Assassin's Creed Valhalla: The Siege of Paris lets you meet a robust cast of historical characters. Unfortunately, many of its features and mechanics feel severely lacking. The concepts that it tries to introduce are either poorly implemented or limited in comparison to other games.

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.

A simulator that's actually good instead of a jank factory? Lawn Mowing Simulator will only appeal to a specific niche, but it's a fun, relaxing game that offers almost all of what it should.

Maid of Sker has very strong visuals and the hotel itself is well designed. But everything else, from its gameplay systems to its progression and foes, is so weak and ill-considered that I can't imagine most people enjoying what little it has to offer.

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.

Despite having some interesting concepts and refreshing mechanics, Galactic Civilizations IV suffers from an unintuitive UI, lack of tooltip information, and production queue bugs.

I’m fully aware that this game is multiplayer focused and the single player is more for practice and getting used to the game before playing human opponents, but the AI is terrible, and I would go as far to say laughably awful. If you are only looking to play single player avoid this game, at least for now, as you will be wasting your money.

The Signifier is an intriguing adventure game/ walking simulator with a compelling story and unique design aspects. The presentation can be a bit janky, but the game has definitely stuck in my mind since finishing it.

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.

Stela is a nice break from the hectic shooters and other competitive style games. It opts for impeccable sounds and visual design in order to convey emotion throughout the three-hour playtime. But, don't let the overall length steer you away from something that's more akin to a short story than a full, AAA produced title. It's a worthy experience from start to finish, providing the right escape for those without a lot of free time on their hands.

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.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force has exciting combat mechanics and a fun traversal system, but it's hampered by poor performance, bland cutscenes, and questionable pacing.

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.

Although the castle-smashing combat and humor remain enjoyable, Castlestorm II is bogged down by half-baked systems that often undermine each other.

The original game impressed me so much in 1999. I loved it to bits. But I can’t help but feel a little disappointed with the outcome of Outcast – Second Contact. A complete rework of the original game would be worth the asking price ($30), but it’s just not been given the full makeover it truly deserves. That said, I would love for Appeal to be given the opportunity to create a sequel and revisit this fantastic world.

It may be very short, but Kill It with Fire is creative and entertaining all the same. I'll never look at a frying pan the same way again.

A confused identity mixed in with its awkward transition to simcade makes Project CARS 3 one of the least satisfying racing games I've played in years. There may be potential for its more arcade focused design to be developed upon but Slightly Mad Studios is certainly not there yet.

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.

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.

My Hero One’s Justice 2 is a far cry from the esports-ready fighter you may have wanted. It skirts along the line between woefully undercooked and passable. But for fans of the series, you’d be hard-pressed to find something even half as faithful.

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.

Like the stereotypical school heartthrob, Need for Speed is vapid but beautiful and strangely exciting. It's a surprisingly enjoyable arcade racer, but one that's more for casual downtime than for a serious commitment.

Marvel's Avengers is a very entertaining game that makes great use of its characters. The PC version gave me some problems and many others are having similar issues, but it's an enjoyable time with a lot of value.

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.

Serious Sam 4 has everything fans of the series could want and more. The fights are chaotic and extremely violent and the gunplay is the best its ever been. It can get a bit redundant and it overpromised on certain features, but anyone looking to demolish thousands of aliens will find tons to love here.

The exploration, narrative elements, art style, and audio are all excellent in Recompile, but the platforming begins to feel redundant after a while. Especially since the level design doesn't provide any clear direction and leads to regular backtracking and second guessing. There are also missed opportunities where the gameplay could have been more interesting and balanced. Still, the game should scratch that itch for those always looking for something new to experience.

Amazing visuals and stellar atmosphere notwithstanding, The Callisto Protocol is held back by a cumbersome combat system, technical woes, and other odd design decisions.

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.

The exosuites and great customization mechanics stand out the most, you can truly make something your own. However that alone isn't enough to keep player coming back. Exoprimal needs to more to fill the large empty spaces.

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.

The Occupation tries to present itself as a political thriller emphasizing stealth. Sadly, it has neither the thrills nor the mechanics to manage either.

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.

Though initially promising, the mechanics of Sniper Elite begin to fall apart once the dual controller setup for Oculus comes into play. This could certainly be remedied in the future through the introduction of a proper gun peripheral, but as of now, we're stuck firing blanks.

MythForce looks stunning and perfectly encapsulates the look and feel of 80s action cartoons. Unfortunately, its repetitive gameplay loop, frustrating stamina mechanic, and unrewarding progression system spoil what could've been an exceptional game.

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.

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.

