Forspoken is not worth either your money, or your time. Even were it offered for free, perhaps as part of a free weekend promotion on Steam, or as one of the rotating weekly free game giveaways on the Epic Games Store, it would still be too high a price to pay, as the time investment costs far outweigh the doubtful pleasure of experiencing what little Forspoken has to offer.

Like its inspirations, Wanted: Dead also gives you the entirety of itself as upfront as possible. It may require a certain amount of nostalgia for its predecessors to truly enjoy, but the package seems poised to stand well enough on its own for the audience and budget it is aiming for.

Fortunately, Dead Space does provide the player with one way to ratchet up the intensity. If combat doesn't scare you, then you can always turn on the Impossible difficulty setting where if you die once then it's game over (the remake has helpfully added the option to continue playing at reduced difficulty, the original would just delete your save entirely). I would highly recommend checking out the Impossible difficulty, even if you're not the sort that generally goes in for challenge runs, if only because it gives the game a sense of urgency and tension that it otherwise lacks.

In all, Hogwarts Legacy is exactly the game that Harry Potter fans have been craving since they first experienced the Wizarding World, with a wonderful presentation and a world full of life and magic that encourages exploration. Learn spells, travel the open world, solve puzzles, and perhaps help decide the destiny of the Wizarding World with your peculiar abilities. For anyone that knows and loves the series, Hogwarts Legacy is a dream come true - and even if you aren't as much of a fan the game has plenty to offer and may even make a fan of you yet!

Despite some of the issues, The Cosmic Shake is a very fun game that satisfies both fans of SpongeBob and of platformers, and is another contender in the list of games that are licensed by other forms of media that are actually genuinely solid in their own right, rather than merely taking advantage of name recognition. For anyone that has previously played Battle for Bikini Bottom or is generally interested in a 3D platformer full of cartoon shenanigans, then SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake might just be worth losing a boating license for.

While its art style is pleasing to the eye, the low resolution appearance of the textures, even when the game is played on the pre-determined "High" visual quality setting, make models and other assets appear blurry and indistinct. The minimalistic nature of the options menu makes it effectively impossible for players to rectify this through further increases and tweaking. The message is clear: Either accept mediocrity, in all areas, or walk away. Given said options, walking away may well be the only viable solution.

Nothing in Power Chord is a revelation. It executes familiar formulas, but it does so extremely well. Even now, considering post-release plans are already being discussed, there's a ton of content to make grinding out a victory worthwhile. You're going to lose, probably a lot, but it wouldn't be fun otherwise. It is enjoyable mastering the systems here. Building a deck that gels perfectly with your playstyle is satisfying. And, of course, sending these demons back to hell with the power of rock (and a little magic) serves as the ultimate reward in this tactical experience.

In all Persona 3 Portable is an excellent chance for gamers to add to their JRPG collection, and despite its flaws it has a compelling story, fantastic music (Techno and J-Rock compared to P4’s J-Pop and P5’s Jazz), and characters that feel fleshed out and real. For $20 USD on Steam and many hours of content, the game is a bargain worthy of Tanaka, a series spanning salesman that has always got a deal for you.

It was the surprises that kept me invested throughout, and I'm certainly not going to spoil them here. What I can say is it left me with a refreshing RPG that may not revolutionize the genre, but I think starts the year off right for either or both RPG and One Piece fans.

In all, Reunion is a fun way to revisit the universe of Final Fantasy VII and let players experience some of the events that would eventually lead to the main story that gamers have known and loved for over 20 years. Reunion is a fantastic remastering that lets a new generation of players witness more of the stories within Midgar and allows for even more build up throughout the series as the next release looms ever closer. For anyone even somewhat interested in this world, whether they're first time grunts entering Midgar for the first time, or SOLDIER 1st Class who have played either the original or other games in the series of FFVII, this game provides a good way to experience a world of science and magic merging, and starts a tragic tale that has lived in gamer's hearts ever since the initial release in 1997.

Warhammer 40k Darktide is an excellent sci-fi co-op FPS experience that will likely be enjoyed for years to come. While not quite reaching the same quality level of their initial Warhammer 40k End Times: Vermintide title back in 2015, Darktide is something that both diehard Warhammer fans, and co-op FPS fans in general, can mutually appreciate.

In all, Choo-Choo Charles is an impressively made game for only having one person working on it - and what flaws it has don't get in the way of an overall solid experience. The game leans on its ridiculousness but also manages to keep an entertaining amount of tension due to the seemingly constant presence of the spider-train, heralded only by his horn. There isn't always a lot to see away from the train tracks or specific quests noted on the map, but that isn't a necessity in a game like Choo-Choo Charles - and despite its relatively short length this is one train this reviewer would recommend picking up a ticket.

In all, Shadows Over Loathing is a treat to play and is incredibly witty - the simple designs and graphics add to the game's charm rather than do damage to it, and with the exception of audio mixing the game is very well built. For anyone that likes rather wacky RPGs- the Roaring 20s and its hoards of jazz, hobos, and fishermen are waiting in Shadows Over Loathing.

