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.

The Wizards nails the dream of having magic at your fingertips, but never goes as far as to make the magic feel all that useful.

But if you enjoy the thrill of this particular chase, and can overlook the game's average visuals, occasionally glitchy audio, and even the rather flat control scheme in cockpit mode, then you will likely enjoy MotoGP 10/11.

While it isn’t going to be blowing the doors off of the tactical strategy genre, Space Hulk: Tactics is a perfectly adequate game. Thanks to a solid combat engine, good writing, twin-headed campaign, and level designer, players will certainly be getting their monies worth for the forty-dollar price tag.

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

While this may be the best iteration of the series in some time, it's mostly just a ton of potential that ultimately lets you down. Pitching is great, but batting needs some practice. Fielding is frustrating, and even more so when you take the game online. Audio work is incredible, but not reactive enough nor as customizable as in The Show.

If you’re a diehard for fishing games, I suppose this one is fine. It doesn’t have any magical qualities that will lure non-genre fans to the party, though. That’s okay too, I suppose.

If you’re down to take some glimpses into a strange world that doesn’t operate under the same rules as our own then you’ll be treated to some of the sharpest dialogue and scenes seen in any game.

As hilarious as Pizza Titan Ultra can be, it is a one-note experience.

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.

It may have been something special back in 2008, but it is definitely showing its age — especially when compared to The Chinese Room’s later releases, Esther falls dramatically short of modern expectations.

The Casting of Frank Stone takes some big swings with its story’s final act that pay off and elevate what otherwise could’ve been just another narrative-focused horror game. Supermassive does a good job of adding some action to its exploration sections and layering in plenty of Easter eggs from the series. Dead by Daylight fans are sure to have a blast, and I hope this isn’t Supermassive’s last foray into making a horror game in an established world.

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

Re:Zero – Starting Life in Another World: The Prophecy of the Throne should please fans of the novel/anime. It doesn’t do enough to explain the world Subaru finds himself in, but the game’s album does attempt to rectify this. At any rate, The Prophecy of the Throne is an easy to digest visual novel with fun artwork and good voice acting, with a bit of turn-based gameplay thrown in for good measure. What more could Subaru ask for?

Instead of copying the status quo, Light Tracer tries to give gamers something they haven’t already conquered before. The challenge behind this virtual reality experience is in figuring out how to control the character without retaining direct control over her movements. Learning to do two distinctly separate tasks in a single moment is the key to solving many of Light Tracer’s puzzles and moving forward.

Ultimately, this is an artistic game first and foremost, and the puzzles are the medium in which players participate in the story. It is bittersweet and real, rooted in cultural significance. I fully expect this game to be snapped up by trophy collectors looking for an easy platinum, but I sincerely hope that everyone who purchases Arrog appreciates the experience as much as I. If you have a few dollars burning a hole in your PSN wallet, consider using them to pick up Arrog. I really want to see more from Hermanos Magia in the future.

Root Letter has many interesting ideas, but they never fully gel together at the end.

There is plenty to like about the combat in Earth’s Dawn, but the game doesn’t manage to reach its full potential. A boring story gives players very little reason to care about what they are doing or reason to progress, and the game ultimately becomes monotonous due to this. Those who enjoyed Odin Sphere will find an intriguing game here, just one that isn’t nearly as special or polished.

Too often I found myself trying to find an even ground that met everyone halfway. The problem here is that when you try to find a compromise, nobody ends up actually happy with the result. By trying to help everyone, I was ultimately helping nobody fulfill their goals.

Where the Heart Leads isn’t going to be a game for everyone but it does a remarkable job at letting the player walk their own path through Whit’s life. Much of the story is fairly ordinary but that’s what makes it so relatable. It may even cause you to reflect on the choices you’ve made in your own life and how you may have helped or hindered those around you.

The game’s pace is slow throughout; from combat that you trudge through to dialogue and character development that seems to do nothing but spin its wheels in the mud endlessly. Hyperdevotion Noire is at its best, forgettable, and at its worst, un-engaging.

