Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars isn’t truly a card game, but a traditional RPG that uses cards for everything. The aesthetic choice doesn’t effect too much outside of the visuals but does give the title a unique identity. The gameplay of Voice of Cards is among the simplest and most straightforward to be seen in RPGs. It may be too simple, as battles end up feeling more like time -consuming chores due to the high encounter rate and lack of challenge or required strategy. But while the simple gameplay may not offer any challenge to RPG vets, the story and fantastic soundtrack help keep the game an enjoyable experience. The relatively short completion time is an asset in this case, making Voice of Cards a great choice when looking for a relaxing game to spend a weekend playing.

Fenix Rage is nothing short of great. It’s a worthy entry into an unfortunately short line of hardcore and enjoyable platformers, with great aesthetics and music backed by solid mechanics.

Assassin’s Creed: The Ezio Collection contains of a trilogy of great Assassin’s Creed games that remind players why Ezio and his games are the most celebrated within the fandom. The gameplay mechanics function just as they did in the original releases which is a double-edged sword of authenticity and nostalgia going against modernized quality-of-life improvements. While these are great games and should be played by all Assassin’s Creed fans, there are unfortunately concessions mentioned above that hold this back from being the definitive collection. The only real reason to recommend this version over the PlayStation 4/Xbox One version is the portability factor.

The game engine is silky smooth and, for the PSP, quite detailed and amazing. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better-looking game on the PSP. Combat is neither easy nor shallow, and you’ll soon find that with multiple heads in your inventory, Fred can pull off a wide variety of moves.

Chernobylite offers a deep survival game experience that offers elements of sci-fi, horror and RPG. It’s hard to call this a survival horror title, but all the management aspects and the branching storylines will provide fans of the survival genre plenty to enjoy. There are only a handful of areas to go to and while they’re decent sized, enemies tend to respawn in the same location upon returning to the location. The atmosphere could have gone a different direction, but the visuals and environments are undeniably effective. The visual design in the portals in particular are something to marvel at. With a structured base of a game with varying options to keep players coming back, Chernobylite is worth checking out.

Resident Evil Revelations 2 may have started off a bit slow, but Capcom was able to redeem themselves by creating an irresistible adventure through and through.

Samurai Warriors 5 had an ambitious goal: give the franchise a reboot so it feels revitalized and fresh but also maintains the essence of what fans enjoy about the franchise. Aside from a few tweaks and updates, the gameplay of Samurai Warriors 5 adheres to the format that musou games are expected to follow.

After three commendable HD ports, Sanzaru Games has done a perfect job capturing the essence of Sucker Punch’s original trilogy. Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time features not only the addictive gameplay the series is known for, but the humorous and charming tone it’s loved for.

You just have to be willing to put up with a really boring card game to get to all the good stuff, and there's something depressing about that. [June 2007, p.59]

Cannon Dancer: Osman isn’t a perfect port due to some clunkiness, but it’s the definitive way to experience a long-forgotten classic that can finally get its just due. It never got a console port and would have been a nice fit on the Saturn, but having it come out now when the market is more open to spiritual successor-style games, it almost feels like the best possible timing. It’s a near-perfect Strider clone with more visual flash than anything that series ever had thanks to its stunning pixel art and lush animation. The soundtrack is also full of killer tracks and anyone who loved any Strider game should check out Cannon Dancer as soon as possible.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered takes players back to what these games used to be and looks great doing it. As it includes all of the major expansions and comes at a discounted price, it’s also a fantastic value. Despite playing the original to death, I’ve put way too much time into this fresh release and feel like I haven’t done even half of what I want to do with it. A perfect companion to the also highly-recommend Burnout Paradise Remastered, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered should serve as a baseline for what these titles should be in the future.

For those who missed out on Sleeping Dogs two years ago, the title is correct: this is the definitive version. Unfortunately, those who already visited the compressed streets of Hong Kong will have almost no incentive to go back.

