Lost Sphear is a good JRPG from Tokyo RPG Factory that falls short of being great. The refinements made to the combat system from I am Setsuna are a welcome addition. The additional colors in the environment also spruce the game up a bit. However, no matter how strong the overall story arch is there are some deep lulls in the early game that are hard to push past.

Riding along the Oregon mountain side is pretty fun if you aren’t on chase missions, and there’s nothing more satisfying than the instant stealth kills, watching Deacon dig his knife into the spine of a freaker and pull it straight down. If nothing else, Days Gone is a good game that’ll hold you over while waiting for that next game.

As a fan of Destiny 2, I am enjoying Lightfall. It definitely had a bumpy start, especially if you’re a big story buff, but almost everything after the campaign has been solid. I wouldn’t say anything blew me away, but nothing has been horrible either. They stuck to the tried and true formula that has worked for them for quite a while now, and while I hoped for a bigger spectacle around some characters, Neptune itself, or even the raid, I am wanting to play more and do more.

In the end, Wildgate doesn’t try to hide what it is; what you see is what you get. If the trailer looks exciting to you then it’s really not that expensive to give a try. The PvP content can be quite intense and is really fun with a group of friends, but on the other hand the exploration and PvE combat is pretty shallow. One of the problems with space-focused games is that there’s a lot of room to travel but often very little to do, and Wildgate is no different once the initial appeal wears off. Thankfully, there is a roadmap that promises seasonal content drops and I do hope the developers are able to expand to game into something more.

More than anything, I'd say Portal Knights felt mostly pleasant to me. A relaxing push forward, the visual asthetic along with the relatively unthreatening enemies (barring a few surprises) it seems like despite the push forward, the game is more encouraging of players willing to stop and smell the roses; and then build a huge castle on top of them.

Medieval Dynasty isn’t meant to be rushed, rather, to be an experience and a personal challenge for those that want to see how long they can rule and keep the peace within their kingdom. While there are still clearly some stark improvements that can be made, I think that Medieval Dynasty succeeded in bringing something new to an already saturated and stale genre, and can be a lasting favorite, as long as they continue to make improvements and provide updates.

Phantasy Star Online 2: New Genesis is the most impressive game in the series. Opening up the world, streamlining the classes, and introducing features slowly - like augments, upgrading gear, and multi-weapons, will go a long way to ease new players in to PSO2. Fans of the series will surely find a lot to love, but with a short story, limited questing, and a monotonous level grind that doesn’t provide much in the way of variation, I can see many players hopping back to the legacy PSO2 servers, or moving on to something else, until new content updates roll out over the course of the year. New Genesis is full of potential, and I’m PSE-Bursting at the seams to see what they have in store for us.

The Claws of Awaji expansion offers plenty of new content for Assassin’s Creed Shadows and satisfyingly wraps up the cliffhanger in Naoe’s story that was hinted at the end of the base game. The expansion’s pacing with Yasuke is better, too, but it’s a shame that he didn’t get a new weapon while Naoe did. Still, Claws of Awaji is a worthy send off to two of the best Assassin’s Creed characters in recent memory.

Crash Team Rumble impressed me more with every completed match. Those hoots and hollers from SGF make a lot of sense now, as it's one of those games where one late-game maneuver can spell victory for your team, and it can happen in an instant. Not being able to connect and play the fun game was frustrating – almost as much as connecting, playing one match, and then watching the game crash – but once I was in, I was having a blast. If Toys For Bob and Activision continue to support this game through building its roster, adding new modes, and offering more silly cosmetics, I can see this game enjoying a long and successful run. They just need to make sure we can log on to play it.

Atomfall is a really fun time that suffers from several flaws. They’re not quite enough to hurt the experience too much, but they’re noticeable. If what you want is a new survival experience, and you’re willing to put up with them, though, then I think you’ll be very satisfied, especially with the upcoming DLC.

Sword Art Online: Fractured Daydream delivers a great deal for the franchise, offering an engaging story and the chance to team up with beloved characters. While I believe it stands as the best Sword Art Online game to date, elevating the series to new heights, its repetitive gameplay and lack of content variety may hinder its long-term appeal. While its nostalgic charm shines, whether this can sustain players' interest long-term remains uncertain. Still, I'm optimistic that future installments will build on the strengths Fractured Daydream has introduced.

Once you distill it all down I did have fun in Destiny. I just wish the ride would have lasted longer. The endgame grind is not what I was hoping for and has turned me off completely. Bungie has stated repeatedly that the game really starts at 20. If that is true then this game will have a very short shelf life. The grind just is not fun. Hopefully these special events will keep the game fresh and new for most players to drop in and out of and get more value for their dollar.

