Star Fox Guard’s mechanically sound gameplay is frantic and fun, but its two-screen display adds to its chaos and brings down the experience.

Scott Pilgrim polishes up the fighting mechanics while still feeling very much in the spirit of the original. EX conveys a different kind of vibe, but it's just as potent and, importantly, fun to experience.

The fun of this game is that you can pick it up at any time and swing around for a while and then shelf the title for the day. It is a rare game that you can do that sort of thing.

The Fall Part 2: Unbound is a solid follow-up to its predecessor with a moving story and interesting puzzles. It is held back somewhat by occasionally obtuse solutions and bland action sequences, but is well-worth the price of admission for players eager to continue ARID’s story.

Pandemic should collectively stand up and take a bow because they have expertly crafted a sequel that goes above and beyond the top-notch original.

As a $9.99 download, the Switch re-release of Shantae is a great look at the half-genie’s debut for those who want to check her out. It might be dated compared to the rest of the series, but it’s a nice look back at the classic series we know and love.

On Your Tail has a lot of heart, but that’s sadly not enough to support a mystery that is constantly falling flat on its face. Its puzzles are infuriating rather than fun, with no real clues to follow and determine the culprit ahead of time. The characters are incredibly charming, Borgo Marina is gorgeous, and the life sim elements are fun, but the core of this taste of Italy is incredibly bitter.

It may not be the most epic shooter experience out there, but F.E.A.R. 3 eloquently satisfies its niche by giving us a refreshing alternative to the played out machismo theme in most of the shooters out there.

Godfall is a godlike load of fun to play. I am a firm believer in giving games a second chance and this one is no exception. Gameplay is smooth and uncomplicated, as is really the rest of it, making it easier to get into, and it’s oh-so-satisfying.

Amplitude hits both highs and lows, but is the kind of score-hunting, high difficulty challenge that rhythm fans will love if they’re looking for something fresh. A solid revival for a pillar of the genre.

Time will tell whether it has the legs to keep up with more traditionally-styled MMOs, but for what it is, I'm certain that the gaming world will always have room for experiences like The Secret World.

If you are looking for a solid third person shooter on the PSP then you will find it here. But, if you only intend to play the single player campaign you really shouldn’t buy this one, maybe rent it instead. The real meat of the game comes from multiplayer co-op.

LEGO Batman 3: Beyond Gotham is a worth addition to the LEGO Batman series, but while all that is good about these games has returned, all of the glaring issues with the series are worse than ever.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers wears its inspirations a little too proudly on its sleeves, not to the point of the original plagiarism claims, but enough to fail to stand out in an increasingly saturated market. The game’s cultural authenticity is commendable, but it leans too heavily on familiar tropes. The middling technical performance is just the cherry on top.

Warhammer 40,000: Darktide is one of those games that oozes fun, no matter how you play it. It lends itself perfectly to all playstyles, and has this natural way of immersing the player in its world. That might be from the unique RPG system, the insanely detailed environments that make you feel like you’re really walking through this huge hellscape, or maybe it’s just the gratuitous violence. Whatever the cause, it’s doing a great job of keeping me hooked. Of course, the game isn’t without its cons, and these do detract from an otherwise solid experience. Regardless, it’s a game that I will absolutely be coming back to time and time again.

Luigi’s Mansion was great when it first arrived, and this remake is even more polished and complete than the first. There are a lot of problems with the controls in the game, but the creative and diverse gameplay combined with a beautiful bevy of graphics make the experience worth the frustration.

A very entertaining mech combat title with lots of options and missions to keep you going for many a night.

You never feel like things are dragging on and the next goal is always in sight.

It’s still a bit rough around the edges, but Ooblets is a quirky combination of monster collecting RPG and farming sim. The humor and characters are incredibly charming, and the core gameplay loop is a ton of fun. For every annoying dungeon, there’s some cute Ooblets to battle and collect just around the corner. What Ooblets lacks in polish, it makes up for in charm.

You get the full spectrum of war from armor to aircraft and snipers to squad leader. Sure, it's got a few shortcomings. But it is also the most complete and perhaps even the best combat simulator out there.

One heck of a story, and has a decent engine to back it up.

Attack on Titan is an enjoyable experience that is worth a playthrough, but it could’ve been so much more. It surprises with solid combat mechanics and features some exciting and action-packed gameplay moments, but its presentation, story, characters and content outside of the campaign are severely lacking.