Hysteria Project is just barely worth its $1.99 price tag. The game features a great atmosphere similar to Blair Witch Project, but unfortunately is plagued by an unimpressive control scheme, and a confusingly boring story.

This is survival horror at its most base level, where you are a mostly defenseless layperson caught up in a horrifying ordeal, who would feel lucky just to escape with your life. The wait was indeed worth it, and Outlast 2 should be on the must-play list of horror fans everywhere.

While Mafia III is not a game-changing entry, it is a genuine attempt to tell an entertaining story. It’s too bad that technical and graphical issues get in the way of progress on occasion, and a few gameplay mechanics cause the game to quickly boil down to the same handful of mission types, which means to get to the next chapter of the main story takes some monotony.

For a short time, I was genuinely in love with this game. It managed to be so damn fun, despite the fact that it was whipping my ass right and left. The low-fi production values and unique character designs and power-ups only deepened my affections. However, the fact remains that while it was fun, it was a supernova of a game. It burned hot and bright for a short period of time and then fizzled out almost as quickly. It’s surely worth a glance, but it may be best to wait until you can play this with friends, where it has the chance to truly shine.

MXGP 2019 is a safe bet for those looking to race with the full weight of the real MXGP behind the game.

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.

There’s a hardcore fanbase out there that loves this game, but there’s an exceptionally high learning and enjoyment curve that will keep more casual players from getting invested enough to explore its deepest content or even wade around much in the shallow end.

Sure, it's not as refined as its competitors, but WRC delivers a solid rally experience, particularly for hardcore fans. But the sub-standard visuals detract from the otherwise entertaining racing experience and the lackluster presentation doesn't the help the game in any way.

The final dagger that prevents Lords of the Fallen from achieving greatness is its completely throwaway plot, and to a lesser extent, a nasty case of uninspired world design.

Jurassic World Evolution is – in many ways – the game that you make it. Fans of the franchise will jump for joy as they stumble across the classic original movie skins for the ranger jeeps while Dr. Ian Malcolm explains his theory on the meaning of life in a voiceover. They’ll be so happy that a lot of the flaws can and will be overlooked by those people.

Next Order, much like other games in the Digimon World series, is unabashedly complex. In spite of its dated looks and seemingly un-involved combat system, the game’s multitude of mechanics and systems definitely give the game a depth that isn’t instantly obvious on the surface.

Legasista is a dungeon that is begging to be explored by anyone who likes to grind it through trap-filled levels.

The disparity between the repetitive majority and the engaging finale did cause me to like The Final Station after it was said and done, but it’s not enough to overlook the significant flaws along the journey.

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.

It’s not the best or the worst otome I’ve ever played, and most of the romance routes are rather sweet. Getting there, especially for completionists, is a beating and never feels fully worth it, but when you see the lovely couple finally come together, you can’t help but feel warm and squishy inside.

Everything comes to a head in the final chapter. “The Last Session” does a serviceable job rolling my previous experiences into a cohesive yet predictable end. It may not have been a stunning revelation, however it was a satisfying one. All in all not a bad way to spend about three hours on a Saturday afternoon. Stories Untold is a great journey to take part in and one I’m glad to have taken.

Despite being the second go-round for Chronos, Before the Ashes does feel like a decent take on the popular From Software Souls formula. It’s stripped-down design, while somewhat rewarding, does tend to leave a bit to be desired in the depth department. And though it may have been a welcome sight in the barren VR landscape of four years ago, trying to simply re-release the same experience without progressing the gameplay any further ends up leaving quite a bit to be desired. Unless you are extremely invested in learning more about the back story of the Remnant universe, you’d probably be better off dodging this skirmish entirely.

Senran Kagura Estival Versus sure has a lot of fanservice…and, unfortunately, not a whole lot else.

