Charlie Murder is a much more complex game than fans of Ska Studios’ previous works will be expecting. It’s still a rebel, but this time there’s a cause to be found. RPG-lite elements, inviting co-op play, and zaniness combine to create a likeable, refreshing take on the brawler.

Perfect doesn’t do a lot — but what it does is executed very well. There’s a grander scope to the idea of a relaxation spot simulator the game presents to you that the technology just can’t provide right now. As something designed to relax users, Perfect works nicely even if the concept isn’t as fleshed out as it could be. The environments stand out, even if the things you can do in each one don’t vary all that much. That sense of sameness hurts the activity portion of things, but each area does stand out with its look and feel — with the strong sound design making each place feel unique.

While the visual aesthetic and tonal backdrop may not look or feel that important to proceedings as a result, it’s Evil Genius 2: World Domination‘s cunningly-emergent approach to base-building where a lot of the hidden little joys are to be savoured. Conjuring all manner of obsession on shape, size and positioning alike. Never stopping, never wavering and all the better because of it.

Third time is the charm with Donkey Kong Country Returns HD as this is the best version of the fifteen-year-old game. It offers a challenging but fair level of difficulty, with the optional Modern Mode knocking down the challenge enough to make it more accessible without sacrificing the original challenge found in Original Mode. Donkey Kong Country Returns HD is a reminder of why this series was so popular in the mid ‘90s, as it brings back all the classic gameplay elements. It may be a remaster of a fifteen-year-old game which was a throwback to a series that was of comparable age, but it shows that great game design is timeless and there's a place for Donkey Kong Country in the modern gaming world.

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.

Halo 5: Guardians is a fine-tuned machine. It has a robust and highly addictive competitive multiplayer component, a large variety of aesthetically pleasing customizations and some of the tightest controls to ever grace a Halo title. Unfortunately, the campaign leaves much to be desired.

Its puzzles may be a bit lackluster but you’ll be too busy unraveling its dark secrets and conspiracies, worrying whether your character will survive the episode and terrified by the sudden sounds coming from next door to notice. Whether as feature film, TV series or episodic game, it matters little: bring on Season 3.

While players won’t get jacked muscles playing Ring Fit Adventure, it’s a fantastic way to do exercise indoors when other ways to work out are expensive or inconvenient. There’s a ton of variety here to allow players to exercise how they like even without touching the adventure mode. Nintendo has really outdone themselves by combining an encouraging RPG adventure with exercise to push players to their limit in Ring Fit Adventure.

In the end, AquaPazza: AquaPlus Dream Match is a steal for its budget price.

Stranger of Sword City Revisited is an improvement over the original release, making this the version to play if Stranger of Sword City is a title on your radar that you haven’t gotten to yet. Stranger of Sword City Revisited is an intelligent old school dungeon crawler and is among the better games that have attempted to utilize this style in recent years. For fans of old school dungeon crawlers, this is a must-play title. The tricky part is, is this worthwhile for someone revisit that has completed the original version? The changes are many, and they do improve the overall game quite a bit, but Stranger of Sword City was not a short game, and revisiting it for those who completed the first game would probably be limited to only the most die hard fans. Old school.

In many ways it feels like an expansion, but one that comes packed to the brim with new content.

Still, the cost isn’t that bad when you consider Nameless ~The one thing you must recall~ is in the top tier of English-released otome games out there today.

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection isn’t the greatest remaster ever, nor is it the worst.

There’s something incredibly satisfying about creating a map and feeling as though the exploration is just as important as the combat when every little thing matters.

As a museum piece, it’s a wonderful effort that ensures the game will remain relevant for a new generation of players. As a game, it’s the definitive edition of a superb title that has a lot to offer even in 2014.

Possessor(s) is a compelling metroidvania game that's worth digging at to get to experience its flashy and enjoyable combat. The relationship between Luca and Rhem, as well as the general plot, is also remarkable in how it creates flawed, relatable characters in a messed-up situation. Though the game could have gone an extra mile to provide a more comfortable experience for players during exploration, it’s not enough of an issue to keep it from shining.

