I'm sure Shadowrun Chronicles: Boston Lockdown will eventually get itself together and grow with new features and content. Hopefully, it can overcome its server problems before they drive away its player community. Personally, I want to stay, but this town is making it really hard to.

Super T.I.M.E. Force’s writing can be obnoxious, but the strength of the gameplay conceit carries it through. Making death less punitive puts a unique spin on a staid genre. Using these tools to solve the combat scenarios is a blast, and worth suffering through some of the silliness and frustration.

Freakpocalypse moves the Cyanide & Happiness universe into the gaming sphere much more effectively than its predecessor. Its main story arc of finding a prom date for its hero Coop works well as a narrative thread to hold together all manner of tasteless nonsense. The game is being advertised as the first of a trilogy and has enough to see and interact with to satisfy its core audience. The relatively low price and time investment of around ten hours are inviting, but I suspect the subject matter and confounding frustrations brought on by genre design tropes will put off the general gaming audience at large. Easy to recommend to Cyanide & Happiness fans, but all others should check out the comics before proceeding.

While it offers much of the Persona experience fans will enjoy, such as the deep and challenging combat system, ability to fuse Personas, and unpredictable story, there are still some things fans of the series will certainly miss. The inability to randomly explore your surroundings or to take one of your friends out for a bowl of ramen in order to improve your bond with them is one I missed greatly while playing Persona Q.

Rollers of the Realm, by most respects, is an excellent pinball and RPG hybrid. However, it takes a great amount of skill and no small share of luck to get through it.

What stands out to me is how all of the new elements and tweaked versions of older elements combine together to create something that, in many ways, feels less like a Warriors game and more like a proper Action-RPG. It's almost as if the team had ambitions of moving in that direction, but felt unsure about pulling too far from its roots. Who knows if we'll ever see a third game that will go all-in on that approach, but what we've been given here is a decidedly fun, if flawed, Dragon Quest adventure.

Hakuoki: Edo Blossoms is a great cap to Kyoto Winds, even though the two games being released so far apart and as two packages does tend to cheapen things. It's a little on the short side too, but it's got everything a great visual novel needs and then some. If you're interested in wooing samurai vampire boys or just in the mood for something a little less on the nose than other current visual novels, this should make for a great weekend play. Just make sure you enjoy those vampirism scenes in private, you hear?

The Knightling offers a colorful world, fun characters, some interesting gameplay gimmicks, and a lot of Stuff to Do. The downside is an overall lack of “finish” that makes the more intense gameplay feel unrefined and inconsistent, and an open world structure that doesn’t do much to distinguish itself from peers. It’s a fun, cheerful platformer with plenty of personality and ideas, but perhaps doesn’t achieve all its goals as intended.

Looking at The Star Named EOS as a whole, it’s a good time. The lovely visuals and animations are almost worth the price of admission alone, and the story being such a strong element in contrast with its short length seals the deal. It’s an easy recommendation for fans of puzzle games and quiet, but serious storytelling. That said, the story isn’t remarkable, and often suffers from its own insistence on being a mystery for the first half and some change. EOS is a good time but has things holding it back from being an amazing time. “Solid” is the word of the day here, with a capital S.

Read Only Memories: Type-M translates fantastically to mobile devices, and it's an excellent example of how to create a cyberpunk-influenced adventure game that encompasses the full spectrum of the genre. It has its own road bumps, none of which are related to its mobile status, but overall it's a point-and-click adventure that you won't want to miss, as long as you can tolerate Turing.

Skin Deep is a neat, little game that takes recognizable gameplay conventions from immersive sims and repackages them into something smaller and sillier. Rather than gathering garbage, crafting endlessly, listening to pretentious audio logs and grappling with awkward combat physics in dark corridors, you’re doing similar things but in a framework more like The Three Stooges in colorful boxes with weird, blocky cats everywhere. It’s familiar yet distinct, and legitimately funny despite repeating the same three or so jokes over and over again. Combat’s still fumbly, though, and the parts asking you to do more of that are a buzzkill.

Even though Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars isn’t a “full” game in terms of what it offers and its pricing, it still has lots of potential. The end product is a puzzle game that is easy to play, but difficult to master.

