Everspace looks charming, but after 2-3 hours even these beautiful space vistas and intense dogfights will tire you out. Problem is, the whole game is just it: you kill AI enemies and collect their loot.

At first, State of Decay feels like an exciting introduction into a bleak world of zombie apocalypse, but tedious missions, dated graphics and boring characters quickly ruin all the fun.

You can't look at Sid Meier's Civilization VII without tears. I doubt that large-scale DLCs will fix the situation - this building needs to be demolished together with the foundation.

Rise and Fall brings a lot of changes to Civilization 6, both massive and barely noticeable, but, surprisingly, none of them alter the familiar gameplay flow. The Ages, loyalty, and governors are half-baked and barely scratch the surface of their true potential, while still dimwitted AI feels even more feeble-minded because of the new features.

This is a full-fledged, honest to God remake. Some changes to the story will upset hardcore fans, but I think this approach is absolutely justified. Even though this remake is not as amazing as new versions of Resident Evil 2 and Final Fantasy 7, it’s still a worthy update.

MechWarrior 5: Clans feels more arcade than MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries. For example, the AI of opponents is primitive. But more or less serious games about giant walking robots are rare these days, so I played MW 5: Clans in one breath.

Apotheon looks beautiful, but it loses its charm in mere 15 minutes. The beauty can’t save the shoddy game design.

For a game that is almost devoid of gameplay by concept, a boring story is a like a death sentence. Three hours of Clementine’s misadventures boil down to ‘Well, try not to die, okay?”

All systems nominal. But it could have been oh so much better.

This massive Star Wars amusement park spanning nine movies is a perfect way to spend 20-30 minutes before going to bed.

Othercide is low-key but stylish, smart, exciting, even though it doesn't have the budget and technologies of Gears Tactics. It does fall into the same gameplay cracks sometimes, yet, unlike GT, it always keeps you engaged and invested in the fate of your team.

At a first glance, Curse of the Dead Gods offers enough variety and exciting nuance to take a deep dive, but quickly loses steam and devolves into tedious chaos.

An exciting Hollywood-esque interactive adventure with dozens of variables, and definitely the best and biggest game by Quantic Dream that makes it up for their previous failure.

The first half of Indivisible is a somewhat fun romp, the second is pure disappointment.

Stellaris feels like two games of completely different quality. One game offers boring linear stand-offs against a tame AI, the other is an excellent multiplayer platform.

When describing the 3rd episode of the season, In Harm’s Way, I compared Telltale to a maniac who lives to torture his victims. No Going Back only reinforces this impression.

Insurgency: Sandstorm feels like a shoddy HD remaster of the original game rather than a full-fledged sequel, complete with annoying performance drops, popping up textures and bland map design.

The System Shock remake is a boring shooter. It will not surprise old fans and can hardly attract new players.

For the second year in the row, Activision, like a crafty snake oil peddler, pushes ‘a next-gen Call of Duty’ by replacing developers, locations and characters. Goodbye, German cyber-shepherd, orbital kinetic missiles and a crazy Venezuelan dictator. Hello, exoskeletons, holograms and a corporate megalomaniac played by Kevin Spacey. But the glitzy CG cinematics and sweet PR songs hide the stale 10-year old gameplay formula.

Gothic fans will probably feel right at home. Just2D could have truly made a game of its own, but unfortunately the studio chose to resurrect ghosts of the past.

Despite its plain look, Mechanicus offers lots of exciting turn-based battles and many ways to level up your team. Unfortunately, it gets only easier as you progress and eventually turns into a cakewalk, but it's not a deal-breaker.

Observer tells a compelling story about people, their mistakes, and man-made nightmares, but I believe that this narrative could have been better if its creators weren’t spreading themselves thin on genre cliches and cheap jump scares.

Songs of Conquest is sadly just a very carefully crafted clone of HoMM 3.

Ace Combat 7 is definitely not everyone’s cup of tea — even though its impressive single-player campaign is packed with exciting action, the multiplayer part feels like an afterthought, and the quirky story has way too many cliches.

Guardians of Galaxy makes you laugh out loud, and that’s a rare feat. The story and production are so good that they offset its flawed gameplay, especially combat.