Despite its issues, Alone in the Dark is interesting enough to be worth completing. While much of the story overlaps between Emily and Edward, there are a couple of unique sections for each, and apparently if you uncover all of the hidden items there’s a secret ending available. With that in mind, Alone in the Dark can be completed in around 5 hours the first time and about half that for subsequent playthroughs because the puzzles don’t change depending on which main character you select.

Neverwinter is worth a visit by anyone who is a fan of both MMOs and of action-RPGs. Despite some glaring issues, including the lacklustre PvP and the Zen Market, the game is wildly fun and is a worthwhile detour on one’s journey through the MMO space today. It remains to be seen what Cryptic does with the feedback it has received from the players during the past month, but Neverwinter is one to keep an eye on as time goes by. As the title says, Neverwinter is an Astral Diamond in the Rough.

If you're a fan of the newer, more lighthearted Like A Dragon titles and enjoy quirky pirate adventures, then Pirate Yakuza is worth your time. However, if you’re looking for the grittier crime drama of previous Yakuza titles, you might find Pirate Yakuza is too wacky of a departure for the franchise.

Despite the optimization issues and random difficulty spikes, I do think that Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is ultimately good – it just could have been so much better.

Ultimately, Indiana Jones And The Great Circle comes out greater than the sum of its parts. The story kept my interest throughout, no doubt aided by the stellar voicework all around. Exploring these big areas and searching every nook and cranny for a hidden tomb or lost relic is a ton of fun, and solving puzzles gives your brain a challenge at the same time – jank and all.

Even with Death end re;Quest 2’s visual issues the combat and skill system keep the gameplay enjoyable. It’s quite fun watching monsters smash into each other and bounce off the arena walls like taking a part in a game of Beyblades. Just be sure you know what you’re getting into because there are several periods of downtime when experiencing the beautiful visual graphic novel portions of the game.

Sword of justice, while fun and heavy on exploration, falters with the amount of menus and systems it throws at you. There is a lot to experience and as leveling did not take long, you get hit with a lot of content all at once in a bit of a disjointed way. Still, Sword of Justice is fun. The story itself hasn’t really hit the mark for me yet, but with branching paths and minimal bugs, it's been great being able to go back and make new choices. Overall, as Wuxia MMORPGs have been few and far between in the west lately, I will say Sword of Justice is a pretty good entry as long as you are okay with playing casually and are not a hardcore player.

Current lag issues notwithstanding, I would recommend Shadowrun Chronicles to anyone who enjoys the Shadowrun universe and enjoys turn-based strategy games. If you liked Shadowrun Returns, you'll probably also enjoy Chronicles, although you won't find the same depth of story just yet. The developers at Cliffhanger promise much more story that will be molded by the players as time goes on.

Absolver is a great combat game, and a fantastic blend of genres. It’s just sad that the PVE side of things is so short, because I’d really have enjoyed the game if there was more of an adventure to play through. Still, if you’re an old pro and fan of fighting games then Absolver may very well be worth the buy. It’s unique blend of ARPG and traditional kung-fu mastering is a whole lot of fun.

In the end, I came out a fairly happy camper. Just like any other game, War of the Immortals has its ups and downs. However, unlike any other game War of the Immortals is going to provide you a unique experience that you really will only be able to understand once you check the game out for yourself. If you're looking for a new MMORPG or are in the market to try out something you may have not played before, it is definitely worth giving this game a shot, because you may come out more satisfied than you came in.

The graphics won’t blow you away and it won’t be making too many “best graphics of the year” lists. But it’s a loving tribute and beautifully recreated edition of a much-beloved classic. There’s a lot to like in this remake, and if this is the building block for what’s to come in the franchise, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

Will I keep playing Blade & Soul Neo? Probably. It’s a way for me to relive the summer of 2014, hunkered down with my laptop, next to my partner, coordinating how to duo a boss we had no right fighting. And if I stick around long enough I might even get the chance to check out classes that were released by the time I dropped the game. I just can’t see the revival of this MMORPG being a particularly large success for NCSOFT, even if I wish it would be.

Just like a visit to the carnival, even though it wasn’t the greatest experience ever, I haven’t ended a day playing Elyon feeling like I had a bad time. The bigger question for me is how long this carnival can last? We’re only a month past launch, and if you aren’t online for the daily reset, finding a group to run dungeons with can be difficult. The same can be said about finding a match for the various types of PvP. The fewer players there are, the harder it will be to turn a profit, so it won’t be long before the financials start to dictate what items go into the cash shop. And when that happens, the player base will shrink even further. So I guess I’ll keep on riding this roller coaster until it breaks down. Aaaaand, it’s gone!

