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.

In a way, it’s a shame that In Sound Mind has the fundamentals of survival horror down so well I can’t help but imagine how much more compelling it would be if it weren’t let down by its heavy-handed writing and dull enemies.

When I was first assigned this game for review, I thought that it might be just another card drawing and puzzle affair that seem to be common these days. However, Inscryption kept my attention until the very end. The plot, the dark theme, and the mysterious mechanics is so well thought out that I have to give it an enthusiastic two thumbs up. The only downside that I can think of is that replayability might be limited after the first couple of play throughs. Even with that said, this title is worth the price of admission.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows isn’t the first game to utilize dual-protagonist puzzle-solving, and it isn’t the first to use light and shadow as a puzzle mechanic, but it does do a great job of carving out its own niche in the genre with its presentation and puzzle creativity. The spooky atmosphere and charming presentation make this a perfect game to play in the midst of the Halloween season.

I have a lot of complaints about this game, but even with its flaws, I enjoyed it. I just think it could have been so much better. That being said, I’ve watched so many campy horror movies that have done much worse than House of Ashes. They might miss the mark on story elements and character decisions, but I can’t help but like the experience as a whole.

If you just like to blow stuff up with high-powered lasers and rockets, this might not be your bag of tea and you may not get a lot out of it. If you get the most satisfaction from playing the market, maximising profit, and running SWOT analyses on potential targets, it won't revolutionise your game. But if you're into storytelling and are willing to read stuff to get the most out of it – which I assume you are since you're reading this – then Legend of the Kestrel Lancers might just be worth a purchase.

There are some interesting concepts that are introduced but only minimally explored, and I found myself confused by the unfulfilled promise of a sprawling narrative. I’d be interested to return to this world again in a more fleshed-out game, but right now there’s not enough here to justify a purchase for most.

NBA 2K22 definitely hasn't earned a foul of any type, but may not quite win a championship either. Let's say that NBA 2K22 won its conference title and might have made it to the finals, but not an NBA Championship this year. There's always something else to improve before championship status can be awarded. NBA 2K22 is much improved over the NBA 2K21 edition. As with most all yearly serial sports franchise computer games developing a completely new game engine takes a lot of work and time, work that probably couldn't be completed with the years. When taking into consideration the disappointments involving the 2021 edition, Vision Concepts and 2K Sports really did a good job with the 2022 game. It rolled around the rim and dropped in for two. Here's hoping that future editions can sink the three-pointer.

Rogue Lords borrows quite a bit from other popular games, but it isn't really worse for wear because of it. Players looking for something completely fresh may be disappointed by the strong similarities with games like Slay the Spire and Darkest Dungeon, but the unique visual design and combat twists push this sternly into the "more of a good thing isn't a bad thing" category for me. If you like roguelikes and turn-based squad combat, this is the perfect game to spend some time with as we enter the early days of the Halloween season.

I enjoyed Hot Wheels Unleashed a lot more than I expected to, and it'll likely be my go-to pick-up-and-play racer for the foreseeable future. The game plays well, looks great, and has enough customization options to keep things fresh.

With a game that has players re-living the day on multiple occasions, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it would become stale. But each day plays differently as you learn clues to the visionaries and their daily patterns. And even though the Eternalists inhabit the same locations when you visit at the same time period, the skills and weapons you have acquired and imbued with Residuum allows gamers to play each section in a completely different manner. Whether you want to play a stealthy style game and methodically take out your enemies as you uncover the island’s mysteries, or blast you way through groups of Eternalists, Deathloop allows you to do so. But no matter which style you choose, it is so satisfying once you finally close the loop.

Quake is pretty much unchanged apart from the fact that the game can now be played on something other than a 640x480 resolution. Yes, it still looks and plays largely the same as the original but is there anything wrong with that. The game played well when it first came out, and that has barely changed at all. Does it still hold up against modern shooters such as Doom Eternal or Borderlands? Probably not. It does feel quite basic, in both the gameplay and in the audio-visual experience. But if you want to relive some fond memories of taking down the monsters from the crypt, then Quake Enhanced will hit the mark.

