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.

There will be plenty of players loving the Diablo 3 Necromancer, and at the end of the day, if the majority people still playing Diablo 3 are happy with what’s included then that’s what matters. The Necromancer is reasonably enjoyable and, if you’re satisfied with Diablo 3 and all you want is a new class, then you can probably come to terms with the $15 price.

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.

Though a noble effort, the transition to HD has probably done more harm than good. Challenging gameplay has been replaced with a virtual walk in the park, devoid of damn near any difficulty. If you're looking to relive gaming's past, this one may be better found in the original.

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.

Yonder’s world is an impressive and stylish creation. The variety of environments (both geological and natural) squeezed into its compact island make for an enjoyable, exploratory romp for as long as that novelty keeps its hold. But once the main 4-5 hour quest is done, you’ve seen the extend of what the game has to offer. That wouldn’t automatically be a problem, except the crafting and farm ownership aspects are too superficial to act as a compelling reason to return. As a result, this is a short and undeniably sweet title which lacks the depth of its contemporaries.

Chasm is a retro-infused, Metroidvania style roguelike. Although it brings back many nostalgic feelings with its art style, there is much more to be desired and no real sense of accomplishment once you've completed the game.

Dishonored 2 is a fantastic game. It may, in fact, be the best game you really shouldn’t risk buying right now, because right now it’s a technical mess. Yes, I hope a patch comes out soon which fixes a lot of these issues – but yes, I’m also worried that a lot of this is baked into the new Void Engine, and if that’s the case… well, this might be something to look into in a year or two. I’ll keep you updated, but for now, a definite “buyer beware” on an otherwise phenomenal game.

I enjoyed One Piece: World Seeker in spite of its flaws, but anyone who isn't a big fan of One Piece will likely find the game a chore to get through.

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.

Moonscars has a lot of promising ideas. Unfortunately, the threadbare plot, questionable level design, and odd execution of mechanics hold it back.

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.

Snooker 19 really does seem targeted more at seasoned players rather than newcomers. While you can learn and perfect your skills, this is easily one of the most hands-off simulators I’ve played in a while. This is great for realism, but it makes accessibility a tad limited.

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.

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.

Hypergun is an entertaining shooter best enjoyed over short bursts. While there’s a seemingly endless variety of creatable weapons, grinding run after run gets old fast. Like DevTech’s inability to make the perfect superweapon, Hypergun lacks the punch and polish needed to elevate the game to greatness.

I honestly really like a lot of things about Save Me Mr Tako. It’s got great graphics, tight controls, and a fantastic story. But its unfortunate design missteps make it difficult to recommend to a general audience. Fans of extremely hard, frustrating games will likely be okay with the anguish the game offers, but I don’t see most people even being able to finish this game. I definitely found myself enjoying the game a lot, but the frustration inherent in the experience massively dilutes what could have been an excellent title.

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.

Tribes of Midgard has a lot of interesting concepts, from Norse Mythology inspirations to facets from other genres. Unfortunately, it's dragged down by poor pacing and rushing just to complete objectives. It's better if you have friends who also enjoy it. Unfortunately, as a solo player, you'll start wondering if there's anything else to look forward to.

Stunning visuals and survival mechanics shine in Fade to Silence. Unfortunately, companion management, bugs, crashes, and uninspiring combat lead to an experience that you just want to fade away.

Haus is a promising addition to Dead Island 2 at first but is quickly made worse by a short runtime and lack of meaningful additions.

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.

Attack on Titan takes a decent stab at the nape of the series' neck, but repetitiveness, a lack of difficulty, and a high price mean it misses the mark a little too much. Still: if all you want to do is be Mikasa, swing around, and chop down Titans, you'll probably rather enjoy it while complaining. I did.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 is a lackluster sequel, lacking depth and variety.

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

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.

NBA 2K24 has made several noteworthy improvements, like its addition of ProPLAY, which amps up the realism, and a modern approach to the game's presentation that makes it feel fresh. However, it's disappointing that the otherwise fantastic simulation experience is marred by the game's microtransactions, transforming it into a pay-to-win model. Unless you are a basketball enthusiast who wants to collect every title in the NBA 2K series, it's best to skip NBA 2K24.

