Even with some annoying free-to-elements that can be very difficult to swallow and take away from the Trials experience a bit, this winds up being a pretty sweet ride that stands out on its own.

If you're aching to go dancing with your favorite Persona characters, Persona 4: Dancing All Night remains the best choice for now. If you want to listen to Persona 3 or Persona 5 songs instead, opt to borrow these games if possible instead of investing in them for now.

Volition knows exactly what the Saints Row series is. It's dumb, enjoyable fun that's not to be taken too seriously. Gat out of Hell certainly fits that criteria and though it's a smaller package this time around, it's still nice to take a short weekend trip to hell. Just don't expect to stay very long.

We can appreciate flashy action and grindhouse exploitation nature of No More Heroes 3 for what it is, but it kept the camera on the boring parts a little long for our liking. Still, if you’re looking to continue the weird assassin adventures of Travis Touchdown, then the chores are also probably worth doing to see how the escapade unfolds.

Iron Harvest presents a fascinating alternate reality of which I’d like to see more. The war is intense, the maps are rather pretty, and the units are an escalating maelstrom of steel and steam from which delightfully concepted war machines come into play. The battles are intense and the deployment of armaments can make one feel giddy in the rush of it as bullets and shells fly and explode. That said, some unfortunate aspects distract from the experience. The game’s increasing technology tree makes cover-based tactics a questionable proposition, the slowness can make downtime between events seem just a bit too long, and multiplayer is a bit too limited. The game is not horribly marred by these drawbacks, but best bear Wojtek can only carry the spirit of Polania so far with the baggage weighing him down.

Crookz is challenging, despite its comedic trappings, and it's easy to get obsessive over it. However, unless leaderboards or pulling off the perfect heist in the lowest time really appeals to you, there's not much reason to replay old missions.

If you're aching to go dancing with your favorite Persona characters, Persona 4: Dancing All Night remains the best choice for now. If you want to listen to Persona 3 or Persona 5 songs instead, opt to borrow these games if possible instead of investing in them for now.

Its complexity can be overwhelming, but once you hit your stride, it's entertaining all the way to the home stretch.

Stratton Studios succeeds in creating a fun Halloween game with Costume Kingdom. The trick-or-treat and costume mechanics are inventive, while the battles heavily lift from the Pokemon formula. The story and world feel a bit shallow, making the overall experience a bit forgettable. Costume Kingdom is a sweet treat to have for the spooky month of October.

This Legend is definitely worth exploring, especially since it’s free to play, which seems like a must today in the overcrowded mobile marketplace.

For the asking price ($14.99), Into the Breach is a pretty good buy if you're into strategy games. However, I don't think it'll convert anyone into falling in love with the genre. The gameplay is tight, but not sophisticated enough to warrant more than a few playthroughs. Once you've unlocked most or all of the squads and tried out the different mechs, it loses it's appeal and doesn't retain that "surviving against all odds" feel that FTL has.

If you managed to endure Trials HD and Trials Evolution and want more where that came from, Trials Fusion will certainly sate your appetite for a next-gen entry. Although the XP system isn't what it could've been, and the new tricks take some getting used to, the community features promise to keep gamers entertained for a long time.

Long story short, Phila Fantasy is cute. It’s a neat, simple action-RPG that sets out to do a few things, and accomplishes them well enough to offer a dozen or so hours of fluffy entertainment. If you like to run around a new world, bonk some monsters, and make some numbers go up, you can do worse. You can probably do a lot better as well, though. If you’re concerned about the limited time you have left on this planet, you might come away from this adventure a little frustrated. But if you’re the type of digital adventurer who likes to dip their toes into everything possible, there’s a nice little chunk of video game to enjoy here. Just don’t expect to find your new favorite this time.

It's a great story wrapped in a more confusing story, some satisfying stealth action, and mechanics that leave me banging my head against the wall. It's Assassin's Creed, warts and all.