At $12, you can’t go wrong with Implosion. While it sometimes shows its mobile roots, the Switch version of the game is frantic, fluid fun with a great amount of content and thrilling gameplay. It’s games like these that make me never lose hope that Rayark will astound me again with its next release.

Kingdom: New Lands is the same survival simulation game you'll find on Steam, but it feels even more at home on the Nintendo Switch. While the lack of tutorial and clearly defined goals can potentially lead to frustration and some difficult first starts, Kingdom's simple controls lead you right into an incredibly engrossing game. The gorgeous pixel graphics shine on the Switch's screen, and the changing of day to night, and summer to fall is not only visually stunning, it's an ever present reminder that winter is coming. Based upon the principle that nothing lasts, with each new game Kingdom asks: How long can your crown survive?

The Cub is a functional platformer, but not a flashy one. Movement can feel stiff at times, but the colorful landscapes and levels will still carry the experience. If you’re a big fan of platformers, you’ll certainly find some enjoyment within the approximately four hour experience, even if it can feel less than ambitious at times.

Enchanted by Nature is special in how it finally introduces Fairies to the Sims 4. You easily step into the wondrous world of Innisgreen which is full of things to do, lore to uncover and nature to wander around in. You really feel like you’re a part of a Fairy community, surrounded by mysticism and an outstanding build-mode and Create A Sim. However, this pack falls flat in a lot of other areas too, mainly its gameplay, which feels all too lackluster and may risk becoming really annoying in the long term. I feel like a lot of potential was lost here, but overall, I’m satisfied.

Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution is novel in that it’s a lost GBA game finally being finished and released, but that’s about all it has going for it. The adventure itself feels like just another day in the life of the half-genie heroine, with nothing really interesting to see or do. It has some bright spots, like the puzzles and transformations, but is incredibly forgettable, bland, and inconsistent.

If you already have Madden NFL 06 for the Xbox, PS2, or Gamecube, you are best off waiting for next year's version of Madden for the Xbox 360. If you have the Xbox 360 and want to show off the graphics capabilities of the Xbox 360, then Madden is a fine choice to use.

While Still Wakes The Deep doesn’t boast the biggest narrative draw, what will really pull you in is the eerie atmosphere it manages to envelope you in. Fighting for your life against the churning sea and the strange creature that rose from the murky depths provided some truly surreal and hair-raising moments.

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville is a fairly generic team shooter that doesn’t take advantage of its strengths. While there’s a lot to do in single player it’s fairly shallow and the multiplayer modes don’t bring anything new to the table.

Neon Chrome makes good use of the cyberpunk setting, but remains light on story. While the grind is real, the game shows real promise in couch cooperative play. If twin-stick shooters are your thing, you could do much worse than Neon Chrome.

Side missions are decidedly absent, the sandbox has no toys to play with, the combat mechanic is a little rough, and you'll spend as much time driving around as you do watching cutscenes. Thankfully the story is decent and different than other crime-based titles, even if it is a completely linear affair.

Lo Wang returns with a glorious vengeance in Shadow Warrior, in a hilarious, violent experience that no player should miss.

Ultra Kaiju Monster Rancher is a humorous mashup between Ultraman and Monster Rancher, allowing you to raise and train your very own Kaiju. It’s quirky and great for passing the time. The battle system could use a little tweaking to resolve issues with Kaiju not being able to land any attacks at all and then losing because the opponent knocked 50 Life down. My Kaiju, Boris, will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Atelier Firis: Alchemist of the Mysterious Journey is the first open-world Atelier game and it takes the fun battles and item creation modes from the previous titles and makes improvements and additions that make this the most impressive game in the series. Fans of the series will find this a triumph, and even those unacquainted will be impressed with this fun, strategic, and light-hearted adventure.

Lost Words: Beyond the Page is a heartfelt and human exploration of grief. While it will certainly make you feel things, it stumbles a bit in the execution with ham fisted moments, glitches, and overall simplicity of puzzles.

Fire Emblem Warriors is a very fun game marred by a only few issues, some of which were probably unavoidable. The basic hack-and-slash gameplay is as solid and polished as any Warriors game, and the new innovations based on the Fire Emblem series add a lot. The game honestly feels like Fire Emblem almost as much as it feels like a Warriors game. If you’re a classic Fire Emblem fan like me, don’t let the roster keep you from buying the game. If you like Dynasty Warriors but don’t know Fire Emblem, there’s still plenty to enjoy here.

