It’s certainly no replacement for Danganronpa 3, and I find myself pining for that announcement, but Ultra Despair Girls surprised me far more than I thought it could.

Frictional Games have shown us time and time again that they are masters of telling a scary story; this time, without the crutch of plentiful jump scares.

Scott Pilgrim EX is filled with a lot of charm, depth, and ambition. While not every choice is a home run, it’s a blast more often than not, and its multiple endings and secrets will keep you playing for far after you roll credits the first time. Tribute Games continues to experiment with beat ’em ups, and this is another strong one from the studio.

The fourth instalment in the Port Royale series will keep fans happy with its upgraded features and a bigger map than can be found in Port Royale 3. For newcomers to the genre, they’re likely to be overwhelmed at first with all of the aspects that need to be understood to create a prosperous empire. However, developer Gaming Minds has tried to make the game as accessible to those players as possible. In this, they’ve largely succeeded.

Hunt: Showdown is perfect for gamers who are in it for the long haul. Those that love the rush of endorphins that come with a long-sought-after victory, and who are okay with death after death after near-victory after dumb mistake/disconnection/other tragedy that hinders an otherwise flawless ascent towards the next bloodline level.

The King of Fighters XIV is a fully featured fighting game. It still feels like its classic predecessors, but it has been updated in some important areas to feel like a modern take. Its roster is both a celebration of the series that also signifies that this is a new step forward. I’m excited to see KoF back in the spotlight, and I hope to see SNK continue building on this great installment.

For fans of Vanillaware’s games, this is a no-brainer. Muramasa Rebirth is the more complete version of its Wii predecessor. With an amazing art style, fast action, and even some humor, sidescroller fighting game fans will find a lot to like here. This is one of the Vita’s prettiest games, and is fun to boot!

Somehow Beyond Eyes is able to turn even its flaws into a positive.

There’s an entertaining story accompanying a decent-length campaign, there’s a handful of multiplayer options, and strategy is required if you’re going to play against another person.

Significant replayability and an excellent entry price point make the Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy a benchmark for how future classic game remakes should be handled, the originals left intact, imperfections and all.

I appreciate that The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is here. I’m glad this is finally over and having this sense of resolution. It’s a sense of finality, and it does an admirable job of bringing everything together and to a close. But it also very much is more of the same, only on a much grander scale and with an overwhelming amount of characters and exposition. This is a game for those who have been following along for the last five years and understand it is more about concluding a story than offering major innovations. While it can be exhausting and overwhelming, I would say it is worth it.

At the end of the day, whether you played the first or not, Mushroom Wars 2 is an enjoyable RTS that is accessible to all and a cracking bit of fun to play. Multiplayer, whether local or online is a special kind of quick-paced, slap you in the face fun that balances things out in a very nice manner. Great game to pick up in short spurts, as it doesn’t have the depth to keep you invested for too long at a time. Well worth picking up if you are in the mood for some fun.

As far as co-op games go, into doesn’t get much more frantic or fun than Orcs Must Die! 3. It’s at time unintuitive and feels like it’s missing a few key quality of life features that could really help smooth out the experience, but at its core, the simple trap-building orc-killing gameplay loop is addictively engaging, far outshining any issues it may have at the menu level, particularly if you have a co-op partner to go through it all with. There aren’t many shining examples of “active” tower defense games, but Orcs Must Die! 3 absolutely exemplifies what’s so great about the genre and series, even if it stumbles a bit on its way to get there.

A fantastic little package that does a great job of adding to the experience that the game already offers. But, the amount of value you can get out of it will greatly depend on your ability to rally friends or find quality players online to take on the game’s four maps.

Ten years after its original release, LocoRoco is still an undeniably fun experience which has aged incredibly well, owing to its simple yet beautiful aesthetic as well as its unique and straightforward gameplay. While the remaster doesn’t add much in terms of content, fans of the original might enjoy replaying one of the PSP’s most delightful exclusives at a higher resolution and with the new motion controls.