I have seen this game described as an "Open World", which is categorically untrue. While the level design has a degree of openness to them, giving the player multiple routes to reach their objective they are still decidedly structured. There is no seeing a mountain off in the distance and walking until you reach its summit. This is not a complaint, as I tend to prefer a smaller, crafted level with multiple pathways to a sprawling sandbox with little structure or logic. It helps that the game gives you some interesting travel mechanics to get around as well. After the first boss, you get a mechanical device that follows you around and allows you to fly for short periods of time, which is probably the single most enjoyable part of the whole game. I never got tired of zipping up cliff faces or floating onto the weird hovering islands that inexplicably dot the landscape. The game encourages this by sprinkling upgrade tokens and items but if I'm being honest I probably would have done it without them.

The team at Gearbox have done a wonderful job of recreating the adventure game style that Telltale has perfected. The introduction of the mini-games does provide for change of pace, but they do detract from the flow of the story. However, the trademark Borderlands art style and humour together with the wonderfully diverse set of characters and well told narrative makes New Tales from the Borderlands a must for fans of Borderlands and adventure games.

Outside of its aforementioned snarky references and the silly physics system, there isn't a lot holding up this sequel. Everything seen here just makes the player want to go back to the original game instead.

Marvel's Midnight Suns is an interesting mix of exactly what players expected and some surprising curveballs. Combat is just as tight and tactical as fans of the XCOM series have come to expect from the developer, and the wonderful cast of Marvel heroes are all fantastically fun to play. The game would have benefitted from pulling back a bit on time spent in The Abbey, but, even then, there’s still value for people interested in the Marvel Universe. Midnight Suns is clearly a passion project from Firaxis Games, and that heart comes through in the little things. It's an easy game to recommend, and it stands among few others as a great example of what Marvel games should be moving forward.

It is commendable the rate at which the developers have been able to craft these individual stories. Considering the widely branching narratives (that seems no less complex here) there's always been a feeling that The Dark Pictures was handled by the B team, while the A team developed the standalone titles. The Devil in Me has the feeling of a C team development (or D team, if the VR titles have their own?). There's enough mistakes to make the whole thing feel like a freshman effort mistakenly placed at the end of a quadrilogy. The story and the setting deserved better than to be absolutely trounced by the poor quality parts, but given how quickly the developers iterate and respond to feedback there's plenty of hope moving forward. As the bookend to their first season of this experiment, though, they left plenty to be desired.

After playing the Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga for several hours, we concluded that this is undoubtedly the best Lego Star Wars video game so far. Some might argue that this is the leading title of the entire Lego series. First, you should expect a very long game that can take up to 90 hours to finish. The best part is that these hours will not be filled with repetitive tasks and boring missions. There are excellent action-packed scenes that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

People that play and love Mount & Blade probably don't care as much about politics or the economy. For most, it will be all about being a knight on a horse that matters, and Bannerlord comes through once again. Any shortcomings or features that weren't thought of by the developers will no doubt be modded by fans. In fact, mods are already appearing and that will only add to the longevity of the game. Even though there are still some minor bugs such as an underperforming AI, I still can't recommend Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord enough. Mount & Blade 2: Bannerlord is a highly addictive game that has me wanting to ride around Calradia upon my trusty steed until I become king of the medieval land.

A Little to the Left is a game that I ultimately ended up respecting more than I actually enjoyed it. I can absolutely see how this is going to be a slam dunk for many puzzle solvers out there, but the lack of clear solutions for some of the puzzles simply wasn't up my alley. Luckily I was able to skip or look up the answer for the content I didn't enjoy, and the less abstract and more organizational-styled puzzled did give me that endorphin hit when everything was finally neat and tidy.

Sonic Frontiers is a game with a lot going for it, but is somewhat held back by the technical issues of a character as fast as Sonic. It does provide a path forward into a new era of Sonic games that could revive the series and unite the fans behind it. Exploring the Starfall Islands can be as relaxing or as hectic as the player desires, and there is plenty of room for more games like this in the future of the franchise. The added mechanics of an open world and a skill tree allow for players to really feel the growth in Sonic's speed and strength as the game progresses, and the customization in the options allow for a grasp on Sonic's speed and manoeuvrability that no other Sonic game has yet attempted. This reviewer feels optimistic about the Sonic franchise to come now that it has taken some steps into a new frontier.

Overall, Asterigos: Curse of the Stars is a passable quality experience that excels when it leans into its Monster Hunter/Dauntless-esque multiphase boss fights, interspersed with more solitary bouts of exploration and subsequent discovery. Had the developers leaned further into this hypothetically simplified formula, while offsetting it with the existing rich and dense progression system, Asterigos could have proved its mettle as a more-than-worthy contender in the market. However, its poor control responsiveness, its often-needlessly ham-fisted approach to forcing linearity where it's not needed, and its debatable narrative quality, also collectively hold it back from reaching its full potential.

