The magic of Star Trek isn’t the ship, but in the crew, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew nails that mechanic perfectly. What might otherwise appear as a cold and stationary experience becomes amazing when played with friends. While the campaign isn’t as long as we were hoping, the ongoing voyages provide enough randomization to keep us busy. As I push the wobbly AI out of the airlock, allow me to heartily recommend Star Trek: Bridge Crew — it’s downright “fascinating”.

Hyrule Warriors Definitive Edition is the best version of the Legend of Zelda hack-and-slash experience. While it does suffer from some problems the original versions had, the plentiful amount of content mixed with entertaining gameplay and colorful cast of characters make this a legend the hero of time would love.

With upgraded grappling and submission mechanics, better training and fewer flash knockouts, UFC 4 manages to deliver on the promise of its predecessor. Cosmetic microtransactions come across greedy, but there’s nothing lacking in the main product. Framerate hitches and a few bugs remain at launch, as does persistent voice repetition, but overall if you enjoyed UFC 3, there’s a lot to like about UFC 4.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a hard game to recommend. The remade presentation as a whole is terrific, and Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped is a totally enjoyable retro platformer. But, the problem remains that the first two games simply aren’t very good. They are hindered by control and level design issues which are simply unacceptable in a straightforward platformer. Even when they’re firing on all cylinders, the first two titles struggle to rise above mediocre.

Transference is an interesting experiment in the blending of horror and virtual reality. Noah and Waller deliver a stressful experience that pushes the player into an uncomfortable space. While the puzzles aren’t going to bend your brain, the tension is more than worth the trip...and it is very much a trip.

WWE 2K26 offers a little something for everyone. With the biggest roster to date and more match choices than ever before, wrestling has never felt so good. Sadly, animation and face-scanning issues put a pin in the fun very quickly. Some objects and match types could be more responsive to player input.

The Great Escape is proof that the AR-K series has the potential to get better as it progresses. The graphics and voice acting are a step up, but it’s the story that has improved by leaps and bounds. Not only does it make more sense now, but it is the most persuasive argument for getting you to try the game in the first place.

Injustice: Gods Among us stands head and shoulders above any other fighting game on the market – it is without flaw.

At the time of launch, I’m incredibly impressed with what Vertigo Games has delivered. I want to spend some time hunting zombie-sicles with my friends to really get a handle on how the game plays with friends, but this already feels like a can’t-miss entry into Sony’s PSVR2 platform.

With its convenient gameplay mechanics and detailed design, time easily flies while playing this enjoyable game.

Pokémon Legends Z-A gives us an amazing, fresh take on Pokémon battles, but that’s about all it does. Difficult fights are a highlight, but they can feel few and far between in a game that really overstays its welcome. When it works, it’s an absolute blast, but since there’s nothing else to do it’s a very one note game.

Horizon Chase Turbo is a fun and challenging racing game that harkens back to the old school arcade days. The collision system can be aggravating and dampen the fun as a result. The tracks aren't anything to rave about, but the environments have a bright, plucky charm to them. It has its share of flaws, but it is worth checking out if you need a quick racing fix.

Offworld Trading Company combines economic strategy with innovation and polish, resulting in a game which feels exciting, deep and fun all at once. Not an easy combination to pull off – the developers should be proud, and gamers should be delighted.

EyeToy Play 2 plays a lot like a flash game as it is fast and furious but ultimately not built to last. To combat that, Sony has provided us with an incredible catalog of unique minigames packed on this one DVD.

It may not be as great as Xbox Live or PS2's online system, but this game is a heck of a lot of fun if you have some friends and one GBA with the connector.

A true expansion, The Following provides players with an all new area of Harran to explore, new game features and items, and the ability to drive a vehicle and level your skills as a driver and a runner.

Dungelot: Shattered Lands is a fun combination of Minesweeper and a dungeon crawler that you’ll surely keep coming back to. While not without its moments of frustration, overall this game rewards you for skill more than it ruins you with bad luck. What it lacks in story it makes up for in its variety of creatures, items, challenges, and treasures.

