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.

The fighting is pretty straightforward, and once you get a few power-ups, even that becomes simply routine.

A beautifully rendered but ultimately familiar adventure game, Karma: The Dark World is neither scary nor thrilling. Meticulously built and gorgeous to look at, the gameplay is nonetheless a slow roll through a pre-rendered Kafka-inspired story, with little in the way of interaction beyond some environmental puzzle solving. I can appreciate the artistry at work here, if not the final product.

While it may not have a lengthy playtime or genre-defining mechanics, Choo-Choo Charles is nonetheless an impressive project created by a single person. If you’re craving some dumb spooky fun centered around upgrading your own train whilst trying to derail a demon spider locomotive (a very specific craving, indeed), then look no further.

Just Dance 2024 brings another fantastic group of songs to the mix, but in riding the coattails of 2023's offering, feels a bit like an oversized DLC offering. I understand the reasons for approaching the title this way, but it does leave this new edition of the game feeling like a half step.

Warlocks 2: Godslayers is enjoyable for the most part, but the difficult and tedious combat can take the fun out of the game for some people. The game is definitely geared for multiplayer as the combat can be overwhelming during solo play. Beyond that there are a few minor performance hiccups though it doesn’t normally affect any major gameplay. If you can get past that and the difficult-at-times combat, you’ll find an enjoyable and humorous game with some interesting gameplay mechanics and even more interesting writing.

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.

A Game of Dwarves could have been a better revival of the genre that Dungeon Keeper started, but it's still a solid title and at $10, anyone in this particular niche will get what they payed for.

The tutorial will open up the rulebook, but composing winning strategies is a trial-and-error procedure that offers no apologies for its tough-as-nails enemy AI, game-ending scenarios, and multi-tasking mechanics.

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics is an accessible turn-based strategy title on the PS4, but it lacks the polish, depth and variety needed to have real staying power.

I'm probably being more harsh on this game than it deserves, but for the price point there is an enjoyable title here. You just need to give it time to grow on you. Hopefully gamers out there can look past the flaws that I seem to be hooked on.

A game that's bloated beyond necessity, thanks to a terrible design decision, Tales of Xillia 2 does a few things to address the flaws of the first title—and then completely runs that progress into a brick wall. Multiple times.

Warhammer 40,000: Regicide is best recommended to only the truly dedicated fans of the Games Workshop created universe.

Overall, the ridiculously gory fights and simple level system feel fun and rewarding. Even still, progress is sometimes unnecessarily halted by the random nature of finding key items. In spite of missing a beat or two when adding tedium to the experience, Runic Rampage succeeds at providing an old school arcade experience in the present day.

Farming Simulator 2013 follows last year's version with a wide assortment of new content from hundreds of licensed vehicles and equipment to a massive map with support for raising animals. Players other than farming or simulation enthusiasts will be frustrated by the lack of in-game guidance beyond a few brief tutorials that ultimately results in a game that can only be recommended to series fans.

MACROSS-Shooting Insight may feel run of the mill with the way it covers four types of shooters, but is still enjoyable and a bit challenging. If you’re really good at shooters or bullet-hell games, you’ll find a decent challenge here while those not as experienced can tone down the difficulty a bit to their liking. While the game looks nice graphically and is fun to play, for genre veterans the gameplay is a bit average.

Cloudbuilt is in no way a bad game, but it does have its flaws; the worst of which are the controls and difficulty curve. If you can get past those, though, you'll find a fairly decent and fun game in a genre that doesn't see a lot of entries. If speed running is your thing, definitely give this one a shot.

Battle Cry of Freedom is fun but problematic. With no tutorial you’re left to figure everything out on your own. An even bigger issue is the not so subtle racism found in the community in a game that pits confederacy vs the union - and you pick whichever side you want. While players' behavior is not the fault of developer Flying Squirrel Entertainment, making a game whose topic is the civil war brings out some less than savory people. Combat is fun, but understanding the flow of battles takes patience. You don’t need a PHD to play Battle Cry of Freedom, but a Bachelors probably goes a long way to understanding pivotal gameplay mechanics.

With is short missions and cumbersome customizing options, Armored Core 4 isn't nearly as entertaining as it should be.

Evil West in fun in the moment, but largely forgettable due to the poor writing and level design. While the combat is stellar and intuitive when in the heat of battle, the glue holding those battles together could use some love. With a boring protagonist and stilted dialogue, Evil West feels more low budget than it likely really is. Luckily, there is a solid core here to build upon for the inevitable sequel, and punching dudes with electricity never gets old.

Contraband Police is both too much yet not enough. Sometimes less is more—I wanted more simulator and less first-person shooter RPG, but there are still certain types of simulator comrades that will dig it, I think.

When your only motivation to continue is to see just how far down a tiled dungeon you can get, I became exhausted. I love the combat system. The amount of weapons and armor you can equip your party members is great. But with the game not providing any story or character motivation, I became weary. While I enjoyed the mechanics and searching, the somber feel of Dungeon Encounters made me realize why they don't quite make them like they used to.

Resistance: Burning Skies is an admirable effort but ends of leaving a lot to be desired. The game may carry the popular Resistance name, but the experience certainly doesn't mimic the standard(s) set by that previous entries in the series. Still, this is solid proof that the FPS-genre can succeed on a handheld system.

A pared down meat-and-potatoes shooter, heavy on visceral mayo and lite on the rest of the fixings. High fidelity to its PC forebears, putting you in a vegetative killing state with interspersed spikes of adrenaline.

Destiny 2: Beyond Light is worth the investment for existing fans of the genre and franchise. Otherwise, the best way to experience this expansion is through Game Pass on Xbox or PC.

Wealth of Nations adds some additional options to the economic subgame, but is by no means an overhaul. It is an OK expansion, given its limited scope and price.

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.

If I hadn’t played Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II when I was in high school, would I have enjoyed it now? I don’t think so. The simplistic look did not age well. The city of Baldur’s Gate feels empty and lifeless. The couch co-op is good; being able to play online would have been great, but only the PC version has that. The only real update was the rapid loading times and smooth frame rate. But I did play this back in high school. The memories carried over from 18 years ago. I’m lucky that the nostalgia was strong enough for me to look past the obvious flaws of Dark Alliance II. Because I was able to distance myself from the flaws, I was able to have a blast playing. Exploring, fighting, and the characters all had a familiar feel that made my time enjoyable. It might not be as sharp and crisp as a modern hack and slash game, but it didn’t matter.