Takes a great kart racing series, and adds a much easier to use creating system. Touch screen controls make the track studio much more intuitive and easier to use. Not adding in head-to-head online racing is inexcusable in this day and age. While it doesn't totally ruin the experience, it does take away from the overall series.

In a vacuum, Wuchang: Fallen Feathers would stand as a resounding success, especially when you consider that it was helmed by a relatively unknown developer. But, when compared to its genre contemporaries, it fails to reach the same impressive highs of the games it clearly holds reverence for.

Visage isn’t going to be for every horror fan. It’s slower pace, difficult puzzles and lack of direction are going to make many struggle, but that’s also kind of the point. For every moment where I didn’t know what to do and felt like I was on a wild goose chase, there was another moment of gratification for finally figuring it out. Throughout all of those moments, I was scared and that’s indicative that even if I didn’t, Visage knows what it’s doing.

Lost Planet 2 literally tries to do everything a shooter should, but it doesn’t mean much when the game is plagued with minor issues and dull gameplay.

For all of its issues, Rustler is a fun little game that tries something a bit different, recapturing a long-lost element of game design and adding a fun new twist. Its humorous and satirical elements help keep it light-hearted, and though it occasionally has some comedic misses, its also full of genuinely laugh-out-loud moments. I’d hope to see some adjustments to the combat system as well as a general cleanup of the odd variety of bugs encountered, but as a whole Rustler is a clever and fun title that has zero shame being exactly what it is.

The story is approximately double the length of that in Little Nightmares but doesn’t overstay its welcome. Players will take slightly longer if they look for the hidden areas that contain hats or holographic Kids that Mono can absorb into himself. While the story is concluded completely, things are left open for the possibility of a third game in the franchise. Maybe by the time that rolls around, there won’t be as much need for trial and error puzzling, or for accidental platforming deaths. For now, those who enjoyed the first title will likely love the second. Others will perhaps find it a bit too frustrating to see things through to the end.

Rapala Pro Bass Fishing is quite the catch. It's everything you want in a fishing game, with a realistic control scheme to boot.

It's a terrific starting point to build future installments from. However, I think that Beenox really needs to sit down and understand what makes Spider-Man an interesting character to play and find ways to accurately capture that feeling without overly simplifying the experience.

If you’re a big fan of the series or just Modern Warfare 2 specifically, there’s no doubt that this remaster will be an easy purchase. If you’ve not got any nostalgia for the game then the asking price might be a little steep, but this was made with Call of Duty fans in mind. For those fans it should be clear that Modern Warfare 2 Remastered is absolutely worth giving a look.

It's a competent fighter, yes, but nothing about it really screams "must-have" unless you are a diehard SoulCalibur fan.

It translates the core game over to Sony’s portable system without any major gameplay issues. That said, it is a downgrade in every possible way. The atmosphere is diminished by poor graphics, controls are slightly clunkier, and it just makes the experience less special.

As much as I was hoping (and, quite frankly, expecting) Killzone: Mercenary to be the perfect representation of a first-person shooter on the PlayStation Vita, it just isn’t. A sub-par single player campaign is only saved by the fast-paced and fun multiplayer.

Road 96 feels like a strange blend of experimental and conservative game design. The procedurally generated narrative is a good idea and one I’d like to see used again. However, the overarching plot is political without being substantive. It’s a story that would likely have been best served following a linear structure with player characters that had rich backstories that firmly tied them to the struggle going on in Petria. Adventure game lovers will have a good time with Road 96, though. The cast is a lot of fun, and it has enough twists and turns to make for an entertaining play. It’s definitely unique, and I hope that DigixArt continues experimenting with the genre.

Considering that the Chrono franchise has a larger fanbase than the Mana and SaGa series do combined (at least in the West), I would have thought this would be the crowning jewel of Square’s efforts to bring its PS1 classics to modern platforms. Instead, it’s a very meh attempt that doesn’t even feel like a cash-in because of all the money it leaves on the table.

If you like match-3 puzzlers with some strategy thrown in, you’ll be back for more in no time.