When the end titles start rolling, you’ll look back at your journey in disbelief, saying “And this is it? So, those were the puzzles?! Wait, what about the story?”

Battle Chasers: Nightwar took all the familiar elements of Japanese role-playing games, removed the annoying parts like time-consuming grinding and random encounters, and polished the rest.

This is a decent remaster. Star Wars: Dark Forces looks better, and it became more comfortable. The game is worth playing for all fans of Star Wars and the FPS genre in general. And it's not so important which version to play, old or new.

The fourth installment is much closer to the bullseye than previous ones. If only Rebellion hired a decent writer…

With all its attractive graphics, Mutant Year Zero lacks scale to offer exciting tactical options and does very little to flesh out its intriguing post-apocalyptic world.

Chaos on Deponia is not an ideal adventure game, but it is totally worthy of being called a true successor to Monkey Island.

Storytelling-wise, Dead Space 3 falls flat, but it’s an enjoyable action romp -- if you play it with someone. Oh, and it’s definitely not an “quad-A” game – more like a decent B-movie.

I would have never thought that I’d see a game that perfectly captures the spirit of the cult classic Cannon Fodder. The only thing that could have made it better is the destructible environment.

In contrast to Hack ‘n’ Slash and The Magic Circle where you can only break or corrupt the system, Human Resource Machine allows you to create your own algorithms which is much closer to actual programming.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a hybrid of Vampyr and God of War (2018). Unfortunately, there's nothing special about either the detective part of the game or the combat system. The only thing I enjoyed were the stories of residents of New England.

A well-balanced adventure with a bold ending and one really weak link. Still, it is worth 6 hours of your time.

It’s a genuine handheld blockbuster, complete with cool scripted sequences, loud explosions, and surprisingly nice graphics for Vita’s not-so-top-notch hardware.

Bad writing and repeating gameplay bring the overall experience down. You will be collecting shards and activating pillars from beginning to end. With a more polished concept, Unbound could have been so much better.

The developers present Pit People as a ‘turn-based adventure‘. But even this classification does not explain away all the problems of this game.

Hand of Fate is ridiculously easy until the few final stages, and even then it’s not a challenge of your wits or skill, but a simple test of luck.

Duality is the biggest flaw of Dirt 4. Fans of colorful arcade racing games will find it too dull and unforgiving, while hardcore rally enthusiasts continue to enjoy their DiRT Rally and Richard Burns Rally.

Looks like the developers read all the reviews and comments that people had posted about Grid 2 and quickly made an improved version of that game. Their best achievement? Grid is no longer a nerve-wracking experience.

Amid the Ruins gave me hope that The Walking Dead: Season Two may still go out with a bang.

Garden Warfare gives out a weird vibe. It has solid gameplay, cool look and almost no game-breaking bugs, but it doesn’t have a heart. As if even its creators did not care about their project and made it only because the higher management told them to.

There is no better RTS game dedicated to modern military conflicts than Wargame, and this expansion is yet another proof of that.

If the combat system had more depth to it, Samurai Gunn would have been much more enjoyable.

Playing 400 Days is like watching a random scene from a summer action movie – you have no idea who is shooting whom and, what’s more important, why the hell you’re supposed to care for these characters.

Rime is charming enough to warm your heart with its cuteness for a couple of evenings.

Far Cry 5 doesn’t propel the series forward — it just refines all of its elements and relegates the infamous towers to the dustbin of history. So if you‘re allergic to open worlds from Ubisoft, don’t say I didn’t warn you. But if you’re eager to meet new wacky characters, complete dozens of missions and enjoy the sights, welcome to Hope County, sinners!

Annoying glitches, barebones backstory and simplistic painting mechanics do no credit to Eastshade, but still, this is a rare truly charming "walking simulator" as well as a perfect opportunity to visit a faraway land if your vacation is months away.

The story is really good, and it’ll take you about 15 hours to complete all four chapters. The game’s problem lies in the boring, QTE-laden battles, and you can avoid it altogether by downloading official Lone Wolf e-books free of charge onto the platform of your choice. So yeah, just skip the game.

