Andromeda’s plot is quite inconsistent, bouncing back and forth between some fantastically impactful moments and others that fall extremely flat. Like I said above, I do like the general set-up. Separating things into a new galaxy (and by virtue or travel time, about 600 years) from the events of the previous Mass Effect games is smart, and it works. Beyond that, I’m glad they didn’t just jump right into another galaxy-ending threat right away. This slower burn of trying to get Milky Way civilization started is different, and a welcomed change of pace. I will note that there is a bit of a beginning lull that may turn some players away during the first few hours of the game.

MOTHERGUNSHIP is a ton of fun. When you’ve built a lava-spewing dual minigun with a rocket launcher shooting ricocheting explosives in the middle of your 40th jump since touching the ground- and that’s only on one of your arms- it’s pretty hard not to smile. The game nails its tone, full of color, speed, and humor, and it doesn’t let off the gas pedal from start to finish. It’s not a perfect game, but it does what it needs to do, and I’d have an easy time recommending it to most.

EA Sports FC 25 is a solid soccer game that builds upon the foundation of its predecessors. There is nothing groundbreaking in the latest iteration of the annual football release, but the new Rush mode is a welcome addition, even if it essentially replaces the Volta mode from FC 24. As well as that, the ability to create custom tactics and strategies gives players more control over their game. The Season Pass system provides players with a steady stream of new content to unlock, and the overall improvements to the game's visuals and gameplay make EA Sports FC 25 a worthwhile purchase for soccer fans, particularly those who haven't hit the pitch for several seasons.

Despite the somewhat slow pace, there are some neat ideas in Convoy and I quite enjoyed my time playing it. Combat is interesting, even if it can become quite formulaic over time, especially when you have to restart the game fairly often.

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.

TOHU isn’t the best point-and-click out there. The confusing story and tedious puzzle solving leave a lot to be desired. Point-and-click adventure games of this style live in a weird place today. This one seems to take inspiration from Humongous Games’ portfolio and it is just too hard to live up to the nostalgia of playing games like Pajama Sam as a child. The art and interactions in that game are unforgettable and the story was fun and educational. TOHU starts going down this path and succeeds in some of that world building and light-hearted story telling, but it barely even scratches the surface compared to what already exists.

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.

Cloudbuilt is a fine game. It’s not a great game. It’s not a really good game. It’s fine.

If you have played through the original, this edition adds nothing new apart from the new glossy coating. But if you have not, then the Definitive Edition would be a worthy addition to your collection. There is an R18+ age rating (due to the Playboy Magazine collectibles I believe, and not the violence), which means that it will be inappropriate for many. But Vito’s story as well as the gameplay is as enjoyable and captivating as the original. Driving across town can occasionally be a tad monotonous, but the simple shootouts and fistfight controls make sure that the main story flows smoothly for the entire game. And the music and visuals capture the setting beautifully allowing gamers to be fully immersed into The Family.

Guild of Dungeoneering is easy to get into and understand thanks to its simplicity, but it is that simplicity which ultimately prevents it from being something great.

Part racing game, part destruction derby, and even part tower defense, Rock of Ages 3 is all ridiculous fun. With a variety of gameplay modes and a map editor, there’s a lot of life to this game, too. Rock of Ages 3 is a game that focuses on just being plain ol’ fun and you know something? It really is.

The game is very well done and interesting to play and with the option of four player co-op, which means four Van Helsings and four Lady Katarinas, I cannot but give the game my highest recommendation for any Action RPG fan looking for a thrilling experience. Get this game, dear reader. You will not be disappointed.

The first game was an unsung hero of 2014 for me, but now with a little more kick behind its sequel Styx: Shards of Darkness has set itself up to be noticed by more eager gamers looking for a challenging stealth experience. With a more optimized experience, more freedom to the players and more of that sarcastic and vulgar goblin goodness, Styx has found his way once more back into the heart of this gamer - with a sharp dagger and sarcastic commentary.

This is a solid adventure in a wonderfully creative game world which will not disappoint.

It’s peaceful, intellectually rewarding, and of all things a stress reliever. Qbeh-1: The Atlas Cube, is great.