With quite a few twists on the traditional 4X formula, Sorcerer King: Rivals has a lot under the hood. The combat is a substantial improvement, offering a new way to engage the enemy, and the RPG elements expand gameplay even further. The editor is a cherry on top of an already full package. While it has a few balance issues in the endgame, Sorcerer King: Rivals shines brightly in a crowded genre.

Everybody’s Golf is a great game for those who want to relax and hit the virtual links. The game provides a good challenge that increases slightly as you progress. The beautiful graphics and calming soundtrack make the world more engaging and serene. The extra activities such as golf cart driving and fishing add to the already high replayability. If you’re a fan of the Hot Shots series, you’ll definitely want to pick this up.

The game doesn’t ultimately suffer from its technical issues. Instead I felt more like it was muddled by lack of creative cohesion or foresight. The game’s story was intriguing, but doesn’t really resolve in a manner which is coherent. The level of visual fidelity works, but doesn’t entirely seem premeditated. Yet it’s over very quickly, and in its broad strokes paints a captivating picture. Had it required me to spend more time to reach its pay off, I might have been bothered by this. To compare it to music, this works well as a free mix-tape, but I wouldn’t tolerate it as a full album. That said, I’m interested in what the artist’s point of view is. If they were to be signed, I’d likely want to check out what they could put out with the support of a record label.

The Chronicles of Nyanya looks like a bad dream, but is actually one of the most refreshing and fun RPGs that I have played in a long, long time. There is so much to love about the story and the dialogue, and the humor of the game is witty, smart, and charming. Battles are basic as is the gameplay throughout, but there are certain tweaks to that which provide more challenge and cerebrality. There are some small issues, and one big game crashing issue that drags the quality down, but overall this is a surprise triumph and well worth your attention.

Spiritsphere DX remixes a well-worn genre, adding tons of variety on top of a simplistic core mechanic. It offers plenty of unlockables and play modes, but they don’t add much to its replayability. Spiritsphere DX shines in short multiplayer sessions, but likely won’t hold solo players’ attention for long.

Chook & Sosig: Walk the Plank is a short yet charming point-and-click game. The pirate theme mixed with quirky characters and goofy antics makes for an enjoyable time. The art style is wonderful and it makes you want to investigate everything you can.

Sagebrush delivers on an interesting plot that draws you into the game. However, the gameplay is not quite enough to carry the rest of the game. It’s short length and limited gameplay options cut a bit into what was an overall positive experience. I just wish that there was a bit more to experience.

I’m a person who likes having the resources of tutorials and hints; if you are like me, I’m sorry to say you won't find that here. Other than a sweet old man who meets his untimely death in the very beginning of this game, you have no help or direction on how to play. The art, bosses, and wacky soundtrack are big pluses, as they give those good retro vibes and never feel outdated. Overall, Atomicrops isn’t for everyone, but for people who are fans of the genre they’ll definitely find a lot to enjoy.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot on Switch is a stunningly uncompromised port of last year’s massive RPG. It looks and runs fantastically, while also including all three DLC chapters in a perfectly portable package.

For better and worse, Evil Genius 2 on console is exactly the same as on PC, complete with glitches and menu navigation. It needs a bit of work to smooth out the experience, but the game itself is a ton of fun and well worth playing, however you can get your hands on it.

Teardown has some cool tech and ideas behind it but is too structured and restrictive to give the player the freedom they crave.

For pinball fans, this is a home run, for everyone else though, it’s a mostly-fun arcade experience even if a little short-lived. The five tables at launch are each engaging in their own ways, and provide creative uses of classic horror licenses. The flashing lights and thrilling modes however can unfortunately be dulled at times by seemingly helpless ball-outs and odd camera angles. Despite finding itself deep within a niche, there’s still fun to be had in spite of the drawbacks, whether you're a pinball enthusiast or casual arcade-goer.

It’s hard to decide whether I enjoyed my time with RetroRealms: Halloween or RetroRealms: Ash vs. Evil Dead more, which is a testament to how great both games are. Not only do both titles stand on their own, but they serve as great counterparts to each other with Halloween being slightly slower with more difficult bosses, and Ash vs. Evil Dead being much faster paced but with easier boss battles. Each minute of these games ooze with great level design, fun enemies to defeat, intricate and often hilarious or spooky backgrounds, lots of collectibles and upgrades to unlock, a ton of small details sure to please fans of each series, and blood - lots and lots of blood. As it stands, both Ash vs. Evil Dead and Halloween are great homages to their respective IPS as well as faithful love letters to the 16-bit games of yesteryear and are well worth your hard-earned money.

