Lionheart gets a couple things right, but overall results in a rather forgettable and generic experience. The best comparison I make to the game is vanilla ice cream; it’s not something that is going to cause a visceral reaction of outright disgust and repulsion, but it isn’t anything to get excited about it. The dialogue between characters is entertaining and does provide some distraction to how lackluster the story is. The combat is fun, but because of how formulaic each dungeon is going through one or two of them in a sitting is plenty. It’s a mediocre game that wouldn’t bring about buyer’s remorse, but also isn’t a must-play. This is an ideal title for people who revel in the idea of being entertained by snarky character banter enough to settle for average gameplay — approximately 50-100 hours of it. For those who enjoy JRPGs and visual novels, this may be an enjoyable experience that provides a good bang for the buck, but this title does not excel on either front.

Sundered has the basic foundation for a metroidvania/roguelike hybrid down pat, but its poor handling of enemy distribution and the otherwise fine combat that comes with it sadly drags it down. If you’re willing to make it past several hours of brutal horde attacks, there’s a gorgeous and well-crafted action-platformer to enjoy, but those turned off by lengthy grinding or chases through barrages of enemies had best look somewhere else. There’s fun to be had, yes, but you may not have as much of it as you hope for from this cosmic horror.

Dream Daddy: A Dad Dating Simulator has ample promise and a lot of heart, but wasn’t given enough time to grow. Most of the dads are lovely to get to know and worth dating. Players want to spend more time with these guys, but only get three relatively brief dates to whet their appetite. Then there’s the fact that it doesn’t yet feel finished due to a fair share of typographical issues, mishmash of art styles and the amount of gameplay bugs still impacting the experience. Once patches go out these latter issues should be resolved, but nothing short of DLC or a sequel will bring players more time with the cast of dads who simply weren’t given enough time in the spotlight to really shine.

Yukie: A Japanese Winter Fairy Tale is a relatively short and unusual narrative tale that most players should be able to complete in three to five hours. Along the way they’ll hone their samurai senses as they fight enemies based on sound alone. They might get a little tripped up due to the storyline’s presentation at times, though. Fortunately, this isn’t a particularly complex tale. It provides a clear objective and a few twists and turns to keep the progression interesting. Those who find themselves intrigued may wish to seek out the Japanese legend of Yuki-onna as this game appears to be inspired by it.

Pyre represents another solid effort from Supergiant, as the awe-inspiring world, both in terms of design and depth, coupled with a lovable cast of heroes and villains, continue the studio’s renowned streak for titles with big heart and unique gameplay. The repetitive and overly-lengthy nature of the campaign, as well as a lackluster versus mode, holds the title back from reaching the same heights as its predecessors, but those looking for an original universe and an uplifting tale will be hard-pressed to find a deeper and better-looking game this year.

The final product is greater than the sum of its parts, though, and anyone seeking a fast-paced 3D action-platformer will be thrilled with Super Cloudbuilt.

Splatoon 2 recaptures every moment of enjoyment of the original while finding room to add even more. Whether it's the challenging single player or the revitalized multiplayer, Splatoon 2 does a phenomenal job at making itself more than a minor upgrade.

MotoGP 17 is a game that looks great on paper, but only manages to do enough to please the hardcore fan of the series.

One cannot comprehend who Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is meant to serve. Exploration is a chore based on frame rate issues and less-than-stellar graphics. Questing sucks because there is no real sense of progress or accomplishment. Farming and crafting is similarly pointless as there just isn’t a heck of a lot to do. I will confess to giving up after only a couple of hours in hopes that I was the recipient of Alpha code.

While what should be the biggest draw — the crossover and the story — falls flat on its face, Accel World vs Sword Art Online isn’t a complete loss. The actual game part of the game works well enough that players might find themselves more interested in taking on side quests and missions than working through the story campaign. Of course, Yui isn’t that great of a prize, but still. There is plenty of content with which to engage, but those looking for this type of gameplay would be better off playing Lost Song or Hollow Realization first. Those have more interesting stories and some better translation work in addition to the well-done game systems. If those have already been completed, then this isn’t the worst game for fans.

While a bit slow to get going, there’s a great amount of variety in Iron Crypticle once the action heats up. Monsters come in all shapes, sizes and attack patterns, and if not all of them are directly harmful, then being rooted to the spot for two seconds can be just as maddening as taking a hit. The food combo clock is always ticking, pushing you to kill and collect faster to get the necessary power-ups to survive the later areas, although if you can’t quite manage that then you can still get by from exploiting the weapon drops. The dungeon is filled with events, rooms, and diversions, and unlocking everything in the Ledger will require surviving everything it can throw at you. There are secrets to uncover, scoring bonuses to maximize, a kingdom’s treasure to retrieve and the princess is down there somewhere too. It’s a tough job for the knights of Iron Crypticle, but it beats sitting on their rusting armored butts listening to the rain on a dark and stormy night.

What’s great about That’s You right now is that it’s free for PlayStation Plus members. It’ll jump to $19.99 starting on October 24, a steep price compared to the Jackbox Party Pack, which costs $24.99 and comes with a plethora of games, but it’s worth it for those who get in right now. The graphics are great, as they should be since there’s not a lot going on visually, the narration is funny and the mini-games allow for a ton of natural comedy. It’s also the first of the PlayLink games, so if this is just the beginning, then it’s a good sign. That’s You is easy for everyone to get in on at parties or just when hanging out with friends and shows the future of PlayLink is promising indeed.

Black The Fall isn’t exactly revolutionary when it comes to the world of atmospheric platformers, but it still excels in what it sets out to do. It paints a frightening image of a land deep in the grip of Communism back in the day, but never sacrifices enjoyment in order to get its message out. The visual style is striking and eye-catching, the puzzles are well-crafted and put up a perfect challenge, and everything controls almost perfectly. It’s an impressive piece of work with a lot of heart put into it, and the end result is a brutal but beautiful bit of platforming that comes highly recommended. Indeed, it did end up having the same quality as its peers after all, and can proudly stand beside them.