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).

It's rare for a game to make me swing back and forth a full 5 points on the score, but Virginia managed exactly that, and that's probably a sign of exactly how divisive this short piece of interactive story-telling is going to be. Let's settle around the middle.

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.

Great British Railway Journeys requires a lot of time and patience to get the most out of it. Built on an aging engine, it provides an adequate experience, but nothing spectacular.

Porting issues aside, Batman: Arkham Knight is a decent enough game. It's not the spectacular swansong we hoped for from Rocksteady, but it's another solid - if predictable - slice of Arkham gameplay, with a couple of great sections along the way.

Those who covet unique 4X factions and absorbing, atmospheric exploration should probably head elsewhere, but if you’re looking for logistical military exercises and satisfying galactic planning then Polaris Sector has you well covered.

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.

Disaster Report 4: Summer Memories is not a good game. Its design is archaic, its presentation is lacking, and its story is nonsensical. But anyone who enjoys janky, weird games will very likely have a good time with it. It might not be quality, but it's often very entertaining.

Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem has all the tools thanks to ARPGs that came before it. Sadly, its online mode has had a litany of issues, the controls could use some tweaks, the loot pool isn't as deep as you could imagine, character skills need some rebalancing, and a slew of shortcomings lead to a questionable launch after four years of development. Wolcen: Lords of Mayhem can surely reach the cream of the crop among ARPGs with more improvements, but it's going to take time.

An improvement on the first episode, but still marred by technical issues and. A move in the right direction, but it's still too early to tell if this is more The Killing Joke or Batman & Robin.

It's not the reigning champion of this hybrid genre, but Mage's Initiation is a promising challenger. If sequels expand on the basics shown here, this could well be a series worth watching.

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.

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.

Griefhelm is a fun medieval skirmish game that fans of knights will enjoy, especially around the couch with friends. The potential of this lovingly crafted indie game is let down by some rough edges when it comes to close combat, as well as an unsatisfying single-player campaign.

Graveyard Keeper is an undeniably unique game. It just stretches itself too thin. Even the titular role — the actual keeping of a graveyard — often feels secondary to the constant pursuit of new upgrades. Its central, twisted conceit goes a long way to making the grindy experience tolerable, though. Even at its worst, Graveyard Keeper sure to find an audience, as its macabre atmosphere and off-color activities aren’t things you see in games too often.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Decent third-person shooting mechanics, geared strongly toward co-op; but unless your brain is tickled by colour-tiered items the rote repetition will eventually drive you from Manhattan. The Division’s speculative catastrophe fiction never sits convincingly with its pure, stat-based loot grind.

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

With Truck Driver, Soedesco is trying to break into an already spoken-for market with an offering that comes off feeling like a cheap imitation. While it spares itself the humiliation of being considered shovelware, it also lacks the heart needed to call it an actual truck simulator. Perhaps a second, stronger entry can prove the new IP's worth, but this is a pretty weak first impression.

Maneater can be entertaining, but it's extremely short and repetitive, with practically no story missions or unique activities.

Midair is definitely worth a look because it’s free to play and in time could attract a die-hard following. There’s nothing really like Midair around at the moment which is definitely good news for Archetype.

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

It’s a more physical FIFA this year, with greater emphasis on build-up passing and positional movement than one-on-one dribbling. Aspects of these changes can irritate, but the major disappointment with FIFA 17 is its failure to engage with any of the series’ lingering legacy problems, even on a new engine.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-reckoning is a handful of solid gameplay systems trapped in a world that’s lost its magic. There’s plenty to play with as far as combat and crafting are concerned, but the game is defined by its decision to choose quantity over quality.

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.

Company of Heroes 3 retains the gameplay of the predecessors while disappointing with the bizarre campaign decisions and lack of polish.

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.

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.

Total War: Three Kingdoms - Mandate of Heaven presents a massive conflict and an evolving sandbox campaign, with several features and events to keep you entertained. Sadly, it's also bogged down by its reliance on older concepts that lack strategic depth, glaring bugs, as well as missed opportunities. Though you could expect to log in the extra hours, it becomes repetitious to a fault once the rebellion has been quashed.

