Although my journey with The Path of Motus was short, when I put down my controller and went to bed for the evening I was still thinking about the message within. It reminded me of a lot of events in my life that I’d rather forget. Any game, no matter the size and scope, that can drag those dredged up feeling from the hole I buried them in is both a blessing and a curse.

Sacred 3 is by no means a bad game. It’s just not a particularly great game, either. With a linear storyline, no traditional Overworld, and repetitive combat that is too easy to master, there is not much of a challenge to be found here.

This is a cheap game that will entertain those who play it as long as they maintain the right mindset.

Even though it was a short game, The Inner Friend lingers in the back of your brain long after you put the controller down. It’s an emotional journey exploring childhood fears and trauma, and might just have you pulling out your favorite stuffed animal for a reassuring squeeze.

Those expecting the same level of depth and strategy as Valkyria Chronicles will likely end up disappointed by this spin-off. When judged on its own, though, Valkyria Revolution delivers an interesting narrative and some solid, if unspectacular, action. It’s too bad that the game never truly hits a stride, as missions are rarely memorable, and ultimately a lot of interesting ideas never get fully fleshed out.

As far as VR turret shooters go, Gunjack sets the benchmark fairly high. Its lack of a concrete story may be a turn-off for some — it does have its roots in the mobile space — but that feeling of gunning down ships from the comfort of your cockpit is as exhilarating as it is immersive. At the risk of sounding pejorative, CCP’s spinoff can in many ways be likened to VR junk food — short, sweet, and fulfilling in the moment. Just don’t expect a VR experience for the ages.

Its deep and thoughtful explorations into the technicalities of AI are intelligent and surprisingly thought provoking. It’s unfortunately hindered by clunky mechanics and overly complicated puzzles that often border on the obtuse when it comes to the specifics required to finish them.

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.

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.

At first, playing Candleman will be an unsatisfying, slow-paced act of just going through the motions, but if you stick around, you’ll discover some magic by the end.

At its core, Thieves in Time is an average platformer that has some pretty art and that Sly Cooper charm. Fans of the franchise will love it because it’s more Sly, but those looking for something that goes above and beyond will likely be left feeling a bit disappointed.

The mini-games are a fun new addition to the combat system but don’t totally eliminate the repetitive nature of the fights. The memorable cast of characters and kooky storyline helps to keep things fresh but ultimately this isn’t too different from the first Citizens game.

Bus Simulator is honestly more entertaining than I thought it would be. Driving a bus, picking up passengers, and ensuring you give them the correct change may not be as thrilling as traversing planet Pandora in search of loot in Borderlands 3, or surviving Hell on Earth in the upcoming Doom Eternal, but Bus Simulator is an immersive experience that I can see myself revisiting on a rainy day.

For those that miss the ’90s and its truly classic FPS titles, then Gunscape is going to be a real treat.

Playing 8-Bit Hordes then is a bit like walking a tightrope with boredom on one side and frustration on the other. There are occasional moments when the game offers an exciting balance. But most of the time it fails to watch its step.

As an interesting intellectual exploration of the role that word-of-mouth plays in storytelling, Where the Water Tastes Like Wine plays like a proof of concept that never graduated beyond an initial prototyping stage. Sure, it has plenty of narratives to uncover, but ultimately the repetitive, shallow mechanics prevent the experience from meeting its full potential. Despite the best efforts of the excellent visual presentation and voice acting, the net product is a hollow shell of what it could’ve been.

Wreckfest just doesn’t live up to the promise of its name. The destruction is technically impressive, but oddly distancing. It awes with flying debris, but rarely exhilarates.

The balance of symbiotic nature of environment, narrative, and puzzle design means that Obduction constantly feels riveting and natural. It’s a delight to experience a modern game with that classic Cyan design, but the technical issues detract from the experience far too much, even going as far as artificially increasing the time it takes to complete some puzzles. I managed to really enjoy the experience that was crafted, but it wasn’t without a fair amount of annoyance at little optimization problems that make Obduction far from perfect.

Achtung! Cthulhu Tactics has some new ideas, but mostly retreads familiar territory.

The gameplay loop of loot, shoot, and run all feels good, and I’d like to see more story added to the game. Also, it would be great if there were more machines, more weapons, and proper difficulty scaling for players who want to play by themselves. Above all, the world is just too big.

Payday 2 is not a game for people looking for something without flaws, as it currently rests, it is only a shell of the potential it holds.

This Is the Police will most assuredly find an audience. There is a tinge of Tharsis in the way that difficulty is handled – the world is out to get you, and things only get worse as you lose more and more resources. Most people won’t like this approach. But for those of you who enjoy having the odds stacked against them, for that one triumphant run in which luck is finally on your side and you come out of it all bruised, battered, but ultimately victorious, then This Is the Police may be right for you.

Overall, NEO: The World Ends With You is a wonderful homage for fans of the series, in many ways it seems like a remake of The World Ends With You on a bigger screen and a fresh set of faces. However, if you were not a fan of the original game, NEO may come across as lacking in plot and game mechanics; perhaps it is worth a rewind to really appreciate the lore of this franchise.

Road Redemption may be fun for a short period of time, but it’s not something I will find myself going back to play. It’s not a bad game, it just doesn’t stand out among the array of options available.

Atelier Sophie: The Alchemist of the Mysterious Book is a more relaxed entry in the series, and I enjoyed that particular aspect of it. Unfortunately, it’s also becoming clear just how little the series has grown over a whopping 17 entries, a condition likely due to the annual nature of its sequels.

What Layers of Fear lacks in complexity, it more than makes up for with atmosphere. It’s a bizarre and thrilling ride that doesn’t even considering letting up as you traverse a truly broken mind. The concept is incredibly novel and well portrayed, the wellbeing of your limping vessel never coming into debate as he works on his masterpiece. It’s just a shame that, even with all the literary influences, the phenomenal and thought-provoking ambiance isn’t backed up by the writing or voice work that can both feel flat and uninspired more often than not.

For me, I started to get bored with Coconut Dodge: Revitalised after about an hour, mostly because the early stages are really boring. I then took a break and came back to it a couple hours later, getting further than I ever had before, enjoying myself as the difficulty ramped up.

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.