While Darkest Dungeon has more layers of complexity, turn-based combat in Iratus is just as compelling. You have to pay attention to negative effects, preempt potential threats, exploit loopholes in the game’s sophisticated rulebook and build effective combos.

A beautiful world, amazing soundtrack and a fantastic story full of mysteries, touching scenes and emotions.

Every previous expansion tried to change the concept of Battlefield 3’s multiplayer. Each enjoyed a different degree of success, but DICE always kept the game fresh. End Game feels like it was churned out by an Activision studio. The huge maps are a welcome addition, but there’s nothing else to write about.

Deathtrap is definitely worth your time. Though, it is more like a TD-themed expansion to Van Helsing rather than a proper stand-alone game.

The return of Orcs Must Die is a bit awkward. The action is fun and entertaining, but you can clearly see that this series is all out of fresh ideas.

A rare thing happened to Frogwares: the studio had suddenly realized that it was moving in the wrong direction and made a 180. Crimes and Punishments still has some old sores, but overall, this adventure game is entertaining and it does not rely on tired conventions.

A new concept for the Amnesia series works not well. There is a lot of tension, but no real horror and no real fun.

I wish I could have explored the world of Expeditions longer, but the map is not that big, and the story is short. I wasn’t trying to look in every nook and cranny, but did not rush, and the whole campaign took me just 15 hours to beat.

Dying Light 2 cannot manage its massive scale. It tries to put the accent on the narrative, but fails miserably at storytelling, and fills its unusual sandbox with soul-sapping drivel.

Whispers of a Machine is a huge step ahead compared to Kathy Rain and a new look for hand-drawn AGS-based adventure games. Still, there are too many brilliant ideas that remain underdeveloped.

Amplitude still has its work cut out to make Humankind a more welcoming place: improve the balance, fix the second half of the campaign, increase the performance… and release the inevitable DLCs. So, maybe then it will be able to go toe-to-toe with Civilization.

A great improvement over the original Anomaly, but the game still lacks scale. More free expansions, please! Or, better yet, give us a mission editor!

Probably one of the best survival simulators out there. But please ignore the single-player campaign — it’s too shoddy and even less exciting than those simple challenge missions.

A great implementation of the D&D 5th Edition ruleset, Solasta excels at turn-based combat, but falls short at everything else. Dull story, desolate locations, primitive puzzles and one-note side quests are not the hallmarks of an awesome adventure.

“I have this strange feeling of déjà vu…”, utters Van Helsing 5 minutes into the story campaign. Don’t look at the number in the title – this is an expansion pack, not a full-fledged sequel.

Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is based on SnowRunner. Your biggest enemy in this game is not dirt, but terrain. Unfortunately, the game has two big problems: the lack of content and strange mission design.

Still There is like a science fiction book; its story is not that gripping or exciting, but you will get your share of twists and mysteries, and it ends with a very dramatic finale. In fact, I wish there was more narrative text for me to read in addition to the game’s many puzzles.

Do not expect anything breathtaking. Child of Light tells a by-the-numbers fairytale with a predictable twist and an even more predictable ending.

Watch Dogs became a certified hit in its first week of sales, moving more than 4 million copies. It is Ubisoft’s fastest-selling game, and from now on, it is condemned to live in the same milkshed alongside Rayman and Assassin’s Creed. Alas, this record wasn’t set by a smart techno-thriller with a fresh take on social stealth mechanics that had tantalized everyone at E3 2012. Watch Dogs is just a pale shadow of what it could have been.

It’s not a horrible game per se, but there’s absolutely no reason to play it, even if you crave a co-op slasher.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider is doomed to remain in the shadow of its predecessors.

Still Wakes the Deep is a great horror game with an intriguing story, good acting, and intense chase sequences. I recommend it to all fans of the horror genre.

Tales of Graces f Remastered is a good re-release of a game with an extremely weak script. It can be given a chance for the sake of a good role-playing system, but if you want to find something better it won't be hard to find.

Sanctum 2 surpasses the original game in practically everything, and, despite a few design flaws, is very addictive.

The Sealed Play mode is quite cynical in its attempt to squeeze more money from players, but then again, the entire Magic: The Gathering franchise is built on that concept. Plus, Magic 2014 will consume you even if you choose not to pay for additional slots – it is still a brilliant game, after all.