A decent enough turn-based tactical game with a genuinely excellent atmosphere, let down by limited tactical options, poor mechanic explanations, and a number of issues that make it seem as though the lofty ambitions outstripped either time, money, or ability.

Days of War tries to be Day of Defeat or Call of Duty 2. It falls short of both, hobbled as it is by a myriad of tiny issues that combine into a lackluster whole.

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

This expansion is an opportunity to delve into a somewhat refreshed Total War: Rome 2 that I’m sure some will relish. But no matter how many overhauls take place, it’s a game that can’t entirely rid itself of that 2013 launch baggage.

Scorn really brings the art that inspired to 3D life, meshes it with good music, and presents it on a stable platform. But the mundane puzzles and poor combat drag it down.

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.

A respectable recreation of hunting that serves far better as a simulator than an actual game. For some, this will be exactly what you're looking for. For most, probably not.

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.

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

Spirit of the North is a decent game let down some by subpar controls and underuse of the player character's abilities. It still manages to be somewhat entertaining but is far from a must-play.

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.

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.

You're trapped in a maze-like Hell in Scathe, but while the shooting is solid, the rest of the game may put you into a haze.

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.

The visuals are strong and most of the elements are competent, but this is a middle-of-the-road game that squanders its potential with some baffling decisions.

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.

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.

While it has a strong premise and some neat ideas, Foreclosed is let down by rote, subpar third-person shooter action and unimpressive stealth sections during its short runtime.

Over-the-top action, ridiculous animations and attacks, and a cartoony reimagining of your favorite superstars aside, WWE 2K Battlegrounds is hampered by its lackluster class-based movesets, as well as a system that requires you to grind for a vast majority of superstars that still need to be unlocked. With limited customization options and game modes, it's best played in short bursts, and you'll hardly feel engaged from a single-player standpoint.

Flawed in a lot of ways and with some ideas that don't seem fully fleshed out, but a gorgeous and idly entertaining roguelike romp nonetheless.

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

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

AWE had a lot of potential and I'm sad to say that it's mostly wasted here. Most of what it offers is exactly the same as what players have experienced before and I found the new stuff to be equal parts obnoxious and tedious.

Warlander will cost you nothing to try out and see if its high-paced arcade-y combat overcomes the the tedious visuals and audio.

Imperator: Rome combines the quirks and mechanics of multiple Paradox titles, but it lacks the charm and depth to stand out on its own. It wore the trappings and regalia of Marcus Aurelius, yet, once removed, out came Commodus instead.

A perfectly enjoyable adventure through a dystopian wasteland, though one that misses a lot of opportunities and leaves a lot of tantalising threads dangling. Tasty, but not quite satisfying.

The Deadly Tower of Monsters is not the tightest 3D hack-and-blast arcade homage you’ll ever play, but it is the only one to feature puppies dressed as deadly hoovers, amazing stop-motion dinosaurs, and set design to rival Forbidden Planet.

It's pretty and it plays well, but this is a short, underwhelming Metroidvania with no exploration and uninteresting level design.

If you're looking for a proper Trials-like experience, look elsewhere. The focus on tricks and combos takes some getting used to, and is likely not even targeted at the same audience. This is a ride that will end far too abruptly, and lacks a majority of the variety associated with the genre.

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.

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.

Guild of Darksteel is a short, simple game that only takes a few hours to get through. There's nothing offensive or necessarily bad about it, but it's hard to recommend all the same.

A cutesy life sim game where you gather materials and keep villagers healthy. Potion Permit certainly has its own unique charm as you continue shaping the fortunes of Moonbury and its citizens. Unfortunately, it can get fairly monotonous later on.

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.

A decent game, but nothing more. Far Cry Primal tries to differentiate itself from past Far Cry games with mixed success, managing some clever new tricks, but losing a lot of what made Far Cry feel special in the process.

Dark Devotion is intriguing, but design problems and cumbersome combat do their best to keep it from reaching its full potential.

The level and character design is something to marvel at with World War Z, but it gets bogged down in its flaws. There's a good game buried in here but first impressions aren't stellar, and promises of updates don't do much for a fully released game with very noticeable problems.

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