Much like how Saints Row is a damn good GTA clone, Dante’s Inferno is the best God of War clone yet that should be enjoyed be all.

Sure, there’s fun to be had shooting baddies in the face for 10-12 hours over the course of the 14 missions, but sadly F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin isn’t nearly as remarkable as the original.

Wii owners waiting for the next big game will not find it in Excitebots: Trick Racing. It suffers from some over-responsive controls and lacks the depth of contemporaries like Mario Kart Wii.

Tiger Woods 07 is the best golf game yet on the Wii, but hopefully next year's edition will have the rough edges hammered out. [May 2007, p.58]

As a result of all the hard work, this is a rewarding game to play and one that everyone should experience.

Difficulties aside, it’s a simple and fun game that translates well to the 360’s controls.

Lords of Darkness is a solid action game that just gets better the farther in you go, loaded with content and high production values despite its barely-passable framerate, but it doesn't do much to earn the Castlevania name.

Lords of Darkness is a solid action game that just gets better the farther in you go, loaded with content and high production values despite its barely-passable framerate, but it doesn't do much to earn the Castlevania name.

What all this adds up to is a standout dungeon crawler, loaded with options and accessible despite its difficulty.

If you've already played through another version, there’s enough extras to make the purchase entertaining; if you've never played Disgaea before, this is a great place to start.

Where NBA 09: The Inside shines is in its library of mini-games, more than making up for the lackluster core gameplay.

Your Shape: Fitness Evolved is a title that will require a lot of determination, but if you put in that time and effort, you will see the results.

If you liked the previous Top Spin games, or if you wish to study the grand, majestic sport of professional tennis, then you should definitely buy Top Spin 3. But if you want to play tennis, the game, then you should probably go snag a copy of Virtua Tennis 3 (or even Sega Superstars Tennis) on the cheap right now.

This is a good sports game for people who don't like sports games, i.e. me. [Vol 3, Issue 2, p.62]

As a result of all the hard work, this is a rewarding game to play and one that everyone should experience.

In an era where games are getting even-shorter, Blue Dragon is a staggeringly 16-bit, grind-happy title. [Oct 2007, p.53]

Sure, there’s fun to be had shooting baddies in the face for 10-12 hours over the course of the 14 missions, but sadly F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin isn’t nearly as remarkable as the original.

If you liked the previous Top Spin games, or if you wish to study the grand, majestic sport of professional tennis, then you should definitely buy Top Spin 3. But if you want to play tennis, the game, then you should probably go snag a copy of Virtua Tennis 3 (or even Sega Superstars Tennis) on the cheap right now.

I got a gang of friends together to test it out and we spent hours unlocking songs and fooling around, but, because some of us are guitar heroes and some are guitar zeroes, having a truly quality time is a tougher than it should be. It's still well worth a look. [Nov 2007, p.63]

Sure, there’s fun to be had shooting baddies in the face for 10-12 hours over the course of the 14 missions, but sadly F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin isn’t nearly as remarkable as the original.

I got a gang of friends together to test it out and we spent hours unlocking songs and fooling around, but, because some of us are guitar heroes and some are guitar zeroes, having a truly quality time is a tougher than it should be. It's still well worth a look. [Nov 2007, p.63]

It's the perfect PSP purchase for RPG fans, and a great way for genre newcomers to get their feet wet. [Sept 2007, p.61]

I got a gang of friends together to test it out and we spent hours unlocking songs and fooling around, but, because some of us are guitar heroes and some are guitar zeroes, having a truly quality time is a tougher than it should be. It's still well worth a look. [Nov 2007, p.63]

Those looking for a true challenge will want to inquire here, as Fantasy Zone, if nothing else, has a devilish propensity to shatter players’ spirits with its steep challenge.

