All in all, FIVE: Guardians of David is a very solid, well-priced ($24.99 on Steam) ARPG that will give players a lot of satisfaction and many hours of enjoyment. Fans of ARPGs will find a lot to like here as there is no question that it stands alongside the likes of Diablo, Torchlight and Titan Quest in a very favorable way.

If you don’t own The Incredible Adventures of Van Helsing on PC already and you’re a sucker for a solid ARPG experience VH won’t disappoint. Despite its shortcomings, VH offers a solid ARPG experience, beautiful setting and some great control layouts. As a PS4 player it s a game I definitely want in my collection.

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.

Biomutant is a fascinating game, one that definitely belongs in a foregone era of gaming but somehow still works in today's industry. The world is massive and packed with things to do, combat is fast and fluid save for a few minor issues, and the story definitely keeps me interested throughout. There's jank, sure, but it's jank that somehow works in the game's favor, almost as if it's part of the game's identity. If you come in expecting a Game of the Year candidate you may leave disappointed, but if you're looking for a new adventure brimming with personality, Biomutant is absolutely worth your time. Just be prepared for that fast travel mechanic; it still shocks me every time.

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.

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.

Overall I enjoyed the Kingdom Hearts 3 Re:Mind DLC and finding out about the endings and what it could hold for the future of the series. The Re:Mind DLC was not long, but I didn’t really expect it to be long at all as it was just neat wrap up to a great story so far. The Limit Cut Episode brought a lot of questions, and I have so much speculation with how it ended, which I’ll not state here in order to avoid spoilers. I did not like high level requirements for the Limit Cut Episode, but I love the game so I will level up to unlock the endings for myself. Either way, the KH3 Re:Mind DLC was very cinematic with its cutscenes, and a very enjoyable DLC for a very enjoyable game.

Sands of Salzaar, for all intents and purposes, feels more like a work in progress as opposed to a final release. If this were an early access preview, I would say that each of the core components has potential and just needs to be fleshed out. As a final product review, I must say that even though Sands of Salzaar promises an intriguing blend of RPG and strategy elements, it fails to provide the depth and complexity needed for long-term replayability.

If you aren’t a Batman fan, I’m not sure that there is enough that stands out that dropping full retail on Gotham Knights is a smart move. The game could certainly use some patches, the full four-player mode isn’t out yet at release and I feel like holiday releases may quickly overshadow this game. That isn’t to say that there isn’t a great concept, but like Batman, it's crushed to death under all the debris.

I really want to recommend The Outer Worlds on the Nintendo Switch. I’ve seen some developers do a great job bringing triple-A titles over and I had high hopes for Obsidians’ Sci-Fi RPG. However, after spending a week pushing through pretty rough gameplay experience, it’s clear that this port just doesn’t cut it. Too many sacrifices were made to make it run and it shows. Should you play The Outer Worlds? Definitely. Should you play it on the Nintendo Switch? only if you have no other option.

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.

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.

Between the flat power curve, unexciting items, and unlocking all your abilities by level 20, Torchlight 3 ultimately suffers a dire pacing problem. Getting to the end game is a fairly non-exciting and long grind and not enough changes with the experience at the end game to keep me playing. I think the developers could get there with a few good patches that make items exciting, enchanting less painful, and skills synergize better together but they have to recognize the problem exists to begin with. The groundwork is there for a great Torchlight installment if they would listen closely to player feedback and fix these pitfalls. Until then I’ll keep checking in with the patch notes and hoping for a No Man’s Sky-esque comeback but for now if someone asks me how Torchlight 3 is I’ll simply respond with “Eh, it’s okay”.

Tower of Fantasy is a whirlwind of enjoyable combat, exploration and mini-games, mixed with a nefarious gacha system and the annoying proclivity to time and level gate progression. The ability to create your own character, team up with other players, participate in a huge guild, and battle hordes of monsters with a deep yet simplistic combat system tips the scales just enough to warrant the hype that it has been given. Tower of Fantasy dips its toe into greatness through extensive gameplay systems and an accessible game loop that has broad appeal. No matter what you like doing, whether it’s team play, exploration, PvP, or dungeon running, you can find it here. Just temper this fantasy with the realization that you should never spend more than you can afford. Hotta built Tower of Fantasy as a marathon, so there’s no better time than now to enjoy the journey at your own pace.

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.

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.

Great in short bursts, maybe an hour, as you can have fun and make a little progress, complete a challenge, and see your experience progress. Maybe two at a push to run some Shadow Tower, or work on the Club World. But those meaty, satisfying online experiences need a heavyweight MMO to deliver them and, for all its colourful charm, Trove just isn’t it.