Exoprimal’s biggest strength is that it’s easy to get friends into, and you’re basically guaranteed to have a decent time whether you win or lose. The shooter doesn’t reinvent the genre, but it has enough going for its structure that helps it feel fresh — even when you’re running the same stage for the 20th time. Future updates will be key to its longevity, but Capcom has quite a solid base to build upon, and it’s worth diving in with some buddies if you’re looking for something new to play.

Human: Fall Flat seems like the kind of game that was conceived at a party where someone asked “what would it be like to control a character who’s already drunk?” Unfortunately, the game falls a wee bit short in terms of depth and gameplay.

Those wanting to compare the new version of the game to the original can do so if they buy the retail version, which comes with a download code for the original Monster World IV. For the few improvements there have been, though, I’d recommend sticking with the remake; the game just seems more refined even if it does keep most of the ’90s tropes. As an (almost) bug free experience, those looking for a more traditional game will love it. However, those who prefer modern platformers will probably want to avoid it.

I don’t think that Super Bomberman R Online is a bad game per se. After all, the game is free to play. And winding down with a few silly, low-effort games online with random people, pointing at the screen and saying “haha, that person got knocked out in a funny way!” or “I’m so stupid, I just ran into my own explosion” might just be the thing that you’re looking for. Personally, I think that’s been the core of Bomberman titles since it began in the ’80s. Maybe that’s why the battle royale, always-ranked competitive style of Super Bomberman R Online just doesn’t feel right. Or, maybe it’s just the long matchmaking times and frequent glitches. Yeah, that’s probably it.

If you've traveled this path before, the only new things that are really offered are trophies and the option to enable 3D if you've got the hardware. However, if you haven't had the chance to experience the lore of Sam Fisher (and you're not an inverted player), the Splinter Cell Classic Trilogy HD has the potential to offer you a unique and memorable journey.

The dynamically generated world and character leveling systems help to emphasize its infinite replayability.

The lackluster combat, combined with some terrible camera work and more loading screens than Lindsay Lohan mugshots, make for a game that just isn’t very good.

Not everything Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls attempts to do is a success, but it’s definitely worth playing for anyone already invested in the series. The gunplay might not rival Titanfall 2, but the different bullet-types make combat feel more akin to a solving a puzzle. Much like the story it tells, it’s far from perfect, but there are enough good ideas to make it a worthwhile endeavor.

You can forgive the shoddy dialogue and lame jokes as that is what they were going for, but you cannot forgive rather boring combat, a short game, and absolutely zero replay value.

InnerSpace is a game that you should be playing. The well-realized worlds, exceptional aesthetic and compelling exploration mechanics complement each other tremendously well. If you can get past the occasional bout of unnecessary complex exposition, the evolution of each environment tells a compelling enough story to keep you enthralled from start to finish. Drop everything and check out what deserves to be one of the sleeper hits of 2018.

CRYSTAR is a game that feels like it came out of nowhere. Double-A-ish Japanese action games have been kind of a dime a dozen since the PlayStation 3, yet this one’s narrative ambition and strength blew me away.

While the content is very short, it is also a very enjoyable experience overall. The game itself does a great job of telling Leliana's backstory, featuring fully voiced cutscenes throughout Leliana's Song.

It's a completely generic affair, however, that does not stray from your typical formula of level grinding and copious, repeating dungeons.

I love a well done noir film styled game. This one has perfect sound design, shocking and unique visuals, and integrates the gameplay with those visuals.

I genuinely appreciated what We Happy Few was trying to accomplish. Its unique perspective to storytelling and compelling setting kept frustrations at bay for far longer than they had any right to. I even think that the game has the potential to course-correct though their future DLC. However, this doesn’t change the fact that the game has serious issues that make this full retail release feel more like a second round of Early Access. I cannot in good conscience encourage anyone to purchase the game in its current state.

If you’re a huge puzzle fan, like me, there’s something here for you. But in all honesty, there are plenty of puzzle games out there that wouldn’t come with this big of an asterisk. Go play those.