The lack of single-player options is going to be missed by many while they look to dive back in and feel the nostalgia of the series. The soundtrack, visuals, sound design and actual gameplay are still solid but can seem dated. These aspects are still special in their own way and almost seem to add more charm to this classic fighting game. While the foundation of what makes Virtua Fighter special is still here in Virtua Fighter 5 R.E.V.O., it's still lacking in a lot of aspects. With that said, it's still a cheaper fighting game that's reliably fun and a good game to play while you wait for the newest entry in the series to make its debut. What we have here is a solid PC port of the PS4 remaster and its still a welcome addition to the PC fighting game community. This isn’t an overwhelmingly huge update and new release of the game, but rather a way to give new and old players alike a taste of the classic fighting game.

It’s been a full four months since Episode Five ended on a massive decision that left players reeling. Given Telltale’s past work on the series, it was hard to imagine that Episode Six would actually do right by that decision and manage to wrap the season up in a remotely satisfying way. Sure enough, huge chunks of Episode Six are just as middling as everything else in the season, and on a technical level, it’s even worse.

The crux of the problem with In Sheep’s Clothing is that we’re still not getting much in the way of payoff. A lot of questions are answered, sure, but the episode presents itself as one final buildup to the confrontation with The Crooked Man.

The Ninja Saviors: The Return of the Warriors is a revival of an old game in a style that is rarely seen these days. It’s a game that showcases how fun the style of game can be but also shows off all the limitations that were around in the ’90s. It’s a fun and challenging game that can be completed in an hour or two. The remake did a good job of making it look nice on modern consoles and the two player co-op mode was an essential addition. Like many retro titles, however, this is targeted to the nostalgia market and while playing it can remind people that good games existed in all decades, the limitations of its era are glaringly apparent.

Without spoiling any of the story elements, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage is captivating so far with the first act. The characters are well-written, the narrative, albeit slow, is gripping, and the game is gorgeous to look at as you take videos of the wildlife and characters around you. It'll be exciting to see where the narrative goes when the second part releases this April. Let's just hope those frame rate hiccups and performance issues get fixed by then.

There is not much to be said about Green Day Rock Band that isn't covered by the simple fact that if you enjoy Green Day as a band, you will likely enjoy what the game has to offer.

Those looking for a truly rewarding challenge are better off looking elsewhere.

Ode is a unique mix of platforming, exploration and music. It’s accessible to everyone and can be enjoyed by casual and hardcore gamers alike. As much as it succeeds at providing a unique experience, it also fails to scratch a lot of the common gaming itches. Ode is short enough to not overstay its welcome and simple enough for something to pick up and play when you’re in the mood for something different. It’s not a title most people will want to play all the time, but every now and then it can be the perfect title to break up the repetition of more traditional titles.

In the moment, it can be thrilling to spar words with Cersei or choose whether to execute a thief or send him to the Wall. For that to work, however, you have to be willing to put up with a lot: the slow pacing, the exaggerated visuals, the awful animation and the fact that those choices don’t make much of a difference at all. Things could improve over the long haul, but based on this first episode, committing to a season pass is not recommended to anyone but the most diehard Game of Thrones fans with a high tolerance for mediocrity.

Those who experienced Guilty Gear XX Accent Core first on the PlayStation 2 back in 2009 will feel right at home with Plus, as it looks and feels the same - which is both a positive and a negative. Overall, though, the transition to this console generation has been kind to Accent Core Plus, with astoundingly deep mechanics that still play impeccably in the year 2013.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is the remaster the game deserves. The overhaul of aesthetics in gameplay make it look better than it ever has. This Definitive Edition comes supersized with all the previous game’s content plus new missions, campaigns and factions. The new additions are fully developed and integrate masterfully with the base game. While the game is beautiful to look at and still holds true to the formula that makes AoE such a great franchise, it’s also riddled with frustrating glitches and inconsistencies. While I’m sure a post-launch patch will be released to add fixes, players will have to deal with these inconveniences in the the meantime. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, however, does justice to the franchise by recognizing its flaws and working towards a better product. The collaboration with Indigenous consultants helps it regain its dignity by providing historical accuracy. Through these collaborations, developers were also able to solve gameplay issues that plagued all fans of the game. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is by no means a perfect product, but it perfectly honors the spirit of the franchise.

