The quest to find and create a new homeworld has plenty of room for disaster to strike, but it’s also a lovely journey through a vibrant night sky.

God Eater 3 is a good if unremarkable title in the monster hunting subgenre. This is a game that doesn’t excel in any one area, but none of its shortcomings are damning to the point of ruining an enjoyable experience. There are attempts at giving more depth to combat with the characters engaging each other and having burst attacks, but using these actions strategically doesn’t greatly alter the battle outcome from just button mashing. The repetitive mission structure paired with a story and characters that feel as if they could have been lifted from any number of games prevent this title from being exceptional, but for fans of the genre, there’s a good game hiding beyond these shortcomings.

Despite issues with its difficulty balance and some of the elements of the metroidvania genre, Tales of Kenzera: Zau is still a promising start for Surgent Studios, with its smooth, fast gameplay, astounding world, engrossing story and jaw-dropping visuals. Hopefully we'll be returning to Kenzera sometime in the future, because no matter what form any future tales may take, there's a ton of potential here and a lot of fun to be had.

If you’re a newcomer to Dragon’s Dogma, then this is the edition to get; otherwise, you’ll have to be an incredibly dedicated fan as there isn’t enough here to justify an upgrade.

At the end of the day, whether or not you will enjoy Senran Kagura: Burst will ultimately come down to answering this question: do you pine to play a game where getting beat up means your character’s clothes become tattered, torn, or completely destroyed, revealing the half-naked body of an adolescent girl who just so happens to have absolutely titanic breasts? If you answered, “yes,” then Burst has a lot to offer: pulse-pounding combat, deep customization and a wealth of unlockables and content. If you answered, “no,” then all the best brawling mechanics in the world probably won’t make Senran‘s provocative, shinobi schoolgirl pill any easier to swallow.

When discussing The Caligula Effect, one cannot help but feel it will fall under the same umbrella as Resonance of Fate. It’s highly flawed and requires a bit of work to get the best out of it. Once acclimated, though, this is a game that will demand attention and affection from the player. It’s a strange, interesting tale that explores the nature of joy, sorrow, and choosing knowledge over bliss for those that want to think about it, or all of that can be ignored in favor of a silly anime-like story of friends overcoming long odds with superpowers. Either way, it’s a game that will probably gain more recognition and popularity as time goes on. Also, do not read page 24 of the game’s digital instruction manual.

Fans will eat it up and for people who have been curious about the Atelier series but are uncertain about what game to start with, this PS4 debut is a new character with a new story and appears to be a good starting point.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons blends experimental elements with traditional Double Dragon gameplay. The roguelite design and the changing level structures encourage the player to complete the game multiple times to unlock all the additional characters to create experiences that feel less repetitive. This is a novel idea that works well for a couple playthroughs, but it can’t save things from feeling redundant forever. It’s fun for a couple playthroughs and does well at recreating the classic beat ’em up gameplay. Unfortunately, it also showcases the limitations of the genre, and even with the innovation approach the developers used to make subsequent play sessions different, most players will likely get their fill long before unlocking all thirteen additional fighters.

This is the kind of game you’ll enjoy while playing it, but will almost immediately forget about once you move on to something else. htoL#NiQ is good, which is a shame because it could’ve been much more than that.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II is not a revolutionary entry in the franchise, but its multiplayer and co-op do just enough to make it an enjoyable Call of Duty.

In a nutshell, it does a great job of improving and respecting many elements of the source material, but adds too much filler content. Actraiser Renaissance is far from perfect, but it’s a must play for fans of the SNES original.

Trollhunters: Defenders of Arcadia is a fun, but flawed action-platformer that may deliver a lot of thrills for fans of the series, but lacks enough substance to be a must-buy for those coming in cold. It’s a good game technically, but one with levels that lack soul and a rock-solid layout. What’s here is done well — but it could be done better. The graphical design in particular feels like something from a bygone era with iffy-looking character models and environments that are dull and lifeless. There’s a lot of life to the world around you, but the darker visual look of everything beguiles it and doesn’t do it much justice. Thankfully, it’s still a fun romp in part to the show’s voice cast shining and the excellent soundtrack making the adventure fun to listen to.

