Interesting and charming in its own way, The Survivalists will keep you entertained in short bursts as you try to complete the main objective and craft items to stay alive. Unfortunately, the AI system of your monkey companions is quite cumbersome and clunky. You'll often find yourself more annoyed than delighted due to all the monkeying around.

Wolfstride is an enjoyable anime-like mech fighting adventure with an interesting cast of characters. Other than the slow start, it's easy to ignore the parts that fall short.

Dying Light 2 still retains many of the key factors that made the original enjoyable and exhilarating. Unfortunately, it's also bogged down by technical issues, janky mechanics, and a restrictive save system that prevents you from readily seeing outcomes.

Code Vein is pretty fun, but it's dragged down some by some rote characters and dialogue and mediocre, tedious level design. It's also probably too easy for genre fans, but it's a solid game in its own right.

A sturdy conversion of a robust set of board game rules. The top-down, corridor-heavy setting is reminiscent of Space Hulk, but Legions of Steel places more emphasis on equal fire-fights between the competing factions.

Enjoyably frantic, and gory, Darktide is gratifying to play, but the experience is softened by performance issues and dreadful load times.

The fact that it's not as breathtaking as its predecessor shouldn't really stop horror fans from picking up this creepy run-and-hide simulator.

Corpse Party 2 has a strong first chapter, but it's hard to really recommend since the others have been missing in action for so long. Fans will want to support the localization, but other people would be better off waiting to see if the game is ever finished.

A deadly combination of challenging puzzles and curiosity-driven exploration, though it’s the puzzle fanatic that’ll walk away most satisfied.

Some technical issues still exist and delving deep into mysterious sites doesn't mesh well with the overall gameplay. However, Age of Wonders: Planetfall - Revelations does present an engaging campaign. Likewise, its unique mechanics such as the Heritor secret tech and Forgotten faction's use of Entropy weapons are worth a try.

A great pack if you like CLAAS equipment, but it doesn't add any major new elements to the existing game.

With its surprisingly creative level design, architecture, and platforming mechanics, Journey to the Savage Planet will wow your eyes, while its quirky humor entertains you from time to time. Unfortunately, flaws such as uninspired combat, lack of enemy variety, and a fairly short campaign mar what could've been a truly unforgettable journey.

Its issues and occasional shortcomings didn’t hugely detract from my enjoyment, and instead just left me with a longing sense of “what if”. Tokyo 42 is still a good game. It’s just one that comes close enough to being a great one that its flaws sting a little bit more than they probably should.

Blair Witch is impressive and cleverly designed in many ways. Although there are answers to the abundant amount of questions that start to stir up over the course of the game, the end result still leaves many of those to be unanswered. The visual and sound fidelity provides an excellent foundation to the story that is being told. For psychological horror fans, it will scratch that much-needed itch.

Mosaic is the plight of the office worker reimagined for the not-to-distant dystopian future. The tedium, the soullessness, the loneliness — it's all here, presented with sleek, stylish art and simple, effective mechanics. But, the burden of virtual corporate slavery is perhaps too much to bear; the game is prone to frequent bouts of monotony that pull players out of the experience.

One Step From Eden provides a unique, fast-paced experience. The combat and deck-building are fun, but it does a poor job explaining game mechanics, and given the depth of the game's card system that makes it a little bit too difficult.

Battlefield 2042 has a lot of problems. From its optimization, questionable design, and various bugs, it is clear that this game was not completely ready to be released. Yet despite all of that, I have still found myself having a good time bathing in the chaotic fun that is Battlefield. It needs some patches for sure, but Battlefield 2042 is by no means a lost cause.

Sparklite is overflowing with charm, and it is an absolute delight to explore the constantly shifting land of Geodia. While shallow gameplay, a lack of narrative complexity, and a few frustratingly random boss battles hold it back from "must-play" status, there's definitely something here for old-school Zelda and rogue-lite fans alike.

Battle Princess Madelyn is both impressive in both visuals and audio. For better, and sometimes worse, the game has modeled itself after difficult games like Ghosts'n Goblins. Metroidvania fans will enjoy the expansive levels, however, satisfaction from level completion and boss fights are less thrilling provided the immediate backtracking you'll perform back through harms way throughout most of the game.

