This is a tough game to recommend because the single-player game is so weak when compared to even the basketball games from last year by Sega and EA.

Filled with a relaxing soundtrack and delightful minimalist visuals, Ovivo is a mellow game that has a feeling of whimsy across its world. While the presentation may be a bit lacking, this game is a unique treat in the platformer genre.

Romancing SaGa 2 is a wonderful little game, hidden away from American audiences and after putting some time in the game, it is easy to see why it is beloved by its long time backers. It is as simple as things come, gameplay wise, but the story is complex beyond what could be expected for that gaming era, with twists and turns based on your choices and interactions. The remastering is not always perfect, but it mixes the old and new together well.

Cyber Protocol’s escape-the-maze puzzles are easy to grasp but quickly ramp up the difficulty with frequent twists and new mechanics. This neon-bathed, synth-scored puzzler offers both single-player and multiplayer modes and an absolute mountain of levels. It would be easy to dismiss Cyber Protocol as style over substance, but with this much style, that’s not entirely a bad thing.

Dogurai is an homage to retro platformers like Mega Man, with the inspirations being very clear. Simple controls and infinite lives make it easy to pick up and play, although it only takes a couple hours to complete. Some sections can be a bit tough, but overall it's a good time.

Rigid Force Redux is a charming little side-scrolling shoot-em-up that separates itself from the pack with a wide array of abilities and attacks. The smooth performance and abundance of achievements are a wonderful package that you should definitely play if you love the genre.

While it doesn’t rewrite the history books of gaming, Astor: Blade of the Monolith is a solid first outing for C2 Game Studio. The combination of a great combat loop with fantastic visuals is a winner, and although the story is a bit devoid of substance, is still an entertaining tale. This is certainly a game the devs can build upon, with potential shining through.

Get Even is a respectable first-person shooter, sure. But despite finishing the game eager to start a second playthrough to experience the story with new perspective, the lack of player choice was a considerable disappointment. I felt duped for hunting down every piece of evidence during my time with Cole Black, because it didn’t influence the truth that ultimately emerged. This omission reduces Get Even from an imaginative game to a passable one that made me feel I was watching a thriller film more than playing a game.

PAC-MAN World Re-Pac is a fun 2D/3D platformer with creative level design, unique boss battles, and collectible items that are actually fun to find. From space ship battles to kart races, PAC-MAN World rarely sticks to one genre of play style for long and is all the better for it. While lack of camera control does make some sections more frustrating than necessary and the campaign clocking in at only five to six hours is a bit disappointing, there’s still a lot of fun to be had with this remake whether you’re a fan of the original or a newcomer.

If you are looking for a challenging RPG that gives you plenty of options, then give Stranger of Sword City a good look.

God Eater 3 bears a superficial resemblance to Monster Hunter, boasting many of its features, but none of its depth. It offers nothing but diluted versions of what it has tried to poach from better games.

While lacking in its core gameplay variety, the endless potential of its online rival club challenges opens up this next gen racer in ways never before seen.

Sebastien Loeb Rally EVO is a solid racing game that offers a mostly basic racing experience with a few unique twists.

Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online is the MMO experience you’ve been dreaming of for Neptune and her friends, though it does come with a lot of shortcomings. The game does a novel job of producing a quick paced action JRPG that looks and feels incredibly like an MMORPG in almost every way, down to a text chat box. There are some issues with combat and that drags the experience down. Despite that, the game provides a fun and basic online mission mode, and provides a lot of fun and fast paced action in a pretty package.

Hexologic is a charming number puzzle game that gets some influence from games like Sudoku. It's not very long or challenging, but it offers a casually relaxing sort of difficulty. The sights and sounds are clearly meant to invoke tranquility, which adds to the peaceful atmosphere and gameplay.

It's the first person camera work that brings even this lack-luster world to life and makes up for the simple textures. The first person perspective goes beyond anything that we've ever seen in other games and brings the immersion of the experience to new levels.

Arkane Studios has done a wonderful job in transferring this PC game onto the Xbox where hopefully even more people can enjoy it.

It will take a little getting used to the Guitar Grip, and you do need to remember to take breaks. However, if you do this you will be rewarded with a fun Guitar Hero game on the go. Rock on!

