Without question, Ninja Gaiden 4 has amazing combat. Yakamo journey will send you head first like a blood-soaked death tornado. Those seeking old school gory action will love it, and its challenge will satisfy long time fans of the series. If you can turn your brain off and enjoy its forgettable story, there is a fun game here. But its lacking in depth for those looking for the next great ninja revenge tale.

Whilst Finding Frankie’s Fall Guys approach to mascot horror is a refreshing time, the overall package is a short horror breeze that will delight fans of the genre but won’t offer much to anyone else. There are some memorable moments, but they’re too far between, and you’re often brought back to a tedious gameplay loop inside a story that doesn’t offer all that much either.

Despite its flaws, Rogue City delivers what most fans of the franchise have been craving: a bloody, explosive throwback to the glory days of action. While it doesn’t do anything exceptionally well and has its fair share of frustrating mechanics, nothing is truly game-breaking. If you’re looking for a game that lets you feel like RoboCop, this is it—just don’t set your expectations too high.

Overall, Disney Speedstorm is a good kart racer. The overly complex in-game economy and lack of Grand Prix or other modes outside of single races may push some gamers away, and I wouldn’t blame them. At its core, this solid kart racer does just enough to make it worth checking out, but it won’t be challenging the title of Mario or Crash any time soon.

Payday 3 is an improvement to a triad and true formula Payday 2 instilled — a formula that keeps you coming back for more. It plays both sides — wanting people to keep stealthy while giving players the option to make it more difficult by going in guns blazing. While I had fun rekindling my love for Wolf, Hoxton, and the gang, it’s just a modernized rehash of the same heist simulator we knew from a decade ago. As good it may be, it suffers from the live-service issue of a lack of content and an uncertain roadmap.

With some smarter storytelling, better stage design, and variety, this could be a 10/10 game, but instead, this falls considerably. It punishes you a lot in the second half of the game, but you won’t forget how much fun it had been up to that point.

Gotham Knights would be a great game, its sandbox approach to exploring Gotham is top-notch and its story keeps you just engaged enough to keep playing. The problem lies in the game’s lackluster combat and endless fighting cycles of beating up the same factions over and over and over with little to no variation to dialogue.

I can’t recommend SteelRising to everyone, especially die-hard Soulsborne fans who relish in a story where the information isn’t spoon-fed to them. I do, however, applaud Spiders for trying to take on the Soulsborne genre. I only wish they had understood that perhaps they took on more than they could chew.

NBA 2k23 is more of the same thing, but refines the formula for fans of more realistic sports gaming. While its microtransactions are obstructive as ever, Jordan’s Challenge is a labor of love for basketball fans. You’ll get to play moments of history with an authentic flair to it thanks to some beautiful old-school filters. And while the graphics are slightly inferior and it lacks The City, last-gen is still a viable option to experience this brushed-up basketball simulation.

Call it my unyielding love for the franchise, but Sega needs to amp up their game if they want to earn my respect back. Sorry Sega, but a few new animated cutscenes I can watch on YouTube for free and a bunch of hackneyed ports of games I’ve purchased dozens of times aren’t enough to justify the price tag. Going back to the song “It Doesn’t Matter,” maybe someone should let Sega know that pride comes before the fall.

Clockwork Aquario is a fascinating piece of arcade history and an enjoyable action platformer. While it may be extremely light on content for today’s standards, this title offers gameplay that takes you back to the 90s in the ways you expect. And, for that reason, it should satisfy your enthusiasm for retro gaming.

While it has its rough edges, Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition is a worthwhile remaster of three classic titles. Its visual overhaul prevents these games from feeling overly dated, and the quality-of-life improvements modernize the experience in a way that meets today’s standards. Sure, its new art style and character models won’t mesh well with everyone, but it may grow on gamers as time goes by. And sure, while these aren’t the “definitive” editions we expected, this is an admirable attempt to introduce three groundbreaking games to a new generation, and I’m glad it exists.