WoW Classic targets the original WoW player base, the same player base that’s been playing since the game released in 2004, so if you started playing WoW at later expansions, like Cataclysm, or Mist of Pandaria, it may not hit you with the same nostalgia as so many other WoW veterans. I guess one could argue that the difference between WoW Classic and retail is, simply put, accessibility. What takes hours in WoW Classic, can take 20min or less in retail WoW. Which begs the question, does having a more or less accessible game make for a better or worse experience? This is the question I pose to you the reader. Ponder it and let us know what you think in the comments below.

Heroes 7 has a number of problems that completely ruin the experience.

As far as a dating sim goes, it’s not the worst I’ve seen, and I would go so far as to say the stories of some characters drew me in at times and made me laugh at others, even if some of it was still an eye-rolling level of writing. On the other end, the dog care angle is also enjoyable and raising your furry friend’s stats to make them the best puppo they can be wasn’t a bad time.

I was always going to pick up Amber Isle, so I was very happy to review it. Even though it has a few bugs related to the camera and UI, as well as some progression issues to be worked out, I know I'll be spending a lot more time in my shop crafting items to sell to my dinosaur customers. There’s a lot to like about Amber Isle and the team at Ambertail has tried its best to create a wholesome experience. All of these adorable dinos will be my friend before I’m through here, even the grumpy mayor.

Destroy All Humans! does a really great job of recapturing the spirit of the original. But, in a time where we’ve seen some developers take the originals and expand on them greatly, often adding new features altogether, the remake for Destroy All Humans! feels like it missed the boat. I really feel like the developers could have experimented with new things a bit more and really made the game standout a bit better in the current generation of games. Still, though, if you’re looking for a fun romp through one of the best games of the early 2000s, then Destroy All Humans! hits the spot.

There’s a strong foundation to build on, both from narrative and combat perspectives, and more than that, I just want an excuse to spend more time in Last Epoch.

The technical hiccups aren't the major obstacle for me. I just felt finished with the game after completing the campaign. The simple mission structure didn't compel me to come back. While I'm sure I could get into specializing my character and hooking up with friends to take on the wealth of extra challenges, I was left with the feeling that they'll be largely the same as the ones I've already completed.

I was left satisfied. This is an Infamous game through and through, and I'd like to have seen Sucker Punch venture further from its comfort zone. Still, Second Son holds its own as a fundamentally sound entry that makes great strides in presentation thanks to a new console.

Serious Sam 4 is fun to play – and an even bigger joy if you bring co-op into the mix. If you’re a fan of the series, then you’re going to feel right at home. If you’ve never played a Serious Sam game, then just don’t go into it expecting the same level of narrative as story-driven games, because you aren’t going to find it here.

As it is now, Battle Train is a fun ride, but maybe not everyone should ride these rails just yet.

Despite its limitations, Roll7 should be lauded for putting out such an interesting idea. Rollerdrome feels like a seed that can flourish into something greater. Extreme sports games with this kind of gimmick don't come along often and it's worth strapping on some skates to experience.

Farming Simulator 22 shines the most when it is enjoyed with friends and expanded via mods. Giants Software has made this process easy by implementing add-ons directly into the game, allowing everyone regardless of platform to extend and prolong their farming enjoyment. If you're able to find a way to make a profit, or at least enjoy the struggle to get there, then Farming Simulator 22 should easily find a spot at the top of your game library.

What this game is really about is fan service and I must admit that it succeeds in offering folks up a hefty chunk in that department. Jump Force knows that it’s really for the Shonen Jump fans and if you are a fan there’s plenty to like here. One would probably be better off focusing on the core fighting game aspects though.

Midnight Fight Express offers players the tools to recreate their own John Wick-inspired action scenes while sporting the skins of their enemies. The replayability factor is there for players wanting to achieve S-rank or complete all level challenges. Despite its fluid and engaging combat, it is not likely that I will return to the streets for more.