When I sat down to write, I was prepared to be more positive about SOCOM 4. Multiplayer and co-op make for a ton of fun and the game is built solid from the ground up, but don't waste your money if you only plan on playing SOCOM 4's single-player campaign.

Deception IV: Blood Ties is one of those games that wants you to spend a fair amount of time setting up traps, but then gives you ever chance to skip all that and easily defeat each level with minimal investment.

Strength of the Sword 3 has a fairly decent set up, but the game is hampered by a lack of tuning with input, camera, and a fairly awkward dashing mechanic.

Cool as it sounds, if you stick a circular saw on the front wheel of a motorcycle, it might slash the tire, or sever the brake line, or spark through the spokes. As good as Steel Rats is at world-building, it often fails when it lets you take control. Sometimes the answer it finds isn’t the answer it needs.

If you can look past the sadomasochism theme (and I won’t blame anyone who can’t as it constantly irked me the wrong way) then you’ll find a redeeming RPG. The star of Criminal Girls 2: Party Favors is its battle system, which is a fun twist on turn-based gaming. While I wish it was in a different game, for now I’ll have to stoop to spanking girls that clearly don’t enjoy it in order to experience it.

Snow Place Like Home is the weak link in the King’s Quest chain, with weak environments, terrible puzzles, and a lack of any real immersion in the narrative choices as Chapter Four gives players the cold shoulder.

Gotham Knights has a few interesting things going on. It’s just not enough to elevate it to the level of previous Batman games. Now, sure, technically speaking, this isn’t truly a Batman game, as the focus is on his legacy of proteges. But the Arkham series of games has elevated expectations quite high, and while Gotham Knights didn’t hit them, it has moments where it does feel like something interesting is brewing. With more to do in the city, and an easier method of switching characters, perhaps this could be the start of something greater.

Nights of Azure is a bit shorter than your average JRPG, but it jam-packs a ton of variety into its 20-25 hours of story — and if you stick around to collect everything afterward, you’ll have even more time to sink your teeth into the game’s various systems.

Modern Combat: Domination is a valiant attempt at trying to go head to head with shooter genre giants such as Call of Duty and Battlefield and is, to some extent, successful, but overall the title fails to bring anything new to the table, or build upon other titles.

The Pact is filled with uncomfortable moments that force the player to choose between the right thing and their cover. It also makes important moves to flesh out the season’s story arc, and ends with an awesome teaser for episode three. Telltale Games is on a roll this season, and The Enemy Within continues to be some of the developer’s best work.

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.

The cinematic slicing and dicing of enemies, with arms flying around haphazardly makes the game fun to watch, while the repetitive nature of the combat can make the game boring and tedious to play.

There’s a lot to like about Rise of the Dragons, even if it doesn’t fully click and deliver a new all-time great brawler. The core action is fluid and enjoyable, some of the unlockable characters are a blast to play, and the roguelite elements work well enough (even if it’d probably be better to just play as fully powered characters from the get-go). However, the stages and the boss fights aren’t unique enough to make this a truly memorable experience. It’s doesn’t add a ton to the franchise’s legacy, but it’s easy enough to settle into and be a worthwhile new diversion, especially in co-op.

Voltron VR Chronicles is an amazingly immersive way to jump into a Saturday morning cartoon, something I’ve only dreamed of my entire life. It’s not going to provide an engaging gameplay experience for anyone looking for a challenge, but it’s an innovative new way to participate in the action of a popular animated series.

Overall, Sniper Elite 3 does have a fun kill-cam feature, it does have online co-op and it does have an interesting multiplayer. But, almost everything about it feels like a rushed product that simply cannot be ignored.

Both games have been ported nicely, with a few new features that weren't there originally.