Crysis brings a great single player campaign to the table, which has the ability to keep the average gamer occupied for about 8-10 hours, with some explosive moments to keep it flowing forward.

With support for up to six players in multiplayer, the game is great for social gamers, yet with plenty of courses, character items, equipment and some challenging trophies to collect it is also great for completionists out there.

It’s training tools raise the bar at which other fighters are measured to, and it’s a real triumph in that regard. Whether you’re a veteran or a newcomer, there’s a lot to learn here.

A knockout soundtrack, fun combat and interesting characters, along with close to 20-40 hours of game play make this a great pickup for the RPG fan out there.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 earns its Turbocharged subtitle as it builds on the original’s base to deliver a more polished and enjoyable sequel. The new mobility mechanics add a lot to the racing, giving Milestone and users more freedom in designing tracks. This is quickly becoming one of the studio’s most enjoyable series and a breath of fresh air in the arcade racing space.

Marvel’s Iron Man VR is two distinct games separated by long load times. There’s the thrilling and immersive Iron Man side of the game, letting players actually become the superhero in a way they never have before. And then there are the more sluggish Tony Stark moments, saddled with basic point-to-point VR teleportation movement as a channel to deliver story moments to the player. Don’t get me wrong. I loved being Iron Man. Camouflaj achieved that true superhero feeling when you’re flying high above the earth. Marvel’s Iron Man VR has a strong iron heart, it feels like they are squeezing all they can from the tech, but PSVR inherently anchors the experience with technical limitations that repeatedly interrupt the immersion with yet another loading bar.

It’s an exciting shooting gallery in virtual reality wearing one of the most bizarre and unique skins of any game that I’ve seen. It’s more fun than it has any right being with its strange premise, but that’s part of what makes it shine.

A fantastic addition to the already large level of great RPG's available on the PlayStation Portable. What separates it is the engrossing story, and relatable characters. Throw in ridiculously addicting mechanics and you have yourself a winner.

Superliminal’s final message is one of growth and discovery within the self. It’s about feeling proud of your ability to think outside the box and uncover the unconventional solutions to its bizarre puzzles. It’s a bit rough around the edges, but its bold and unorthodox approach to the puzzler genre helps it stand out. In an era of increasingly longer and bigger games, Superliminal’s brevity is a nice palate cleanser, even if I hope a hypothetical follow-up does more to explore its out-of-the-box and perception defying nature. If Superliminal caught your eye, let curiosity get the better of you. While it may not quite be cohesive enough to break into the pantheon of top-tier puzzle-games, it’s a conceptually fascinating adventure through the shifting reality of the mind that never allows your expectations to settle.

Spellbreak‘s magic systems and fun take on the battle royale genre show that with some more time and development it’s going to be something really impressive. Whether or not it has the staying power is up to time and how much its community sticks with it but already there’s a lot of potential brewing here.

Blur is one robust package brimming with good times to be had. While the power ups are nothing new to racing fans, the way the cars react to being damaged by each adds a unique touch to the game.

Overall, High on Life 2 is actually quite a great game, and an even better experience. Those attuned to humor will really appreciate the style and creative flair in this game. The movement and guns are fun and varied enough to make the rest of the game enjoyable. If it managed to do more with the hub worlds and technical issues, it may have been even more impressive. Nonetheless, it remains an absolute solid choice for anyone looking for something that feels familiar but has enough character to leave an impression. This isn’t one I’m about to forget anytime soon.

The gameplay — while not perfect, is appropriately difficult and makes you think about your actions even if I wasn’t exactly a fan of having to redo dungeons due to simple mistakes.

EA Sports Active 2 isn't designed to make you change pant sizes overnight or make you into a bodybuilder, but it does make you aware of your own fitness and create a more active lifestyle.

Paperbound is a riot, and a ton of fun to play with a group of people.

The game is a huge time sink in terms of exploration and leveling, making it a perfect way to while away the summer doldrums.

