Still, if you’re a fan of the WarioWare games and want a game that scratches that itch, Peter Panic is a good choice, even if it does leave you wanting.

For those who take kindly to games that are as much about agility as they are indulgence in many an unfolding set-piece, Hard Reset Redux might just be one to check out.

For the pure cool factor of having the last four numbered games from the original Mega Man's career in one set on a current machine, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is absolutely a must buy. This collection could have been so much more, though.

While it’s a little rough around the edges and the characters and plot aren’t too intriguing, Hero’s Saga is a well-made SRPG.

Kane & Lynch is more "Freedom Fighters" than "Hitman", so it should appeal to action junkies looking for their next fix. [Dec 2007, p.67]

Broken Roads is a cult classic in the making. It hearkens to the best parts of games like Fallout 2, and many other CRPGs of the '90s, and it fits right in alongside classic Fallout and the Wasteland games. It’s flawed in some areas, with bugs in spots, but it offers tremendous role-playing and storytelling that make it more than worth your time to spend upwards of thirty or more hours in post-apocalyptic Australia.

Mary Skelter 2 is a welcome return to the horrible living Jail and anyone who is intrigued that missed the original Vita release is taken care of with the added bonus of the original game as a free download. The gameplay isn’t exactly groundbreaking but there’s enough going on to keep the formula feeling fresh with the environmental puzzles and hazards along with the customization of blood maidens. Compile Heart/Idea Factory titles have their own weird charm about them and those familiar with their other titles will find that same comfort with this one. Overall Mary Skelter 2 is a fun dungeon crawler that finds a healthy balance between levity and disturbing.

Age of Mythology: Retold eliminates the need to play the original titles as it takes everything from both of those games, modernizes it and brings the experience to 2024. While it lacks the polish of Age of Empires IV, the game remains extremely fun thanks to the mythological units and God Powers that can be recharged and used multiple times. This aspect adds more depth that may have not been there for some players for AOE4. The gameplay aspect does still feel like a RTS from 2002, but the campaign, skirmish and the option of PVE multiplayer will supply a ton of hours to dive into Retold.

Pocket Bravery is a valiant attempt to pay tribute to the classic fighting games of old while still providing a modern twist, offering up a ton of various modes, options, extra content and more. The downside is that everything it offers feels overwhelming at times, especially with difficult enemies making it feel like the game is pressuring you to begin becoming a fighting game master ASAP. Still, between the beautiful presentation, the nice bits of accessibility and a cast of fun characters that you’ll want to try out, this is one fighter that might still be worth taking a look at, even if you were always more of a fan of the WonderSwan.

While Midnight Fight Express falters when it comes to keeping things fresh, there’s still enough of a nicely-twisted plot, impressive levels with great action setpieces, and a terrific techno soundtrack that goes alongside the fast-paced combat to keep things enjoyable overall. Beat-’em-up and/or fighting game enthusiasts and speedrunners will probably get the most satisfaction out of the game, but there’s still enough here for anyone that’s worthy of giving things a whirl.

Ticking all the right boxes to keep one engaged, yet doing little else to stand out even in the confines of its own series, Cat Quest III provides a competent, at times charmingly so, quest for better loot and better opportunities to use it all on. How well you fair on that latter objective will depend on how detrimental you rate a kind of simplistic combat, whose only true barrier to entry are the gear numbers the game ends up dictated by. Yet even with this reliance on player levels and hidden numbers to deducw, what it may lack (or deliberately ignore) in depth, it makes up for with a sufficient loop of activities to hunt down and well-implemented visuals on top. Whether a fan of the series prior or entirely new to what The Gentlebros usually cook up, Cat Quest III still manages to make its island-hopping adventure, a curious one all the same.

Although shifting to a pseudo-isometric viewpoint, not much has changed here and it remains as addictive as ever. Unfortunately, the very thing that makes it appealing also holds it back. There’s nothing new here versus the many other Bomberman games and although polished and featuring a colorful story, there isn’t a major reason to return. Addictive as it may be, there’s not much content here and camera angle and control issues strain things further. That being said, it’s still a blast (pun fully intended) and can easily make for a great party for those looking to be social with their new console. A perfectly good “B game” for Zelda, Super Bomberman R is a cute ball of fun, but could have been more.

