It does get held back by some over-sexualized content and a lackluster story, but the core gameplay will keep you occupied for many, many hours.

A witty sci-fi puzzle game that combines real-time with turn-based strategies. It achieves that blend well with a huge amount of mechanics and with the very entertaining commentary of Dr. Science accompanying you on your whole adventure.

There isn’t a deeply strategic RTS hiding within No More Heroes! VR, but it does offer a clever commentary on one of gaming’s most persistent and often silliest mechanics, and sometimes it’s nice to kick back and be the bad guy for a change.

While the game brought over many features from the PC version, there are some that are missing. Those expecting a map editor will be disappointed to find it absent, as are the procedurally generated maps that offer a lot of replayability for PC players. The latter means there’s no Frontier mode either for players to compete against each other. Despite this, The Colonists offers hours of entertainment for those wanting a relaxing, simplified experience and those wanting to speed run their way through all manner of variables to a perfect colony.

Strange Brigade has perhaps the most finicky, inconsistent gunplay in my recent memory.

I think as long as Bungie continues to refine the process for new players, testing with people who have never played the game before, it will get to a place that can act as a great ramp into the Destiny 2 that I personally know and love.

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.

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.

It is known how much I adore LEGO games, but these last two have been glitch-filled messes. I can’t recommend this one at all, even to those who loved the first one, until TT Games puts out a hefty patch to resolve these glitches. LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 isn’t unplayable by any stretch, but it’s a downright frustrating adventure with these game-breaking issues.

As an NBA Playgrounds apologist and lover of arcade sports sims, this game can only be characterized as a disappointment, and a frustrating one at that.

Aside from the winning combat formula, however, Dead Island 2 doesn’t push the envelope in any other noteworthy ways. It’s a very safe game, which was perhaps the wisest decision made by Dambuster Studios and Deep Silver, given the development hell that the game has been through since its 2014 reveal. I’d count that a win, all things considered.

Despite these shortcomings, Game of Thrones: Episode 4 – Sons of Winter is still an enjoyable experience. While I left the episode feeling like all the choices I had made were, and still are, essentially worthless, I also wanted to dive right into Episode 5.

While its final moments aren’t nearly as strong as it begins, Eagle Flight is still one of PlayStation VR’s best titles. Flying around a stylized Paris is breathtaking throughout, and the sense of speed is always thrilling. Be it in either single-player or multiplayer, this is one VR game worth experiencing.

If you enjoy turn-based RPGs with quirky characters and a generally lighthearted story, then you’ll likely enjoy Demon Gaze II.

Though the campaign is unimaginative and some areas are not fleshed out as well as they could have been, the game is still addictive stuff. But, once you’ve run through the campaign you’re only left with the sandbox mode, which grinds to a halt as soon as you start to do well.

With an emphasis on more characters and an intuitive new upgrade system, alongside the robust Free mode and Endless Castle mode, and there is a lot of new content to go around multiple times.

It doesn’t take long to see that Warhammer: The End Times – Vermintide for PS4 was certainly not constructed with consoles in the forethought; it’s quite the afterthought, and it painfully shows. Stick to the PC for this one.

Deck13 has built on the successes and mistakes of Lords of the Fallen and has created something that is able to not only stand toe-to-toe with the Souls franchise but is also capable of standing on its own with its unique identity.

While it may not wholly evolve the franchise in a radically new way, Far Cry 6 smooths out many of the wrinkles and growing pains previous Far Cry games have had, while building on a foundation that’s largely worked for the series since 2012’s Far Cry 3. Far Cry 6 strikes a great tonal balance, a variety of activities and exploration that never get dull, another imposing villain whose presence can be felt throughout, and a brilliant main character. Yara is a fun playground because it’s Dani’s playground, and that’s a crucial part of the equation, part of the meaningful growth the latest entry brings to the Far Cry franchise. ¡Viva la Revolución!

Assetto Corsa may succeed as a simulation, but it fails as a game. Clearly a ton of work has gone into making sure the cars handle correctly and that the tracks are as realistic as possible, which just makes the end result even more heartrending. It has a terrible user interface, isn’t fun to play and doesn’t feature any of the helpful tools that make Forza such an appealing game.

