Story of Seasons: Pioneers of Olive Town is an enjoyable little farming romp; it’s charming and calming, but doesn’t quite capture the magic of some earlier installments. While slow load times, customization restrictions, and a few quality of life issues can make parts of your play a bit of a slog, the mines have returned, you can romance any eligible bachelor or bachelorette.

Pokémon Scarlet and Violet try to take the franchise in a new direction, but can feel empty and hollow as a result. The open world has bright spots, especially multiplayer, however a lack of care in its design leads to a game that’s haphazard and lifeless.

Players will have seen every reference the game uses, but the ultimate combination is a fun game that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

So little was changed between the two titles that it really feels like a quick hack job to make a quick dollar.

Tomodachi Life is more toy than game, but it’s an intriguing, colorful, and consistently surprising one.

Average graphics and an almost synthetic boost to be more mature than "Grand Theft Auto III/Vice City" has made this game something people may not want to pick up. That's not to say the game is horrid, but if it had something original to give the player I might be a bit more lenient on it.

I question people paying $50 for a game when they might get the feeling of "been here, done that". Vexx's biggest problem is the camera, but you can overcome it as long as you have patience.

Dead Island is a hell of a ride from start to (near) finish and is a zombie game that stands out from the rest of the pack.

Far Cry New Dawn is an awesome addition to the series, especially since it's the first sequel for another game. The combat makes you feel like a badass, but that doesn't mean you can go in without gearing up. On the lighter side, there's plenty of quirky characters to make you laugh during these hard times.

Days Gone features some potentially interesting community-building mechanics and the appeal of a bikers vs. zombies game is hard to ignore, but it never lets its best ideas take center stage. Instead, it focuses on lackluster combat and a repetitive set of missions. It moves along on the kind of momentum that exists almost by default in big open world packed with activities, but I could never get fully engaged, partly due to its dragging pace, scattershot story, off-putting protagonist, and frequent bugs.

I'm sold on Madagascar, this game is a blast and shouldn't disappoint the younger audience.

My Time at Portia is a visually beautiful, charming game rich in story, lore, and personality; everything about it is made better by the jump to a portable console. While this version lacks voice acting and rumble integration, the portability and surprisingly decent load times make this a great way to discover all that Portia has to offer.

For fans of WWE games, those who grew up in the 80s and 90s watching WWE wrestling, or those who always wondered who would win between John Cena and Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant and Big Show, or how about the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase Jr vs. Dusty Rhodes and Ted Dibiase; this game is a must-buy.

Ultimately, the story is what carried the day here and kept me playing to the end.

Enchanting and charming, Song of the Deep is a children’s-fairy-tale-turned-video-game that’s full of wonder and vibrant beauty. The gameplay is both solid and enjoyable, but not without hiccups and hindrances.

By seamlessly blending the action style of Dynasty Warriors with a battle/collection system similar to Monster Hunter, Toukiden offers a uniquely engaging RPG experience that’s exciting enough for pick up and play sessions, yet expansive enough for countless hours of replay value.

The Escapists is an entertaining open-ended puzzler that delivers plenty of challenge for those possessing the patience to overcome it.

Many of the season’s problems remain in episode four – Thicker Than Water, but this installment does improve on many of its storytelling segments. There are still problems regarding relationships that you might not want, but the choices that you do get to make feel more important than they have in a while. While devoid of puzzles, the incredible ending has me eagerly waiting for the final episode.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers’ ties to the cinematic universe make it less imaginative than its comic book predecessor, but excellent superhero gameplay makes up for it. This is one of the best LEGO games yet and a must-play for any Marvel fan.

Death end re;Quest is not a terrible game, but it certainly doesn’t do much to stand out from a crowded and trope friendly glut of JRPG titles. The battle mode plays like a game of pool and has a lot of interesting features, but the writing is tired, the characters are overly sexualized and mentally deficient as always, and the game is set in a bland world with little detail or points of interest. Death end re;Quest is another game for fans of long dialogues leading nowhere.

Ultra Street Fighter IV for the PS4 is the comprehensive, definitive edition of one of the best fighting games around. While you might want to be the competitive type if you plan to play, there’s something here for the warrior in everyone. Just be wary of early launch bugs.

I think the framework is there, but there are some painful missteps that are holding it back. MMOs are a constantly evolving ecospace, so it’s possible we’ll get there, but for now I’ll cautiously say…maybe.

For a small asking price, Rad will reliably give you a few hours of novelty, as you explore the wasted punk-dystopia and mutate yourself to better clear the land of its inhabitants. Beyond that initial entry point, you will find yourself dogged by an experience that has little to offer in the way of depth or surprises. The core mechanics make for tense, hectic combat, but also encourage you not to engage in it.

I went into my review for Guitar Hero Smash Hits expecting a retread, but instead saw all of these great tracks get new life. The improvements from Metallica fused with a less niche soundtrack, is simply plastic-instrument-band heaven.

Improves on its predecessor in almost every way, even if it still features the same maddening difficulty level as the original.

A fun but flawed sequel that doubles down on the first game's quirky humor and inventive gunplay while adding new movement mechanics and environmental puzzles. However, technical issues and a core conflict between comedy and momentum hold it back from greatness. Best experienced on sale after patches.

Battlefield Hardline has an amazing single player campaign, with some very unique ideas. Where it fails the most is when it quits trying to be different from past installments.

Intentional or not, I can't help but read Life is Strange: Reunion as a metaphor for Deck Nine’s tenure with Max’s story. A reactionary and nostalgic finale that delights just as often as it frustrates. When viewing Reunion purely as a side adventure to see cute scenes of a duo we have grown to love, I can’t say this entry didn’t do its job. After all, I was smiling alongside them. But as a finale to a trilogy, it is a smile built upon tearing down any emotional weight that made these characters stick with us in the first place. Max’s quest to stop an arsonist isn't really a story with consistent escalation or character growth. Instead, it is a stream of moving, emotionally cathartic events that burns down the foundations propping up its bittersweet smile.