It’s hard to decide whether I enjoyed my time with RetroRealms: Halloween or RetroRealms: Ash vs. Evil Dead more, which is a testament to how great both games are. Not only do both titles stand on their own, but they serve as great counterparts to each other with Halloween being slightly slower with more difficult bosses, and Ash vs. Evil Dead being much faster paced but with easier boss battles. Each minute of these games ooze with great level design, fun enemies to defeat, intricate and often hilarious or spooky backgrounds, lots of collectibles and upgrades to unlock, a ton of small details sure to please fans of each series, and blood - lots and lots of blood. As it stands, both Ash vs. Evil Dead and Halloween are great homages to their respective IPS as well as faithful love letters to the 16-bit games of yesteryear and are well worth your hard-earned money.

A "Diablo" clone done right! With excellent balance, cooperative multiplayer, addictive loot gathering, and a great graphical presentation, it is easy to overlook the few flaws within the game.

Deathtrap is a fun monster-killing, loot collecting, distraction. Unfortunately, it never goes beyond that.

Graceful Explosion Machine is the perfect arcade style shooter, and one of the best Switch games available right now. Its fluid, addictive gameplay and flashy yet minimal visuals pair well with a variety of challenging enemies, and it’s great for sessions lasting for a few minutes or a couple hours.

Elden Ring Nightreign is a daring experiment that succeeds in delivering a fast-paced, replayable multiplayer experience, but only for genre veterans seeking a fresh take on the traditional FromSoftware formula.

I have a lot of VR games because I think they transcend barriers for non-gamers, and they are also a whole lot of fun. Job Simulator was a great way to break in new players, but I have to say that Vacation Simulator will be supplanting (or at least supplementing) their previous effort. While some of the minigames won’t keep you coming back, there’s enough here to keep you busy for quite a while. Owlchemy Labs has spent four years hard at work, but I’m gonna enjoy bit of my Vacation Simulation.

Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town is simple and charming, but beneath the rather basic gameplay loop hides some surprisingly deep secrets. It brings back elements of farming games past, including marriage rivals and transient characters, while providing some major quality of life updates as well as a more freedom, such as limited character customization and a truly bizarre variety of farmyard pets. It’s a cozy, welcoming little village, sure to charm any farming fan.

Spending time playing the different modes, and just getting a general feel for MLB The Show 22, I found myself enjoying more of the game than I thought I would. Homerun Derby among the other game modes really helped to engulf and immerse myself in the game. Between stats and rosters it is always fun to mess around with major league rosters the way you would want real teams to manage their rosters. With what should be a lasting impression MLB The Show 22 leaves little to the imagination from its predecessor. What should be a definitive installment with the addition of online co-op, winds up being more of the same formula that needs some updates and changes if it is to have a lasting legacy.

MegaMan Battle Network Legacy Collection is a neat package of 6 GBA titles with some interesting features that somewhat capture the appeal of the games. While it could do a lot more, the games themselves are good and the collection makes them easier to enjoy than ever.

Unlike many other repackaging efforts, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX does just enough positively, while leaning on its own greatness to create a worthwhile addition to one’s video game collection.

The year that Kylotonn took to get WRC 8 back into the top contenders of rally games was worth it. Its Career mode alone is enough to make you sit down for hours and plan out how to manage your team, drive your car, and meet the conditions of your contract. With the car’s level of detail being extremely high, decent driving mechanics, and the bevvy of game modes being at an all-time high, this is a racing game that any fan of racing should absolutely try.

While there isn’t much to do after your first playthrough, Reigns is a short and sweet micromanagement adventure game filled with quirky characters and amusing conversations.

Etrian Mystery Dungeon is a fun little strategy RPG that will surely satisfy gamers who enjoy mental taxation and heavy frustration on the go.

