Rise of the Third Power squanders its potential and ultimately falls into mediocrity, with inconsistent art and sound direction and uninteresting turn-based mechanics. There's lots of good in this game, but it's not enough to outweigh the more disappointing shortfalls.

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

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.

If you want an MMORPG that respects the time of casual players, while also giving hardcore players plenty of content to keep them busy, then Lost Ark is worth considering. It's combat is wonderfully fun. The story is entertaining and packed with epic moments. Plus, there is a wide variety to the endgame content, including equalized arena PvP.

Sifu is a difficult game, requiring you to master its complex combat in order to enact your revenge. But it could have used a bit more training before entering the arena.

OlliOlli World is a wonderful skateboarding game that delivers everything I could have ever wanted. Its gorgeous pastel color art, flawless optimization, and slick controls combine to create a premier indie game.

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.

While there's nothing particularly meaty or mindblowing about the experience and it's very easy, Luminous Avenger iX 2 is another enjoyable entry in the series.

Deep, attractive, and highly playable, Windjammers 2 is still missing some of what it needs to really shine. Plus the online is currently on the fritz.

Cute, but featuring far too high of a price tag to justify the amount of content it includes.

Blackwind has the right incredients for an engaging and challenging game, but the lack of proper difficulty balance and camera frustrations prevent it from hitting the right marks.

All in all, I can say that I still enjoyed the variety and challenges presented by these enemies. [Review in Progress]

While it's very similar to the original game, the level of quality and enjoyment offered here is undeniable, making this another worthy entry in the series filled with laughs, great puzzles, and excellent world design.

One of the best games of recent years gets even better, courtesy of a superb port and content that has withstood the march of time with aplomb.

Monster Hunter Rise is another entertaining entry in the venerated franchise that continues to scratch a unique itch. New players will be eased into the franchise and returning players will enjoy hunting with friends as well. Capcom has also delivered yet another good port that definitely makes this version the one to play.

Short but sweet, Scarf is an intriguing, enjoyable little game for most of its runtime.

A port surprisingly free of graphics options still benefits from being the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous way to play an amazing game.

Enjoyable, but rather slight, The Gunk is an intriguing journey through an alien planet while vacuuming up goop. There isn't much to it, though, which I found a bit disheartening.

It's a puzzle game, it's an action game, it's a rogue-lite, and it does all three of those very well. It might not be bursting with content, but this is an extremely unique, captivating experience that's sure to have players eager for just one more go.

Annihilation Line is more Terminator: Resistance. With several hours of playtime alongside new story and characters, it's easy to recommend for people who enjoyed the main game.

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.

Familiar but still containing enough of its own identity to stand out among similar titles, White Shadows is a compelling, albeit brief experience. It could have done more with its gameplay and commentary, but the game is mostly a success.

Unfinished, buggy, and broken, Icarus should not have released at this stage. With mind-numbing repetition and baffling design decisions, it's a survival game that's more frustrating than challenging.

Still one of the best of its kind nearly a decade after its initial release, Rune Factory 4 Special is still thoroughly engrossing when it comes to most of what it attempts.

Though there are some scuffs in the armor, the campaign of Halo Infinite still shines.

Cute and mostly entertaining, Gardenia needs better signposting and could have made better use of the gardening aspect.

Chorus is a game that works in the sense that it doesn't crash your desktop, but it's just an ambulatory shell with mere vestiges of soul left in it.

Short but undeniably lovely and containing some of the best 3D platforming money can buy, Castle on the Coast soars, only to be held back some by uneven pacing.

Archvale is a fun, charming bullet hell with some incredibly enjoyable combat. It's also a satisfying role-playing game on its own, with tons of satisfying progression.

An endearing experience with a well-integrated narrative, Solar Ash trades the action of its predecessor for speed-based platforming. It's a compelling play, but it feels a little light.

MXGP 2021 is a realistic racing sim that will likely appeal to veteran players who are already familiar with the series. However, the game's steep learning curve and lack of innovative game modes make it difficult for newcomers to enjoy.

Quirky and fun while it lasts, DEEEER Simulator doesn't have nearly enough content to justify its price tag, and little has been added to rationalize the price increase over its Early Access version.

Farming Simulator 22 seeks to diversify the series with a wealth of critical new gameplay features. It isn't perfect, and there's still some more that can be added, but this is certainly a step in the right direction for the series.

Intriguing and startlingly original, Exo One offers a quiet, meditative experience that's both foreign and mysterious.

Two of the three games are still pretty great, but this is one of the most brazenly offensive cash grab releases I've seen in recent memory.

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.

Gorgeous and relaxing, Grow: Song of the Evertree will strongly appeal to fans of games about gardening and enjoying the Zen qualities of nature.

A truly surprisingly high-quality platformer with top-tier controls and level design. It's only let down by its extreme brevity and its bloated price tag.

With a strong narrative and exceptional investigation mechanics, Sherlock Holmes Chapter One manages to one-up its predecessors. Sadly, it also doesn't reach its full potential, though we can hope that future titles are more in-depth.