Lichdom: Battlemage is a fun, if shortsighted RPG with some fantastic upsides. Is it worth the asking price of $40? I’d say no at this point, and hold out for a Steam sale. It’s definitely something fans of the old Hexen will enjoy, but fans of open ended RPGs will find Xaviant’s game lacking. A solid effort, but not quite what I’d hoped for after seeing the game at PAX East this year.

The bones of Worldslayer are excellent, but the story and end game content are greatly lacking.

The Age of Wonders IV: Dragon Dawn content patch feels like a natural addition to the game. The developers at Triumph Studios have done a great job implementing it. It adds an extra ruler type for players to explore and a dragon thematic line of spell tomes. If included in the base game, it would have easily bumped my original review score by 0.5 or even a 1.0. As a stand-alone content pack for $9.99, a few more minor additions to the new features would have gone a long way in fleshing it out. It's a good value, but not a great one.

There are a lot of enjoyable aspects to Immortals Fenyx Rising, but very little feels new. Instead, it’s similar and safe, like I’ve done this all before. And I have but with a different main character and color palette. Its biggest sin is being entirely forgettable once you move on to the next game.

While I wouldn’t ever call it a masterpiece, I had hours of fun and laughter as I found the joy in killing orcs. One of the most satisfying things to do was to launch a grenade into a group of low level orcs and watch them explode with orc guts flying all over the place. It was humorous. It was satisfying. It scratched that itch to just sit down and shoot something especially after a bad day. My hope is to see OMD!3 come to the Nintendo Switch and/or Steam where the internet issues I experienced with Stadia won’t be a factor. All the same, if you’re a Stadia Pro member, I do recommend giving it a try. You just might find that you too get a kick out of killing orcs.

Far Cry 6 has some explosive action, but in my 25-or-so hours of gameplay the stretches between the most explosive missions bring the experience down. Yara is huge and full of things to explore, but exploration should not mean "walk 1000 in-game meters to get an objective that sends me 2000 meters in the opposite direction. Every character is expertly portrayed--not the least of which is Giancarlo Esposito, whose Anton Castillo ranks right near the top of best Far Cry villains. The world and the people in it are interesting, interesting enough to overcome the monotony, but getting there can certainly be difficult. Far Cry 6 doesn't move the needle at all, but it still holds its own amongst the other shooter games available.

Let's get one thing straight: I do enjoy playing Dying Light 2 Stay Human. The story is great and warrants additional playthroughs thanks to multiple endings, the combat feels awesome, and there's a ton of stuff to do in this sprawling city (500 hours worth, apparently). It just needs to clean up the technical issues and stop spawning the final boss inside the platform he's standing on, among other things. If that happens, the impact--much like the game itself--will be night and day.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed my play through of Lysfanga: The Time Shift Warrior. The replayability is there with the time objective to try for a better time, with different modifiers and different spells. Lysfanga has challenging arenas, but it feels so rewarding when earning that victory. The story doesn’t stick out particularly strongly with the plot, but the gameplay along the way was pretty fun.

Overall, the expansion is good. The graphics still hold up, combat is fun, and the new zones are interesting to explore. The developers did a great job with the story, and while the ending was a bit of a letdown it leaves enough open story threads for hopefully something interesting in a future patch. Everquest 2 Visions of Vetrovia kept me engaged and rekindled my interest in EQ 2 to the point where I have started a new Monk and am already level 50.

Fire Emblem Engage has a lot of great elements, from its striking visuals to the classic Fire Emblem turn-based strategy gameplay. The story being told, however, does not live up to the bar set by other games in the series, while some battles drag on to the point where I'm fighting off a nap just as hard as I'm fighting the enemy armies. I enjoy the game in spurts, but before long I find myself wondering when I can stop engaging with this Fire Emblem. There's enough here to enjoy Fire Emblem Engage, but only the most dedicated will be able to see this through to the end.

While there’s no doubt that AoW has levels of intricacy that are unusual in MMOs today, those intricacies are numerous, and the localization an ongoing effort, making the whole experience difficult for many. Not everyone has the time or the patience to read through scads of text, assimilate and apply those many, many lessons. For those that do, power to you. Here’s hoping you find plenty of gold at the end of that complicated, text-heavy rainbow.

I think this game is going to be a sleeper. For me, the only thing that might make TMI’s silly aesthetic even better is if they replaced the grown-up sound effects with recordings of gamers going, “Pew! Pew! RAWR! Crash!” But as I said, it’s still early yet. The Missing Ink is one to watch.