With oodles of charm, shockingly-addictive yet easily accessible gameplay, Letter Quest Remastered: Grimm’s Journey is one of the best family-friendly puzzlers on the Xbox One platform.

The Inner World has the heart of an adventure game, but its execution can only be likened to a dilettante’s exploration of the point-and-click genre. Asposia is an inventive world full of personality, but even despite the game’s goofy nature, the puzzle design is unfair, and frankly, indefensible. The game is a respectable dabbling in the genre, but when Robert’s adventure finally reaches its conclusion (and it will have you saying ‘finally’), don’t expect to feel like you accomplished much of anything at all.

Banana Rumble shows the value of adding a new spin on a tried-and-true formula. This series has wallowed in its past for a long time, so I’m glad to see the new Spin Dash mechanic propel it into new and exciting places. As far as Super Monkey Ball sequels go, this one is easily the top banana.

On one hand there is a fantastic immersive horror title that captures the environment perfectly. On the other hand, you have a game that is filled with bugs and leads you with both hands tied through the whole game.

Audica morphs elements from several music genre bests, but putting a Harmonix spin on it. With a smooth pickup and play difficulty curve paired with a solid and ever-expanding soundtrack, Audica is another fantastic beat buster from Harmonix!

Steel Assault brings back the arcade feel with tremendous accuracy and care. Its brevity nicely contrasts with how difficult it can be, and the bosses are fun and distinct. The grappling hook is a great addition with unique uses, though it's a little unreliable at times. If Steel Assault were to cost 50¢ per play, I probably lost $20, and I don't regret it.

Amnesia: The Bunker is a truly terrifying experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat and your sanity. The overall experience is thrilling amidst all the horror, leaving me (almost) craving more. Almost.

As it stands, however, it will probably just end up disappointing Risk players old and new. In a Live Arcade packed with great games competing for your dollar, Risk: Factions just winds up being one die roll short of a win.

Mario & Luigi Brothership is definitely ambitious, but the structure of the game is not well suited to the sluggish feeling everything has. Despite being about half the length of some other modern RPGs, it doesn’t have the depth to match. A few good gags and some touching character moments doesn’t make the entire experience fulfilling. What’s here is solid enough but it’s death by a thousand cuts. Every cool or fascinating thing has some kind of asterisk to go with it. Battles are fun but they take forever to finish, characters are unique but dialogue is often belabored, Battle Plugs are interesting but take way too long to recharge. There’s a lot to like here, but just as many things if not more to dislike, leaving the game okay but frustrating.

Rather than being a game for people who miss the old school ninja platformers of yesteryear, Moonrider feels more like a game made for the people who miss the idea of them. The game borrows liberally from its inspirations and combines them into a game that looks and plays the part just fine. It just doesn’t push itself or the player on a level that will fully satisfy people who still regularly enjoy the games it takes from.

The DOA series has always looked great, and the hidden depth is still there. Whether this is a must buy for you depends on if you already have the original game.

Ultimate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is an excellent fighting game with an amazing pool of characters and finely-tuned gameplay. Its original release in 2011 is a critical and commercial darling still enjoyed by fans and pros around the world, but there isn’t enough new content or technical upgrades in this edition to justify a purchase for anyone that isn’t already a devoted fan.

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw brings a smaller scope and simplified controls to a sometimes intimidating genre, watering down the grandeur of spaceflight, but making it more fun and accessible at the same time. Its repetitive missions and sparse narrative weigh it down, but its fantastically engaging dogfights make it an easy recommendation.

A faster, more frantic, and fresh take on the old Pac-Man series, and this sequel does a great job of furthering what the original Championship Edition presented. The game is fun, and Pac-Man fans will enjoy the game while also getting a new set of challenges to face. In the end, the game is fairly simple and something you’ve seen before many times, but if you are craving a return to Pac World, this is a great place to look.

Donkey Kong Country Returns HD remains a classic and often challenging platformer brought to new life with a gorgeous HD makeover. Unfortunately, aside from a new gameplay mode which makes the game slightly easier and its updated visuals, this remaster is relatively lacking in new features. Still, fans of Donkey Kong or well-designed platformers will find a lot to love here.