That relatively minor negative aside, Unknown Number was a lot of fun and is easy to recommend for those looking to play a short, novel game that brings its ideas together well. Actual decision points are relatively limited, so replay value isn't particularly high, but the experience is fun enough the first time through that that isn't a big drawback. I appreciated how Unknown Number became a bit more personal and expanded some of its concepts towards the end, and I'll definitely be in line to check out a sequel, spiritual or otherwise, if godolphin games ever makes one.

In all LEGO: Bricktales is a charming foray into a plastic moulded world. Creativity is encouraged, but players are more than free to blitz through with whatever roughshod constructions that they are able to make, allowing for some hilarity when people either question the quality of a painstakingly built bridge or compliment the artistry in a hastily constructed helicopter. For anyone that is a fan of LEGO, character creation, or questionable engineering, this isn’t a game to miss despite its few flaws.

Co-op games are generally fun to play with friends and family, and Fueled Up is no different. There is little in the way of a story, but that doesn’t matter so much as you and your friends try and complete their tasks on the spaceship before the evil space octopus catches you. The tasks aren’t overly varied, but the level design and the added mechanics give the game a challenging feel. The fun cartoon style visuals make the game suitable for all ages. Unlocking new characters as you progress through the levels adds a degree of replayability and the fact that you can play with friends online is a bonus. Fueled Up is a worthy addition to the co-op genre.

Players are free to talk to whoever they choose and can complete tasks in just about any order, giving the game an open world feel, despite the relatively small map. Wylde Flowers has a simplicity that allows gamers of all ages to play and has a visual style that would appeal to most. The bright cartoon visuals are akin to a more realistic Dora the Explorer, whilst the diverse characters are equally adorable, each with their own personality. Wylde Flowers starts out as a farming simulation along the lines of Animal Crossing but ends up being more of a life sim that encourages exploration and communication...oh, and witchcraft.

The tone is somewhat akin to a fashion fairy tale, though one that hews a bit closer to the old European legends than the modern Disney variations. Throughout the game it feels like there are darker implications of the world, dancing just beyond the player's comprehension. The few clues we do get through item descriptions and environmental storytelling paint a grim picture. It cultivates a sense of mystery and dread and keeps you plunging deeper and deeper into the castle.

Persona 5 Royal is chock full of amazing music, beautiful set pieces, wonderful characters, and a compelling story that makes its length feel almost too short, despite the opposite being true. Royal is worthy of its shimmering title, and is sure to steal your heart!

Dragon Ball: The Breakers will probably live or die based on its initial release window. It is a game of growing pains so severe that it might scare off much of the audience. What that could leave is akin to a late-stage fighting game: the only players left are very good, forcing away even more newcomers. If players can get over this hurdle, and the one that simply playing the game provides, there's a depth to the mechanics that are satisfying to master. It is a game that offers a bit more complexity than competitor Dead By Daylight, but would have to sustain a player base to truly match it. Failing that, it could end another Friday The 13th; a totally fine game that can only be enjoyed with friends. As it stands now, though, a private game cannot exist without a full lobby of eight players, so even that might not be a realistic option. In a world with a glut of this genre, it doesn't do quite enough to require your time.

Tragically, The Outbound Ghost is not a flawless game. There are notable load times throughout, and frames can drop pretty heavily when entering or exiting areas and battles. Along with the load times, there are occasional difficulty spikes as you explore Outbound where a wandering MOB will do a devastating amount of damage or fight with surprising intellect, causing players to need awareness of their strategies even in field battles that aren't bosses. However, The Outbound Ghost is a game that does its best to capture the charming artistic style of Paper Mario, telling a surprisingly compelling tale of regrets and having very fun combat along the way that lends itself to a lot of replayability to try out new strategies or challenge yourself as a player! This reviewer certainly plans on spending a lot of time in Outbound, and recommends that any RPG lovers give this one a look!

Session: Skate is not a game I recommend anyone pick up that is looking for a casual experience to jump into once in a while. Instead, it's a project that needs (and rewards) a substantial investment of time to internalize and commit to muscle memory the unconventional controls and game "feel". While it has its flaws and frustrations, the simple fact is that there really isn't anything else filling this niche in the market right now, and, fortunately, fans of the genre will likely find a lot here to like.

Overall, Soulstice daringly makes the plunge into several genres and subgenres simultaneously, and ultimately comes away, predictably, as competent enough in most areas, but exceptional in none.

With Construction Simulator being the fourth game in the series, I have a very hard time believing that the developers would release a final product with bugs that stopped game play like I experienced. What I was able to play was fun, but these bugs seriously diminished that enjoyment.

Little Orpheus is an extremely short game. I suspect that most gamers will complete it in four or five hours. Being primarily a story-focused game, Little Orpheus has little to offer the player in replay value. There are no challenges to master, and no skills to perfect. The game does offer a new game plus mechanic in the form of The Lost Recordings, but this expansion is so pitiful that the developers might as well have not bothered with it.