Shadows: Awakening provides an excellent starting point for players new to the Heretic Kingdoms saga. Rich dialogue, ambiance and lore give life to the unique parallel system. Being able to swap between the Shadow realm and the mortal world unlocks new possibilities within the game and makes for an excellent concept. A lack of gameplay balance and other technical issues keep Shadows: Awakening from reaching its full potential. It can be said that this is a case of an excellent concept suffering from a less-than-excellent execution. Fans of the isometric RPG genre may still find the title enjoyable for what it is, as it creates a streamlined RPG experience with ample content to enjoy.

Players looking for a sci-fi retro shooter experience with a bit of modernization will no doubt enjoy Rogue Flight out of the box. The replayability comes into question as it comes off more grindy than an arcade shooter or the unlockable roguelike mode should. The visuals and the experience along with the voice acting are superb, while the soundtrack is fantastic and most fans of this genre will enjoy the music alone. The steep PC requirements for an indie title may hurt this in the end, though.

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.

Layton’s Mystery Journey: Katrielle and the Millionaires’ Conspiracy is a solid first step in crafting a new generation of adventures for the franchise, but future installments had best concentrate more on crafting a better bunch of puzzles to be strung together, as well as a deeper narrative, in order to match the glory of the earlier games. And future installments we should indeed hope for, because the charming art, characters, and dialogue all help to create an interesting world that deserves more love (that, and the fact that the game ends on a rather mind-blowing sequel hook). It isn’t the greatest journey a Layton has taken, but it’s still an entertaining one nonetheless.

Earth Must Die presents an intriguing take on the point-and-click genre following a buffoon leader trying to get things his way. Though the jokes may sometimes be crude or hardly interesting, the wacky world and unique characters are enough to keep it an enjoyable journey. The best part, however, is how much of its personality oozes into the gameplay choices, truly representing how VValak acts, thinks and feels in all of its colorful details.

While it’s an indie game with issues that stem from a lower-than-average budget for its size and the bugs that come with it, RiME still captures emotion and beauty as it tells a heartwarming story. The bugs can be frustrating at times, but aren’t reason enough not to play it. Rime will run you $39.99 and takes about six to 10 hours to complete. In the same vein as Journey, RiME is a capable entry into the ranks of these emotional and heartfelt types of games.

Skeleton Crew is currently broken in a way that makes it hard to recommend. The game that it wants to be is excellent, with nicely chaotic combat, intricate nonlinear levels filled with secrets, plenty of areas to explore and fight through, and fantastically-clever challenges. The large number of characters with different play-styles let you switch up the approach to the levels, and when everything’s working as it should the areas are a huge amount of fun to perfect a run through. Toss in some excellent high-resolution 2D art and Skeleton Crew looks and plays like what we dreamed the future would be back in the Genesis/SNES days. At the moment it’s just not where it needs to be, but if it’s got anything like a decent patch schedule, then it’s one to keep an eye on.

Dragon Quest Monsters: The Dark Prince forgoes complexity in favor of creating an accessible and enjoyable gaming experience. The basic story and one dimensional NPCs could be a turn off for those looking for a story-rich RPG, as those seeking a grand story with a complex battle system won’t find them here. Capturing and synthesizing new monsters, however, is a simple pleasure that can easily generate dozens of hours worth of enjoyment from this title. Fans of Dragon Quest IV will likely be sold on seeing an origin story for Psaro and revisiting the world of Dragon Quest IV from an alternative perspective. As a fan of Dragon Quest it was easy to overlook the shortcomings and just enjoy monster wrangling, but those less invested in Dragon Quest may be less forgiving with the basic plot and simple gameplay.

Those looking for a narrative video game with distinctly slick presentation will no doubt look at Knee Deep, Act 1: Wonderland with excitement. It does not quite live up to expectations, but then again, this is just the start of a larger series.

It’s exciting to think of what Pokémon GO could become and if you haven’t downloaded it already, do it. It’s free, there are no ads and even people who don’t know what Pokémon are have been having a good time with it.