Nihilumbra is the kind of game that many will look over because they think they’ve played things like it hundreds of times before. It’s not. This is a project filled with incredibly smart puzzle design and an important message at its core.

While still supernatural, Tell Me Why provides more of a mature tale overall than Life is Strange. It’s surprisingly dark, but uplifting at times as well. This game takes chances with the cast of characters in ways that are mostly a resounding success. It’s exciting to see a LGBTQ lead character and a storyline that doesn’t plunge headfirst into tropes. Here’s hoping that this is a sign of where Dontnod will go in the future, because Tell Me Why is a step in the right direction.

Blending an absorbing tale across worlds, with a novel but mechanically-engaging interpretation of player-choice, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie sets a new standard for Don’t Nod with what might be their best, most rewarding work to date. A narrative chock full of interesting characters and equally-interesting curve-balls to manage — with truly great performances from its cast to match. A game that spends as much time on the smaller moments as it does the grandiose ones, what truly gives Harmony that cutting edge, is its puzzle-like subversion on offering choice to its player. A system, as much means of presentation, that balances long-term planning with short-term deductions on the right course of action versus the more helpful one. All while still finding the means to surprise and leave its players in suspense at just what lies around the corner. Intriguing from start to finish, for any fan of player-choice narratives and/or visual novels alike, Harmony: The Fall of Reverie can not go overlooked.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is a solid throwback FPS that makes up for being too generous with the resources by its excellent weapon, monster and level design. The world of Warhammer 40,000 translates fantastically well to this type of game, with decades of lore and design to draw from to create a fully-realized backdrop. The enemies come in a variety of styles from various normal humans to huge and deadly aliens, and they all mix together well to create firefights that need just enough in the way of tactics to keep the brain a little bit active. The only real challenge, though, comes from the game encouraging sloppy play in its frequent less intense sections, so when it’s time to pay attention it can be easy to get caught off guard using bad habits. Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun is an oddly slow burn, but when it finally fires up in the latter half, the action feels worthy of the righteous might of a Space Marine.

After over a decade since a proper numbered sequel, No More Heroes III brings back the franchise in what could arguably be called its strongest entry yet, and one of the best overall games that Suda51 has helmed. No More Heroes III is unapologetically ridiculous and violent, even if the aliens bleed pixels most of the time.

Hakuoki: Memories of the Shinsengumi is an excellent example of how to pen a visual novel without a horrific female lead, and an intriguing tale to boot. This is a gripping read, with the mystery surrounding Chizuru’s father taking center stage rather than the romance plots.

This is a tremendously unique, wildly creative endeavor that is a blast to play and even more enjoyable to listen to.

Echo Generation is visually striking, with a lot of intriguing concepts and solid combat and gameplay at its core. Unfortunately, a lack of focus with the narrative holds it back from being a truly impressive RPG. The boss battles alone might be worth the price of admission, and there’s still other bits to enjoy, but those looking for more meat would best be off searching for another tale of adventurous kids from decades past.

It's a unique and fun shooter boasting a far more vibrant color palette and better default soundtrack than Beat Hazard. Vertical shooter fans will adore it, as will those with extensive music collections.

Doraemon Story of Seasons is one of the most unique crossovers for both franchises. While many players may be unfamiliar with Doraemon, it’s still a wonderful time for anyone who wants a relaxing farming adventure. One of the best things about this unique scenario is not having to worry about romantic relationships, instead just focusing on getting to know villagers and creating a wonderful farm while trying to get Noby and his friends home. It may not be the most innovative take on Story of Seasons, but the unique elements it brings to the table are well worth giving it a try especially when it’s so easy to sink an entire day or more farming through each season in one sitting. Story of Seasons fans will be delighted with just how wonderful this unique take on the series fits, and it’s worth it to get to spend some time with Doraemon and friends.

