Watch Dogs: Legion is a bold move with a few highlights here and there, but still a disappointment that will have you going back to Watch Dogs 2 instead.

Part Time UFO is a wonderful puzzle title that’s worth picking up for anyone looking for a unique and sometimes bizarre creative challenge.

It’s off the beaten path of platformers, but it also has a free demo to check out and once you experience that, you’ll either be sold or you’ll know it’s not for you. If it clicks with you, it sticks with you, though, and Mad Rat Dead is a surprisingly addictive game that makes you think about things differently after you play it.

It’s oh so close to achieving high marks from a gameplay perspective, but it’s also hurt greatly by a lack of polish that makes it a hard product to recommend at launch. In time, there’s a chance we’ll see some improvements that tighten up some of its loose ends and while that’d be unlikely to fix every issue the game has, it may result in it being a more complete experience. As it stands, it feels like a half-baked product that succeeds in spite of its shortcomings, but still needs more work to be a must-buy pickup for either fans of the show or brawler fanatics alike.

Overall, PACER is fast, addicting and fun with enough strategy involved to enjoy the single player aspect of the game.

Though Part One’s story does have quite a few twists and turns that’ll keep players interested, it ends too soon with too many threads left open. Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part One delivers more Doom Eternal and it can be a devilishly fun ride as long as that’s all you’re looking for out of an expansion.

An ambitious closer spanning nearly two decades of characters, storytelling and world-building, The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is both a fitting send-off and a satisfying reflection of what has made Trails such a fascinating saga to invest in.

Let’s be clear here: a tightly-crafted, bug free game that does exactly what it wants to do, Ghostrunner deserves an audience. The appeal might not be universal, but the art and style behind the game cannot be ignored. It really is good, despite a personal distaste for how it handles certain elements. If a killcam is implemented to help the player learn their mistakes, then this title becomes an easy recommendation. Until then, check out the demo; it’s a good representation of what the game is. Anyone who enjoys that will have a blast with Ghostrunner. In the meantime, I’ll be applying salve to my now-wounded ego.

The more die-hard fans of the first game may be able to get past the more frustrating elements of GONNER2, but others may be turned off by how cheap it can get at times. Still, the core gameplay is simple yet enjoyable, and like before, GONNER2 looks and sounds stunning. But the end result is like when you watch an older cartoon at a higher FPS: it’s faster, still pretty, and the content at the core is still the same, yet there’s still this awkward quality to it that’s just hard to ignore.

Pumpkin Jack has rough edges to it, but it still delivers a fun experience in spite of them. It’s very much a game that is greater than the sum of its parts. It has a wide array of gameplay styles to enjoy, with most well implemented. The action-platforming content is great, while the slower-paced tightrope-style sections are iffy due to some collision issues. Thankfully, the exploding puzzle sections help make up for this and the overall tone keeps things light-hearted and fun even with a dark, gothic look to the world and its inhabitants. It looks good and sounds even better and is a perfect pickup for anyone wanting a new 3D platformer who can accept less-than-perfect mechanics.

Disc Room expertly blends together the simple yet unique mechanics of Minit and the lightning-quick carnage and quick challenges of High Hell, so yes, the end result is akin to peanut butter and chocolate. Disc Room is a joyfully insane experience that delivers a terrific dose of old-school arcade action, all wrapped up in an innovative and attractive package, with a set of tricky yet highly intriguing and nicely-designed puzzles to act as the cherry on top. In a way, there’s something for all types of gamers here, so make sure to not miss out on this gem.

Zoids Wild: Blast Unleashed has come to do one thing: fight. Battle techniques built into gameplay have come a long way since the last arcade Zoids title, but Blast Unleashed manages to bring a strong, technical fighting emphasis to a long-running franchise.

ScourgeBringer is an addictive experience that delivers terrific arcade-style gameplay. The combat is so fluid, fun and fast that you’ll easily get caught up in it for hours, and it puts up an impressive fight when it comes to delivering a tough-as-nails challenge while still being highly enjoyable, with intense battles backed up by stunning visuals and a fantastic soundtrack. It’s a roguelike platformer that can be a tough nut to crack at first, but the reward is worth all the blisters you’ll have on your thumbs.

Straightforward and occasionally frustrating the set-up may seem, Noita‘s hands-off approach to instruction and allowing player-made discovery to bloom is one sought-after trait in gaming that here pays off time and time again.

If it weren’t for bad gunplay and aiming mechanics that have to be surmounted, Operation Blackout would be an easy recommend for the interested. As is, it does require a patient and forgiving player. Those that can find their way around this issue, though, will have a better time than the poor kid who got the Radar Rat.

NHL 21 has taken the best of what has been offered this generation in the series and sprinkled goodness on top. Be A Pro is a much-needed change and is the first innovative offline mode since implementing the expansion draft. It’s deep enough and feels fresh and could rejuvenate buzz into the series. HUT remains HUT with just more ways to grind for cards. Franchise Mode’s new coaching options are a good update for the league, but it’s only a surface change. The NHL series can no doubt benefit the most from a next-gen overhaul, but there’s enough here for yearly NHL players or those that have skipped a few years. Also, it’s worth mentioning EA is adding NHL 94 for those that pre-ordered later this month.

Hades is no less than an absolute masterpiece, easily a contender for Supergiant’s finest work yet, and a candidate for the year’s best game. It delivers truly classic action in almost every sense of the word, has the perfect level of difficulty, looks breathtaking and has a unique take on Greek mythology that hits just the right tone, always finding a way to keep you coming back for more, always playing to see what’s next. It’s the stuff of legends and everyone involved should be proud of what they’ve made.

