Sudden Strike 4 is a great example of a challenging real time strategy game without all of the ‘dirt farming’ aspects of other titles. It requires real thought instead of simply pouring all units into the path of the enemy. There are a few hiccups in terms of pathing and AI, as well as a baffling choice for voicework, but the game has more high points than low. It would also be nice if there was just a little more handholding to bring in new players, but overall Sudden Strike 4 is a welcome addition to the genre.

The game fully understands what makes it fun, and it does everything it can to empower the player to see that with as few restrictions as possible. This is what helps Red Faction: Guerrilla justify its remastering. It might not look as pretty as even its contemporaries, let alone games coming out today, but the sheer fun that comes with obliterating a building or tearing it apart piece by piece has not waned a bit.

The ultimate verdict I can give Project X Zone is that it’s detailed, well-polished, excitable fun that was created with established fans in mind.

With simple asymmetric gameplay, this game is great for kids of all ages, and a worthy tie-in to the movie. While the unskippable trailer is a poke in the eye, there’s nothing better than the cackling of a five year old while he mercilessly throws his would-be helpers around a submarine full of bombs.

The Sims 4 is a fantastic game at its core, but with its tiny neighborhoods and many features simply missing, it holds itself back from Sims greatness.

The Last Remnant is an interesting experiment in expanding the traditional turn-based battle system, but there are enough annoyances in that system and weaknesses in its setting and characters to keep this from reaching the heights it’s clearly reaching for.

The delivery is tried and true, but it is starting to feel a bit old.

If you really loved the movie, then you will want the game.

The game hits its stride far too early, and then never really hits it again after that.

The proficient graphics, distinctive environments, and interesting story keep you playing in spite of the frustrating difficulty spikes and lack of polish. It’s a brave move to try and recreate a long-dead genre like Cadenza has done, and they’ve wound up with a solid game.

Say what you will about the little things that make UFC Personal Trainer a little clunky to use, I used it and I got results. In the end, that's what counts.

Despite some translation woes, Digimon Survive’s narrative still shines brightly. As cruel and dark as its narrative can be, neither you or the characters should ever give up completely. That’s the key to survival, and that message is apparent in the character relationships, the battles, and the developments of the story as a whole. Digimon Survive expresses the power that can come from your bonds with others, and how supporting each other can keep hope alive. That’s a message worth sharing, and Digimon Survive is a messenger worth experiencing.

Overall I recommend Homefront with some caveats- the multiplayer could use some balancing (which they've announced with a new patch at the time of this review). The single player was disappointing in that it ended when it did- it was like showing up at a party and not even getting to kick off your shoes before it's over.

Puddle is relatively brief and can be tackled within a lazy afternoon or two. There’s not much to the game once you’ve gotten through it – other than going back through to unlock in-game achievements and trying to get gold on each of the levels – but it’s fun while it lasts. It won’t set the world on fire, and it can be crushingly difficult at times, but it’s got a ton of nifty ideas and wrings every single drop out of them – and in that, Puddle greatly succeeds.

Building off the momentum of Madden 22; Madden NFL 23 brings fresh looks to both Franchise Mode and Face of the Franchise while keeping the train rolling with The Yard and MUT. While there are still some buggy moments, Madden NFL 23 is worth picking up especially for those who haven’t played an installment in the series for a while.

If you’re looking for jRPGs on your Vita, you’ve got great options–but Rainbow Moon isn’t one of them.

Enslaved is as ambitious as it is flawed. Those of you who can put up with mediocre gameplay and a lack of polish will find a touching, rewarding story heightened by top-notch cast performances. Others need not apply.

Even with its flaws, Mana Khemia 2 does offer over 50 hours of gameplay for those PS2 RPG fans who crave more of Atelier series of games.

Little Dragon's Café is a causal sim/exploration game which is simply overflowing with charm. It's easy to get drawn in by the game's forgiving gameplay, great music, heartwarming stories, and dramatic day-night changes, and hard to put down, given all there is to do post-game. While its sim mechanics aren't especially deep, LDC provides a delightful way to escape the woes of the real world alongside your own, adorable pet dragon.

A good port of a great PSP game.

If firing a weapon in a first-person shooter game starts feeling like a chore, you know there's a problem. If a cutscene leaves you more confused than enlightened about the story of the game, there's a problem.

If you have a nostalgia kick for these games, then you'll enjoy seeing them again.

If you're a fan of Resident Evil or rail-shooters and you own a Move controller then Resident Evil Chronicles HD Collection is a no brainer.

It’s admittedly one of the most depraved games I’ve ever come across. A strategy title with a point collection system based on pain and humiliation will probably turn away the majority of sensible folks.