NBA 2K22 is a surprisingly solid perennial release, refining and improving upon troublesome and dull mechanics with a generally more fun, accessible court experience. While its RPG ambitions are admirable, its quest system pales in comparison to the next-gen version. Overall, though, this current-gen version stands firmly on its own, offering a solid suite of modes and sweet basketball simulation.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the video game equivalent to that one kid in class with a sugar rush and an addiction to pixie sticks. Sure, it might be entertaining for a little while, but the more time you spend with it, the more you realize it’s just rambling on aimlessly. Ultimately, with its lack of a clear vision and focus on what makes a game fun, Cold War isn’t going to entertain you for long.

When you strip all of the bells and whistles off of Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate Edition, you are still left with a painfully mediocre fighting game with a horrendous monetization system. Sure the fighting may be fun in short bursts, and the gore factor may be fun eye candy, but this game felt as though it didn’t have any care put into it outside of the basic fighting controls.

NBA 2K21 is a sports title that ticks all the boxes in simulation gameplay but falters tremendously in its plastic progression systems. Virtual Currency puts a stranglehold on your enjoyment, and it plays a big part in upgrading and purchasing in-game stuff. Sure, it might have a decent (albeit short and cliched) story mode, but the ball is in your court as to whether you want to fork out your hard-earned money on microscopic differences. Although, at the end of the day, it seemed like hoop dreams to think anything of substance would be changed. Stick with previous entries or wait for the next-generation version.

Shing! is a beat ’em up with a few good ideas and facets to admire. While many of its ambitions aren’t executed in the best of ways, Shing! serves as a decent distraction with friends. Its four-player cooperation, competent if iffy combat, and polished art style make it an okay journey for its humble several hours of playtime.

Despite some flaws, Twin Breaker: A Sacred Symbols Adventure is a sincere homage to an underrated sub-genre. It captures what made classics like Arkanoid and Breakout beloved while putting its own special spin on the formula. The result is brick-breaking bliss that I would recommend to most lovers of arcade indies.

While a lack of content and online multiplayer bogs it down, this indie succeeds in delivering action-packed matches filled with delights and surprises. When considering its core purpose as a couch-versus revival, PandaBall’s fun factor is as black and white as its featured furry mammals

Bubsy: Paws on Fire! is a game that you may actually find enjoyment out of. Behind its childlike design and mobile-friendly layout is a genuinely challenging platformer. Gameplay may feel stale in a mere hour or two and the death screens may grate your ears every now and then, but it at least provides a challenge and fairly solid gameplay. Am I saying I enjoyed this game? Not really, but I certainly enjoyed it more than I expected I would from such an infamous franchise. It also proved, to me, that the developers are really trying to bring Bubsy back and improve upon him.

Castaway Paradise has a lot of potential to be a fun game. It’s relaxing and satisfying in the same way that some good mobile games and Animal Crossing are. The cycle of completing tasks, rebuilding, and customizing works pretty good. It’s not as in depth as other games of this genre however. And despite all the charm it eventually falls a bit short of being really good.

Rainbow Skies is very much a mixed bag. A delightful mixed bag but a mixed bag nonetheless. It falls short on some things but overall is still a pretty good game.

This game tries to change things up by using fruit as weapons but overall it's a disappointment. The difficulty feels unbalanced, monotony sets in quickly and the tracks don't really feel very inspired. Although there is enough content available, it doesn't compensate for our major complaints.

I enjoyed Through the Woods even though I’m sure there are quite a few people who won’t. This short adventure is driven by a neat narrative and great atmosphere even if the delivery isn’t always perfect and the graphics could use improvement. But the inclusion of Norse lore and interesting creatures made for a game that is very unique in its own right.

It might be worth a play if only just to try something a little different in a world that is getting pretty watered down with rogue-like games.