At the end of the day, you’re going to have to decide for yourself if EA’s business practices with Star Wars: Battlefront II are something you can live with. If you can, you’ll likely find that Star Wars: Battlefront II is every bit the Star Wars game you’ve been looking for.

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.

It is hard to articulate just how detrimental the Chaos Portal section of Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning - Fatesworn is to the rest of the new content. Until those portals opened this felt like a story worthy of Amalur, with a few twists and turns and Agarth acting a fool (as is tradition). Then the brakes were pumped, and I was buried in purple Chaos energy for far, far too long in the main arc. If there's one lesson I hope any prospective sequel developers take from this big adventure, it's this: leave the Chaos Portals out of this and just make the game you know you can make. As the rest of the adventure proves, the Amalur franchise can still hold its weight.

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.

So yeah, FBC: Firebreak is just fine. If you're looking for something mindless to play with some friends one weekend, this'll get the job done. I'm sure that its lowered retail price–it's going for $40 USD–and launch on some subscription services is going to entice a fair few. But if you're expecting anything as fun or curious as Control, something that encourages you to plumb it for mysteries, or even something daring enough to commit to a new tone and style and substance, allow me to caution you. FBC: Firebreak is not that game. It's regrettably emptier.

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.

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.

RaiderZ is a very fun action-oriented MMORPG. With action combat and very good monster/zone design, it's one of the better MMOs on the free-to-play market at the moment. Although it is not without faults, it still makes for a very enjoyable casual experience.

Overall, Warlander just doesn’t do enough to make it feel special or justify its predatory monetization scheme. The first few matches are fun, but once you run into enemies who are objectively more powerful again and again, the fun begins to fade and there isn’t enough variety to keep things fresh.

I had such high hopes for Dragon’s Prophet. Everything about it sounds like so much fun on paper. But what we have is a clear case of a game that needs a lot more time in development before it should be taking money from anyone. This shouldn’t be an open beta, and you shouldn’t be able to spend money in Auretia. I understand that SOE and Runewaker need to pay the bills, but both parties would have been far better off letting the game take a little more time in closed beta to take in and react to feedback from its community. Dragon’s Prophet isn’t the worst game I’ve played this year, but it could have been so much better. And that’s what’s really unfortunate.

There are a lot of holes in the plot and despite trying its very best to make you care about what’s happening, the characters are so underdeveloped that it’s easy to be apathetic to their cause. If you’re looking for a good strategy game that you can play on modern platforms, I’d still give Arcadian Atlas a pass. Go play Triangle Strategy or any of the Fire Emblem games first. Even Final Fantasy Tactics on your phone is going to be a better experience.

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.

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.

I’m enjoying my time in Hood when I can get in the right environment. It’s fun to take down a whole team in a string of headshots with Robin, or assassinations as Marianne. But that fun is incredibly dependent on whether I’m playing with my friends or not. At its very core, Hood: Outlaws & Legends is a good game, it just requires good people around you to make it so.

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.

Kingdom Under Fire 2 has gotten off to a solid start, and I honestly had a ton of fun playing. Unfortunately, for me, the gender locked classes are a pretty big deal, and having issues with finding groups to do things can be frustrating.

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.

At its core, Godfall is a fun hack and slash ARPG. Stunning visuals give Godfall a leg up against the competition, whereas mostly well executed yet uninspired design decisions mean the rest of the game doesn’t live up to its potential. The negatives don’t outweigh the positives, but there are enough design errors to ultimately cause Godfall to blend in with the crowd. As I already mentioned, Godfall is not a Game as a Service, so we won’t be seeing the continual updates and upgrades that games like Destiny 2 or The Division 2 have received. Hopefully that doesn't mean Counterplay is finished with Godfall because it would only take a few tweaks here and there for it to complete it's ascension to gaming godhood.

The Crew isn’t a revolutionary MMO, nor is it a revolutionary racer. It is however a fun racing game that happens to be in a persistent online world and has a ton of replayability. Simulation fans won’t necessarily love it (cars magically heal as you drive, for Pete's sake), but fans of Need for Speed, Test Drive Unlimited, and so forth will find a lot to like. Ubisoft claims they have big plans for the game’s future, and even more for additional entries down the line, and I’ll be watching. Ditch the lame story, work in more customization and more exciting races, and The Crew is solid roadwork for what could be a fantastic MMO ride.

I sincerely hope there’s no “Destiny 3” on the minds of Bungie anytime soon. Instead, I want to see them treat this game like a true ongoing service for the next five years. Let it grow, become massive in content and scope. And if there ever is a Destiny 3, you’d better make it carry over all the progress of players’ work in D2. In any case, I’m loving the direction that Destiny 2 is headed.