Quantum Conundrum lacks many things that made Portal so entertaining. It never shocks you with amazing possibilities. It doesn't make you head spin with ingenious ways to solve a trite problem. It doesn't force you to look at the problem at a completely different angle. This is just a puzzle about moving boxes from one place to another.

Battlefleet Gothic: Armada is really eager to eat your time, and, since this game is chock-full of micromanagement, it can be too overwhelming at times. It can also be a lot of fun when you play online with actual people, so pick it up if you're looking for fresh multiplayer experiences.

It’s a solid detective story, but gameplay-wise, Frogwares made a mistake by using its previous game, The Sinking City, as a basis for Sherlock Holmes.

Mount & Blade 2 transports us into an endless chaotic world full of events, battles and amazing adventures. At times it feels like a victim of its own complexity — some of the game's intricate systems don’t mesh together or never work as advertised, the economy is flawed, there’s a frightening dearth of conventions… Yet this elaborate medieval world will eat up at least a hundred hours out of your life.

I do not regret the time I spent playing Chimera Squad, but it’s a definite downgrade compared to the excellent XCOM 2: War of the Chosen.

Tales of Zestiria is not a very welcoming game, and feels too bland at times, but if you’re not a JRPG connoisseur, you’ll probably enjoy it.

Avowed is a weak RPG focused on monotonous action. It's hard to take it seriously after the excellent Pillars of Eternity 1 & 2.

Mediocrity in every way. The developers of Kathy Rain should have realized early on that they are unable to create a work of art with interesting supernatural elements and human emotions.

Unlike the remake of Resident Evil 2, this is a simple, straightforward blockbuster, short, colorful, and mindless. As for Resident Evil: Resistance, you will probably quit it after spending half an hour in this boring L4D clone.

When Evolve plays nice and doesn’t annoy you with technical problems, it is kind of fun, provided you play not more than one campaign a day. But, really, you can get the same fun in any decent f2p shooter. Like Team Fortress 2, for example.

Sons of Abraham integrates into the original game so seamlessly that it feels like it has always been there.

A balanced array of tactical options coupled with three-dimensional gameplay creates interesting combat situations, especially in the beginning, before you get tired of playing the same battles again and again.

Once again, Petroglyph produced an RTS that is not good enough to warrant its “From the creators of Command & Conquer” tagline.

Retro looks can only get you so far, and in the case of Xenonauts, the longer you play it, the more annoying things you discover. A primitive leveling up system (there are no classes or special abilities), contrived combat mechanics, a moth-eaten 2D engine that doesn’t know how to rotate or zoom. In the end, the strategic part becomes much more interesting than tactical battles.

It takes a couple of hours to fully realize that ZombiU – not an eerie game, but a rather eerily boring one – is a goner. I hope that Ubisoft will hack the head off this franchise before it turns into ZombiU 2 and starts biting people’s wallets.

Squad management, vigorous combat and expanding Camelot combine into a compelling dark adventure, which forces you to live with the consequences of your missteps (especially when manual saving is turned off). Weak story is an obvious letdown, but don’t let it turn you away.

Dawn of War 3 is a decent enough game, but don't expect any strategic depth, though.

Hard West 2 lives in the same weird supernatural world and displays the same shoddy workmanship as the original game, but lost a lot of variety. One boring playthrough is the limit.

In Toki Tori 2, Two Tribes made a big open world that will take you hours to fully explore. It is a not a laid-back exploration game, though - glitchy AI and time-sensitive puzzles can make up for a very frustrating experience.

But the worst innovation is weapon crafting. Right in the middle of a match. "But it's not going to work!", you'll say. You are absolutely right.

Not the worst imitator of Portal 2 that gets better as the story progresses, but, alas, the moment of magical transformation never comes. You won’t miss much by skipping this game entirely.

Just like in the original game, Beholder 2 offers an impressive variety of options. You decide the best way to climb up the totalitarian ladder, whether by using dirty tricks or honesty. It's a pity that the sequel lacks the urgency and rarely forces you to cut corners or suffer for your kindness.