Bossa Studios took the mayhem of the first game and enhanced it ten-fold. Surgeon Simulator 2 is a blast to play, and even better enjoyed with friends. The unique gameplay, combined with unforgettable co-op experiences and a wholly polished title, makes this game a worthwhile purchase.

There’s a lot to talk about with Shadows of the Damned: Hella Remastered. The wild world, the funny writing, the varied and tense gameplay, the rockin’ soundtrack, the silly characters, the serious moments, or the awesome sense of progression, just to name a few enjoyable things. It only took me about 8 hours to finish the game and most of that was in one sitting. I have only played Shadows of the Damned once at PAX East 2024 earlier this year and it was such a great demo, the full game delivered all of that and more. Add in the New Game Plus feature that lets you keep your late game upgrades or the optional gyro aiming, and you have an incredibly arcade-y experience that keeps you laughing and blasting for hours. The game launches on October 31st and I can’t recommend it enough. This is a punk rock gem that everyone can love.

A winner, but by split decision. Some of the omissions like cut and leg stoppages, and the odd bug here and there, make for a debut that is certainly better than EA Sports MMA. Here’s the hitch though – somehow despite itself the game is ridiculously fun.

Foregone is a graphically gorgeous, if not derivative, romp that struggles to create many memorable moments or differentiate itself from contemporary action-platformers.

In spite of the occasional bug and basic gameplay systems, Ad Infinitum manages to capture my attention through its imaginative exploration of the horror of battle. Delving between the shell-shocked home of the Von Schmitts and the ash swept trenches of war was a unique perspective on the horror genre that I found to be both poignant and well worth exploring.

Terminator 2D: NO FATE is an extremely faithful adaptation of Terminator 2, brought to life via incredible retro aesthetics, fun level design, and multiple play modes. Unfortunately, NO FATE is hampered by its short length and lack of difficulty, making the entire experience end far too quickly. For fans of the film, there is a lot to love here, including the fantastic Terminator 2 score and all-new compositions, but non-fans may not find themselves as enthralled by its retro charm.

It manages to capture the essence of that strangely enjoyable game we call baseball, even if it is lacking in other areas.

Code Name S.T.E.A.M. blazes ahead with entertaining characters, a robust host of missions, and engaging combat. Just the right amount of difficulty will keep any strategy fan engaged, and collectibles and multiplayer will keep you in long after the credits roll. Nintendo’s IP is going at only one speed: full S.T.E.A.M. ahead.

While the awkwardness of the campaign mode’s storyline is unfortunate, the game more than justifies its cost in terms of inventive mechanics, a refreshing setting and a well-thought-out realtime tactical system – all without the looming threat of microtransactions and booster-pack expenditures that so often are matched up with any card-based game.

While The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me contains some incredibly effective horror, it has the rug pulled from under it by a flubbed finale and some immoral choices the game considers “correct.”

Blair Witch fails to impress at every turn. The story is interesting but unfulfilling, the environment is dull, and the creatures are boring. Worst of all, everything you do is very repetitive. I love horror games but the only thing scary about Blair Witch is how boring it is.

Adding platforming elements is good idea but the poor controls made it a nightmare.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon offers a fun glimpse into the Pokemon world from the monsters’ perspective, all while providing a unique, turn-based tactical gameplay with light roguelike features. Featuring over 700 pokemon to encounter, fight and team up with, it’s a must-have for any dedicated fans of the series, and provides just enough tactical thinking to entertain a budding CRPG player.

Clapfoot has created a tower defense game unique to the Xbox One console. With a strong sense of style, AI companions and a moderate amount of shooter control, this might just scratch your strategy itch. It’s too bad then that it isn’t as accessible, and relies on repetitive gameplay with a steep difficulty to add gameplay hours to its otherwise short campaign and limited maps.

While it’s over a bit too soon, Evan’s Remains is a delightful little puzzle game. Its story builds up to some great lengths, and the puzzles are innovative and fun to solve.

The premise is exciting! You’re Benedict Fox, and demonic friend, taking on a case about a murder, a secret society, and more. This game is not for the faint of heart when it comes to puzzles and problem solving. You can get frustrated easily if you don’t breathe, but it's a challenging kind of frustration and fun. If you love puzzle games and platformers, this will be a must play. And if you love lore, it has that in droves. While it has moments of feeling directionless, don’t worry. Just walk around and you’re bound to find something you haven’t seen before.

