Ghost Recon: Wildlands isn't perfect. For its strides forward, it takes some backwards in areas I feel should not be sacrificed. As a co-op title, it's awesome. As a single player experience, it's great. If you're looking for a narrative thriller, or even just a basic interesting story, you won't find it here. What you will find is plenty to see, and plenty to shoot along the way to take down the cartel plague of Bolivia.

Magicka 2 is fun when playing alone and much more fun when playing with friends. A few technical and campaign hitches aside, the game maintains the same kind of charm and humour that the original seems to have had in spades.

Everything Outcast does, it does just well enough. That may sound like a knock against it, but I promise you it's not. It's incredibly hard to make a good game with any budget at any studio. What Appeal did is make a good game that does just enough to keep you playing. In a landscape where every game is either highly polished or barely functioning, it's great to see something that sets a goal and delivers. Outcast: A New Beginning is a prime example of why we need 'Double A' games. I have no nostalgia for Outcast as, as stated previously, that ship sailed long ago, but should you, intrepid reader, journey into its wilds? That all comes down to personal taste, but for me, I'm glad I got my chance to travel to Adelpha. It was fun and hopefully someday I get a chance to go back.

Is this newest version of Pro Cycling Manager worth the price of admission? If you haven't experienced Pro Cycling Manager before, or if it has been awhile between laps, or indeed you just want a cycling game with all of the enhancements - then yes, it is worth putting some of your hard-earned dollars down. Previous Pro Cycling Manager titles have been highly mod-able games, and that hasn't change with this iteration. Pro Cycling Manager 2021 could be regarded as a niche title, but there is quite a large fan base for cycling and cycling titles. The large amount of fan created content such as custom team kit, races and so much more says that portraying bike racing in a game can be and is exciting.

In all, Sword of the Necromancer is a fun roguelite with a heartfelt story. The usage of the titular blade adds a whole new layer to the roguelite genre, in that gamers will need to strategize about what enemies to take out first in order to have them fight on their side. If the genre interests you but you need a good story to feel at all invested, then this game is for you.

If circle strafing, weapon switching, and sci-fi monster killing is right up your alley, then Desync is an easy recommendation if you’re willing to deal with some obscure menus and high difficulty. It’s got a lot of style, and the combo kills feel great when you’re in the zone, but resist the temptation to get pulled in if you’re looking for a game to blow off steam. Desync will have you on edge and frustrated for a lot of the time while playing it.

Magicka: Wizard Wars definitely struggles a bit with its steep learning curve and some serious bugs that need to be addressed, but the quick, energetic games are largely worth the struggles.

The visual and audible treats presented by Slave Zero X can only carry it so far, and even the unlockable customization options (overlay filters that range from pleasing CRT-styles to some that are quite painful to look at, and different character colour pallets) do little to increase engagement in those areas. While the combat is fun enough, it's not without its frustrations, and your move set from the first level is the same as your arsenal against the final boss. There's no growth there outside of player skill, and the ceiling isn't so high that the climb lasts even as long as the game's runtime, which came in at a punchy three and a half hours. It's undoubtedly cool that a sequel to Slave Zero exists, if only for the curiosity of it, but it failed to learn lessons from its predecessors in terms of repetitive gameplay and lack of total variety. Fortunately, if you want to see the story through, not a lot is asked of you to do so, but even conquering the game's frustrating points leads to little feeling of satisfaction.

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time with Jurassic World Evolved thus far, and the more I play the more I look at my parks and think of ways I can improve upon it. Fickle crowds be damned, I’m here to build a park - I’m here to make Jurassic World work. For dinosaurs in the business world, and in the theme park industry... life finds a way.

If you’re willing to look past the bugs and balancing issues and are intrigued by the minimalistic art style, then give this game a shot. Though if you’re like me, it’s best to keep looking for a shooter that’s got some more depth to it.

TransOcean 2: Rivals is a decent game that is having some trouble leaving the starting blocks.

I’m curious to see if Epic Manager is able to find a niche in the market, as I can see more hardcore management enthusiasts being turned off by its cartoony (though charming) visual style and humor, while those more interested in the fantasy elements may be cautious of a game with an emphasis on management instead of exploration or combat. I hope it is able to find its footing though, as it’s great to see developers experimenting with new genres and ideas- especially when they turn out as fun as this one did.

It’s a fine addition to the Warhammer fantasy IP, and you’ll especially enjoy it if you like dungeon-crawlers, or are a Diablo fan. But beyond that, it falls somewhat into the category of genre-clone, no matter how much you might enjoy its setting/lore.