From the shockingly feature poor online play to a single-player campaign that can be completed in a few hours, there just isn’t enough content to support the gameplay. It’s exciting to think about what a potential sequel could offer, but what’s currently being sold is a good, but definitely not great, arcade game that doesn’t manage to outdo its fantastic predecessors.

A fun co-op experience with an interesting storyline. Tie in a dungeon creator, and it can keep you coming back for more with a fresh new map to play on.

Unquestionably, WWE All Stars features some of the most addicting arcade-style gameplay seen in any wrestling title to date. But the lack of content in some areas will leave you wanting more. And you will want more because of the fun-factor.

Quantum Physics nerds are sure to get some nice laughs out of the jokes tossed into the story, while the rest of us will still laugh at Schrödinger’s Cat’s antics.

I’m having a very hard time parsing exactly how I feel about Little Red Lie. As a game, it’s imbalanced, awkward, and boring. I don’t think I can recommend it to anyone, but I might have been glad to have gone through it? It’s certainly an experience I will never forget, but then again, so was getting run over by a car.

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.

Without question, The Golf Club 2019 has received a large credibility injection thanks to the involvement of the PGA Tour. Sadly, this feels like a half-implemented crossover that doesn’t utilize the license to anywhere near its full potential.

With multiple endings and an easy but deep synthesis system, this game will easily net you 25+ hours without breaking a sweat.

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.

I’d recommend Doraemon Story of Seasons to fans of the series and farming sims alike. Sure, you won’t get to experience marriage like other SOS games, but you do get fancy doodads. There’s plenty to do, lots of ways to spend your coin, and fishing is super easy and relaxing. Just a great way to unwind at the end of a long day.

The plot is rather generic, the voice acting is inconsistent, the framerate struggles at times and graphically the game is average at best. But none of that should be enough to dissuade any RPG fan from buying this game.

It may not feature all of the bells and whistles that we’ve grown accustomed to in 2019, but it’s certainly a solid foundation to rebuild a brand around.

Fans of the cartoon and original game will love all of the improvements and visuals, and will most likely embrace the nostalgia. Everyone else will have fun and then move on.

It’s got the resource management and camp building that I seem to be drawn to and challenging but not Soulsbourne level enemies to tackle.

Phantom Doctrine is good tactical action game with a great spy culture motif.

There are some great ideas here, and some really funny writing, but the good moments are all surrounded by a bunch of middling ones.

Developer Eko Software has done a decent job with the 4K graphics and textures for Warhammer: Chaosbane Slayer Edition and an even better job of utilizing the powerful PS5’s SSD to almost entirely eliminate load times. Traveling between the home castle and the many dungeons that are now included in the game is incredibly fast, and you’ll be hacking and slashing through the bad guys of Warhammer in no time.

Tandem‘s world of shadows is an intriguing place with clever obstacles that are fair although not very challenging. Emma and Fenton make a great pair as they navigate the chiaroscuro dimensions even if you know little about either. It’s just a shame that the Tale of Shadows’ narrative is underdeveloped and even non-existent in places—so much more could have been done. Those wanting a simple puzzle platformer will enjoy their time. Those wanting a story need to look elsewhere.

Hellfront: Honeymoon is a good budget title ($/£9.99 at launch) to kill some time with friends who want to do more than just smash buttons in a random fighter.

The Shoot is a decent game overall. It doesn't bring anything new to the table, but it perfectly fills the void of a truly fun-to-play, laid-back shooter that's been missing on the PlayStation 3.

The reality is that Skylanders: Giants is age-appropriate fun that harkens back to the delight you had collecting Pokémon cards or mashing your way through a dungeon crawler. If you've got little ones, then you already know the verdict here.

DATE A LIVE: Rio Reincarnation is great for fans of light novels, but especially for fans of the DATE A LIVE series. Even those who aren’t familiar with the series won’t be too confused with what’s going on, as the reading is easy and characters easy to like.