TASTEE scratches a tactical itch in a Dark Souls-difficult, but ultimately rewarding way. The asymmetric multiplayer is unique in the genre, offering a new way to play. If you are a fan of deep strategy, ignore the goofy name and check out TASTEE: Lethal Tactics.

A well-rounded collection and as I said earlier I can't think of any big titles not included here.

It’s a light, 2D arcade shooter that’s great for killing some time if you’re waiting for your wife to get ready, but if you’re looking for immersive gameplay and a deeper level of engagement, or beautiful, eye-catching graphics, you’ll be better off looking somewhere else.

While I can't help like feel like Starbreeze missed the mark in relaunching the single player experience, they have locked onto my neural pathways in a big way in multiplayer.

Relicta is a puzzle game that tries to be like The Talos Principle and Portal, but falls flat. The gameplay mechanics, as well as the physics, are a solid and fun experience. However, it falls short due to a weak story, terribly written dialogue, repetitive puzzle design, and various technical issues. If you’re looking for a puzzler that you can easily find exploits in for a speedrun, check this out. But, if you’re looking for a puzzler with replayability, where you have to utilize creative thinking, and the puzzles are all uniquely designed, then look far, far elsewhere.

The biggest complaint is that some of the English voices are really lacking, especially comparing them to how the Japanese voice actors sound doing the same (or similar) lines, and the entire jumping mess. Outside of that, this is a very solid title, and quite possibly a contender for 2005 RPG of the year.

Capturing the cyberpunk aesthetic perfectly, The Ascent is a fantastic example of twinstick shooters with a few tricks of its own. There are a few rough edges, especially with online multiplayer, but the RPG elements and gorgeous graphics and voice work more than keep you locked into this neon soaked universe.

All that being said, MLB Dugout Heroes feels like baseball. Plus, circling back to the best part about Dugout Heroes: It's all free.

A graceful dance of lead and fists through some lovely set pieces and a whole lot of unsuspecting thugs. Nurturing quick, adaptive thinking, John Wick Hex is an excellent distillation of the franchise.

Afterparty unfortunately doesn’t come close to the standard its predecessor set. While it has great ideas and actors, the rest of the game collapses under the weight of its own ambitions.

For all its missteps, Pac-Man World 2 Re-Pac is an agreeable 3D platformer from yesteryear. While hardly in the same league as Mario, Crash, or Astro Bot, it's served at just the right price for those pursuing a nostalgic diet. Approach accordingly, and you may just walk away from this classic meal with a full stomach.

Bounty Star is a title of interesting ideas that never fully realizes any of them. The narrative foundation is strong, the setting is unique, and the ambition to blend mech warfare with homestead management deserves praise. But the execution fumbles with its overly repetitive design and shallow systems.

Sonic Colors is still a great game, but Ultimate is lackluster at best. It’s glitchy, visually inconsistent, and has some abysmal mixing that makes it impossible to hear the excellent soundtrack, let alone the new remixes.

Neverending Nightmares is a very personal look at what it’s like to feel trapped by mental illnesses, a look that is gruesome and scary. Though the game excels with great sound and art design, creating truly scary moments, its boring gameplay loop makes it a hard to sit through.

If you’ve been following the series this far, it might be worth checking out just to have a save file ready for when season four comes out. Just be aware that the finale is pretty disappointing on the whole.

Yes, Your Grace is an enjoyable hybrid game, filled with obvious lies, surprise twists, quirky characters, and lots and lots of needy petitioners. The pixel art is beautiful and writing is excellent, even if the game itself is rather short. It settles somewhere between a simulation game and an RPG, and while it’s a master of neither, it is an enjoyable little indie experience.

Metro Awakening is another good entry in the outstanding Metro series, though at times it feels like more of a side quest than a main entry. Still, the graphics are gorgeous, the metro underground is equal parts fun and creepy to explore in VR, and the game makes great use of VR to bring the world to life and really immerse the player. Despite a few minor issues, Awakening is a great VR experience and well worth picking up, especially if you are a fan of the series.