If you’re looking for something new and fresh in the world of strategy games, this might not be the game for you. But if you’re looking for technical, celestial battles with lots of tiny details to optimize and organize, you might end up falling in love with this behemoth of a game.

If the developers went back to the drawing board and designed a strategy RPG from the ground up and implemented the systems present in PXZ2 they would be off to a great start. However an overly long introduction that becomes boring after a few hours distracts from what is otherwise a decent game. If this game had a tighter story, trimmed up the dialogue, and improved upon its technical performance by reducing slowdown, it would be something special.

Risen 3: Titan Lords sets out to cater to a niche of the RPG market and does so, for the most part, successfully. The pirate setting differentiates it from other, similar, games on the market and the open and explorable world is vast and potentially very dangerous. The game is crippled somewhat by a lack of graphical shine, and the storytelling leans heavily on lazy cliches and trades mystery for clarity and motivation. Despite those problems, players looking to plunk a parrot on their shoulder and slap a patch over their eye then head off in search of buried treasure will find a lot to enjoy.

Despite its missed opportunities and forgotten promises, I’m still glad I dropped the money to experience No Man’s Sky. It’s something unique in a world where most of what we get are sequels or off-shoots. Fortune favors the bold, and I hope this is just the beginning of the type of innovation we can expect to see from Hello Games. And frankly, I hope they take all the time they need with their next game.

What could have been one of the greatest features to this game turns out to be one of its biggest weaknesses, the DM Mode.

For all of the things that it does well, Forge feels like it needs more time in development and beta to achieve its potential. I really like the game's model of instanced PvP, and enjoy Forge's dynamic third-person combat. The overall features feel unfinished, however, and while it looks like Dark Vale Games is aware of Forge's missing - and necessary - elements and is working to include them, the game in its released state requires a bit of faith in the developers to make it what it should be. The core gameplay experience is fun and frantic, but Forge will need to attend to a more robust feature set to encourage the dedicated community it requires to succeed.

Order & Chaos is a novel, interesting, and intriguing application. Being a truly fully-fledged MMORPG on the iPad makes it very endearing to a goblin-loving veteran such as I, but there are some glaring problems with the game to overlook before you can truly enjoy it. A WoW clone until the end, but for the price of admission, and the amount of "I Can't Believe It's Not Azeroth" fun you can have, you might just forgive it.

You will find great value for the cost of nothing with Prime World. It’s also a fairly small download, currently clocking in at 1.36GB, so there’s no real reason why you shouldn’t try the game if you’re a fan of the MOBA genre.

Devilian is free to play, and is infinitely better than most other imported MMOARPGs on the market right now. If not having an MMO world isn’t a deal breaker, you might be better off with Diablo 3 or Path of Exile. But if you’ve always wished TERA and Diablo would just make a baby and let you have a Corgi pet, then this is the game for you.

In the end, Age of Empires Online works well as a demo rather than a F2P game. There just doesn't seem to have been enough thought about what each element from the MMO and RTS genres bring to the party. Instead, they've just been thrown together.

There's quite a bit to see and experience in Spirit Tales so it's worth your time to at least give it a try. Just be mindful that the game, while cute and pretty, falls short in certain areas and still needs a bit of improvement.

Defiance is a really fun game despite its numerous rough edges. But can that fun overcome its mediocrity? That would likely be up to each individual gamer. If you’re hankering for an online PvE-centric shooter that’s out of beta, Defiance may be for you. If you’re a mega-fan of the show and like to game, it’s also probably a no-brainer. But if you’re looking for a polished and complete experience to rival other MMOs on the market, you might be better off waiting to see if Trion can remedy the problems marring Defiance’s launch. If the blogs from the studio are any indication, Defiance could wind up being a diamond in the rough. But it’s going to take some time to get there, and hopefully it will before we all forget it exists.

What it really boils down to is this: if you really enjoy Star Trek, especially TNG, then you’ll likely love the story being told in Resurgence. As a Star Trek story, it’s fantastic but as a game, it’s terribly buggy. So be aware that this Star Trek gem is not perfect before you decide to boldly go where no man has gone before.

Chimeraland by Pixel Soft is an unpolished experience with minor bugs, but it is still weirdly fun. Player races and various creatures are some of the oddest things I have seen in any MMO. The layout of the UI for PC is not intuitive compared to mobile, and there are localization issues. Players may be turned away by some of the graphics and the initial learning curve. But if you can get by these issues, there is a lot of game here for players who enjoy exploration, survival building mechanics, and pet collection/evolution. While many of Chimeraland’s systems at a base level can feel familiar, it is a unique experience.