Black Future ’88 is almost a quintessential throwback to ’80s arcade games, with rock-solid gameplay taken straight from the era and mixed in with several interesting and unique gameplay twists. You may only get eighteen minutes at a time to take everything in, but what you’ll be hit with is a heavy dose of fast-paced action, a killer soundtrack, and and a ton of weapons and gameplay features to work with that reward you for experimenting and exploring every bit of Skymelt. You may be trapped in the ’80s here, but at least you’re trapped alongside some of the best parts of it. Well, at least when it comes to video games. We can’t help if you get permanently trapped alongside Kajagoogoo or something similar, after all.

Super Mario Bros. 35 is extremely addictive to keep playing over and over, trying to get that top spot no matter how long it takes. Matches can last a good amount of time with the final remaining group of players, so it becomes a strategy match of trying to send threatening enemies to everyone else, hoping they slip up. There are so many creative concepts here and it’s nice to see such wild ideas for the battle royale genre popping up this year that make things silly in the best kind of way. It’s a crying shame this title won’t be around forever, but as a free title for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, it’s a fantastically fun time all the same. Anyone looking for a crazy new challenging way to play the original Super Mario Bros should give Super Mario Bros. 35 a try and jump into the fray.

Swords & Soldiers II has something to offer RTS veterans as well as those with zero experience with the genre. It’s accessible without sacrificing depth, and varied without being needlessly intricate.

For the $29.99 price tag, The Dark Eye: Drakensang, offers you a full 40 hours of well-written story filled with missions and side quests to complete.

Guardians of Middle-Earth is a very pleasant surprise. A well-crafted title that fans of either RTSes or tower defense games will enjoy, the season pass setup ($14.99 by itself, or $29.99 with the full game via retail) ensures that new content will be coming for quite a while to this already jam-packed downloadable title. Those in the mood for a relatively easy to learn RTS-style game or with Hobbit-fever will find a lot to like here.

Root Double -Before Crime * After Days- is an incredibly surprising visual novel in that it manages to tell a dramatic tale in a way which never comes across as ham-fisted or particularly childish.

When you get down to it, the only major flaw of Event[0] is that there isn’t enough of it. Or, alternatively, that what is there needed to be reconnected into more of a tighter story.

Despite the short length and minor replayability factor, Phobia Game’s debut is still a cleverly-concentrated experience. One that wastes little time on padding, even if it means its more repetitive segments are more visible to spot. It may not be firing on all cylinders, but Carrion‘s frantic, do-or-die action mixed with pleasant strides in its aesthetic make for an odd yet entertaining few hours.

Even with the over-zealous use of effects and seemingly-obligated need to snapshot every significant moment mid-game, Tsubasa understands that to truly craft an entertaining sports title, it has to convince its players that the depth it houses is worthwhile. But much like the lofty heights of the best PES iterations, the game nails the tenuous, juggling of emotions that soccer can bring. Crafting on top two solid (if a touch slap-dash on presentation) story campaigns, that have all the trappings of some of the best and most resonating of emergent gameplay. I sincerely hope these issues are rectified sooner rather than later — Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is an unabashed yet joyous rendition on what makes soccer games so good.

The Yomawari series is one with its own tone and atmosphere, and the town of Lost in the Dark is a wonderfully spooky place to explore on an inevitable confrontation with a young girl’s trauma.

Unfortunately, Flock is hard to recommend. The game design is repetitive and confusing, not leading players enough to where they're supposed to go or what they should be doing. There's a lot of beauty to be had with Flock, which will attract many, but don't expect a fun game behind its beautiful exterior. This is a game I wish I could have liked more but found myself scratching my head, even raising my voice for a few moments.