After playing Guardians of Middle-Earth every day for the past week, I'm happy to say that the title is a successful attempt to bring the MOBA experience to the console.

While it seemed like it tried hard to be Minecraft but with a twist, it still held a unique charm with its biomes, portals and eventful stories, as well as the class and custom character system. With the craft system lacking in favor for grinding combat, the game could use some balancing and tweaking to be what it advertises to the public.

Lichtspeer: Double Speer Edition is a great enhanced port of the original game. While it does have a few more issues than its other counterpart, the additions of co-op and updated save mechanics make this an easy recommendation if you want a cheap indie title to play with friends.

Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner --- M∀RS is one of the best looking mech games out there, despite being a remaster of a 15-year-old game. Its fast, flashy combat still looks and feels good, but is constantly undermined by an extremely unwieldy camera. With its short, linear campaign, dull story, and terrible dialogue, The 2nd Runner seems stuck in 2003, despite its slick graphical upgrade.

Labyrinth of the Demon King impresses with its crushing atmosphere and rewarding combat but falls victim to a dearth of novel ideas in its latter half.

While the first FSW was considered somewhat revolutionary, it was something different and unique, only one sequel later the game seems a bit one dimensional and stale.

It's decent fun for the $20 price point, but good graphics and a nice interface aren't enough to mask poor AI and a complete lack of depth.

This go around, Tropico 5 continues to have some annoying problems that need to be addressed. The controls are disappointing, the story mode is awful, and some other nagging issues persist.

It doesn't change much, but Mom Hid My Game! 2 is still a fun little game. If you liked the first one, the sequel is basically more of the same, but there's still some joy to be had finding your handheld in mysterious places.

Mothmen 1966 is a gripping story of how three characters react when thrust into contact with the paranormal. Fast-paced and featuring fleshed-out characters, the story only falters as it nears its action-packed ending. The retro aesthetic oozes charm and helps elevate the story, while the simple puzzles and gaming sections allow players to take a break from reading to become active participants in the story. At only two hours long, Mothmen 1966 is a no-brainer for those interested in the paranormal.

If you can adjust to the ProStick controls, you’ll find a control system that really makes you feel like a part of the game.

There is nothing quite like experiencing the catapult launch in EVE Valkyrie in VR. The game looks amazing, and the cross-play is seamless. The single player is a welcome addition, albeit a short one, and the new Carrier Assault mode shows commitment to expanding the game by developer CCP.

Rebuilt from the ground up in every way, Destroy All Humans! (2020) puts every other remaster on notice -- this is how it’s done.

With creepy puzzle moments throughout, The Medium pulls off a dual-reality puzzler with precision. The game looks magnificent, with impressive lighting and shadows courtesy of RTX, though the Xbox Series X version suffers from occasional stutters and hitches, as well as level of detail pops. More classic dread than jump scares, it delivers on its promise of horror served two ways, making it unique and a must-have for horror fans, even if it's a little lighter fare.

Time Recoil isn't going to redefine the cyberpunk genre, win awards for its writing or make players philosophize on the ethics of time travel. It’s a satisfying blitz that wants to chill you out and challenge you, and that's enough.

Bendy and the Ink Machine takes players down a corrupted nostalgia trip, full of old school cartoon characters mixed with twisted horror. Exploration, puzzle solving, and the occasional fight are the name of the game, even if the save system could be better. If you don't enter Joey Drew Studios for the gameplay, you'll be enthralled by the story.

Summary: Uninspiring with a lack of original ideas. It might be noteworthy if it wasn’t swimming in a pool crowded with 800-pound gorillas.

Tides of Tomorrow is a great adventure game with an excellent story, striking aesthetic, and the potential to connect players worldwide in unique ways. Like our lives, the choices you make will affect those who follow you. With a narrative that speaks to real-world concerns and the consequences of choice, Tides of Tomorrow leaves a lasting impact everyone should experience.

Matrix Software has now made three good-to-great games in a row for the DS: Avalon Code, Nostalgia and now 4 Heroes of Light. I only wish they could take one of these fantastic concepts and push it over the hump from "really good" to "exceptional."

The few places where it stumbles are more than made up by the polish and attention to detail everywhere else.

If you liked previous Bust-A-Move games, then Space Bust-A-Move will provide you with plenty of portable puzzle gaming. It's not going to make anyone change their mind on the formula.

