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.