Suffice it to say I’m excited for this game, and so much of me wants to recommend every bit of it. Right now, the performance issues make that very, very hard. I’m not sure why Colossal and Paradox didn’t delay all of it until 2024 instead of just consoles, but here we are. Much like other games that launched in a rough state, I’m certain that Cities: Skylines II will eventually be something to behold. For now, however, there’s a bit of buyer beware. Check those system requirements folks…

Dead in Vinland is a challenging game with fun writing and hours of gameplay to keep you busy. However, repetitive gameplay and a slow-moving plot holds back what could have been a truly fantastic game.

As a ten-year celebration for the franchise, Just Dance 2020 is mostly the same, for better or for worse. While it strips some of the innovative features of past entries, the eclectic and energetic songlist will get any party pumped up all night. Just make sure you get Just Dance Unlimited for a better time.

The run and gun gameplay and unique storyline delivers, even if only for a short while.

plays like your favorite World War II movies come to life. You'll relive parts of "Enemies At The Gate", "Day After Tomorrow", with hints of "Saving Private Ryan."

Peril on Gorgon is simply more Outer Worlds. It feels like a natural addition and fits right in with the rest of the game, while offering a slightly different tone in terms of story. The main quest is lengthy and replayable, but there’s not much in terms of side quests or gear.

It’s hours of mindless, bloody, expletive-filled fun in an action-packed fantasy world illustrated with gorgeous graphics, a good variety of unlocks, and enough challenges to make completionists feel as if they got their money’s worth.

The overall package falls short in several areas, but it does bring the series across to the Next-Gen platforms, and enables a very easy multiplayer mode. The next game should be that much the better.

While a few levels can be frustrating, the rest of the game’s ingenuity, cleverness, and execution more than make up for it. If you’re willing to go through the initial slog, Professor Lupo has something truly special in store for you.

Disney Illusion Island feels a little shallow. With a lack of combat and a slow introduction to your abilities in-game, things can quickly become stale. However, playing with a few friends makes the game blossom into a much better experience.

While I wouldn’t call Atomfall revolutionary, Rebellion has done a great job of taking a unique setting and putting the right pieces around it. Figuring out where less is more is tantamount to the formula that works for Atomfall, along with offering players a streamlined experience that can be enjoyed for multiple playthroughs. Atomfall is brilliant, and solid in the right places.

Armello presents an imaginative backdrop to a fantasy board game with deep mechanics. The steep learning curve and balancing issues may put off some players, but those who put in the time will be rewarded the most.

If you like hiking through the mountains for hours, a high-powered rifle cradled in your arms, then watching your screen go crimson as a sniper arcs three rounds into your head from like four klicks away, then this is truly the ideal game for you.

All in all, I enjoyed Drox Operative. It’s a niche game, certainly – graphically bland with some intriguing gameplay that situates itself somewhere between a realtime strategy game and a roguelike style RPG, offering a whole lot of replay value to those who end up getting into the game.

The two-player aspect might make it a wonderful game for a parent to play along with his or her child, as I think it makes a good tool for demonstrating cooperation and teamwork.

In a world filled with overly difficult titles, The Swindle knows how to blend its mechanics together perfectly to deliver one hell of a rewarding experience.

Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion is a cute little game that’s over way too quickly. While this means that a lot of its questions aren’t answered and its mechanics are underutilized, what’s here is still a very enjoyable ride with an adorable protagonist (that may need a calculator or two).

Famicom Detective Club: The Missing Heir feels like a top-notch mystery novel at its best moments. However, its limited mechanics can cause a bit of frustration, but if you stick with it, it’ll be worth your time.

Neverwinter was purpose built to be free-to-play, but they have also made the pay aspects fairly non-intrusive. They’ve provided an incredible amount of content wrapped around character classes that are a great deal of fun to play.

While Master of Orion probably isn’t going to satisfy fans who crave the most complex civilization building games, it’s easy to pick up and fun to play for anyone new to the genre. The level of personality and attention to detail really set it apart from the competition as well.

It's a fun game, but like I said before, don't go in expecting a boxing sim. I would put this more in the same vein as Ready to Rumble except without all the ridiculous moves and boxers of Ready to Rumble.

This game is for those of you that love franchise modes, but not necessarily for a pick up and play game. The gameplay problems really hurt this game, especially from the defensive perspective.

Each mode outside of online brings less to the table than "Madden 2004" and the fact that this game doesn't run as fast just hurts it in my mind.

Automatron’s campaign isn’t very long or particularly interesting, but the longterm effects to the Fallout 4 sandbox are sure to be very interesting, especially as players get to carry their Frankenstein creations to upcoming DLC campaigns.