While the writing is a little generic and the voice acting isn’t perfect, Eden Genesis still has a considerable amount of charm. Some voice acting is much better than the rest, so most characters' voices will be hit or miss. It's still fun to see the story unfold, but during some periods of the game, the writing can start to be a drag or might just not click for you. Eden Genesis is still a fun game to play and the gameplay loop is top-notch. The trials we are given to complete start easy, but grow into legitimate challenges that will take many tries when you're looking to get the best rank possible.

Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson is completely aware of what a silly bit of video game fluff it is, and more than happy to own every bit of its exuberant excesses.

While some of its aspects when it comes to controlling things could use a bit more polish, the simple-yet-challenging gameplay can easily captivate you, finding yourself in for a meaty round of quick matches.

It doesn’t seem fair to say Culdcept SAGA is bad, because it’s not. Still, it’s missing too many obvious features to really pass muster as well-designed software.

Despite its brevity ultimately doing some notable harm to it, Rise & Shine is still ultimately a solid platformer for the most part, one that has a lot of cute callbacks to classic video games while still having its own unique charm, along with some impressive graphics and nifty ideas sprinkled throughout. The action gets nice and intense, and save for the end, puts up a meaty yet fair challenge. So while it isn’t exactly the greatest at skewering gaming culture while also honoring it, it’s still an overall good game.

Subdued visuals, a mysterious storyline with strange characters and nearly ten endings make Train of Afterlife a commendable visual novel effort.

Max: The Curse of Brotherhood doesn’t break any new ground, and should have had the option of using the Kinect for the drawing mechanic, but still delivers. It has rough edges, but overcomes most of them because the platforming is done well.

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

While it lacks the same emotional presentation of games like Journey, or the same consistently compelling narrative of games like Gone Home or The Stanley Parable, Dear Esther’s exceptional writing and soundtrack help the title overcome these flaws, providing a worthwhile journey for those willing to take it.

A great title for kids. Many of the plain jokes and goblin humor is not lost on the younger crowd.

It’s fun and challenging enough to keep Pokémon and puzzle fans entertained.

To this date there has never been a football sim that has handled gameplay the way PES 2017 does. The gameplay, however, isn’t enough alone to save PES from feeling a bit outdated at times. If you’re willing to overlook the lack of official licensing and entry level mode diversity, then the act of playing football in PES 2017 can’t be matched.

While the game invokes memories with those who grew up playing the Neversoft games, the content is a bit skimpy and the gameplay behind its time.

The collection provides around forty hours of gameplay to complete and does a good job of scratching the nostalgia itch. This collection is a fine example of how games were enjoyable with limited technology and rather simple gameplay, but the limitations are even more apparent now and makes the player appreciate how far modern games have come with storytelling and clearly laying out objectives. But even with all the limitations of the time aside, which can sometimes make the games frustrating, this is a nice collection to take a trip down memory line or discover the origins of SaGa.

Ultimately, Bladestorm may not be Omega Force’s finest hour, but it’s a good one just the same.

Whirlight: No Time to Trip is point-and-click that oozes passion and charm in its world, characters, narrative and gameplay. Its main issue is that it falls for the biggest and most common trapping of its genre: the ingenuity of its interactions come at the cost of some solutions being less intuitive than would be ideal. The result is a game that can be just as frustrating as it is whimsical.

Brimming with so many highs, but also plenty of regrettable lows, Redout 2 is fast, frantic and fantastic at points, but frustratingly flawed enough to warrant caution in its current state.

Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl is tons of fun for fans of 8-bit brawlers. This is a great freebie for people who backed Chronic Blunt Punch, and for those who didn’t it’s easy to get your money’s worth from the cost of admission. As an NES beat ’em up rated E10, it’s a short title with simple gameplay and the tone is more in tune with the short-lived Clerks animated series than how Jay and Silent Bob are portrayed in Smith’s films. But that may have also been intentional since the NES did have puritan content standards that would have never allowed Jay’s rap to exist in glorious 8-bit chiptune. Either way, Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl is a fun title that retro gamers and Kevin Smith fans can enjoy while they wait for Chronic Blunt Punch or his next film.