The Sojourn is a peaceful yet thought-provoking puzzle game with beautiful visuals. The only bits of story are told through dioramas, so it isn't spelled out for you. With a sense of wonder and interesting puzzle mechanics, you'll have a great time seeing how clever you truly are.

Death's Gambit is buggy, unpolished, frustrating, and derivative. At the same time, it features some interesting bosses and unexpected storytelling tricks. It's sure to be a divisive game, but you may be won over by the atmosphere its fantastic art, music, and voice acting create, if you can overlook its flaws.

Nintendo Labo Toy-Con 04: VR Kit is ingeniously designed. The synthesis of physical cardboard Toy-Con with commensurate digital software creates a tactile and fun virtual reality experience that feels decidedly Nintendo. However, once the initial magic of Labo VR wears off, all that is left is a shallow, oddly assembled lot of minigames that won’t last more than an afternoon.

The gameplay feels tight and precise, which is great considering how fast paced and frantic this game can get. The soundtrack sets the cyberpunk tone well and even mixes in the ominous feeling of something not being right. The world that is built is amazing yet dark and disturbing at the same time. There are plenty of challenging fights to keep you playing until you've beaten the game.

I came away from Undisputed frustrated. In here is an incredible boxing game buried under entirely too many bugs, balance issues, and incomplete features for launch. Maybe round 2?

Dark and Deep is a horror game that lives up to its name, covering some pretty macabre themes and allowing the player to dive deep into the investigation. There are layers upon layers to the game’s art, sound, and gameplay, and they all tie into each other in brilliant ways.

Destiny 2: Renegades is the definitive Star Wars homage within Destiny. Whether or not you think Destiny needed an homage to Star Wars in the form of an expansion is up to you.

In the end, Avalon Code is a unique game that is hamstrung by from some incredibly clunky interface and navigation issues.

Cibele has some things going for it, such as a narrative structure based on interaction with the main character’s computer. It’s a fairly predictable story told in a new way. Some parts of it were intriguing, but overall it didn’t really wow me.

Banners of Ruin does a lot of things right, but its combat quickly grows stale as you progress further into the game. Enemies become tanks capable of dealing massive damage and the game’s difficulty becomes largely artificial, no longer rewarding strategic moves as you become overwhelmed by the enemies’ numbers, stats and passives. The game is really fun in the first few hours, but once you have learned the ins and outs, you realize it has already played its hand.

Not many games have you play the underdog from beginning to end. It’s tense, and each passing day keeps you on edge. You’ll be emotionally invested in trying to keep your members, friends, family, and even strangers safe as you make choices that will shape your life and their future. Although a second playthrough doesn’t hit the same way emotionally as the first, it’s still a fantastic title to understand the heart-wrenching reality of that period.

Little Nightmares III is a solid yet unspectacular entry that translates the series' core appeal into a cooperative format but fails to fully justify the developer change or the price tag. It’s good, but not great, making it more of a recommendation for spooky season rather than a must-play horror title.

Fashion Police Squad is an incredibly silly shooter hearkening back to the original DOOM in its design, while also taking into account some more modern sensibilities. While the combat does suffer from a lack of choice, the tight platforming and hilarious premise does make up for it somewhat.

This game is fan service in its most pure form. It is a shame that the camera is, as Mr. Sparkle would say “Most-ah Disrespectful-ooh” to the polish present in much of the rest of the game.

If you’re looking for a simplistic zen-like experience in a game, look no further than flOw.

With only a few hiccups, Sniper Elite: Contracts finds the fine line between action arcade and sniper simulation. While the story might be forgettable, landing the perfect shot from 500 meters away never stops being awesome.

The Resident Evil Village: Winters’ Expansion is a nice bundle of story and gameplay content that managed to engage and entertain me despite being a short-lived experience.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is by no means a bad game, but in a sea of other Souls copycats, this one does very little to stand out. Put into the perspective of its multiple delays and overall unpolish, it’s clear that this is an easy skip to play better options out there. Or at least wait until it's heavily discounted.

No Man’s Sky is an unforgettable adventure, one plagued by lack of direction and lack of meat. It brings about one of the most incredible worlds ever seen in a video game, but it doesn’t always take advantage of that. Despite the issues, No Man’s Sky is a milestone in video game development.

