Kao the Kangaroo makes a valiant effort in this reboot, but it still feels like half the game it should be. Many mechanics feel unexplored, the final world is a single level with a boss fight, and it’s very glitchy. Still, it’s a fun enough romp for what it is and I hope we see more of this marsupial in the future.

Capcom Fighting Collection sets the new standard all compilation games should be held to. There are a ton of games, though some may complain too many of them are Darkstalkers, accompanied by a suit of wonderful art and music. To top it all off is the fantastic online play and great visual and auditory presentation wrapping it up.

The Sims 4 Werewolf Game Pack introduces some exciting new things to the game, such as the ability to draw on your Sims fur and stamp on designs which gives you endless possibilities for customization. The new lunar cycle which directly affects your werewolf, and the werewolf packs along with the hierarchy are all fun. I enjoyed the way your Sims looks the closer they get to transforming. However, some of the social difficulties from being a werewolf, and the fury and destruction of items in your own home made things more difficult. I can’t see myself making my everyday Sim a werewolf, but this pack is definitely fun to play through at least once or twice!

Diablo Immortal is an absolutely stunning experience, even on mobile. The game is really easy to pick up, even for people new to the Diablo series. Gameplay is smooth and impactful and the voiceover work is top tier. Aside from hating the ‘grind’, this is my new favorite MMO experience!

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.

While it’s not quite what I had hoped for, Sonic Origins is one of the best ways to play Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic CD, Sonic 2, and Sonic 3 & Knuckles. The sprite art looks fantastic in widescreen and extras like animated cutscenes bookending each game are a delight.

Outriders Worldslayer is more Outriders, and that’s not a bad thing. While the story doesn’t do much, the game as a whole is still one of the most fun third person shooters out there right now, with a feel to the gameplay that is a blast to play. The addition of the Trials of Tarya Gratar end game content is worth every penny, and the new gear, skills, and Apocalypse tiers ensure you’ll want to stick around and grind for a good while.

Spike Chunsoft has done it again with AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES nirvanA Initiative. They tell an incredible murder mystery that’s a ton of fun to figure out, all while solving brain-bending puzzles and talking to a colorful cast of endearing characters. There are a lot of performance issues and bugs, but those are nitpicks compared to just the sheer joy of diving into people’s minds to solve the case.

Neon White is a ballet of bullets and death that always leaves you wanting just one more run. There are a ton of levels and powers to master, along with a witty and sincere story at the center. One of 2022’s best games.

Summary: If you are a fan of deckbuilding card battlers, with a dash of RPG, then Gordian Quest is the best of the bunch. While there are a few tutorial elements and stability challenges to attend to, the endless replayability and randomization element makes every run unique.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge feels like it’s designed from an Ninja Turtles arcade beat ‘em up template, which strips it of creativity and originality and makes it feel predictable and familiar. But the fluid combat continually sucks me back in, even though that also suffers from combat designs that should’ve been left in the past.

Mario Strikers: Battle League presents a shockingly deep take on Soccer held up by some incredibly charming and expressive character animations. Sadly there’s not much to see outside of the core loop, and can quickly wear out its welcome as things start to feel too repetitive.

The Quarry is a tense horror adventure with incredibly likable characters and some effective scares. The central mystery is fun to figure out, and the game doesn’t take itself too seriously. While there are a few hiccups, you can either work around them or ignore them as they’re not so major as to detract from the overall experience. This is Supermassive’s best work yet.

Gas Station Simulator feels like a weird game to want to play, but you want to play it. Like most simulators, the tasks at hand are menial and repetitive, but it’s generally a fun game to keep progressing through. The upgrades and tools are well placed to keep you from feeling like you’re dealing with too much busy work, and the humor the game injects keeps things lighthearted. Although, if we could just get rid of Dennis, I wouldn’t complain.

I hope that the future of Purrasic Jark is bright, and not filled with escapees mauling my guests like those “other” dinosaur theme parks. My experience with Dinosaur Island has been very relaxing, at times downright funny, and not too overwhelming. A lot of sim games, and especially some sim games in the same genre, like to over complicate things. Let's Build a Zoo: Dinosaur Island is just the right combination of giving you enough to manage without making things hectic. I had an absolutely wonderful time over the long weekend enjoying every aspect of this charming title, and I look forward to playing some more.

Winter Ember is good, but could be better. The voice acting and script made me extremely disinteresting in the story, and combat is just so extremely dull. It doesn't help either when the soundtrack overheard in all areas of the game is equally as basic. These three things made the game lose a bit of its charm, but that’s all mended together thankfully by the enjoyable stealth mechanics and moment-to-moment gameplay. As a pure stealth experience, this game fast became a highly enjoyable experience overall, and one that I’d recommend if you can get past its big issues.

With its incredible gameplay loop, Hardspace: Shipbreaker is as unique as it is addictive. A handful of minor bugs do little to hold back what is an incredibly immersive and rewarding experience.

Card Shark is unlike any game you’ve played before. As a card game where you don’t actually play cards, learning and executing various methods of cheating is a ton of fun. The historical setting contributes to the conspiracy central to the story, while adding its own colorful cast of enjoyable characters in the gorgeous setting of 18th century France.

Rifftrax: The Game is a fantastic way to bring your funny friends together to riff on infamously-bad movies. With over 2000 groan-worthy tracks, and more on the way, it should make for some genuinely funny moments at your next party. Just be prepared to type as the Write a Riff is the best way to play.

Apex Legends Mobile is an excellent adaptation and a must play for fans of mobile shooters. The new legend, Fade, is a fun addition to the roster, bringing much to the table with fun and exciting abilities. Very easy to drop in (pun intended) for a few games on the go.

Soundfall has an interesting premise, but it falls short of realizing its potential. Nothing in the game is overtly bad, but this isn’t a game I’ll come back to or probably even think about all that much. Soundfall is a let-down, missing just enough beats to throw off its own groove.

Even five entries in, Sniper Elite 5 manages to deliver on the core gameplay sniping loop while managing to provide us with a handful of new features to keep things fresh. There are a few bugs to hammer out, and some movement systems are underbaked, but fans and newcomers alike will find a lot to like here.

Despite my minor complaints, Salt and Sacrifice is an insanely fun Souls-like featuring brutal challenges, great level designs, beautiful hand drawn graphics, interesting enemies and boss fights, cool gear to find and upgrade, a fun leveling system, and one of the most enjoyable co-op experiences I’ve had in quite a while. The fact that this game was designed by so few people and is of such high quality for a relatively low MSRP of $19.99 is nothing short of astounding. While not perfect, Salt and Sacrifice kept me entertained for well over 20 hours and made me excited for the next entry in this incredible series.

This is the way I want to play tower defense from now on. The Last Friend isn’t a challenging first attempt at combining tower defense and beat ‘em up, nor good at telling a quality story, but it has fantastic mechanics. Weak difficulty aside, each world brought imaginative enemies and bosses and surprises that made it worth seeing what came next.

Monster Energy Supercross 5 is what you would expect of another entry in the Monster Energy Supercross series. With a lot of the series mainstays as well as some newer features, players have a plethora of options to choose from. I just wish it was more welcoming for newer players.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong is a fantastic, yet very messy game. It lacks some desperately needed polish and refining, but the core is so fun and engaging you can put the problems to the side for a time. They’ll rear their head pretty frequently, but pushing past them is well worth the rewards.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising packs a ton of fun into a small package. The combat has surprising depth, even if the game starts out unbearably slow, and the few areas you explore are fun to revisit and discover all the nooks and crannies. The town building aspect fits perfectly into the gameplay loop, and makes for an addicting experience.

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.