While I’ve had fun with Bubble Bobble Sugar Dungeons, I don’t think it really succeeds at its own premise. It’s kind of a good time despite itself, with the core of Bubble Bobble’s unique, arcade-flavored gameplay shining through all the weird, clumsy roguelike stuff that doesn’t work well at all. Part of the problem is a bizarre balancing act and poor communication of what your expectations should be, and the other part is how annoying it is to have something inherently repetitive made artificially even more repetitive by making it structurally more punishing. More clarity and intuitive access to the upgrades would have helped a lot, and made especially the earlier hours feel less grindy and arduous. The roguelike stuff just ends up feeling not just tacked on, but limiting as well. But hey, if Sugar Dungeons sparks a craving for the real deal, Bubble Symphony is a perfect pack-in companion to satisfy that sweet tooth.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam can get a bit grindy at times and drag on at certain times, especially the first time where it looks like the game's end is at hand. But there's more than enough masterfully comedic writing to carry the day, between the sight gags, fourth-wall-breaking references, and Luigi's pratfalls.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a worthwhile experience for invested fans of the series. It’s going to give you that stealth and stab gameplay that you’ve enjoyed before, even if it doesn’t build upon it outside of the tools. It’s bookended by exceptional first and third acts, but Ubisoft has again failed to create a detailed and meaningful world that you want to explore beyond its waypoints.

Phantom Breaker's best features are its multiplayer modes, especially the cooperative ones. While it's disappointing that the game doesn't have online play, the chaotic fun of throwing multiple fighters into the mix makes up for it.

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is not just another punching, kicking, and grapple combo adventure with Billy and Jimmy Lee. They brought back a ton of nostalgic features and worked it into a new rogue-lite approach to the franchise.

Where Trials Rising falls off is with its presentation. While the tracks are all unique in appearance and boast expert level design, the visuals on PC felt dated. I’m not looking for realism, but I was disappointed to find low-quality textures and an overall lack of polish. Console players might not share that view, but it was noticeable in my experience.

I had a really good time traveling through the world that has been brought to life within Dragon Quest Builders 2. If you’re looking for a good game that has plenty of content to keep you logging in every day, then this is one title you’ll want to check out.

I had a good time with Part Time UFO for what it was: a quick puzzle game and a good way to kill a few minutes. It's not going to monopolize anybody's time, but the game is competently put together, has a fun premise, and fits great on the Switch. There aren't a lot of failings here outside of the difficulty spike and its simplistic visuals that make it feel closer to a 3DS game. It's just good, clean fun.

Thankfully that slapdash treatment isn't indicative of the game as a whole. The story mode is well put together and serves as a faithful homage to the classic. It's loving to the point of almost fawning, and it feels a little too willing to play it safe at times, but it's an enjoyable nostalgia trip regardless.

I was surprised by how much I ended up enjoying Bulletstorm VR. With how fast the original moved, I thought I was in for a VR version of a town fair teacup ride. Instead, it was a rip-roaring gauntlet, and a refreshing twist on the terrible things I could do to my enemies with whatever weapons and environmental hazards I had at my disposal. The plot is still stuck at 2011, which might be grating for some, as are much of the visuals. However, if your goal is to kick a man into the air and then blow him to bits and pieces like a skeet shoot, Bulletstorm VR just might keep you entertained as an early VR offering in 2024.

Calling Gods Will Be Watching "fun" would be a gross misrepresentation. It's not even an experience that one would necessarily recommend, but it is one worth trying. The game is certainly challenging and engrossing in its way, but I wouldn't necessarily call it fulfilling. More often, the game is almost painful to play, and relief comes when you finally manage to make it through a single scenario.

Wild Bastards has a lot of charm and style, and that’s enough of a hook to want to dive in and see what the game has to offer. Using a sizable roster of characters who are the major differentiators for gameplay as the main motivator to keep going is effective as well. But once you’ve got the Bastards roster filled out and you have combat figured out well enough, that’s about where the buck stops in this sci-fi western. It’s a chaotic and challenging experience, but promises a lot of complexity and nuance that seems bountiful at first, but fizzles a bit given time. Some balancing issues hold it back the most from being truly fulfilling, but there’s a little bit of genre fatigue talking on my part as well. On its own merits, Wild Bastards is ambitious and kinetic, and will definitely put FPS fans’ skills to the test.