If you’ve been chomping at the proverbial bit, in preparation for Farming Simulator 22, most likely you are going to be extremely pleased with this outing. It takes the more surface-level mechanics found in prior installments and then builds upon them immensely. While it certainly has its fair share of issues such as terrible AIs and tutorials, which hopefully can be improved through post-release patches, this new level of depth helps drive the franchise well into the PlayStation 5 era. Using this year as a foundation, I can’t wait to see where the series goes in the future.

The Shore is a prime example of what a walking sim done right can look like. Despite its occasional hiccups, it shows that a strong story can convey a story that players will remember long after they have laid their controllers down.

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.

Let’s be honest, the remaster isn’t perfect and the versions that I played were before any patches had been issued. These are not remakes of the original Shenmue games. We accept these ports as they are, flaws and all, because they have a wonderful and engaging story that has kept fans wanting more for 18 years.

It’s the case of a small issue that turned rampant and hindered my play experience, but Shadow Warrior 2 is such a fast-paced, irresponsible, chaotic joy ride, that the mental pain I had to deal with from this annoying decision was well worth it in the end.

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

It’s a fun way to pass the quarantined time between new anime episodes, that’s for sure.

A fun stealth game with tons of depth, innovative use of Vita tech, and some very interesting systems.

Much like the fauna that inhabits its world, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a beautifully odd creature. The things it does well it does extremely well, which leaves me baffled at some of the obvious drawbacks that limit its scope and longevity. With that said, I am massively impressed by what such a small team was able to accomplish, and the attractive launch price certainly makes it all the more appealing.

Mary Skelter: Nightmares is a surprisingly effective little dungeon crawler. I enjoyed its creepy, Lovecraftian world way more than I ever expected to, even if the characters lack depth and the lore can get a little goofy in its race to be dark and edgy.

If you’re cool with puzzle games that present a relaxing atmosphere with a brilliant soundtrack while not necessarily bringing A+ mechanics, Splice could be for you. If you played it on the PC, don’t expect much in the way of changes here.

It’s adequate, and it’s overpriced especially given the fact that the exact same game is selling for half the cost on PCs.

Only those who can commit to learning the quirks of the turn system and limited deck size will find the game rewarding.

Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception features an interesting story and great cast of characters coupled with excellent 2D visuals and voice acting, making it an easily entertaining experience in spite of its few shortcomings. While those looking for a complex and deep tactical RPG experience may find themselves disappointed, fans of the visual novel genre and the Utawarerumono series will definitely enjoy Mask of Deception and will end up looking forward to Mask of Truth.

Even though it lacks originality and the character roster could have been improved upon, the game is still a blast to play and deserves a spot in any Sega fan’s collection.

The game's appeal will quickly wear thin for older, more mature gamers, as the game's lack of a 'goal' besides keeping your pet happy. For those looking for the ultimate virtual pet experience for their children on the PSP, EyePet is their answer.

Killing Floor: Incursion is perhaps everything you might expect from a first-person zombie shooter in VR. It checks all of the boxes, sometimes to its own detriment.

It’s undeniably entertaining to explore every level, backtrack for new upgrades, and go toe-to-toe with themed bosses. I miss the save functionality and don’t see the point of having two separate games, but the Mega Man X Legacy Collections are fully worth a play.

Both player selection and poor teammate AI could be improved by patches, but right now they make every match become frustrating in spots. It’s incredibly disappointing to see a game that gets so much right also proceed to get a few important things dead wrong. There is still fun to be had, especially in the Be A Pro mode, but the action on the ice isn’t nearly as satisfying as it should be.

God Mode would not feel out of place in a traditional arcade, and I could see many people pumping quarters into a machine to play this game for hours.

It’s hard to say much new about an EDF game at this point, especially when the sequels are so iterative. Are you into shooting giant bugs? Do you want to laugh at how ridiculous everything is and find yourself getting embarrassingly into its dialogue-driven story? Then Earth Defense Force 6 is for you, and you should check it out. Otherwise, you won’t have your mind changed as this is repetitive schlock that is fun but nothing groundbreaking.

