The Dead Island series provides for more challenge, a better story, and a whole lot more content at around the same price. So unless you’re bored with other zombie games, you can wait for a sale.

If you’re looking to experience one of the smartest, wittiest, and thought-provoking stories of the generation, then do yourself the favor and play through both the first game and Part 2: Unbound.

Cold Iron is a fascinating and unique game that could use a little bit more polish.

With a multiplayer option that is severely lacking in polish and depth, Dungeon Siege III sets itself as a mainly single player dungeon crawler. With a campaign that was over at around 11 hours and very little replay value, the game is very hard to recommend at a $60/£40 price.

At the end of the day, NBA Jam is a solid reboot that does a good job of keeping to the franchise's roots, while adding a few new game modes to the table.

Ultimately, I never had much of a choice in Ruiner. I was simply a tool that awaited command, one that only could express myself during combat. I killed because I was told to do so, but even if I had free reign I doubt I would’ve ever had disobeyed. After all, sometimes it’s too much fun to be used.

8-bit Adventure Anthology Volume I does exactly what it advertises. It allows players to play three classic adventure games on modern consoles without any hassle. That said, it’s important to know exactly what you’re getting into since this doesn’t featured remastered versions, and the design is absolutely old school.

Samurai Warriors 4 Empires is definitely an entry for hardcore Empires fans — with the same repetitive combat, and even reused graphics and audio assets, this release will not do much to convert anyone who isn’t already heavily invested in the series.

Although there are some bugs and missed opportunities, the issues that plagued the game’s release on PC and Apple Arcade have been largely solved, making the console experience far smoother. The result is a game that suits both newcomers and those who experienced Beneath a Steel Sky. Newcomers will find a great story that can be enjoyed as an independent game. Those familiar with the franchise will find a sequel that was well worth the wait, although it’s unlikely to reach the critical acclaim of its predecessor.

A cute indie game that has its moments of brilliance, that are sadly overshadowed by rather boring gameplay.

Psychonauts in the Rhombus of Ruin is a game made specifically to appease the fans as Double Fine dips their toes in VR development and prepares the world for the second coming of Razputin Aquato, but this level of immersion is like psychically diving into the mind of Tim Schafer himself, and that alone is worth the trip.

With the vast love of the Mass Effect series, Andromeda was never going to make people 100% happy, the same way the ME3 ending didn’t make people happy. The BioWare team put so many great things in place, but the main story, the characters, and most of the writing keep the game from being great. Sadly, the technical mess keeps it from being good.

While the series may not reach the same critical heights it did as with the inaugural season, things were finally starting to get interesting again. The Telltale Tool engine runs well, the art style is unique and fun to look at, and the writing has improved. If this is how things must end, it could have been much worse.

Some of the first magazine advertisements for Parasite Eve, back in the late 90′s, used the tagline, "The Worst Foe Lies Within the Self." How oddly ironic that all these years later, a new Parasite Eve game should come out in which the worst foe truly is not a monster, but flaws within the design of the game itself. That's heavy.

If you’ve ever dreamed of being a cosmonaut, of starting with practically nothing and amassing a fortune, of becoming a notorious space pirate, or had any other of the countless sci-fi fantasies out there, this is probably the game for you. Now, those fantasies might not play out exactly as you’d have hoped in No Man’s Sky, but this is a game that begs those who put in the time to come back just once more and see what lies just over the horizon. If this game is right for you, you won’t be able to put the controller down.

Megadimension Neptunia VIIR is recommended for fans of the original. But tacked-on VR scenes won’t do much for those looking for new and exciting experiences.

What we have here is a deceptively challenging game wrapped in a slightly sarcastic package, with a few rough edges.

This is a colorful and fun VSRPG (I think that works!) with loads of enjoyable characters, an interesting story, and a fluid combat system. While the game might have a bit too much extra dialogue, the story itself is full of charm, doing a great job of keeping you engaged.

It’s a streamlined dungeon-crawler with easy-to-learn combat and a great selection of time-tested characters. Things may start to feel repetitive after a while, but playing with your friends and taking breaks every couple of levels can help things feel fresh again.

If you or your child are fans of Minecraft, then this is an easy buy.

Fairy Fencer F: Advent Dark Force honestly has a lot going for it, but failed to seal the deal in the end. No matter the ending, I felt more frustrated than anything with all the monotony thrust upon me. Perhaps if the stories weren’t so predictable, or perhaps if the grind wasn’t so prevalent I would have been able to overlook one or the other. Instead, I wrapped up my adventures with Fang with wistful dissatisfaction.