The thing about Sand Land is that it’s very confident in itself. It knows what it wants to be, and it achieves its goals effectively, whether those goals are what we think it should be or not. That doesn’t change how the game plays, of course. Stealth is still tedious, and combat is a bit floaty and simple. It does make the presentation stronger, though. Nothing feels half-baked or thrown in just for the sake of chasing a trend, and that confidence gives Sand Land a strong sense of identity that makes it easy to overlook some of its less engaging features…That’s Sand Land in a nutshell, though. It’s a vibes game more than anything else, charming, sometimes surprisingly incisive, and daring enough to be its own thing. That thing isn't always as engaging as it could be, but it's certainly unforgettable.

It doesn’t break new ground in the genre and, apart from a nifty battle with a monster space eel, lacks many standout moments. That said, space action junkies will eat this one up and those with next-gen consoles that are new-game-thirsty could do much worse than this interstellar tale of redemption.

It's fitting, somehow, that a game series so lovingly modeled after a famous B-movie would itself result in a B-tier game. Dead Rising 4 is uneven and less polished than many other games this fall. It's the kind of light, airy game I would have expected earlier in the year, when it wouldn't risk being swallowed up by the holiday season. At its core it's a pulp adventure, with winking witticisms and bloody messes strewn throughout. That makes it, if not entirely memorable, at least a bloody good time that understands the ephemeral nature of camp.

Aftercharge isn’t starting out perfect, but thankfully we live in an age where patches and updates continue to shape an experience well after launch. All that’s needed to grow is an interesting and polished foundation to start with and Aftercharge certainly has that with a lot of charm to boot.

Hauntii has some flaws, but it's short enough with enough unique ideas that I'd say it's worth experiencing. The opening alone is a brilliant example of the type of artistic expression that games are capable of producing. Even if the majority of the rest of the game doesn't quite hit its lofty heights, it's still an enjoyable way to pass a weekend.

Blood of the Werewolf is a pleasant little surprise from Midnight City, a game that's improved greatly since its PC release with a number of touches here and there, along with the additional modes.

I definitely had fun solving a bunch of puzzles, especially ones that involved finding the right visual path through a group of rings, or playing a sort of reverse Minesweeper with black and white squares. Others like hidden objects or hunting for nodes inside a boundary were annoying, but I never felt forced to try them. There’s a lot to like about that idea of zero pressure puzzle-solving. But everything else, like leaping, floating, and gliding around the open world, filling in the skill tree, or deciphering the map and other UI elements, bogged me down. Islands of Insight is a shot at blending together ambitious scale with cozy gaming, and has to try harder than it should to not collapse under its own weight.

This is formulaic BioWare set in a fantasy-fiction story with the feels of a summer movie, and while we think it’s a very well put-together game, we ultimately couldn’t find the oomph that could push it over into greatness.

The Thaumaturge’s biggest problems are a result of trying to do so many different things at once. It’s a juggling act on the best of days, and if you’re a working-class person in 1900s Poland you aren’t having a bunch of great days. Not consistently, anyway. This is a deeply interesting game with a lot of cool imagery, historical storytelling hooks and complex systems that are a blast to engage with. There are a ton of swings, and not every one is a hit. Sometimes the voice acting is wacky, the protagonist feels underdeveloped, and combat can be annoying and burdensome. But I also accidentally stayed up way past my adult, parent bedtime on multiple nights playing it. I feel and probably look like Wiktor after catching a new Salutor, but it was worth it.

Will I come back to LEGO Party! over time? In this case, it’s not up to me, it’s up to the folks I played with. I will say that’s part because these are the people I play party games with, and part because I probably won’t suggest it myself. LEGO Party! is a fine enough virtual board game, and is a particular standout in the ways it uses that LEGO license to the fullest. From the look and feel of the experience to the themes and ideas in minigames, the developers thought of damn near every way you could possibly think to incorporate LEGO into a Mario Party competitor. What holds it back is both how closely it adheres to the Mario Party formula, and how rough and unfriendly the minigames can be from a gameplay perspective, especially for younger or less experienced players. It’s a cute romp, but not all the way there yet.

Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia is certainly the best of the recent Bakugan video game adaptations, though it’s far from a masterpiece. The world is neat, and WayForward does an excellent job with the Bakugan creatures themselves. Battling is solid, as it does a great job at mixing real-time and turn-based elements. It could have greatly benefited from some new Bakugan types for diversity’s sake, or a more unique story. Regardless, Bakugan: Champions of Vestroia will surely satisfy most fans of the franchise.

I love The Dark Crystal, Age of Resistance, and Final Fantasy Tactics, but I can’t help but feel like it falls just slightly short of all of those things. Even so, as a combination of them, it feels like much more than a cash-in on names or styles. There’s definite dedication here, and in the end it comes out feeling far more genuine than dastardly.

There’s magic in Rolling Hills for sure. But it’s a very fleeting magic, and a little more sauce would have made it a much more impactful source of wonder. It was definitely cute, though!

Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts launches with a budget-friendly price but still feels undercooked.

In the end, it's all about bringing the fight and the Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection can throw down with the best of them, making it a worthy challenger.

Aphelion is far from the next classic Don’t Nod game, but fans of the studio will likely have a good enough time with it. The concept and narrative execution are strong here, but so much of it is bogged down by gameplay segments that made me wish I could skip like a cutscene.

If it wasn’t for the tortuous combat I probably would’ve loved Omega 6: The Triangle Stars. It’s weird, it’s funny as heck, and it has ample Nintendo charm despite not being a Nintendo game. It almost feels like the team at WarioWare, Inc. made a whole game instead of a sketchy microgame. But for as much as I enjoyed exploring the world, meeting the goofy characters, and solving puzzles while uncovering the story, the overbearing presence of the worst rock, paper, scissors gauntlet ever made clouded the whole thing. I figured combat would be a silly minigame I’d run into on occasion, but instead it was a massive, unavoidable part of the equation. If Omega 6 was a pure visual novel I would’ve loved it. It’s still neat, but now I just want to read the manga when it comes out in English later this year and never look back.

As a Metroidvania-enjoyer, I largely had a good time with Inayah - Life After Gods. There’s a creative world to explore, some truly impressive art and animation, and the weapons doubling as your door keys and fake sequence-breaking gadgets was awesome. Combat was a real downer, though, and the awkward map and enormous rooms made for some unpleasant backtracking. Even if you don’t end up in a goofy situation like I did, you’ll feel the pace dragging down. It’s probably a good idea to start with the sword.

Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is niche in the fact that Harry Potter fans, specifically those with fond memories of 2003’s Quidditch World Cup, will adore it. It knows exactly who its audience is, and makes sure to serve up Harry Potter references and nostalgia berries on a silver platter. The gameplay foundation is solid, but there just isn’t much done on top of it. The available modes grow generic and the lack of variety or unique challenge caused me to put the broom down and walk away much faster than I was expecting.

LawBreakers has a lot of room for growth, particularly given that the objective-based modes start to feel old and limited over time. In fact, the game design that rewards individual skill above all else makes the lack of any kind of Deathmatch mode feel like a head-scratcher. However, while Boss Key doesn't quite have an instant classic on its hands, there are enough cool ideas like anti-gravity combat in place that there's a sense of a foundation for something truly great.

Mega Man 11 manages to bring our favorite Blue Bomber back into the modern conversation, and the Double Gear system helps tweak the familiar formula into something that feels fresh even in 2018. It may not be the smoothest transition — purists may shun the new mechanics, while unfamiliar players may wonder how the game was ever interesting without them — but the bottom line is that Capcom has found a way to keep Mega Man alive without banking solely on retro gaming nostalgia.

LEGO 2K Drive's solid Story Mode is mainly undone by uneven pacing and the inability to play it online with friends. Add in the game's comprehensive vehicle builder, and it all leads to a solid debut for the 2K/LEGO partnership, even if the microtransactions can feel like stepping on a square LEGO brick.