There’s no denying that there are rough edges, but one thing Electronic Arts has nailed is the feel of playing a pick-up game. It’s a slightly less technical title than its competitor, but it offers up a far better single-player experience. If you’re looking for something fresh, or just want to play as Diana Taurasi, then you can’t go wrong with picking up NBA Live 18.

The highlight of Batman: The Enemy Within‘s third episode is definitely the interactions with Catwoman, but it also does a great job of moving the story forward. The overall picture is becoming increasingly clear, and the episode ends with a fantastic cliffhanger that left me on edge. The wait for episode four will be rough, but I’m excited to get out of this mess that Bruce Wayne finds himself in.

Perhaps most important, for the first time, I actually felt like I understood the Souls genre with The Surge 2. It’s the first one that made me actually feel anything other than annoyed and confused and that I wanted to actually stick around to see the end of. It still has issues, and I’d love to see more enemy variety, but I can safely say that I’ll be back for whatever Deck 13 has planned next.

The game isn’t meant to be deep or perplexing; it’s meant to be fun and tap into that inner madman who just wants to make things go boom, and Just Cause 3 succeeds in doing just that.

If there’s one criticism I think will be levied against this new collection of games, it’s that, at the end of the day, it’s simply more of the same. Series diehards and more casual fans will undoubtedly find a lot to like here, and I certainly hope it’s a sign that we’ll be seeing much more of the Ace Attorney franchise in the coming years. For those who weren’t sold on the original trio of Phoenix Wright games, this second collection won’t do much to sway your opinion.

My Hero One’s Justice is a strong introduction to what could easily be the foundation of a valuable fighting franchise for Bandai Namco and a must-own for My Hero Academia fans.

With a lot of customization options, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection allows you to enjoy these seven RPGs on your own terms. They’re a lot of fun to revisit, and the more action-oriented approach makes them meaningfully different from the Battle Network games despite their shared DNA. It’s a no-brainer for Mega Man fans and those hankering for some action RPGs to play.

Observer: System Redux is not for everyone. Hell, it wasn’t for me. But the experience itself, where it takes you at least, is worth the ride. It’s worth the sweaty palms and the dread of turning on your new console, knowing full well the tense and often uncomfortable adventure through madness that awaits. Some may even decide that it’s worth a second go-round.

Pure Pool is, more or less, everything a billiards fan could ask for. It is pure simulation at its best. The physics are spot-on accurate – any missed shot is entirely the shooter’s fault. The ambiance is entirely convincing, with a soundtrack to match.

Planet Coaster is a solid theme park sim, and one I can see myself spending an unhealthy amount of time playing. I just need to remember not to be too hasty in loading games the second I get to the PS5 dashboard. Twice now I’ve immediately tried to boot it up within a minute of the PlayStation 5 getting to the home screen and crashed it so hard the console databases need rebuilding. Goes to show just how much I like theme parks, right?

If you don’t already own FIFA 10, 2010 FIFA World Cup should help you ease into the World Cup spirits and is a must-buy for any sport fan.

Like a fine wine, LBP3 has aged rather well, though it has picked up a few odd notes along the way. It performs exactly like its predecessor, only improved upon.

Make no mistake; Darkest Dungeon will test your own resolve as much as it does your party. It’s unforgivably difficult by design, and it’s one that will keep you coming back again and again, as if you’ve developed your own masochistic negative quirk.

Because I’m much more inclined to play these sorts of puzzle platformers on a console over computer, DARQ has been in various wishlists of mine for some time. I’m honestly glad that I waited for the chance to play this on my PS5, not only because my old laptop couldn’t have handled it, but I feel that this complete edition is a polished final version and everything the developers wanted it to be. It runs smooth as silk, autosaves frequently, those scary moments have more impact when I witness them on a TV over a computer screen. DARQ Complete Edition has been such a positive experience for me that I’m excited to see what Unfold Games does next.

While it’s difficult to adapt a story that people already know so well, Microids has done a great job of making sure that it feels fresh with new characters, plot beats, and an updated setting. Whether you know the original Agatha Christie story or not, detective game fans will be in for a treat with Death on the Nile. Let’s hope Microids continues its Agatha Christie adaptations as it clearly has a winning formula on its hands.

