Almost everything that’s currently present in Them’s Fightin’ Herds is excellent, with the exception of a few platforming sections in the story mode. The issue is that even two years after initially releasing on PC, it still doesn’t feel like a completed game, nor have the developers been clear about when that will change. If what’s here sounds like enough for you, though, or you’re a big My Little Pony fan, you should absolutely give Them’s Fightin’ Herds a chance.

Super Monkey Ball Banana Mania is a vibrant celebration of the series' history that will test both your skills and your patience. But if you're up for the challenge, don't hesitate to add this to your PS5 library.

Metal: Hellsinger is relatively short, and while there are additional challenges you can complete if you fell in love with it, that’s mostly a good thing. While its core mechanics are strong, and I love its soundtrack, it’s a one-dimensional game where you’ll have seen most everything it has to offer quickly. At that point, it’s just a matter of how much you enjoy the feel of it. While it won’t be for everyone, it’s absolutely a game those with Game Pass should give a chance.

Golden Idol Mysteries: The Spider of Lanka isn’t easy to return to if you haven’t played The Case of the Golden Idol for some time, but once you get into it, it offers some of the best content in the entire game. Providing an interesting set-up for the main story and some of the best logic puzzles the developers have derived yet, those who loved the original game last year should absolutely consider checking this out. Those who can, however, should try to play these soon after completing the main game.

Chants of Sennaar is beautifully designed from the ground up. With a fantastic look, beautiful music, and unique gameplay almost entirely focused on translating various languages, there’s nothing like it on the market. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, you’re almost certainly right that it will be. If you’re like me, though, and barely managed to squeak through foreign language classes in school by memorizing what you needed for the next test, Chants of Sennaar likely isn’t for you.

I really enjoyed my time with Yurukill. It brings together two very different genres and presents a satisfying version of each. If those two sides elevated each other, we could have been looking at a terrific game. Instead, however, those sides mostly just sit alongside each other, feeling like a strange marriage that doesn’t entirely make sense. Fans of both visual novels and SHMUPs should certainly check Yurukill out, but if you’re only into one side of this equation, it may not entirely satisfy.

Despite my issues with the game, The Outbound Ghost is still the best Paper Mario styled game I’ve played in many years. It easily offers a dozen hours of gameplay, and that’s just if you play the main story. For those that like to wander, there’s plenty of hidden secrets to unearth, as well as randomizer effects to mix up your experience. While the game wasn’t as tight or well organized as I would have liked, it’s still a solid turn-based RPG that fans should enjoy.

Potionomics is bubbling over with personality — in fact, this may just be the most charming game I’ve played all year. It has so many elements blended beautifully together that would make many different types of gamers happy. With some UI tweaks to highlight critical information to players when its desperately needed, Potionomics will undoubtedly receive even more positive attention than it’s already getting (which is saying something). If you think you have what it takes to be the very best potioneer that ever was, Potionomics is ready to soul-bound itself to you.

Life is Strange: True Colors remains one of my favorite titles of 2021. Wavelengths isn’t everything I wanted when it comes to DLC. Being able to explore Haven Springs further, or at least bringing more of Haven Springs into the record store, would have provided a more satisfying experience. Still, Steph’s story is moving and does an excellent job exploring her character. If you’re a fan of hers, you’ll absolutely want to check out Wavelengths.

Siberian Mayhem is an entertaining little jaunt for fans of Serious Sam 4. It’s a quick five levels to run through, and I wish it had been a little longer, but for all the new weapons and vehicles it introduces, it keeps the familiar Serious Sam formula fresh and fun without overstaying its welcome. Siberia doesn’t seem an obvious destination for those looking to escape the seasonal bleakness this Winter, but for fans of pulse-pounding action, Siberian Mayhem hits the sweet spot (with a cannonball).

You’ll finish Underland relatively quickly, even if some of the late puzzles end up giving you trouble. As I said up front, this is a small game. That’s not inherently a bad thing, though. It’s well priced and provides a few pleasant hours of entertainment. If solving some solid puzzles and helping your astronauts reach the remnants of humanity sounds like a good time, give Underland a try.

Those issues aside, I very much enjoyed my time playing Spidersaurs. Fellow fans of Contra will find something to love here, while fans of WayForward’s brand of uplifting and chaotic fun should also have a good time. This is the best unofficial spiritual successor to the Contra franchise I’ve played in quite a while, and a great example of a classic genre done justice in the modern era. If you’re itching to blast some hideous hybrids to a pulp, this is your game.

I’m a little torn about Forgotten Mines. While I did enjoy my time with the game, I also fear it’s just unbalanced enough to dissuade most gamers from spending the time necessary to grind enough Gems to help stack the odds in their favor. And while the combat is fast-paced and punchy, it’s also unpredictable and often cruelly weighs everything against you. If you’re truly patient and can put up with dying many, many times in your quest to retake the mines, you’ll find a game to love here. For everybody else, this is a harder sell.

Look Outside is a wonderfully eerie adventure with some of the most unique scenarios and sights I’ve seen in a horror game in years. While it makes a strong first impression, though, as time went on, I sometimes wondered if I’d be better off just looking outside. However, there are still enough strong moments to make it worth checking out for those who love horror games and RPGs.

Potion Permit is a quaint little alchemy simulator that will delight anyone looking for something cozy. It’s not exactly the Stardew Valley sibling it appears to be, but it has the potential to become just as beloved in its own right nonetheless. If you’re hurting for a cute life sim that blossoms over time, Potion Permit will cure what ails you.