Killing zeds is a fun way to get in my daily exercise requirements but, more than that, the co-op mode can truly be a blast. If you’re looking for something you don’t have to commit to in order to enjoy yourself for a few minutes, Incursion will do the trick.

For the most part, I really did enjoy my time in Dungeon Rushers. The game is funny, has solid combat, a crafting system, and fully customizable skill tree for the whole party. If you’re looking for something you can just jump in and out of, it’s certainly not a bad game and it’s at its best in bite sized gaming.

If you fancy a good mystery, maybe The Raven Remastered is the right game for you. But if it’s a saucy story you’re looking for, look elsewhere. Although it sounds like a pretty tasty tale to dig into, The Raven Remastered will leave you with more questions than answers.

Tacoma is not going to win any new fans who weren’t already interested in story-heavy adventure games, but if you enjoyed Gone Home, you’re likely going to find Tacoma a pleasant evolution of that narrative style with a few much needed improvements to the interactive aspects of the gameplay.

It’s not going to knock your socks off with its narrative, and it doesn’t have terribly deep gameplay, but it’s a great way to spend an afternoon with your kid, and the kind of game you can let them play without worrying about the content.

This game is rough to look at sometimes but not horrible. And it never took away from the game being entertaining. Unfortunately there isn’t much in the way of replay value and it’s very short.

It’s such a shame to see the state of this franchise in 2018. Dynasty Warriors deserved better than this, and I hope Omega Force gets another shot to do this franchise justice, because this is not how the tales of the Three Kingdoms should end.

If you’re hard up for some old school 2D platforming, and willing to put up with some notable shortcomings, Shiny might do the trick, but this is the kind of game that ends up as a PS Plus freebie sooner or later, and it’s probably best to wait until it does.

Black Mirror has a lot of potential to be a good game with the story. There’s an interesting mystery to uncover that is compelling even if it isn’t real new. That potential is pulled short however by a lot of technical issues that can take away immersion and in some cases, ruin the game entirely.

Alteric probably is going to fall by the wayside when it’s all said and done. Which is a bit unfortunate. It has potential and if you give it a chance it’s a good way to kill a few hours with a challenging platformer if you’re into that kind of thing. There are issues with the controls and some of the level design could use improvement. But if you’re willing to work through all that you’ll find a nice little challenging game that is surprisingly fun. Even if it can be fairly frustrating at times.

It’s simple, fast, brutal and great fun in short bursts, without any of the baggage that comes from other games in the genre. Anyone with $3 in their pocket looking for a challenging platform game in the vein of Super Meat Boy would be remiss in not checking this out.

The shooting is solid, the graphics are fine, the sound design and musical score are acceptable if uninspired, and yet the game is significantly less than the sum of its parts.

It is a good story and is touching. It’s just not going to be for everyone as a game.

Coma: Recut has some good things going for it. It has great atmosphere and a great artstyle and sound design. It even starts out as a pretty decent horror game but unfortunately that only last so long. There isn’t enough variety to keep it fresh and challenging.

If you’re a newcomer to Resident Evil, this is not the place to start. Go with this year’s Resident Evil 7 if you’re looking for something innovative, modern and terrifying. If pure action is what you’re after, the remastered editions of Resident Evil 4 and 5 are much easier recommendations.

It works well and is a generally fun concept to spend time with, but with such a thin number of options available within the game, while fun, it’s hard to imagine most people playing it more than a couple of times.

A perfect example of "woulda, coulda, shoulda." There are so many highlights glinting out from this pile of mediocrity; if only the developers could've tied them all together, then we'd be treated to a more vivid and consistent display.

Amplitude is a bit of a disappointment. It plays well enough and it’s awfully slick-looking, but the lack of a diverse array of songs really puts a damper on the experience.

At the very least, it’s a great experience for the “Star Wars” faithful, and the solid and accessible control cements a production with far-reaching appeal. That appeal may not reach to the core group of gamers that are bound to complain about the lack of depth, customization and overall gameplay innovation, but they’re not the intended demographic. The good certainly outweighs the bad, regardless of your “hardcore” level or personal preferences, but such factors will have a big impact on your enjoyment.