There’s nothing new to see here, just a port of an old classic. For some, I’m sure that this is all that they want or need, but for others I feel that it’s a shame Dark Alliance II hasn’t been modernized - at least a little bit - to bring the gameplay more in line with the times so that it would feel more accessible to newer players. Even still, Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance II’s price tag at $29.99 feels too steep for what it is. Unless you’re a diehard fan of the Dark Alliance series, I’d wait for a hefty sale before picking this up.

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.

Red 5 are gamers who were sick with the same ol’ shooter and the same ol’ MMO. So they went out and started making a game they’d want to play. Somewhere along the way, they got a little lost, but they’re back on track and with a thriving but small community they’re onto something very special. It’s a little rough around the edges right now, but I’d heartily recommend Firefall to anyone who’s sick of the same old MMO fodder. Just be prepared to roll with the work-in-progress nature of the game, and you might be pleasantly surprised at the fun on offer.

Unfortunately, I have to consider the entire game while I review Suicide Squad. Its incredible storytelling should cause you to give it a chance, but don’t be ignorant of its matchmaking issues, the highly repetitive nature of the campaign missions, or the fact that the end of the game comes off as super confusing. It may be worth waiting for a sale for anyone other than the most dedicated DC fans out there. Suicide Squad had great potential, but for me, it ultimately fell short.

Return to Moria has a TON of potential, but overall I would say the worldbuilding and fantastic job they did on bringing Moria to life is what carries the title; not necessarily the survival mechanics or gameplay. Aside from singing mining songs with friends, I can’t think of much that it brings to the table that I haven’t seen done better in other survival games like Valheim or Conan Exiles. Return to Moria has definitely created an interesting and immersive world, probably one of the most lore-accurate ones I’ve seen in a while. I just wish that they had dedicated a little more time to making their combat and survival system as interesting too.

The shooting is tight, the experience exciting, and the interplay between games a joy to behold. There are definitely a few months of refinement ahead, but Eve Online players can enjoy another facet to their universe and PS3 loyalists can enjoy a great shooter for nothing.

When the opening credits for a game are more dramatic and compelling than the game itself, that’s a problem. With a company as large and well known as SOE, I have certain expectations, few of which were met in this game. Maybe they’ll improve WO in time with the help of developer Gamepot. They certainly seem to be working on it. Unfortunately, I’m just not inclined to wait around to find out.

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.

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.

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.

I wanted to love Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance so badly. I grew up reading R.A. Salvatore’s novels about Drizzt and his companions. Baldur’s Gate was my first CRPG that I ever played. The original Baldur’s Gate: Dark Alliance and Dark Alliance II are probably my favorite games from the PS2 era. But sadly, Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance just misses the mark in so many categories. It was a slog to get through, and there is almost no reason for me to ever pick it up again.

There’s promise in Integrity and Faithlessness that Star Ocean’s next incarnation could be really something special. Right now, it’s just not quite there in this edition.

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.

Kyn’s mission-based gameplay means you can take an hour at a time and feel like you’ve done a lot. The RTS/RPG style combat is a novel invention and the puzzles are very well designed. Just don’t expect anything earth-shattering here.

In the end, I don’t think this is really the game for either dedicated MMO players, or diehard Marvel fans. Many of the former won’t like the lack of true customization or group strategy, and, because of game mechanics, the latter will only get a loose approximation of the characters’ canonical abilities. That said, I think Marvel Heroes is uncomplicated and certainly entertaining enough to be a good primer for those new to online gaming. It’s a way to get familiar with the medium without being overwhelmed or overcharged for the experience.

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.

There simply are not enough ways to say, "Do not buy this game". It is not worth its price tag and the dollars spent to hours of enjoyment is missing in every conceivable way. Perhaps there is a tiny niche of players who will enjoy it for a time before moving on but, as yet, they haven't materialized.

The world building, cities and some of the characters are instantly memorable and made me want to learn more. But when coupled with an unpolished backdrop, laggy and uninspired combat and a boring, frustrating grind, it makes it hard to recommend to anyone who is looking for a good free-to-play MMO to check out, especially when alternatives like Warframe and Phantasy Star Online 2 exist on the same platform. Hopefully time brings Bless Unleashed to the level we were all hoping for – but right now it’s just not there. It honestly feels like it needed more time to bake before being released – feeling rushed out to hit a deadline, and it definitely shows in the final result.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bound By Flame sounded promising every time we saw it... but so do most games. What we ended up with instead is an RPG trying to be as great as its inspiration but never coming close. Poor combat, poor story, and poor acting, all serve to make this "epic tale" one you'll want to skip. Do not buy.

