A satisfying combination of action platformer and strategy game. The former might be notably better here than the latter, but Smelter is a decently long game with great visuals and gameplay.

With multiple game-breaking bugs and hotfixes that either don't resolve the issues or come a little too late, Buildings Have Feelings Too is an awful mess that needs to be avoided.

Although certainly not extraordinary, MotoGP 21 is a decent enough racing game. Some more innovation would have been nice but given the complications caused by COVID, I can understand the limitations in place. Series veterans will most likely enjoy this but I can't see it attracting many newcomers with so many great racing options already on the market.

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.

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.

Although it would have been nice to see a little more innovation from Cold Steel III, this finale to the Erebonia arc is still one of the best JRPGs I've ever played. The world-building and character development are as exquisite as ever, while the gameplay mechanics are still well above average, albeit unextraordinary. Regardless, assuming you have played at least Cold Steel III and know enough about the Trails lore, this latest addition is well worth your time.

A colorful throwback to '80s action-arcade titles that looks and feels like the real deal. Challenging and enjoyable, it's worth a look for anyone who wants a new old game to rip through.

Ashwalkers flaunts a system of choices, which only matter as a means to an end. The gameplay tends to be repetitive, and the story rarely strays from being formulaic and familiar. Despite all this, the environments are fairly unique and the run time is mercifully short.

While it's easy to call a game, "too hard," Godstrike goes above and beyond to savage you. Unless you're willing to put in the time and pain, this will not be an enjoyable experience. However, if you can ride the crest of the difficulty curve, this bullet hell bonanza will keep you coming back for even more brutality.

Unambitious, easy, and rather brief, Tasomachi still does an admirable job of succeeding at what it sets out to do. With lovely visuals, tight controls, and plenty of relaxing exploration, it's hard to walk away as anything but charmed.

Oddworld: Soulstorm offers a refreshing take as a reimagining of an old classic. It provides platforming goodness, a bit of trial-and-error with situations, lots of secrets to find, and thousands of Mudokons to save. Sadly, it does have some noticeable shortcomings related to its controls, friendly AI movement, and save system.

Look, it's more of an experimental comedy movie than anything else. Unless you just want to mess around and interrupt digital co-workers with laughter for however long you feel like.

It might look unassuming, but In My Shadow is a deeply enjoyable puzzle-platforming with great shadow mechanics. The difficulty curve is just right, the puzzles themselves are varied and fun to solve, and I just like positioning armchairs for maximum verticality.

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.

Although 3 out of 10 Season 2 delivers a fun series of episodes and experiences, but it has trouble standing out as a standalone season.

While familiar and somewhat basic, Outriders has a lot of riveting action and a compelling gameplay loop that will satisfy people looking for their next looter shooter fix.

Arkham Horror: Mother's Embrace suffers from a bland and unspectacular combat system, a questionable sanity gimmick, and a litany of technical issues that are too glaring to ignore. Although it's an adaptation of a board game, you might as well call it a "bored game" due to the tedium and frustration you'll experience.

A great game, even if it's horribly frustrating a lot of the time. While it's a wonderful follow-up to a classic series, this port makes it a bit of a tougher sell than other versions of the game.

Uneven, yet unique and compelling, Lost Words has some truly effective narrative and design elements. It's let down a bit by overreliance on the protagonist's less-than-interesting literary attempts, but it's a worth playing for fans of narrative games.

Narita Boy is among the best Metroidvanias in recent years. Its beautiful world, surprisingly emotional story, and diverse enemy pool will leave you wanting more from its short run time.

Painfully average in most respects, Balan Wonderworld won't draw much admiration for its contents. Still, it's a competent game that does have its charms, few as they may be.

If you've ever had dreams of taking over the world with a comical Doomsday Device, then Evil Genius 2: World is the near-perfect game for you to see it happen.

Spacebase Startopia has cutesy and cartoony xenos milling around, but that’s all it has going for it. From questionable mission objectives and monotonous micromanagement, to audio hiccups, technical woes, and a lack of direction, it’s a simulation of the doldrums of alien life.

Dandy Ace is a sensational roguelike that can contend with the very best the genre has to offer. Although gameplay can get a little repetitive, its colorful visuals and well-thought-out combat mechanics more than make up for that. This is a challenging yet fun game that is well worth your time.

Stirring, artistic, and emotionally resonant, Genesis Noir is quite a unique experience. The puzzles can be tedious, but the game makes up for it with gorgeous art direction and sterling creativity.

A fantastic presentation buoyed by constantly enjoyable, varied gameplay and wonderful level design make It Takes Two a must-play for fans of platformers. And even anyone who's ever wanted to play a Pixar movie.

Conceptually promising, but more of an empty, shoddy mimic than anything else. Fans of the base game have already seen everything this has to offer.

