Caught in a struggle between being a definitive casual game while also being a hardcore competitive experience, Sparking! Zero makes the best of its numerous limitations. The core game is fun enough, it looks great, and it contains an impressive collection of Dragon Ball fan service. Sparking! Zero pushes limits in all of the ways a Dragon Ball game should. Unfortunately, various limitations push back just as much, resulting in a game that still has plenty of training to do in order to reach its full potential.

Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora - Secrets of the Spires plays it very safe. It has some cool moments, missions, and mechanics, but eventually resorts to sneaking around RDA bases again. For better and worse, it’s more of the same.

Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a fun, albeit relatively bare bones, experience which gets by more on its nostalgic charm and great presentation, than it does on being anything more than a competent beat ‘em up. The addition of on-rails levels and first-person fights are welcomed, and the variety of levels and the added time disrupter elements keep the game fresh for its short run time, but lack of combat moves and frustrating Megazord boss fights keep Rita’s Rewind from ever reaching the lofty heights it aims for.

Trombone Champ: Unflattened is one of the funniest VR experiences I’ve ever had, and I don’t think my wife has ever enjoyed watching me play a game as much as she enjoyed me performing with a screeching cat as a trombone. This is the perfect game to hop into with a group of friends and take turns trying to earn the most toots, or just laugh at each other as you put on ridiculous performances. If you’re a fan of rhythm games, definitely do yourself a favor and pick up Unflattened.

Fighting hordes of monsters, saving allies, and eventually confronting the Demon Queen herself: all of this and more awaits in Spirit Mancer. With a charming art style and cool mechanic of sealing away demons, you would think the game would be a winner. However, its flaws hold the game back from being anything special.

Yes, the core gameplay of building rides, adjusting prices, etc is all Roller Coaster Tycoon is. But I think this is a game you can get dozens of hours of enjoyment from if you enjoy something that rewards experimentation and trying new things. There are a few issues like the pathfinding for staff can be somewhat finicky, the game does chug quite a bit when you zoom out, the controls could definitely use some work, but I think Roller Coaster Tycoon Classic is a great game that I hope leads to something more in the future.

Dark and Deep is a horror game that lives up to its name, covering some pretty macabre themes and allowing the player to dive deep into the investigation. There are layers upon layers to the game’s art, sound, and gameplay, and they all tie into each other in brilliant ways.

Soul Reaver and its sequel are both perfect storms of story, voice work, soundtracks, and now they have the final pieces they needed to become classics for a new generation with revamped controls and now gorgeous graphics. While I’d like to see the execution be a touch cleaner, the sum of its parts is so damned strong that it lets you experience this incredible game all over again. I know you, Raziel. You are worthy.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle perfectly translates the fun of the films into video game form. It’s a globetrotting adventure that’ll have you brawling through deserts, sneaking across a German boat in the Himelayas, and trying not to get bitten by snakes in long forgotten temples. The story is phenomenal, but the real highlight is the gameplay. Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is absolute bliss from start to finish and would make Dr. Jones proud.

Mario & Luigi Brothership is definitely ambitious, but the structure of the game is not well suited to the sluggish feeling everything has. Despite being about half the length of some other modern RPGs, it doesn’t have the depth to match. A few good gags and some touching character moments doesn’t make the entire experience fulfilling. What’s here is solid enough but it’s death by a thousand cuts. Every cool or fascinating thing has some kind of asterisk to go with it. Battles are fun but they take forever to finish, characters are unique but dialogue is often belabored, Battle Plugs are interesting but take way too long to recharge. There’s a lot to like here, but just as many things if not more to dislike, leaving the game okay but frustrating.

If you enjoy puzzle solving at a high level, Dungeons of Dreadrock 2 is the game to play. It takes everything you learned from the first game and amps up the fun with new creative ways to solve puzzles, new abilities to master, and a fun story that connects seamlessly with the first game. The second installment of the Dreadrock Trilogy is a must play for any puzzle-maniac.

If you’re looking for a stealth game to try out, then Ereban: Shadow Legacy is a strong option. While the story is far from a masterpiece, it does its part and serves as a solid catalyst for the player’s shadow powers and allows the player’s perspective to be challenged.

Threshold takes a simple premise and runs with it, mixing a curious blood-soaked mystery with thin altitude air. The mystery of the ceaseless train atop the mountain peak is interesting to uncover, even if some of the gameplay systems try to get in the way at times. The train must run, just don’t look inside.