Need for Speed is a fun, accessible racer that’s both aesthetically impressive and technically stable. The always-online requirement means server problems can affect your game and oh yeah, you can’t pause, either. I’m sorry but it just wasn’t necessary.

One Upon Light is a pretty solid effort. It’s found lacking in certain important areas, such as overall pacing, basic control, and general refinement, but its originality and challenge should be applauded.

It offers plenty of foes to strike down with a wide variety of cool attacks, lots of classic characters, and enough ally and party micromanagement to maintain some sense of role-playing and strategy. But the story falls flat, the pacing is off, and above all else, the combat mechanic is inherently flawed.

NBA Live 16 isn’t a very good game but at least the series is moving forward, albeit slowly.

Danganronpa Another Episode: Ultra Despair Girls is oddly named and really, the game lives up to that tone: Odd. But that’s part of the charm and appeal and fans of past entries will quickly embrace this style.

Zombie Army Trilogy is familiar and fun for a short spell. The third game is a good deal better than the first two but for the most part, it’s a ho-hum action blast-fest that doesn’t have enough “oomph” behind it.

The entire package feels flat and featureless. Far fewer pros, courses, and modes, a Career Mode that is ridiculously stripped down, and a general lack of intricacy might leave the die-hard golfer feeling unsatisfied. Still, it’s absolutely awesome that you can fully customize your control scheme, and I hope this feature will remain intact next year.

It just didn’t quite hit the necessary benchmarks for execution and the ultimate realization of the main concept.

Playing co-op is always the best option but even playing alone will put a smile on your face. It's just unfortunate that the game has more problems than you'd typically find in a LEGO adventure, and even more unfortunate that it's biggest drawback is also it's biggest benefit: Playing as a dinosaur is by far the coolest element of the game, but it's also the one part of the game that is most liable to break.

Operation Abyss: New Tokyo Legacy could’ve been a really good game, but it ends up floundering beneath a pile of stats and character management.

It’s just a little too tedious for my taste and it there’s a fine line between unfair and properly unforgiving. Not sure Davis strikes that balance well enough.

For the time being, there are simply too many problems with Ultra Street Fighter IV on PlayStation 4. The input lag is definitely an issue, the technical hang-ups mar an otherwise astounding-looking game, and there aren’t enough new features or additions for hardcore fans to warrant a purchase.

The frame rate isn’t great all the time but it’s mostly functional and the comically dark atmosphere seems to be more attractive. Perhaps it just feels less drab and dreary. At any rate, it’s worth trying if you’ve always loved Bomberman.

It’s sort of like a half-baked idea that had excellent ingredients, but those ingredients weren’t quite assembled correctly and it was removed from the oven too early. And so, the result is sort of edible, but far from tasty.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD has its ups and downs.

Dying Light has its moments. It has a great concept and that concept is executed relatively well, with a few minor drawbacks. I still say the villain seems awfully familiar and the story is just way too predictable, and some of the main missions feature design choices that are definite head-scratchers.

Loadout isn’t a bad game; there just isn’t much to it. If you’re worried about how a PC game translates to the PS4 controller, you’ll be happy to hear there are minimal issues. The control isn’t perfect, though, and despite the better part distribution system, there isn’t much to talk about aside from weapon crafting.

With a wide variety of weapons, equipment and tools, and a well-paced adventure that delivers some quality dungeon-crawling entertainment, Lara Croft and the Temple of Osiris is probably worth playing.

Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is a strange game that might satisfy the anime faithful. The technical elements are mediocre at best (even worse when compared with the best the PlayStation 4 has to offer), the story is absurd, and the gameplay mechanic is original yet flawed.