Port Royale 4 might have quirks that are interesting at a glance such as automated trade routes and a vast map. Looking closer, you'll realize that its core mechanics are cumbersome and unintuitive, its naval battles are plainly uninteresting, and there's not a whole lot that would seem enticing. It lacks all the dynamism despite a time period known for swashbuckling excitement.

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.

How to Say Goodbye explores the afterlife from a more personal point of view, with a focus on healing at your own pace. If you can ignore the sometimes clunky puzzle solving, this is an easy day-length game to play when you want a lighter approach to death.

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.

Ambitious in size, scale, and scope, Edge of Eternity offers a somewhat enjoyable romp that could last you over 40 hours. Sadly, it's also very rough around the edges, and poor pacing can be detrimental to your experience.

Re:Turn - One Way Trip is enjoyable most of the time. It has a strong presentation and enjoyable puzzles, even if the game world's a bit too small for its own good and there are a few issues here and there.

Not a good reason for seasoned explorers to head back to the Commonwealth, but it adds a fair bit for anyone who's still got an active game going. Pricey for what it is, though.

The Almost Gone is like a fleeting memory; it's the tragic tale of abuse and loss, captured in a series of blurry vignettes. Its puzzle mechanics, although fairly simple, are refined, even if they aren't explored to their fullest. The two-hour story sits at the forefront of the experience and never overstays its welcome. In fact, The Almost Gone would likely benefit from an extra hour, but what we got is plenty good on its own.

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.

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.

Though it has all of the hallmarks of a solid remake, Alex Kidd in Miracle World DX likely sticks a bit too close to the subject matter to resonate with a modern audience. Don't let the lush visuals fool you. It's unapologetically brutal design, combined with control issues and unexplained mechanics galore, all make for an uneven and unrecommendable experience.

Outward is simultaneously mesmerizing and full of missteps. What could have been a truly special game is damaged by how tedious and ill-advised so many of its design decisions are.

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

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.

Overall, I liked Call of Cthulhu a fair amount. I enjoyed the story, the atmosphere, and the environments. It’s a walking simulator for the most part, sure, but it’s a solid one. Although I can’t recommend it at launch due to price, fans of story-based gaming experiences will likely find a lot to like about Call of Cthulhu. Just don’t go in thinking it’s a stealth RPG and keep your expectations in check. If you can do that, you’ll likely have a good time.

The graphics are good, if a little bland, and even though the movement feels too fast for my taste, it also succeeds at being a solid shooter. I think it’s safe to say that the three-man team behind Genesis Alpha One has done an excellent job of succeeding at pretty much everything they set out to do. It’s no small feat to make a game that does so many things this well, so the game is assuredly worth checking out.

A recycled mess that features the same bugs, financial exploits, and cheats that PC players have had to suffer through for years. MyTeam has seen some great innovations but they are completely overshadowed by NBA 2K21's shortcomings.

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

Ministry of Broadcast is very much like the games it takes inspiration from. But the insanely unreliable controls and the obnoxious slog of the game's tedious, trial-and-error platforming sections will likely try the patience of anyone who isn't looking for a blast from the past.

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.

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.

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.

Swery does Telltale, by way of an obsessed, time-travelling detective and lots of references to Boston. D4 is as unique and strange as you’d hope; and (unlike Deadly Premonition,) a decent enough PC version.

Light and simple isn't a bad thing, but Rogue Wizards is too light and too simple, and a tad too slow for its scaled-down design to feel deliciously more-ish. While it's not bad, it didn't leave any real lasting impression barring a mental sigh at what could've been.

Alone in the Dark tempts you with some great ideas but inevitably provides no substance. Couple that with less than stellar gameplay and a hunger to tell a better story, I left Derceto Manor feeling unimpressed, frustrated, and ultimately dejected by the sum of its parts.

While control issues still hamper Onimusha: Warlords Remastered, the game looks and runs better than ever, and the hard-hitting combat keep it fun and exciting throughout.

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.

We Are Football lays the foundations for future titles to prosper. But as a game, it isn't all that great. The primitive match engine in particular is just not good enough in this day and age. Regardless, there are some good ideas present and it looks far more promising than most of the Football Manager clones that have come and gone. Even if you don't want to wait, it's not like We Are Football is necessarily bad. Some may find the streamlined, faster experience a refreshing change from Football Manager's more complex offerings.

Those who come across Bastard’s Wound as new players, people who’ve perhaps picked up the game and DLC as a bundle, should find it to be of similar quality to the other distinct areas in the Tiers. It was also released alongside a free update that expands the ending with a new path of alignment, which people coming to the game late will benefit from as well. Judged in a vacuum though, especially taking the $15 price tag into account, this expansion feels a bit too conservative. Coming to it as a new player, the similarity to the rest of the game will be a boon. For someone returning just for the DLC, the familiarity is welcome, but tinged with some disappointment.