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.

The lack of any online component does put a damper on this game, but still shouldn't turn you away. This may not be for everyone, but if you like to throw darts with friends on the weekend, this will be a nice bonus for the living room.

Batman’s latest adventure is still far from over, and it’s clear that there’s a bigger tale waiting to be told, but The Enigma will leave players satisfied even if they don’t continue the series.

Sonic Frontiers is a strange, yet fun time. The individual levels showcase Sonic at his fast-paced, ring-hoarding best, and some of the overworlds sport rewarding exploration mechanics. The insistence by Sonic Team to jam in minigames that block progress to the story is frustrating to say the least, and some of the larger maps’ designs feel a little haphazard. Overall, though, the weirdness of the story will keep some going just to see, well, where the hell it’s all going. It’s weird how much this doesn’t feel like a Sonic game outside of the individual levels, but this is an interesting direction that Sonic Team has taken their blue blur, and hopefully we will see a continued evolution that coalesces into something great.

Overall Earthworm Jim HD suffers from many poor design choice which really puts forth that this it is a remake of an older game. From the lack of weapon choices to the frustrating level design it has a hard time competing with today's games. All that being said it still has its fun parts and the multiplayer is excellent with friends.

The joy of winning a closely contested match by knocking an opponent out of the arena or timing a perfect block that would send their own projectile back at them is the reason that competitive games were created.

If you haven’t guessed already, I absolutely love Lost Ember.

The overall story is fine but lacks that punch to push it over the top. If it were a movie it would sit comfortably with in the B movie section next to Pooka! and The Babadook—which is damn good company, if you ask me. Depending on just how long it takes you to solve the various puzzles, In Sound Mind takes an average of 12-ish hours from start to finish. Not too shabby if you are looking for a game to run over a single weekend. Could be just the thing you want this Halloween.

While I'm sure that some of my disappointment can be chalked up to its younger target audience, the truth of the matter is a tougher pill to swallow: Lego Horizon Adventures is a half-decent game, but at the end of the day, it's not a good Horizon game, and it's certainly not a good Lego game. Somehow, it manages to be less than the sum of its parts.

Impressively updated graphical prowess for a unique visual styling isn’t enough to save it from a myriad of cheaply laid gameplay issues.

There are some truly fantastic ideas that are here, but the whole thing feels like it should have spent much more time in the design phase. The game’s dearth of compelling content makes the experience a chore, and it’s hard to empathize with any of the characters in any meaningful way.

It’s not a question of if the player will die in Sundered. They will lose the struggle against the Eldritch horrors that call its world home, and it ultimately comes down to the core theme of resist or embrace. Will the player embrace the challenge, or resist it by giving up? That’ll ultimately come down to how much perseverance a person has, but those that do see the adventure out will be rewarded with more glimpses into a gorgeous world and some incredibly tense combat exchanges.

If you're a fan of the series or you want to spend time running around stabbing people, Assassin's Creed III: Liberation will suffice, but because it tries so hard to be like a console title, its failure to match the level of depth, breadth or enjoyment you'd expect is all the more heartbreaking.

A great game that completely took me by surprise. It is strategic, intelligent, and offers players hours and hours of sneaky gameplay.

My hang-ups with the aiming aside, the PlayStation 4 version of Resident Evil Revelations is the best version of the survival horror outing. The problem is that it’s 2017. It’s been over five years since Revelations (or I guess it was technically “Revelaitons” then) released on Nintendo 3DS, and what was once a technical marvel is an outdated-looking title on current consoles.

While it’s not perfect, Starlink is a fantastic base for a new wave of toys-to-life games, innovating on the genre in a special way that further connects players with both the toys and the experience. And even when the game is off, for this 30-year old gamer at least, the spaceships are still fun to play with.

If you are a fan of lengthy time spent dungeon crawling and customizing your party, then this will feel right at home, with over 40 hours easily of gameplay to be had. People who aren’t fans of the genre though, won’t find anything new to change their minds.

Your EyePet will quickly feel like a member of the family and it's very rewarding to see a young child's eyes light up when they see and interact with it. If you have children and they want a pet, but you're against the responsibility, EyePet may actually be a decent substitute.

Qualms aside, if you can look passed the risqué nature of Senran Kagura Peach Beach Splash you’ll find an enjoyable shooter that can be a lot of fun in multiplayer.