This is another one of those old school remasters with which part of the fun is simply experiencing it if you haven't already. You won't be seeing Killing Time in any "best of all time" lists, because it simply isn't that. It's rough around the edges, teetering on the bad end of schlocky, and the huge maps make finding your way around exhausting. But at the same time, being a 3DO game so fully committed to its era of FMV gimmicks and the overall strange vibes only a 90s shooter on obscure hardware can provide makes this the perfect subject of earnest digital archaeology. Is Killing Time a banger? Nah, not really. But Killing Time: Resurrected absolutely is.

If you like Mickey Mouse and want to play a fun video game about him, you can do a lot worse than Epic Mickey: Rebrushed! You can also do a lot better, but that would require booting up some old emulators or expensive retro hardware, which is a different kind of thing from having something new(ish) on today’s platforms. Those decaying SNES carts in Mickeyjunk Mountain offer a good hint at what you should try next, though. I enjoyed it quite a bit, even if the way the story doesn't hold up in 2024 due to historical context made things kind of awkward.

Is it another Enter the Gungeon? No, it isn't. But as a quick arcade romp, it's a blast. It shows that even when shifting genres, Dodge Roll knows how to craft a good roguelike and keep players wanting to punish themselves more and more with each run.

Priced at under $20, Dome Keeper will keep you on your toes for several mining sessions. Its cyclical design is simple and executed fairly well, keeping the tension consistent throughout a run. However, upgrades quickly become restrictive in terms of effective builds, and both mining and defense become predictable in subsequent playthroughs. That said, the game has plenty of room for future updates that could help balance things out. Dome Keeper, without taking too many risks, fits simply and innocuously inside the world of the iterative survival genre.

Even though the space ship combat is challenging and fun, I don't think it has a lot of long-term appeal. The supporting strategy elements in Starships are too shallow and there's no cohesive narrative holding things together.

The experience of embodying superheroes is a lot of fun at times, but the lack of variety sets it way back.

It’s a bummer combat feels like such a swing and a miss, because everything else about Fairy Tail 2 feels like an improvement from the first game. It’s a more full and lively-feeling experience, which is crucial for adapting something like a beloved anime series. The playable roster is larger, and a multi-pronged skill tree system allows for lots of customization for each character’s skills and passive abilities. As it stands, fans of Mashima’s fantasy epic will still probably have a good time seeing this version of the story through (and checking out the new epilogue!), but Fairy Tail 2 doesn’t get any closer to must-play status than the previous game, and oddly enough for different reasons.

Asobo Studio has done well to continue the story of Amicia and her brother Hugo in A Plague Tale: Requiem. The narrative excels at exploring Amicia’s internal strife balanced against the need to protect and help her brother. Unfortunately, while the puzzles, lighting, and rat swarming systems are neat, they are weighed down by the tedious stealth sections and clunky controls. Those who enjoyed the first game will likely want to see it through to the end, but those who are new may find the experience lacking.

If you're aching for a familiar and exciting JRPG, there's better to be found out there. While this is a serviceable option, there are plenty other more memorable ones out there.

Despite fumbling at the finish line, Children of Silentown presents an intriguing story that illustrates how fear can cause people to lose sight of what’s important. The puzzles are reasonably challenging and varied, with appealing visuals that help amplify the game’s moody atmosphere. Although the pacing drags in certain areas, Children of Silentown is an enjoyable point-and-click game overall and I would recommend it for both fans of the genre and puzzle game aficionados alike.

Though the experience is hampered by bugs, glitches, and a few design issues, the snappy and moreish combat, the treasure trove of stats and skills, and the delightfully chaotic co-op play make Torchlight 3 a must-have for anyone looking for more ARPG goodness.

If you’re the kind of person out there on the internet reading “Dungeon Core” fiction and cursing EA for its mismanagement of the Dungeon Keeper IP, Meet Your Maker is right up your alley. From spike traps to blocks made entirely of corrosive acid, the level of shenanigans you can put other players through is pretty high. There are kinks for the developers to figure out of course, but there’s enough raw potential here to keep even a frustrated player coming back for more. The foundation is important, and Behavior has really nailed that part. I’d love to see the big, creepy science baby like, change form or something though. Like a disgusting, Gigeresque Digimon or something.