This is an adventure that is absolutely worthy of your time. All it will take is a single dungeon before it has wormed its way into your heart.

With two controllers, you're getting the best PlayStation Move title available.

Detention has something to say. It has something to say about the sweeping themes of militant government regimes. It has something to say about each one of our personal hells and the journey towards even the smallest bit of redemption. It has something to say but it never shouts. It slides its message in silently like a blade into your gut. Even with some of the miscues in storytelling, Detention never lets up on making sure that players feel uneasy and uncomfortable, pressing you until that final twist of the knife. It’s not a difficult game. It’s not a long game. But it’s a game that will stick with you well after the credits have rolled.

For the most part, the changes that the new HD remaster brings are welcome ones. Not only because these changes add and improve upon what makes Legend of Mana a good game, but because they also make the game accessible to both new and returning players. Not only that, the game also gives you the choice to play it however you'd like, be it the orthodox way using no autosaves, or by utilizing the new QoL changes. These changes are more important than any other combat system revamping, or inclusion of a new skill system because, at the end of the day, Legend of Mana's strength isn't in its combat or game systems. It's in the characters, the locations, and the stories that it's been telling, and will tell for years to come.

That’s what Monster Boy’s final hours feel like. They’re a clunky conclusion clogging up an otherwise slimy sleek progression. Usually in Metroidvanias, your progress stops because you’re missing something you need. In Monster Boy, progress slows because The Game Atelier and FDG Entertainment have given you far too much.

Burnout Paradise holds up, and if nothing else, you can now experience one of the top arcade franchises in the business on your PlayStation 4.

When it comes to love letters to an era of gaming long since passed, you would be hard pressed to find something more heartfelt than The Sexy Brutale.

Attack on Titan is an excellent example of a passion project made right.

While the stealth gameplay can sometimes become repetitive, Star Wars Outlaws is largely a blast. The attention to detail is top-notch, with each planet being a lot of fun to explore and side missions providing some of the best moments. While it’s better when it leans toward being an adventure game, Outlaws is undeniably a great foundation point for what should hopefully become Ubisoft’s next great franchise.

There was very little that wowed, and even less that evolved more than incrementally this season. And while this is still easily the best baseball title ever released, it did very little to raise the bar over its prior installment.

The core of this classic has not been touched, and this remains the same LocoRoco 2 many gamers have fond memories of. Pick this up if you’re a fan of the series, or especially if you never tried the original release and want the best version available.

It’s the best fighter you can get on the new generation of consoles.

With couch co-op for two, LEGO Batman 3 is a picture-perfect game to play alongside children. It can be a bit slow going at the start, but power through the introductory missions, acquire some suits, and things really start rolling.

For a Borderlands fan, The Pre-Sequel is really a no-brainer, but don’t expect anything massively new or innovative outside of the small tweaks. Instead, enjoy a bit (read: a lot) more Borderlands until Gearbox can show us what the series will become on the new generation of consoles.

Pillars of Eternity was certainly crafted with PC in mind, but it’s no less an enjoyable experience on console. I admit I came in with a bit of a bias having played it on PC first, and I had those expectations coming in, fair or not. Yes, I missed a mouse and keyboard with item management and combat, but as a whole, I’m incredibly impressed with how Obsidian has managed to translate this hardcore cRPG to console. More than anything, I’m thrilled that console gamers now have the opportunity to romp through Eora. It’s an adventure no RPG-fan should miss.

It’s a well-balanced and good-looking experience that shows originality is still possible in a format that’s centuries old.

Poker Night at the Inventory remains a fascinating novelty 15 years later. It’s a fun time capsule of four iconic brands (surprisingly still relevant) combining for a fun crossover that now plays better than ever. Whether you are a poker shark or not, you’ll still find plenty to like here, as you’ll be laughing too much to care that you’re losing all your chips.

LBP Karting certainly lacks progression for the franchise. LBP2 opened the world of video game development to anyone and everyone, but Karting doesn't allow for the same type of variation in gameplay.