Street Fighter V is a masterclass in fighting mechanics, but doesn’t offer enough content to necessarily justify buying in just yet unless you’re among the most die-hard competitive players.

A return to the roots for the Tony Hawk games – a return that is hampered by little bugs and the end of the console life cycle.

Coming out of seemingly nowhere, Touhou Spell Bubble is one of the best puzzle games I’ve played all year. The mix of rhythm gameplay and a reimagining of the Bust a Move formula is wrapped up in a Touhou presentation, and it’s an addictively fun experience that diehard Touhou fans should definitely check out.

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax’s modern port is the definitive version of the game as it provides a good amount of quality content Die-hard Persona fans and fighting game fans will undoubtedly enjoy.

Cosmonious High is a fun, albeit brief, VR experience which allows you to drop into a school in disarray and obtain a variety of powers which can then be used to fix the school or cause more chaos. The assignments are fun, the VR mechanics work great, and the characters are hilarious, making Cosmonious High a game well worth spending a few hours on.

If you are a fan of the series, you'll likely enjoy the new mechanical improvements. If you are a newcomer to the series, you'll enjoy the diverse roster and online play. My only suggestion is to avoid the single player mode and don't get too hung up on cranking down the difficulty level – Project Soul is trolling you by calling it 'normal'.

Overall Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood is a significant upgrade over it’s predecessor.

Cleanly mapped to a console controller, Wasteland 2 is a must-have for any RPG fan.

A love letter to the NES era of platformers, Cyber Shadow scratches the retro itch just right. With some amazing gameplay elements and a killer presentation, this is an adventure you need in your life right now.

Despite the bite-sized mission structure and constant interruptions, Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is still a great game, full of funny moments, quirky segments like Luigi humming along to the background music, and a gorgeous HD makeover which leaves no hint that this is a port of an 11-year-old handheld game. I admit that I was a fan of Dark Moon when it was first released on the 3DS, so my judgment may be a bit biased, but I still believe that Luigi’s Mansion 2 HD is well worth picking up and that this HD remaster has done a fantastic job bringing a handheld classic to modern consoles.

It's hardly a unique video game, but it is a very fun one and at the end of the day that's what counts.

Sucker for Love: First Date is a gut busting romp through relationships with several eldritch abominations. While this visual novel has a few rough edges, it is a must play for fans of comedy games.

Arzette: The Jewel of Faramore revels in the absurd animation of the Zelda CDI games while avoiding most of their pitfalls. The princess’ romp through Faramore is wacky and fun, with secrets to find around every corner and a new NPC with a hilarious cutscene just over the horizon.

Even though Another Crab’s Treasure doesn’t break the mold of your typical Souls-like game, it’s a charming one thanks to its funny and not-so-serious mood. The hilarious yet practical accessibility features along with a colorful cast of characters make this one of the best indie Souls-likes to date. Who knew that one of my favorite indie games of this year would involve a hermit crab setting off on a deep sea adventure to take back his shell?

Dragon Quest Heroes: The World Tree’s Woe and the Blight Below is an excellent musou game and a blast to play. It retains its Dragon Quest heritage beautifully, while still creating an experience fun for any fan of musou gameplay.

Immense racing. You get 4 different vehicle types, over 70 tracks plus a track editor, robust online modes and even a story mode for those that want it. All of this is wrapped up in an attractive package that runs well, controls very smoothly and plyas like it looks.

While I can't say that Singularity is chock full of new ideas, the few it brings to the table are worth the price of admission.

In a time when some games seem to be out for making a quick buck ("Army Men," I'm looking in your direction), Car Battler Joe is like a breath of fresh air.

The Pale Beyond is a masterclass in tone and atmosphere informing gameplay. As Captain Robin Shaw, you’ll need to make tough decisions constantly, but this stressful journey is well worth seeing through to the end.

FC 26 is fine for a while, but the longer I played, the more I became annoyed with the control scheme. The AI was a big fun killing factor, and no matter how many times I changed the game's difficulty, it never got better. Still, I had fun with a few of the game modes and love the training games.

Tales of Symphonia Chronicles is definite must-have for any Playstation 3 owner and/or fan of JRPGs.