It has its issues with Vaan being one of the most lackluster protagonists in Final Fantasy history, but the combat is fun, versatile and highly addicting. It helps that Square Enix has put in an on-the-fly button to enable the High Speed Mode, which cuts down on unnecessary grinding of items, license points and experience significantly. The game has also been masterfully remastered, with beautiful 1080p visuals and some added visual techniques such as bump mapping applied to the environments.

Excelling with its simulation aspect and deep career mode, MXGP 3 is a solid motocross title in a market that is virtually non-existent. Back in the days of the original PlayStation, both 989 Sports (Sony) and EA had flagship motocross titles, but those days have sadly passed. For a smaller developer like Milestone to accomplish what they have with the game speaks wonders, but there is much room for growth. With the game featuring the FIM license, maybe it would be more appropriate to lock up the AMA license to have the official stadium tracks and drivers for this side of the pond. For having all the licenses and sponsors, the audience needs to be broadened.

An exceptional expansion that unfortunately refuses to take any risks.

The end result is a highly satisfying game with an engrossing story that delivers in creepy, emotional and thought-provoking moments that helps it stand out, especially with its more subtle presentation of morality in gaming.

If you grew up in the early ’90s or just have an affinity for the license, it does it justice and delivers a rock-solid racing experience as well. Its mode selection is impressive and there’s always something to do if you’re tired of racing.

If someone is going to borrow, there is no shame in borrowing from the best. While it’s a bit slower to start, the characters do become fleshed out and interesting.

While the N. Sane Trilogy is by no means the perfect and/or flawless remaster fans and interested onlookers may have wanted, there's no denying that a lot of Vicarious' microscopic and macroscopic attention to detail alike is demonstrated sufficiently well in Crash's current-gen revisit.

The Golf Club 2 combines a good golf simulation game with the social interaction of an actual clubhouse through the online societies with an engrossing career mode.

Valkyria Revolution is an excellent action-RPG if you’re looking for something new after playing through Final Fantasy XV.

Master X Master is an outstanding MOBA for both veterans of the genre and newcomers alike. PC gamers who prefer controller-based play may have a bit of a learning curve when it comes to using a keyboard and mouse setup, but the game feels natural after a fairly short period of time and never throws you into a battle unfairly. It looks outstanding and plays well on both low-end and high-end hardware, allowing it to be accessible to many people who may generally avoid newer releases out of fear that they won’t run well. Its music and sound effects are exceptional, even if the repeated character voice clips do grate on the nerves after a while.

River City: Knights of Justice is an excellent beat ’em up on the whole. It has some graphical and audio shortcomings that drag it down, but long-time fans of he series will still find a lot of enjoyment here.

Nex Machina is an utterly fantastic arcade twin-stick shooter that doesn’t so much revolutionize the genre as get almost every aspect just right. The shooting feels great, the dash mechanic gives you plenty of flexibility in getting out of tight spots, all the secondary weapons are unique and useful in their own way, and the enemies never stop coming up with new ways to cause trouble.

Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour is a surprisingly large shooter that takes the long-running arcade FPS and translates it perfectly into a new genre. The gorgeous pixel art is well detailed and animated, and can pack a ton of critters on screen at once without any issues. Blasting through an area, painting the floor red with the remains of a vicious horde that couldn’t quite stand up to a rocket launcher, is basically what I pictured games would turn into back in the Genesis/SNES days. It’s got fast action, tons of weapons, a huge variety of creatures and a handful of bosses to use them against and firepower flies everywhere when the encounters heat up. Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour may look different from Sam’s usual outings, but 2D fans will have as much fun checking out the excellent pixel art as series fans will tearing through enemies both familiar and new.

Tokyo 42 has a lot of potential, and moments of greatness where it can deliver satisfying action, but unfortunately gets bogged down by an annoying camera and notable structure issues and technical snafus. There’s still fun to be had in the candy-coated world of a futuristic Japan, especially when it comes to exploration and the occasional parkour, but those looking for a more focused and more effective action game would be better off checking something else instead. So in the end, it’s sadly less Blade Runner and more Johnny Mnemonic.

Tormentor X Punisher is loud, mean, occasionally unfair, intentionally ugly and thoroughly awesome. Its attitude infuses every aspect of the game, from enemy designs, the chunky low-resolution art and especially the excellent voicework that, yes, is repetitive but a major part of setting the tone. Death is brutal and easy, survival guaranteed to be short, and the leaderboards populated with people who are basically wizards. Getting a score over 100,000 is a feat to be proud of and I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve only done it once so far. Dying is inevitable, but not the point of Tormentor X Punisher. While the pink-haired demon hunter isn’t surviving this, she’s going to take as many minions and bosses as the game can churn out as she swears like a sailor to her last furious breath.

While To the Top may be a bit short on polish its sense of movement is fantastic. Once you’ve got the hang of managing your momentum you can practically fly through the levels, springing from point to point like a hypercaffeinated frog. Every level offers something different, whether that be new scenery, air-vortex jump pads, special surfaces that let you skate over them and even one memorable level that gives you jetpack hands. (That particular level made me glad to play at night when nobody was watching so they couldn’t see me with arms pointed back, leaning forward to get just the right angle to skim ahead at top speed.) The multiple routes and hidden challenges make each area highly replayable, and while some levels aren’t quite as good as others, at least they’re different enough so if you don’t like one there’s a complete change of pace coming right up. To the Top is a fantastically creative first-person VR platformer, filled with great challenges and giving the player the tools to handle them if only they can master the techniques.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Morrowind is an impressive new addition to an already solid MMO. The Elder Scrolls Online has been constantly evolving since its initial launch, and the new content introduced in this chapter builds upon these improvements. There’s plenty to do in Vvardenfell, a land with consonants to spare, but one of the greatest strengths of this title is the level of accessibility. Any type of character build can work in this game, and players of all levels can play together and things will balance themselves out so everyone can have a good time. Plus, for the times when you may want to play alone, this MMO does actually provide a good solo experience. Whether someone is a long time player, new to the game, or has played before and taken a lengthy break, anyone can jump in and experience new adventures in Vvardenfell.