Sanity of Morris will test your sanity with buggy enemies and an inane plot that doesn't make sense. A lot of it doesn't make sense.

While on the short side and not particularly original, Kaze and the Wild Masks is an exceptional 2D platformer filled with well designed, engaging levels and tight, responsive controls.

Dogworld can be annoying at times, but it plays well and has an interesting story that makes it worth a playthrough. As long as the crummy bosses don't frustrate you too much.

Endzone: A World Apart shows a much more conventional post-apocalyptic world than Frostpunk, and is also a much more conventional game.

The Murder on Eridanos DLC expansion doesn't add too much to the Outer Worlds experience, but it has just enough personality and humor to make it worthwhile.

Adios is brief and mostly concerned with dialogue, but it's a thought-provoking piece of interactive fiction, even if the visual style clashes with the narrative.

Eximius: Seize the Frontline attempts to implement some interesting ideas and design concepts. However, an array of technical problems and lack of polish hold back what could have been a great title. Perhaps with some more development time, Eximius can eventually fulfill its huge potential.

Undeniably odd, yet constantly willing to be accessible, Mundaun has a lot to offer anyone fond of horror and exploration.

Even though the career has been completely redesigned, it doesn't make much sense to nerf all riders before they've left the gate. And though the action on the track is still very solid, there are still plenty of sharp edges that are in need of polish. Especially if you played last year's installment, it may be best to steer clear of this outing.

Pascal's Wager may have been a mobile Souls-like, but don't let that fool you. It's a distinct, enjoyable game in its own right, with a lot of challenges and plenty of characters to master.

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.

Thought it seems simplistic at first, it doesn't take long to see the true depth of Loop Hero. Thanks to its very approachable design and killer gameplay hook, this is the kind of addicting and engrossing experience that can steal whole weeks from your life. Just don't say we didn't warn you!

Despite its dated aesthetics, RetroMania Wrestling can still bring the pain. Unfortunately that struggle translates to issues both in and out of the ring. Sometimes, it's important to consider why design decisions were abandoned in the past, rather than meticulously recreating frustrating mechanics for modern audiences in the name of authenticity.

Maquette has a strong narrative bolstered by top-tier voice performances and honest, relatable writing. The puzzle mechanics are unique and exciting, but the game is let down by signposting issues and obtuse design choices.

Rogue Heroes isn't trying to be extraordinary, but for that very reason it ends up being a fantastic game. By not falling into the trap of doing too much, Heliocentric has delivered one of the best Zelda-inspired action RPGs on the market. And at such a modest price, you'd be doing yourself a disservice to not at least try Rogue Heroes.

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.

As long as you go into the experience knowing what to expect, Altdeus: Beyond Chronos has the potential to be genuinely entertaining. However, on the scale of interactivity, this really doesn't qualify a game. Their inability to take full advantage of the VR platform ultimately seals it's fate as nothing more than an acquired taste that will prove to be off-putting to many.

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.

The Shore is short and has some truly questionable design choices, but its strong visuals and unsettling atmosphere will possibly make it worth a look for horror fans who don't mind being annoyed.

Mutropolis is a charming throwback to old school point-and-click adventure games. While it doesn't do anything wrong, it doesn't stand out either. I would have loved to see more of the world and the characters and less backtracking and obtuse puzzles.

Simultaneously engrossing while desperately in need of focus and polish, Shattered is a hard game to recommend in its current state. But its strengths will make it worth a look for fans of Souls-likes when more of its issues are ironed out.

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.

Despite a couple of hurdles, Little Nightmares II remains true to the eerie, terrifying foundation built by its predecessor. It can't completely avoid comparison, but its expanded world and NPC co-op features are well implemented and make the journey worth taking.

No fusion accidents here: the merging of Persona 5 and the Musou games has resulted in a very strong Persona indeed.

Even though Kinetic Edge is by no means spectacular, it does achieve what it sets out to do. This is a platformer that is easy to get in to, which can be great fun with some friends. Its striking visuals also help differentiate it. Despite its shortcomings, there are more positives than negatives on display. All in all, it is a good game that comfortably justifies its price tag.

Games like Nuts don't come along very often. A compelling storyline and intriguing puzzles combine to create my favorite gaming experience of 2021, so far. Don't let it's simple demeaner fool you. There is far more going on under the hood than meets the eye. This is an investigation that deserves your attention, as soon as possible.

As great as it is frustrating, Nioh 2 will resonate more with people who like the thrill of constantly dying suddenly. The game is brutal, the camera kind of sucks, and a lot of the enemies get old fast. But it's also got extraordinary depth and a bevy of complicated systems that offers players plenty to dig into.

Bland, boring, repetitive, tedious, and totally forgettable, Werewolf: The Apocalypse - Earthblood is a game that should go back to the doghouse.