Far Cry 6 Vaas: Insanity provides a deeper and more nuanced look at a troubled character. Unfortunately, it has a fairly restrictive rogue-lite system if you're pressed for time. Worse, there's not a lot to look forward to after your initial clear.

As a huge multiplayer fan Call of Duty: Vanguard ticks all of the right boxes for me. It's chaotic and fast paced and besides some bugs that will surely be patched out, there's little to complain about. Unfortunately, the accompanying Zombies and Campaign modes are lacklustre and it is simply not worth buying the game for them alone.

With fast movement, an interconnected, memorable world, and plenty of tools at the player's disposal, Treasures of the Aegean offers up a lot of enjoyable gameplay and level design.

Epic Chef got under my skin a fair amount, but it's so insanely funny that I can't help but forgive its shortcomings. I wish it was less grindy and had some of the tedium lessened, but this is an entertaining, lengthy game with a ton of personality. You hear me?!

Buoyed by beautiful visuals, great performance, and entertaining exposition, Bright Memory: Infinite still feels like a small part of a complete game.

Reflection: Second Light is a perfect example of what a sequel should be. It takes the ideas put forward by the original and improves all of them. There's better exploration, better visuals, and, most importantly, much better character writing. The original was an average and forgettable JRPG. In contrast, Second Light is one of the best JRPGs released in recent memory.

Forza Horizon 5 is a masterclass example of how to do an open-world racing game, bar none. Thanks to its deeply rich map, wealth of content, and fantastic visuals, it's the best racing experience I've had yet.

You'll find many enjoyable hours exploring, racing, and styling your way around Riders Republic. The world is gorgeous, the sound design and music choices are on point. There are only a few events that will frustrate you. Thankfully, you can mostly avoid these.

A well made game with a great premise and enjoyable elements, Time Loader is well worth a playthrough for fans of puzzle platformers.

Lengthy and more than entertaining enough, Demon Turf has a few issues that irked me, but this is a very impressive 3D platformer that does a great job separating itself from the rest of the pack.

Cute, charming, and surprisingly satisfying, Unpacking scratches an itch that no other game attempts. But it's also too bossy for its own good at times.

An effectively creepy atmosphere combined with an intriguing story and unique combat, Fatal Frame: Maiden of Black Water is well worth picking up. It can slog some when it forces you to revisit the same areas that you just saw and the movement is clunky and awkward, but those can't sink the rest of the enterprise into the mire.

Kathy Rain: Director's Cut makes the original obsolete and still delivers a mesmerizing adventure game, although the new stuff might not be enough for fans who played it before.

The plot meanders and the game is somewhat too long, but it's still a great time and well worth experiencing for Guardians fans.

Age of Empires IV is fun, well executed slice of real-time strategy that doesn't quite bring anything new to the table.

Tandem: A Tale of Two Shadows does a good enough job at executing its well thought out premise. But, it isn't the revolution in puzzle games it purports to be.

My heart really wants to give War Mongrels a higher score for the love that went into the visual aspect and the bravery to tackle one of the lesser remembered parts of the Word War 2, but the bugs and some really bad dialogue stayed my hand.

In many ways, The Dark Pictures: House of Ashes is significantly better than its predecessors. One can even say that it's the most thrilling and action-packed offering from Supermassive Games. Unfortunately, it's also plagued by technical and design issues, as well as a borderline ridiculous twist.

BATS is a basic 2D action game with some solid vampire puns. Not much to see here, but it's mostly alright.

Although it shows promise early on, Into the Pit runs out of new tricks astoundingly quickly, leading to endless repetition and a total lack of challenge.

Inscryption's twists and turns are hit-or-miss, but the game's oddities are worth experiencing for yourself.

Nuclear Blaze could have been one of the best firefight games ever made. It has the mechanics, level design, and presentation down pat. But, it squanders its potential with a super short runtime and massive amounts of artificial difficulty.

Aeon Must Die has extremely creative ideas that simply don't merge well as a game, resulting in a frustrating experience that gets old rather quickly.

Boring, pointless, and jammed with grating characters and obnoxious story beats, The Good Life doesn't live up to its name.

Chasing Static is let down some by overused narrative tropes and a short length, but strong world design and enjoyable pacing help make it worth a playthrough.

Circuit Superstars glows with polish & attention to detail that should definitely help it stand out in the sea of racers that are out there.

Back 4 Blood is another great multiplayer zombie game, but some serious balance issues force it to stumble out of the gate.

Them and Us is a lovingly familiar survival horror adventure with enough twists and turns to stand on its own, but technical limitations hinder it from being one of a kind.

New World feels like a modern MMORPG. It looks beautiful, the combat is fluid, and there's plenty to keep you engaged. The island feels alive with warring factions and hostile enemies. And the fighting is very fun. You'll never be short of tasks to complete, but sometimes the narrative will leave you feeling uninspired. It needs a little more emotion injected into it. [Early Access Provisional Score = 80]

Short, but sweet. Well, not sweet. Jack Axe can be borderline sadistic from time to time, but it mostly offers a fair challenge along with great controls. As long as you're not in the water, at least.