Madden NFL 21 is a solid product. It excels in several areas, like the presentation and Ultimate Team. The core gameplay is as fun and smooth as it’s ever been, and I’ve been playing since Madden NFL 2005. But the new jewels in the crown are flawed and need to be polished a bit more. Face Of The Franchise and The Yard both have tons of potential, but they aren’t realized here. Content updates may help with The Yard, but in the end it’s like scoring a touchdown but missing the extra point.

Deus Ex: The Fall may not have been the game we were asking for, but it’s definitely a worthy addition to the franchise. Its less-than-stellar controls and a handful of bugs keep The Fall from being truly great, but if you’re looking to hop back into the yellow-tinted world of human augmentation, seven dollars isn’t a bad price to pay for sneaking around and reading everyone’s emails.

An unapologetic love letter to the beat-em-ups of yesteryear. While simplistically accessible and filled to the brim with nostalgia, it’s brought down by very limited options and some clunky controls.

Archangel fulfills the Pacific Rim mech fantasy we have yet to experience in a VR world. The fluid and engaging combat is a highlight, as is the solid tracking and intuitive controls. While there’s not a lot of replay value, it’s easily one of the most impressive ways to introduce someone to VR. If watching the trailer for Pacific Rim: Uprising makes your palms sweaty with excitement, you need Archangel in your life.

Trek to Yomi is a beautifully crafted experience. From your first steps into the game’s world to your last players will be constantly enthralled by the tense combat, tightly written story, and exquisite art direction. It is rare that a game is released that thoroughly wows you with its graphics, atmosphere, and creativity and Trek to Yomi succeeds in all three departments. It is an experience that I highly recommend to all players.

I wouldn’t say it’s bad, but it certainly is mediocre on every level except the graphics. If you and your kid enjoyed the movie, then chances are you’ll enjoy this game.

The Red Lantern is a great experience. I love my dog sled team and playing the runs again and again only reinforced that. But I’m not sure the roguelite style stays fresh all the way through, and it can get a bit tiring and repetitive. In the end, The Red Lantern is not going to win a lot of awards for what it does and is, but it’s a unique take on the walking simulator genre that honestly has gotten stale and oversaturated.

The game was a joy to watch my children play. I enjoyed the 1-player experience for a while, but quickly tired of some of the tedium.

While the game isn't flawless, there's enough fun and charm involved to make it definitely worth playing.

Ashes of the Singularity may be a technical triumph, but it also delivers an experience we’ve not seen in this genre for at least a decade. The single player may lack a bit of personality, but the skirmish mode and seven AI levels take RTS to the next level.

If you are looking for a game that will make your kids think and not just blast away at enemies, Transformers Animated The Game is a good choice.

Battleborn merges cooperative and competitive, hero and shooter, loot and shoot into an excellent melting pot and symbol of the times. Charismatic characters, clever intricacies, and compelling gameplay make this one of the best multiplayer experiences of the generation yet.

The magic system is fun, but grows dull after a while since there are only so many motions and limited number of spells.

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization is a game that places too much of its emphasis on its dating sim mechanics rather than a polished RPG experience. Dodgy armor designs mar the progression that the weapons add to the game, and a rather stale storyline does not give enough motivation to want to progress through the game.

Rainbow Six: Extraction is challenging and engaging. However its narrative is borderline useless and the core gameplay is highly demanding to players not used to the genre.

Scars Above is unfortunately bland, with dull combat and very few puzzles. It has hints at interesting ideas and ambitions, but couldn’t execute on those.

While it sports an incredibly deep combat system, fun and complex hunting gameplay, and a lot of personality, it suffers from a lot of technical issues, repetitive grinding, and a cliched story that follows a two dimensional cast.

I have to wonder who this game is for. Other than raw nostalgia for this specific title, I can’t really think of a reason to recommend anyone play this. If you want to be a Space Marine, Space Marine 2 is amazing.

Sherlock Holmes: Chapter One is an exemplary experience for anyone wanting to enjoy time with our eccentric investigator. The story behind Violet Holmes' demise will pull at your heartstrings, and the cases you’ll decipher on the way there just make you appreciate Chapter One all the more. Yeah, there are some technical issues, and you’re most likely going to get stuck at least once, but unraveling the best laid plans of the most conniving criminals is a delight to accomplish.

LEGO The Hobbit is what everyone expected, which can be good or bad depending on your exposure to the series.

Broken Sword 5: Serpent’s Curse is an adventure game through and through. The satisfaction comes not from high speed chases, but rather from patiently working the clues to uncover layers of mystery heaped upon one another hiding an evil curse. Here’s the rub – it’s half of a game.

Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Wildlands is equal parts new approach to a storied franchise and familiar and well-trod open world systems. While it doesn’t break a great deal of new ground for the genre, when played with friends this cooperative open-world game can be an amazing amount of fun. Those moments are tempered by technical mishaps and inconsistencies that can be patched, but as a result, this launch ride is going to have some technical potholes that put a damper on an otherwise excellent experience.

The combat system is different and requires more strategy compared to other RPGs.

Adventure fans and fans of past Silent Hill games will find a lot to enjoy with Silent Hill Origins for the PS2.

Destiny 2: Lightfall does a lot to advance the Destiny 2 experience, adding a stellar new subclass and destination alongside a much needed difficulty increase. Conversely, it features a story so bland, derivative, and dissatisfying that I am honestly worried Bungie may never be able to right the narrative course.

Madden NFL 25 makes some great strides forward in Madden Franchise Mode including breakout scenarios, updated draft scouting and draft day experience, and the addition of new male and female coaching options. Franchise Mode feels the most “alive” it has in a number of years. You can also transfer your College Football 25 Road to Glory player into Madden Superstar Mode to continue their journey to the pro level. While the game suffers from some QOL issues, sound balance issues, and small gameplay glitches; Madden NFL 25 is the best we’ve gotten in specific avenues in a while.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force is a bold and exciting new direction for the series with incredibly fun combat, great characters, and a gripping story. It stumbles more often than it should, but this grand return was more than worth the wait.

Rebel Cops is a solid tactical game with a somewhat cliche storyline. While some of the mechanics are a little half-baked, the progression system and combat are engaging and tense. The game forces you to really think through your actions thanks to the limited save system, I just wish there was more impact to playing it loud.

Don’t dismiss this game just because it is a budget title, it’s definitely got some hook to it. If these guys had a bigger budget, this would be a hit.

If you enjoy putting together model planes, then SimplePlanes is for you. The build mode presents you with seemingly endless possibilities, or you can sample from vehicles the community has created. When it comes to the simulation aspect of this aircraft simulator, it brings nothing new to the table.

This is the Police 2 is an impeccably grim view of the modern police force. It deconstructs and subverts police genre stories with a protagonist that offers no remorse and warrants no redemption. It does this while providing an intriguing and vibrant cast of characters and a rewarding gameplay loop. It isn't perfect, but it certainly should not be missed.

Hunter’s Legacy: Purrfect Edition fixes several of the issues the original game had by adding a much-needed minimap and making enemies more reactive to your attacks. However, the sound design on Ikki herself is still irksome and the game is a far cry from what it could be. I’d love to see what Lienzo does with Ikki in the future, but for now, Hunter’s Legacy: Purrfect Edition is just OK.

Sword of the Necromancer manages to bring something new to the flooded rogue-like genre while providing a heartwarming story. It has a multitude of options to allow players to tailor the game to their liking. It’s breadth of mechanics allow for tons of experimentation that will keep you coming back until you finally get the true ending.

Space Adventure Cobra - The Awakening is a stylish and enjoyable revival of the iconic action hero. Blending some anime nostalgia with modern platforming, it's a solid outing and even better tribute to Buichi Terasawa.

Graveyard Keeper makes a lot of bold choices, replacing the friendly, relaxing atmosphere of typical life sims with a more goal-directed structure in a more cynical setting. While I found its pace tedious at times and would have preferred more focus on the grave-tending mechanics, more patient players will find a lot to like in its wealth of well-developed diversions, fantastic art and music, and pitch-black comedic aesthetic.

WET certainly offers some entertainment value, and those who want to check it out for a weekend rental will likely get their money’s worth.

A touch on the short side, and with more than a few gripes around the control mechanisms, DOOM VFR, like most Bethesda games, is made better through mods and community support. That said, even without it, there’s a serviceable vertical slice of the best parts of last year’s flatscreen title. I just wish the damned game would let me punch something!

The Callisto Protocol is a unique and often good game which is hindered by its own ambition. The fighting system is sure to be hit and miss with audiences, and the difficulty coupled with the slow movement and weapon swapping will surely turn a few people off. Despite this, Protocol builds a unique world that would benefit from further entries diving more into its backstory and is brought to life with incredibly detailed graphics, fantastic sound design, and gorgeous lighting. The Callisto Protocol may not be the survival horror game many had hoped for, but it does successfully carve out its own niche.

Fun fluff- here one minute, gone the next, but there was some fun had along the way. Some very cool puzzles are worth playing the game for, but this is not one I would voluntarily own.

Anyone who's played NBA Jam will feel right at home from the very beginning of HoopWorld. You'll be passing, shooting and making wild dunks, but with a few twists.