Despite the limited number of courses to play on and the limited number of golfers to choose from, Rory McIlroy PGA Tour is still worth buying. Each course is visually breathtaking, and the various gameplay styles and game modes allow for completely different game experiences each time you play.

Takes solid gameplay and pairs it with a hilarious story. Shadows of the Damned varies the gameplay enough to keep you engaged, and the story will have you craving for the next witticism from Johnson. Poor enemy and boss design is the only thing holding this game back from being a hit.

Between the different characters, morbid and disturbing story, and intense, action-packed gameplay, The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is definitely a game all PS4 and PS Vita owners should have.

Sure, it’s got a few hiccups in the translation and font size, the questing could have done with a bit more variety and the combat was missing just a little something extra. However, these are mostly minor gripes in an otherwise well-crafted experience. If you are in the market for an action RPG and don’t mind reading subtitles, this should definitely be something on your radar.

More twitch-based platformer than out-and-out puzzler, Stealth Inc 2: A Game of Clones iterates on the core philosophy of its predecessor with aplomb, delivering a wonderfully addictive experience that will have you cursing at the television and jumping for joy in equal measure.

Dark Eclipse has a good foundation, with a good outlook for the future.

The sheer volume of events to play through, spread across a meaty 40-hour campaign, with easily double that for a 100% completion rate, combine to make a game that fans should be pleased with.

Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty is a challenging romp through a dark fantasy version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms and works well as a Soulslite. Each level is a bite-sized Souls experience to be conquered and moved past. The tight, challenging combat will thrill fans of the genre, but the lack of an interconnected world might turn off those that love the thrill of exploration.

Children of Zodiarcs is a bargain at $17.99, and has plenty of content to sink your teeth into.

Actual Sunlight is an insightful look at how some people deal with depression, and the struggles of everyday life.

WWE '12 is one of the best wrestling games made, period. Each year THQ tops the previous performance – but this year they've really improved the creation and storyline elements to where the rebranding of the game feels appropriate. The game isn't without missteps, however.

Another visually noteworthy PSVR game, Archangel blends immersive storytelling with a complex rail shooter to let players live out their mech fantasies. Very little replay value and a high launch price tag of $40 for a three to five hour game may drive away some, but Skydance Interactive has managed to capture the enveloping magic of virtual reality to tell a personal narrative while at the same time creating a strong VR rail shooter as the vehicle to tell it.

Songbringer is a worthwhile game to play if you’re a fan of the action-adventure genre. Overall it’s well made, looks nice, and the word seeds make the game fun and offers a sort of replayability most action-adventure games cannot. It’s a bit unfortunate that the wonky combat makes some encounters more frustrating than they need to be, but other than that Songbringer is a well-crafted experience.

Like those fantastical and ridiculous movies and novels, it demonstrates an ability to rise above its base, absurd concepts and weaves several stories that last. It’s much more than it seems, and begs for you to play it and discover its depth.

In many respects, playing eFootball Pro Evo Soccer 2020 felt like playing an outing from EA several seasons ago. And believe me when I say that this isn’t a dig at all. The overall pacing is slower than FIFA, but it wasn’t that long ago that I preferred this more deliberate style of gameplay. Increasing the focus on ball control and consistently maintaining possession at the team level further drives home this impression. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but they’ve certainly made up enough ground to be able to stand toe-to-toe with the competition.

Root Film does a great job at holding your attention throughout the 15-20 hours you’ll spend with it. The truth behind the film project from ten years ago is an intriguing one to uncover and you’ll discover plenty of dark secrets along the way. Despite being a game with lots of death in it, it also manages to be a love letter to the Shimane region in Japan. The endearing characters you meet will also help keep the game feeling light despite some of its intense subject matter.

It’s visually striking, earns its laughs, and gives plenty of reasons to re-explore both the living and dead sides of Penny Doewood’s little town.