Sunday Gold is by no means a bad game, but its tonal and game mechanical confusion, created as a result of the developers' honuorable attempt at originality, makes it hard to whole-heartedly recommend for anyone looking for a casual pick-up-and-play tactical heist game.

Return to Monkey Island follows the tried-and-true formula of past titles whilst adding a new flavour to the series. The vibrant visuals and wonderful voice acting are surpassed only by the quality puzzles and humorous story. And although I found most of the puzzles reasonably simple, this may be due to my veteran status when it comes to point-and-click adventure games. Return to Monkey Island is a wonderfully nostalgic journey with old friends and new, one that has me helpful that a further sequel is just over the horizon.

Blind Fate is a game of interesting ideas, both in setting and in gameplay. There is a sense that the developers held back in far too many areas for fear of overwhelming the player, and it’s detrimental at every step. Watching it in motion is pleasing enough, but rote gameplay and a completely unremarkable story really hamstrung a game that could have ended up being something special.

Isonzo may find itself somewhat hampered by its many technical shortcomings and modest amount of in-game content, such as the limited size of its current map pool, but with a bit of post-launch patching, and a commitment to continued content updates, Isonzo’s greatest days may hopefully lay ahead.

In all Pac-Man World: Re-Pac is a quality coat of paint that allows for gamers to experience an era of Pac-Man's history that was previously only available on the fifth console generation. It's a fun platformer with appealing visuals, smooth gameplay, and a simple but nevertheless charming story.

The game uses the golf word par to give a number of how many shots a hole has to be completed in. In reality using the word par in place of number of shots allowed is a misnomer because completing a hole under par carries no benefit. That might just be the developers way of making the game be more golf like. However, even though Cursed to Golf really isn't a sports game or a game of real golf, it does hold a whole lot of value when it comes to fun. The graphics aren't the latest and greatest but the feeling of accomplishment of actually negotiating your way past each level is worth the price of admission. It's also worth a bunch of satisfaction knowing that you indeed did escape purgatory, finally!

Overall, Scathe is a perfectly adequate shooter. However, it fails in its intended purpose of adequately supporting either a bullet-hell playstyle, or on the flipside, a slow-paced tactically-driven experience. Its current mechanics and balancing make it unclear what demographic the developers are attempting to chase. With a few months of sufficient patching and overhauling, it’s possible that Scathe could transform into one of the best Doom-esque indie FPS games currently on the market. For now, it’s definitely worthy of being added to one's wishlist. Whether it's worth purchasing outright, however, is a question worthy of far more doubt.

Marvel's Spider-Man: Remastered is a fantastic game full of classic Spider-Man charm, with fantastic movement and smooth combat that emphasizes the nature of the web-head. With a compelling story and good character moments, this reviewer is going to be very much looking forward to Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales when it comes to Steam, and Marvel's Spider-Man 2 when it finally releases. Here's hoping it will be soon.

Rollerdrome is beautiful to watch and satisfying to play. I would easily consider it to be an encapsulation of what makes games special. It has gameplay that is challenging but rewarding. There is an adequate level of assists to turn on for those not looking to be beaten down too much. And there's a level of replayability that can satisfy the perfectionists and score hunters. If it came packed with a story that took a few more chances it could have reached a near-perfect state. I'm still left feeling that this will lead to further adaptations of the action sports formula, but at the very least it's a game that knows what it wants to be and delivers exactly that.

The level of detail in Cult of the Lamb is surprisingly deep. The combination of RPG-lite style adventuring and the management of your followers ensure that the game is never stale. With each run through a dungeon different from the previous run, gamers will encounter a range of enemies. Players will no doubt spend differing amounts of time with each depending on their personal preference, but I personally found myself managing my followers more than the hack-and slash portion of the game. Either way, the cute visuals, the awesome soundtrack and sound effects, and the fun simple combat means that Cult of the Lamb is a game that any budding cult leader should pick up.

The game seems to climax with a decision about committing violence or not (there's a split achievement for either attacking or not attacking), but I honestly never even saw the potential victim of my antlers and don't know why I would randomly stab a fawn even if I did. There was no narrative set-up or pay-off, save for the frustrating 10 minutes I spent earlier in the game getting randomly KO'd by teleporting bucks. Therein lies the problem with Deer Journey. It doesn't have the gameplay to work as a "game", it doesn’t have the narrative (explicit or implied) to work as a passive story, and it doesn't look good enough to be a visual treat (in fact, the animations are quite poor). Every time I thought something might be about to happen and set the direction for the game, it would turn out to be another level that had me simply run straight for an awkward amount of time while some admittedly pretty music swelled.

Recipe for Disaster presents what, on paper, is a great premise for any management game, but ultimately stays true to its own name, being a disastrous mess of a game concealed by a superficial coat of visually-engaging paint, that makes one want to drown oneself in a pot of overcooked stew.