There's a lot to love about 8Doors: Arum's Afterlife Adventure, from its ease of platforming to exciting and varied combat. But the obnoxious boss battles eat away at any good feelings you have toward the game.

Zany and hectic, Cosmo's Quickstop has a lot to offer, but it's damaged some by needless confusion and a bit of unfairness here and there.

Alder's Blood is a functional game, beautiful, but not exceptionally exciting. On one hand, the game looks great and the writing, while clunky, can inspire a bit of wonder. The gameplay is, however, lacking, as you don’t get too attached to your Hunters, and you don’t do much hunting.

Ashes of Ariandel is a well-designed, 4-5 hour jaunt through another painted realm, with a structured PvP annex that to some may be worth the admission price alone. But it’s missing the superlative spark of previous Souls DLCs.

Breathedge has a lot going for it in its well-loved Early Access sandbox portion. But when it becomes more of a walking simulator, things take a turn. Regardless, it's a funny game that's still worth playing for anyone who enjoys the concept and the humor. But I can't help but think that many will be disappointed by the later parts of the game.

Strong gameplay and an even stronger story come together to make Soulstice a good character action game, even if issues with weapons, level design, and the camera drag it down.

With an interesting environment packed with puzzles and mysteries but a distinct lack of enemy variety and scares, Fobia should only be checked into if you can overlook its detriments.

Let’s face it: if you played Life is Strange then you’ve probably bought this already, and if you haven’t, then you should play that first. If you’re one of the few Life is Strange players who haven’t picked this up yet, I’d definitely recommend waiting until we see how the rest of it turns out. What’s here is good and fine, but this episode feels like a prequel episode (no pun intended) that’s building up to whatever’s going to happen.

Rune Factory 5 is improved on PC, and is an enjoyable entry in the series. However, it's graphically dated with serious tech issues, and gameplay is a step back in some ways.

The new Map Expansion for Bus Simulator 18 adds two beautiful new towns and a cool new road network, but prepare to put in the hours ahead of time.

3DClouds' Xenon Racer provides a semi-futuristic racing experience that's a bit rough around the edges, but is incredibly exhilarating, albeit challenging.

Civilization VI: Gathering Storm has new leaders, wonders, and mechanics to freshen up your experience. Unfortunately, some of these features occur fairly late, or are non-factors in your playthroughs.

Rebel Galaxy Outlaw successfully builds upon the first game by introducing an entirely new combat system. This change is a major step forward, and it shows that the developers are putting their resources towards bettering this series. Overall, the rich RPG mechanics mixed with classic space flight make for some deep and engaging gameplay.

Super Animal Royale is a wonderfully fun battle royale that is very welcoming of casual players. Combat is fast, and the mechanics are simple. You're never be left wondering what you did wrong. You just need to click on bad animals. Matches are short and you don't spend a ton of time looting, so the fear of death is much lower than in other battle royales. Super Animal Royale is the kind of game you should always have on your PC.

Double Cross suffers from underwhelming combat and bland levels but makes up for it with a good story and fun platforming.

Fantastic gameplay paired with a game structure that resembles a tech demo makes Boomerang X worthwhile, even if it doesn't live up to its potential.

Imaginative mechanics and puzzle design at war with finicky, picky gameplay mechanics. Add in a borderline useless player character and you've got the recipe for a good puzzle game damaged by various annoyances.

Golden Force doesn't quite have what it takes to be as good as the classics, but it's still a fairly fun time in its own right. It has some issues that make it a bit of an annoyance in some spots, but it still mostly does what it aims to.

Punch Line isn't for everybody, and this port has some issues, but it's a solid VN with a great story and an endearing cast of characters.

The core strength of the Invasions expansion comes from what the Shakarn race can bring to the table. With their focus on infiltration and deception, as well as sonic weapons, they're a refreshing treat for Age of Wonders: Planetfall fans. Unfortunately, the other DLC inclusions aren't as noteworthy or remarkable.

Entertaining to play, but light on content and too repetitive in spots, Aliens: Fireteam Elite isn't without its charms. But the purchase price is a little high for what you get.