Konami will be able to appease the PES fanbase with PES 2019. The improvements to the visuals brings the game to life at times. With over 400 teams and 10,000 players, the hardcore football fan has a lot to marvel over. While losing the Premier League license hurts, Konami hopes adding some other major regional leagues will help. Lacking the licenses makes the game less appealing, but the player selection makes myClub a good mode to go with, even if it’s currency-based. PES 2019 still plays a very good game of football, but needs a bit of modernization.

Blue Refletion provides a unique twist on the JRPG format. Having the protagonist reflect on her own feelings of loss while trying to gain insight into other characters’s feelings in order to acquire their friendship is an interesting idea. The problem is the game doesn’t delve deep enough into this territory, and while this is a great design concept, it could be so much better if they took the idea further and added more depth to the characters. The mix of the real world with the Common is a good blend of environments and the gameplay in both is enjoyable but the time we spend in the Common exploring and fighting demons feels disproportionately short compared to the massive usage of cutscenes.

While it ends up stumbling in a few areas and can use a patch or two, Fall of Porcupine still succeeds when it comes to delivering an enjoyable story that sheds light on all sorts of struggles that health care workers face, while still providing several doses of fun gameplay and a nice town filled with interesting and unique characters to interact with. It isn’t exactly something that’s on the level of a miracle cure, but if you’re looking for a good, quick graphic adventure game, it has what will ail you.

No matter how you play it, you’ll be in for quite a time as MetaHuman’s totally unprepared CEO.

Tidalis is a puzzle game for everyone. It has the charm and personality for casual players while keeping the most elite players coming back for more with the challenging trial and puzzle modes

With a few more tweaks in certain areas when it comes to the difficulty and improved farming controls, Atomicrops could easily be a terrific roguelike shooter. As is, though, it’s still enjoyable, with great action that easily keeps you wanting more, a lot of goods to hunt for and try out in order to come up with a good strategy, and eye-popping, vibrant visuals that make astounding use of pixel art. It may be a tricky crop to tackle, but there’s still a rewarding experience here that’s worth checking out.

Those who appreciate indie games, particularly ones that push boundaries of what is acceptable for games, should pursue this. Uriel’s Chasm is an uncomfortable, avant-garde title that has hooked me. Chances are more unsuspecting players will continue to fall under its strange spell.

Warner Bros. Montreal took a giant risk with Gotham Knights. Not only did the studio choose to forgo using one of the world’s most famous heroes, but also the top-rated Arkham series. What we have with Gotham Knights is an original setup filled with a great central cast and an intriguing tale of young sidekicks uncovering Gotham’s dark secrets and becoming knights themselves.

Last Day of June is a beautiful presentation of a heart-wrenching tale that is hindered by less-than-stellar game mechanics. It should be noted Last Day of June was partially designed to appeal to people who don’t regularly play video games. It succeeds as a story and as an interactive work of art, but as a game there are some mechanics that could have benefited from some further tweaking. As unique as this title is, however, it allows it to be one of the rare exceptions to the rule that mediocre gameplay trumps excellence in areas like graphics and sound. The story and concept are compelling enough where playing Last Day of June is worthwhile despite its shortcomings. Depending on the player, it can take four to six hours to complete. It’s not something that will appeal to everyone, but it’s worth looking into for those willing to forgive lackluster gameplay for a compelling story with a unique presentation.

System Rift is a short but sweet experience...Had Eidos Montreal added an extra couple of sections or puzzles, System Rift could have been something great.

BlazeRush is a solid-looking game that is held back by some iffy textures, but benefits from never slowing down despite tons of stuff happening on-screen.

Super Motherload does a great job of satisfying one’s inner miner, letting you dig to the heart of Mars and the bizarre mystery lying in its core.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a decent game that delivers a good narrative, a set of great protagonists and strong gameplay, but never fully commits to melding the best aspects of both eras into a truly great package.

Europa Universalis IV’s online multiplayer used to have significant problems to the point where it was basically non-functional. With the debut of Mare Nostrum, multiplayer seems to be working very well now and despite the occasional disconnect which requires one to restart the entire game, it’s now more enjoyable than the single player experience.

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.