Aside from a few instances where your landings become hard to calculate, this platformer that relies on jumping and movement puzzles largely comes together. I almost expected a game steeped in the depths of hell to be a bit more devilish to its players, but the parts of the game that work as intended are minimally challenging. That’s probably Hell Pie's biggest fault: it doesn't do enough to stand out. This genre of game is having quite the resurgence, and I'm afraid it won't stand the test of time. At the end of my experience, I enjoyed the game as a whole, but a large part of that depended on my need to finish it for review. I doubt it ends up on many game of the year lists come December, but Hell Pie puts forth a solid effort to rekindle the golden age of platformers.

On the plus side, the core gameplay is largely untouched from the original, and the new additions are universally positive. Besides normal enemies that function as before there are a few special enemies that add some new puzzles and challenges to the game. Of special note are the airboard levels, which are fast-paced levels where Klonoa rides a hovering snowboard through a linear obstacle course. While these have the distinct disadvantage of feeling like something that fell out of another game entirely, they do break up the flow of the game nicely.

If you’re a fan of tower defence style game, Defend the Bits will definitely be right up your alley, whilst for other gamers, the game offers a quick break from your usual game. But be warned, that quick break can turn into hours of addictive gameplay.

Fobia: St. Dinfna Hotel is a perfectly tolerable survival-horror game. You won't regret playing it. But likely because a month from now, you won't recall ever having played it.

This is a visual novel, meaning that even if the music, art, and acting are all faultless they don't count for much if the writing is lacklustre. Unfortunately, that is what we have with Corpse Factory, a mediocre story dressed up with excellent production values.

While the gameplay brings nothing new to the RTS slate, and sometimes feels surpassed by games that came out a decade ago, it has just enough to propel you through its reasonably short experience. With any luck, you'll have your fill by then, because that's all there is. Replayability is virtually non-existent. There’s no multiplayer, no skirmish mode (yet), and no reasonable reason to revisit missions. It's a self-contained experience that ultimately accomplishes most of what it sets out to do: provide a fun human mulch simulator that will almost make fans forget about three substandard sequels to a fun film by capturing the old magic. Unfortunately the emphasis there is on "old."

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge could have been a nostalgic cash grab, but it is instead a wonderful side-scrolling beat-em-up that acts as a love letter to the entire genre. The game is made better by its license and fan-service references, but, beneath all that, it's an excellently crafted game that stands on its own merits. It’s a short game with a lot of replay value, and it’s worth the price of admissions for anyone with even a passing interest in what it offers.

In all Sonic Origins is a good way to experience the original four Sonic the Hedgehog outings, but it isn't without its issues, namely the locked content and the occasional glitch. This reviewer recommends Origins to anyone that’s a fan of classic platformers, or is a fan of collections that include never before seen art of the Blue Blur and his friends and foes from the Genesis/CD era!

Tennis Manager 2022 is an interesting and very well-done sports management game. There's a lot of depth to it with the only drawback being that it might be put into the niche or fan-boy category of PC sports games. If you aren't into tennis, then Tennis Manager might not be for you. However, for pure sports manager game enthusiasts like myself that enjoy learning about unfamiliar and different sports this title is a worthwhile addition to any manager game collection. The game contains many of the sport’s major equipment producers along with some tennis specific jargon and references that identify tennis as a unique sport. The major stars in the sport are present but due to possible trademark infringements the names aren't spelled like they are in real life. That's okay because I still give Tennis Manager 2022 two thumbs up.

Card Shark is not going to change the video game landscape, but it has enough tricks up its sleeve to compete in the indie space. The whole package feels fully realized, even if it doesn’t hit on every one of its mechanical gambles.

Overall, We Were Here Forever is a compelling atmospheric puzzle game with a moderately high production value. However, its strong reliance specifically on cooperative gameplay all but necessitates multiplayer participation, including voice chat communication, so if you don’t have a buddy to play with and communicate with via Steam voice chat or a third-party app like Discord, you won’t be getting the full value out of this game. Its many minor technical performance issues might very well prove to be a distraction at times to players, but none of it reaches that invisible point of no return. Whether you’re an existing fan of the series, or a relative newcomer like myself, We Were Here Forever will likely draw you in with its atmosphere, and keep you immersed with its creative puzzle mechanics and accompanying ongoing narrative.

Sniper Elite 5 is a perfectly competent fresh instalment in the longstanding series. It succeeds in carrying over much of what most people loved about the previous games. However, its near-exclusive focus on iterating rather than reiterating often works against it. If you loved past instalments, you’ll probably enjoy this one. However, for those put off by previous Sniper Elite games, Sniper Elite 5 won't be the game to draw you back in. Sniper Elite 5 feels less like a sequel to Sniper Elite 4, and instead more akin to a rather large expansion DLC for said predecessor.

As Dark Quest: Board Game stands at this particular moment, it is, quite simply, a boring game to play. There’s not much going on, and the pretty aesthetic is not going to keep you playing it for more than an hour or so (unless you really force yourself) or listen to podcasts in the background while you wait for something in the oven to finish cooking so you can, at last, have something of more substance to consume when you finish playing.