Code Vein feels like it wants to take the idea of community and important AIs and marry it with the gameplay and ideas prevalent in Soulslikes. It is a story-heavy affair that wants you to care about its characters, while also helping you find your way in a demanding world with thoughtful combat. There are some technical hitches along the way, such as frame rate drops, but they’re the sort of problems that could very well be eventually fixed with patches. For now, it’s a largely successful experiment into some new ideas.

The great looking animations are still accompanied by well done voice acting, and environments consistently change for colorful and beautiful aesthetics even though most of the game is spent on planet Magnus.

The online trouble, coupled with the lack of spice in the campaign, leads to a very average game that drags on for a few hours too long.

If you’re already a fan of the Warriors series, this will provide a great fix for you on the go. If you’re not a fan, then this is a good place to start, as Chronicles has many of the same features as its console brethren and will provide many hours of entertainment.

Little King's Story was a unique and interesting Wii game, and New Little King's Story does well overall in delivering that experience on a portable system. While an okay follow-up to that game, there's something about the magic of the first one that has worn off a little bit this time.

Sorcery is like baking a cake, but with only a teaspoon of sugar, one egg, a pinch of flour, and a tablespoon of baking powder; all of the ingredients are there, but there's not enough of each ingredient to make the magical game that PlayStation Move owners have been looking for.

The entire time I was playing it, all I wanted to do was switch back to The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince.

Worms Rumble is worth playing for a few rounds, and then a couple more, and so on until suddenly it’s 2 AM and you really should be asleep as you have work in a few hours but just one more game couldn’t hurt since you’re so close to unlocking that next skin anyway…

As many faults as I can find with Turf Wars, it’s still a lot of fun to play. Stepping back into the Spidey suit is exhilarating, and this chapter offers up some of the toughest challenges yet.

The game feels more like a proof of concept for something far bigger, rather than a proper VR title in its own right. This lighthouse will always carry a forlorn sense that infinity isn’t quite as infinite as it is meant to feel.

Ends up being its own worst enemy. A quirky, genuinely funny localization manages to shoot itself in the foot by relying on lazy jokes about breast sizes far too often.

Cris Tales‘ number one selling point is its use of time manipulation as both a plot device and battle mechanic. It’s what makes the entire experience. It’s a solid mid-range game, great for teens and adults looking for a fairly breezy thirty-ish hour adventure. However, there are better games out there that you should experience first, especially if you have to be more selective with your cash.

Although there are certainly stumbling points, it’s the aspect of exploration that really makes Fe a memorable experience. There’s seemingly always something to do from stumbling upon ferocious animals that are hidden in a cave to figuring out how to get an upgrade shard. The game world that Zoink has crafted is truly wondrous, and learning to work together with its inhabitants is a truly rewarding experience. Sometimes we just need to learn how to understand each other.

Despite the bugs and the annoyingly repetitive soundtrack, LEGO Jurassic World is a whole lot of fun.

A perfect example of a game that is only as good as what you are willing to invest into it. If you have never really understood the need to do a speedrun or care very little about perfecting lines, chances are you will tire of its repetitive nature long before you reach the end. But, if you do enjoy learning maps and running along generally linear paths against the clock, you will find it here in spades and with enough style to possibly make it worth the $9.99 investment.

Compelling combat would allow you to look past some of Regalia’s rougher edges, but the frequently dull and repetitive battles on offer here don’t get the job done.

Rick and Morty: Virtual Rick-ality is another hilarious creation by Justin Roiland and Owlchemy Labs. It brings the world, characters, and humor of Rick and Morty to life in a way that you simply can’t experience outside of VR.

It’s not a bad game, and if Metronomik updates it to address my concerns I would be glad to get back into the groove of things. The story is engaging and the music sticks in my head for hours but poor controls and bad camera angles have ruined what should be a fantastic game.

Road Not Taken proved to be a very unique game for its genre, or genres actually. The interesting marriage of what could feel like a mobile title, with the punishing difficulty and creative narrative of a console indie makes Road Not Taken a great game to have in your PS4 library.

Hyper Void is not without its fair share of fun, producing some eccentric and vibrant experiences with its procedural environments. Unfortunately, it’s still very light on additional content and offers next to no incentive to continue the fight once you’ve exhausted the short run of levels.

Ironcast has a fascinatingly complex base game, filled with myriad details to keep track of and a brilliant sense of strategy. Unfortunately, while serious tacticians will find themselves enjoying the nightmarish difficulty, anyone looking for a lighter challenge will be left in the dust, as permadeath and a merciless RNG slow progress to an unsatisfying crawl.