At its best, Back 4 Blood offers a ton of variety to keep you and your friends interested for a long time. Even returning to levels you’ve already played gets interesting thanks to different cards, which can make major differences in how things play out. If you have three friends to play the whole game with, I highly recommend it. That its available as a Game Pass title is awesome because you can get a group of friends together without them all having to buy the game. If you don’t have that group though, a poorly balanced solo mode and issues with matchmaking will sink this one for most.

The Crush House does something different, combining aspects of social interaction, photography, and simulation with a deeper mystery waiting to be uncovered, always lurking below the surface. It’s an interesting combination, and while it could offer a more cohesive experience, there’s little else like it on the market. Reality TV fans interested in how the medium can translate to video games should absolutely give The Crush House a look.

Do I like Cultist Simulator: Initiate Edition? Or do I like the idea of it? It’s hard to tell, but one thing’s for sure — I’m going to be playing this one for a very long time. The writing is superb, the atmosphere is spooky, and the gameplay is unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Although I understand the design choice of making players learn competency through experimentation and that it was done well here, I cannot say it’s going to be fun for everyone. I’ve barely scratched the surface with Cultist Simulator: Initiate Edition and I’m certainly not very good at it, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Cultist Simulator: Initiate Edition beckons, and I feel compelled to continue.

There are a few excellent moments scattered across its approximately eight hours, particularly its boss fights. It all comes back to your investment, though. If you can play this game on Game Pass, it feels like an easy decision. There’s plenty here for me to recommend you do just that. If you’re dropping money specifically on this experience, though, it feels like you deserve to expect a little bit more. That some part of actually playing this game feels truly interesting instead of just fine. I very rarely got that during my time with South of Midnight. Still, with a solid enough foundation, I’d love to see the team at Compulsion Games try for a sequel that builds on its strengths and does more to provide a great overall experience.

LEGO Bricktales cleverly combines familiar LEGO construction play patterns with an all-new exploratory experience. Although the exploration segments feel a bit too aged-down for this tired millennial’s tastes, the construction is delightfully challenging and exactly what I would have hoped to see in a LEGO game. If you want great LEGO prompts and don’t mind extremely linear (yet still charming) storytelling or are a literal child, LEGO Bricktales is here to unlock your wildest imaginations.

Clash of Chefs VR may appear simple and childish due to its bright and cheery aesthetics, but don’t judge a menu by its cover — this game will even challenge those with a food handler’s permit. Spending three years in Early Access did Clash of Chefs VR plenty of good, as all that time in the oven ensured a smooth and relatively bug-free experience. If you’re looking for a good VR simulator that you can keep coming back to for fun and frantic gameplay, Clash of Chefs VR will satisfy that craving.

With 32 games included, most players are going to be able to find a few titles to fall in love with in Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium. With more duds in the lineup this time around, though, combined with a higher percentage of the collection being featured in recent collections you may already own, the value proposition is a lot harder to judge. Thankfully, this time around, Capcom are letting you buy just the individual games you want from the start. Most players with a love of classic arcade games will want to grab at least a few titles from this collection, even if the collection as a whole isn’t quite the no-brainer some of Capcom’s recent classic offerings have been.

As someone who’s constantly striving for novelty in gaming, I really wanted to give LISA: Definitive Edition a higher score. But sadly, the game’s perplexing and unpredictable combat, combined with huge difficulty spikes, made that impossible. With that in mind, there’s still a really fascinating and darkly compelling story here and some unique gameplay elements. If you live for strange and unique experiences, you need to pick up LISA: Definitive Edition right now. Just prepare for the unexpected in this harrowing adventure.

Stray has charm to spare and a wonderful world well worth exploring. It would have been nice to have a bit more variety in your objectives and to have to spend a bit more time actually thinking about what to do, but it’s never less than fun to play.

EA Sports PGA Tour lays the foundation for what could be a really strong golf game, with a lot of content, deep mechanics, and excellent presentation. Its UI issues, though, are a significant problem that shouldn’t have made it into the final release, and its swing mechanics, while easy to pick up, never feel particularly comfortable. In future years there’s definitely potential to win the tour, but for the moment, I still think the competition offers a more compelling experience.

With its bite-sized stages and mostly braindead enemies, CrossFire: Sierra Squad might disappoint players hoping to find the closest thing to Call of Duty in VR. However, that doesn’t mean you should write it off completely. If you’re looking for a solid arcade shooter with a wide variety of weapons to wield and lots of replay value, CrossFire: Sierra Squad is a solid addition to your PSVR2 library. And if you can find a friend to enlist with, you’re bound to have some fun ridding the world of terrorists, one bullet at a time.

In some ways, Front Mission 2: Remake is an improvement on the first game’s remake. It looks better, and the gameplay has a bit more depth and complexity, even if it isn’t a significant upgrade. In the end, though, I actually had more fun with that original title, thanks to a more compelling story and far better localization. It’s nice that Front Mission 2 is finally officially available in English, but this is still much more a remaster than a remake.

If you’re a beat-’em-up fanatic with a PlayStation Store balance to burn, 9 Monkeys of Shaolin might soothe your fighting spirit for an afternoon or so. But at $30, it’s hard to recommend to all but the most pugilistic players out there. If you’re looking for a PS4 brawler with a bit more meat on its bones, I’d recommend getting your hands on Fight’N Rage or Streets of Rage 4 first. Not only are they cheaper options, but they also offer much more bang for your gaming buck.