Salt and Sacrifice is enjoyable in short bursts. It retains certain core concepts from the original, including a fairly controversial one: the lack of a map. This is further compounded by repetitive Mage Hunts that become tedious after a while.

Skellboy is an entertaining, brisk adventure. The general mechanics are solid, and it's hard not to like switching out body parts, even if the combat could use more immediacy. Fans of action-adventure games and 2D pixel art will likely have a good time.

Eiyuden Chronicle: Rising is a prequel to Hundred Heroes set in the same world, and is a solid action RPG. But its tedious nature makes it hard to enjoy in the long run.

Despite its flaws, Pode is an enjoyable, manageable experience for all levels of players. With the added benefit of both single-player or cooperative modes, players can tackle the game out one stage at a time, or invest an afternoon for a four- to five-hour gaming session. Add in the memorable animations of the main characters (and some pretty expressive chirps and grunts), and Pode is sure to please all who choose to unlock its charming mysteries.

While it's true that GreedFall has some serious problems with variety and bizarrely re-used assets, the story is great and the combat and game systems are quite good. Anyone willing to look past its problems and dig into the narrative will likely have a good time with it.

Warriors Orochi 4 performed admirably well in our benchmark test, and it seems Koei Tecmo have learned from lessons past. The magic system and seamless transitions between attacks make for a freshly dynamic gameplay experience. However, as with all Warriors games, it can get repetitive after a while. The visuals and effects are beautiful, but a gigantic cast, lousy officer AI pathing, and tacked on mechanics make it bloated at the same time.

The port has some issues with videos, controllers, and optimization, and the game lacks some content in comparison with its predecessor. But it's still a worthwhile experience for One Piece fans.

Great game design wise and play ability wise with a cute story to go along with it. It has the right kind of balance of being both easy to play and challenging at the same time. It really makes you think. The sequel is great for those who want to get into the series and you don't need to have played the first to get into it. Overall a solid solid game.

MegaCorp is a decent inclusion to Paradox Interactive's spacefaring strategy sim. Sadly, it can be overshadowed by what the free update already provides to the core Stellaris experience.

Anno 1800 is a return to Blue Byte and Ubisoft's long-running city-building franchise. Sadly, a number of flaws prove to be detrimental to an enjoyable voyage.

While frustrating due to it abiding by the limits set by retro racers, Slipstream is still a cool treat for any fan of the classics. It looks, sounds and feels like it came from that era. I’m sure if you were to slap a cover sticker on a Genesis cartridge and ask someone that’s never heard of the game if they’ve ever played this back in the day, they’d probably say yes. That’s how convincing it is.

Ronin has little plot to speak of, but is focused like it’s own motorcycle helmeted avenger on a tight and tactical turn-ish-based combat mechanic. Looks a little like Gunpoint. Plays like Ronin.

While it mostly iterates on the foundation laid by other games in the genre, quirky writing and characters help keep things fresh. Unfortunately, Mutant Year Zero’s short campaign and predictable story hold it back from being a slam dunk.

A love letter to Boris and Arkady that brings their anomalous horrors to the Pacific Northwest. Pacific Drive makes up for what it gets wrong in pacing with imaginative gameplay and exceptional design.

A story-driven game, Sand Land is a masterfully crafted world created by Akira Toriyama that finds finds itself in a conflict between its powerful narrative and a lack of detail on elements such as hand-to-hand combat and world design. Overall, an enjoyable game.

Something of a return to form after 15, but sooner rather than later EA will need to stop re-arranging pieces of their existing code and actually develop a properly new and substantial FIFA engine.

Unsighted delivers engaging top-down action combat and a heartwarming narrative about connection, sacrifice, and love. The gameplay is fast and victory tastes sweet. Not everyone will enjoy the journey's burdens, and getting lost can frustrate you immensely, but the destination is worth the journey.

Pagan Online's fast-paced action is weighed down by its disappointing lack of depth. If you want the thrill of being trapped in a barrel full of monsters all day, this game is for you. If not, then it's best to look elsewhere.