I realize this seems a bit harsh and others aren't saying the same kinds of things, but they are strolling through poppy fields. In this shortage of JRPGs we are letting anything go, and this game needs serious help rather than free passes. Give it a go only if you really need your Tales on the go.

It needed a bit more time to cook and perhaps more testing, as the game isn’t perfectly stable and those mechanics needed some tweaking. That all being said, I will heartily recommend it to those who love extremely dark auras, and gamers who like a more balanced – albeit less polished – fantasy adventure.

I’ve got no problem with breezy little games designed to give us a breather from those huge open-world extravaganzas that are starting to dominate. I do, however, have a problem with any game that comes across as slipshod and unrefined.

The Evil Within is an example of a great idea that lacks execution. There are scares a-plenty and very often, the fear factor is sky-high. The pacing and variety we see in this adventure are worthy of praise as well, and I appreciate how the atmosphere continually drags you into the experience. But with a decidedly outdated feel, difficulty that too often feels cheap rather than fair, old-fashioned AI and a sub-par camera, one can’t help but be moderately disappointed.

Alien: Isolation desperately tries to give us something fearsome and memorable. But the inconsistent approach leads to periods of tedium thankfully interrupted by flashes of unmitigated terror. If you can revel in the highs and forge through the lows, you should emerge satisfied. If, on the other hand, you’re more sensitive to design, control and mechanical issues, you’ll be a bit harsher on the game.

Natural Doctrine fails in its ambitious attempt to deliver a wonderfully unique, deep, and rewarding turn-based strategy adventure. The foundation is solid but what’s built atop that foundation is a crazy assortment of great individual pieces, but none of them really fit together.

Run Like Hell doesn’t really fly on the Vita. It just feels too much like a mobile game, you know? There’s not a huge amount of content and what’s there is so basic that you start to lose interest after the first half-hour.

The story isn’t as well-written or engaging as the plot of the first game, there are superficial characters tossed in for no reason, and the cutting-and-pasting of previously visited locales isn’t doing us any favors. If you can accept all these drawbacks and indulge in the awesome battle mechanic, well, good for you.

A must for fans of the anime and could very well appeal to any Vita player looking for an Eastern styled action RPG. It's not trying to be much more than a “beat the level, the boss, then advance” game but then that's probably what its fans are looking for.

The Last Tinker: City of Colors is like the nicest kid in school. He’s not the best athlete or student; he’s just nice and because of that, you want to like him. To some extent, you do. But he still isn’t picked first in gym and he doesn’t ace all his tests.

Metrico isn't a bad game. On the one hand, you're immediately captivated by the unique gameplay. On the other, the interface keeps hindering your progression and immersion.

Red has its flaws. The story doesn’t really impress, the combat can be tricky, the locations could’ve been much more interesting, and you can’t fight against a friend. It’s also not the most technically accomplished title you’ll ever play. At the same time, what it offers is a solid fun factor, which you can enjoy even if you’re not a fan of the series.

Sniper Elite III is a step in the right direction. We've still got a ways to go but the improvements here are obvious and appreciated, and greatly enhances the fun factor and general quality.

UFC isn't as polished as it needed to be, but I suppose it'll give avid fans a thrill. There's plenty of content and if you've got the requisite diligence and patience, your training can really pay off. The designers do a good job recreating the tension and invigoration one feels when squaring off against an equally powerful opponent, and the freedom to create and build any fighter you wish is intoxicating. It's just too bad that the control can be extremely difficult to grasp, and the lack of balance concerning the damage inflicted by a strike is disappointing.

It’s too bad that the production isn’t more refined but for what it is, it’s a minor achievement.

Drakengard 3 is sort of an enigma. You should either avoid it like the plague or, if your curiosity has been piqued by this review, you should give it a try.

Mugen Souls Z feels like a rehashed, more tedious version of its predecessor that wasn't really needed.