Dark Rose Valkyrie is a bit of a mixed bag. The hybrid of the visual novel inspired interview system mixed with a traditional JRPG is an interesting idea, and that the traitor is never set does give reason to play through the story more than once. The downside to it is like most JRPGs this is not a short game, and there are enough issues with the gameplay where tackling it once would be enough for most people. The pacing makes it difficult to fully get immersed into the story and outside of the interview portion, the gameplay does not live up to its potential, especially in battle. The result is an overall good but unremarkable JRPG. Compile Heart’s signature charm and humor is present throughout, so fans of their other games will likely be able to forgive its shortcomings and enjoy this title for what it is.

Randall should be better than this. It’s got all the elements in place to be good but they just don’t work right. There are some clever jumping puzzles that require the player to have pinpoint accuracy and consider jump height and how it relates to distance and not bouncing off the ceiling. The combat moves are well thought out, Randall’s abilities are used constantly in every area and the level art looks great. If Randall had the controls to match then this would be a nice little sleeper, but the pieces never come together to make it fun to play and the bugs drag it down even further. There are a lot of ways Randall could have been good, but without a character who can keep up with the action, it never manages to rise above being just plain bad.

Perhaps the most remarkable thing about Star Trek: Bridge Crew is that it’s a VR experience that encourages repeat play. Having put a decent amount of time into the title already, it’s understandable that some may hope for additional content added, such as an adversarial crew vs crew mode. What’s in the package already, though, makes for some hectic times and an incredible use of the technology. The message behind the actual game mechanics, that of the need for understanding and cooperation among the players, is possibly the most clever expression of the themes of the franchise a game has ever mustered.

Under Pressure keeps the story flowing and the jams pumping as Telltale provides a rare look at one of the Guardians’ upbringings. The hit-or-miss humor and standard technical malfunctions are still on full display, but the strong storytelling helps keep the season moving forward as the dysfunctional space crew keep searching for answers.

Fighting titles have long been the most competitive and often hardest for new players to get into, but ARMS enters itself extremely well to the genre by feeling like nothing that has ever been played before.

Perception isn’t great, failing to clear every benchmark that it set out for itself by a healthy margin. It could fall back on the fact that it was trying something experimental as an excuse for what went wrong, but there are too many experimental games in today’s day and age for me to cut any slack for the mess that is this game. With the pedigree of the team that created it and the lofty expectations that it set out for itself, it fails to live up even to modest expectations. While it’s noble to attempt to tackle representation in interesting ways, Perception isn’t a poster child for what games of this persuasion should strive to be.

I found it enjoyable, but I also have an interest in old medical and mental illness treatment practices. Someone looking for action or a Resident Evil style horror experience should skip this, but those looking for a good story in a beautifully bleak environment to explore at a leisurely pace would likely find some enjoyment in The Town of Light.

Codemasters has provided enough meaningful upgrades for DiRT 4 while keeping the core simulation racing aspect intact. This should appease the hardcore fans while allowing people with interest in the series to take a drive.

While it may not indulge as much on its aesthetic to better hide the distinct lack of gameplay, Empathy: Path of Whispers can’t excuse itself for letting its eye go too far a stray from keeping its player both focused and interested in the tale being spun. Though it’s far from the actual narrative’s fault for the game’s all-round mediocre delivery, the insistency on following an established formula across a bulk of the game’s all-round length doesn’t excuse the choppy, blurred and fairly average quality of its visual design. The warranted need to fine-tune its brief puzzles aside, Empathy: Path of Whispers is intriguing in moderation, but little else.

f you enjoyed LoveKami -Divinity Stage- then you may also dig this game. It just depends why you were enamored with the previous title. Those who were really into the whole idol aspect will find little in this narrative to hook them (beyond a very brief segment). If you just love this take on Japan where goddesses are as klutzy, naughty and paradoxically naive then this visual novel should still be up your alley. There’s not a lot of deep storytelling or character development, but LoveKami -Useless Goddess- should satisfy folks looking to perk up a drab afternoon.

Tekken 7 is the fighting experience that its fan base wanted it to be. The game will make you want to drop all the fireballs and fatalities and jump back to a franchise that most put on the backburner. 3D fighters have taken a backseat as the likes of Virtua Fighter and Soul Caliber have gone missing. Tekken 7 could be just the title to garner interest in bringing those games back. With little flaws in concept and execution, Tekken 7 feels like a traditional fighting game with the right amount of flash that players will want to master.

While it has been around for quite awhile, Oceanhorn on PS Vita feels like the best way to play the game. It controls well and looks great on the system. The game itself isn’t creating a new genre, but what Oceanhorn does instead is build a fun adventure using familiar building blocks that we all know. Some people might dismiss this as unoriginal and quaint, but then some people really hate fun. This is a game that earns its spot in any gamer’s library simply by expertly executing precisely what it wants to be.

Despite the fact that it is incredibly short, Form is one of those games that must be played by any aficionado of virtual reality. Through smart design and a superlative look, this it is one of those titles that can really show off how the medium can surpass gaming on a monitor. It’s immersive, engaging and beautiful, setting a new standard for virtual reality and visual design.

