Removing the nostalgia filter, a lot of the gameplay elements of Romancing SaGa 3 simply won’t be that enjoyable for people who are die hard RPG fans of that era. Keeping that caveat in mind, fans of that era of gaming can find a lot to enjoy in this title, provided they are willing to deal with the lack of direction and unconventional approach to the JRPG formula.

Crushed beneath a monotony of drones to trash, muffled dialogue to decipher and environments to float amidst, there are brief pleasantries and welcome respites in Marvel’s Iron Man VR. Distractions that unfortunately amount to the only genuinely welcome highs in a VR effort that, commendable an effort it is to move out of the regular shooting gallery format, are wound up in one too many technical follies and lackluster mission objectives for the implied liberties to feel substantial. Yet in a game with such dire over-reliance on its players treating its controls and combat — both at the same time — like second-nature, when the erroneous ways with motion controls crop up, the damage to one’s time (and thus one’s enjoyment) is far more detrimental. Appeasing fans with its source material, on its own, is a harmless endeavor. So long as there are little difficulties and confusions with the gameplay accompanying it. Marvel’s Spider-Man proved what good-will can be generated out of such licensed iterations, when wielded properly. Marvel’s Iron Man VR, however, is a flawed but ultimately frustrating effort to sell. Twisting the once-attractive proposal of being Iron Man into a clumsy misdirection.

After a string of rehashes, Team17 has done a fantastic job updating the series while keeping the core gameplay the same. With a polished presentation, attractive visuals and improved level design, we finally have a Worms game that doesn't feel like it emerged from a '90s time-capsule. The series remains as polarizing as ever, but those who enjoy the zany antics of the series will dig Worms Revolution.

If everything about Hard West was as great as its combat and strategic layer, it would easily sit near the top of a list of memorable Old West-themed games. Take away the cowboy costumes and it’s still an excellent turn-based game with some clever mechanics to mess with.

With so many interlocking systems, Thea: The Awakening is a bit of a Frankenstein of a game, but kudos to MuHa for bolting together everything so seamlessly and for trying something new, though it might be time for developers to put card game subsystems on ice for a few years.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows may be guilty of taking from any and every corner of the genre in constructing its challenges. But while it may zip from one set-up to the next — less-than-concerned with the through-line that ties it all together — the perspective-shifting, requiring of balancing overhead and side-scrolling puzzle-solving alike, just about delivers on the promise its set-up initially paints. Not just on the basis of a satisfying series of environments to conquer, but an admittedly-brief fascination on how everything ends up unravelling, let alone solved. It’s not everyday you stop to marvel for a second at the way two perspectives can play out at once, but that very trait is what Tandem: A Tale of Shadows shines on and in the end utilizes sufficiently well.

It’s been a long time since players have gotten to revisit Sinnoh, and all things considered this may be the definitive way to enjoy it. While some changes may seem minor, they really do add to the overall enjoyment experience. Sinnoh was always fun but flawed, and while that’s still a teensy bit true here, it’s better than ever before. Although it’s easy to say it’s a shame that it’s missing the Platinum content, what’s here is still fantastic and will make it more fun to replay for years to come. Sinnoh fans will hopefully be excited to see their region well taken care of while they were gone, and new players can easily enjoy it without having to pick up old systems and cartridges that are now significantly more expensive. Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are the best remakes we’ve gotten since Heart Gold and Soul Silver and offer up a fantastic, faithful yet slightly re-imagined version of Sinnoh to enjoy before the next entry in the series makes its debut.

Anyone who grew up loving action-platformers will find a lot to enjoy here. Genre newcomers may be in over their heads, but the game does teach you its core mechanics reasonably well, so it shouldn’t feel too overwhelming.

Cladun Returns: This Is Sengoku! is a well done throwback to adventure games of the late 80s and early 90s. Combat mechanics are not quite as smooth as they could be and the Magic Circle system is a bit more convoluted than necessary, but these minor issues do not deter from the overall enjoyment of this title. The brevity of each dungeon allows progress to be made rapidly and makes the game ideal for both extended play sessions along with just using it to kill a short amount of time, especially true of the Vita version. The customization options and additional challenging dungeons give this title a lot of content. This isn’t a game that has an excessively drawn out story and numerous CGI cutscenes; this is an old fashioned pick and play action RPG and one that fans of retro games should check out.

Still, The Flame in the Flood offers a genuinely new variation on the survival game theme, tuned, focused and confident in its execution.

Evil West deserves a spot among the best games that take place in the wild west. This isn’t the first time cowboys have faced off against vampires, but this is one the better attempts at fusing the opposing genres. From the time Evil West sinks in its teeth, it immediately becomes a game that’s difficult to put down. The story is told through cutscenes that are long enough to get the point across without affecting the pacing. The real star of Evil West is the combat where using the obscene amount of firearms strapped to Jesse’s back to supplement melee attacks couldn’t have felt more intuitive. Not everyone is a fan of westerns or horror, but anyone who’s a fan of either owes it to themselves to play Evil West.