If you’re looking for a feel-good gaming experience, it’s probably best to steer clear of The Town of Light. It’s a darkly haunting narrative that touches on a subject matter that doesn’t get anywhere near enough attention nowadays, while also avoiding falling into the trap of sensationalism. As long as you can get past some of its legitimate structure issues, not to mention a general lack of a cohesive gameplay thread, it provides a depressing, yet unforgettable quest into a person’s descent into madness. While this is definitely not an experience that I plan on putting myself through ever again, it will undoubtedly stick with me for a long time.

Gravel is a nice change of pace from the simulation-heavy racing games available elsewhere in the industry. While decidedly light on content outside of the main campaign and devoid of any real multiplayer options to speak of, the most important part of any racing game, the driving, is consistently fun.

Worth checking out if you’re into horror games. While the main story is a bit simplistic, and it is far too easy to overlook a key item resulting in unnecessary time spent back-tracking, White Day has a perfectly terrifying ambiance.

It’s always a shame when a game has such an incredible foundation and never becomes what it should. Fans of LEGO games and of the movie will have fun regardless, because we’re a bit crazy like that. But if you don’t fall in the crazy category, best bet is to wait for the next LEGO game that will hopefully feature this same innovation.

For all of my criticisms, Marvel’s Avengers is still a game I can’t wait to get back to playing. While there’s a lot of work to do, it gets one main thing right: it’s fun to be an Avenger. Crystal Dynamics captured this incredible feeling of being a superhero and distilled it into a digital environment. Combat is deep and nuanced, with far more complexities and character than your traditional superhero brawler. Right now, Marvel’s Avengers is a bit rough around the edges, but “good isn’t a thing you are. It’s a thing you do.” If Crystal Dynamics can smooth performance and squash bugs, as well as build out a more compelling endgame experience, it has a lot of potential to be one of the most memorable and replayable loot brawlers of this generation and next.

There is a lot of love with Soundfall. The music never fails to suck you in to each leve,l and the story and characters are cute. However it’s not all solos and encores, as the level design is rather bland and repetitive and the multiplayer leaves a lot to be desired. If you are in the mood for a dungeon crawler with a nice twist, you have a gem in Soundfall. Just don’t go expecting an overly deep loot system or anything too complex. It’s a rather straight forward game that’s all about getting lost in the sounds, which honestly can be rather nice to do.

City of Light isn’t a disappointing ending by itself, but it’s a ham-fisted conclusion to an unfulfilling take on an overplayed hero.

I can certainly do without these bugs, but they’re not enough of a deterrent to keep me from finishing this fun-filled action adventure. I’m just glad that I discovered the game at all because Shiness: The Lightning Kingdom has managed to fly its virtual airship under the radar until now.

Some strong art direction and great puzzle design helps Max: The Curse of Brotherhood manage to be worth the time of PlayStation 4 owners.

At just $14.99 USD, however, Guns of Icarus Alliance is recommended for those who want a different kind of co-op experience.

Shining Resonance Refrain feels very much like a budget RPG. While it does some things really well such as well-written characters with excellent voice acting and awesome music, there are plenty of things that just don’t really work. Combat is clunky and dull, the sidequests are mostly repetitive, and the game world feels surprisingly small.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus fits right in with the Warhammer 40K universe, and fans of the series would do well to give the game a shot. This is a franchise that is steeped in lore, though knowledge of the story is not a requirement to enjoy the tactical turn-based action on offer here. A few technical hitches keep things from running as well as they should, but there’s nothing game breaking. Alternate endings along with a campaign designed with more missions than time allotted ensure that many gamers will play multiple times, since the game is designed to be played as such. Omnissiah be praised, console Warhammer 40K fans have some weak flesh to upgrade with blessed mechanical augments this summer!

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.

An extremely competent brawler, with a shockingly expansive, albeit slightly disjointed, core campaign. Despite its narrative shortcomings, the moment-to-moment combat is fast paced, visually arresting and extremely entertaining. If you are looking for a fun mindless jaunt to kick off the New Year, look no further.

