It's rare to find a game that does this much right so often. With a huge amount of content, an entertaining story, and interesting, varied gameplay, Dragon Quest Builders 2 is really an unmissable title for anyone with even a passing interest in games about building.

The new Road to the Black Sea expansion for Euro Truck Simulator 2 offers a huge amount of gorgeous new scenery to explore. It's a great buy for both newcomers and veterans.

I know that great VR games are few and far between, but Budget Cuts 2 is far from worth it. It’s sad to see a great first outing followed up by what feels like a cash grab sequel. Cut the money you would have spent on this from your budget.

Frog Detective 2 makes up for a lack of complexity and length with its dopey, surreal humor and charming visual aesthetic. An evening well spent.

Vampire: the Masquerade - Coteries of New York is a well-written interactive story in the World of Darkness that fans of the franchise will enjoy. While mostly a good read, it's let down by repetitive visuals, bugs, and relatively shallow choices. Players used to approaching Vampire as an RPG should temper their expectations.

MechWarrior 5 is lengthy and complex but extremely tedious and often obnoxious. What could have been a very enjoyable experience is dragged down by bad movement, menus, and pacing.

Interrogation: You will be deceived uses its detective story and a compelling cast of characters as a jumping-off point to explore morality and social issues. Even if it sometimes gets a bit lost in the philosophical weeds at the expense of its narrative, the core gameplay of conversation puzzles and resource management is solid and the noir atmosphere absorbing.

Halo: Reach has an engaging campaign and numerous multiplayer game modes to keep you pre-occupied. Unfortunately, various issues abound from technical woes and lack of options, to matchmaking problems, and it's hardly what you'd expect from the flagship FPS franchise's arrival on PCs. Like the protagonist's namesake, this effort is more of a "six" unless we see more patches down the line.

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.

This game fails at almost everything it sets out to do. With janky animations, embarrassing story, awful combat mechanics, and horrible enemy layouts and AI, there's just not much positive to say about it.

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

Darksiders Genesis may be a new look for the series, but it doesn't sacrifice the glorious chaos fans have come to love. Gorgeous visuals, weighty combat, and a surprising amount of replayability make Darksiders Genesis something everyone can enjoy.

Arise tells a simple, yet moving story with beautiful graphics and incredible musical score. However, its gameplay sometimes tends to work against itself, despite its intuitive controls.

BattleTech: Heavy Metal DLC could stand to have more exciting content, so that it isn't overshadowed by the accompanying free update.

Shenmue III had to noticeably cut some corners, but is a true sequel with some new tricks up its sleeve. Newcomers will likely not really get what the fuss is about, but this is a very enjoyable game that I think will be appreciated more as time goes by.

Lost Ember departs from typical video game fighting and puzzle-solving to tell a heartfelt story through the eyes of its animal protagonist. Thanks to its stunning art direction and obvious love for its subject matter, it offers a genuine emotional payoff despite having some elements that still feel undercooked.

Although it isn't perfect, Sniper: Ghost Warrior Contracts manages to hit its mark. With a simple yet effective campaign presentation, massive locations and stunning visuals, and the thoroughly engaging gameplay that keeps you coming back for more due to a user-friendly progression system, it's the best Ghost Warrior title to date.

Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order certainly tries, but as Yoda pointed out, you either do or do not. For the most part, it does -- but without the grace or precision of a full-fledged Jedi Knight. The apprentice is not yet the master.

Bland, boring, and uninspired, Narcos: Rise of the Cartels isn't quite the tie-in product that fans of Netflix's series would want to see. It's bogged down by flawed fundamentals, a repetitive campaign, and unengaging gameplay.

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.

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.

SCS has done a fantastic job at capturing both Utah's natural and man-made beauty. It offers a huge variety of scenery objects with an amazing amount of detail that will make for some seriously scenic drives in American Truck Simulator.

Bee Simulator completely nails the fluidity and speed of bee flight. This is a great tool to have when exploring the world within the game. It isn't a true simulation title. Rather, it throws in a story and collectibles for a wider audience. And if you're into learning new factoids about insects and animals, Bee Simulator wraps all these things into one. Be wary, though, as the NPCs can come off as empty and robotic, sometimes taking away from the immersion.

Although Red Dead Redemption 2 for the PC has plenty of technical quirks, they're easy to overlook once you're immersed in the story and the breathtaking beauty of the world.