Rezrog will no doubt stand as one of the lesser-talked releases of the year, yet one that poses a quite resonant and important question on the principle of planning/thinking before one acts. All this, after the most baffling and head-scratching of introductory openings — an opening that immediately places all its potential systems on the player’s shoulders, coming off initially as an uphill struggle with little leniency. It’s a testament then to how well Soaphog manage to marry the charm of its art-style to the sophisticated yet inevitably accessible delivery of its mechanics. Look past the out-of-character presence of difficulty at the start or perhaps the limitation of its procedural dungeon design and what you’ll find is a strategy RPG with as much charm, personality and character to carry through the same manner of grand adventure any fellow RPG might invoke. Reflecting more so the best and perhaps worst in a player’s ambition for all-round victory — that in itself, perhaps, Rezrog‘s true lasting appeal.

Even after nearly seven years, Vanquish still has some of the best combat of any action game. It’s fast, it’s intense and most importantly, it’s downright fun. Unfortunately, variety isn’t the game’s strong point. From an artistic perspective, not a whole lot changes from the beginning of the campaign to the end; everything has a sterile mechanical look to it that refuses to change. It’s also criminally short, coming in between five to six hours. Granted, it’s non-stop action, but you’ll have a burning desire for even more as the credits begin to roll. Regardless, Vanquish’s strengths are in its gameplay mechanics as skating around on your knees and taking down enemies with the unique arsenal is highly engaging. It helps that the PC port, outside some oddities, is done with care, with optimization being a positive component, and keyboard & mouse controls feeling natural. In the end, Vanquish isn’t a perfect game by any means, but its high-octane combat makes it a must play for any action fan.

Nekopara continues to grow with each release. Although somewhat predictable in regards to its sexual aspects, the storyline is becoming less of a throwaway component, even if it’s still short. Fans finally know a lot more about each of the characters and likely have their favorites. There’s still something to be desired of Kashou’s characterization, as well as the tale in general, but it seems to be going along the right path. Fans should feel confident they’ll enjoy Nekopara Vol. 3 and then find their appetites whetted for the upcoming Vol. 4.

From the Gallows wraps up the season on a high note, with a truly customized chapter that forces players to make intense selections regarding the characters they have grown to love, hate or otherwise care about. Telltale has continued to prove that whatever faults may have arisen in the past can be easily set aside when the final consequences end up amounting to more than just life or death.

Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku! is a well done throwback to adventure games of the late 80s and early 90s. Combat mechanics are not quite as smooth as they could be and the Magic Circle system is a bit more convoluted than necessary, but these minor issues do not deter from the overall enjoyment of this title. The brevity of each dungeon allows progress to be made rapidly and makes the game ideal for both extended play sessions along with just using it to kill a short amount of time, especially true of the Vita version. The customization options and additional challenging dungeons give this title a lot of content. This isn’t a game that has an excessively drawn out story and numerous CGI cutscenes; this is an old fashioned pick and play action RPG and one that fans of retro games should check out.

Players can absolutely see the incredible potential of Friday the 13th: The Game. When the game works without issue, it provides a fantastic, tense experience unlike other asymmetrical horror games on the market. It could just be so much better. Polishing off the bugs and expanding with additional content and modes would turn this into a title that becomes a longstanding favorite rather than something folks play for a hot minute before moving onto the next Early Access multiplayer title.

Despite all its issues I honestly enjoyed SmuggleCraft. The tracks are a bit lonely, the challenge level is fairly low even when a mission says Death Trap and the menus desperately need another round of polish, but the courses are beautiful and fun to fly through in their detailed, low-poly way. Zipping through a canyon at mid-day looks very different from dawn, and weather effects dress up the scenery as well. Most sections can be done by tearing through at high speed but every once in a while you need to let up on the gas during the thin, guard rail-less sections, and while it’s eventually unlikely you’ll fall off the edge failure is still a possibility. There’s a lot of work left to do to get SmuggleCraft to become the game it should have been on launch, but if it can get there it’s going to be a fantastic chase through gorgeous low-poly worlds.

Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 is being published both as a standalone title with the full package (at a bargain compared to other just launched fighters) as well as a DLC pack for half the price for owners of the last game. Because of this, existing fans and newcomers are both getting the best deal. This is a title that comes highly recommended to anyone with a penchant for fast, flashy fighters on the 2D plane. While the genre isn’t hurting for options at the moment, this is a game that can hold its own against any challenger, as long as it doesn’t ask me to play as Answer.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, by no means a flawless entry in the nearly three decade-old franchise, may well be the closest the series has gotten to somehow finding a happy medium between past legacy and contemporary appeal. Robust, entertaining and perilously engaging, while it may still find itself tainted by contemporary RPG standards in its character cast-listing or adamancy in offering “more” for the pure sake of it, Fire Emblem’s own “remake” phase in the end pays off in ways both clear and subtle alike. Ways that will appeal to either end of the fanbase spectrum. Its core gameplay and the many grid-based maps may not have evolved as much (perhaps less so here), but it’s everything going on around the combat that makes Shadows of Valentia a game you’ll look to beyond the avid necessity of leveling up your units. An interesting detour if nothing else, Nintendo would be wise to look at Echoes’ many entertaining and delightful offerings when the series, inevitably, makes its long-awaited return on home consoles.

There are pros to picking up Deemo: The Last Recital on Vita. This single purchase opens you up to tons of what the mobile game has to offer without any need of DLC purchases. The width of the Vita itself, however, might inhibit comfortable gameplay for some out there when compared to thinner smartphone screens. No matter which version you play, though, there’s still some gameplay design decisions which don’t make total sense to music game fans. Fortunately, the highly varied soundtrack makes grinding mostly bearable as players pursue growing a magical tree to its fullest. In a rhythm gaming dearth, Deemo: The Last Recital stands as an imperfect, but mostly enjoyable, title to spend time with.