As is the case with most other players, I genuinely want to see The Outlast Trials improve with time, something I am sure the developers agree with in principle as well. Where they and I must differ is in our priority for said changes. They appear to prefer focusing on cosmetics, new optional challenges, and implementing new social activities, whereas I prefer more core maps and a darker tone, truer of what Outlast has, up until now, been defined by. Whatever the future may hold for The Outlast Trials, one can only hope that they strive to find a more definitive balance between these two disparate directions.

It’s a game for the patient, as you’ll be spending a lot of time paused and micromanaging.

Tannenberg takes what made Verdun fun, and improves upon what made it awesome. The new environments in particular really make the potential of a WWI FPS/Simulator really stand out and stick with memorable moments that last long after a match is over. The developers proved themselves with their support of Verdun over time, which gives me reason to believe that Tannenberg is only going to get better from here.

Shenmue III is a love letter to its fans, showing an uncompromising commitment to Yu Suzuki’s original vision and giving Ryo new life 18 years on. Though its old-school gameplay may prove off-putting to new players, Ys Net has brought us a fun adventure with an engaging story that’ll hold your attention. Whilst there are some rough edges in need of polishing, Shenmue III is a great experience overall and comes recommended.

Valhalla Hills is all in all, a strong little RTS, with enough going on under the surface to satisfy most fans of the genre.

Glare is a solid game. It does what it sets out to do, it just doesn’t really do anything more.

Satisfying the OCD urges will only get you so far. A bigger tank is just that - a bigger tank. It’ll fit more fish and more decorations, but I can guarantee your visitors won’t be the only ones that will get bored with those. And that is what this game is all about, filling tanks. Still, there’s fun to be had here. Do fish swimming in pretty environments get your adrenaline pumping like a filter in a million gallon fish tank? Then Megaquarium is destined to be your fix for a few rainy autumn weekends.

Thunder Wolves is exactly what it promises to be and nothing more, nothing less. If you are in for some action, by all means give this game a try. But if you want more from your games than single-minded shooting and explosions, then look elsewhere.

Suffice it to say, creating a video game solo is no small feat, and Vincent Adinolfi has delivered a loving tribute to his inspirations - one that still manages to stand on its own. If you have a fondness for PS1-era horror and don't mind a smaller indie experience, Heartworm is well worth your time. I'm excited to see what Mr. Adinolfi creates next - and to quote Palpatine in The Phantom Menace, "We shall watch your career with great interest."

Despite a few drawbacks and narrative tangles, State of Mind is a great game that I had a ton of fun playing. The attention that's gone into creating an engaging world results in an experience that has a lot to offer anyone willing to be a more passive participant in the engaging experience. It’s a slow burn, the perfect game to relax with for a few evenings like a season of a good tv show.

Miasma Chronicles is a perfectly passable game, one with an admittedly long campaign that fairly justifies the modestly-high retail price. The problem is that the campaign in question feels far longer than it ought, because most aspects of its narrative and dialogue fail entirely to bring the player closer to the characters they're playing as, a critical failing for any game calling itself an RPG. Decent performances from the voice cast almost manages to redeem the game's storytelling failings, but never fully. The combat is often excessively repetitive, and the killcam system often seems more interested in capturing footage of the foliage presumably for a nature documentary, than focusing on the far more interesting bleeding and screaming enemy flailing around on the ground. Hopefully Miasma Chronicles does eventually get a sequel, because it does manage to lay down a lot of potentially interesting groundwork, albeit without ever managing to fully capitalize on it.

Megabyte Punch is a decent length for the price, especially if you factor in the tournament mode and custom fight modes outside of the main story.

Frantic gameplay keeps you on the edge of your seat though, and the storyline is engaging enough to give you the motivation to start another mission. The true heroes of the game, however, are the comprehensive boss fights which add flavor where it is needed most.

Maid of Sker doesn’t have terribly complex gameplay, but it’s a tightly-made game that succeeds in more than enough areas to make it worth checking out. The Sker hotel is haunting, filled with detail and character that makes it a joy to explore. The choral soundtrack is absolutely beautiful, befitting both the game’s plot and atmosphere. Horror fans have been absolutely spoiled with high quality games over the last few years, and genre fans would do well to add Maid of Sker to their list of must-plays.

Shelter certainly doesn’t outstay its welcome, clocking in at just over an hour for an entire playthrough. It’s a short game with just a few levels, but given the lack of variety it is probably a good thing it’s not much longer.