I found Toy Odyssey to be, all in all, an enjoyable little romp evne if it wasn't something I probably would have picked up and played on my own. It still managed to be fun and exciting, with an impressive attention to detail and plenty of reasons to keep coming back, as long as you space out your visits to the toy room by a few days proper.

While Endless Ocean Luminous feels limited as a single player game, it works far better as a communal activity. Whether it's with friends or random players, Luminous is at its best when there are more fish (figuratively and literally) in the sea. There are a few things that hold it back from being truly transcendent, like the limited ocean life animations and the story's overall structure, which is told through all-too-short individual chapters. With that said, Endless Ocean Luminous doesn't make a big splash, but it does feel like a relaxing swim.

Onee Chanbara Origin is a serviceable remake of a couple classic PS2 titles. Developer Tamsoft does a great job giving the games a visual makeover and a much more modern feel. Combat is solid, though a bit basic at times. The experience is also bogged down at times by some performance problems. That aside, and Onee Chanbara is a worthwhile remake of a fun and unique story.

This is still the best professional sports sim you can get on any hardware and if you are a baseball fan that hasn’t played The Show in recent years, this is an experience to look out for. For others who have been waiting years for something new, this one sadly isn’t it. As a PC version of this game eludes us once anew, I will again be hoping that next year is when SIE San Diego opts to redefine video game baseball for the next generation.

Unfortunately, Miitopia's story drags on way too long, given how shallow the narrative feels. There are going to be some frustrating moments where it feels like the end is near, only for party members to get swept away and replaced with new ones that have to start completely from scratch. Still, if you like Nintendo's brand of wholesome humor, Miitopia should be right up your alley. If you have a lot of Mii characters saved up, waiting for an adventure just like this, your moment has arrived.

Still, as a multiplayer romp, WarioWare: Get It Together is a great game to bust out and if you're pressed on time, that's even better! Just don't expect this to be your go-to game for nights in with your buddies.

Anyone that has a previous installment of the game (including any of the ones currently available on the Wii Virtual Console) may find it tough to make the case for an upgrade. Bowser Party is worth a look, though, and is great for playing with kids or adults alike.

As a comeback, EA Sports PGA Tour performs well enough to compete with PGA 2K23 on fairly even footing. The inclusion of all four majors, the solid ball physics, the wider arsenal of shots, and the long list of official courses are impressive, though the presentation can be flat, laggy, and rough. If EA decides to turn this into an annualized sports franchise, the next installment will need to revamp the character creator and rework the user interfaces. Despite the game's flaws, though, I can still see myself casually playing it throughout the year alongside other sports games like MLB The Show 23. It’s been a while since we’ve seen two established developers battle each other within the same sport, and I’m all for it. At the very least, golf games will be made all the better from the competition.

While Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order has some exciting combat and moments of genuinely interesting storytelling and acting, it just falls short of hitting the mark. It borrows heavily from several genres without actually adding anything new to the conversation. That’s not to say it’s bad, it just didn’t leave me wanting to revisit this galaxy.

At launch, Killer Instinct serves as a solid foundation for what could eventually become a good fighting game. More characters and stages are coming down the line, but at launch, the game's limited single and multiplayer modes are glaring and will grow stale quickly.

The Expanse: A Telltale Series is a return to form, though that form is almost out of style. Each of the five episodes takes an average of about two hours to complete if you’re hunting for all of the collectibles, so the amount of content is on the shorter end. But if you’re looking for solid writing and characters that fit well within The Expanse universe, this adventure is another chance to revisit the series and see Camina Drummer be a badass all over again. However, the dated mechanics and the game’s choice to be a prequel impair the effort.

Infamous: First Light is at its best when it's iterating on and riffing on Second Son. In many ways, the abbreviated length of First Light makes it a better bite-sized package. It's more linear and less surprising than fans might expect from the series, but exploring this world as Fetch is just as fun as it ever was.

Zoo Tycoon may have taken a best-of-both-worlds approach, but to my surprise and delight, ends up being more successful as a "game" than a mere family-friendly "experience."