Tales of Arise is a solid entry into the series, yet I would be wary about recommending it to new players. Sure, you get some nice gameplay refinements and flashy graphics (indeed, it’s probably the best-looking game in the series hands down) but it hardly seems worth the $60 price tag, at least not when previous entries regularly go on sale $8 - $15. As I mentioned above, not that much has changed with the Tales series over the years, so there’s no reason to start with the newest and most expensive entry. However, if you’ve played and enjoyed previous entries in past, Tales of Arise becomes an easy recommendation as it showcases much of what makes the franchise so charming.

Folks, City of Gangsters is a very well thought out and developed game. It's very detailed and quite comprehensive and to the point that most everything you could think of when thinking about booze running crooks is there. The developers definitely did the work and research necessary to show what prohibition was like back in the 1920s. Throw in a good measure of fun along with your bottle of moon shine and you will have hours of fun, just like I did some twenty-odd years ago with the Railroad Tycoon games that I loved so much. Don't drink too much of that white lightning because the cops could be pounding on your door next. Just make sure they are on the take like the cops in City of Gangsters are and you should be OK!

With 121 levels to work through, there are plenty of challenges to be had. The levels come in varying difficulties, but with no time limits, they can be worked through at your own pace. The soundtrack - which is quite lively for the most part - sets a relaxing mood too. The only real downfall in Side Decide is the lack of variety in game mechanics. With most of the game mechanics introduced fairly early, some of the latter levels can become monotonous, particularly if you’re struggling to find a solution. It would have been nice to have some new features added further into the game. But with that said, the puzzles in Side Decide are well designed and most have an elegant solution that, when solved, provide for a high degree of satisfaction upon solving.

Maybe Cris Tales has an audience among very small children but in almost every case you’d be better off digging up an old copy of Chrono Trigger. That said, this is Dreams Uncorporated’s first game, and while I'd hardly call Cris Tales a good game, it shows considerable promise in visual flair if nothing else. I’ll be curious to see where they go from here.

Despite the somewhat mundane tasks that gamers need to complete, it is the range of environmental dangers that make Lumberhill a fun couch party game to play with family or friends. Whether you’re playing co-operatively or in competition with one another, there is a ton of enjoyment to be had. With simple controls (albeit somewhat clunky at times), cute cartoon visuals, tight level design and varied themes and environmental dangers, Lumberhill is a fun game for up to four players. When we’re all cooped up inside the house during lockdown, what better way to build up a sweat than to virtually chop down some trees and herd animals into their barns. I can almost smell the fresh outdoors just thinking about it.

Chernobylite does a masterful job of drawing you in with its story, characters, and core gameplay loop. It’s well worth checking out, even at full price.

I honestly had a blast with Death's Door, with the only major problem I ran into being some save file problems. Admittedly, playing a pre-release version of the game could have had something to do with that. The game is not phenomenally long, sitting at around twelve or so hours, with the chance of it being even less if you have fewer issues with the somewhat unforgiving nature of the game. There’s also no difficulty scaler which may turn off some players who want a slightly less difficult playthrough. If you too like to roll on the darker side of life, or death if you will, give this game a chance!

Writing a negative review can feel cathartic when it’s in response to lazy, sleazy, or greedy game design, but this isn’t one of those reviews. Of Bird and Cage is very clearly a passion project that aims to do something new and exciting, and, while it does a few things very well, it just doesn’t have a solid enough foundation to make it fun to play. I love the music and I like the story that they were trying to tell, but sloppy game mechanics, poorly developed narrative beats, and disappointing visuals make this a game I can’t recommend for most.

To the game's credit, there is a fair bit of replay value here. The combat itself is complex enough to support multiple playthroughs based on nothing more than the satisfaction of mastering it. There's also a New Game Plus mode to add additional challenges as well as a whole slew of options to tweak the gameplay that would be good for, at the very least, a momentary diversion. However, if the combat doesn't grab you there's not much that additional playthroughs and game modes won't do much to draw you in. So if you're thinking of picking up Boomerang X but are unsure if it's worth the money, do yourself a favor and grab the free demo first. That should be more than enough to decide if the game is for you.

The game is fun and does have some moments that made me genuinely laugh out loud. Legend of Mana isn’t perfect and can get a little bit monotonous in the combat sections, but the story has a lot of heart. If you’re a fan of JRPGs then there’s probably a little something in here to interest you.