The bottom line of my playthrough is that not much I had done mattered in the end. If you are interested in playing Cinders, be prepared to play it to completion for the best experience because it is clear that not every door has a prize behind it, and not every ending suits a fairytale.

Hellbound is a fun shooter that’s got all the hallmarks of what made the 90s FPS genre so great. Unfortunately, just like the 90s games before it, it’s pretty dated in both optimization and graphics. There’s a large number of bugs and game-breaking glitches to be experienced, all of which tarnish what is otherwise an incredible experience.

Fight Crab is a wacky, fun game. While it doesn't have much depth, the sheer silliness of it will keep you entertained for an afternoon. It does support multiplayer, and I found it to be a lot more fun when teamed up with my son. With easy to learn controls, and fast paced battle, you can't help but love Fight Crab.

Mortal Shell is an action RPG that uses the sleeve of the soulslike genre to create something unique enough to stand on its own two feet. Though its campaign is short and predictable, the beautiful world, interesting body-swapping mechanics, and strong technical performance more than make up for how liberally it borrows from other games.

Battletoads (2020) keeps the soul of the notorious original game intact while revitalizing it with interesting minigames, hilarious writing, and couch co-op that makes this a worthy reason to revisit Zitz, Pimple, and Rash. While the absence of online co-op is pretty disappointing and the beat ‘em up gameplay can become dull by the end of the campaign, this short ride is one I can full-throatedly recommend.

Raji; An Ancient Epic has a lot of potential and a unique style and story, but seems to be actively working against the player’s enjoyment in many ways. While the first level is enjoyable, the rest of the game is plagued with performance issues and incomprehensible design decisions.

One Line Coloring is a charming little puzzle game that revolves around tracing objects using only one line. It's relaxing and offers little in terms of challenge, but its colorful visuals and cute aesthetic helps alleviate that. Unfortunately it doesn't take long to trace all 110 objects though.

Although Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time has the occasional frame rate drop, and it doesn’t pose that high a challenge, Soleil’s game direction has proved worthwhile. Having all the tools to shape your experience provides a thoroughly enjoyable experience for the player, and it’ll keep long-time fans of the series happy seeing Jack’s old allies in action once more. However, with such a short time-to-complete and weak story, it will have you yearn for more.

New Super Lucky’s Tale is a charming platforming with tons of variety in its theming and level design that, while short and easy, will put a smile on your face and remind you of classic platformers like Spyro the Dragon.

Lovingly Evil is a funny and charming dating sim with interesting characters and frustrating minigames. While it is well-written, don’t expect the game to get too deep or go beyond the start of your relationship with one of the characters.

Bird Alone is simple, it's wholesome, and it's a surprisingly good tool for tracking your mental well being, something that many of us can likely use these days. Part virtual pet, part mental health coach, this simulated friendship can be quite entertaining, and surprisingly deep at times. While certainly not a full length game, it's a delightful distraction that scratches the itch of old school Tamagatchis, swapping out pooping, evolving monsters with a brightly colored, easily excitable bird friend.

Spiritfarer excels in every genre it dips its toes in. It’s a joy to see what’s in every corner of the game’s ocean, explore every nook and cranny of the various islands, and play various minigames all while managing your ship and making sure your passengers are happy before you see them off. It’ll make you laugh, cry, and feel terrified all at the same time. It’s one of those games that, after finishing, you immediately want to play again.

There is nothing out there like Microsoft Flight Simulator. It delivers the entire world in unrivaled quality, combined with pinpoint precise controls and realism at a level that is unmatched. If you want a taste of the sky, this game is virtual perfection, and if you are learning to fly in the real world, nothing will reinforce what you’ve already learned more than Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Buried Stars will slip under the radar for most people; I implore you to check this wonderful visual novel out, as it’s perhaps one of the best narrative experiences this year. With a relatable and fleshed out cast of characters mixed with simple yet engrossing mystery mechanics, this one deserves your time and attention.

With upgraded grappling and submission mechanics, better training and fewer flash knockouts, UFC 4 manages to deliver on the promise of its predecessor. Cosmetic microtransactions come across greedy, but there’s nothing lacking in the main product. Framerate hitches and a few bugs remain at launch, as does persistent voice repetition, but overall if you enjoyed UFC 3, there’s a lot to like about UFC 4.

Bite the Bullet is a 2D side-scrolling shooter with an interesting eating mechanic. Choosing your food preferences and acquiring skills based on them is neat and clever, as is managing calorie, fat, and protein intake while devouring foes. Levels and enemies can get repetitive, but it's not that big of a deal.

Darkestville Castle is a humorous point and click adventure game that doesn't add anything new, but offers a very polished experience. Some control annoyances do little to hamper the experience and jokes land more often than not.

Total War Saga: Troy is a step in an interesting direction. The “Saga” distinction allows the team to try some new concepts without disturbing the main franchise, and it does while remaining faithful to the historic roots of its predecessors, with a dash of the fantastical. Some technical wobbles remain, and the game can be occasionally obtuse, but there’s a lot to enjoy here.

I found this long awaited Season Pass and DLC to be worth every minute, even if I died hundreds of times. The new locations, Yokai boss battles, weapons, and enemies all intensified the demanding and challenging game. While I do wish the overall story was a bit deeper, maybe more will be explained in the two upcoming expansions.

All in all, Boomerang Fu is undeniably fun for short periods of time. The characters, levels, and music is cute, the surprisingly violent killing is satisfying, and it is definitely worth a laugh or two. It put me in a good mood. I would only struggle to recommend it because of its lack of online play. Cranky Watermelon wants to bring people together, so the timing of this release is the exact opposite of ideal, and most gaming households won’t have enough controllers or players to make up for that.

Hellpoint is an interesting entry to the popular Souls-like genre and I think it is one worth playing. I wish it was more clear on the rules of the world and I’m not a fan of fast travel being restricted. Still, the black hole and rewarding exploration make Hellpoint a fun and rewarding game.

Yakuza Kiwami 2 is a contender for the best game in this consistently excellent series. Its crime drama story of family, love, revenge, and pride will have you hooked. Combat has never felt as smooth or involved before, outside of certain moments. This is a gorgeous, fun, heartwarming, and extreme remake of one of the franchise’s most beloved entries.

Ultracore is a blast from the past game that really nails what many side-scrolling shooters were like in the 90s; and coupled with modern controls, it’s a game worth playing. Though there are a few oversights like getting hit and not knowing it, unlabeled special items, and low difficulty, it’s worth a try.

An already gorgeous game in its own right, Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition celebrates this amazing title on PC with a host of improvements. Catch up on an amazing adventure and get ready for Horizon Forbidden West next year.

Crysis Remastered is an amazing technical achievement to have it run on the Nintendo Switch, but at what cost? On the surface, in handheld mode, it suffers from framerate issues and stability; in docked mode, things get better and make the gameplay tolerable. Unfortunately, it’s the technical issues that hurt the game the most.

Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise is somehow much, much worse than the original. The game looks and feels awful, with an unacceptable framerate and PlayStation 1 level textures. While the story is great, it’s brought down by even more tedious gameplay and some harmful stereotypes.

While Röki doesn’t do anything particularly new or interesting, it does present a gorgeous world and introduces those unfamiliar with many myths and legends to learn more about.

Into The Radius is a great VR survival game with an amazing atmosphere, rewarding experience, and a very interesting set of enemies. It’s especially suited to VR veterans, who may think they’ve experienced all that’s to see and do with the platform. Do beware however, as this game has recently come out of Early Access and has some hallmarks of it.