Relaxing and lovely, Submerged: Hidden Depth doesn't have much in the way of gameplay, but it's still a nice experience for anyone who wants to explore its sunken world.

Broken Pieces has strong world design and interesting mechanics, even if the action feels needlessly shoehorned in.

Overall, I had a decent time with The Shapeshifting Detective. The story and much of the acting is underwhelming, but the core idea is fun and the game is engaging enough. Anyone who enjoys FMV games will probably find some things to like about the game, but it’s a mixed bag that could have been better with some more polished writing and a better cast.

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.

Offensively mediocre in multiple ways, Biomutant was a waste of resources. It's not terrible, but there's no excuse for it to be this vapid and underwhelming.

This second, short, episode in Telltale’s latest Walking Dead series continues to be a fairly engaging study of Michonne’s character, but struggles to generate much attachment to the other players in its familiar tale of capture-and-pursuit.

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.

Deck of Ashes lets down its art with grinding gameplay balance and terrible font choices.

A lot of anime games are full of personality but lack refinement and polish. Fairy Tail undermines those expectations by being well made whilst still capturing what made the original manga so special. Newcomers may find the limited retelling of the plot hard to follow but franchise veterans should have a blast.

Close to the Sun's bland narrative and lack of challenging mechanics, as well as being light on the scares, makes for a rather dull experience.

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.

Battletoads is a reboot of the classic Rare franchise, but fails to recapture the excitement and fun of the originals.

Diluvion has an interesting art style but the repetitive gameplay, along with sometimes irritating navigation, checkpoints and controls, may put some players off.

Any player in search of a real platforming challenge should be playing Rain World. It can be brutal at times and it has its quirks, but it will keep you coming back. Plus, it has a Slugcat.

Though it doesn't seem to do as much as it could with its 'critical' dialogue choices, Knee Deep's (literal) theatrical staging and quirky, pseudo-noir plot make it a compelling curiosity in the Telltale vein.

Someday You'll Return is an immensely rewarding game with excellent visuals, world design, and storytelling. Poor signposting and trial-and-error can lead to frustration, but the experience is very much worth it regardless.

While fun at first, the simplistic, bland combat and boring navigation makes the game less than it could have been.

Well-written dialogue and top-quality voice acting can make The Magnificent Trufflepigs endearing, but a dull gameplay loop and narrative missteps might leave a bad aftertaste.

Some inspired ideas and a great sense of style, but repetition, bugs, and poor AI prevent Company of Crime from really coming at the king.

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.

Madden NFL 25 is a step in the right direction for the franchise and we hope EA keeps this momentum going to make the next entry even better.

Duking it out underwater is a lot of fun in this game. The visuals are well-done, it plays well, and the story is quite strong too. Very much worth a look for anyone intrigued by its premise.

Torchlight III still suffers from many issues that have been present since its Early Access stage, including a middling endgame and bland core gameplay loop. Worse, its restrictions on character builds and relic usage lead to a lack of experimentation and customization.

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.

The game's excellent presentation goes wonderfully with its surprising amount of variety. The game might not be scary, but it is thought-provoking and unique, which makes it more than worth a look from narrative adventure fans.

Jade Dragon takes a slightly different approach from prior area-and-culture focused expansions for Crusader Kings 2, putting much more emphasis on off-stage activities than making new realms playable. That means the bulk of this DLC takes place through menu interactions, but I think Paradox has done a good job fashioning an engaging system out of this restriction. China is both a major threat, and a source of great (potential) personal power for those rulers within its influence. If you have little interest in playing an eastern-located realm, or lack any of the DLCs mentioned towards the start of this review, Jade Dragon is less compelling (those Casus Belli are nice, but won’t justify the purchase on their own). Otherwise, this expansion does a fine job re-igniting interest in an area of the Crusader Kings 2 map outside the usual western Europe feudal suspects.

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.

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.

Now five entries into the Monster Energy Supercross series, the latest is running on fumes. While the sim-like mechanics of its driving model are nice, the overall package is bland, repetitive, and shows barely any progression from past entries.

On one hand, I love some of Kamiwaza's elements including the thievery and 'just stealth' system. But the game is sabotaged by a lack of clarity and a lack of proper quality-of-life changes.

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.

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.

Charming and adorable with a lot of potential for a unique Minecraft style Real Time Strategy, but falls very short of being a fulfilling experience.