The enhanced RPG-lite mechanics, sheer wealth of content and grade-A presentation values makes this a must-buy title for anyone who considers themselves a lover of Final Fantasy or music in general.

Despite the lack of leniency, this game is definitely worth losing your hair over. It’ll kick you in the ass several times, but that’s honestly the best part about it.

It’s over far too soon, but you’d be hard pressed to find many better small scope narrative role playing experiences than Consortium, and it certainly leaves you wanting more.

Home Safety Hotline is a unique game in both the adventure genre and the horror genre, using deduction-based gameplay to great effect as folks attempt to decipher just what kind of gnome or fantastical fungus is plaguing each caller. While it could have been tougher, the cleverly-designed blend of supernatural phenomena and sharp comedic writing with a nicely dark edge will keep players hooked until the end. The prospect of working at a call center for things that go bump in the night sure is terrifying (although that goes for any job at a call center, period), but here, it's a job worth tackling.

Legend of Dungeon is a perfect gateway game for those interested in Roguelikes, but who are intimidated by them as well. The beat-em-up style to the core gameplay means that if you grew up with more TMNT playing in an arcade than RPGs, you’ll be comfortable right away.

The Shadows of Pygmalion provides a tremendously enjoyable dramatic story which showcases just how strenuous being a “hero” can be — especially when you’re just a normal high schooler. While it sounds initially like yet another one of those stories, you’ll find that The Shadows of Pygmalion takes things in intriguing directions. It also manages to give the yuri community a more action-driven tale than what they might be used to, which is fantastic. The biggest letdown may simply be that there is not room for more gameplay choices. Fortunately, most readers will find themselves swept up in the story so quickly that they won’t even notice a lack of dialogue options on their journey.

Online multiplayer and a meaty campaign, along with amiibo functionality, mean there’s plenty of fun to be had in Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.‘s unique world, and it’s hard to imagine anybody running out of steam once they give it a chance.

Nearly seven years later, and Gigantic: Rampage Edition is still just as fun to play as it was back in the genre's heyday. New additions like Rush mode are fun and make for a quicker blast, though hopefully we can find a way to deliver more major content later on. But as is, there's still a crop of fun heroes on display, all of whom are still a joy to try out, and it's just a joy to see a unique bit of action like this again, especially with Overwatch still having soured its reputation. In fact, if this takes off, maybe we can see about reviving Battleborn in a similar way next, if only because it would make for one hilarious scenario...

Zone of the Enders 2 The 2nd Runner: Mars is a great recreation of a game that was amazing back in its day, and while not all of it stands up to the test of time, more than enough does to make it worth hopping in to a mech and lighting up the skies with burning robot shrapnel.

Tacoma doesn’t match the excellence of Gone Home in the story department, but nonetheless manages to provide a quick yet engaging adventure. The central mechanic of being able to listen in to several different discussions from a variety of different directions and perspectives makes for something incredibly fun to play with and helps provide insight into a (somewhat literally) colorful cast of memorable characters. It’s an impressive little spacewalk.

Though the short run-time, on top of its overused hit-and-miss humor, may work against it, what Rhythm Sprout lacks in unique aesthetic or visual identity, it more than makes up for with a soundtrack as much a gameplay loop that’s both enjoyable and easy to make repeat trips back to. Frantic its drastic shifts in rhythm may feel at times, the game just about manages to maintain a sense of fairness and coherency throughout. Owed in part to the way tracks develop and evolve overtime, but so too how SURT themselves identify that any good rhythm game isn’t so much about keeping players in the zone so as to succeed, but keeping them there so as to potentially trip them up. That continuous string of mind-games, baits and other such devious means are part the reason why Rhythm Sprout is such a fun trek to partake in. A simple-enough premise, but executed to delightful effect.

I Am Dead is a delightfully quirky game about the afterlife, presenting a unique world with a rich history inside of it, all with a tone that’s a perfect level of light-hearted. While you may be able to breeze through certain parts of it, the whole game makes for a memorable experience, filled with enjoyable puzzles to solve, colorful tidbits to uncover and interesting characters to learn about. Certain parts of the story have Morris worried if he’ll actually be remembered now that he’s gone, and ironically, his story taking place from his death onward makes for a tale you likely won’t forget.