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.

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.

Raiden V doesn’t feature any crazy features or design choices that turn the shoot ’em up genre on its head, but it doesn’t need to. Instead, it offers up an extremely polished shooter that sticks to the basics, while also having plenty of customizability due to a robust weapon system. There’s enough missions and story branches to keep players busy for quite some time, and it’s a great addition to any SHMUP fan’s library.

The online play currently ranges from bad to broken, and that’s a huge hit for a game that’s built around playing with friends. The single-player arcade mode isn’t enjoyable to play, and feels thrown in order to fulfill a checklist. It’s simply lacking in areas that’d make it a more appealing party game than the original. There are still flashes of brilliance that remind me why I loved Nidhogg, but the sequel never clicked for me in the same way.

Despite wasting a wonderful setting and story setup, Cladun Returns still manages to be a triumphant comeback for Nippon Ichi Software. The game’s fast-paced brand of dungeon crawling separates it from its competition, and the game is only beginning once the story wraps up.

There isn’t enough different here to convince anyone who didn’t like Second Son, but for gamers who enjoyed Delsin’s story, First Light feels like a more focused title, and adds greatly to what was already an awesome open world superhero series.

If you enjoyed these games the first time and just want more Trophies for your collection, then by all means, jump in a second time. But if you missed LEGO Harry Potter back then, it’s far too rough to come back to now.

Immortal Redneck is ultimately a simple, fun game that is hard to master. Constantly replaying the same pyramid in order to progress sounds repetitive on the surface, but randomizing various key aspects changes things up enough to ensure the trip stays varied.

Creed: Rise to Glory is superb as a boxing simulator, but it’s almost non-existent in its storytelling. The spirit of Creed and the Rocky franchise isn’t just in the fights, it’s in why they fight, and that’s something this game completely fails to capture.

The Ninja Gaiden Master Collection is a great value for only $39.99. Three frenetic adventures that represent some of the best action games from console generations of the past are bundled, ensuring a lot of content for almost half the price of some AAA games. While the games stand on their own as fun and entertaining, the collection is rather barebones, and the exclusion of co-op or other multiplayer modes is felt throughout. Still, fans of the series, or those looking to become fans, can hardly go wrong with the purchase of this collection.

In general, Nexomon Extinction is a novel Pokemon-like. Its story is quite enjoyable and packed with personality, humor, and even some twists about the state of the world. There are lots of cool monsters who are really appealing, with movesets you could really work with and build parties around. But it doesn’t have everything you might expect from a game in this genre, since there’s no multiplayer element. Also, it can feel quite tedious due to the rate of experience you earn and amount of money you (aren’t) getting. Still, it’s definitely worth a look, especially when you consider its price.

Star Wars Battlefront is a casual fan’s dream come true. That’s not a bad thing, because what’s here is fun, but it’s something you have to consider if you’re looking for a more fulfilling title.

Wizard of Legend has a certain charm that many roguelike fans will fall for.

The first game is absurdly weak and offers little more than a look into the world before it ends abruptly after five hours.

Sakura Wars isn’t going to be for everyone. It’s oddly paced, character-focused, and anime-inspired, but that’s also some of the best things about it. If even a tiny bit of you is interested in that description, there’s a chance you’ll really enjoy the craziness that Sakura Wars puts on the table.

Evil West is a fun, frenetic, blood-soaked, testosterone-fueled action game with a lot to like. There’s some old-school charm to it, but at the same time some old-school frustrations. When co-op works, it’s fun, though it is by no means required to enjoy the game on its own merits. When you’re through the holiday’s festivities, and you want something to play that’s a bit mindless while also being entertaining, then Evil West should be on your list of games to play.

It’s a truly interesting game that handles its characters with care and affection, and the dungeon crawling elements are excellent. Without familiarity with the past game, however, it also alienates potential players in a way that seems unproductive.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege serves as a breath of fresh air against an overwhelming fog of twitch shooters. The drop of a traditional campaign is not reflected in the price, and yet the new Scenarios are just as tough as any campaign in previous entries, and easily as rewarding.

The cartoonish art style, the dark sarcasm, (most of) the puzzles, and the unpredictable story all heavily suggest this game has the makings of a hit. It’s unfortunate that a few bad eggs spoil the experience a smidge.