The campaign is quite lengthy, there is a ton of story to read through, and there’s even essentially choose-your-own-adventure stories inside other characters’ minds. However, the story is very quirky, and although developer Gust attempted to go deeper in characterization, a lot of the drama that unfolds feels at about the high school level.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII undoubtedly has a cult, niche following, as games don’t usually receive that many sequels without such a following. However, this is one niche that is as obscure for newcomers as it is deep, and it’s certainly an instance where real-time strategy simply does not fit on the console with a controller. If you’re a fan of this series, save yourself from grief and pick it up on PC.

Regardless of its question-mark-filled future, Crash Team Rumble is an uncomplicated, yet entertaining multiplayer experience. Crash and the other characters all control well and the core systems are solid, meaning there’s enough here even if you’re not a bandicoot-obsessed fan that knows the difference between Aku Aku and Uka Uka. The appeal doesn’t go far beyond that, though. It’s hard to imagine wanting to sink hundreds of hours into it since the simplicity that makes it approachable keeps it from true greatness. Yet not every game has to become a new obsession, and Crash Team Rumble is content to be just another, if comparatively brief, addition to you and your friend’s game night routine.

Neptunia ReVerse improves a few things from the Vita version, but it ultimately feels like a test of things to come. The fishing minigame is the only real use of the DualSense’s triggers, and while the game’s loading times have been basically erased, that is likely due to the PS5’s SSD speed and little else. It helps when the game’s assets aren’t all that graphically intense to begin with, after all. Neptunia ReVerse plays it safe with a standard JRPG setup for this long-running series, and while it’s something fans of the series will have some fun with, it’s not necessarily a standout title. Neptune has seen better treatment, but she has also seen worse. Thus, fans could hardly go wrong in picking this re-remake up in the near future.

Dreamfall Chapters is an entertaining game that will bring about a satisfying continuation of the long-running series. While it has many of the same trappings that most adventure games suffer from – namely clunky controls and occasionally unintuitive puzzles – this is more than made up for with the game’s story. If you’ve been waiting for the full console release of Dreamfall Chapters to continue your adventures in (and out of) Dreamtime, wait no longer and pick up Dreamfall Chapters as soon as you can.

Shenmue III should have been the final game in this trilogy, all loose ends tied up and (re)vengeance served. Instead, Suzuki-sama hopes to continue Ryo’s story and with little improvement made over the past two decades and I fear that a fourth game will stick to this same stagnant formula. Disappointed as I am with this news, my real hope is that he can pull off a fourth and final game sooner than later. Because as much as I love this series, I’d be lying if I didn’t admit to feeling let down with this revival and worry about ever seeing the end of this tale.

RAGE 2 is a culmination of many gameplay tropes we’ve seen year after year. That isn’t inherently negative, but when it doesn’t do many of them particularly well, it makes you just want to go play better games. Traveling across the map is a slog, the menus are slow and clunky, and there were significant texture issues that broke the immersion for me.

Thief may be a throwback to the early days of stealth games, but this reboot really feels aged and dated. While there is some fun to be had, you will have to sift through a mess of problems to find it.

The sad thing with this series and game, is that there is a great concept here that is hidden under layers of lame puns, bad jokes, and annoying characters.

The addition of various Vita technology adds to gameplay, rather than detracting and feeling forced on you. Yes, the combat is mostly repetitive, and yes, the graphics are nothing to write home about. But with plenty of items to collect and various strategies to try before going into battle, Omega Force has made some significant changes that change up the monotony of battle.

Without the inclusion of basic in-game move lists or character tutorials, Dissidia Final Fantasy NT presents players with a pretty steep barrier to entry and learning curve.

For those who just can’t get enough of futuristic adventure point-and-click games, State of Mind is worth the virtual trip.

Fight for Fortune isn't broken, despite the odd decision to let another game's completion percentage determine your power. As a portable game, it lends itself well to the Vita's on-and-off capability. Still, if you don't like card-battling games, you won't enjoy a second of this, because that's all it is.