Despite the game's few issues, graphics and camera angles become the deal makers and breakers. BOI would be far more appealing if it featured standard MMO camera views, allowing the game to be seen from a first-person or behind the character perspective. Quests are easy to find and easy to complete. Perhaps a bit too easy. Travel is a no-brainer, literally. Click on what you wish to find and the game will lead you right to it. Ultimately, Battle of the Immortals has been dumbed-down in some areas and then raised beyond mortal comprehension in others.

Combat on its own just doesn’t feel satisfying enough to hold my attention-I’d kind of rather hop back onto Planetside 2 or Chivalry 2 for that. But, the combat combined with all of the features I mentioned earlier really come together to create something special-it still just needs a lot of work and polish. I especially love the concept of taking a large faction-based map and adding mmorpg elements to it, so I will absolutely be keeping my eyes on Gloria Victis over the next few months. If the developers keep making steady improvements like they are now, I’ll more than likely keep dipping my toes in every now and again to scratch that PvP itch.

The Elder Scrolls Online: Greymoor isn’t a bad chapter by any stretch. It’s dark themes really shine through in the storytelling, and while the main questline felt lackluster thanks to its predictability and my issues with the buggy boss fights, the side quests told complex and entertaining stories - the kind I’ve come to love from the ZeniMax team.... But it’s greatest enemy wasn’t the Vampire coven at the center of the year-long Dark Heart of Skyrim storyline, but rather the unpolished feeling Greymoor gave me as bugs and performance issues plagued the experience, even after the team deployed multiple fixes. In the end, it leaves me wondering whether or not Greymoor should have been delayed longer and given more time to stick its landing

Besides the familiar/pet system everything else in it has been done and at times overdone via other MMORPGs. The game is a solid MMO and can be a grind like any of its various counterparts, but it feels like a decent game that would have done better many years ago compared to today's current market of MMORPGs.

For now, I’d recommend it for PvE fans who aren’t too fussed about story-driven content and for new MMORPG fans who’d like a free game to sink a few hours into. It’s not ground-breaking by any means, but it was quite fun and offered a good alternative to my usual games.

So is it the perfect game? No, unfortunately, it is not. But if you like werewolves, are familiar with the original Werewolf: The Apocalypse universe, or just want to hulk around as a giant wolf throwing people around like ragdolls then it might be worth your time.

In Genshin Impact, I enjoyed my initial meetings with Amber, Jean, and Diluc, and even while I didn’t care for Venti, his character was at least entertaining. However, I didn’t feel that way about a single member of Wuthering Waves’ cast. Everyone felt generic with slightly different haircuts or clothes, and the world felt like it was built from stock sci-fi aspects. Too much of the rest of the game falls flat for its great combat to carry it across the finish line.

While I still think Total War: Warhammer III: Shadows of Change is a good DLC, it could have been a great one with a few more unique mechanics. If you enjoy all three factions or really like how The Changeling gameplay sounds, it may be worth picking up sooner rather than later.

For being more than a simple match three or a gatcha with the same basic gameplay loops, I appreciate V4 for being something more closely resembling a “real” game on my phone. I like that everything you do increases your ability, so there’s a reason to not completely ignore research or crafting, even if it ultimately feels kind of useless. Even as someone who considers themselves a “core” gamer, there’s enough here to keep me interested which means “casual” gamers are likely going to have a lot of fun. If you’re looking for a super deep experience with actual grouping and dungeon running, epic world boss fights, and intricate PVP or crafting experiences, V4 is probably going to disappoint you rather quickly.

Bless Unleashed PC served as a nice diversion for a while. Even having a few alts created I worry about the server population, if my hollow guild is any indication. I’ll most likely visit from time to time to take part in some world boss events, but I can’t see myself sticking with it long term when other MMOs have nice expansions coming out.

The Outer Worlds: Peril On Gorgon is a story-driven DLC that offers some new (albeit) uninspired depth to the game’s lore. Some odd narrative reveal choices and lack of originality left me feeling unimpressed with the whole experience. Still, with solid combat, new locations and a chance to spend more time with your crew, Peril On Gorgon does flesh out the universe the Obsidian has worked to create.

In the end, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance doesn’t deliver anything that hasn’t been done before. The time-gated leveling experience artificially extends the game’s shallow pool of content and after that dries up the endgame isn’t interesting enough to hold players’ attention for long. Add onto that a convoluted gacha shop, and you’ve got a very middling experience.