If you’re looking for a fun, over-the-top fighter with a lot of charm, then Dead or Alive 5 Last Round has your number; it’s just too bad that the few new additions are far from compelling and there are some unfortunate bugs at launch.

The first game is completely unnecessary for enjoying the second one, but those who appreciated Evoland will love Evoland 2 as it merely expands on the ideas and concepts of the original.

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.

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.

Looking back over my experience, I can safely say that Yuji Naka delivered once again at creating a simple, fun, and challenging platforming game.

Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection successfully revives one of the most celebrated franchises of video game history. The developers succeeded in creating an original game that feels modern while maintaining the classic feel of the games from the ’80s and ’90s. The multiple difficulty settings was a nice touch as they make the game accessible to people who have varying desires to be challenged. Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is challenging, but it’s well enough designed where fighting to overcome the challenge is an enjoyable and rewarding experience. Ghosts ‘n Goblins Resurrection is a worthy rebirth that earns its place next to the classic titles in the series.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 has plenty of technical frustrations, but at least it remains true to the classics.

Rocksteady’s latest romp through Gotham City is a brief one, but something that fans of the franchise will enjoy a great deal.

Unfortunately, Chili Con Carnage is much better at sparking a racially-charged debate than it is at being and entertaining product. [Apr 2007, p.50]

Despite a lack of traversable areas and series-renowned stressful choices, “Above the Law” represents a solid and polished episode of the latest The Walking Dead season, thanks to some intriguing conflicts and character moments. While the season still doesn’t feel like it quite knows where it’s headed next, the intermediate episode gives players plenty of reasons to continue following the drama of the Garcia brothers.

As the final season of The Walking Dead is brought back to life by Skybound, the narrative plot continues to shamble aimlessly like the zombies that inhabit its world. A few emotional chats between Clementine and AJ and a finale-prepping conclusion makes the journey worth continuing, but Skybound will need to go above and beyond to provide Clementine the send off she deserves and make the fourth and final season one worth playing.

Calling All Cars is to the PS3 what "Hexic HD" was to the Xbox 360. [July 2007, p.68]

Overall Chrono Cross is presented in a way where there are minimal alterations to experience, where it’s changed and updated just enough to be enjoyed on modern platforms without making changes to what made it so memorable originally.

LEGO DC Super-Villains doesn’t change the core LEGO game formula much, but does its best to work within that formula and deliver a fresh experience through its storyline. Those who love the franchise’s blend of fast-paced brawling and light puzzle-solving will be in for a treat even if few risks are taken with the core gameplay. Luckily, the outstanding cast of characters and their top-notch voice work keep the game enjoyable to play, watch and listen to from start to finish. Beyond the voice work, the soundtrack is also outstanding and a pleasant surprise.

This is the kind of title that has niche written all over it in bold, flashing letters, but if this happens to be your flavor of niche, you’re in for quite the treat.

There are certain elements to Contemplation that have been improved from the first episode, namely the more open environments and the new enemy types, but there are still apparent flaws to the story and combat scenarios.

Awesomenauts was an easy recommendation before, and with the addition of new characters and other improvements, Assemble! is a must-have both for those who haven’t experienced the game and veterans who want to play the best possible console version. Anyone who enjoys run and gun shooters or action platformers will enjoy this, and it’s a perfect gateway game to the MOBA genre.

Date Everything! is a charming dating sim, but as the hours go by, it'll start to become monotonous, especially towards the end, as you talk to characters you're not particularly interested in to gain S.P.E.C.S points. For the most part, however, this is a wonderful game with immaculate character artwork, well-thought-out writing and surprisingly nuanced performances from the voice cast. It would be fun if we could get a sequel of some kind in a different house. You could have all new objects, themed to another person's life. Nevertheless, this game features tons of content that will keep you playing for days on end.

Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are major classics in the franchise that still hold up well enough to be worth exploring for fans of RPGs and the series itself. On the other hand, as a new release of an old game, it's one of the most barebones releases possible and there's no good reason for it to not have at least something extra to justify it as a commemorative edition.

Gabriel Knight is absolutely a must-play game, but this is the absolute worst way to play it.

Sure, you might not find a bevy of modes or other activities to do within SUPERHYPERCUBE, but that’s not the point. The core gameplay mechanic of fitting increasingly complex cube-based shapes into wall cutouts is plainly enjoyable. It’s also incredibly challenging as you move through to later levels. It might not be a game you play for hours on end, but rather one you come back to week after week.

The quality of games included speak for themselves and this really is a must own for any Castlevania fan or fan of retro action and platforming games. Now as for the actual collection as a whole, it seems that more care could have gone into it to make it more enticing since the youngest game in the collection is 25 years old. Some of the button mapping choices seem strange and control input customization should be an easy thing to include. The Bonus Book has some interesting stuff included, but some more extras would have been nice to help justify the purchase if you already have access to these games.

Titan Souls is a quietly beautiful little epic. The contrast of the boss fights with the peaceful exploration works to create a world of contrasts, broken but not dead. Or at least not dead until you come calling with a bow and magic arrow. Just be aware going in that the challenge can be as unforgiving as the ruins are serene, and every ounce of skill may still not be quite enough.

Games from the Alien movie series tend to be hit and miss, but when they hit, they really hit. Alien: Rogue Incursion improves on the experience from the legendary Alien: Isolation. Rogue Incursion offers more of a traditional survival horror design thanks to its pacing, ammo conservation, puzzle solving and atmosphere. The pacing is what dictates this game, and while there may not be a ton of enemies on screen at once, it's about being enthralled in the position of a facility overtaken by Xenomorphs. Rogue Incursion isn't about mowing down enemies, it's about the unknown and the fact that the controls work flawlessly and minimal damage can be taken on Zula, Alien: Rogue Incursion is the first true survival horror game designed specifically for virtual reality. More importantly, for those Alien fans that have access to VR, this is the game to experience.

If you’re dying to play Stealth Inc. 2: A Game of Clones, you’ll certainly be able to get what you’re looking for here, but bear in mind that it’s not even close to being the definitive experience.

Army of Two is definitely one of those "love it or hate it" games. If you manage to "get" the game mechanics, there’s definitely quite a bit to enjoy.

There’s no other title with quite the same approach as Starlink has taken and it’s easily the best integration of toys to life that has been done so far.

While it may not stand out as an individual title, The Alliance Alive gets by with somewhat unique ideas and a memorable soundtrack. The varied cast doesn’t leave much impression and the combat gets too easy late-game with minimal grinding which makes it a chore more than anything. There are some great ideas here that fail to work together in a way that makes for an overall fun time.

With an outrageous amount of content, tons of characters and freedom to manage your farm as you see fit, few will be able to resist the allure of Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns.

Even with two weeks of play under my belt, I feel like I have probably completed one half of one percent of what the current iteration of Neverwinter has to offer. For no cost, players can jump in and play one of the best MMORPGs available on the market at any price point today.

Death end re;Quest 2 follows the mold of its predecessor but is ultimately more enjoyable. There are times when the day portion of the game feels like it’s going on for too long but the story is at least interesting enough where it’s not too tedious. The battle sequences are simple but the enhanced knockback mechanics make them more enjoyable. It’s not the deepest RPG out there, both in terms of depth of a character development and combat mechanics but the gameplay is enjoyable and the story finds a way to be grisly and dark while still having an overall lighthearted feel to the game. It does have the certain feel to it that Compile Heart/Idea Factory games have, but Death end re;Quest 2 is arguably one of their strongest games overall.

Dance Central Spotlight will be a hard pill to swallow for the legions of rhythm fans burnt out on Rock Band DLC, but will suit those who’ve accepted DLC culture just fine. Cost-conscious gamers should proceed with caution because that $10 purchase price is just the beginning.

