Arizona Sunshine 2 might not be the groundbreaking landmark the first game was, but improved gunplay, a fun companion, and rapid-fire jokes make this a ride well worth taking. Often tense, always fun, and sometimes emotionally impactful, Arizona Sunshine feels like big-budget entertainment. Just play by yourself the first time so your friend doesn't chatter through all the good stuff.

For such a low price, Anode is just interesting enough to be a worthwhile take on a puzzle game formula.

Some stability issues still hold Forestrike back but when it’s working, and it mostly does, it really works. The foresight mechanic is an excellent way to unlock fluid combat scenarios and it has the right amount of strategy required to be more than a mindless button masher. But you will need to find the right timing to mash the buttons so there is a level of skill required, but ample opportunity to practice your way to mastery. There is enough variety between the disciplines and the roguelike nature of earning skills and items on each run to keep things interesting long past when you get your money’s worth from a title that only comes in at 10 bucks to begin with.

Mechwarrior 5: Mercenaries brings back most of the combat and management the series is known for. Your mileage may vary on just how satisfying that is, but in objective terms there are a number of small issues—from AI to graphics—that add up and keep this game from its full potential.

Project Spark won't have you churning out incredible games like a development powerhouse. It will, however, provide you an accessible set of tools and assets to begin the process of bringing your dream games to life. This won't happen overnight, so plan on spending a lot of time here if you are ever going to make something memorable.

Orcs Must Die! 3 contains a ton of the tower defense/shooting hybrid gameplay that fans love – all delivered in a very polished package. The new war-sized levels deliver a massive jolt of fun, and there is plenty of content here to keeps players busy for quite a while. Though progression feels a little unbalanced in single player, perseverance or grinding will eventually overcome obstacles.

Even for those not willing to hop into gaming's "kiddy pool," come on in: the water's fine.

This score is ultimately a reflection of both Sniper Elite 3 Ultimate Edition the game (which is excellent) and the Nintendo Switch hardware (which while also excellent, I found not up to this task when trying to play handheld). The determination here is: if you're happy to play this game with your Switch in console mode, you're in for a grand old time; if you want to keep things handheld, better to try something else.

It's fun but lacks refinement. Bad AI and inconsistent graphical performance really detract from the amazing potential. I recommend it if you know what you are getting into or if Bohemia Interactive can iron out the wrinkles.

It follows the formula of a Call of Duty game, but delivers each element just a bit worse than it's predecessors. Call of Duty: Vanguard is a game that will surely grow and improve over time, but what we have at launch is something that at least fails to cater to what I was hoping for in any aspect of the game. The single player campaign is ridiculous even if it does deliver some moments of high action; the multiplayer is a mess, at least for someone with my skillset; and zombies is simply unfinished. It'll get better, but what we've got right now just isn't all that good.

But this is undoubtedly a great start, despite a below average sprinkling of gameplay bottlenecks. It translates remarkably well as an adventure game, but isn’t completely hogtied by adventure game conventions. Bring on episode 2.

Outriders is far from perfect. But a game doesn't have to be when it facilitates such a high degree of fun and interesting gameplay mechanics.

The end result is an average overall package by today's standards, but three games plucked from a decade or more ago should be proud to land safely average in the middle of today's pack and standards.

Call of the Sea has plenty to offer puzzle and walking sim fans alike. The story kept me going even when the puzzles felt difficult and excessive. The puzzles can be tough and seem unfair at times, but overall feel very solid in how they were crafted. The conclusion to the story of Nora, her illness, the previous expedition, and the true nature of the island left a satisfying feeling once I had completed it.

Nice touches are strewn about the game such as dust clouds that arise in the wake of your characters, bright visuals that can blind a cat and my favorite, minute versions of your characters by the energy bar that mimic your character's current actions.

Gun Showdown could have been a disastrous port of a so-so action game, but it ends up being a surprisingly solid game full of fun missions, crazy firefights and some cool extra goodies.

Eternal Threads is a narrative driven, time manipulation game that ends up being nothing more than a walking simulator and cutscene watcher. If you're into making some binary decisions to alter some future events on the timeline, then I recommend checking out the demo first. This game is much better watched, because it's just not fun to play.

Fighting in the 19th century looks boring on the outside, but deep down in the game fighting in the 19th century was about honor, and it is a lot more strategic than one would have thought.

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.

A new Political Machine for 2008, this turn-based election strategy game is light, fun, and amusing. While it may not have a lot of lasting appeal, it certainly makes for a fun way to spend a few afternoons.

If you happened to pass on this game the first time around but are a fan of Naruto games, Full Burst is an excellent pick up for the price. The small additions go a long way toward making this feel like a complete title.

Amazing Cultivation Simulator brings a massive learning curve, but that curve creates an amazing amount of opportunity and re-playability that will have you discovering new strategies and methods for elevating your cult for a long time over.

As fan service goes, Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution has a lot of the trappings you expect from this style of anime game. Unfortunately, it's impenetrable for those of us unfamiliar with the series. And while the gameplay isn't bad, there just isn't enough depth in this game to keep fight fans happy.

As warm, deep, and emotionally engaging as it ever was, Life is Strange: Double Exposure delivers another great adventure for beloved hero Max Caulfield. With a great new cast of interesting characters, a banger of a mystery, and enough ethical dilemmas to fry your brain, Double Exposure continues putting players through the wringer in the best possible way. A few minor technical issues cannot distract from the great story and beautiful visuals.

Escape Plan has come to the PlayStation 4, but it fails to make the transition cleanly. The puzzles are dull and the controls are ill fitted to the new system. I wouldn't recommend playing Escape Plan, but if you absolutely must make sure it's the Vita version.

An excellent debut for Kirby on the Wii U, Kirby and the Rainbow Curse is amazing to see in motion. Too bad players won't get to do much of that, as spectators get the best seats for this show.

Xeodrifter is a short but sweet title. It's got some solid platforming, a well balanced difficulty, and a fun weapon system. It's a bit on the short side but is fun while it lasts, especially if you're still fiending for some Metroid-inspired action.

Weird West is a fun not-quite-RPG that feels like the beginning of a great new franchise. Perfectly enjoyable to play, this first iteration lays a lot of groundwork towards what will likely become an ongoing series. Darkly funny and surprising, each character's story arc is unique and rewarding. While a system of branching choices impacting the game's story feels like a natural evolution from what is here, what is presented is very enjoyable. Weird West creates a universe I don't want to leave. When it was over, I just wanted more - which is the biggest hurdle a new franchise can overcome.