In the end, Forspoken is okay, with its world, parkour, and combat as its high points. And while I didn’t thoroughly enjoy the story, I want to see Ella Balinksa as Frey again in a sequel as her performance (and, frankly, the majority of the cast) was a definite highlight, despite the poor writing she was given. Unfortunately, the performance issues really have made Forspoken hard to recommend at its full price, as it negatively impacts so much of the moment-to-moment gameplay. Hopefully with a few patches Square and Luminous can improve it over time. But until then, traveling down the rabbit hole into Athia might be best done on a sale.

Six months or a year from now, Anthem, like many of the other games before it, may be a wholly improved experience and complete its redemption arc, but right now it may as well be AAA Early Access. I’ll continue to play it for as long as the combat remains entertaining, but if you’re on the fence, you may want to wait a while on this one.

Despite the mentioned issues, Vampire: The Masquerade – Justice is a good VR game on the Quest 3. Fast Travel Games tells a good story and nails the atmosphere of the Vampire: The Masquerade setting. Playing as Justice has some fun gameplay and many moments that make you feel like a vampire hunting down their enemies. But to make Vampire: The Masquerade - Justice shine, I would have liked to see more polish and depth to the vampiric power/discipline system.

The blending of FPS and RTS gameplay elements makes it unique, but I feel like it struggles to really settle into an identity for itself and tries to pull a lot of different ideas together that don’t always synergize. The world is beautifully striking, but the devil is in the details and I expected my robotic-companions’ metallic shells to shine with the luster and sheen that I would see in any other robot. It’s too bad that Disintegration, much like its metallic characters, feels cheap and plasticky instead.

I want to fully endorse Gamedec, and up to a certain point I do, but I would be remiss if I didn't mention the radical shift in the game's focus. Up until then the investigations are mysterious and fun, telling a legitimately interesting tale. After it the game feels like it goes into hyperdrive, not stopping until the credits roll. If this universe is ever revisited, I would hope there would be more investigative stories and less weird color-coded mazes. As it stands then, Gamedec is best described as a promising title with uneven execution.

Pandora Saga has formidable features, but it's not enough to give the game wide range appeal. Players who enjoy a strong player-versus-player environment might thrive in Pandora Saga; assuming they can make it past the painfully boring first twenty levels of the game.

High on Life is a decent FPS with great voice acting and an interesting new universe to explore. While I didn’t find any point in the game where I laughed out loud, if you are someone who enjoys the humor of Rick and Morty, then you will likely enjoy this experience as well. Just be aware that at different points the subject matter can be offensive to some, and the swearing is pretty much constant. High on Life may even be too much for some fans of Justin Roiland. While players won’t find anything new for mechanics and world traversal that has not been in other FPS titles, it is a good set of bones for future DLC and/or sequels.

In general, what’s available just doesn’t feel good enough to keep players engaged. The PvE missions are basically tutorials and don’t have much replay value. There are 3 Versus modes, but only two are active at any given time, and the arenas are pretty small without offering much variety. Some of the characters are definitely fun to play, but overall the skill ceiling seems pretty low due to the wide area of most of the abilities and weapons. Despite generally enjoying online PvP games, I can’t see myself returning to Foamstars too often with its current content selection.

All in all, Van Helsing III isn’t a bad game exactly, but it’s not a great game either and in some ways, it’s a disappointing end to what has otherwise been a good series in the ARPG genre. For my money, the series reached its zenith at the second and should have closed the door then.

Overall, I leave Dino Storm in a bittersweet state of mind. On one hand I am very happy and optimistic about the future of browser-based games, given that they have been frequently overlooked within the past few years. On the other hand, however, I wish Dino Storm had been able to draw me in for a longer period of time.

Ironically in reaching out to revive Ultima, EA have missed out on two of its virtues: humility and compassion. Ultima Forever is a very fine casual MMO for your mobile device. The adventure is crisp, enjoyable, and interesting - but that cash shop really lets it down in the end.

Black Prophecy is an interesting take on how flying/space combat can and should happen. However, its lack of content and specifically Endgame creates a short appeal for the modern player. The lack of an economy creates a one-dimensional gameplay experience. I would sincerely like to see this game introduce a universe wide resource system and a multitude of ships and weaponry that required a similar crafting system to many of the modern games. By introducing more group quests we would see a surge in the social atmosphere, and see Black Prophecy be more than the mediocre experience it is now.

Ultimately, I'd encourage you to give Spiral Knights a go as you'll know before you've expended your first 100 points of mist energy whether you want to keep playing. The question of whether you'll have the strength I lacked to grind your way out of the constrictions of the energy system is another question entirely. If you treat the game as a dip in/dip out sort of affair, then I think it's possible to really enjoy it.