Fans of both the Star Wars movies and the Lego series of games will not be disappointed and those looking for a fun, easy to play title, should definitely consider this game.

Judgement is a pretty coherent game. Nothing about it really blew me away, but it certainly does what it sets out to do. In this sense, it will most likely be an enjoyable romp for tower defence or survival fans. But when other RTS survival games like Frostpunk are playing with environmental hostility and RTS narrative in such interesting ways, I found it hard to get excited by what feels like just another tower defence demon/zombie survival with little narrative engagement.

Embr demonstrates plenty of potential to be a very enjoyable game to play either alone or with friends when it finally comes out. The developers at Muse Games have warned as more content is added and the game approaches the end of Early Access the price may rise slightly, so you may want to get in on the fire-fighting action before the flames become too large. [Early Access Provisional Score = 75]

It’s hard to come up with many serious complaints about Polytopia. Would more game modes be nice? Would I like a few more units? Would I have appreciated more diversity between civilizations? Well...maybe. Part of the game’s charm is its simplicity. The game doesn’t pretend to be something more complicated than it is, and adding much more would start to push the game too far in the awkward space between casual and hardcore. Polytopia probably isn’t going to be your next Civilization or Stellaris, but if you’re looking for something a bit more laid back, there’s a lot here to enjoy.

Carmen Sandiego, like the character, has a bit of an identity crisis. The mini-games are very simple and the fact that the game is educational in nature, gives the indication that the game was designed for younger students. But then there are some cryptic clues, particularly those about the identity of the thieves that children will struggle to solve. But in all, the game does a reasonable job in its two main objectives - being entertaining and educational. In the review code, I did spend a lot of time visiting the same cities, so players will become quite familiar with the destinations throughout the course of the game. Of course, this kind of repetition is a valuable educational tool. The puzzles and mini games are fun (even if they're on the simple side), the visuals are bright and colourful and visiting the various cities of the world to track down the VILE henchmen is rewarding. And if you're like me and have kids of your own now, then Carmen Sandiego will bring back a touch of nostalgia, especially when you spot some of the Easter Eggs from the original.

The blood curdling story which has you twisting between empathy and loathing is truly fantastic, and it’s one of the best reasons to put aside any fears you may have and play this great game.

The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk is a very enjoyable game, and one I recommend to anyone that has even a passing interest in the tropes and cliches of fantasy worlds and Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.

It has a great, unique style, but overall it is let down by the often clumsy and convoluted game design.

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!

It has some faults, but for the most part you’ll have a good time fighting and thinking your way through this game’s many levels.

Completely Stretchy is a very finicky game, and unfortunately has a lot of jank to it - I actually ended up getting soft-locked from one of the quests, seemingly one of the major ones to acquire an item that furthers progression. This occurred due to the game not really liking when the player character is moved by objects besides their stretchy arm, so became glitched outside of an elevator as it lowered down, There was a button up above to call the elevator, but it didn't appear to work. I went back a few times after the fact to see if it resolved itself, and even tried glitching back into place to try continuing the quest, but unfortunately there wasn't any luck. The only solution within Completely Stretchy would probably be to start a new save file. The game is short at least, so there's that, but losing progress is frustrating, even in a short game. If the softlock were fixed somehow, then it would be much easier to recommend Completely Stretchy, but as the game currently stands, it is enjoyable but rather flawed.

Despite criticism, it’s well put together and it has nothing a couple of patches based on feedback can’t improve upon. As it stands now though, it’s just a bit too rough around the edges to really recommend. Especially since it can easily take you a dozen hours or more to finish. Games are often about the journey and not the destination. However, in this case the journey requires a lot of devotion and patience. Perhaps that was the goal all along?

The lack of AI, disappointing campaign and overall bland graphics lead to a rather listless gameplay experience. Technically, Cities in Motion 2 is a capable game but there is little joy to be had in a game where all you are doing is setting up new lines and occasionally checking if they still run efficiently. This was somewhat true for the original as well but that game had far more character and pulled it off gracefully. This, unfortunately, does not.