Superliminal seems like a great game at first. The perspective mechanics on display make a fantastic first impression, but the game's design falters as it goes on. The weakness of the puzzles and unevenness of the overall game drag it down in the end.

Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition has the content to keep you entertained for a time. Unfortunately, the visuals and core mechanics are woefully behind 20 years after its initial release. It's a nostalgia trip for fans given the low price, but it's lacking in this new age of strategy games.

Song of Horror's scariest aspect is its permadeath feature - not because it's spooky, but because slogging through levels is an absolute chore. Worse yet, Song of Horror punishes the player for exploring its admittedly beautiful environment. Neat technical features and meticulously crafted lore do somewhat make up for its faults. But ultimately, none but the most hardcore horror fans will give this game the time of day (or night).

Atelier Ryza is a great game slightly marred by a poor port, lack of enemy variety, and hard-to-find ingredients. But anyone who likes crafting games absolutely owes it to themselves to play this, as it's a huge amount of fun.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is the best entry the series has seen in nearly a decade. A riveting story, beautiful visuals, and addictive multiplayer are bolstered by new features that will keep you coming back for more. Modern Warfare is a must-play for anyone who enjoys the older Call of Duty titles, especially considering the steady flow of free content we've been promised.

It's well worth giving in to temptation partying with the devil by throwing back a few drinks in Afterparty. The game isn't very long or difficult, but it makes up for it with plenty of wit and charm.

Bugs, glitches, missing features, sluggish gameplay, and unreliable systems -- it's a smorgasbord of problems that would lead anyone to conclude that WWE 2K20 should not have been released in this state. In modern times, WWE 2K20 is the jabroni of pro-wrestling games. It didn't just set the bar, it lowered the bar.

Moons of Madness may be light on scares, but the great use of its setting and very strong storytelling make for a compelling narrative-driven experience.

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

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.

AI War II builds on the legacy of the first game while also showing that the developers learned the right lessons about gameplay.

An enjoyable adventure, but one that hews a little too close to its FPS Fallout roots.

I really wanted to like this game, but it makes it very difficult. From the bland levels to the horribly repetitious nature of the simple combat, Travis Strikes Again is a really mediocre time. And that gamebreaking bug certainly didn't do it any favors either.

The Jackbox Party Pack 6 brings excellent new additions to your party game rotation with Push The Button and Dictionarium, but falls flat with Joke Boat.

I enjoyed a fair amount of what this game had to offer, but the limited, claustrophobic nature of much of the navigation, coupled with slow movement, poor story, and extremely limited enemy types, make it a harder sell.

Demon Pit sets out to refine the arena shooter genre with a '90s FPS aesthetic, and it succeeds at that. Unfortunately, it doesn't do anything to set itself apart from the rest of the pack. Horrid pacing, a lack of content, and a glut of performance issues leave a lot to be desired, especially when Devil Daggers perfected this formula back in 2016. This is a tough sell to anyone but hardcore fans of the old school aesthetic, though I'm not sure if even nostalgia can save this one.

Iron Rain is a good game on its own merits, but it's simply not as good as EDF5. It is a pretty different experience that's easy to recommend to series fans that are hungry for more, though.

Felix the Reaper at times leans into its quirky and unique art style. However, the biggest disconnect comes with the effort to unify this with gameplay. Puzzles often feel like a grind, leaving little mastery when all things are said and done.

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.

While its crushing difficulty and bare-bones story may turn off some casual players, those who triumph through Valfaris' 7 hours of gameplay and endless boss battles will leave feeling refreshed. This is a definite must-play for both Castlevania and heavy metal fans alike.

The Bradwell Conspiracy is a masterpiece of narrative storytelling, brimming with wit and nuance throughout its 5-6 hours of so-so gameplay. While its latter stages begin to drag slightly, The Bradwell Conspiracy is well worth its 14.99 GBP asking price. This one is an essential for any Portal fan, and I can't wait to see what A Brave Plan has in store for their next offering.

Part action, part strategy, John Wick Hex is an incredibly challenging and highly stylized game that is both thrilling and infuriating at the same time.

Although it has an underwhelming story and some pacing issues, Indivisible is a great game filled with memorable characters, gorgeous visuals, entertaining combat, and fun dialogue.

Ghost Recon: Breakpoint has a solid foundation, but is let down by poor design choices and braindead easy gameplay.

Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair is a really strong platformer with good level design and excellent visuals. Certain aspects of the game don't mix well together, but it's a good time overall.

If Forsaken breathed new life into Destiny 2 which had been flagging during its first year, then Shadowkeep feels like a step down from that. [I’m currently at 915 power level]

Warsaw is challenging at times to the point of harsh realism and it has an assortment of foes to take out. But, with mechanics that are downright arcadey and odd, Warsaw's missteps mar what could've been a brilliant look at a major event in Poland's history during World War II.

A short but entertaining and beautiful look at cyberpunk dystopia, through the unlikely lens of a gig economy taxi driver.

A simple game premise turned chaotically good fun. The variety in the ways you get your golf ball (or car, or barrel, or egg, or...) to the goal will always keep you on your toes. This might not be a game that you're going to spend your next 80 gaming hours with, but it will be a great game to binge over a day or so.

I enjoyed every moment of playing Stygian: Reign of Old Ones. There may be questionable decisions in including such a wide variety of mythos creatures in a single release, but the decision to set the game basically after the end of the world (as far as Arkham is concerned) is a fresh take. Stygian oozes atmosphere, craft, and effort. I love it, it’s great, and you should play it.

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.

The Surge 2 isn't a bad game, but it gets some pretty big things wrong. In the end, I had some fun with it, but the broken parrying, awful enemy placement, and bland level layouts made it more of a slog.

Applewood has a ton of heart and great gameplay to back it up. The story, controls, and game design are all top-notch. We wholeheartedly recommend this one.

Charming, adorable, and delightful, Cat Quest 2 offers a solid adventure-RPG romp. Sadly, it's best played in short bursts due to repetitiveness, and you're bound to seek help from another player since the AI teammate can be downright incompetent.

The definition of short but sweet, except you're also short and a horrible goose. Possibly too short for some tastes, but an excellent and hilarious stealth-puzzler nonetheless.

All in all, Nauticrawl is a good, fun game. You don’t often feel that vulnerable while piloting some multi-leg mechanical monstrosity, so that’s an achievement on the part of the developers. The game could benefit from being longer. And who knows? Maybe there will be an extended edition one day, since the template is already there.

Devil's Hunt's weighty combat and at times beautiful visuals are plagued with inconsistency, and lack the level of polish of the titles it borrows from. The result is an unfulfilling teen drama whose flashes of brilliance aren't near enough to justify it's $35 price tag.

Men of War: Assault Squad 2 – Cold War shows so little effort into making a game that it can barely count as a cash grab.

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a joy to play through. There are a few issues with the port, but it's a beautiful game that's a joy to get lost in.

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.

Blasphemous might be derivative, but it's one of the best, if not the best Metroid-like I've played this year. Not only is it downright gorgeous, but the gameplay is uniformly excellent and hunting for its many secrets make it a puzzle well worth exploring.

There are noticeable flaws in MyCareer's story and in other modes. Combine these with controversial and divisive microtransactions that have been mixed in, and you might have some qualms. However, NBA 2K20 still remains on a league of its own. With loads of content, amazing core gameplay mechanics, and unrivaled presentation, it keeps you engaged whether you're playing casually or competitively.

There's trouble once again in River City, and this time only the girls can save the day! Using a variety of attacks, weapons, and items, these hot-blooded heroines are ready to teach the city’s lowlifes a lesson - either solo or in 2-player co-op! It’s an old-school rumble for a new generation!

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.

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.

Children of Morta is a solidly built action roguelite, but it's the family struggles and heart within that elevate it above the crowd.

Decay of Logos seemed like it could be a good game at first, but make no mistake, its deeply-flawed and badly-conceptualized in a way that few could pull off. Unless you're a masochist, I can't advise going anywhere near this atrocity.

While there are a few notable flaws, Man of Medan encapsulates the thrills and scares of the horror genre while offering numerous branching choices for the narrative. It's the perfect way to set the tone for the rest of The Dark Pictures Anthology series.

Minoria is another strong game from Bombservice. Although it isn't necessarily better than their last, it's an enjoyable experience with great controls, good art, and an interesting story.

Control is a marvel both story-wise and technologically, with its extensive use of ray tracing technology. Although the gameplay has a few quirks, it's easily one of the best action games to release this year.