There is a lot of potential here and Dawn of Fantasy has already improved by leaps and bounds since it was released almost a year ago. Sure, there are still some issues and glitches, but it is moving in the right direction. If you're looking for a pure RTS experience, there are better RTS titles out there. And if you're looking for the MMO side of the equation, naturally there are better MMO titles out there. But if you're looking for a solid MMORTS title, Dawn of Fantasy is one of your best options out there. It is very nice to see people taking the MMORTS out of the browser.

WoB lacks a lot of interesting components and only provides a few ways to keep gamers playing. I have to say that casual players may find this much more entertaining to play, although anyone who is extreme on any of the above categories might lose interest pretty quick.

Champions of Regnum boasts some big and enticing features. With Realm vs Realm being its main source of player retention, it aims to bring a huge dynamic player-driven battlefield to the MMO market. With these big goals set in place Regnum strives to achieve a large player base. Unfortunately it doesn’t. Its overall lackluster gameplay, unbalanced systems and chore-like grind make for a mundane and slow-plodding experience. If you’re looking for a Realm vs Realm MMO to play there are plenty of others out there. You’d be much better off playing the older and yet less archaic Dark Age of Camelot.

Dragons and Titans suffered a very rocky start. Various reviews and discussions have painted this game in a bad light. As such, the population is low and I can’t guarantee a great experience for everyone. However, Wyrmbite has risen up to the challenge quite a few times and there is evidence of them paying attention to community discourse. With a gameplay molded after other successful MOBAs and a (somewhat) family-friendly style, Dragons and Titans certainly has a leg up on the other “dotaclone” games.

Continent of the Ninth isn't a horrible game, whatever the score here may indicate. The action is fun and intense early on. It just gets a little repetitive rather quickly. Once you slog through the first 20-25 levels and reach your advanced class selection and get more into the PvP side of things, the game opens up quite a bit. Unfortunately to get to that point you'll spend a lot of time running the same dungeons over and over.

The First Descendant is a game that could be great, if it wasn’t for its localization, monetization model that wants you to spend money to speed up timers or skip the long grind to unlock characters, and various performance issues. It’s a game that I have a lot of fun with, but it certainly won’t be for everyone due to its variations in quality. However, I hope the development team rectifies what issues they can, because The First Descendant could become a staple in the looter shooter genre if given enough time.

The Technomancer isn’t anything to write home about, but if you’re willing to overlook its flaws, this is Spiders’ most compelling world to date. Their vision of Mars is one that would be worth exploring even with its rough edges, if not for the sheer imbalance of a combat system that persistently drags the experience into the dregs of frustration. Spiders isn’t short on interesting ideas, it’s just the execution.

Daemon X Machina: Titanic Scion is a valiant attempt to build upon its predecessor’s successes and address the shortfalls. Its story is much more comprehensible this time around due to opting for an open-world instead of a mission-based structure. However, it still felt undercooked with potentially interesting concepts and the supporting cast’s character development wasn’t executed well enough. Even so, the customization, gameplay, and movement are just as great as ever. Just maybe choose to play on a different platform than Switch 2 to avoid the performance issues.

Throne & Liberty was a game I wanted to love. It was something I had anticipated for roughly a decade with the hope in my heart that it would be good. I see the skeleton of something I adored — the massive PvP battles, the caution that came with entering places like the Ants Nest to get rare jewelry and a social component that I honestly sorely miss. But the poor localization, an uninteresting story, and the reliance on PvP for progression makes the game a hard recommendation. It’s a shame, because there is a glimmer of something great there, but Throne & Liberty just isn’t that.

Overall, Predator: Hunting Grounds hits only on a few cylinderswhile leaving you wanting more than is currently available in the title. A universe such as this one should be shown the proper respect, instead it relys too heavily on our nostalgia with the movie franchise to entice players into taking control of an iconic film character to sell itself. And while it’s sound design is fantastic, and the combat itself can be fun for a while, it just doesn’t do enough to keep my attention for too long, making me long for a single-player campaign to bolster my fun.

The bottom line is that Echo of Soul lacks the one thing your character has to purify over and over again: soul. While doing an admirable job copying games that have come before, EoS just doesn’t provide anything new. That said, there is something a little therapeutic in just logging in and completing quests. It’s not great but it hits the spot from time to time. Just like a heaping bowl of Honey Nut Spins.

Long story short, TCG beginners or those who are drawn to the attractive artwork may be willing to overlook [Sword Girls'] shortcomings (and even learn to thrive within them) but experienced TCG players looking for an anime-enhanced gaming experience may not be so tolerant.