While a stronger story and better release period would have benefited Shu’s impact on the consumers of the gaming industry, Shu’s consistently solid gameplay make this platformer one that’s sure to satisfy fans of the genre as well as parents looking for a more kid-friendly title.

While it can make for an enjoyable title for younger players who can easily grab some friends and compete in short spans of time, Mario Party: The Top 100 doesn’t have quite enough to keep players coming back to it in the way any other main line entry has been able to over all these years.

Regardless, if you’re a fan of old school RPGs and have a couple bucks (and hours) to spare, Rainbow Moon is still an investment that should be sought out.

The Elder Scrolls Online: High Isle is a welcome addition to the long-running MMO. The gameplay remains familiar enough so regular Elder Scrolls Online players won’t be in for any unpleasant surprises and the world building and storytelling makes High Isle a worthwhile visit. The story feels more grounded in reality than some of the other chapters while the characters and dialogue make this a fantastic chapter. The new content is a great addition to the massive MMO and in reality this new chapter should be given a higher score. Unfortunately, in the current state where bugs prevent quests from being completed, point deductions are in order. High Isle has potential to be a grand adventure, but until some of these quest-breaking bugs are addressed, it’s recommended to proceed with caution.

Modern Warfare 2’s bombastic campaign remains as fun to play as it was in 2009 thanks to excellent gameplay and well-designed arenas. An impressive visual overhaul rounds out the remaster experience, bringing the game more in line with titles from this generation. It’s short with little to do after the credits roll, but the lower price and the quality of the campaign experience help alleviate some of that concern. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Campaign Remastered may not be the full experience, but it solidly delivers an updated take on one of the better campaigns in the series.

Paradox Interactive have managed to release a grand strategy game that actually feels not so overwhelmingly complex as to scare off newcomers.

Anyone interested in narrative-focused games needs to check If Found… out. While there are some stumbling points here and there, the act of playing and experiencing the artistry is top notch. This is a game much closer to a dream than a visual novel. If Found… is the latest release from developer DREAMFEEL and will be many people’s introduction to them. It makes an incredible impression and cements this studio as one to watch. Hopefully this release inspires others to create their own games to share their unique experiences with the world.

Wielding enough creativity and originality in its approach, Penny's Big Breakaway is a classic case of the good of its premise outmatching the occasional bad of its execution. As annoying the technical state in parts is, let alone some of the misjudged application of additional, incentivizing challenge runs a greater risk of putting players off entirely. Even so, flawed and lacking a touch of polish it may be, Evening Star have done well establishing a new IP that is not only reminiscent of past years, but eagerly wants to build something new out of it. What it ends up creating may not be the most fluid or immediately-enticing take on traversal, but Penny's Big Breakaway is a small, but promising start crammed full of fresh ideas and endearing style alike.

Reverie Knights Tactics is a good tactical RPG experience, but one that falls short of a top-shelf one overall. The attempts to bring more story into the genre are admirable, but not as memorable as games like Disgaea that have done it with more gusto. There’s a lot of depth within the core gameplay, though, and having decisions impact character interactions make that content more engaging overall. It looks fantastic and sounds good, but none of the soundtrack sticks with the player after a session. Still, for someone craving something new in the genre, there’s a lot to enjoy in an imperfect package.

The strict linearity of the game’s thirteen cases means that you’ll have little reason to replay the game, but the clever logic puzzles and mini games give you plenty of reason to play through it at least once.

There’s a real push and pull between wanting to love the game and finding it too annoying at points to proceed. Fortunately, the pros outweigh the cons and the journey into a haunted school is still worth taking for horror lovers.

Bleeding Edge has a ton of potential, largely thanks to its fun and well-designed combat, colorful style and characters, and nicely-crafted levels and goals that emphasize the need for teamwork and strategy. But in trying to deliver so much when in comes to the fighting elements, it lets a few awkward moments slip through, and worse, puts less emphasis on elements like the story that need it, as well as a need for more content. It’s still an enjoyable multiplayer brawler as is, but future updates and additions will act as the true test to see if Bleeding Edge can truly improve and stand alongside the greats.