Blue Fire is a game I wanted to like, but couldn't due to its poor focus and loads of ill-considered design issues. Between the balance issues, bugs, and creeping frustrations, there's a lot stacked against the game.

It's been a long time since a shmup has felt this modern, while still preserving the roots of the genre. As long as you can get past a little bit of grinding, Habroxia 2 is the sort of experience that we've been missing on PC for far too long. Man your battle stations, because it's time to take a trip deep into bullet hell.

Despite a sliding scale of difficulty and cheap boss tactics, Gods Will Fall has the improbable ability to endear itself to those it hurts most. Both masochists and newcomers alike will find something to love in this short, but challenging, Celtic ass-kicker.

This trio of games still creak a bit even with this fresh coat of paint and support for both higher resolutions and 60 fps gameplay, but they're still easily worth a play, particularly at this bargain bundle price.

Olija is a unique, intriguing adventure that brings players to a strange land. It isn't long but its length is enough. The visuals and atmosphere are first-rate, as are the combat and level design. All of that makes it an easy game to recommend.

Although it has demanding system requirements, The Medium is still a marvelous offering when it comes to its visuals and gameplay. Its locations will haunt and horrify you, and its dual-reality system will provide refreshing ways to complete your objectives. Unfortunately, it also suffers from a few technical hiccups, and its bizarrely abrupt conclusion leaves a lot to be desired.

While there is plenty to like about Redout: Space Assault, it just doesn't do enough to distinguish itself from the iOS outing. Mechanics issues, not to mention sporadic difficulty spikes, plague the progression through the campaign and rob players of what could've otherwise been a memorable experience. Buckle up, because it's coming in for an extremely bumpy landing.

Atelier Ryza 2 has great crafting and combat. But that's because it mostly copies and pastes them from the last game. There's still some new stuff to see and the game is enjoyable regardless, but don't expect them to reinvent the wheel. Mostly, expect the same wheel.

Its immense creativity is what helps set Shot in the Dark apart from its peers. While some may find its platforming a bit more difficult to master, it's almost as stratifying mechanically as it it artistically. Rest assured that this hellaciously challenging trip to the corral is a Hamilton well spent.

Cyber Shadow is a truly wonderful game. It's brutal, uncompromising, and insanely enjoyable to a degree that I don't often see. Between its lovingly-crafted visuals, pitch-perfect gameplay, and maddeningly difficult, yet expertly-designed levels, it's a must-play for anyone who enjoys side-scrolling action games.

Skul: The Hero Slayer is lovely, action-packed, and full of excellent choices. Repetition can set in rather quickly due to tedious bosses, and a single crash can ruin an entire run, but it's one of the better action rogue-lites I've had the pleasure to dump some time into.

After a six year absence, Scott Pilgrim is once again back for blood. Aside from a few technical issues that will hopefully be ironed out soon, there is no reason to ignore the siren's call for a second time. It's high time to suit up and kick some bass.

Although there are a few issues (namely with its save system and soon-to-be-fixed progress carry-over function), Hitman 3's mission stories, level design, and creative assassinations provide the franchise's "greatest hits" record. It's the perfect way to cap off Agent 47's journey.

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.

What feels like a tremendous opportunity to reimagine the Super Meat Boy franchise has been squandered. Pure and simple. We will eventually come to appreciate what Super Meat Boy Forever does well, but it is far from living up to the acclaim of its predecessor.

Override 2 has a lot to offer prospective players. From its satisfying, enjoyable combat to its varied, colorful stages and mode options, the game has everything it needs. Except for people playing it.

Melding the city-building and exploration genre together shouldn't work this well. Airborne Kingdom does a fantastic job of continuously throwing new challenges at the player, while simultaneously devouring countless hours in the process. For a mere $24.99, this is a title that will absolutely give you plenty of bang for your buck.

Cyberpunk 2077 has some glaring flaws and missed opportunities. Its open-world sandbox suffers from poor NPC and police AI, and it lacks customization and transmogrification features to help your character stand out. Still, the pros outweigh the cons owing to a brilliant narrative, memorable missions, strong supporting cast of characters, well-integrated combat and hacking mechanics, and jaw-dropping visuals.

An extremely fun and cozy adventure game that will have any animal lovers smiling in no time. A handful of bugs and performance issues do impact gameplay somewhat but it's easy to overlook given Alba's creative brilliance. I would have preferred a slightly longer story but that aside this is one of the best indie games I've played in years. You would be doing yourself a disservice by not at least giving it a try.

Excellent gameplay, unique ideas, and a strong presentation make for an easily recommendable narrative puzzle platformer.

The turmoil of a revolution gone wrong is conveyed through nothing more than a few mouse clicks and quick decisions. It’s flawed and frustrating, but there’s an undeniable elegance to the game.

Though it's a small package, Unto the End manages to deliver both an amazing visual experience and surprisingly deep combat systems. You won't want to miss the sort of adventure that will keep you coming back for more punishment, death after death.