While Killzone: Liberation isn’t mindblowing and has some flaws, it's a good action game for a game system on the go.

We recognize that Synapse tried hard but may have accomplished little but style. However, we must also acknowledge that Synapse may not be a game for everyone. It is brilliantly inspired and tries to combine successful mechanics that, in theory, would have resulted in a compelling game. If you are up for a tough challenge and are into Soulslike games, Synapse may be worth playing. For an FPS player, the game should last around 12 hours, and that is 12 hours of a solid VR game; it is immersive, has interesting abilities, intriguing gameplay choices and a great atmosphere. But that is the right amount of time before everything becomes mundane and repetitive. So suppose you are like me and must spend several hours grinding, doing and seeing more of the same to go past the first few areas of Synapse. In that case, I suggest you skip it altogether and find a more approachable and less repetitive game to play.

Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE manages to live up to its mystery adventure predecessor and establish a name of its own in the process. Removing the shroud of mystery around each case was intriguing, and made for some of the best twists that I couldn’t have seen coming. The wonderfully eccentric cast balances out the dark and gritty narrative in a way that manages to create a stellar adventure of investigation and seeking the truth at any cost.

The gameplay of Final Fight holds up surprisingly well, even if it is repetitive.

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a good, feature-rich Metroidvania ARPG with an entertaining narrative, a big world to explore, and a variety of playable classes to try out. The story is fun, if a bit rote, but beautiful visuals and great voice acting help push it over the line. While the boss encounters can be infuriating at times and the checkpointing feels a bit unrefined, Mandragora remains an entertaining experience from tip to tail.

The game is a lot of fun, but the blistering difficulty makes the game frustrating at first.

At just $9.99 anyone who loves zombies, weird Japanese games, arcade games or even giant eyeball alien games owes it to themselves to check out The Last Guy.

It’s a solid game, but with GRAW for the Xbox 360 and BF2 on the PC, other better options are available.

I think if Luxoflux could have tightened the controls, eliminated the stupid one-liners done over and over by Nick, had a more varied soundtrack and made the game a tad bit more involving for the player they really could have had a home run here.

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is an amazing next chapter in the series. Its story campaign alone is enough to warrant a buy. It’s not just the graphics, the characters, or the amazing multiplayer that makes it a must buy, it’s the charm that the developers have dialed into this game. Every minute playing feels like you’re on track to discover something ridiculously funny and over the top. Though there are a few key tweaks needed to make the battles spot on, it’s the culmination of other things that make this a great game.

XCOM 2 on the Nintendo Switch is the complete package, including all DLC and the War of the Chosen expansion. Tactical gaming on the go will cost you a little graphical fidelity and a few frames, but in the war against the Elders, it’s a small price to pay.

Put plainly, this is a very welcome distraction from all the running, jumping, and silly key and coin collecting that you can enjoy with your friends and family.

You won't be disappointed by the changes that have been made to make this a great experience.

The action sequences combined with the platforming elements really create a unique experience, especially with the different Morph modes and Gotcha Gadgets.

Shadows: Awakening is a damn good action-RPG. The combat is quick and varied while the characters are interesting. While the story lacks originality, it is still well written and allows the different characters to shine. There are a lot of different elements at play, and they all work together to create a fantastic experience.

Bomb Chicken is a very innovative puzzle-platformer that unfortunately suffers from a short runtime and limited replay value. However, for those that want a quick little single-player game that stars a cute chicken, there is no game better suited for the job.

Solasta: Crown of the Magister may become one of my favorite CRPGs ever, though it isn’t there yet. Its adaptation of D&D 5th edition is as impressive as it is incomplete. Its campaign is as mechanically creative as it is narratively uninspired. I had a great time playing through this game, and I look forward to doing so again with a new party composition, but it’s unmistakable that this game is not finished cooking yet.

Remedy swung for the fences and hit a homerun with Quantum Break. With an engrossing story, an amazing cast, and the most beautiful visuals on the Xbox One we’ve ever seen, Quantum Break is a masterpiece.

While levels may feel stale later on and combat could be better, The Adventure Pals is still a solid platformer with tight controls and an incredibly imaginative and humorous world that is more than worth checking out for its price.