Valiant Hearts may get repetitive at times, and struggles to find its tone, but I'd be hard-pressed to name a game that better explores the complexities of war.

D4 is bizarre. There's no other game out there where you'll find someone playfully tossing a rat in your mouth or strutting around with their lover that also happens to be a mannequin. But underneath all of those quirky story beats is an intriguing mystery, bolstered by a solid use of Kinect.

What we have at the end of the day is a strange, silly game that is a little too sure of itself to stick its landing effectively. It stretches itself too thin to be consistently funny and its story is clumsily told despite its put-on air of poignance. It has its moments though, and for as grumpy as I was by the end I still look back at its early hours with some fondness. Watching a dumpy nerd slide down a muddy hill is pretty funny the first few times; it just doesn’t stay funny as long as Baby Steps wants it to.

I enjoyed my time with Welcome Tour. Just be aware of what you’re getting if you decide to buy yourself a ticket to this, Nintendo’s other museum. It’s not a bad game, it’s just not entirely a game; that, coupled with the higher cost if you want to experience all the program has to offer, results in a product that won’t be for everyone.

However, the biggest downside to Battle League is that there just isn't more to it, because we've seen that Next Level is capable of delivering more. Even if there are DLC characters coming down the road (Daisy fans, I hope you don't think I forgot about you), it won't fix the relatively low number of items, the gimmick-free stadiums, or the lack of substantial unlockables. This package could and should be so much better than what it is.

Pokemon Scarlet and Violet have some excellent ideas that push the franchise in a fresh direction, but they’re unfortunately bogged down by unacceptable performance problems at every single turn. While my biggest problems with the games could theoretically be addressed in future patches, I’m not sure how feasible that is given the capabilities of the Switch’s hardware. That said, there is still a lot to enjoy, but it’s hard imagining that these games will have wide appeal outside of the dedicated Pokemon fans that are willing to put up with the issues and inconvenience.

Every positive–the twisting storyline, the iconic villains, and the superb combat–are undermined by other factors. Mediocre acting, rough dialogue, and overuse of the Batmobile, leave Batman: Arkham Knight that much less cohesive than its predecessors.

Artifact feels like the MOBA of card games, in more ways than one. There's just as much strategy, just as much variety, just as many resources to manage, and it's just as challenging.

Fae Farm is still an enjoyable farming sim where you can easily lose track of time, spending hours crafting items, petting animals, and spelunking in dungeons. The kid-friendly tone of the game makes it easy to recommend for all audiences, though the NPCs and thereby the town of Azoria lack depth. The main quests are more interested in having you explore dungeons than actual farming, and the game has more than several areas that need improvement. Still, despite its flaws, Fae Farm fits cozily among the rest of its farming brethren.

Sega is clearly capable of making a compelling mystery game that could stand in league with the work we see out of studios like Naughty Dog, but that will require a more focused, better-paced approach that Lost Judgement seems eager to avoid.

I had a good time playing Concord. The gunplay feels good, and the match pacing made it easy to jump in and quickly play a couple of games before peacing out. That said, I’m not confident that “just fine” will be enough to survive in the brutal landscape of live-service games in 2024. Concord suffers from a lack of innovation and identity, and I’m curious to see how Firewalk Studios and PlayStation will navigate the path forward.

The game is an easy recommendation for anyone that has been pining for the shoot-’em-up glory days or any fan of arcade-style games. There is a lot of trial and error that is inherent with games of this nature and if rote memorization coupled with some light strategy in weapon choices doesn’t sound like your idea of fun, you might not find it here. There are multiple difficulty modes, however, that add continues and alter some boss patterns. I found the easiest setting offers a fair challenge while still teaching lessons to take into the more demanding difficulties. R-Type Final 2 is a prime example of a competent product that fills a niche perfectly. Even though R-Type Final was meant to be the last game in the franchise, this new sequel proves there’s still some fight left for shmups.

Shadow Complex is a game that demands experiencing at least once. While those who played through multiple times and unlocked every secret the first go-round might not be especially compelled to do it again with such bare-bones revisions, it's a perfect vehicle for first-timers. If you haven't played Shadow Complex before, it's absolutely worth armoring up now.