There’s a little something for everyone in the title — collectibles, intuitive gameplay and brilliant visuals. The use of the fairy tale narrative inspires a Brothers Grimm aesthetic that fits with the morals of Neversong‘s story. It’s also a title that has some good replay value as you receive permanent special items after beating the game at least once. While it’s a short game, length of time does not necessarily detract from the quality of the title. Instead, it takes the time needed to tell the story it wants to tell. Length of play-time is often associated with quality, but oftentimes developers take extra time just for the sake of it. And while there are some light gameplay missteps, the title recovers by being genuine in its storytelling. Neversong shows that even deep, emotional stories can come from small packages.

Superliminal has a unique concept for a puzzle game and nice and trippy visuals to accompany it, but alas, that’s the majority of what it has going for it. The short length combined with the lack of difficulty and any interesting story means that the game will barely leave an impact on you, and there really isn’t any reason to revisit it. And it’s a shame, because it starts out impressive, but then the novelty wears off quickly. While it may still be an okay game overall, there are many other first-person puzzlers worth checking out instead which do a better job of thinking outside the box.

Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator is a thoughtful, intelligent crafting title that offers deeply-robust gameplay that’s well worth the time. The unique crafting system of navigating potions through a sea of recipes is fun and enticing. Interacting with ingredients to see what combinations are most effective is the heart of the crafting system. With no punishment for failure, Potion Craft encourages natural curiosities by rewarding players that experiment. The title upholds that failure is a feature, not a bug, as players must ultimately figure out how to create the Philosopher’s Stone. Learning from failures can help influence business practices and planning in ways that feel balanced. It’s a game that’s easy to get into and also rewards committed play. With even more content to come, the title holds hours of gameplay and mystical secrets for the potion sellers of the world. Smart mechanics, witty writing and cozy aesthetics make Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator a must-play title helping to wrap up 2022.

The Star Named EOS delivers on creating a world basking in colorful delight, but is shadowed by a lack of gameplay direction. For those who don’t mind the look past that, the game is sure to please those who love an atmospheric experience within the world. With captivating music and animation, The Star Named EOS brings forth a story that's told through its character and design.

Song of Horror: Complete Edition is a lot to take in all at once. The slow pacing and puzzle difficulty make it an exercise to get through, making the episodic pacing seem like the better choice. What is special here is the right way to do a paranormal horror game that involves something you can see but not control. A few variations of quick time events used to defend yourself and having to also think on the fly is a new exercise in horror games. The atmosphere is fantastic as dark environments mixed with excellent ambiance goes unrivaled, especially when it comes to indie titles. The Complete Edition is also only $30 at launch making it clear that Song of Horror: Complete Edition is worth a play for any old school horror fan.

If you’re sick of the run and gun nature of Call of Duty but find the simulation aspects of something like Arma a bit too daunting, Insurgency is the perfect middle ground, and a supremely enjoyable multiplayer experience.

Few games in recent years offer the immeasurable amount of content offered in Disgaea D2. With a 35 hour campaign, multiple endings to complete, side-missions, an expansive and randomly generated item world, thousands of character customization options and endlessly replyable levels, the series didn’t really need to make many improvements or changes to remain a true value.

When all is said and done, Omensight ends up being a dazzling piece of work, a terrific action RPG game with fast and fun combat that works perfectly alongside a well-crafted and impressive mystery that’s guaranteed to keep you addicted until you’ve figured everything out. From the eye-popping art to the enjoyable characters with a surprising amount of depth, there’s more than a lot here to love, so it becomes easy to recommend. After all, we’ve seen the path where a title such as this doesn’t exist, and it’s a sad one indeed, so don’t miss out on it.

Who would have thought a game with a snowy setting such as this would look so dull? There’s some good to be discovered in I Am Setsuna, but it’s overshadowed by its sheer unoriginality and repetitiveness.