Though its first episode is a bit of a letdown, especially when you consider that A Crowd of Monsters was billing this as one of the most anticipated titles of 2015 (whether or not this is true is another story entirely), there is a chance that Blues and Bullets might wind up being something special.

Soul Nomad is a surprisingly radical departure from type for NIS, and it's largely successful. It's just more frustrating than it needs to be. [Oct 2007, p.57]

Fist Puncher‘s name fits it well. It’s a game where you punch a great many things and will have a lot of fun doing so. While that fun is hampered a bit with navigation problems, when those don’t crop up, it’s impossible to not enjoy yourself.

After everything is said and done, Infamous: First Light is a solid standalone expansion to a great game, but because there weren’t any risks taken, it ends up being an uninspired adventure.

Despite its minor disappointments, I enjoyed White Wolf a lot, and it's clear that the developers at Her Interactive really know how to integrate story and gameplay and create a smooth production. [Sept 2007, p.63]

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.

Mario Strikers: Battle League is the most stylized and chaotic Mario sports game to date, with quick, intense matches that reward strategic and aggressive playstyles. Next Level Games’ adoration for each member of the roster shines through both mid-game and during cinematics, making each contest a joy to play and watch, even with the minor but apparent online issues and the modes and unlockable gear not being deep enough to justify the full-priced title. Longtime Mario Strikers fans will get a kick out of the refined and engaging gameplay, while casual soccer fans and first-time players won’t need long to understand the compelling mayhem of the Mushroom Kingdom’s take on soccer.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: Little Hope is a notable improvement over Man of Medan, thanks to its vastly superior plot that manages to keep you hooked and interested in the characters as you try to keep them alive. Still, the over-reliance on quick-time events shows us that Supermassive still has more fine-tuning to do when it comes to The Dark Pictures Anthology if they want it to be a true masterpiece of horror. With any luck, next year’s House of Ashes will be even better and give us an even truer successor to Until Dawn’s crown.

Even with iffy combat, Haven ends up being a dose of pure joy, letting you experience a well-written whirlwind romance with lovable characters, or just letting you hover around a planet at fast speeds, enjoying satisfying gameplay as you swiftly gather up more Flow or escape corrupted creatures. Top it all off with sweet visuals and one of the year’s best soundtracks, and you have a unique blend of adventure and RPG games that provides a terrific experience. Indeed, you’ll more than likely fall in love with it.

Project Highrise is the kind of game that grabs a hold of players and doesn’t let go. Only once you’re in deep with a massive building do you begin to notice the cracks. There are undoubtedly numerous improvements that should be made — and likely will be in the coming weeks via patches — but even with some niggling complaints, it’s still incredibly challenging to put the darn thing down.

Creed: Rise to Glory is an experience unlike any I’ve ever had with a video game. While not a boxing simulation, the technology that powers the game is fun and addicting. With each passing match, players will get better and have a better understanding of what it takes to land punches that count. The PVP has a ton of potential, but unfortunately it needs a lot of work. Because the fighting mechanics work so well, though, Creed: Rise to Glory is a reason to get in on virtual reality.

Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection comes off more like a series of up-ressed ports than a definitive collection of classic titles. It’s a good thing that the three included games are fun because Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection isn’t that masterful.

With its budget price and most of its bizarre humor intact, you could most certainly do worse than pickking up a copy of Beautiful Katamari. [Dec 2007, p.65]

River City: Rival Showdown is a safe bet for those who enjoyed previous River City games. The three day time period translates to a roughly four or five hour game, but the brevity works in its favor since it can be replayed on New Game Plus for different endings. For those unfamiliar with River City, it’s a simple beat ’em up with an RPG equipment and stat progression system. It’s as old school as they come, but with quick pacing and a sense of humor, it’s a title any retro gamer should check out. Mainline River City games haven’t drastically changed their basic formula since their inception, but if they keep making them as fun as this title, they really don’t need to.

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.

Honestly, there isn’t a whole lot to be said about Sludge Life without giving away its more memorably bizarre bits, of which there are many. It’s a twisted, hellish, yet surprisingly charming playground that you’ll want to spend a good (if small) chunk of time in, soaking in the off-kilter surrounds, humor and visuals. For a game that basically revolves around a filthy hellhole, there’s still a lot of care that was put into making it a unique and fun hellhole and it shows.

With the revamp of war, naval combat, technological additions and managing territory, Stellaris: Apocalypse might even be a more ambitious addition than last year’s Stellaris: Utopia. Stellaris only seems to journey towards a brighter future and Stellaris: Apocalypse paves the way for it to shine.