A Total War Saga: TROY does a good job in retelling the events of the Trojan War by using interesting elements from Greek mythology as well as the Iliad. However, there were times where the controls felt a little stiff, such as troop organization. The game also doesn’t meet its full potential graphically. That said, battles are simplistic to play but difficult to master. Since there are different lead characters to play as, TROY offers plenty of replay value as well as a chance to enjoy some Greek mythology on each run. It's not a perfect game, but fighting the Minotaur is too cool to pass up.

All in all, Night Call sets itself up with an inspired idea and premise. The concept of a man living the simple life as a city taxi driver going through regular life while trying to catch a sinister serial killer is fascinating. When the different systems are firing on all cylinders and you can see the mystery unraveling, it’s a wonder to see. On the down side, the cabbie sim gameplay gets boring and the gameplay loop grows repetitive quickly.

I’m not sure King of Meat has truly captured my interest in order to keep me coming back after my work obligations are over. It’s a cute, welcoming multiplayer action game with a lot of challenges and interesting mechanics. But it also feels like I’ve seen pretty much everything there is to see after a few days of playing. Hopefully with time there will be more variety with post-launch content additions and a robust player content creation suite. I might not be around for it, but I’ll always be grateful for my awesome, new Discord server tag, a sword paired with a simple word: MEAT.

If you're curious about what Final Fantasy would look like as a Souls or Nioh-style action game, Stranger of Paradise is a solid effort. It's just a shame that it's bogged down by its oddball narrative choices and its cumbersome loot system, which makes the total package such a mixed bag. I suppose it's the nature of this chaotic beast.

But when 50 percent of all Pokemon games are remakes and the rest feel like remakes, it just makes me wish my favorite game series would stop dwelling on the past.

A Memoir Blue is over before you know it, so it doesn't quite earn a gold medal. However, for a debut effort, this is a solid outing for Cloisters Interactive, one worth dipping your toes in.

Battlefield 4 doesn't break any molds, but whether you're making your way through the glossed-up campaign or burning scores of hours battling online, there's always a strong underlying sense of anxiety and uncertainty. You simply never feel safe. All the great things you remember about the series like realistic ballistics, balanced vehicles, and solid gunplay are here.

There's a lot that I like about Time on Frog Island conceptually. It heavily encourages exploration, opens the way for players to experiment with items that they find, and allows them to observe weird frog people in their natural habitat. I don't even mind that the game is one giant daisy chain of fetch quests, because at least it looks pretty and new activities gradually open up over the course of the journey...However, there are several aspects of this trading title that didn't sit well with me.

If 2022’s Saints Row had been an open-world game with fewer pawns on the board when it comes to enemy factions, a bit more time to bake in the development oven to iron out the assorted bugs and issues, and a story that doesn’t end up feeling forced and confused in regards to who it’s for, it would have ended up being far more likeable and worth recommending.

It is a Picross game at its core, but Nintendo has found enough ways to integrate the Pokemon mythos that it feels fresh and new. While it's certainly strange that you're essentially penalized for challenging yourself, and the asking price to access all the content may feel too steep, it is a creative take on the classic puzzle type. For Picross devotees or Pokemon fans, it's certainly worth exploring.

While flashy and immediately arresting, it just isn’t that compelling. Being frank, it could have used a bit more drive. As it stands, it's getting a middling driver rating from me.

As far as first tries go, there's plenty to admire with Ascendant Studios' debut effort. Immortals of Aveum offers something to build on, both in terms of its own lore and for this up-and-coming studio as a whole.

When it comes to gameplay and story, it is fair to say that we’ve seen it all before, and usually done better. The main appeal here is to rehash old material with a 4K, leather-and-corduroy-upholstered refresh. If that sounds like a good time, Sackboy is sure to please, but it will leave other PS5 owners wondering when next-gen will actually show up.

Even if it does get monotonous sometimes, I certainly can't fault the originality of the pickpocketing idea. The Big Con is not the kind of adventure game I see every day and credit to Mighty Yell for trying something different. I don't know if it's because I was hoping more would be done with the idea or because the game felt too short, but I ultimately came out of this game wanting something more. Maybe that's just the hunger for a bigger score.