A game doesn’t always need to be flashy in order to be great. It doesn’t need the backing of a major license. Sometimes it just needs to do what it sets out to do very well to stand out above the rest. VR Invaders is a superbly crafted bullet hell VR game that is highlighted not by an ostentatious setting, but rather excellent game design. It’s just a shame that excellent game design in VR more often than not means the experience ends far too early, lacking a good balance between mechanics and content.

Playing a game set during lockdown is definitely unique. Rather than focusing on some of the negative aspects of the pandemic, Wales Interactive has managed to spin this into a light-hearted rom-com. It’s a fun experience that manages to turn social distancing limitations into something positive and fun.

Loadout isn’t some new breed of free-to-play, but it does a very entertaining job of balancing what you can play with when you can pay. Being a low level isn’t painfully boring, and gaining experience or good weapons doesn’t require real money.

A ridiculous amount of collectibles is distributed all throughout this, and it's enough to keep the most dedicated fans busy for a long time. Unfortunately, those are the only people that will last through it all, since most will be deterred soon after the end of the campaign by the monotonous gameplay, a lackluster 'plot', and somewhat redundant bonus missions.

It’s worth trying it out, and I’m glad I own it so I can go back to it when the farming mood arises, but my attention wavered far more quickly than I would have preferred.

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.

Adding in real world environments, with real world cities and landmarks, gives the game a real world feel.

Those who are new to the Sonic series, or are just looking for a game to shoot through in under 2 hours will find a good bit of fun here. However, those who have played past iterations of Sonic, preferably the Genesis classics, should proceed with caution, as many of the things that made Sonic great are absent in this latest outing.

NASCAR 2011: The Game has its highs and its lows, and while the overall career mode is pretty shallow and the presentation can sometimes be quite inconsistent, the core gameplay, specifically the sense of immersion, is what will be bringing players back.

Furi is an action packed, violent game that does a great job of marrying two genres together.

While there is a heavy emphasis on the compatibility of cooperative multiplayer, unfortunately the game is truthfully best enjoyed alone.

It’s a great proof of concept as to why mobile and console gaming can complement each other, and don’t always need to be separated.

While it’s not a must-own shoot ’em up collection, any shmup fan will have a good time with Ray’z Arcade Chronology. RayForce and RayStorm are easy recommendations, and the laser lock-on feature helps the games find a unique identity and stick out in a crowded genre. While RayCrisis was a disappointment in 1998, it still has plenty of historical value and rounds out the trilogy nicely. It’s always great to see game history lovingly preserved, and this is no exception.

It’s not perfect, but SOMI gets major points for trying something new and exploring mechanics that other games don’t. Maybe it’s time to look a little deeper into the mirror that Retsnom offers and reflect on your own reasons for avoiding indie games.

If you’re looking for an indie RPG that tugs at your heartstrings, Smoke and Sacrifice is that game.

Defiance 2050 is a game I can get lost in and enjoy several hours in at a time, but it’s mindless shooting and grinding that is the least difficult kind of gaming experience to locate in 2018.

However, despite the new content, it would be tough to tell players of Blood Ties that The Nightmare Princess is worth its $50 price tag, seeing as its repetitive, core gameplay is exactly the same, and the environments are still a bit bland. If, on the other hand, you are a newcomer to the series, its unique and strategic style of gameplay makes The Nightmare Princess somewhat of a novelty, and quite possibly worth your time.

The conversion from mobile to console is perhaps only noticeable in its length, but the surreal art style wowed me, especially on a big screen. It is a tiny game with a unique, yet brief and understated impact.

If you have friends to play with then Zombie Vikings will be a fun way to spend a couple days with them. Otherwise, it’s a brawler with a lot of heart, but not enough variety.

Well worth the base price for players looking to find a great third-person shooter with a good deal of ever-evolving content.

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.

A bit of an improvement over the first Game of Thrones episode. Although the character transitions are a bit confusing and making decisions doesn’t seem as impactful as it should, Episode Two is by far more political and more interactive, giving players a chance to both think critically and have some QTE fun.