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.

At its core, 8-Bit Armies is a an imitator. A competent one, a throwback, with a few clever tricks of its own, but nothing wholly original or revolutionary. If you’re itching for another strategy game it will satisfy well enough, but it doesn’t feel essential.

While the idea of being able to influence the evolution of your clan of apes seems novel and exciting the reality is that it’s a bit of a repetitive slog. Through bad decisions or sheer bad luck, it’s far too easy to wipe out your whole clan which means that you’ll have to start all over again from the beginning. It’s an interesting experience but one that’s tough to recommend to anyone but the most patient of gamers.

If you aren’t a fan of games that force you to repeat sections over and over with slight alterations in hopes of getting a better outcome, avoid this one like the plague. If I had known there were no difficulty options I would not have offered to review this game. Screaming at video games is stress I just don’t need in my life. Games can be both challenging and fun, but when you’ve got two notches of health and no energy, things can get miserable pretty quick.

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.

Pinball FX is a top-tier pinball game with some growing pains inherent in switching development platforms. Having to re-buy your favorite tables is a pain, but considering these represent the best versions of dozens of tables, it is a good value overall. The Pinball Pass is Zen Studios’ first attempt at something approaching a season pass, but thankfully it is not required and you can simply purchase the tables that you prefer using regular money. The core game remains solid, and hopefully Pinball FX is supported by Zen Studios into the next generation of consoles.

Even with the structure of the Olympic events being lacking, there’s still more than enough content here to justify the asking price.

Though far from perfect, Ghost Recon Wildlands is one of the most effective franchise reboots in recent memory. It manages to build upon the key squad-based mechanics that set the series apart, while not feeling the need to pander to the established fan base. The result is a fantastically realized open world that legitimately feels like it could be a real geographic location. Now that I’ve had a taste of the new Ghost Recon, I couldn’t imagine going back.

I’m glad it exists simply to try things outside of the box in VR, but this is a building block, not a definer.

Of course, the strength of Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum Session, beyond its time-honored musical mechanics, is the variety in its tracklist, its long list of goofy unlockables, and easily digestible score chasing.

Maquette has its issues, but is still a solid experience. The grievances I have can be fixed if the studio has the manpower and time to do so. If you’re looking specifically for puzzle games there are others I would recommend before this. But it’s free for PS Plus members for March 2021, and it’s hard to say no to free.

Beyond is not a perfect game. It has control flaws that are glaring and some mundane issues like pop-in that will bother a number of gamers, but if you are looking for something with enough heart and passion to tell a truly great story in a unique and exciting way, Beyond: Two Souls is a must have.

A great cooperative retro action title with plenty of challenge and reward.

Destroy All Humans’ impact on you is definitely going to depend on how much you played the original release. As a fan of the original, I was sat gleefully destroying all the humans and basking in the improvements, but I could also see people who haven’t played the 2005 release not quite “getting” it. For those in the same boat as me, it’s exactly what it needs to be: a faithful improvement on the original game, and an indication that Crypto has plenty of life in him yet. Hopefully it can pave the way for an all new adventure someday soon.

Project CARS 3 represents a huge shift in Slightly Mad Studios’ attitude towards racing games. I suppose this means the studio lives up to their name! What Project CARS 3 lacks in realism, it now makes up for with accessibility. However, lacking the flair of other established racers in this arcade-sim genre such as The Crew 2 or Need for Speed will make it a tougher sell. Still, there are a couple hundred new events to try, with hundreds of cars to tweak, upgrade, and drive. So, if Project CARS is to continue down this path of more friendly racing, then they are on the right track, but whether their regular fans will be along for the ride is another question entirely.

An admirable effort, bringing together characters from a number of visual novels and gaming franchises and pitting them against each other in a solid, energetic brawler. It’s a shame that there aren’t more interesting modes in which to test your fighting mettle, particularly when the two story modes offered are so dull and impenetrable, but at least there’s some good multiplayer fun to be had — just don’t get too interested in completely even-handed competition, as I highly suspect there are serious balancing issues at play here.

These are just some of the many signs that suggest the game was rushed past the finish line (including a reference to game crunch), but its problems run deeper than something that can be fixed with a couple of patches. The story isn’t explained well, the dialog is over the top, the tutorials don’t do their job, and the open world is just a boring place to be. While the combat and the linear facilities go some way to redeeming Atomic Heart, it’s not a game that I can faithfully recommend right now.