Oriental Empires is a solid, detailed first effort from Shining Pixel Studios that fans of the 4X strategy genre will enjoy. Unfortunately, newcomers and veterans alike might be disappointed by the unwieldy UI, unpredictable systems and lack of in-game tutorials or explanations.

Overwhelm’s dark, intense action makes for a fantastic yet occasionally frustrating horror experience. When you are in the game, leaping around enemies and using your limited ammo to deal with evolving threats, you will be experiencing an immensely satisfying challenge. It’s only a shame that some of the technical aspects can make death too easy and navigation a chore, because the roots of Overwhelm’s concept design are exemplary.

While bad load times and mediocre visuals make its Switch port far from perfect, Life is Strange 2 still provides an impactful experience.

Copycat is only about three hours in length and jumps between set pieces at a good pace, constantly switching up your tasks to prevent the game from becoming stale. You’ll wreak havoc in a house, roam neighborhoods and parks, sneak past guard dogs, hunt for food, fight off alley cats, and even chase animals as a panther in Dawn’s dreams, with no one set piece lingering too long. Despite its story which is purposefully uncomfortable to experience, it is an adventure well worth embarking on and will hopefully force other animal owners to take a long look at their own actions and make adjustments as necessary to ensure we provide our animals with the respect and love they deserve.

While the narrative is a bit disconnected, Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments uses the short story framework to its benefit, keeping each of its cases focused on pure, thrilling detective work.

One Piece Odyssey took on the tough task of being accessible to those who don’t know the source material, while also catering to the fans of the franchise. At its heart, One Piece Odyssey is a love letter to the fans, but that doesn’t stop from being a fantastic gateway into the world.

If you have quick reflexes and a fast stylus hand, you will probably have an absolute blast with this one.

Super Mario Maker 3DS is a subpar port of a great game. While a lot of the fun is still there, the lack of sharing and search features make for an overall inferior experience.

Mafia: The Old Country harkens back to the old days in more ways than one. While the gameplay is more of a standard third-person action affair, it’s refreshing to play a game that doesn’t require you to wade through padding to find the good stuff. With a stirring narrative that commands your attention and visuals that fully capture your gaze, The Old Country is exactly the place to holiday as the summer comes to a close.

After the first vacation I really did not want to play this game anymore. I had already gotten the top swimsuit (the Venus) and after that I felt that my time with this game was done unless I wanted to pick it up to play the volleyball again.

Lack of replay value aside, this is a game that you absolutely should not miss.

Frustrating and generic gameplay rounds out an otherwise technically impressive package. Killzone: Shadow Fall should have been another solid entry in an above-average franchise, but instead it succumbs to all of the usual launch game pitfalls, and a decent though unimpressive multiplayer suite can’t save it from mediocrity.

There’s no way a gamer can’t beat this inside 10 hours as there are no puzzles, it’s all run and gun, and there’s not a heck of a lot of challenge other than fighting the controls and the camera. Give it a rent if you’re into Westerns.

This is high adventure in the grandest sense, and running around in the shoes of Indiana Jones is truly a great thing. Not to mention the manual has got to be seen to be believed. It’s so bloody cool, it’s amazing.

Quite simply the best platform game ever seen on the Xbox. The game fires on all cylinders and delivers a solid platform adventure with hilarious characters and dialogue.

Whether you’re playing solo or co-op, Killsquad’s skill-based, challenging, and fast paced combat is a triumph. While the lacklustre mission design and unexciting loot end up letting it down a little, this one can still be a blast to jump into if you and your friends are up for a grind.

In a world filled with bricks and boundless imagination, Lego 2K Drive in Bricklandia shines as an extraordinary racing adventure. With its thrilling races, delightful characters, and captivating visuals, this game takes players on a joyous ride that is sure to put a smile on their faces. Despite its ludicrous microtransactions, the sheer fun and excitement of the kart racing experience, combined with the charming Lego aesthetic, make it a game worth playing.

A game that delivers on some promises while completely losing sight of others. The overall gameplay is fun, but a few bugs tend to frustrate the experience.

While it won't quite help you to "learn a new language", it will give you a good foundation in Spanish and set you up for an easier time learning what you need to become fluent.

The sequel to FAR: Lone Sails scours off the rust and polishes the rest to an acceptable shine. It’s a well-oiled machine that runs for twice as long, with a lot more adventure hiding under its hood to compensate for the series’ shortcomings.