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.

When XCOM: Chimera Squad was announced somewhat out of the blue, and then with a budget price I was hesitant. But XCOM: Chimera Squad is a fully fleshed out game that brings loads of replayability thanks to the multitude of missions and variables within each, as well as squad combinations. Sure, the combat phases are less expansive than one would expect from an XCOM title, but the shorter missions still require some tactical nose if you want your squad to come through relatively unscathed. With nice cartoon style visuals, great voice acting and the ability to play as some cool alien characters, XCOM: Chimera Squad is a worthy entrant into the XCOM franchise.

In all Crimson Desert is a fun experience, with engaging combat, a gigantic world to explore, and a ton of side activities that can keep a player playing for hours and hours on end. There are some issues like long loading times, janky camera angles, and a story that struggles to get its footing. If a gamer enjoys Action RPGs, then Crimson Desert very well might be on the list of games to check out, ready to pour ages into exploring, fighting, and finding things to do.

Its story and some characters might not feel as fleshed out as they could be, but its main character has a surprising depth and the world here is certainly immersive. Put that alongside some solid puzzling, voice acting and a great style and you’ve got a great little point and click adventure that is not to be missed.

I want to make it clear that overall, I love this remake. In so many ways it hits the high notes of just what a Resident Evil remake should be, following last years remake of Resident Evil 2 and the nearly two-decade old remake of Resident Evil. It has horror, action, a refinement of the story, but along the way the things that have changed for the worse or been abandoned hurts the overall flavor. Missing a section in the campaign, removal of the Mercenaries mode and choice-scenes, and putting to rest a long debate about the canon ending of Resident Evil 3 by making only one ending this time around definitely work against it. It’s a game I can play time and time again, but unlike last year's Resident Evil 2 remake it’s more of a rough gem than a diamond.

I really wanted to enjoy Fabledom. It certainly has a certain appeal when you first jump in and immerse yourself in its most fundamental mechanics as well as its beautiful aesthetics. Unfortunately, at present, the actual gameplay loop stops being entertaining after the first hour or two. If you're at that point now and see that you're just under the two-hour mark, take my advice and throw yourself at the mercy of Steam's mostly-automated refund process. There's a great game to be found somewhere here in Fabledom's DNA, but its current plethora of bugs and odd gameplay decisions make it an extremely hard sell as is.

If you’re looking for something different from your run-of the mill shooters, Evolve is probably just what you are looking for.

Crusader Kings II is definitely the deepest, and hardest to understand of all the games of its type, but there’s nothing else out there quite like it. The additions brought to the game by Sons of Abraham are plentiful, and probably stretch further than I encountered. It’s a good reason to jump back into the game if you enjoyed the original or any of the prior expansions. For new players though, it’s just as daunting as ever.

Wuchang: Fallen Feathers feels like a fresh take, forgoing staples like overencumbrance and a reliance on parrying for faster, more aggressive action and stunning set pieces.

For a game designed to introduce people to the genre, Little Big Workshop mostly succeeds. It proves more complicated in places than you’d expect for a beginner friendly title and the smaller scope of the game does constrict its potential. But what we have here is a solid introduction to the simulation genre - one that’s a lot of fun and proves to be quite addictive. It’s a labour of love from Mirage Games and an experience that comes highly recommended.

Outlaws encapsulates Star Wars as a whole at the moment, trying to be something for everybody but at times missing it's mark. I honestly want to see Ubisoft take another crack at the galaxy far far away, because with a more refined scope this can easily be the Uncharted: Drake's Fortune to it's better sequel. Or, to put it in Ubisoft terms, it's Assassins Creed to Assassins Creed II. There's so much potential here, it'd be a real shame for this to be Kay Vess's last hurrah.

KARMA: The Dark World is some of the most fun I've had with a game this year. It takes a potentially tired setting and injects artistry and life into it, delivering a compelling package that's thrilling, terrifying, emotive, and satisfying. For these reasons, it's an easy game to recommend not only for those inherently interested in the genre but for anyone looking for an enthralling jaunt.

Grey Goo might not be as complex or intricately balanced as “that other strategy game”, but it’s still enjoyable and imaginative where so few games within the genre are.