Quijote: Quest for Glory is a nice little game and with a few alterations it could become a keeper. The graphics look good, background music sounds nice and of course the Spanish speaking is pure music to the ears. It seems to have a well developed story line as well. Quest for Glory is a budget game after all and very affordable so why not give it a try, just don't expect too much.

Vampire: The Masquerade - Swansong an intriguing experience that itches a certain scratch, but it's probably not for everyone. Those looking for something faster-paced are likely to feel that the exploration and dialogue are a bit slow for their liking, but players down for a just-hammy-enough supernatural soap opera that mirrors the tabletop game well will find a lot to love.

What is present throughout the game is the obvious passion that has gone into it. Fursan al-Asqa never falls into a comfortable routine and repeats itself. There's always another interesting mission objective or absurd cut-scene. It is far from a perfect game, but it is consistently engaging. Certainly worth checking out, if only for the novelty of it.

It is theoretically possible that some of the issues mentioned here could be addressed, in some capacity, by the developers, but the amount of overhauling required to fully fix this confused and stumbling mess of a game is likely far greater than the effort this team of developers will realistically commit to. In their enthusiasm to race to the finish line, they produced a game that crashed and burned at launch. One can only hope that the developers take a few notes as they survey this smouldering heap of a game.

House of the Dead: Remake, as a simple remaster, is an excellent example of what a remaster is supposed to be. It gives the original game a visual facelift while going to the extreme to not tamper with the familiar gameplay and aesthetic that long time fans have come to know and love. But anyone would be hard-pressed to consider this as a remake, rather than a remaster. Where the game begins to flounder is in regards to the very limited pool of new content. The lack of online multiplayer support, combined with the limited amount of new content to keep fans occupied beyond the first hour, makes it hard to justify the $24.99 retail price. If the game had launched at $9.99 or $14.99 instead, these limited additions might have been an easier pill to swallow. As it stands, while the small changes and additions might prove to be a love letter to existing fans, House of the Dead: Remake doesn’t do much to appeal to potential new fans as well.

If you want a rather great combat system with a gorgeous aesthetic then give Trek to Yomi a try, but don’t expect a game that’s going to last dozens of hours. It has a story to tell, and that story is not very long.

In all Chrono Cross is an intriguing cult classic brought back for fans old and new alike. Even despite the touch ups the graphics are clearly that of an older game thanks to the specific style that they chose when originally making Cross, and it isn’t a perfect remaster, some issues do appear in performance (FPS drops occur occasionally). It has an intriguing story and concept that provides a fascinating spin on the classic time travel tropes of ‘saving yourself’ since in Cross, it's already far too late, and you don’t even know why.

I doubt that it will be most people's cup of tea but for those out there that crave some disturbing, surreal horror, Golden Light is well worth its modest price.

The cute visuals give the impression that Tentacular is one for the younger gamers. And to an extent it is, with the simple controls and some of the levels being ridiculously easy to complete. But the puzzle element to some of the levels and the exactness required for some of the movements of the two tentacles can mean that there is a requirement of deftness to much of the game. Although the story is somewhat lacking, it doesn’t take away from the gameplay. In essence, each level feels like a mini game that has players using the controllers in different ways. As a result, the gameplay never feels old, and indeed, as I was playing through the levels I was intrigued as to what the next level would bring. And combined with the knowledge that the game fully utilizes the 360-degree capabilities of the VR headset, it makes Tentacular a worthy purchase for those with the hardware.

Forgive Me Father is a perfectly competent first-person shooter that successfully manages to integrate a lot of elaborate elements, such as a fairly unique art style, as well as creating an engaging progression system, and has more than enough content to keep even a speedy player engaged for a decent length of time. However, where it falls short is in its implementation of the most basic details, such as sound design, hit registration, and level design. For someone who’s not looking for anything exceptional, but just a solid, relatively fast-paced shooter to pass a couple of hours playing, Forgive Me Father will be right up your alley. But if you’re aiming your sights higher, then maybe you’re better off letting this particular title sink back to the crushing depths of your nearest ocean.

Teardown is a challenging game that requires a mindset to be able to plan and then carry out the strategy needed to solve puzzles...or you can just use the scorched earth tactic and destroy everything in your path. Personally, I found this method to be very satisfying and a whole lot of fun. Plus the TV news afterwards can be fun to watch.

The whole thing is simply a meditative experience. The car ride is especially soothing as you just sit there and watch the scenery go by. It would probably be absolutely fantastic in VR.

Coromon is clearly a passion project - one that is attempting to revitalize this subgenre of RPGs with knowledge gleaned from being fans of the genre and seeing what other fans have done. From self-imposed challenges to requests for additional quality of life updates, it is done remarkably well. This reviewer recommends Coromon to anyone that is even marginally interested in the monster tamer genre, since it breathes new life and offers a clear showing of passion from the developers. It’s a game made by fans, for fans.

Wobbledogs is meant to be a passive observation, watching the mutant pups wobble around and interact with their environment, but it can be pretty engaging to actively play with the pets. The music adds to the general pleasant but strange nature of the game, as do the bright colours. And the odd movements of the Dogs, from being flung by hamster tubes to creating shockingly large dens out of dirt, digging up toys or generally making a mess of their terrarium is oddly satisfying to behold.