Call of the Sea might have an overly familiar premise and some less-than-stellar puzzles, but it's a gorgeous, enjoyable game boosted by strong production values and involved world design.

The zaniness of PHOGS!'s character controller combined with its elegant and diverse puzzle design is a recipe for a fun. The game ensures that every second is a new opportunity for friendship-fueled hilarity.

Shiren the Wanderer: The Tower of Fortune and the Dice of Fate is an interesting game. It does a lot of things right and is the prototypical mystery dungeon title. And if that's all you want, then look no further. But I suspect most people are going to find the dungeons frustrating and the permanent death mechanic infuriating. This is an acquired taste that you'll either love or hate. Unfortunately, my personal feelings fall closer to the latter.

Per Aspera reaches for lofty heights, but I could never shake the impression that the difficulties I encountered were more because of the game breaking down rather than Mars being a hostile place. But who knows, patches do wonders these days.

Twin Mirror won't win any awards for creativity or interesting narrative choices, but it's strong themes that tie the entire experience together make it well worth the price of admission.

In the end, Project Wingman is a fun arcade plane romp. It’s definitely not meant for people who love DCS and the “my plane just turned into the world’s angriest glider because my fuel tank got a glancing hit 5 minutes ago” gameplay that it offers. However, it’s perfect to scratch that Ace Combat/Hawx itch that most companies don’t even dare approach. It’s a shame about that ending, though.

Despite an overwhelming number of strategic options and features, many of Empire of Sin's mechanics just don't mesh well or they can be completely ignored. Playthroughs will feel roughly similar to what you've done previously, and it becomes a repetitive affair and a chore to see what else you could do.

The first JRPG Yakuza game has some issues in execution, but nothing that amounts to more than a minor annoyance. This is a truly excellent revamp of the long-running series, and a superb starting place for newcomers.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is an excellent game filled with satisfying activities, wonderful movement, and action-packed combat. There's a significant amount of content here and it completely dodges the copy-pasted nature of Odyssey, making for an open world worth exploring.

343 Industries has managed to bring Halo: The Master Chief Collection to a stellar close with the release of Halo 4. Despite the campaign's storyline being a bit of a mess, the developer still managed to deliver an outstanding singleplayer experience that's worth a replay. Mix in esports-level multiplayer, and you have a recipe for an outstanding last stand.

A noticeable improvement over last year's installment. Football Manager 2021 addresses many of my personal peeves with the series whilst keeping the core design philosophy of the franchise intact. However, it is lacking a little in the way of new game-changing features and the few added haven't been implemented too well.

Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is a good game that should be easier to stomach for franchise veterans than Modern Warfare. The campaign is fulfilling, albeit short. The faster-paced multiplayer is also easy enough to jump into and have fun with. It's just a shame that I can't shake that feeling that Treyarch's true vision has been held back by Activision forcing its ideals onto them.

I wanted to like this one but it gets in its own way all too often. It probably would have been a better choice to continue to polish the mechanics, game flow, and animations, since what the game offers just isn't good enough.

The Pathless is a lovely game that just begs to be explored. The serenity it can provide and the satisfying feeling of locating rewards make it an experience that can be easily recommended.

Destiny expansions are supposed to give new life to the game. They’re fresh starts after whatever disappointments existed in previous seasons or DLCs. However, Destiny 2: Beyond Light has several problems and questionable decisions that make the first week alone already feel like a letdown. This is nowhere close to what Forsaken provided, and it doesn’t scratch the itch the same way that Shadowkeep did. In any case, I’ll see what the weekend holds, level up my two other characters, and discern if Destiny 2: Beyond Light is worthwhile.

It's derivative, only has three zones, and doesn't have much to offer besides its combat, but Godfall will be enjoyable to anyone who just wants a well-tuned, good-looking action RPG to slash their way through.

In lieu of what many community theories predicted is a cute and casual adventuring experience with an adorkable cast of Grumpuses and Bugsnax. But all that being said, Bugsnax isn't without its tricks.

Sakuna: Of Rice and Ruin is a deep, intriguing game that makes some poor design decisions and fails to clarify itself. The mechanics are interesting and unique but its got a hell of a learning curve.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's mission structure can be a little tedious at times. However, it still manages to exhilarate and excite thanks to its wonderful visuals, vivid landscapes, side activities, and brilliant combat mechanics.

It takes some practice and deep breathing exercises, but getting into Fuser's rhythm is worth the effort. You can become a pro DJ without really knowing what you're doing.

YesterMorrow is a thoroughly enjoyable, challenging 2D platformer with excellent pixel artwork and lots of familiar tropes. No one will be impressed by the story or the uniqueness of anything it has to offer, but the consistently strong game design and tight controls make it well worth playing all the same.