It really just boils down to one question: Can you ignore the missteps and missed opportunities and simply focus on the entertaining gameplay, or will you be unable to get past those flaws? That’s the key. This is why you’re seeing such a discrepancy of scores. Some people can get past the flaws and enjoy themselves; others can’t. It’s that simple.

It's a good addition to the Vita's lineup of Japanese RPGs for a niche and patient audience.

It's ironic that we get such a lengthy tutorial to start, and then we still have dozens of questions as the game progresses. Then you've got a horrid main character, only mildly intriguing combat mechanics (which could've been very intriguing had they been correctly described and implemented), and a story that, despite its merits, remains juvenile.

I'm disappointed in its lack of cohesiveness in terms of story, its lack of stability and solidarity in terms of technical stuff, and the missed opportunities. At the same time, I never seem to tire of looting the most difficult-to-approach treasure caches, and Garrett is a suitably entertaining character.

It seems somewhat disjointed in that it lacks focus; in short, it tries to be something it’s not far too often. The modern-day theme simply doesn’t work, the story is muddy and hardly involving, and the stealth segments were just a mistake.

The story is just a bunch of barely understandable gibberish, the characters feel tired and overdone, and the “streamlining” of the combat is only the equivalent of dumbing-down. Nothing more.

It’s quick, occasionally rewarding, and if you’ve got a few friends to play with, you can definitely have some fun. The control is fine and despite those technical imperfections, the game flows along relatively well. It’s just largely underwhelming and this free-to-play structure isn’t attractive.

Contrast is aptly named. Its disappointing instability contrasts sharply with its wonderful ambiance and concept, and you’re left feeling somewhat unsatisfied.

The game is fun, and it’s even more fun when playing co-op. It has a boatload of charm. The fighting is fast-paced and occasionally rewarding. But where’s the rest of it? Where’s the robust skill set, the varied combat challenges, the compelling story and character development? We’ve come to expect this and we certainly expect it from a new era of gaming.

Blackgate isn’t the top-tier AAA portable production I was hoping for. The map is borderline useless, the repetition and fetch quests get tiresome, the rewards for diligent exploration aren’t high, and that 2.5D perspective is definitely problematic in certain combat situations. Still, if you’re a big fan of the old-school side-scrolling style of game, and you’re a big Batman fan, you should give Blackgate a whirl.

Killer is Dead has a lot going for it. The foundation is there. But the positives are mired beneath a poor gameplay mechanic that makes even simple control a chore. The story isn’t allowed to shine due to simplistic writing and stereotypical characters, the difficulty can be very erratic, and too many deaths feel cheap and unfair.

The Bureau: XCOM Declassified isn’t a bad game by any stretch, but it fails to live up to its predecessor. It has the aesthetic personality but it doesn’t have the gameplay personality. The control is fine, the music is a fantastic touch, and the fulfillment one feels after a properly executed mission is significant. But the story, despite glimpses of greatness, lets you down, and there’s just a general feeling of monotony that permeates the entire experience.

Do Not Fall can be frustrating, especially during later levels, and I did have a few small issues with the somewhat floaty control. Despite the nice additions, it also feels repetitive, which may be unavoidable. However, there’s lots to like.

Some of the humor is genuinely amusing, the combat can be rewarding at times and what you unlock is pretty damn cool. But beyond that, don’t bother unless you’re a hardcore Deadpool fan.

Remember Me aims high but sadly falls well shy of the intended goal.

There just isn’t enough top-quality goodness here to warrant a $60 purchase because really, one feels as if the developers were restricted. In short, they were too in love with the multiplayer idea.

If you’ve got several friends who loved the first one and you don’t mind terribly repetitious missions, give it a try. There’s just very little improvement or advancement, many of the same issues from the first title still exist, the story is ridiculous and poorly written, the campaign is dull and drawn-out, and the combat is almost as tedious as the mission objectives.

Overall, Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 is better than its predecessor in just about every way possible. It’s just too bad that it needed to be a lot better in order to be considered “good.”