Mafia: Definitive Edition’s gorgeous open world is weakened by its mediocre campaign and flat combat mechanics. Driving through the bustling streets and open countryside of Lost Heaven in classic vehicles is fun enough at low or high speeds, and the story, while rushed, does ultimately put players in cool locations and situations. But without any unique storylines or exciting on-foot gameplay to keep the player invested, and a restrictive focus on missions over open world exploration, there’s little here that stands out for those who don’t already have a fascination with mafia stories or mid-twentieth century history. For all the emphasis Mafia: Definitive Edition places on history and creating a legacy, this well-made but largely forgettable journey doesn’t do enough to earn its spot in the family.

Where Winds Meet is a game that has incredible highs and extreme lows. It has wonderful boss fights that make the combat shine, showcasing that with the right mechanical skill, you can make an intense fight an amazing spectacle. The combat and exploration are the highlights as a whole, but when you’re not in a boss fight, you’ll be exploring, doing puzzles and experiencing the main story. All of which are serviceable, especially as a free-to-play game, but they could have most certainly been handled in a way that makes them more enjoyable. The co-op modes are limited, requiring you to get through a decent chunk of the game before they are something that you and friends can play through and enjoy. Even with all the issues, it isn’t a bad game by any means, and it's fun when you get to the in-depth and interesting portions. It does end up being somewhat limited by the format chosen by the developer, making it difficult to enjoy every minute that you do end up playing.

Dicefolk has truly amazing combat that makes great use of its rotation and dice mechanics, and it's bolstered by a ton of impressive designs in tthe Chimeras, each packing their own skills that are fun to experiment with as you craft your dream team and playstyle. Unfortunately, the lack of any interesting story hinders the experience and can easily leave you wanting more. Still, as long as you desire a unique spin on the traditional creature-collecting formula and the battles associated with it, Dicefolk can still be worth checking out, even if the odds of you enjoying the game for longer periods may boil down to a dice roll.

It’s a welcome addition to the Soulslike genre with intense fights and interesting areas to explore. Some of the design options they took when making the most of the available technology, however, are hard to support.

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.

If only it was a little longer and more fleshed out, Rise of the Tomb Raider’s Baba Yaga would have been something special, but alas, it ends up being only a solid, albeit dry, in the middle deviation from the main campaign.

It’s simple, fun, and funny. Sure, it’s not overflowing with content, but for five dollars, you could do a lot worse.

While Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley captivates with its enchanting art, heartfelt music and unique characters, it sometimes needs to deliver a more consistently-engaging gameplay experience. For enthusiasts of the Moomin universe, the game offers a delightful dive into a world filled with nostalgia and charm. Yet its appeal might extend less broadly due to the technical issues, alongside a gameplay loop that some may find monotonous, which detracts from its potential. The dedication to accessibility and the depth of emotional narrative are commendable, showcasing the developers' commitment to creating an inclusive and engaging experience. For the game to truly resonate with a broader audience, however, addressing the technical issues and refining the gameplay mechanics would be essential steps forward. Ultimately, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley stands as a testament to the power of storytelling and art in video games, even as it navigates the complexities of delivering a seamless interactive experience.

Irrespective of its technical flaws, the studio can hold its head high with its effort on the penultimate episode, creating the perfect springboard for Louis’ story to reach the studio’s apex of storytelling in its finale.

Super Mario Party Jamboree is something of a mixed experience. Its main mode, while offering a truly solid selection of fun minigames and interesting boards, suffers from a frustratingly slow rate of play. Unless it's addressed in a future update, most players are probably going to eventually get tired of everything taking longer than it should. Most of the side modes are “take it or leave it” affairs as well, but Koopathlon, Toad’s Item Factory and especially Bowser’s Kaboom Squad are together good enough to make up for that. Fans with friends to play it with will feel satisfied with Super Mario Party Jamboree, but those who don’t probably need not rush to pick this one up.

If just a few nagging flaws would have been corrected, ZombiU could have been a revelation for the floundering genre. Still, with top-notch graphics, a huge world and great exploration elements in play, it remains a must-buy for the console for those with the patience to see it through.

Chaos Code – New Sign of Catastrophe doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but what it does provide is a lot of high-quality 2D fighting action. The cast isn’t the most diverse in gaming, but still offers up a great deal of variety when it comes to play styles and the usual fast-paced Arc Systems Work fighting action keeps you on your toes at all times. Online play is a huge missed opportunity due to the sheer of lack of players currently, so anyone looking to buy it for that would be wise to wait a bit until the player base is built up over time. It’s a visually-pleasing game despite some archaic aspects to the graphics and presentation, and delivers a satisfying soundtrack alongside exceptional sound effects that make each blow feel that much more damaging.