Shadow Warrior 2’s excellent combat mechanics cleave through its weak story and over-abundance of iffy loot. The result is a title that’s incredibly satisfying to play, almost in spite of the surrounding flaws.

Hotwheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged does an amazing job in providing a mechanically and visually pleasing experience, but the campaign mode has some downsides.

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Fates Divided is one of the game's weakest DLCs when it comes to narrative events, but it does present a great scenario for a Cao Cao or Yuan Shao campaign. For the most part, though, you're looking at a highly impressive free update. It truly makes the game more refreshing and engaging, thereby also completely overshadowing what the DLC provides.

Out on the plains and forest floors, the Wood Elf forces emphasise mobility, micro-management (which can just mean lots of using the pause button in single player), and, to perhaps a lesser extent than expected, archery prowess. They represent another smart translation from tabletop to Total War, and add further tactical challenges to Creative Assembly’s ever-evolving game through their expanded economy and unique campaign goal.

It executes its executions exquisitely, and I’m not yet at the point where I’m getting tired of it.

It’s very much a make-your-own-fun kind of game. If you go the staid route of dishing out gun-ishment, it’s a lovely looking but rather empty third-person shooter. If you go the batshit insane route of tying everything to everything and adding rocket boosters, it’s a ballet of hilarious carnage that will likely result in your accidental death dozens of times. It’s just a dance that’s only changed a few steps from the last time.

Curse of the Dead Gods' combat system is extremely rewarding, and the challenge will keep you on your toes. Unfortunately, it lacks a lot in terms of content and it can be repetitive within a few hours. It's worth playing in bursts, but it doesn't have enough to satisfy long-term engagement.

A Highland Song is a gorgeous game that will deliver a genuine and beautiful story. There are many secrets to discover, despite the travel mechanics that get in the way.

Historical accuracy, and the sheer number of units and scale of the map notwithstanding, Steel Division 2's offensive gets bogged down due to its cluttered UI, confusing layout, and repetitive battles. It does have solid foundations perfect for more improvements in the future.

The game spends so much time trying to accommodate everything that it can’t get one specific thing perfectly right. But, at the same time, it’s this vehicle-swapping feature that also helps The Crew 2 to stand out and it creates some genuinely fun moments, even if you’re just free roaming.

Even in its current form, Diesel Railcar Simulator offers a pretty charming, hands-on train simulation experience. It’s simple, but rather fun once you get the hang of it. I’m definitely looking forward to seeing how it expands as time goes on.

Pretty, action-packed, and fun while it lasts, Shadow Warrior 3 is well made as long as there isn't any dialogue, but there's so little content that the price tag makes it truly hard to recommend.

A very respectable attempt at creating a 3D puzzle platformer but its pacing issues and somewhat frustrating camera design prevent Skully from being a great game. Still, there's some good value there for those willing to dish out the hefty $30 price tag.

Despite the palpable chill in the air throughout, there's a cosy fire burning at the heart of Wildfrost. Gather round for a tough-but-rewarding deckbuilding adventure.

Football Manager is an annual series that really only has to worry about competing with itself. Aside from a few pipe dream projects on Steam, there are really no other football management titles around. Despite not all the feature changes being an unqualified success, Football Manager 2018 is still to be recommended as an absurdly detailed simulation title. To this day, it has a propensity for generating narratives rivaled only by the Paradox grand strategy games. But if you do already own Football Manager 2017 I’d regard the yearly upgrade as gently desirable rather than an urgent necessity.

F1 22 is a flawed entry that has been tainted by its desperation to seemingly appeal to casual players. Even so, the driving mechanics carry the game, and it still manages to be a fun racing experience. Against all of the odds, F1 22 pulled through and is something worth playing.

The new Campus expansion adds a relatively deep and challenging new layer to the Cities experience, though I wouldn't call it a must-have.

Despite a few glaring faults, EvilVEvil still provides a fun, addictive gameplay loop that can be enjoyed alone or with friends. Don't expect AAA polish and you'll have a great time with this vampiric shooter.

Dead Island 2 delivers bone crunching combat alongside a generic experience that feels ripped straight from 2011.