Heroland is an excellent “podcast game.” You can take your time with the actual important parts, paying attention to new boss battles and enjoying the story, then zone out with a show or something while you grind older levels to get your party up to speed.

This game has been so much fun to play. Even when I am cursing at the screen during a boss fight, Dread Nautical has me coming back for more. It’s wonderfully sadistic and addictive in all the right ways. Sure, there are a couple of things that irk me. Like when the reticle wanders across the map and I have to figure out where it went. Or when just as I am moving my third character into a room the ambush happens and my character holding the medkit is trapped outside. But that’s the heart of the game, and I am here for every single moment of it.

The Dark Pictures Anthology: House of Ashes is an impressive addition to the series that not only looks stunning on next gen, but also plays out in multiple player controlled scenarios, than can vary from triumphant, to downright heart breaking. It’s a dark journey through horror and blood, with only you (and maybe a friend in co-op) to determine who makes it out the other side.

Styx: Shards of Darkness improves on its predecessor significantly without having to steer away from its core attributes. Everything from its visuals and dialogue to its gameplay and story have been upgraded and polished to an impressive sheen. It’s still far from being perfect and its style of stealth and combat might not be for everyone, but it’s definitely a challenging and enjoyable experience that sometimes forces you to think hard first before acting.

Sparklite is a pretty fun game. It’s vibrant and cute and as a fan of pixel art, I admit that I may be a little biased. However, thanks to its rogue-lite elements, you can play in short spurts or sit down for a few hours at a time which is a real plus in my books.

Evil Dead: The Game has a ton of appeal to fans of the horror franchise, while also offering up a good deal of gameplay for players who may not be so familiar with it. The resource management aspect to playing as a demon is intriguing, and for those who aren’t so good at strategizing, playing against AI is always an option to hone your skills. Occasional glitches take some of the shine off, and no checkpoints in the single player missions is a baffling decision. Can such a game grow long enough legs with the ever-popular games as a service model? Only time will tell. But for an asking price of $39.99, there is enough content at launch to appease most fans.

Headmaster brilliantly manages to make a compelling game out of the simple action of simply moving your head around. While its high difficulty and progression system make certain aspects feel like a headache, the rest is pure fun. A surprising story also gets a starring role, and this is one of the best surprises to come out of PlayStation VR’s launch line-up.

But now, over three years since the release of the original, a lot of the gameplay seems lacking.

It’s not quite perfect, but if the improvements made in House of Wolves are any indication of the future, then I’m eager to see what kind of stuff Bungie comes up with to support and evolve Destiny next.

In a year that likely not see any more hockey at the NHL level, it’s nice to see that NHL 21 is allowing us to indulge our inner superstar. There may not be a ton of other huge innovations, but the enhanced take on Be A Pro alone makes this installment worth investing in. If you’re looking to only dive into the season mode, this may be more of an off-year, but for everybody else, it’s high-time to return to the ice with vengeance!

It’s definitely a shame the animation is so awkward and stiff; it pales in comparison to the visual splendor of the hand-drawn backgrounds, and it’s nowhere near as impressive as the graphics of The Shadow of the Templars were in 1996. Still, it’d be an even bigger shame if that put anyone off from experiencing this classically-inspired adventure.

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.

Ultimately, Zombie Army 4: Dead War is an amalgamation of tropes you’ve seen before, but it never quite nails any of them in a meaningful way. Want a fun cooperative zombie experience? Play Left 4 Dead or Call of Duty: Zombies. Want something funny? Play Dead Rising. Or how about something with a worthwhile story? Telltale’s Walking Dead might be up your alley. In 2020 when there are so many games releasing, begging for your time, mediocrity is a tough sell.

If you can get over the price tag and its obvious console shortcomings, you will find a game that is well worth the experience, XV demo or not.

As copies of the modern versions can be picked up for a comparably low cost, with a still existent online community, I cannot recommend this to anyone but an old school fan looking to revisit some memories.

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.

You can play it on both the PS3 and Vita but I found it a bit better suited for the on-the-go style of the Vita.