The audio design is impressive, with ambient sounds and a haunting score that perfectly capture the eerie essence of the Zone. Gunfire sounds appropriately weighty, and the growls of mutants are genuinely unsettling. Voice acting is also very well done, with brilliant performances from all the main characters...Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an undoubtedly remarkable achievement in atmospheric game design. This post-apocalyptic experience offers an unmatched dynamic open world that is bound to satisfy long-time fans of the series. However, the extremely poor technical hiccups and hardcore yet niche nature of the game prevents it from getting a full recommendation. This is not a game for casuals. [Review in Progress]

This is a swan song that really isn't a swan song. Remedy ends Alan Wake 2 with a link to what comes next… kind of. If you love Alan Wake 2 as I do, you'll love this, as The Lake House is more of those stylings with an FBC filter. Agent Estevez is awesome in her starring role, along with themes in the narrative that make you look beyond the paint covered canvas.

Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake comes with its share of flaws and oddities that prevent it from being the perfect version of itself, but it’s still just so darn good that they’re easy enough to overlook. This is a beautiful remake of an already incredible game that is very faithful to its original, with changes only attempting to enhance what was already there. It may not always succeed, but when it does it makes for a sublime experience.

LEGO Horizon Adventures offers a playful retelling of Horizon Zero Dawn, blending the iconic story of Aloy with LEGO's signature charm, humor, and style. This isometric action-adventure game simplifies the original's intense narrative, focusing on environmental themes and character relationships, providing a lighthearted, engaging experience for fans of all ages.

Ys X boldly sails into uncharted waters. It’s a sturdy vessel of combat, exploration, and heart, even if some of its individual parts could use further refinement. Ys X may not be my favorite Ys, but it does an excellent job of reminding me why Ys is my favorite.

Even with a handful of last minute bugs to iron out, Planet Coaster 2 lets me build the park of my dreams. More than a water park expansion, it takes everything the first game did well and makes it better. Don’t wait, get your ticket now – heck, this one is even worthy of a fast pass.

Slitterhead is the perfect definition of a game that doesn’t know what it wants to be. It falters in both the action combat category as well as the horror genre, resulting in a middling experience overall.

Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 stands tall on its reputation while delivering on expectations. World-class gunplay throughout, the incredible campaign, superb multiplayer, and excellent Zombies mode reach the heights you’ve come to anticipate from the Black Ops series. Treyarch, Raven, and all the studios behind it should be proud; this shot will be heard around the world.

Nixxes and Guerilla Games have made an already beautiful game even better. If you haven’t yet experienced the origin of Aloy’s story, then do yourself a favor and play Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered!

Mario Party Jamboree harkens back to an older time for Mario Party while adding new game modes, courses, mini-games, and characters. With 110 mini-games with different types of motion controls, rhythm games, and more, you and your friends will have a great time learning all the new stuff while enjoying two re-created older courses. If you’ve taken a break from Mario Party for any reason in the past six years, Jamboree is the one to get you back into the party.

When Life Is Strange: Double Exposure focuses on telling a personal story about trauma and regret it soars. When it focuses on being a teaser for future entries with its supernatural spectacle, it unravels. This balancing act unfortunately causes the latter to cannibalize some strengths from the former. Still, Max’s characterization and emotional journey remain the prominent highlight, offering a heartfelt and bittersweet thematic throughline at how the wounds of past guilt and grief scab over time. For the game to win me over despite my initial skepticism, that’s a pretty strong achievement, flaws and all.

The writing can be overwrought, written by committee, and occasionally forced, but it’s also a major step forward for a team that needs the win. Dragon Age: The Veilguard brings us compelling characters, excellent combat, and a world worth saving.

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.

Slay the Princess: The Pristine Cut is a fantastic expansion to an already amazing game. The new and altered routes fit perfectly with the rest, fleshing out Princesses that previously had short interactions. The Pristine Cut wasn’t necessary to make this a must play game, but I’m very glad it’s here.

It’s hard to give a definitive rating or opinion on an MMORPG, as the game is always changing and evolving, hopefully for the better. But it is without a doubt that New World: Aeternum is leagues better than what it was 3 years ago, with an enhanced beginner experience, a fleshed out endgame, tons of content, and availability across 3 major platforms. I’m so glad that the team at Amazon Games didn’t give up on this project!