Legends of Aria is a tribute to some of the earliest MMORPG’s that helped define the genre that it resides in. It’s not afraid to lean into things like the grind or less than linear progression systems. This design choice leaves Aria attempting to maintain a pretty delicate balance. On the one hand, it gives players an opportunity to (re)discover what made some of the earliest MMORPG’s great. On the other hand, it can be a deterrent for players wanting to try this style of MMO out for the first time.

Achilles: Legends Untold feels like an unfinished product still working through Early Access. Combat balance and the limited amount of loot would be at the top of my list that needs improvement. You could follow that up with a wider variety of boss fights, a deeper crafting experience, and the writing and voice acting are marginal at best; maybe double down on the writing staff and cut out the voiceover altogether if there isn’t enough budget to do both well.

Although WILD HEARTS puts up a valiant effort to capitalize on the success that Monster Hunter has found in the West these past few years, it still leaves a lot to be desired. The most disappointing aspect is how bogged down it is with technical issues that prevent a seamless online co-op experience. A lot of the joy in hunting monsters is being able to do it with friends. Despite featuring cross-platform play, I preferred to play WILD HEARTS alone rather than be bothered with the slow-downs that I encountered. It shows great promise with their weapon types and the upgrading mechanics, but ultimately WILD HEARTS feels like an unfinished product. I hope that the upcoming content updates can turn that around. In the meantime, I’d look elsewhere for getting that next hunt in.

Zoria: Age of Shattering has the makings of a good CRPG. The game has hooked me, and I want to see where the story goes next, even if it is so far standard fare for a fantasy game. I like making the tactical decision of what Character to bring while exploring and how best each class can help me during combat and while encamped. But I still need to find that feeling of being fully engaged in the world, and that is because Zoria: Age of Shattering is missing some quality-of-life additions and polish. But even without that, it snagged me into exploring one more area and upgrading my keep one more time before I quit for the night. For $24.99, it's a decent pickup if you are looking to try a new CRPG.

Those of you (like myself) who are passionate about game lore may be disappointed that Eligium lacks a tangible story, despite the intermittent in-game cut-scenes. The PvP, daily quests and instance dungeons are plentiful though, so I'm sure many others out there will enjoy it a lot more than I did. The PvP community in the game was rather active during the time I spent there and some of the guilds even had three-digit figures for memberships. These people obviously managed to find the sweet spot that had eluded my grasp. Maybe you will too, but in my case, I'd rather spend my time elsewhere.

I liked After Us in the end, I appreciated the story it told and the imagery it used to tell it (even if most of it was as blunt as blunt gets). However, what could have felt like a two-hour conversation is bloated into a ten-hour lecture series due to overly large worlds with very little to do in them. It seems like there was an internal struggle between "brevity in storytelling" or "filling the world with collectibles," though unfortunately, the solution they reached was far from the most efficient. If you can stomach the slog, there's a beautiful, important message to be heard in After Us. Unfortunately, and ironically, it's buried in excess.

What I’ll take away from my time with Where Winds Meet is how much I enjoyed just roaming the open world and seeing the beautiful vistas, and how great those first hours of combat were. If developer Everstone Studio and publisher NetEase can figure out a way to make it so that future updates and additions to the game match that feeling, then there is real potential here.

One year and twelve updates in, Warframe appears to be a solid action game leveraging really excellent technology to create a fun and engaging experience. There are still some rough edges and many opportunities to amp up the variety of content, but with a compelling world and addictive, twitchy action, Warframe has a lot to offer.

Despite its shortcomings, Skull and Bones does boast stunning visuals and a few moments of thrilling naval warfare—the first time you encounter them. However, its lack of depth in gameplay mechanics and story left much to be desired. Even though it continues to evolve with a trove of promised content updates, I’m not entirely sure if I want to return to its turbulent waters. Personally, not being able to roam about my own ship or disembark on islands felt incredibly frustrating and limiting. Skull and Bones isn’t necessarily a bad game; it’s just not great. It feels like lots of pieces of rope strung together with loose knots, hastily fashioned and thrown together to show that they had a working net. Unfortunately, I don’t think that net is strong enough to be worth the $70 fish they’re trying to catch.

Honestly, I do love the gameplay. But literally everything else tangential to and surrounding the core gameplay experience is a genuine pain. What’s worse, these pain points have been solved so easily by the games Valorant is so clearly inspired. It’s a damn shame that these existing easy solutions were simply ignored. A veteran team with the experience and containing the caliber of talent like Riot should simply know better. I cannot overstate just how much this frustrates me.