Weird West is a gem of a game with a dark, well-crafted world and an intriguing story featuring choices that carry actual weight. It's not perfect – no indie game is – and I've experienced my fair share of bugs while playing it (nothing game-breaking, though). I will definitely be revisiting it in the near future... right after I finish Planescape Torment again.

WWE 2K22 is many things, but one thing most of us can probably agree on is that it is not, as retired WWE wrestler Bret Hart would say: "The Best There Is, The Best There Was and The Best There Ever Will Be". While WWE 2K22 might have made considerable strides forward in the area of general stability, compared with its infamously terrible launch, it’s doubtful that the studio will bother continuing to support it for much longer. One doesn’t have to be The Rock to know that 2K is probably already cooking up a new annual instalment. Here's hoping that in-between now and then, the publisher learns from both the successes and failures of WWE 2K22 and use that as a guide to give players a true WWE experience worthy of the license.

If you’re a fan of Borderlands, then playing Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands will be a no-brainer. The main storyline does feel shorter than previous Borderlands games, and this is probably indicated by the fact that players top out at level 40. Gamers will still get in excess of 20 hours gameplay for a single character, but the fact that players have six classes to try out and loads of exploration means that this can be multiplied. The humorous banter between characters keeps the mood light as do the vibrant colours in the wonderfully designed medieval lands. The spellcraft fits in wonderfully well within the setting and accentuates the enjoyment of the gunplay and all the looting that is customary for a Borderlands title. Dungeons and Dragon (Lords) has never been so much fun.

Police Simulator: Patrol Officers is an enjoyable but fairly unremarkable simulation game that is held up in large part by its steady progression system and fairly extensive game mechanics, but is conversely held back by the lack of optimization, the sometimes unbearably-poor lighting system, and a series of other bugs affecting both the gameplay and the world design. While diehard simulation enthusiasts might get a kick out of the experience, casual players, or those on a tight budget, would likely instead benefit from holding off until the game reaches a more finished state.

Ghostwire: Tokyo is not a bad game by any standard. It's pretty, it's fun, and it follows a formula that has proven to be successful even if it's overdone by this point. As I played through it for this review I found myself alternating between enjoying myself and being frustrated with its shortcomings. There is a potentially brilliant horror/detective game buried under all the superfluous side quests and pointless collectibles, and each time I caught a glimpse of it, I find myself wondering about what could have been.

If you like some good, challenging puzzles, Aethernaut definitely worth a try, but maybe wait till a few patches have come out and the game has stabilised somewhat.

I can't say if Elden Ring will be something genuinely new or more of the same to players who have already battled through the other From Software titles, but playing it felt to me like something I haven't experienced before. I was incredibly stressed, I considered quitting out of frustration several times, but I never stopped having fun and wanting to play just a little bit longer.

There are some similarities to other pirate themed games but in reality how many different ways are there to sail the Caribbean fighting pirates? This pirate says not many. I would have liked to see the option to use a third person perspective while in battle but the first person works fine. In all, Buccaneers lets players having fun playing a pirate, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

While a fighting game isn’t exactly what one might expect for a sequel of a game like Persona 4 Golden, this reviewer finds it to be a fun fighting game with a compelling story that expands the world of Persona by introducing the Investigation Team to another team that once saved the world from a mysterious threat with the power of Personas.

Monark is full of dark themes, contemplations of Ego and Desire and what they mean, what makes someone truly human, and if or when they should set aside their Desires. Accompanied by a soundtrack filled with catchy J-Pop/Rap music from the V-Tuber group Kamitsubaki, and a team of developers fresh off the Shin Megami Tensei and Persona series, Monark is a game that I had high hopes for. From a story perspective it succeeds and then some, but from a gameplay perspective I find it lacking in both combat and exploration.

There is fun to be had here, but aside from a few moments of joyous parkour, it's the sort of fun you can have in dozens of other open-world games. There is certainly some added fun in co-op with a couple of friends, but in a world where we get another open-world game every week, I just cannot recommend anyone go out and buy Dying Light 2 at full price. Especially not when it came out right before Horizon: Forbidden West and Elden Ring, both of which look far more promising.

Battle Cry Of Freedom looks great, it has a great soundtrack, and it plays just fine. As a big history buff with the old west and the Civil War being favourites, I was excited for this game. But since I'm also not real big into multiplayer games maybe I sound a little put off. But the game does give players a historical experience and does so very well. Flying Squirrel have satisfied all of their goals and they have come up with a solid game that will be enjoyed by many.

Other than some gore at the end of battles there really isn't much if anything to complain about with Warriors: Rise to Glory. The game is well done and it has a lot to offer other than just a bunch of nicely constructed battles. The house dynasty theme and the character creation feature really makes this game shine. The battles being so challenging shifts emphasis on to the family dynasty part of the game. That in turn elevates Warriors above games that just re-spawn or that offer different ready made characters.