While pretty fun on its own merits, No More Heroes 3 is noticeably lighter on actual content than previous games.

This is a very enjoyable game, and I'm disappointed that a bug deleted my save. But it's got most of what I look for in action-adventure titles and there's a whole lot to like here, despite how bland and familiar it can be.

Having great customization options, weapons, and an easy-to-do progression system, Payday 3 has the right ingredients to be a great shooter. On the other hand, with no offline mode and a lack of content, it might be hard to get more players to jump into the world for the long run.

Hordes of enemies, hundreds of items, and numerous dungeons aren't enough to prevent Warhammer Quest 2: The End Times from becoming all too repetitive after only a few hours of play.

It feels like Monkey Barrels has all of the components necessary to succeed, yet they miss the target ever so slightly. The repetitive stage structure, weapons, and enemies undermine what could have been special, but helps to prolong the overall experience. This isn't going to win any awards for innovation, but at least you will get a lengthy campaign to sink your teeth into.

Redout 2 is a niche product that won't be for everyone. However, if you happen to fall into its target audience, then it'll offer enough to keep you entertained for some time. Just be prepared to fail over and over before things start getting fun.

It might be short and simple but that doesn't stop it from being plenty entertaining and gorgeous to look at. If the idea of blasting shadow creatures with an energy beam while standing in place sounds like a good time to you, you'll probably find enough to like here.

The Dungeon of Naheulbeuk: The Amulet of Chaos has zany humor and tactical depth. Its characters feel unique and memorable too. Sadly, it's bogged down by a nasty bug that can occur during battles, a particular issue that became problematic towards the end of the game, and a lack of replayability.

While undoubtedly rudimentary, Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World remains a solid action platformer suitable for all ages.

Phoenix Point has some amazing gameplay ideas and even fun fluff, but it needs to work on quality of life and balance.

While “one of the most inventive typing games out there” is a summary in danger of being mistaken for faint praise, Epistory’s wonderful, paper-craft design and smart, word-based battle system combine to make it exactly that.

Kunai is a bite-sized Metroidvania that’s well worth the pick-up for the fast, frenetic action alone. Once all the foes have been fought and the bosses have been bested, the Kunai content well has run empty.

Sometimes exceptional, always ambitious, but periodically falling short of its aims, Torment: Tides of Numenera is testament to the tribulations of following a universally established creative triumph. Well worth playing, nonetheless.

Through the Darkest of Times tells a compelling, historically grounded story of German resistance fighters who stood up to the Nazis. Its sensitive handling of difficult subject matter makes it a great game for anyone interested in a serious, emotional treatment of Nazi Germany. Unfortunately, the somewhat shallow strategy gameplay falls behind the deep themes.

This hopefully isn’t the last we’ll see of Eidos Montreal’s Deus Ex, but if it is then A Criminal Past at least serves as a compact summary of their tenure at the helm. Nothing too radical here, just a well constructed prison level for Adam Jensen to be let loose upon.

Crusader Kings III: Royal Court offers a plethora of customization options and more role-playing flavor. Sadly, it's bogged down by its reliance on random events that can get tiresome later in your campaign.

Think of King of Seas as yet another spiritual successor to Sid Meier's Pirates! It has all the tools needed to keep you entertained for many hours. Unfortunately, it's also lacking in certain departments, leading to a more streamlined approach that can't compare to the classic.

Zorya: The Celestial Sisters can suffer and succeed by its unique format at the same time, but is generally an enjoyable co-op experience.

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 still manages to offer a decent romp with its blend of stealth and action. Unfortunately, it relies too much on "long shot contracts" as opposed to the sandbox-oriented exploration of its predecessor. Likewise, given a multitude of challenges in each level, the autosave system becomes noticeably restrictive.

Despite having a lengthy campaign and sound gameplay mechanics, a number of technical hiccups, randomized rewards, and egregious repetitiveness hold back Fantasy General 2. It tries to combine a unique fantasy RPG experience with wargaming strategy, but it falls just a little bit short on both counts.

Flintlock is an explosive Soulslite that throws lots of weapons your way. The pacing may not be great, but that can be looked over thanks to the gameplay itself.