Just don't forget to bring your patience, and your twitch combat skills, you'll need them when the going gets tough, and the tough get... Ravenbound.

All of this is to say simply: Redfall is a bad video game. It's one that feels both underbaked and unfinished, releasing in a visually poor state loaded with bugs, lackluster gameplay and just a boring, empty world... I cannot recommend anyone spend time with Redfall, especially with Microsoft charging $70 for the title on Xbox or PC, and even on Game Pass I'd recommend simply playing Arkane's other titles like Dishonored or Prey.

Fallout 76 is the series’ Freshman introduction into the world of online, multiplayer games. As a result, we are experiencing all of the awkwardness and clumsiness associated with that season of life. It is imperfect and a bit uncomfortable, but I see opportunity for Fallout 76 to be more than it presently it - to be a truly great, rich Fallout experience.

he core shooter mechanic doesn’t feel good. The world map is for show. Game has balance issues.

Everything about my experience points to GATO Studio either running out of time or money (or both) before they could complete The Waylanders. A story that starts off in a fresh setting and filled with interesting characters, nice visuals and outstanding voice acting is quickly derailed by technical flaws and an ever-growing list of bugs. I rarely complain about too many side missions or additional features like romantic endeavors being added to a game, but this is a perfect example where cutting out unnecessary features would have allowed GATO Studios to focus on the things that really mattered. Sometimes, less can be more, and that appears to be the case here.

If you’re looking for a deep MMORPG or Battle Royale experience then A3: Still Alive is not that game. Most of the game plays itself, the monetization model is relatively offensive, and progression is overly complex for no reason. Each of the classes are also gender locked, which shouldn’t be a thing anymore. On the other hand, it’s a very pretty idle game.

Babylon’s Fall should have fared better than it has. Hidden somewhere behind a myriad of poor choices is some enjoyable hack and slash combat. Going with an online-only, GaaS model and still sticking gamers with a $60 price tag. The strange choice of the watercolor painting art style. Taking nearly 20 before introducing any of the interesting pieces of character customization. Waiting until the player completes more than three-quarters of the story before opening up any of the side quests or resulting rewards. All of these could have easily been avoided.

As much as I wanted to love Bombshell, and in some ways do despite its flaws, I cannot recommend the game in its current state.

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.

At its core as well, Gollum as a protagonist was never going to be all that enticing, despite his intriguing personality in the books. The surrounding game and narrative had to be absolutely stellar to sell Gollum as a compelling protagonist, and Daedalic fails full stop here. And it's a shame because the team are very obviously Tolkien fans aiming to tell a good story set in Middle-earth. However, at the end of the day, the game on release would have been better off never leaving its cave.

The War Z has about as much value as its crappy in-game melee weaponry and that’s not much at all. At least it doesn’t cost anything to play after you buy it, and the cash shop items are fair enough, so you won’t see people running around with machine guns just because they spent money. If you’re going to give your money to a zombie-survival game, grab ArmA II and a copy of the DayZ mod, or wait for the full retail version of DayZ to arrive on digital store shelves and check that out. Do not buy into The War Z.

If you're hoping for talent trees, intense spec choices or mind-blowing spell effects then keep walking, buddy. The talent trees from beta are gone for good, replaced by a wealth of skills which must be picked between as only a certain number may be taken into any given battle. What the game lacks in animation it really does make up for in graphics and gameplay but, if there's no way you can enjoy a game without enough flashes to give you seizures every twenty seconds, then Nadirim won't cut it for you.

I must say I had a very fun time being able to play Age of Discovery. I came up a bit short-ended, but not completely disappointed. My major issue with the game is that I don't think I would call it an expansion. If you are someoNe who was thinking about playing Everquest 2, make sure you try out every corner of what's available free of charge before taking out your wallet. There were a lot of features that I thoroughly enjoyed, but I just left a bit hungrier for more.

Parents of younger kids and tweens will definitely want to check out Wizard101 if they haven't already. It's a wonderful game to use to introduce kids into the wider world of MMOs. And while Mom and Dad are at it, they should also call Grandma and Grandpa to get them started too. Wizard101 is that good and that fun for players of all ages. For this particular niche, the family-oriented, cross-generational gamer, there is no better game on the market today than Wizard101.

Remnant Knights is a game that I enjoyed my time with, but cannot give a recommendation to. A lack of content, bland atmosphere and missed opportunities drag down what is above average combat and a great community. You may get the same experience as me, but don't go in expecting anything that will blow your mind. It will be a game that I wish was more, but without a very large overhaul it never will be.

