Shing! misses the mark of great beat 'em up by a long shot; which could have been avoided with more attention to detail. If Mass Creation put in the effort, it could have been one of the best beat 'em ups this generation. But we’re stuck with something too dull to take a bigger slice of that audience.

Journey of the Broken Circle is undoubtedly an earnest effort but confusing writing decisions and mostly bland levels mar an aesthetically pleasing adventure.

Supergiant has made another modern classic. Hades offers some of the best rogue-like gameplay out there and delivers a satisfying experience in all aspects. From the wonderfully voiced characters to the fluidity of combat, there’s a lot to love here as you die over and over again.

Paradise Killer is a fascinating murder mystery set in a strange world with even stranger characters. The game lets you put the evidence together to find out what really happened in a way most don’t. With its unique aesthetic and bumpin’ soundtrack, it’s well worth letting love die to find the facts.

While Spelunky 2 doesn’t offer the refined mechanics and enemies of the original, it does add to the chaos and fun of multiplayer. While playing alone is mostly an exercise in frustrating, unfair deaths, with friends it’s a barrel of laughs.

Avicii Invector: Encore Edition adds a few more songs into last year’s rhythm game tribute, and it’s a solid addition. The Switch version is up to par with the other consoles, and you can now listen to much of the late EDM artist’s work in one awesomely entertaining package.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is a very unique experience, even in the realm of video games. It’s gameplay systems gel well together and the non-linear storytelling could only work in this medium. While some plot points aren’t as well explored as others and it uncomfortably sexualizes high school students, it’s still a game you absolutely need to play if you’re a fan of science fiction or enjoy video game storytelling.

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.

All in all, Avengers on Stadia is a surprisingly functional version of the game. While there are some issues of the game that remain consistent from platform to platform (with a few additional ones due to the Stadia infrastructure), it’s still a great way to assemble your friends for a good time. If you don’t have a PS4 or Xbox One right now (or have an underpowered PC), you can’t go wrong with this version.

Four-player sandwich-making chaos reigns supreme in. Best played with friends, but mostly capable solo, Cook-Out: A Sandwich Tale delivers hours of cooperative chaos. Now we just have to hope that this VR culinary fantasy adventure can find its way onto other platforms so I can burn bread with my pals.

Vigor is clunky and brutal. There is no satisfying single-player to fall back on, so every game session feels like a strain. It’s a shame because the ideas are sound, and it could be great, but the poor mechanics torpedo any competitive urge you have going into it. Vigor’s gunplay needs to improve drastically before it can start to accrue a real audience of passionate players.

With a great campaign, and engaging (albeit repetitive) multiplayer, Marvel’s Avengers is a fun title with cosmetic-only games as a service components bolted onto it. The innumerable bugs hide what could be an amazing and ever-expanding universe -- I just hope the team at SquareEnix is up to the challenge. I want to “do this all day”...but right now we are in the “you hope for the best and make do with what you get” stage.

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.

The Sims 4 Journey to Batuu Game Pack was a fantastic experience from start to finish. I can’t wait to see The First Order quests. This was exactly what the franchise needed. I’ve enjoyed most of the expansions, with Realm of Magic game pack being my favorite. Journey to Batuu blew that one out of the water and has zipped to the number one spot. As someone who loves Disney World, Star Wars, and The Sims, this was a welcome surprise. Who wouldn’t want to play with their favorite things in one of their favorite games?

Re-Reckoning is the most barebones remaster it could possibly be. It’s only barely been touched up visually, and the most gameplay changes are under the hood. If you’ve already played the game, there’s no reason to return here.

Immortal Realms: Vampire Wars is a dark and bloody turn based strategy that hits the mark with lore, artwork, story, and music. The battles can use some work with not only making maps a bit bigger to give more strategic choices, but also the difficulty that ramps up significantly. The addition of cards in battle is quite fun, but lackluster on the map. But if you’re a fan of vampires, I think you’ll enjoy IR.

In the end, AWE is another solid but lacking chapter of Control. The gameplay is fun, and a fantastic boss in Hartman is introduced. But there’s not much more to it besides that. The new weapon form isn’t necessary, and I’m not even sure it fits in the narrative.There aren’t new abilities, and you’re going to finish AWE pretty quickly. But detractors aside, I got two things I really wanted, more of Alan Wake and more of Control, which is all that really matters. Here’s to hoping the Remedyverse has more of both for us out there.

Iron Harvest doesn’t reinvent the wheel — it doesn’t have to. Instead, the game is a celebration of the sub-genre’s tried-and-true design. It is a student of the greats that came before it, taking and presenting that core gameplay experience in a way that is familiar, but also exceptionally engaging.

Star Renegades is a perfect hybrid of a tactical RPG and roguelite battling system, with easy to comprehend mechanics. As you level so does the enemy, making the threat ever increasing and prominent throughout the whole playthrough. The unique maps with boundless variations sprawling over three varying planets will keep you coming back for more. The breathtaking visuals are more than enough reason to play this game and fight against the Imperium!

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.

Double Kick Heroes is, by far, one of the most unique rhythm games I've played. While some of the early songs are dull and the difficulty modes need adjusting, I can still confidently recommend this to hardcore rhythm game fans.

Pro Skater 1 + 2 not only perfectly recreates the pure joy of the originals, it improves on them greatly. The visuals have obviously been improved, but so have the responsive controls. If you have liked a Tony Hawk game in the past, you’ll feel right at home here.

Skully is a simple platformer that boasts fun characters, a great soundtrack, and creative gameplay; all of which provide a rewarding experience by the end of it. However, good things only last for a while, since the quality of the story drops off significantly by the end, and the poor music looping quickly becomes boring. And yet, it’s an underrated gem that you’ll likely want to platinum as soon as it’s done.

Super Bomberman R Online is THE reason to get a Stadia account. While the paid premium pack can deal some unfair advantages with the initial release, the innovative mixture of classic Bomberman gameplay and a Battle Royale twist make this the best exclusive, and perhaps game available on Stadia, so far.

No Straight Roads is a rockin’ good time with a friend, but beware of the many glitches, bad camera, and attacks not syncing up with the music.

Root Digital is another phenomenal adaptation that I have just scratched the surface of. The game has lowered the barrier of entry for many fans, and there are hours of fun challenges that I will enjoy continuing to explore. With a few small tweaks from the developer, this could be one of the best digital board games on the market.

Street Power Soccer focuses more on fancy footwork and style rather than traditional gameplay, but doesn't live up to what it alluded to. It offers multiple modes, although some of them are lackluster compared to others. Matches feel very short and some gimmicks don't feel as prominent, but at least the soundtrack is really good.

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.