This is a very nice RPG, and if you enjoy Japanese RPGs at all you owe it to yourself to pick up this title.

Amazing Discoveries in Outer Space is a unique amalgamation of several genres that does not come together in a cohesive way. The platforming and production value are rough, while the exploration is largely uneventful and monotonous.

Beat Cop is meant to be a tribute to cop shows from the 1980s, complete with snarky dialogue and questionable characters. When it comes down to it, however, it’s a stressful sim that’s heavy on time management and largely unforgiving. There are multiple endings you could discover, but after several hours with the game it’s hard to muster the patience for even one.

Fracked hits the slopes hard, slowing down at times to a frustrating degree, but doing so much right you keep on going. The gunplay is a lot of fun, the immersion is enjoyable, and the freedom of movement is surprisingly good, but I do wish the enemies spawned a bit slower and there was a bit more in terms of guidance. If you're looking to shoot up some grunts in a Borderlandsy setting while skiing, I can't recommend this one more.

Another Fisherman’s Tale is a charming, unique, and well-crafted puzzle game with creative set pieces and a heartfelt story, but unfortunately is let down by an unwieldy control scheme and a short three-to-four-hour long campaign. Still, the story of Bob and his adventures is worth diving into for its sheer creativity and uniqueness.

3000th Duel is an amazing action-adventure game that pulls out all the stops to give us the experience of nostalgic gameplay with current videogame nuances. With a rich world to explore, visuals and audio hints that make you believe that the world is constantly evolving, and boss battles that shake you to the core, this is a must on the Switch.

You need to be aware that this is not the high-speed game like Virtual-On, or Armored Core tends to be, but more of a giant robot chess match. If you are up for that sort of war, we’ll keep a spot open for you on the GT Goonsquad.

Detective Pikachu is a surprisingly charming Telltale-like game filled with humor, twists, and a sassy electric rodent. More than a mish-mash of minigames, it's a shockingly solid title with first-class voice acting.

In the end, Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure All Star Battle flashes a lot of style but lacks the substance that prevents it from being a great fighter.

So, is The Munchables a good mid-range title? Yeah, it is. No one is going to confuse it for Super Mario Galaxy, but it's still a lot of fun.

The way that Telltale takes advantage of Minecraft lore to form its own narrative is intriguing and will delight fans of the original game, but what the studio is doing with this new story isn’t doing much that will excite anyone else.

I've played a couple other versions of the game, and I know it can be quite fun. The keyboard controls for this one was supremely disappointing to me, but the 360-like controllers did help this issue.

If you go in with tempered expectations and know there isn't much of a game, you'll have an enjoyable experience.

ScreamRide offers an experience that is fresh, deep and a blast to play. Despite its lack of multiplayer I kept coming back for more to test my creativity and wreak as much havoc as possible.

Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force is a remake with very few improvements.

Knowledge is Power is more than just another trivia game, it's a battle of wits and reflexes. The goofy characters and the ridiculous hazards will cause everyone to burst out laughing. Once you start a game, it might not be long before you realize you've played another five.

The DioField Chronicle mixes the complexity of a slow-burn political thriller with a deceptively straightforward strategy game. I was pleasantly surprised with where my investment in the world of DioField led me, but pay-off off the battle mechanics does not match the narrative destination.

Summary: Miitopia is a fun and funny if flawed game. While this rerelease may be worthwhile to some for the character creator alone, its unwillingness to provide deeper and more balanced gameplay makes it difficult to want to experience everything the game has to offer or even just finish it.

Pay attention movie companies...THIS is how it is done.

Viola: The Heroine’s Melody might need a bit more time in the cooker, but it’s still an entertaining RPG with fun characters and a great core battle system. If you can overlook its weaker platforming elements and sometimes buggy glitches, you’ll have a good time with the game.

A game with a boat load of Nostalgia and good bones. A fighter that’s fun with friends, challenging with AI, and competitive online. With time and love, Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl could be a top tier fighter in the near future.

Butcher is a grotesque love-letter to older shooters with addictive gameplay, plenty of different difficulty settings and disturbing imagery. However, it doesn’t have enough to offer as the content falls short leading to an incredibly unsatisfying conclusion.