It might be a bit disjointed, and not put together completely right, but for the adventure it is definitely worth it. Go forth, and be slaughtered a thousand times in a multitude of different ways my friend. It can actually be very entertaining - after the fact.

Conquer Online by TQ Digital Entertainment is an Asian F2P MMO that was released in 2004 and exhibits many of the typical features such as steeds, in-game marriage, PvP and purchases of potions – health, mana, XP, buffs as well as basic crafting components and additional bank and inventory space. There isn't a background storyline but a setting – ancient China as evidenced by the buildings, but there are also green-skinned orcs. There is also a form of "automatic play" in Conquer Online in the automatic pathing as well as in-game training that I shall elaborate on. And now it's ported to the iPad, and works amazingly well.

Maybe I'm just jaded and my review is more harsh than usual because of it, but Dragona does nothing to set itself apart from anything else on the market. The little highlights of the game, like the environments, are often over shadowed or covered up by much worse features. Dragona just isn't worth anyone's time. I wish I could say more, I wish I could like it more, but in the end there is no use lying on the game's behalf.

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.

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.

It takes a truly awful game for me to tell you not to try it out, so I'm not going to say that here. In fact my parting advice to you is that you do try it, even if it's just briefly, to understand where I'm coming from; the simple and tedious gameplay experienced within the first five minutes doesn't get any more exciting over the next 30 hours.

The bottom line is that Star Legends: Black Star Chronicles is an extremely well designed mobile MMO (well, CORPG) experience that has great game play designed for short gameplay bursts. Try it on your next bus ride, you might like what you find!

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.

Haven does very well in most categories, and still maintains a good overall score despite the setbacks. While I wouldn't link this to anyone as their first MMO experience, I would give this to someone looking for something new and entertaining in a sandboxy package.

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.

The vast majority of you guys won't take to Planeshift through no fault of its own; it just doesn't cater for you. If you can't wrap your head around roleplaying then look elsewhere. But whatever your preference, the lack of polish in the game really holds it back. It's not helped by how it combines elements from the era of text adventures with modern MMOs, and falls short of capturing the magic of either.

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.

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.

ARGO Online only launched on April 21, 2011, but appears to be singing its swan song already. ARGO does have some interesting classes and more than enough PvE content to keep players leveling; but all of the PvP features that the game boasts are not playable due to diminishing player numbers. If something were to change in the population department, then ARGO Online would be worth a second look.

With an absolutely dead community, Brawl Busters isn't the MMO experience most people here will be looking for. It's lacking in a lot of places, but overall I'd classify Brawl Busters as average: It's great for a certain player base, but not for everyone.

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.

Perhaps it's a love of the ugly retro duckling, or just because Taern's developers White Moon have dared to try something different - whatever the case may be, I just like this MMORPG. Its narrative, its traditional vibe, and its naivety, just make it a game you can't help but foster nice feelings towards.

DDO: MotU literally bridges the gap between Eberron and the fan favorite Forgotten Realms campaign settings. The team at Turbine has done a good job at weaving a tale that incorporates elements from D&D cannon that allows them to create a pathway anchoring one realm metaphysically to the other.

Admittedly, the art style isn't going to be for everyone. Some people won't be able to get past that, and to each their own. But for those who can, or who like the hyper-colorful anime art style, there is a lot of depth and fun to be found in Divina. For me it once again proved the whole 'don't judge a book by its cover' statement. I went in expecting to hate the game, and I ended up really enjoying my time playing.

In the end, the only thing that really matters is whether Shin Megami Tensei Imagine is worth playing. If you're a fan of the series that loves online games then the answer is a definite yes. The dark feel, amazing music and robust demon system that make Shin Megami Tensei are all here for you to share with others. If you're an MMO gamer who is a fan of the Pokémon-like idea of catching them all, then the demon system may also hold some appeal for you. For everyone else it comes down to a question of whether you can enjoy the lackluster graphics and the grind and repetition that can come at higher levels. Even if the answer would normally be no, Imagineis both free and a relatively small download so it may be worth a try. See you in Tokyo.

I think it's pretty obvious that I'm disappointed with Maestia. Despite the beautiful graphics, there's not nearly enough content and variety to make this a meaningful investment of your time. It's unfortunate, but for most of the time I spent playing, I couldn't shake the feeling that the developers were doing just the bare minimum to get the game out the door.

Hunter Blade is a decently fun and very familiar action oriented MMO. Working your way through hunts and slicing through monstrous beasts is a satisfying time waster. But with flaws such as the game-breaking fatigue system and the lacklustre social activity, unfortunately we will just see Hunter Blade put to bed in time.