Taking everything into consideration, it's safe to say that Xenonauts is a must play for any fan of turn based strategy games, as it is one that I'll be playing for some time to come.

I was also impressed to see a game made on RPG Maker VX Ace that was so enjoyable - often the products of the RPG Maker series serve as a way for a creative mind to explore ideas, rather than making it to a level where it can actually capture an audience.

Three Fourths Home is not for everyone. But it is an experience that, as short as it may be, is worthwhile to play. Through the options it presents you and it’s wonderful aesthetic, Three Fourths Home is a game that I would recommend to anyone who wants to try something new.

Overall, Red is for Anguish is a great visual novel.

Overall I appreciate Lovecraft’s Untold Stories for being a procedurally generated roguelike that stands out from others in its genre with a unique atmosphere and spooky tone. Being more concerned with resource management and exploration than twitch bullet-hell gameplay was a smart move, even if that falls apart a bit when the combat does come around. While it has its flaws, this is a game I won’t have a hard time recommending to those interested in the genre- a perfect little game to fire up know and again late at night with the lights turned off.

It feels good to be back in the base building, hard hitting, cool looking world of Warhammer 40,000. Winning early skirmishes before slowly building up your armies for a single massive engagement is still exciting, and very rewarding when you win. The single player campaign is good, if a little stale at times, and multiplayer has mostly gone back to what made it great in the first place. There are some issues to be found, but if you’re looking for a modern game akin to the popular origins of Dawn of War, this is certainly a good attempt.

Baby Steps succeeds at everything it tries to do, and does so with very few blemishes. Foddy, Cuzzillo, and Boch were able to expand upon previous games like QWOP by bringing the subtext forward, creating an intriguing world, and giving us a flawed character that is more relatable the further into his journey you get. It's not easy, but the rules are made clear, so tackling and overcoming these challenges results in pure joy from beginning to end. It may end up being a footnote in the "walking simulator" and "puzzle platformer" genres, but I'll never think about walking the same way again.

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.

Although a single playthrough is rather short, the fact that the range of choices and their consequences will result in different endings, means that multiple playthroughs are a legitimate option. And with some wonderful storytelling and voice acting, Before the Storm will give players an emotional ride, one that I look forward to continuing with Episode 2: Brave New World.

Folks, there is so much to this game. There is a time limit given for each bus stop but it's not a problem to meet once you become a proficient bus driver and follow the speed limit. Every aspect of the game from the buses to the bus stops to the districts the stops are in need to be unlocked. You need to plan out your routes and then gain the experience necessary to continue unlocking everything. Each bus and stop needs to be levelled up in order to be able to unlock the perks and modifiers contained in each. The unlocked bus items can be both perks and additional customization possibilities such as colors and designs that can be applied to busses. After saying all of that, the city council will be so happy after each district is levelled up that they will provide you with a new bus to drive along with an opportunity to take a special drive through the newly enhanced district in the new bus. The beautiful and expansive city of Emberville loves the fact that you personally provided great bus service to the cities various districts that the city council beautifies each city district right after it is upgraded. Everything certainly is bound to look beautiful!

Once you have figured out what the game expects of you, it is hugely addictive. Toki Tori 2+ is a brilliant, charming puzzle platformer that will keep you entertained (though frustrated) for hours. And without the hand-holding, solving those tough puzzles is all the more rewarding.

The most obvious and most visible addition is that of fixed stationary guns, sentry guns, tanks, helicopters, mechs and rocket league race cars on the map.

LawBreakers is a fun game, lacking in content certainly and no way near worth a full price tag, but good and even innovative in its own minor way. Hopefully with time players and content will come, because otherwise like Brink, it will just become another failed shooter you half remember.

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.

Dig or Die isn’t going to revolutionize the genre, and I don’t think it’ll turn into an indie darling the way games like Terraria have. That being said, it’s a fun game that’s worth sinking a few lazy nights into. The largely procedurally generated nature of the (surprisingly big) playable map keeps things fresh for multiple playthroughs after death, which is good, because you’ll quickly find Dig or Die living up to the second half of its name.