Priced at just $24.99, there’s no doubt that Dragonkin: The Banished delivers a lot of interesting ideas and a fun hack-and-slash experience. While there are some presentation issues and the plot isn’t easy to follow, those who dive in will be rewarded with its unique skill system and city development. Hopefully, this isn’t the last time we get to visit this fantasy world, as Eko Software could do something special with a sequel.

Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly stands above the rest with its unpredictable, deep mystery and its pathways to the various endings. If you’re looking for an atypical otome, especially one where the romantic endings aren’t always the happiest, then you owe it to yourself curl up into your couch with this one.

Overall, this is hands-down one of the best Spider-Man games ever released.

A potential play time of 100+ hours to see each mystery play out also ensures a ton of entertainment return on a meager investment of ~$40 USD. For those who love the city-sim genre, this is a no-brainer.

Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville embraces all of the charm and fun of its predecessors, but manages to up the ante with a lot of new and updated features.

The mediocre campaign is rather disappointing, and is easily the game's biggest drawback – the real value here is in the competitive multiplayer modes. There's plenty of great online competitive shooters out there, but few encourage friends to work together as a team with such refined gameplay, where vast terrains, powerful vehicles, and high-tech gadgets provide such a bevy of tactics and options to be utilized to conquer the enemy as Battlefield 3 does.

You can’t go wrong with Madden NFL 24 as the new superstar showdown mode is a compelling selling point for fans pining for arcade gameplay. Plus, the franchise and superstar modes have been improved in a significant way, and it has more long-term staying power as a result. With the core gameplay as solid as ever, EA’s latest football game is a triumphant offering that is more than a roster update.

The main problem I see with Injustice, is that it lacks enough differences from Mortal Kombat to truly feel like a unique game, and is instead most of what made the Mortal Kombat reboot shine, packed into a DC Universe wrapper.

Fans of fellow Vita visual novels like Zero Escape and Danganronpa should make this a priority.

A safe entry in the franchise...Still, with solid combat, a very fun grappling hook gun, a wonderful recreation of Victorian-era London, and a pure focus on the single-player campaign, Assassin’s Creed has returned to its roots, and hopefully this has set the stage for something epic as the series used to be known for.

Suffice to say that Bungie is recapturing the magic that Destiny has always had at its core. It’s exploring concepts and story ideas that fans have been speculating about for years. And it’s focusing on developing a game for the players who love Destiny, not trying desperately to change things to get new players on board. As a living world, iterative in design with an evolving narrative and constantly updated content, Destiny 2 changes persistently, but Beyond Light feels like a whole new foundation rooted in the kind of space magic and vision that has made Destiny special all along. I can’t wait to see what comes next.

The game does manage to immerse players in Rain‘s world and the sound team in particular has done a fantastic job. The results of their work will likely draw an emotional response from Rain‘s intended audience. For people looking to play a game, this is not Rain’s foremost concern. For people looking to experience a narrative, Rain is for you.

There sure is a lot going on in Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia. It may seem a little overwhelming at first, but as soon as you find your rhythm it goes by faster than you think. Strategy games are not my bread and butter. There were evenings I told myself I had just a few hours to play, only to be completely sucked in. Color me pleasantly surprised with my overall experience. I may never feel brave enough to attempt Hard mode but there is a strong likelihood that I won’t be deleting the game from my hard drive as soon as this review goes live.

Just Dance is a guilty pleasure that few want to admit they are playing, but that everyone is having fun with, so give in to your heart’s desires and just… dance.

SOE has created a huge amount of combinations for characters, and at the current time, with the rapid levelling you could have three or four characters and your main at 30 with a huge variety of powers and weapons at your disposal.

Need for Speed Payback feels like the natural evolution of the series, and that’s a good thing considering the game ends with a great tease for a potential sequel. While I finished the story in around 15 hours, it’s worth noting that there are a ton of side events and collectibles that I failed to collect in that time. I could see myself easily doubling my time within Payback, and do so with a smile on my face the entire time.

With a great musical score and just the right level of cute without being annoying, Battle Princess of Arcadias is a game worth checking out.