Based on the current model of Monster Energy Supercross 5 that dates back to its inception, this may be the most complete version of the game despite its legacy issues. It still seems like the series is stuck in the past, but finally making it accessible with the Futures Academy and showing proper training with exercises should help the game garner new fans. When the racing works, it can be fun. The experience is still marred with other AI issues outside of the pacing and the collision detection still remains awful. This version still feels like a more competent racer than the others and while it retains its Career Mode, Compound and Track Editor with small new editions, nothing in the latest version makes it a must have as compared to previous versions. This also includes the outdated roster that I wish Milestone could figure out a way to add in a roster update as post-launch DLC. Players that do buy this title annually should find the improvements suitable and if you’ve wanted a Supercross game for the first time and had to choose one, Monster Energy Supercross 5 is be the best choice.

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number is purposely discomforting, hypnotically visceral. It’s one of the best games released so far this year.

It’s both an astonishing and exciting time in gaming to see Nintendo willing to dig into their archives and bring back a retro adventure title. It’s even more exciting that they took the time to release a full-on remake. With that said, there are still elements of the game such as the menu control that feel antiquated today. So much so that it will likely turn off players who weren’t expecting it or have no familiarity with this era of gameplay. Those interested in playing an older style adventure game will be pleased with Famicom Detective Club’s twists and turns.

Played with one of the other supported controllers, though, Sky Crawlers will deliver all of the above, but nothing else new to the genre.

While The Escapists on the Xbox One may not be the most definitive version of the title, it’s still a soundly optimized and immensely original gaming experience that stands out from the crowd in the One’s digital library.

Lunark is a strong cinematic platformer, more than good enough to hang with the classics of its genre. The animation makes the pixel art feel more detailed than the low resolution would seem in still screens, and the clarity of movement enhances what could be stiff controls to feel more than responsive enough for any situation. The full-screen rotoscoped cutscenes sprinkled throughout the game look fantastic, providing the occasional epic (albeit brief) moment between one level and the next. The levels themselves are also well designed, with a great combination of platforming, puzzles, combat and rewarding secrets scattered throughout. The entire adventure can be completed in a nicely reasonable six hours or less, and each of the twelve levels wraps up before it can get repetitious. Albaryne’s history is more complicated than it would initially appear, and Leo’s journey through Lunark won’t leave the planet the same as when he began.

Once you are willing to pony up your five bucks a month, though, Dungeon Runners becomes a surprisingly addictive time-waster. [Sept 2007, p.68]

Fans of understatement would describe Nobunaga’s Ambition: Sphere of Influence – Ascension as sprawling. This is a massive lump of a game that demands attention, forethought and the ability to plan for myriad different scenarios, all while balancing city and land improvements against available workers and officers. Everything on offer here creates a daunting inaccessibility that requires stubborn dedication for a neophyte to overcome.

For those willing to take the chance, what awaits is a fantastic, mesmerizing trip across America and its parables and oddities throughout the ages, with a journey that’s easy to get lost in full of amazing writing, splendid characters and superb performances all around.

Batman: Arkham Origins doesn’t seem to realize its true potential, and because of it, falls short.

Atelier Resleriana: The Red Alchemist & The White Guardian is a stellar entry in the series as it provides a solid gameplay loop, a fun battle system and gorgeous visuals to boot. Despite the cameo characters from past entries being present, the main storyline is still engaging and focuses on the two protagonists well. While Slade is one-note, Rias is a delightful hero to follow once you get used to her higher pitch in tone. The lack of English voice acting is disappointing, but the Japanese performances are great and fit the characters well. While there are a few issues, like the ridiculous boss battle in Chapter 6 and the lack of important information in some aspects of the game, it's an experience that will keep you hooked for hours upon hours.

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.

It’s fun, it’s mindless, and if you really hate it, it’s over in about ten minutes. In fact, that’s the game’s biggest problem; there just isn’t a whole lot here.