An immensely tough, but amazingly satisfying shooter experience for only $15 (USD). If you’re looking for a serious challenge, a brightly colored, uniquely appealing geometric aesthetic, or the best ‘80s soundtrack you never knew you needed in your life, then Desync is your jam.

Sports Champions 2, if nothing else, has shown just how the Move can be effective on a new set of six game types. While Tennis fell flat, Archery remains strong, and the Bowling portion was an absolute blast. I know that I just added bowling to our Sunday family game night, and for that I can certainly recommend Sports Champions 2.

The Invisible Hand is a deceptively absurd take on the corporate circus that is Wall Street day trading. It’s at its best when it lets the player wreak havoc however they please, but in trying to juggle both stock market shenanigans and its satirical story, it fumbles on both fronts.

Overall, I’ve had a great time with Fate/EXTELLA thus far. The presentation is a bit rough around the edges, the story is incredibly confusing (I’m only really understanding bits since I’m familiar with the universe — I can’t imagine what it must be like playing this game with no context at all), and of course, Warriors-type gameplay can get repetitive and rarely is anything new done to shake up the general formula. However, the game provides plenty of ways to break up the monotony of the basic combat, and even if I need to take a break between sessions, I still have a blast just feeling like an overpowered one-man-army and defeating scores of enemies at a time. At the very least, it will tide me over until the more polished Fire Emblem Warriors arrives later this year.

This review isn't a knock on the game itself, but rather the PC port. Message to devs and publishers; "If you are going to port something to PC don't make it half-arsed because it can put a negative spin on the whole entire product line!"

With a great control scheme, graphics that don’t look ported, fantastic humor, and a whole lot of races to complete, this quality title is worthy of being a member of the Tony Hawk franchise. This is a safe Day-1 pickup for the Wii, just make sure you buy the three spare Wiimotes for your friends!

I can only say that it was nice spending the half-dozen hours with my kids playing the game, and that my wrists really hurt from shaking the Wiimote around. There are some funny bits, but it's not as good as the movie.

For NBA 10 on the PSP I said that Sony threw in everything but the kitchen sink, and the same holds true this year. The biggest problem is that the developers didn’t really work on improving the actual basketball simulation game.

Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends Complete Edition is a great buy if you haven’t played a game in the series in a while, and are looking for something to hold you over while you wait for the PS4’s library of games to grow, but for fans, this is not the next generation leap forward that you were hoping for.

The difficulty varies greatly, and might frustrate the game's chosen audience.

SNK Arcade Classics: Volume 1 is a good start for a Neo Geo collection disc. It offers a wide range of games and will take a lot of gamers back to the days they spent pumping quarters into a game machine.

A great game held back by numerous technical problems. The Dark Pictures Anthology: Man of Medan promises another great experience in the vein of Until Dawn, but at least on the standard console is too stuttery to play. Much of the content will be inaccessible due to these performance issues. If you have an enhanced console definitely check it out, but unless it receives a patch it can scarcely be considered playable.

Jurassic World Evolution strikes a chord with me, and that’s evident in the amount of time I’ve sunk into it. The presentation is gorgeous, the mechanics are engrossing, and balancing your veggiesauraces and meatysauraces has never been fun. There’s a handful of bugs to shake loose, but based on Frontier’s track record I’m fairly certain that these can be shaken out post launch.

UNO’s empty lobbies might be a disappointment, but local play, house rules, and the Ubisoft game themed cards breathe new life into the family game night staple.

Zumba: Burn it Up! will appeal to the hardcore fans of the workout program and for those who want to do some serious cardio. While it’s not going to win points for its lack of killer top tracks or limited modes, it’s a great time for those serious about their exercise goals.

The Gunk is a creative, witty, and charming adventure game, albeit a bit on the short side at only five or six hours in length. Still, the writing, world, and exploration more than make up for the short campaign as players will find themselves immediately immersed in the world and Rani and Becks’ friendship. Unfortunately, a few technical problems plague the game, the most blatant of which – getting stuck on various items – becomes frustrating in later platforming sections. Still, The Gunk is an adventure well worth partaking in.

Puzzle Quest 3 is an excellent addition to the match-3 puzzle combat adventure genre. The game is easy to pick up and plays smoothly. With an intriguing story and amazing cast of characters, it's sure to be a hit for people across the board.

Warhammer: Chaosbane is a solid first entry into the ARPG genre for the franchise. There are some cool twists on the theme like the God Tier system, but there are equally as many baffling decisions such as the matchmaking system, lack of economy, and decidedly absent customization options. There are the makings of a solid ARPG in here, but it needs a little more time in the oven to bake.