Considering it’s for the PSP, 2010 FIFA World Cup, in the end, is a decent football game. It does have its flaws–visuals are poor, gameplay is identical to past iterations in the PSP FIFA series, and you may be better off waiting for FIFA 11. However, audio is spot on, and a broad range of modes adds plenty of replayability and value to the title.

While this review may well make it sound like Biomutant is full of bugs, the one thing I might not have made clear is just how easy it is to lose hours to this game. With so much to do, time can fly by without you noticing. Yes, the graphics may not be the best with stuttering and pop-in in places, and there were occasional game crashes, but nothing is game breaking and it’s a lot of fun. The humor will especially appeal to children, while the game is complex enough for adults to enjoy too.

AVICII Invector is a music game where the spaceship theme makes it feel more like a rhythmic adventure. It’s a bit of a truncated one, to be sure. There are only three difficulty levels, where many of its contemporaries have four, and its song list is limited due to only championing the one artist and only offering 25 tracks. It’s an adjustment, to be sure, but fans of AVICII and the genre will likely be pleased to have this option for their libraries.

Sky Force is a fun diversion, and fans of the top-down shoot 'em up genre should definitely consider picking this up.

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

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.

We Were Here Expeditions: The FriendShip is a fun diversion for up to two hours, but there really isn’t enough meat here for it to be more than that. More of a relationship test than a full-fledged game, its third trial is absolutely the highlight of the experience. While it’s worth going through once, don’t expect it to reach the highs of the previous entries or offer too much new to the winning formula.

As seems to be the case with most Minis, this will not likely convert those of you who are not fans of this genre, but any dart-heads out there should definitely give this one a shot.

If you are in the market for an RTS experience that will test your mettle and only lightly dent your online wallet, then Under Siege is a game you want to look into. Those wanting something that stays closer to the traditional formula of games like Starcraft won't find much comfort here.

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

Taken as a whole, it is an entirely new and interesting take on genres that are as old as gaming. Billions has such great moments at times that it’s rather surprising that these genres hadn’t been smashed together already. Billions leaves plenty to be desired everywhere else though—in visual fidelity, art direction, sound design, and even game balance. Clearly, this is a first step on a new and mysterious frontier. Hopefully, not the last.

The RPG elements of the game really do hold it back, as they feel under developed and tacked on, but the solid fighting mechanics and the ability to create something unique is a great draw that may keep me coming back just to be able to go Super Saiyan.

Captain Blood is such an interesting release, a true time capsule from a different era of gaming. From the static camera angles to the way it treats quick-time events, it is clear that the team was inspired by Resident Evil 4 and the PS2 God of War games during development. This simultaneously winds up being the game’s greatest selling point and its limiting factor. Beyond a novelty, it’s also just a fun swashbuckling time with plenty of action by taking full advantage of its pirate motif.

While fans of the franchise and the new Mysterious series will undoubtedly appreciate this new entry, newcomers may find many of its elements too tedious. Atelier Firis is an undoubtedly good attempt at an Atelier game but may prove to be too niche for others.

Judging by how Ubisoft has handled support for past multiplayer games (like Rainbow Six Siege), I’m confident that some of For Honor‘s issues will get rectified down the line. Gameplay can be tweaked, matchmaking enhanced, and better modes can all be added over time. However, as the game stands right now it’s more of a proof of concept than a fully realized idea. There’s a great base to build upon mechanically, but it’s too rough around the edges to shine as bright as it should.

Despite the occasional freezing, I enjoyed my time with Dead or Alive 5 Last Round. Its updated visuals, huge character list, and numerous costumes set it apart from previous versions of DOA 5, and the fun and interactive environments really kept me interested in the core gameplay.

Just Cause 4 is just a better Just Cause 3, and that’s not a bad thing, but it feels that many elements were added just ’cause rather than seeking to revolutionize Rico Rodriguez’s many revolutions.

ChromaGun VR is a funny, occasionally challenging first-person puzzler, and one that is enhanced in VR.