Eight maps for $29.99 might seem like a bit of a stretch, but for the quality of the remastering and the nostalgia that comes with playing the old maps over again, it’s hard not to pull the trigger. Even with some questionable design choices, it’s a solid pack of DLC that brings the total number of maps available in Black Ops III up to fifteen. It’s not worth buying Black Ops III for, but if you already have it and you have fond memories of the old zombie days, it’s a good chunk of content that breathes new life into the two-year-old game.

It is obvious that the same engine from the last Samurai Warriors game is being used, but it really does feel like a fresh, focused take on the Musou series.

Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a good visual novel that blends that genre in fairly seamlessly with strategy RPGs. It’s far more of a visual novel than an SRPG, but when the SRPG elements come in, they’re well-done. It plays well, but its slower pace isn’t going to be for everyone and being unable to skip things dos make this tougher to get through if you’ve already watched the anime and just want to experience the SRPG portions. It looks fine on both the PS4 and PS Vita, but the core graphics are from Vita, so anyone looking for a PS4-level game will be a bit disappointed due to iffy textures. The soundtrack is excellent and the all-Japanese voice work is full of life and passion.

Some folks are really into slice of life tales, and for others, it makes reading a visual novel a total slog. If you’re interested in a slightly mystical take on the genre then perhaps A Butterfly in the District of Dreams will excite you. For most, however, it’s an average tale which plods along with no real meaning for the majority of it. There’s nothing harmful about this, and there’s far worse you can play on Steam, but your hours of reading time might be better served elsewhere.

Reservoir Dogs is a classic movie that deserves a better homage than Bloody Days for its 25th anniversary. The only equivalent would be if your dog died and it got replaced with a turtle. This was not an enjoyable experience and feels like an even sloppier cash-in on a movie franchise than the latest Ghostbusters game did. At least that had some depth. On paper, the idea of a Reservoir Dogs game coupled with what Big Star Games is pitching would warrant a purchase, but the annoying Time Rewind feature and complete lack of connectivity to the actual movie makes this feel like a trip to the dentist. Although at least with that you’d come out with clean teeth.

Mages of Mystralia is an energetic and clever action-RPG, set in a vibrant and colorful land with a dark history. The heart of the game is its magic system, and the puzzles for unlocking new runes and other goodies keep things from being too combat-heavy. It’s easy to get lost in spell creation, pausing battle to dip into the magic tome to tweak a few runes or throw together something new as the monsters wait patiently for you to pull your head out of the book. Zia is a fun heroine to play as, learning and growing as the story progresses, with a strong character design that never gets lost on the screen. Mystralia’s history is making trouble in the present, but with an arsenal of spell components and the ability to wire them together together to best effect, Zia has a good chance of becoming the hero the world of Mages of Mystralia didn’t realize it needed.

Portal Knights has a few shortcomings, but the overall experience is a lot of fun. Its blend of RPG-esque leveling up with crafting and a steady learning curve keep you engaged. Those looking for a solid gateway game into the crafting sub-genre should check it out — especially if they enjoy RPGs. The music does hold things back, but every other major part of Portal Knights works well.

Thumper is a beautifully dark, unforgiving and utterly fantastic rhythm game, and its sense of menace is only matched by its wonderful playability.

Injustice 2 is nearly everything you’d want a sequel to be. It’s bigger, badder, and filled with more content than a typical fighting game has at launch. Players will have lots to do as they strive to master the 28 playable fighters through the Multiverse, online multiplayer and local versus matches. Then there’s the Gear system, which gives players infinite ways to customize and outfit their characters. Still, it’s not a perfect sequel. The story treads water in the middle and NetherRealm still hasn’t found a way to make to make the battles not feel contrived, hampering the excellent beginning and end of the game. It’s also difficult to shake the feeling that the Gear system was only introduced as way to facilitate microtransactions. Even so, Injustice 2 sets a bar for the amount of content and depth a fighting game should have at launch. With a strong roster, lots to do, and a combat system that can be enjoyed by new and masterful players, Injustice 2 is the hero we deserve.

Disgaea 5 Complete comes with a lighthearted story, enjoyable characters, all the DLC and gameplay full of different strategies for every player to try. It works amazingly well on the Switch, as it’s a perfect title to play in short bursts with handheld mode.

For all of its noticeable issues, Acquire’s risk to try something new in Akihabara pays off. Akiba’s Beat is a superb game for players who want an anime imbued, character driven experience that refuses to take itself seriously. The very enthusiasm that the makers obviously have for their subject pulses through the title, giving it a true personality that helps it stand on its own. It keeps the rhythm like me behind the drum set: the heart is absolutely in it but the sticks get dropped a few times. Fans of the Persona series and those who enjoy otaku culture and its trappings will find plenty of reason to groove to Akiba’s Beat. Just be prepared for the parts when it loses its tempo.

Strafe falls short of greatness, but is definitely great fun. Each of the three main guns feels good to wield, and if some of the mods aren’t as useful as others, there are still ways to use them effectively. The secondary limited-use guns provide a welcome opportunity to change tactics when necessary and grabbing an exploding bug off the wall to use as a makeshift grenade somehow never gets old. The bloody violence is particularly well done, because not only is it fun to get your carnage on, but the bloody trail you leave in your wake is surprisingly helpful in keeping your bearings. Plus you can always shoot an enemy on a toxic orange spill and use their blood to make the floor safe again, which is awfully helpful in a gory kind of way. There are plenty of secrets, occasional hidden levels and many other goodies and bits of weirdness to find amidst the carnage and mayhem, making Strafe a fun and highly replayable action roguelike FPS that wears its love for the 90s on its blood-soaked sleeve.