Worse still is the insipid pop music that every venue in 2021 America plays at ear-popping volume. To add insult to injury, the music gets momentarily louder whenever you admit a guest to the club, making it even harder to ignore. The result is a mounting annoyance that drove me to mute the entire game.

Rainbow Six Extraction is a bold game for the Tom Clancy brand that jumps head-first into an over-the-top, absurd mix of horror, sci-fi, and military realism. It does at times feel more like a Siege DLC than a stand-alone game, but it’s a solid option for players not interested or intimidated by Siege's intense PvP community. There are several interesting design decisions meant to encourage teamwork and decision making in each missions, though I’m not sure if there will be enough variety without PvP to keep players hooked long-term.

After the Fall works well for the most part, giving players a VR version of Left 4 Dead. The gunplay and reloading mechanics are smooth and allow for immersion and tension as the hordes of zombies approach your small band. The user interface is well laid out and it is fun to shoot these undead with the small range of weapons at your disposal. Unfortunately, the length of the game and the issues with motion sickness caused by the jumpy rotation when turning may turn some people away. But if you want a Left 4 Dead style VR game, then After the Fall should be your go to option at this point.

Windjammers 2 is definitely a worthwhile game and it's a lot of fun. As I went along in the game my Windjammer playing skills improved. I didn't give up because the game does bring the satisfaction of playing a retro style sports and action arcade game that we all might have loved in days gone by. After mastering all of the tactics and game moves the option to go on line and play against extremely experienced human players is there and it should be taken advantage of. With that said, we wholeheartedly endorse the new Windjammers 2 game and give it a two thumbs up rating. Windjammers was worth the money and game playing effort some twenty seven odd years ago in 1994 and its just as viable and fun to play today in 2022.

For me, trying to figure out what makes the strange character of Sam Stone tick was enough to keep me interested ever during the slow bits of Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem. Even for those less captivated by the protagonist, I’d still give the game a solid recommendation. It’s a solid shooter with a fair bit of charm. While it’s certainly not the most original or daring work to grace the medium, it’s competent, fun, and priced appropriately.

Make no mistake, this game is the definition of niche appeal. Its visuals are ugly in a way that is not just visually repellent but deeply unsettling. Its world and lore are in turn, confusing, disturbing, and sickening. Playing its soundtrack above a certain decibel level probably constitutes a war crime. Yet the game demands attention all the same. It's brilliant, disturbing, and endlessly fascinating. I'm painfully aware that not everyone will love Cruelty Squad as much as I do, but those that love it will love it with abandon. For me, it's a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

Chorus is a fun space shooter adventure that seems to fill a void in the 3D space combat genre of computer games. Other than maybe a Star Wars themed spin off game there doesn't seem to be many pure space shooters available. Fortunately, Deep Silver has the resources and the time to give fans a good game where “flying a space fighter with the intent on blasting other space fighters into oblivion” is the main objective. Chorus is a very solid game where the pluses outweigh the negatives. One negative might be that the boss fights seem to be overly difficult with some of the later ones dragging on a bit too long. The flight model is smooth in nature and might take a bit of finesse to master. Overall, Chorus is a very well-done game, and we would recommend it.

If you like your battles tactical then this is a great game to sink you teeth into. The campaign escalates nicely and does a good job of selling the desperation of your mission. Being able to easily switch out your units and play around with army composition is also a really nice touch that means you don’t end up locked into a single playstyle. Campaign re-playability is somewhat lacking but the skirmish mode gives you the chance to play against friends so there is that. Considering how many new campaigns and modes were added to Deadlock over the years, we can probably expect some expansions in the future.

The Dragonborn add-on allows you to revisit Solstheim, the island from 2003's Bloodmoon expansion to Morrowind. While it's still a Skyrim location, It brings a little taste of Morrowind to the frozen North. Numerous Creation Club mods bring in quests, creatures, and items that link back to Morrowind and Oblivion, so there's a lot to explore here. Not to mention the seemingly endless number of mods available online that alter and enhance the game in many ways. From realistic AI conversations that make the townsfolk talk to one another instead of throwing lines of exposition at you as you pass to texture overhauls that dramatically improve the game's look (as long as you have the engine to run them). Which brings me to my biggest complaint about the Skyrim Anniversary Edition - tech.

Procedurally generated and varied maps do wonders in keeping what is, at its core, a simple and unchanging gameplay loop feeling fresh, albeit samey. Taking down bosses feels like an achievement, and the difficulty is well balanced. The few online contracts I took showed that the classes complement each other well.

The Senna Forever DLC is a fitting tribute to the Formula One Legend, and the fact that it complements the era with the retro visuals and gameplay of Horizon Chase Turbo, makes that much sweeter. If you want a fun, simple racing game to play with a bunch of friends or even with a younger family, or if you’re a fan of Ayrton Senna and want to revisit some of his classic races – albeit in an arcade style – then you can’t go past Horizon Chase Turbo and the Senna Forever add-on.