The Knight Witch is excellent in a lot of ways despite its forbidding difficulty, the kind of game you’ll be glad to have beaten even if the journey to completion is sometimes a bit much. Rayne’s journey from coulda-been to savior goes through a number of twists and turns, the metroidvania levels are filled with a great amount of variety, and other than the occasional trap room that locks you in, the choice to shoot everything or zip on past is rarely taken away. The sky is broken and the underground is getting more dangerous than the anyone is comfortable with, but the survivors have a new knight witch to pin all their hopes on. It just may take a few dozen more respawns than expected to reach The Knight Witch‘s conclusion.

Battle Princess Madelyn is a must play for fans of classic action titles from the ’80s and ’90s, but may be a tough sell for those who started their gaming career later.

It may be a flawed experience, but it's certainly an addictive one.

Knack’s not perfect, and shouldn’t be your first priority when picking up a PS4, but if you miss the old days, or want to share a bit of them with your kids, it may very well be worth your while.

Minecraft: Story Mode – Episode 5: Order Up! shapes up to be an incredible introduction to the Order of the Stone’s newest adventures, but still manages to fall a little short.

Like Broken Sword 5, Broken Age will be a lot better for anyone who picks it up from now on, but that can’t save this episode from being heavily marked down.

Despite a slow start, Witch on the Holy Night does earn its reading time. It takes well-established character paradigms and works them in fun ways. The limited animations punctuate and accent the words, creating vivid action scenes with color choices that pop. This is a title for kicking back and relaxing, as there isn’t anything happening on the gameplay front. As long as it’s understood that the first couple of hours need to be processed before it gets good, this is one of the better visual novels to come out in recent years. A patch fixing up the text is almost required, but a forgiving reader will find a lot to enjoy here. Witch on the Holy Night is mostly a tale of action, but it mixes in creepy shots and relatable humor, making for a fun, but flawed, romp.

Fairytale Fights is not a game that’s going to revolutionize the genre. It is, however, a very fun, unique, and beefy (15-20 hours of gameplay) game that’s fun to tear through.

FIFA Soccer 13 for Wii U isn't the worst version of this year's popular soccer game, but it's certainly below standards for most modern console owners.

Secret of Mana is a strange title. On one hand it has so many missteps in its redesign that it’s easy to quickly dismiss it, but it remains a rewarding gaming experience upon playing. A lot of changes take away from the original’s charm while several aspects that could have benefited from an update were left alone. Honestly what would have been ideal is if it was left in the original state and given a 2D sprite makeover in the style of Final Fantasy IV for the PSP and maybe added some minor updates like shops containing item descriptions, but even with the complaints that can be made about this remake, it’s still Secret of Mana. Almost every JRPG fan will enjoy this remake, though a better Secret of Mana experience can be found on Super Nintendo.

Simplistic and often jarring its intended design may seem, Soul Axiom is a game that requires, as much cunningly desires, the player’s warranted need to look beyond the surface that’s initially presented. Whether that be in its puzzle design or the ample conflict of environments, Wales Interactive do just enough with the overarching themes of simulation and replication to make its superficial locales feel that extra bit suspicious.

There are those who would call a game such as this "shallow", and with good reason: most games like this are. However, most games that subscribe to this concept don't allow you the freedom of movement or tactics that Stranglehold does. [Nov 2007, p.56]

God of War Sons of Sparta is a satisfactory, yet not overly triumphant, return to the Greek era. A 2D Metroidvania God of War title sounds great on paper, but Mega Cat Studios never quite manages to capture the feel or pacing of a God of War game. The story is where the game is at its strongest, delivering a look into Kratos' life and personality before tragedy strikes. Though the pacing makes getting into the story difficult and Sons of Sparta never feels necessary to the overarching narrative, the story ends strongly. The Metroidvania piece itself is a stumble thanks to the poor pacing of key abilities. The locales are neat, the corridor design is fine, but getting through the first couple of hours is a real chore. Combat fares better thanks to a smart implementation of Greek and Norse era mechanics, but Mega Cat Studios never manages to capture the God of War feeling. God of War Sons of Sparta is a satisfactory adventure in the God of War universe, but it's far from the triumphant return of the Greek era fans have been waiting for.