So in essence, if the still free SanctuaryRPG: Classic satisfied you, then chances are that the new content won’t give you that urgency to purchase SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition any time soon. But if you’re a purist who really delved into the intricacies of SanctuaryRPG: Classic and would have loved more, then it’s worthwhile to fork over a few dollars for improvements that you’re likely to appreciate in SanctuaryRPG: Black Edition.

It doesn’t top the best snowboarding game ever made (Amped 3), but it does provide plenty of reasons to continue traveling the Alps. Should the trick system and technical issues be resolved in a sure to occur patch, Steep will become a must play. In its current state, however, it’s best to approach with caution.

Simple as it may be, Alien Breed isn’t unenjoyable. It’s a bit easy and straightforward, sure, but it’s also a very good update of an Amiga classic. You run through corridors, shoot everything that moves, pick up all the goodies, then make a run for the exit to do it all over again. There’s no denying that Alien Breed is pretty mindless, but sometimes a bit of brain-dead xenomorph extermination is a nice way to kill an hour.

In a perfect world, everything here (minus the updated racing info, of course) would have debuted last year as F1 2014. Alas, we now have two F1 games released within mere months of each other that both feel incomplete.

The basics of TombStar are well done, with nicely-frantic action that keeps the bullets flowing at a good pace. The variety of enemies makes each encounter use all the skills and perks you’ve got available, dodging and taking cover while hoping there isn’t someone off to the side about to spring an unpleasant surprise. It’s a good combat flow, but the bits that make it better come slowly or run out just as you’re starting to enjoy them. For an action-roguelike, TombStar nails the action but moves too slowly on the roguelike, leading to a twin-stick shooter whose best bits never last long enough to make it great.

Though not immune from a technical mishap here or there, the overall product may come off a little too void -- deliberately so in some cases -- but on the basis of gameplay above all else, Remnant: From the Ashes shines as a solid, at times wonderful, foundation Gunfire can hopefully build on.

If you can put up with the grind, Samurai Warriors 4 is well worth your time.

The Yomawari series is one with its own tone and atmosphere, and the town of Lost in the Dark is a wonderfully spooky place to explore on an inevitable confrontation with a young girl’s trauma.

Gradius Origins offers enough fun for players looking for something simple yet challenging, or who are just in it for the sake of nostalgia. If you love the series, can forgive the missing games and need to have Salamander III, Gradius Origins might be worth owning if you’re okay with the price tag. If not, you might want to wait until you find it on sale. As for curious new players, if you don’t mind a little repetitiveness, then Gradius Origins might be worth it. If the idea of doing the same thing again and again sounds like it’ll get dull, then this collection might not be for you.

While not without some issues, Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour is absolutely a worthwhile release of an absolute classic. It is admittedly better played on a keyboard as designed, but the original title is given a clean representation with this version.

Most of the time, it often feels like the game can’t decide what it wants to be, as the playful nature of the exploration pushes against the heavy-handed plot, and the over-the-top set-piece moments in the final hours feel incompatible with the more grounded puzzle-based gameplay of the previous hours. Having a friend along for the ride makes the journey to the few memorable scenarios worth the wait, but those looking for the next great couch co-op adventure will likely be left unfulfilled.

The gameplay itself is complex and enjoyable, but the lack of consistency in the controls will drive more hardcore players nuts. Still, it’s almost worth buying for the gorgeous art and animation alone, and I can’t deny that it put a smile on my face.

If you're looking for another type of game where you hunt intimidating monsters, tracking them along a map while you master the mechanics, this might be the game for you. Wild Hearts S is exactly what the original release aspired to be. Mixing and matching mechanics that you would never expect to be combined, wonderful landscapes and a fun gameplay loop. You're rewarded for being creative with your contraption placement. The performance is great in both of the Nintendo Switch 2 methods you choose to play, with the game still being beautiful despite the lighting and asset flaws. Wild Hearts S is the definitive version of the game, with consistent performance and the full package of content. It's most certainly worth playing if you're seeking a challenge alone or with friends.

Ame no Marginal -Rain Marginal- tells an interesting story in a short period of time. There’s not really a reason to replay the title either, unless you find yourself so moved by what it has to offer.

In the end, what we’re left with is another enjoyable release in the Project Diva series even though this isn’t the game that will convert everyday folks into Miku diehards.

For owners of the original release, a fifteen to twenty dollar DLC expansion option would have gone a long way to selling this, but it’s a worthy purchase for everybody else.