The Gex Trilogy lives up to its name and brings all three Gex games to modern consoles. With solid quality-of-life updates and a nice array of bonus features, there’s a lot here for fans to sink their teeth into. While the 3D sequels haven’t aged like wine, they’re still interesting to revisit, and the original side-scroller is still quite a lot of fun.

Batman: The Telltale Series is off to a strong, if very basic, start. It shows promise of the ability to be more than just another Batman story, though Realm of Shadows did dabble in the ultra accessible exposition more than I (or just about any other Batman fan) would have liked.

Unlocking the various story branches to trigger the different endings provides a sense of puzzling to proceedings that adds some welcome depth but while the trimmings have been given a new feel and the varied cast of characters provides some new attraction, Warriors All-Stars is unlikely to draw many new players in. That won’t matter to those with any interest in the game though, as this is exactly what they will have been hoping for since the game was first announced. In short – and I’m sorry to use this, but it fits the bill – fans of the series will absolutely love it.

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.

Creating new weapons can mix things up, and choosing item and skills loadouts on characters provides for some variety on the battlefield. However, after a dozen or so battles, the game’s lack of real strategic depth can be seen. Coupled with some less-than-stellar presentation, and disappointing ally AI, and Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers feels like a good idea that wasn’t executed to its fullest potential.

Sluggish combat aside, Vampyr will provide hours of blood-sucking entertainment. You can be the vampire you always wanted to be, as ruthless or benevolent as you desire. Weighty life-or-death decisions all but ensure that players will want to run through the campaign multiple times to see how things would play out differently by killing or saving certain individuals, or by upgrading certain abilities earlier or later. Vampyr is a cinematic, single-player experience well worth your time and money. A harrowing adventure awaits those who are willing to sink their time into Vampyr.

Fans of the first game will definitely find this arcade title very likable with the upgraded tweaks and enhancements to the gameplay.

There’s still a magic here, but it’s weighed down by unnecessary baggage that feels disconnected and separate from the central conceit of the game.

The on disc content offers a great value with all of the riders and content for the 09? MotoGP season and free 2010 DLC makes this a must have for any motorcycle racing enthusiast.

For what you would spend on one measly map pack in another game you could pick up an entirely new arcade style FPS, with a full campaign and robust multiplayer mode which, simply put, is a fantastic deal.

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

Telling the story through environment, providing better direction, and rewarding extensive exploration are just a few things that could have really helped AER to escape the high res, low poly shell that it is, but AER: Memories of Old is simply too empty to feel like anything more.

Between the game’s graphics, gameplay, and $40 price tag, Shadow Warrior is a definite buy. It offers hours of gory, hack-and-slash fighting, and focuses on just being a really fun game. If you are looking for developed characters or a story you can really get into, Shadow Warrior might not be for you.

As backhanded as it may sound, Red Faction Guerrilla Re-Mars-Tered Edition is far better than it has any right to be. The mechanics that originally made it heaps of fun still hold true today. Shedding the excessive complexities that accompany modern open-world games is a surprising breath of fresh, albeit dusty, air.

It’s a perfectly solid local co-op game that can be worth a few runs with some friends. Is it great? Nah. Does it have issues? Certainly. But don’t be like me and just turn it away because of its dubious origins. More VR games should look at catering to the local co-op crowd anyway.

Unity doesn’t just play well, it looks beautiful too. The graphics have a stunning painted quality to them that may be attributed to the way that different materials react to the lighting.

The game does something with its combat system that few had tried before or after, and it is a genuine joy once you’ve got the hang of it. When you strip away the below-average genre trappings, all that remains of The Last Remnant Remastered is a damn fine combat system that was clearly built before any other element of the game.

Though not as successful as Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth, Digimon Survive has the workings of a cult classic mainly for Digimon fans. The story, despite a few insufferable characters, explores a darker reinterpretation of the original series to its favor, and the combat system is executed moderately well for as simple as it is. The game’s art style and music have its moments too from composer Tomoki Miyoshi and artist Uichi Ukumo. However, many plot points drag on longer than necessary, the Karma system is forced, and the UI is lackluster. Developer Hyde has a spark of a good idea here, but it might not last long enough to merit a sequel.

Exploring the title’s creepy, masterfully detailed environments is nothing short of a joy, and sorting out the harrowing tasks of inventory management and limited resources is tense in just the right way.

Pid takes the cinematic 2D platforming genre to the next level with incredible graphics, a great soundtrack, and good level design. The fact that they didn't at least add a friendlier difficulty level does take away from the overall experience though.