Ancestors is a great step forward for the survival genre. It has all the pieces you'd expect, including water and food requirements but also a few unique ones. All of these tie into the game in a much better way than in most other survival games. Plus, its narrative of guiding humankind through its early evolution in prehistoric Africa makes for a great story to play in a beautiful place to do it.

Mable & The Wood comes with an interesting take on combat, but shoddy controls, bugs, and odd storytelling prevent it from being an enjoyable journey through the game's cursed kingdom.

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.

Oninaki does a lot of things right. It has a compelling story and solid gameplay but doesn't take either far enough to reach the level of greatness.

RAD has excellent gameplay and great visuals but is very, very difficult. Fans of extremely hard games will likely get a kick out of it, but people looking to slowly power up in order to make their rogue-lites easier should stay away.

Ridiculously lacking in new content and with a Weave game mode that feels like a parlor trick you've seen before, Warhammer: Vermintide 2 - Winds of Magic's only saving grace is the introduction of the Beastmen. Even then, it's still a mediocre expansion for a once-promising game.

Ion Fury may look like it plays it safe, but it delivers an exemplary first-person shooter that's better than many of the games that inspired it. Genre fans will be missing out if they choose to pass this one up.

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.

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Eight Princes feels familiar, although, sadly, also a repeat of what you've already gone through in the past. Although you can choose from eight princes, your overall experience (especially if you've put in hundreds of hours into the base game) would be more like a "7" instead.

If you can throw the story and its unexciting characters aside, there's a fantastic, entry-level space shooter here to be played.

Metal Wolf Chaos XD isn't particularly lengthy or challenging, but it's very entertaining and downright hilarious. As long as you're okay with playing what's mostly a straight port of an Xbox game from 2004, there's a good time to be had here.

Silver Chains has a spooky atmosphere and an interesting, if typical, narrative. But its horrifying performance issues and the completely horrible final sequence put a pretty big damper on the game as a whole.

A number of flaws such as a disappointing campaign, a rigid tech tree, and a couple of bugs hamper Age of Wonders: Planetfall. However, it more than makes up for these flaws with its refreshing charm, tactical battles, and customization choices for the avid 4X player.

While I can't call The Church in the Darkness bad, it's a disappointingly limited experience. Once the excellent setting and the randomization wear off you're left with a clunky top-down stealth game.

With a few technical issues, a disconnected story, a very short new campaign, and an unbelievably nonsensical final boss encounter, Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil is a disappointing expansion to a once-promising game.

Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom has a lot going for it, but its frustrations and pacing issues are a detriment to the overall experience.

Moments of stealth-flavored enjoyment in The Blackout Club are often overshadowed by the game's unpolished state, with bugs and repetition robbing the game's mysteries with growing frustration.

All things considered, at $40, it’s hard for me to truly recommend FIA European Truck Racing Championship unless you happen to be a big fan of titles like American Truck Simulator/ European Truck Simulator 2. But, if super-fast racing is more your style, you’re headed down the wrong road in this case.

The series returns with its incredible first-person shooting, wild gunfights, and a ton of Nazi killing. Unfortunately, that's about all it brings. The narrative is fairly shallow and it does little to add anything new while we wait for the next main Wolfenstein game.

Fantasy Strike is an excellent fighting game with rewarding gameplay. I can only hope the amount of players increases.

Warhammer 40K: Mechanicus – Heretek could’ve been a step forward for Bulwark’s stellar first foray into Games Workshop’s license. It had a chance to reinvigorate interest in a tactical RPG set in the Warhammer 40K universe. A newcomer might consider it part of a “more complete experience,” but a returning player might be vastly disappointed. With limited new content, repeating your old romp, and a handful of bugs, it proves to be a disappointment that likes of which will bring shame to the Omnissiah. It lacks the spirit for the machine spirit.

The characters you meet in Night Call are the stars of this noir-style thriller. Interestingly, the crime plot takes a backseat to meeting the residents of Paris and learning about their struggles and success. Unfortunately, the game becomes repetitive after the first case due to duplicated dialog and a lack of gameplay evolution.

Eagle Island is vibrant and worth a look for its world and story, but the combat lets the overall experience down.

Cartoony and colorful, Tiny Metal: Full Metal Rumble offers an arcade-inspired twist on turn-based strategy gameplay, something that feels refreshing amidst a sea of realistic strategy warfare games.