Don't Stop, GirlyPop! has a fun premise and charm with great feeling movement and guns that are fun to shoot, but it's ultimately inept and even its best parts are clumsy.

Red Faction Armageddon is a step in the right direction – heavily focused on storyline, and easily cresting over a dozen hours of well-written gameplay to tackle is a far better experience than the open world of Guerrilla. Toss in the far-more-fun-than-it-should-be Ruin mode and the 4 player cooperative Infestation mode and you have a game with some legs. Look over my review of Guerrilla – there is a reason why Armageddon is scoring so much higher. All of those reasons add up to a solid product worthy of your cash.

It’s solid execution, simple but highly diversified play design, and light and colorful environment is welcoming and fun. However sometimes the randomly generated aspects of the game can knock it out of balance, and quickly change a light-hearted strategy experience into a mouse-smashing rage furnace.

Crackdown 2 is a game that's heavy on action, gameplay and interacting with your friends. At the time of this review, I can't think of another sandbox style game that allows cooperative multiplayer that is this fun and accessible.

Frontiers boldly plants one foot into the future with its “open zone” structure while keeping the other stuck in the past with mechanics and level ideas that are over a decade old. This approach results in a satisfying game even if it does not push the series into as many new frontiers as it could. It still hits many of the right notes that long-time fans will appreciate and works especially hard to satisfy those who have felt like the past few Sonic games have been missing some personality.

Strategy is the entree and MMO are the sides here. I've enjoyed the dozens of hours I've put into the game, the biggest question is if it would hold up for dozens of hours more, and my answer to that is I'll unlikely play in any long-term sense, it just hasn't held my interest enough to encourage me to do so.

While the game might be a bit simple for some, veteran gamers will still enjoy the deep story contained within Still Life.

Monster Jam Showdown is the definitive Monster Jam experience of this generation. With sleek gameplay, gorgeous visuals, and amazing sound design, you won’t want to miss this game.

Layers of Fear 2 is a fascinating horror game that centers on exploring a mysterious ship and its ever-changing layout. It isn't the scariest game, but the unsettling nature of everything you encounter more than makes up for it. The constant environmental changes designed to mess with you are amazing and one of the best aspects.

Crossing Souls is a delightfully nostalgic romp, balancing original content and nods to the past. Featuring diverse gameplay levels which touch on most every aspect of 80's retro gaming, enough challenge to be rewarding, and a surprisingly touching story, this is a must have for anyone who grew up shouting "Goonies never say die!"

Those who are Ghost Recon fanatics will enjoy this, but those who want to take a look at the series might be better off picking up the original.

In Sound Mind is a psychological horror game which borders more on tense than scary, and proves to be a unique look into the minds of struggling individuals. Having each tape/patient provide a different world, with the patient’s inner torment essentially lashing out as the level’s boss, is a unique twist on the genre. The juxtaposition between the monster trying to hurt you, but also expressing its doubt and fears, all while Desmond attempts to calm it and show that he wants to help, felt surprisingly fresh – and gave me much more reason to continue than a simple good versus evil fight would have. A sense of humor, large levels, and a variety of puzzles make In Sound Mind a game worth picking up for those looking for a new twist in an overdone genre.

LEGO Horizon Adventures offers a playful retelling of Horizon Zero Dawn, blending the iconic story of Aloy with LEGO's signature charm, humor, and style. This isometric action-adventure game simplifies the original's intense narrative, focusing on environmental themes and character relationships, providing a lighthearted, engaging experience for fans of all ages.

Despite the repetitive nature of the game it just doesn’t seem to get old. There is always one more territory to take, just one more turn.

Perfectly encapsulating the Paul Verhoven film, Starship Troopers: Terran Command strikes the right balance of cheesy and challenging, at least in the latter missions. While it doesn’t have multiplayer or a scenario editor, the single player is a blast. We’ll fight, and we’ll win, I just wish my troopers weren’t so dumb while we do it. Oh well, more meat for the grinder.

The kids will giggle a lot, and you will find yourself smiling at the humor. The game has plenty to do so that is a nice increase of its value.

Fans of this style of gameplay will be happy for weeks on end, and the wide dispersement of save spots make this game an easy pick up for 15 minutes and play game.

There are a lot of shining moments, especially in multiplayer, that make the game a lot of fun.