Fight: Double Impact packages two great games into one worthwhile download. Both Final Fight and Magic Sword hold up well, especially when they are displayed in between authentic cabinet art and visual effects.

Fans of the Tony Hawk brand of skateboarding will be happy to know that this Nintendo DS port is not just a scaled down console game, it's easily the best version of the game on the market.

The Pinball Arcade is an excellent platform for emulating the classic tables that made the pinball genre as great as it was. An accurate physics engine and an insane attention to the level of details make the future bright for the game. Now FarSight just needs to begin putting its licensing agreements to use and roll out more tables as well as make use of the various features being promised. Until then, it fails to live up to its potential.

Noitu Love: Devolution is a fun and challenging game once you get used to the controls. While the Normal difficulty is rather easy after getting used to the controls, Hard difficult is where the challenge truly begins. If you’re into these types of games and are up for the challenge, Noitu Love: Devolution is definitely worth the money.

As someone who is terrible at the main series, I really enjoyed Monster Hunter Stories, even if it is a bit easy early on. The more traditional RPG-style of gameplay is a radical departure from what the core games are like, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. If you can put aside the fact that this plays rather differently than the past games, you’ll find an enjoyable experience for new and returning fans alike.

With a terribly below mediocre campaign, an average zombies mode, and an excellent multiplayer option, Call of Duty: WWII manages to hit all the marks. But not in the way that it should. I had high hopes, and was surprised that the real gem I found was not the one I was originally hoping to. It’s not great, it’s not good, it’s okay.

While technically competent and armed with a good story to tell, Apex Construct doesn't provide a compelling reason to keep going after the first few levels. A couple of upgrades to your single weapon appear, but the primary increase in challenge is simply more of the same.

WRC 8 is surprisingly accessible to rally newcomers, but after explaining how everything works, the game delights in throwing buckets of cold water in the player’s face. This is a tough game, but a fair one, and fans of rally racers and other “difficult” genres will likely equally enjoy skidding through WRC 8’s wicked twists and turns. A variety of modes flesh the experience out, but prepare to feast on the Career Mode, which is comprehensive and comprehendible. Recommended.

There is a simplicity to the core gameplay of Hardspace: Shipbreaker. Movement and momentum add an element of skill to every action. The difficulty ramps over time but treats you well to ease you into the escalators. Combining the strategy of breaking the ship with the skill of positioning yourself in place to do so, Shipbreaker wraps it up well with a clever main story to maximize - well, reduction of debt. But most of all, it's calming and fun, set in a world that feels similar to the many wonderful other sci-fi stories that have captured us over the years. Hardspace: Shipbreaker nets you a unique opportunity to inhabit a small corner of those worlds a shift at a time, for a job well done. "Live, Laugh, Salvage."

Diablo-like gameplay, hysterical writing, a AAA cast, and a winning story all combine to make this one of the best kid-appropriate games of the year. Some technical issues mar the Switch version, but this game is still miles above what you might expect. Get Cosmic Chaos for your kid, but expect to take the controller yourself, as the game is just too good to sit and watch.

Shadow Warrior 2 is a smart evolution of the solid framework established in the first game. Bigger guns, nastier enemies, grander levels and more friends means more Wang for everybody.

If you thought the second season of The Walking Dead was going to be more lighthearted, then prepare to be disappointed. All That Remains sees a more mature Clementine battling to survive by herself. As first episodes go, this one definitely gets the job done. The hard part is waiting for the second episode.

Muramasa: Rebirth was a great game on the Wii but on the Vita, it is a masterpiece. Excellent and engaging gameplay, enjoyable stories (yes, multiple), and one of the most visually appealing art styles ever used in a video game combine for an adventure that every Vita owner should take.

As an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink sandbox, Crimson Desert is endlessly compelling, and frankly, irresistible. As a single-player RPG trying to tell a story, it falls flat on its face. Amazingly, it features one of the best and most immersive open worlds since Red Dead Redemption 2, but tries to give it purpose with a narrative that will have you scratching your head, or worse yet, scrolling on your phone.

Monitoring everything from your debits and credits to your hit points and heat levels, BattleTech is brutal, fragile, smart, and struggling a little under its own weight. It has more heart than you're expecting. Couldn't stop playing.

If you can get over Traxxpad's frustrating control scheme you'll find a lot of depth and value ... assuming that you're looking for a way to make real music on your PSP

While the visual style of the cell-shaded tables took a little getting used to, the overall pinball experience proved to be fantastic. Fans of these shows will definitely enjoy seeing how Zen has adapted them to the pinball world, especially those who love Family Guy and Bob’s Burgers.

Despite looking a bit dated and not quite as good as Xseed’s recent Ys games, Xanadu Next is still an enjoyable dungeon crawler. It’s not without its faults such as some known bugs and the constant increase in key prices, but once you get around those quirks you’ll find a fun game that’ll keep you coming back to the ruins to explore some more.

This is a transhumanism story for the android set. I devoured every chapter of these artificial intelligences shedding their artifice. And I learned that being human is filled with daily acts of self-sacrifice.

The second Tape of Lost Records is a big step up from the first tape with a great conclusion to this coming of age story of a group of friends. Some technical issues still linger here and there, while a very confusing sequel bait ending leaves us with more questions than answers.

The original game is a classic. The "Enhanced Edition" is a near-clone, with some additional content and different bugs. If you haven't played it before, or would like a deep RPG to put on your tablet, this is a good buy. Veterans of the original will find the added material hard to justify for the price.

NIS has got another hit on their hands with Disgaea 3. It's the solid gameplay that will keep you coming back for more

If you liked Doom 3, then you’ll love the expansion pack. However, if you felt the game got a bit old and hated the flashlight/gun game play mechanism, there’s nothing new here to win you over.

While the game has a few flaws and I have some concerns with lost or broken toys and portals, I believe the game (with the help of an aggressive marketing campaign) will make this one of the hottest game/toy combinations this Holiday Season.

inFAMOUS 2: Festival of Blood is an enjoyable adventure that fans of the will thoroughly enjoy. It is a tongue and cheek side-tale in an already entertaining world. If you love inFAMOUs, you will love this chapter as well.