All gripes aside, I’ve had less fun with games that were full price. This is a 2-on-2 arcade basketball game with some replay value for $20. NBA Playgrounds attracts you on the surface but brings a different yet inconsistent experience to the table that somehow still manages to be fun. Leveling up player cards and playing as legends while landing some awesome dunks are the main attractions. There’s enough nostalgia combined with an entertaining aesthetic to make NBA Playgrounds worth a look for basketball fans.

Prey is a fun game with its highlights rooted in beautiful yet creepy levels that contain a lot to explore, but its lack of originality sadly holds it back quite a bit. It’s a classic case of “jack of all trades, master of none,” except with a couple of flaws in some of its trades as well.

Lily of the Valley is best enjoyed in a single sitting on a quiet day. It doesn’t take long to finish both endings and deserves being completed rather than left hanging with only one ending. Over the brief playtime you’ll get to know a few characters and (hopefully) feel for them by the end. However, even great visuals and a decent soundtrack can’t turn this into a total tear-jerker of a visual novel. But, since that is variable between people, it’s worth checking out if you’re at all interested in short visual novels which have little to do with fanservice or silly hijinks.

Grisaia Phantom Trigger Vol. 1 is just a small bite of the new world of Phantom Trigger. Clocking in at just a couple hours, some may feel it takes a few missteps at truly utilizing its short gameplay length fully. Still, players should easily find themselves wrapped in a militaristic world that is both intriguing and a bit frightening. The likable, if odd, cast also ensures that most will go on to read Vol. 2 after completing this one. Hopefully that chapter finds it footing as Vol. 1 definitely has promise but doesn’t fully utilize this potential.

Higurashi weaves such an intense tale each and every chapter. After being involved for this long, it’s nearly impossible for fans to stop playing now. We’re finally being rewarded with an Answer Arc and getting to learn far more about the events which transpired. As future chapters release, players will finally begin to hone in on the actual truth of the matter. Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Ch.5 Meakashi offers a rather bloodthirsty introduction to Answer Arcs and also a much-needed explanation for earlier events. There are still more chapters to go, but if they’re anything like this one, players are going to be in for an amazing ride.

Birthdays: The Beginning is a cute and clever world-builder where simple actions can have deep, complicated results. While it was never apparent that life evolved by the guiding hand of a super-sentai hero, Birthdays shows how much all of Earth owes to their climate-controlling wisdom. Flying around the planet raising and lowering the land has far more complex results than would be expected thanks to the interlocking systems, and it’s always a treat to see what new life pops up as the result of the latest round of tweaking. The main story is plenty big enough but is also joined by a sandbox and goal-based modes, providing plenty of world-building fun. As cute as it is deep, Birthdays is a purely charming life-sim.

Picked nits aside, there is no better time to explore the world of Planescape with this enhanced edition. The content of the game has aged extremely well, providing almost endless hours of top notch exploration, dialogue and story. Beamdog has done a great job with getting it running better on modern machines while not going overboard. It ran without a hitch on my humble, underpowered laptop. As a must play for returning fans and newcomers alike, there is no real reason to skip Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition. This is PC RPG gaming done right.

When discussing The Caligula Effect, one cannot help but feel it will fall under the same umbrella as Resonance of Fate. It’s highly flawed and requires a bit of work to get the best out of it. Once acclimated, though, this is a game that will demand attention and affection from the player. It’s a strange, interesting tale that explores the nature of joy, sorrow, and choosing knowledge over bliss for those that want to think about it, or all of that can be ignored in favor of a silly anime-like story of friends overcoming long odds with superpowers. Either way, it’s a game that will probably gain more recognition and popularity as time goes on. Also, do not read page 24 of the game’s digital instruction manual.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has taken all the best parts from the Wii U version and improves quite a bit upon where it needed some adjustments. From the entirely revamped battle mode to all the brand new characters and features, Deluxe is far more than just a port. Those who have never played Mario kart 8 and have a Switch should consider this a need to play title, and those who had it on Wii U should know that this is still worth picking up as it is the definitive version by far. Whether racing on the track or taking down opponents in battle mode, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a perfect addition to the Switch library and remains the best Mario Kart title to date.

Despite being left wanting a bit more, What Remains of Edith Finch is a one of those examples of truly interactive storytelling. In gaming, there are many examples of titles that are lauded for their narrative that don’t quite hold up when compared to genre contemporaries in other mediums. There have been and will certainly be many more diatribes that explore this phenomenon. Giant Sparrow has created a title that can be held up against books and movies for storytelling prowess and stand strong. With its contemplative story and consistent interesting use of design, this is a title that should be experienced by anyone interested in what video games can do.

When approaching Mighty Monster Mayhem, it’s fair not to expect top of the line, wiz bang graphics. Rank17 is a low budget indie studio and needs to make some understandable compromises. Instead, it’s reasonable to hope for a title to competently take the narrow focus of emulating a game from the 80’s using simplified graphics, allowing the novelty of the input to carry it the rest of the way and have it come out playable. The developer got some of it right, but the vast majority of this game is riddled with too many cracks in the facade, indicating it was launched way too soon.

Immortal Redneck is an absolutely fantastic FPS-roguelike. There’s a lot of care in its room design, the enemies all have their own distinct style making it easy to identify the most threatening one in any situation, the action is fast and powerful and the whole game looks fantastic. The difficulty is tuned high but there’s plenty of room for growth, both from learning the enemies’ patterns and from buying upgrades for permanent character progression. Choosing a patron deity at the start of the run makes each round play a little differently than the previous one, and when coupled with the powerups found along the way you’ll have a unique character by the time you either get killed off or somehow survive the traps and creatures of the pyramid. It’s a long way to the top and each floor is more concentrated than the last, but there’s plenty of great shooting on the way to the boss fight at the apex. Then there are still two more pyramids to fight through, because if there’s one thing an immortal redneck loves, it’s when the shooting gets completely out of hand.