Anyone seeking some fun motorcycle racing action should give it a shot because while it is limited in content, everything here is mostly well-executed outside of rider animations.

Crystar pairs an original and compelling story with fairly average gameplay. The repetitive nature can become tedious, especially during the later parts, but the narrative concept is interesting enough to push the player to guiding Rei to the end of Purgatory. This is one of those games where the recommendation would have more to do with the level of personal interest in the story than anything else as that’s the most noteworthy feature in an otherwise good but unremarkable action RPG. The game taking place in Purgatory seems fitting since the enjoyment is a lot more pleasurable than Hell, but doesn’t quite reach the levels of joy that Heaven advertises.

While not the most robust of the PlayLink games, Knowledge is Power is still a fun, playable game show that family and friends will easily be able to pick up and play. Games are short, which means that it’s not something you have to dedicate a night to, but also sets you up for rematches galore. The questions are interesting and niche, which makes them harder while at the same time making you feel like you know the answer. The way they’ve implemented the Power Plays is a nice touch, allowing you to slow your opponents down in a game that’s all about speed. So if you’ve been liking the games that Sony has been offering with their new PlayLink initiative, Knowledge is Power is another one to pick up.

Xenon Racer is a good game that so desperately wants to be great, but it falls short in too many areas to reach that status. Cars feel a bit too weighty while tracks lack life due to low-quality trackside details. The game’s tough learning curve won’t be for everyone, but does offer a greater sense of reward than most games when it comes to making a victory feel like a true accomplishment. Unfortunately, visual problems and a mundane soundtrack hurt the overall presentation. The end result is a game that comes as a mild recommendation for racing fans until some of its issues are hopefully fixed with patches down the line.

It's hurt by having a bare-bones online setup, not including the PS1 version's story mode, and not improving upon the blah soundtrack of the original game. There are a lot of downloadable fighters on the market now available for less money that are better than this. JJBA HD is a top-shelf bizarre game, but not exactly a top-shelf game in its own right.

Yars Rising is in the dreaded "pretty decent" zone, not actually bad, but not good enough to be memorable. Controls are fluid and smooth, but there aren't many areas that give them a proper workout and there was only one boss fight in the entire game that presented any kind of real challenge. The hacking games are more consistently creative, but they're also the kind of thing you'll play once and not feel any need to go back to again, despite being available as a collection from the main menu. Yars Rising is playable, Emi is a fun character that usually doesn't fall on the wrong side of the "I guess this is my life now" line, and the jump between metroidvania and classic single-screen arcade gaming is a nice hook. Altogether, though, none of the elements ever fully take off to make Emi the hero she should be.

Even though Extreme Justice keeps throwing out issues such as bland foot missions and the uninteresting Challenges mode, it’s still got 30 levels of decent gaming wrapped in an entertainingly cheesy story.

Papo & Yo is about growing into a person who can escape an abusive family situation, and that’s a theme powerful enough to overwhelm any number of small problems, if pulled off properly. The best parts of the game are when this theme is integrated directly into the action, whether that’s running from an enraged Monster or engaging in escapist fantasy with the platforming and landscape manipulation.

Granted, it’s easy to see this unique take on the first-person experience fall by the wayside, especially when you consider its initial technical follies and weak player onboarding, but flaws aside, Valley has the potential to serve as an introduction to the first-person adventure genre for players who are used to more combat-heavy experiences.

Though it’s engrossing in its own right, and it provides a hearty serving of gameplay, Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney feels full of wasted potential.

Simulacra might not be perfect, but it highlights that the found phone horror concept is one that has a significant amount of potential. For anyone looking to venture into uncharted territory with horror, Simulacra is a choice that brings a fresh, exciting new experience compared with many other titles on the market. It has a well-constructed story and demonstrates that branching narratives are built for horror titles. Kaigan Games has only scraped the surface of found phone horror, though. Should they choose to return with another installment and be able to improve on some of the notable flaws, it could end up making the real impact that it’s looking for with found phone horror on the mobile market. For now, however, Simulacra is a must-own title for any horror enthusiast. Even if it’s only for a single playthrough, it’s enough to make any player want to talk to their friend about this found phone horror title they’ve discovered.

Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory may not be a true sequel to the 2016 original, but it’s a better version of a familiar experience. The visuals don’t shine as brightly on PS4 and players will have to wander through a lot of recycled content before encountering much new. While it would have been nice to have new areas, Hacker’s Memory is carried by its profoundly personal story, engrossing combat and progression mechanics, and various quality of life improvements. While newcomers may find the experience a little confusing, returning players will appreciate meeting up with returning characters and experiencing the enhancements implemented to improve the experience. Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – Hacker’s Memory may not be a true sequel, but the quality put into the story, combat and progression make it a worthy successor.

Cat lovers in particular are likely to get more enjoyment from stepping into the paws in this cat simulator and hunting down the various cat pictures than those who do not enjoy feline companionship.

Gravitronix is a novel game with a distinctive control scheme that matches the gameplay perfectly.

It’s exciting to see a game like SeaBed receive an official English translation. After a regular onslaught of yuri nukige, it starts to feel like that’s all companies care for. Of course, we’ve seen that not to be the case in the past with releases such as Kindred Spirits on the Roof, Highway Blossoms and now SeaBed. It may not be the most fast-paced or engaging tale on the market, but it provides a distinct experience. Those looking to dive into a new yuri game can expect to swim with SeaBed for ten to twenty hours as they uncover its secrets.

Regardless, if you can get past the inherent creepiness that permeates Monster Monpiece on a number of levels, then there’s no denying that this is an intelligent, fulfilling card game.

Despite its issues, Ashes of Ariandel is still worthy of any Dark Souls III player as it’s more of what we’ve come to love with a couple of nods for long time fans.

At its core, Surgeon Simulator: A&E Anniversary Edition on PS4 is still effectively the same game as it was on PC, just with a few more additions.

Harmonix has delivered a reboot that perfectly captures the spirit and rock solid mechanics of the original, which is something that should be commended.

Fire Tonight is short, sweet and unforgettable. Both main characters and their varying gameplay styles enable the player to go on a journey that sticks with you long after the game ends. Blending logic puzzles with a point and click adventure seems odd in theory, but in execution works out well. Each style of gameplay is fun and aside from some technical hiccups that can spring up from time to time, it’s a smooth experience. Its visuals and music work together to form something beautiful and it acts as a nice time capsule for the early ’90s while also highlighting how fortunate we are to have technology we do. Fire Tonight is a fantastic pickup for anyone in the mood for a light, breezy logic puzzle game — but also anyone who just wants to enjoy an uplifting narrative.

What Monochroma gets right, however, is tone and gameplay. The puzzle platforming is fun to solve once you get the feel for character movement, there’s a lot of variety in puzzle design, and some very clever level layout ties everything together.

After the experience of playing through the remaster in a binge setting brought to light some foibles that went previously unnoticed, this is still a top quality entry in a series that has gone woefully underappreciated. Hopefully time will change that.

It won’t set the world on fire, but Dragon Ball Xenoverse is one of the best DBZ games in a long time.

It’s unfortunate that the Dynasty Warriors formula couldn’t have been better tailored to such rich source material, as there was tantalizing potential for Gundam Reborn to be the definitive interactive Gundam experience. But it succeeds at what it aims to be: an action game full of epic displays of power and an endless supply of enemies to destroy, despite little variation in gameplay.

This mashup should work extremely well, but instead it comes across more as an interesting, but not always enjoyable, dungeon crawler with an oddball storyline. This tale becomes its saving grace as it slowly reveals each character’s backstory. Of course, the death and revival element is unique as well, though at times it proves frustrating more than anything else. Zanki Zero: Last Beginning provides an intriguing template that Spike Chunsoft may be able to refine into an amazing game with future attempts.

Mutant Blobs Attack is a clever and stylish game, and while the its full potential is never entirely displayed, you’d be hard-pressed to find a game that makes mass destruction this adorable.

Overall, Akimbot is a fun platformer that can be expanded upon with a sequel. The weapons are too simple for a sci-fi game like this, but they all feel fantastic to control nonetheless. Some performance issues plague the levels, but Akimbot does surprise with stellar production value and interesting gameplay elements that keep the game feeling fresh. The game does feel long in the tooth by the end, but Akimbot is a good effort by Pumpkin Jack developer Evil Raptor.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky SC is not just a title that writers looking to pad their word count would love. There is an incredible amount of depth packed into this release.