Even if you are not a fan of competitive multiplayer, Lemnis Gate is worth checking out due to its highly original mechanics, tactical sandbox abilities, and fluid shooter action.

The next installment in the open-world action franchise. It takes you to the island nation of Yara to topple a dictatorial regime.

Rainbow Billy: The Curse of the Leviathan is a wonderfully crafted 2.5D adventure game that features well-made puzzles and engaging platforming sequences. Its surprisingly intricate confrontation mechanic coupled with the underlying messages about complex social issues ensure that this is a game for all ages, not just kids. It does a fantastic job of encouraging exploration and is overall a game well worth playing regardless of if you fit in with its core target audience or not.

Samudra never makes any major waves but is still an enjoyable, gentle journey.

Jett: The Far Shore deftly blends exploration and narrative elements, telling a story of struggle and hope against the odds. Small issues aside, the game shines with great writing and believable characters who press on even as challenges arise.

Industria lacks polish and isn't very long, but it's a well-made, interesting first-person shooter created with some clear talent.

Steel Assault is a great, action-packed experience that is very easy to recommend to fans of old-school retro arcade games. However, offering only one hour of playtime at that price point may put off newcomers to the genre.

The Eternal Cylinder is a gorgeous adventure game that features one of the most compelling stories I've seen in years. Its strict linearity may be frustrating for some, but that slight downside is vastly outweighed by this game's many strengths.

Phenomenal controls and addictive gameplay are the crux of Aeon Drive. This is a very good speedrunning game that I wish did more to draw in a certain crowd, but it'll please the devoted all the same.

Buggy, broken, and boring, Away: The Survival Series is awful all around.

A Juggler's Tale drops the ball some with its game design, but puts on a worthwhile show due to its presentation and story.

The Last Friend is a hell of a fun time, combining action-packed combat and flashy tower defense into a killer package. It's a bit short and too easy, but these dogs will have their day.

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.

Astria Ascending is filled with countless features and mechanics to add more flavor to an adventure that can last dozens of hours. However, it does have some noticeable issues that can sour the experience. The poor narrative and progression can become too tedious, and some characters will feel useless down the line.

Medieval Dynasty is a survival RPG that manages to stand out in the oversaturated market that it occupies. By combining ideas from several other popular franchises, developer Render Cube has managed to create a genuinely unique product. Its story hardly stacks up against AAA RPGs like The Elder Scrolls but it's good enough given the game's many other strengths.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits is gorgeous and extremely well made, but there's less heart here than I was expecting. It's still a worthy adventure with great controls and lots to see and do, though.

Hot Wheels Unleashed has a lot of good concepts and ideas that are sullied by awkward execution and weird design choices. Its physics could use some more fine-tuning, and its AI needs to be rebalanced, along with a revamped track builder. Yet, there's still some glimmer to its toy car shine.

A psychological horror game with a focus on narrative consistency and gameplay variety, In Sound Mind is a great time due to excellent pacing, level design, and pure ingenuity, even if it's not particularly scary.

Although it appears extremely light on content at first, the DLC and workshop mode both do a lot to make this an enjoyable Bubble Bobble experience that should satisfy anyone looking for some classic gameplay.

Tails of Iron could go deeper on the story and lighter on the backtracking, but if it ever gets a sequel I hope it maintains obvious love seen in the art direction and design.

Embr is fun when it focuses on fighting fires and rescuing people, but there are too many gimmicks and unnecessary additional ingredients thrown into this pot. There's enjoyment to be had, but it could have been a lot more compelling had it just gone the obvious route.

Striking, peaceful, and wholly focused on exploring at your own pace, Sable is a joy to play. The optimization could use some serious work, but this is an extremely compelling game that offers a better open-world experience than many AAA developers have crafted.

Some jank does not stop Encased from being one of the most ambitious and greatest CRPGs in years.

Assuming that you're not playing this kind of game for the relationship aspects, Pioneers of Olive Town is a good farming RPG. It continues many of the long-established trends of the Harvest Moon series, whilst adding in some welcome quality of life improvements. Although perhaps not quite on Stardew Valley's level, this is still a game that is worth playing and one that genre fans will enjoy. As a bonus, thanks to it now being on PC you don't have to deal with the Switch version's various performance issues.

Even with some refreshing concepts related to investigations, Gamedec stumbles owing to uninteresting plot points, bland characterization, unclear systems, and pesky bugs.

Padded, mediocre, and tripped up by horribly dated AI and unreliable game mechanics, Aragami 2 is the kind of stealth game that you may want to just sneak past.

A decent skateboarding game with an entertaining theme and quirk. The physics and visuals imperfections hold it back for sure but there's still enough there to have a good few hours of fun.

Gorgeous, creative, and ever so compelling, I Am Fish is a bold step forward for Bossa Studios, despite some agrravations.

Short, but without an ounce of fat, Flynn: Son of Crimson is well worth a playthrough due to its excellent controls and great level design.