There’ll always be a time and a place for a game like Syberia 3. While not all of the tradition of its previous mid-2000 ventures have translated well into the modern age, Kate Walker’s third outing in this subtly steampunk universe, if sporting a few technical faults and some fairly sub-par voice acting, holds up well enough in its gameplay to warrant a playthrough. Microïds may not be looking to radically shift the formula from what came before all those years ago and while at points its controls clearly show an unpleasant age to itself, the charm of its aesthetic not to mention the design of puzzles in parts keeps Syberia 3 firmly away from the gated-off litter of games often referred to as sequels we never asked for. There may not be as huge or as lucrative a demand here, but the adventure undertaken — after fourteen years of wait for some — is a satisfactory but modest one all the same.

“Thicker Than Water” has its moments of enjoyment and incredulity, but the slow build-up and the meandering nature of the episode as a whole turns it into a frustrating chunk of a mostly consistent season. Players who stick through it will be well-rewarded with an intriguing finale setup that will hopefully pay off, but individually, the episode feels more like an obstacle than a continuation.

Other than one minor imbalance that could potentially be attributed to personal skill, there’s no reason not to pick up Puyo Puyo Tetris. Even those who have long grown weary of the component games will find the well worn gameplay injected with new life with this melding. With no real learning curve, this is a game that allows for a meditative, self contemplating state of mind through the arranging of shapes and colors, or a frenetic and action filled battle against a dirty foe that just cheats. You know they cheat. Either way, this is a title that offers an extreme value for its price, and absolutely deserves to be added to any collection.

Due to the nature of the type of game this is, its gameplay can get repetitive, but that can be said of all Dynasty Warriors games of their spin offs. The absence of local co-op is noticeable, but the inclusion of online shows the developers did listen to player feedback and worked to make improvements over the original. Dragon Quest Heroes II is overall an improvement of the original and one of the better Warriors style games on the market. Dragon Quest and Dynasty Warriors seems like an odd combination, but the team behind these games shows that it works and hopefully this is not the last we hear of Dragon Quest Heroes.

Developer Red Barrels has offered an excellent step in this universe with Outlast 2. Choosing a different environment and adapting to those settings to help create a truly terrifying experience was successful. Adding some narrative to the game is a step in the right direction. The linearity of the game is detrimental, but does not kill the experience. This game has a little longer playtime than the original, but that will most likely be extended in the first playthrough due to the unfamiliarity with locations and enemies. Outlast 2 will punish and terrify at the same time; it’s a cruel game.

NEKO-NIN exHeart is not a game for every visual novel lover out there. It’s squarely targeted at the audience who knows they like catgirls and seek out stories about them regardless of quality. This isn’t an experience for someone looking for deep storyline, epic romance or even a lot of dialogue choices. The dull writing and technical issues don’t make a great impression either. The best aspects of artwork and voice acting help smooth out the rough edges, but only to a degree. Still, if you’re waiting on more Nekopara goodness to arrive then NEKO-NIN exHeart will probably tide you over for a couple hours.

Nightshade has tremendous promise but tends to fall short in the moments that it fails to empower its own protagonist. As this continues to occur from route to route, one can’t help but wonder why she is even portrayed as an equal to the other ninjas if her skills are rarely demonstrated. Those who don’t find issue with it shall experience a tale filled with heroic men doing their darndest to save Enju and Koga’s good name. With excellent artwork and CGs, otome fans get a great share of eye candy. The star-studded Japanese voice acting cast adds to the experience and allows players to immerse themselves. If you’d like to experience a tale where beautiful men save you at every turn then Nightshade is probably for you.

The Falconers: Moonlight is an awesome debut for developer Bionic Penguin. Sure, it does show its indie status at times with a small intermittent soundtrack and lack of voice acting, but the pitch perfect writing, scenario and visuals pull things together in spite of a few missteps. From start to finish players will find themselves hungry to uncover what’s going on. Cassie and the rest of the crew ensure that there’s never a dull moment in the story. The heavy amount of player choice in such a short game also ensures that even non-visual novel fans can have fun playing. If you have a few hours free and are looking for a good story, check out The Falconers: Moonlight.

For all the temporal distractions, the near-mandatory attitude and dictation its open-World formula ends up presenting may end up dealing a blow to Sniper Ghost Warrior 3‘s small and hidden joys of explorative distraction. But the heaviest of blows will no doubt come from its near-constant technical issues that are varied in scale but frustratingly, persistently present throughout.

Little Nightmares has its flaws and iffy moments, but when it’s at its best, it creates a tense, nightmarish, action-packed world filled with surreal scenery that contains some classic puzzle design and a host of gleefully creepy characters to chase you all throughout it. It may not break any new ground in the small child/scary world sub-genre, but it still makes for one impressive entry into this world of dark games nonetheless, thanks to The Maw and the unique, twisted visuals it contains. It may be an absolutely horrifying feast that you witness at every turn, but it’s one that’s worth taking a bite out of.

It feels like a dream seeing Bayonetta on PC, and thankfully, it’s no nightmare. While the frame rate is locked during cutscenes, everything else about the optimization has been done near perfect. Maxed out at 1080p60 is an easily achievable feat, even for older hardware, and the graphical enhancements only shed light on how well the visual aesthetics hold up so many years later. The controls are also done well for keyboard and mouse, so with the option of a gamepad, this is undoubtedly the best version of Bayonetta yet. As for the game itself, the story isn’t for everyone, especially considering how extraordinary deranged it is, and there are a couple of unforgiving combat scenarios. Fortunately, Bayonetta is still an alluring adventure that will hold a smile on your face until the credits roll.