While the world is vast, it feels barren with an uneven difficulty.

Tribe: Primitive Builder is a relaxing adventure of construction and automation, and while the map could stand to be cut down to at least half its size, it’s surprisingly easy to get lost in the flow of completing goals one after the other as the hours drift away.

There’s an engaging storyline in Miniature Garden which unfortunately gets cut a bit short by the end. Even with a multitude of endings, things still feel a bit lacking after completion. Still, the ride provided by the game offers a whole lot of creepiness as our cast of high schoolers work to their school before its curse gets enacted upon them. If you appreciate mystery visual novels which won’t take dozens of hours to finish then Miniature Garden is one new release to check out.

If you're willing to put up with an obnoxious camera and an awkward control scheme, you'll find a portable title that sometimes brushes against greatness and regularly proves that size sometimes doesn't matter after all. [Apr 2007, p.55]

There are many elements it copies, carries over and at times doesn’t quite capitalize on — despite the brief flashes of promise and suggestion of something more lying in wait — but Super Crush KO is a sufficient follow-up to Graceful Explosion Machine and a pleasant-enough challenge for those looking for 2020’s first, quick colorful and chaotic fix.

LittleBigPlanet 3 is a good game, but stops short of being a great one.

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….

Even in its most tepid of opportune changes, WRC 10 still finds ways to vex and test in ways that are both punishing but enjoyable to see through. Perhaps the biggest complaint you can utter about this year’s release is its surprising lack of indulging in the time periods it’s aiming to evoke, through its call-backs and roster inclusions alike.

Blair Witch makes a valiant effort to revive the franchise, and while it won’t generate the hype of the 1999 film, it’s a worthwhile horror title despite some flaws discussed above. Its biggest problem is that the execution of a lot of its ideas fall short of their potential. Bullet is a great addition to the experience, but poor pacing and not the greatest game mechanics hold this one back from being a must-play title. For hardcore horror fans or people who are really into the Blair Witch franchise, this title is worth checking out.

Deck13’s second go of the sci-fi themed action RPG set-up, carves out just enough of a worthwhile combat and upgrade system alike, for The Surge 2 to leave players both optimistic and curious — if not eager — for what a hopeful third entry may have in store.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Extraction can be a lot of fun with a couple friends, but the lack of a traditional single player campaign and cohesive narrative makes it feel more like a Rainbow Six expansion than a full-fledged game.

It’s not perfect, though it’s certainly good fun.

Overall, AEW: Fight Forever is a fantastic pickup for fans of the company who want to experience many of its roster in video game form for the first time, but it does lack the polish of not only past and present WWE games, but other Yuke’s titles as well. The foundation is solid, but the package is a bit bare-bones and match flow isn’t on-par with what one would expect for a roster full of talent known for epic matches. The core action is fun, as is the story mode — which is one area Yuke’s topples any modern-day WWE game in. Casual wrestling game fans are probably fine staying with WWE’s offerings, while those wanting a faster-paced experience will be right at home with Fight Forever.

Grandia HD Collection has a few issues but in spite of these is a still a worthwhile addition to any JRPG fan’s collection. The two games are classic gems that flew under many people’s radar during their initial release but are also fun even if this is the first time playing them. There are minor modernization tweaks to the titles and some technical issues do mar the experience, but even with these concessions, having these two titles available to play on the go is hard to complain about. They show their age and have some flaws, but their good outweighs their bad and each title provides a different but memorable adventure.

In an age where many mainstream games offer countless distractions to constantly pull the player in all sorts of directions, Hue’s straightforward and relaxing presentation offers a nice, brief reprieve to play in between some of today’s lengthier titles. With a reasonable set of expectations, Hue can provide a pleasant adventure for players willing to give this unique game a shot; just don’t go in expecting it to stick with you beyond its playtime.

Flawed as it is, it’s the bizarre juxtapose of adventuring, platforming, puzzle-solving and even stealth that Zoink somehow manage to find middle-ground for. That, at least, deserves some credit.

JumpJet Rex should be a resounding success. It’s got all the elements there but they don’t quite fit together right.

While it still needs more polish, EA SPORTS PGA TOUR is fun to play and EA shouldn’t give up on the franchise.