Payday 3 gets most of the important stuff right: the heists offer a nice variety and encourage players to experiment with different systems and mechanics. Customization is deep and will keep players on the hook for dozens and dozens of hours. But it’s hard to overstate the blunder that is the online foundation that this game was built on. It makes Payday 3 needlessly frustrating and was the cause of one of the most severe online game outages I’ve seen in a long time. Payday 2 was a game that grew into a co-op masterpiece in the years following its release, so I’m confident that Payday 3 will only improve as time goes on.

Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is another fascinating new universe from Don’t Nod Entertainment. The studio’s narrative and character design shine through several times throughout the story, but it wasn’t as consistent or compelling as I hoped. The combat was generic and harmless but eventually grew tiresome as it felt like a means to reach the next story beat. Still, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden is a gorgeous game with plenty of meat on its bones, and I hope it’s not the last we see of this world.

Multiplayer, to its credit, does offer more variety. You can play modes like tag or capture the flag, for example, in addition to the sandbox play. These are fun, but feel more like side attractions to the main way to play. And without more built-in motivation to keep engaging with the game, multiplayer doesn’t magically patch that breach in the hull.

If Cladun X3 was tuned just a little differently, it could have been a perfect time-killing grindfest for me. Being able to pick some characters, customize them to my tastes, then take them into little bite-sized dungeons for some numbers-driven dopamine has “good time” written all over it. But having to sit and tinker with the Magic Circles for gains that feel disproportionately small compared to the time I put in, while being quickly outpaced by how fast the dungeons scale up makes the pace feel arduous. I like grinding to a reasonable extent, but what Cladun X3 seems to be asking is a bit too much. I respect the wild level of creativity its customization tools have to offer, but the ways in which this game demands time in exchange for flimsy rewards make it struggle to actually capture my attention.

With intuitive combat, a mostly endearing story, and enough Easter eggs to fill the Gobbledy Gooker's nest, WrestleQuest is a must-play for fans of this great pseudo-sport. For everyone else, think of this RPG as a fine form of entertainment, much like professional wrestling itself.

It's a shame to take great graphics and an interesting premise and ultimately squander them, but that doesn't mean Evan's Remains is absolutely horrible. Given a bit of tweaking it could have been great. As it stands, it's an iniquity you can finish in a couple of hours if you're great at puzzles. Just don't expect to get too engrossed.

If anything, I’m grateful to qomp2 for introducing me to the concept, and eventually to experiencing the first qomp. I can see why that game hit the way it did, and inspired Atari to pick it up and try its own version. It’s a cool subversion of one of gaming’s oldest-standing innovators. But it feels shortsighted to hand the project off to a different set of hands, when the first set is the one that made the magic happen in the first place. And there’s genuine effort here, but the vibes are off, man.

Remarkably, Double Helix has managed to nail down the classic feel of what Strider Hiryu is all about: athleticism, agility, and destroying everything in his path. At the same time, the game modernizes the design into something unique, even if it borrows heavily from the Metroidvania genre.

The controls may be cumbersome, and the pacing may be faulty, but it's a romp worth sticking with. With its superpowered premise, memorable characters, and fascinating gameplay gimmick, The Wonderful 101 is a theatrical blockbuster that's perfect for Wii U.

Beat Slayer is a game that falls short in some areas. I don't think it goes far enough in establishing its unique setting and the characters are just people you want to tune out after a while. With that said, I enjoyed the game on the whole. It's not a game that's good for long sessions, especially if you get particularly far in a run and have that adrenaline balloon get popped to send you back to the very beginning. For short sessions, however, it's got solid enough combat and a strong enough soundtrack to make it worth touring this robot-filled dystopia.

Shadow Warrior 3 lives and dies on how much fun it is to play. Thankfully, the minute-to-minute action is downright delightful, even if the boss encounters maintain the series’ streak of being underwhelming. The shooting, movement, and killing are every bit as good as recent Doom games, even if the whole thing feels derivative. The guns and enemies are wildly inventive and engaging. It is a shame the rest of the experience fails to meet the same standard. I was disappointed at many of the design choices here, particularly the loss of cooperative play and randomized encounters. Die-hard fans and shooter aficionados should pick this up, but most folks would probably find more fun with some different wang online.