They say war is hell; Spec Ops: The Line, however, is not. Oh, it is no doubt for Martin Walker, John Konrad, and the poor people of Dubai, but for the player, Spec Ops: The Line just puts the fun back into the word fundamental with a solidly written and acted story, well-constructed gameplay, and perfectly adequate multiplayer.

2D platformers are a dime a dozen, and 2D puzzlers aren’t far behind. But The Bridge takes a unique, focused approach and sees it through from every angle.

There is a very good game in the center of an overall experience that ends up less than the sum of its parts at first glance, but one that if you are willing to put in the struggle and slog through to the other side can reward you with one of the better survival simulations there is.

The newest Super Monkey Ball game isn't lacking for much. With a ton of remastered levels, modes, minigames, and unlockable prizes, this enormous package could keep a fan busy for the rest of their life - if they don't mind high blood pressure. The only thing more pervasive than the mountain of content is the franchise's usual blistering difficulty. Fun, frustrating, and rewarding, this is a great collection.

Torment looks like a future-fantasy Lord of the Rings, plays like a collection of extreme short fiction, and emerges as the most alien world I've discovered in decades. Be ready for the narrative equivalent of combat fatigue. But if you’re in the mood for a complex world operating under a complex moral system, then it’s worth examining Numenera's overriding question: "What does one life matter?"

Overall, the evolution is positive, but the single year development cycle is really hard to ignore with all the little issues and frustrations that the game shipped with. The menus are bad and there are far too many bugs in this year's iteration of EA Sports FC 25. The slower gameplay and move to deeper tactics are features I actually really enjoy, but I can totally understand how many fans might be disappointed at this move away arcade style play to a more methodical approach. There's no reason not to pick it up, but wait on the frequent sales and discounts the game will see.

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.

Quantum Conundrum is about as close as you can get to ripping off Portal without Valve contacting their lawyers. Some of the puzzles are fun, but the game ultimately devolves into nothing more than platform hopping. The moments of brilliance cannot make up for some truly awful writing and an anticlimactic ending!

Sable plays like a young person's diary, full of hope and apologies, staying grounded while reaching for stars. It trades in its combat for climbing puzzles instead, and isn't afraid to let you bunny hop across a mustard-yellow desert or stand perfectly still—with the encouraging words of people recounting their own wonder years.

Dokuro is the unconventional love story between a schlubby skeleton and a beautiful princess that doesn't know he exists. But that isn't going to keep our hero from helping the troubled maiden escape the harrowing castle. With 150 challenging stages, Dokuro is an epic adventure every PS Vita owner should undertake!

Chariot is a decent adventure when you go solo, but an excellent one when you bring a friend. You’ll definitely want to sit a partner down next to you to get the most out of this experience.

WWE2K22 has a TON of content that you wanted in a wrestling game. With revamped graphics, mechanics, and customization modes, this one will be hard to stop playing. MyGM and MyRise shine here, and while this title is going to be hard to top, but if this is the blueprint for WWE games going forward, sign me up.

Shadows of the Damned, despite some interesting ideas and intense action, falls victim to poor game design in the second half of the experience. Frustrating turret levels, going back to the 2D well one too many times, and puzzles that literally halt the game's pacing all mar what could have been a great game.

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is a sandbox collect-a-thon that pays homage to the earliest eras of Disney creations. This no risk/no reward game looks good from the opening, but just seems like an animated feature that went on for 12 hours too long. With too much chatter, not enough fun, and literal pocket thinner, Epic is not the word I would paint here.

It's fun, fresh and challenging but lacks a certain refinement. If you don't get motion sickness from video games, you'll find a lot to love about this budget-priced multiplayer experience.

This game in its current state shows a lot of promise. It is fun to play as is, and continued development and playtesting can only improve what limitations it does have.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: the Sith Lords expands upon the ground-breaking original. Story choices change depending on who you put into your party at the time. Conversations that take place between party NPCs can also get spicy, depending on who you bring along. Sith Lords does lean on some traditional Star Wars tropes a little harder than I would like, and the menus and UI are a bit dusty. Though I was afraid my rose colored glasses wouldn’t hold up, I fell in love with these unique characters once again.

Townsmen VR takes classic city-building mechanics and aptly converts them to the VR space, resulting in a well-made and delightful VR RTS/city-builder experience. Well designed interactions and smooth VR features make for a very fun and satisfying experience. Newcomers to the format might want to check this out just to see a different take on what VR can do well. An extremely entertaining, well-made delight that will eat hours off of your afternoon.

I had such high hopes for this game but the lag and connection problems makes this a frustrating online experience. On the other hand, I had a great time playing against the computer and people locally.

Band Hero isn't much different from Guitar Hero 5, but it does have a track list that will appeal to a slightly younger age group.

The lack of Pokemon to draw can also be a bit of a turn-off for some, but the Free Paint mode’s ability to use a blank canvas or any picture on your SD card can help alleviate that a bit.

While the game does have some weird and interesting bugs, the PC port of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 does deliver some great experiences. It took Nixxes a few patches in the first few weeks to get there and they still have some more work to do, but the game looks gorgeous and plays well on top notch systems. Don't try it on the Steam Deck though.

Fans of previous Tony Hawk or skateboarding titles who like combos and big air are going to love this game. It might not be the most realistic game (300 foot long big air traveling through downtown Hong Kong?), but it is certainly a lot of fun.

A good game with a lot of depth & just what one would expect from Paradox. Play it through once or twice just for fun, then grab one of the strategy guides that will be popping up to more fully appreciate the mechanics.

Fans of the series will have the most fun with this, but for others who haven't played any of these games, will most likely have serious problems with the fixed camera and backtracking. The combat is very good but for me, everything else is nothing but frustration.

Newcomers and series veterans alike are sure to find plenty to enjoy in Rome II, which should become even better with future patch releases.

If you are unsure where to begin with this series Atelier Marie Remake: The Alchemist Of Salburg is a great starting place. It’s the first in the series, and the facelift it has been given is very welcoming to newcomers, like me. I’m glad I gave this one a shot before trying something else in the series; trying this one out after might have felt like a downgrade. Combat and gathering, two of Atelier Marie’s main elements, can be done automatically, making them feel unimportant when I know that is not true. Focusing on learning about the world’s characters is where you’ll find most of the enjoyment. Atelier Marie Remake has sold me on the idea of playing another game in the series, I hope they feel more modern, and require more work on my part.

You might not know it from the box, but Dead or Alive 5 is one of the most baffling games of the year. It's full of weird editing, ninja clones and large breasted women. And that doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what makes this game so incomprehensible. Thankfully the solid gameplay and gorgeous graphics make up for the often disjointed story telling!