While you may have to be prepared for a slow start and a grind, there’s fun to be found in Crown Trick, thanks to its unique turn-based take on roguelike dungeon crawlers, its enjoyable and deep mechanics, and the vibrant world of the Nightmare Realm. Whether you’re a patient player, a strategy buff or just someone looking for something different, NEXT Studios have something for you that might not be an absolute dream, but will be an interesting little fantasy.

Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is the remaster the game deserves. The overhaul of aesthetics in gameplay make it look better than it ever has. This Definitive Edition comes supersized with all the previous game’s content plus new missions, campaigns and factions. The new additions are fully developed and integrate masterfully with the base game. While the game is beautiful to look at and still holds true to the formula that makes AoE such a great franchise, it’s also riddled with frustrating glitches and inconsistencies. While I’m sure a post-launch patch will be released to add fixes, players will have to deal with these inconveniences in the the meantime. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition, however, does justice to the franchise by recognizing its flaws and working towards a better product. The collaboration with Indigenous consultants helps it regain its dignity by providing historical accuracy. Through these collaborations, developers were also able to solve gameplay issues that plagued all fans of the game. Age of Empires III: Definitive Edition is by no means a perfect product, but it perfectly honors the spirit of the franchise.

FIFA 21 has thrown a lot of adjustments under the hood to help give players more tools than ever before. A lot of the casual players, however, may not take advantage of this. Something needs to be updated to the shooting model and not just the 1-on-1 matchups. The feeling of a soccer match is still fantastic, but it seems EA has put this in the back seat in favor of VOLTA. Even though the Career Mode offers a good bit of options and control, the focus still feels like it is on VOLTA and FUT in terms of game modes even though neither mode changed much. FIFA 21 is a great soccer experience for those who don’t play these types of games often, but the limited mode selection and the overall feel of the game will leave a lot to be desired for yearly fans.

Torchlight III doesn’t bring anything new to the looter dungeon crawler and that’s okay. It’s rather simplified and accessible, but most importantly fun and hard to stop playing. Hardcore fans of this style may be critical of the fact that it might be too simplistic and accessible, and that’s understandable since I have fond memories of working out complex character builds in other games of this nature and feeling pride when they worked out well. Comparing Torchlight III to other dungeon crawlers may come up lacking in those areas, but it’s an enjoyable game just taking it in as its own entity, making the return trip to Novastraia worthwhile.

Super Mario Bros. 35 is extremely addictive to keep playing over and over, trying to get that top spot no matter how long it takes. Matches can last a good amount of time with the final remaining group of players, so it becomes a strategy match of trying to send threatening enemies to everyone else, hoping they slip up. There are so many creative concepts here and it’s nice to see such wild ideas for the battle royale genre popping up this year that make things silly in the best kind of way. It’s a crying shame this title won’t be around forever, but as a free title for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, it’s a fantastically fun time all the same. Anyone looking for a crazy new challenging way to play the original Super Mario Bros should give Super Mario Bros. 35 a try and jump into the fray.

Ikenfell likely won’t replace the Harry Potter series as a whole when it comes to providing a signature web of tales centered around a magic school, but it still provides one impressive journey on its own. Filled with lovable characters, an enjoyable story, and a colorful world to explore filled with a nice level of challenge and a stunning soundtrack, there’s a lot here for fantasy and RPG fans to check out. Heck, it may even be something to recommend to younger gamers as an introduction to the tactics subgenre. Overall, Ikenfell is a trip to a far-out school that’s definitely worth taking.

Star Wars: Squadrons nails the inherently exciting feeling of piloting and fighting in its iconic starfighters, but the paltry single player and multiplayer modes fail to do anything ambitious or impressive with the core gameplay. The sheer amount of gameplay and aesthetic customization and clear passion for the license do their best to make up for these shortcomings, and could keep dedicated Star Wars or space combat fans invested. But as the hours wear on, Squadrons’ repetitive objectives starts to feel less like a main attraction and more like a fun diversion, ultimately leaving the game as an enjoyable multiplayer experience to return to when you feel that itch for a few rounds of frantic and fast space combat.

Wherever it takes you, Genshin Impact is a more-than-convincing proposition, not least for those adamant on never spending a single cent in-game. The grind to get there may not always feel wholly natural or that players are genuinely being left to wander without restraint, but Genshin Impact‘s meticulous approach to environment design above all pulls through in many wonderful ways. Crafting one of the year’s more immersive and surprisingly rich open-world RPGs.

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.

RIDE 4 is the best entry in the series and fixes a lot of problems that past games had. Its diverse mix of event types in the career mode keeps it fresh even with a few tedious tests dragging things down. The on-track action shines at all times when you have rivals with you, and no matter what track you’re on or what time of day or conditions you’re racing in, you’re in for a fun time. It’s a challenging game, but in a good way as it encourages you to get better and offers a wide variety of difficulty options to help you along the way. Put simply, Ride 4 looks and sounds fantastic and controls like a dream.

There’s a lot to love with Paradise Killer. From the cool cast of characters, to the open-ended nature of the investigation, players will find it easy to dive in. The vaporwave visual design may not be to everyone’s tastes, but those who enjoy it will love the world on display. The biggest disappointments are that there’s not more to the world exploration aspect. It’s also a shame that the open world nature of the gameplay does not carry over into the anticlimactic trials. Even so, it’s worth taking a vacation on Paradise Island. Paradise Killer is a bold first release from Kaizen Game Works and we’re looking forward to see what they create next.