Despite the occasional dips in performance — be it visually or aurally — and the rather unavoidable slip-ups with its 3D animation not quite flowing as majestically, Aragami‘s methodical and gracious pacing offers an interesting tale on stealth based on more than just the merits of its unique shadow-manipulation mechanics.

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.

Minecraft Dungeons is a capable all-ages dungeon crawl that, while doesn’t use its license to anything like its full potential (see Dragon Quest Builders 2 for how to do it right), is still good fun once it gets moving. The variety of enemies keeps you on your toes, and the various skills and weapons make for plenty of experimentation in figuring out the best way to take them on. Each level has at least a couple of secrets to chase after, ranging from obvious to head-scratchingly obscure, and finding everything while collecting all the gear will keep players busy for hours whether fighting single- or multiplayer. Just be aware that if you’ve got any experience with the genre, the difficulty selections on the levels are there for a reason. The younger crowd deserves a good intro to the world of dungeon crawling and Minecraft Dungeons provides that nicely.

With some editing to cut down on the padding, Tokyo Babel could have easily been an even better experience. Luckily, the unique premise and religious backdrop ensure that this visual novel stands out from the pack.

Score-chasers, 16-bit enthusiasts, arcade-game aficionados and Sega addicts all need apply for this one; anyone outside of those groups may not get as much from it, but even still there’s fun to be had.

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox is a great game that maintains enough elements of previous Ys games so that longtime fans will feel at home while the Monstrum gifts breathe new life into the gameplay. This is a must-play for fans of the series or action JRPGs in general, but while the hardware limitations of the Switch do not ruin the game or make it unplayable, they have been sources of frustration that take some of the fun away from the experience. Handheld mode suffers from muddier graphics, tiny text and the occasional massive framerate plummet during a boss battle. If playing Ys IX: Monstrum Nox on the go is essential, the Switch version is serviceable enough where the headaches from the performance issues don’t outweigh the positive aspects, but if it’s an option, the PlayStation 4 version is the superior way to experience Ys IX.

NHL 20 made some noteworthy changes that were much needed, but the game feels mostly dated. The gameplay is faster, but the AI still can suck the life out of the fun. The focus is on the arcade multiplayer aspects as it seems that EA Vancouver is leaving the NHL experience behind. There are plenty of modes here, but it’s the same story. The presentation creates a new feel to each game and it was much needed. The NHL series is still a great hockey series, but it set expectations high early in this generation. NHL 20 packs a lot for players that don’t pick it up yearly, but others may want to wait on the bench.

Awesome Games Studios wanted to create a fun, casual, goofy game and that's what Oozi: Earth Adventure is. Despite issues with the controls and musical selection, there isn't much wrong with it.

Neptunia Virtual Stars is a good game in the long-running series, but does fall short in terms of being a great gateway game. The shooting action is solid and the hack and slash combat is rewarding, but the camera does get in the way too often and the lack of an English dub will make this tougher to get into for newcomers. For longtime fans, it’s a completely different change of pace for the cast and feels like a nice shot in the arm from the norm. It also has a pleasing visual style and uses a far more modern graphical styles than one might expect from what’s normally a low-tech series that isn’t known for pushing visual boundaries. The soundtrack is a lot of fun and keeps you humming and tapping your toes to the songs.

Considering that past Sonic collections offered more games for less money, it’s hard to say that this one is worth it. Ultimately, Sonic Origins is a well-polished wrapper for old games that were, until recently, available at much lower prices. Unless one is a real super fan, this is a collection that’s better-grabbed on sale.

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.

While not a complex top-down, turn-based strategy RPG, Warhammer 40,000: Deathwatch – Enhanced Edition does a nice job of laying a solid groundwork from the beginning in tactical options, challenge and character progression.

Trials Rising is a fun spectacle that puts the best of the nearly twenty-year-old series into one package.