While Voodoo Vince Remastered isn’t a classic of the platforming genre, it’s still very good. The levels are well designed, the Louisiana setting is unique, and if the humor tends to wander to fart jokes a bit too often, it still manages to be entertaining. It takes a while to warm up to Vince as a character but he grows on you as the adventure continues, and Kosmo is an entertainingly ridiculous villain. The kid-friendly tone doesn’t prevent Voodoo Vince from pulling out the challenge near the end, making for a satisfying conclusion to the 8-10 hour journey. The excellent music in particular deserves recognition for its lively, jazzy tunes, giving Vince a unique and memorable soundtrack. Voodoo Vince Remastered would be a great little platformer even if it was brand new today, and honestly it’s hard to be nostalgic for something I played once fourteen years ago and only remembered small bits and pieces of. People who played Voodoo Vince the first time around will have a good time rediscovering it, and platforming fans who never got a chance all those years ago get a chance at a lost console adventure that’s managed to hop its way out of obscurity.

Mr. Shifty knows how to keep you on the edge of your seat yet tentatively conserved all the same. Whether it’s using that last crucial shift or dealing with enemies in a frantic manner, the basic premise masks a surprising strategic depth. While its lack of challenge in the early parts, not to mention the somewhat disappointing length of its total run-time, may feel underwhelming, don’t let the bare, stripped-back design of its environments fool you. There’s plenty of tactical thinking one not just discovers, but ultimately, is required to harness if your intention is to succeed and the way Mr. Shifty manages to balance player involvement with the consequences littering nearly every room traversed through is a prime example of how good gameplay can triumph over anything the on-screen visuals might show. Gameplay might be one of the few, solitary highs it rides, but for the most part, that’s all Mr. Shifty really needs to stand as entertaining, and more importantly, downright fun to tackle.

The length issue really does hold back Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality. The time spent in game accomplishes exactly what it should: it’s entertaining with plenty of funny moments. Being so short, however, gives the final product an air of disposability. There aren’t any reasons to revisit the game when it’s done, except to goof around with random things in the garage and maybe slap Rick around again. The actual contents of this offering deserves recognition; there just needs to be more. Nothing is more frustrating than getting into a groove with something only for it to end before it feels finis….

A new Dawn of War has risen, and it’s an exciting return from a long dormant franchise. Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War III successfully takes the best elements from the previous two games and blends them with traditional RTS mechanics to create a game with deep strategic gameplay. The campaign, which ultimately serves as a glorified tutorial, is entertaining and lengthy enough to keep players hooked for hours even though it’s predictable. The focus on Elite units differentiates Dawn of War III from its competitors by introducing a new sense of depth and progression into the game.

A fine assortment of NES Disney Classics. None of these games reach the pinnacle of 8-bit greatness, but they’re all enjoyable. The inclusion of the Disney Museum give fans something to enjoy beyond the game, and the rewind feature makes it easy to surpass any difficult portion of any games. These are clearly the original NES versions, so enjoying retro titles is pretty much a prerequisite to enjoy this collection, but despite each game being well over 20 years old, they still hold up.

Despite carrying over a couple of issues from it’s early Sega days, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap is still a stellar platformer and metroidvania game. With the enhanced version providing a completely dazzling display, the journey is more appealing than ever, allowing you to discover the classic action, experimentation, and exploration elements that helped lay the groundwork for future titles in the same vein. Just as unique and charming today as it was back in 1989, this curse actually turns out to be a blessing in disguise after all, and one that’s definitely worth playing from start to finish. Best Master System game ever, indeed.

Full Throttle may not have aged as well as its siblings, but it’s still a true gem nonetheless. This is largely thanks to some sharp writing, stellar and unique visuals, fun gameplay, and a kickass soundtrack. The remastered version serves to highlight and even enhance all of this, showcasing the kind of creativity Schafer and company could be capable of when at their best. It’s a fitting conclusion to this trilogy of remastered LucasArts adventures (unless Double Fine can somehow get the rights to the likes of Loom or The Dig), and a rubber-burning road trip down memory lane is definitely worth taking again.

The Las Vegas DLC is absolutely a great addition for Project Highrise. Players have already been doing their best to make hotel-like atmosphere in the game, so this gives them an actual option to do so. SomaSim could have easily stopped there. Instead, they fleshed out these new room types out with additional gameplay in the form of VIP booking and visitors ranking your hotel. If you’ve fallen off the Project Highrise bandwagon over the past few months then this DLC will likely get you right back on. Any newcomers should grab the base game plus DLC as they provide a compelling package when combined.

As a children’s game, LEGO City Undercover will surely entertain those of the proper age with plenty of witty wordplay and slapstick humor, as well as a varied open-world to cause chaos in by themselves or with a playmate. But for everyone else, the dated movie and TV show references and numerous new abilities won’t manage to keep older gamers hooked for long, as the shallow gameplay pales in comparison to the open-world antics found in other titles this year. While the sheer quantity of content may make it seem like a worthwhile timesink, the core LEGO formula, despite its storied history, has reached a consistent level of mediocrity, becoming one that desperately needs a overhaul if the franchise is to survive for future generations to come.

Snake Pass is a modern attempt to rekindle 3D platforming fun in an intelligent way. Instead of falling back on all the old tropes (and problems), players are presented with a protagonist which totally changes up the nature of platforming. Each stage only requires three objects to collect, meaning folks need not dread yet another collectathon. On the other hand, those who look to 100% complete games can enjoy reaching out for the tougher coins. There’s something left to be desired with the general lack of storyline, but fortunately the gameplay is excellent enough to make up for it. Even after finishing the game you’ll likely want to go back and perfect your performances because the gameplay is just that refreshing.