CastleStorm VR is not a necessary VR release, but it is a fun one, showing the possibilities for traditionally non-VR titles on the platform. Head tracking works well, and playing the game feels like you are playing with a physical medieval play set.

With Lost Dimension, I feel like there is just so much more the game could have been. The concept is there, it just needed a bit more on the execution side to really make for a great story.

Monster Energy Supercross 2 will intrigue veterans of the series with its deeper career mode, rhythm gameplay, and authentic AMA Motocross Championship presentation. Meanwhile, casual racing fans can hop in and have a lot of fun with the easy to learn controls and compound mode, however bugs and long load times will frustrate everyone.

When the PlayStation Move tracking doesn’t get in the way, Wayward Sky is a delightful game. Getting to take a peek at the fantastic world that Uber Entertainment has created was fascinating, and they tell a charming story that deals with neglect, death and family. It’s not challenging or overly interesting mechanically, but this fresh take on the adventure genre is worth checking out.

The graphics are primitive and the localization is sometimes a little shaky, but this is a thoroughly enjoyable quest with a ton of energy and heart.

If you’re an avid of Dead by Daylight or Friday the 13th player looking for a new challenge, you might want to spend the $30 and take this game for a spin yourself.

A small roster, somewhat bland presentation, and performance issues during local play do hold the game back from its full potential. I absolutely recommend giving Team Sonic Racing a whirl for its new kind of kart racing play, but if you want to play locally with your friends, you’ll have to put up with some potholes.

They say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and Just Dance is a series that remains the same at its very core simply because it works.

Citadel: Forged With Fire has an interesting, even fun, premise lurking through some of the rough edges.

It was a decent entry into the catalog of games for the series and ties itself to the other titles wonderfully, but short of being a bookmark between two landmark titles, Rogue simply doesn’t bring anything new in terms of gameplay.

Overall, Team17 took what is great about the Worms games and further refined it, something that is becoming increasingly harder to do with each iteration.

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.

Technical issues aside, I greatly enjoyed my time in the Heretic Kingdoms. The hack-n-slash combat with puppeteering strategies always felt fresh, the enemies always presented a challenge on the Normal difficulty, and I never got tired of the vast exploration and puzzle solving.

Need for Speed Heat is a solid arcade racer, in a landscape that continues to suffer from a drought of them. It is also, surprisingly, a solid arcade racer that is not plagued by the scourge that can be microtransactions, in a landscape (and from a publisher) that continues to practically drown in them.

Despite closing weaker than it starts, there’s a lot to like about Matterfall‘s unique blend of platforming and shooting. It’s great to see Housemarque trying something new, and besides some tricky controls, they nail most of their ideas flawlessly. PlayStation 4 owners can safely rack this up as yet another Housemarque gem.

In short, nothing collected here is as good as the best this series has to offer. But, Assassin’s Creed III Remastered is a welcome glimpse into an era that would define much in the years to come.

The changes from the series' traditions and the usual gameplay design may put off some, but fans of the Super Mario 64 era of platformers should very much like Rayman 3's gameplay experience. Ubisoft did a solid job of handling the game technically and brightening up the visuals for the high-definition era as well.

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 campaign can be completed in about 10 minutes and past that, it's much of the same throughout all the other modes.

Had it packed more of a challenge – even if it was optional – The Adventure Pals would be running close to the front of the indie platforming pack. Though the final product doesn’t quite get there, it’s still plenty enjoyable, especially in co-op.

Whether you played this back in 2012 or missed it the first time around, this is definitely an action-RPG worth experiencing. The fluid combat, gripping story, and detailed lore makes this a thoroughly enjoyable experience. There’s not a lot of new stuff been added but the tweaks to the area level system and new difficulty are very welcome additions. Now is the perfect time to refresh your memory of this delightful adventure and get ready for the expansion next year.

While the battle system receives two thumbs up for trying, the rest of the game receives a thumbs down. The steep difficulty might turn off casual RPG fans, though hardcore RPG fans will enjoy the challenge.

Despite how much Ezio Auditore da Firenze is showing his age, you can’t help but enjoy yourself as you stab your way through countless Templars. That said, it’s only fun if you already played and enjoyed the games the first time. I can’t imagine taking such a large backwards step in gameplay evolution for those who have only played Black Flag or Syndicate.