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.

Sure, there are issues to be had with the limited resolution or generally simplistic puzzles, but none of these things impede the overall experience to a point where a playthrough becomes annoying. If you’ve enjoyed other creepy indies such as Corpse Party or Mad Father, then Alicemare should be next on your lineup.

Technical issues aside, there’s little to argue against Yooka-Laylee doing a fine job identifying just what makes 3D platformers such a joy to invest in aesthetically.

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.

Marvel Heroes is a good game that would probably get more praise if it worked out some of its most fundamental issues out the gate. Lean character selection in a game as huge as this is to be expected this early in its life, but it isn’t something that had to be such a standout issue either.

Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends & the Secret Fairy revisits Ryza and some of her friends as they deal with some of the challenges in entering adulthood. Giving Ryza new abilities to explore the world, such as scaling walls and swimming, add a subtle touch that she has gotten more adventurous since the events of its predecessor while adding new gameplay mechanics to exploring the world.

While it’s a game that says little — and in the end won’t stand out as immensely as some of the greats of both the rhythm and runner sub-genres — what NERVE lacks in unique identity, it makes up for with a campaign housing a difficulty curve that’s both well-balanced and creatively cunning.

The Metroidvania formula will forever remain one of gaming’s best, so whenever a modern 2D (or 2.5D in this case) version is announced, it’s cause for excitement. Blackgate doesn’t exactly do anything new and is derivative of practically every predecessor in its “genre,” but that doesn’t mean it’s not a whole lot of fun.

Hidden Folks may be on the short side, and has its occasional hair-pulling moment, but the hefty amount of charm it has in even the smallest individual, combined with some particularly clever puzzle design, make it worth taking at least one quick spin with. Hopefully we will indeed see a surge of more content to up the replay value in the future, but for now the end result is a solid and cute puzzle game that would do Martin Handford proud. If you can’t afford a classic piece of Waldo literature at the moment, maybe consider hunting down a few cute folks.

Turtle Rock’s unique title has enough novelty to capture player interest for the next few weeks, but it is not a Left 4 Dead level game that will keep everyone engaged for years on end.

Wasteland 2 Kickstarter backers will get what they paid for plus a few glitches they didn’t.

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.

Developer Serenity Forge might not get away with the whole artistic storytelling approach in the backdrop, but up front, The King’s Bird — while not without some unnecessary frustration to begin with — does deliver, where it matters, on its challenge and integration of physics to end up a satisfying precision-platformer overall.

For a game with a limited concept, Headmaster does succeed nicely. It sets out to do two things — providing a soccer-style game that shows VR can work with sports-themed games and throw that concept a curveball with some dark comedy. It succeeds at doing very little, and while that may sound like we’re damning it with faint praise, it really is a lot of fun to play. It’s probably the best party-style game of the launch lineup and something that any potential VR owner with a large circle of friends will want to pick up.

For anyone still having avoided or otherwise missed the original release a decade ago, a willingness to look past the temporary frustration of its controls notwithstanding, The World Ends With You: Final Remix remains, in both gameplay and story, as splendid a JRPG as it’s always been.

Tears to Tiara II: Heir of the Overlord is a more than competent SRPG.

What truly holds Concord back is its lack of identity. A story or campaign would have been a great way to showcase the world, its characters and lore, yet all of that is stuffed into the Galactic Guide that few players will probably ever read. The Freegunners and game modes are fun and mostly balanced, though feel derivative when stacked up against the already established competition. Meanwhile, map design feels safe with layouts that don’t encourage much experimentation. Concord is a good, fun game from a brand-new studio that’s currently missing its identity. It may be a bit lost in space, but Concord checks off enough boxes to hopefully chart a path forward.

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.

Sportsball is a local multiplayer-only title, and should be purchased with that firmly in mind.

Dead Star is quite fun, unique and serves as a great spin on both old and new genres, but one can’t help but feel concerned about the game’s longevity.

Freedom Wars is a decidedly solid action-RPG.