Pixeljunk Monsters 2 does the original great justice by lifting the core experience and spreading it across a big, bright, three-dimensional playing field. But it feels like a typical tower defense game from the 2007-08 boom. It fails to incorporate ideas from genre contemporaries who have moved the mark as far as agency.

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.

Ray Gigant doesn’t play like your average dungeon-crawler, and that’s refreshing, but it also doesn’t do enough to warrant more than a hesitant recommendation.

With all of the side missions, skills to unlock, items to craft, hilarious side quests such as the milk delivery quests, Parallel Quests with co-op capability, offline and online matches, and not to mention the main missions, there is more than enough for players to sink their teeth into. It will feel padded to some, especially those who played the first game.

Superdimension Neptune VS SEGA Hard Girls still carries over some of the faults from past games, but it makes meaningful changes that really help improve the formula. It’s a refreshing step forward in a series that seemed to be treading ground. It’s a formidable RPG, and fans of the franchises crossing over should definitely check it out.

It’s hard to shake the sinking feeling that FIFA 21 has almost been frozen in stasis since last season. While there are the expected seasonal enhancements, nothing stands on its own to make this a “must buy” installment. If you picked up the game in 2019, you’d probably be forgiven for taking a pass this time around. Hopefully they have more innovation in store for next year, because it definitely feels like EA is trying to run out the clock on this generation.

I would love to see a humorous single player campaign to go along with this experience. Gotham City Impostors provides an oasis for those of us tapped out from modern military syndrome, and an original variation on the Batman theme. If the community continues to grow, it can only get better.

Jotun is a great game for everything it does right, including its art and overall styling, but misses a lot of the key aspects that could make it a perfect journey to the halls of Valhalla.

Alone With You provides an interesting ride for players, but doesn’t manage to fulfill its potential. The romantic side of the game feels underdeveloped, and I ran into bugs often enough to hamper my enjoyment. That said, it has an interesting enough story that is worth checking out and its shortcomings can’t undo a solid story that is told well.

Gathering loot and buddy attacks are super additions that do just enough to improve the series.

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.

Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origin is a wacky game that will end up being a cult classic. The devs were not afraid to march to the beat of their own drum, and the result is the type of slightly messy, unique AA game that we used to get in the late 2000s and early 2010s. It’s goofy, flawed, and fabulous, and I hope Square Enix continues to lean into publishing more experimental titles like this.

To say that Brink is a bad game wouldn't be accurate, and instead it's a good game that falls short on delivering its full potential. Had it come with more maps, and a little bit more emphasis on the story to make gamers want to learn more about The Ark, it would have been a great class shooter. Straight out of the box it is just a decent one with bad A.I.

This is a game you and your loved ones should play/watch together. It tells an incredibly personal story about love, loss, and growth that serves as an example of how far the video game medium has come as an art form.

It could be argued that Psycho-Pass: Mandatory Happiness is not, in a traditional sense, a game, but even so it’s unbelievably entertaining. Story gamers will be in heaven, and fans of the anime are sure to find it just as delightful. I’ve never even seen the anime and I definitely found my own happiness within the stories I experienced.

It’s been awhile since I’ve so thoroughly enjoyed a learning curve in a racing game. Tiny Trax hides a highly challenging racer behind its charming presentation, and I’ve enjoyed going from nearly being lapped to occasionally winning races. The only thing that really holds the game back is a lack of content and options, as there are only three cups of tracks to master, but FuturLab definitely has a winner in the gameplay department.

Though it may not be what you imagine when you think of console RTS titles, Comet Crash 2: The Kronkoid Wars is a well-designed game that offers a constantly evolving structure. While it’s not something that will set the world on fire as far as hype is concerned, it’s an entertaining space adventure featuring a stout campaign and interesting mechanics. Spending a little time in its orbit would be a fantastic way to burn a few lunar cycles.

Like Constable Zellner, the game is deeper than it looks and has a story that will keep players guessing. I couldn’t ask for much more in a great whodunnit.

For all it aspires to deliver, Mutant Football League is a refreshingly vulgar, entertaining take on a tried and true football formula.