Maybe Hundred Heroes doesn’t have me ready to run outside screaming about miracles, but I’m plenty satisfied and ready to go back and fill in some old, classic JRPG blind spots. Well, after I replay Tierkreis.

Rad Rodgers is a familiar yet satisfying platformer that doesn't always hit all the high notes, but it does so often enough to feel like a hit for anyone looking for a reminder of the way things were when it comes to these kinds of games.

Halo Wars didn't rewrite the RTS playbook, and Halo Wars 2 is unlikely to bring on many converts who weren't convinced by the first attempt. In many ways this is an iterative sequel, with new units and balance, and a handful of additions. The campaign is well-made and the multiplayer shines thanks largely to Blitz Mode. It's a streamlined take on a genre that has faded even more in recent years, but in its own way, Halo Wars 2 is still carrying the flame.

V Rising offers something distinct, and pretty cookie cutter at the same time. It’s a survival game, but with a novel genre blend meant to attract a different kind of audience. There’s a lot of these, but V Rising brings the action-RPG and gothic styles to the table in a way that feels unique. So that’s fun, but the survival and crafting part is about as boilerplate as it gets. Therefore, if you’re the type of person that shrivels up and shrieks at survival game systems like a vampire considering the concept of brunch, V Rising won’t change your mind. But if you can hang with the concept and also enjoy some Diablo-like combat, having those two things together in one game is pretty rad.

The Gunk never really falters at any point during its decidedly short runtime, but also fails to do anything to push itself above a crowded group of peers in the action-platformer genre.

There's a lot of satisfaction that comes out of overcoming Volgarr the Viking 2's intense challenge. It comes with a lot of frustration, so be aware of that going in, but as a throwback to the Blockbuster Video rental era of gaming, this is a fairly mighty effort.

The sequel is definitely stronger than the original, but the improvements are incremental, and I can't help but wonder what a strong game we might have had if Nintendo had combined the best parts of both.

A solid entry in the Riot Forge universe and yet another example of how many interesting flavors League of Legends and the universe of Runeterra have to offer. If you’re looking for something both lighthearted and heartwarming, Song of Nunu will give you something to keep warm on a winter evening.

Much like most people's first efforts with Game Builder Garage, it's a good first effort. It's just not something people will be revisiting after a few weeks pass.

Minecraft Dungeons does provide a level of ease and accessibility and proves to be a fun romp in small doses. However, there are a few sticking points that prevent it from standing out as anything special. By the end, I couldn't help but feel like it was overly simplistic and somewhat restrictive. And that hurts coming from something with the name "Minecraft" on it.

Technical hiccups aside, Layers of Fear wraps up the series in a graphically enhanced package that is easily the best way for players both new and old to experience the franchise.

Even and Dicey’s Journey to save Odd and stop the Queen is well written and presented by the game’s action, music, and narrative, but it feels like there’s also varying degrees of jank just sitting in your periphery. Get past that, and I still feel this is a fairy-tale adventure that deserves a cover-to-cover read.

There could have been a little more done, specifically with the user interface, but the extras that are here make this a fun collection. If you didn't get to experience this handheld era of Castlevania games, maybe take some time to see what you missed.

Marvel’s Deadpool VR doesn’t hit the immersive highs as Batman: Arkham Shadows did last year, but it’s still a fun superhero romp from Oculus Studios. The developers at Twisted Pixel make great use of the Deadpool IP, and there’s no shortage of havoc to wreak if you’re just looking for an action-heavy VR experience.

It's quite the barebones package, despite being an uproarious amount of fun in small doses. Some small control tweaks, additional content, and other changes might make this the best Tempest out of the rest, but for now it's still a great diversion and addition to the series' portfolio.

Even understanding the length it took to create this many, 50 vehicles just doesn’t offer the same variety as competing racing titles do. Considering most people find a handful of particular vehicles they want to continually race with, this may not affect most players, but a wider variety would allow a larger share of players to find just their ideal ride.

For hardcore players, Dungeon of the Endless could be the game that will occupy your time and mind for what seems to be... well... endless ages.

Whether WarioWare: Move It ends up on your shelf is going to depend on how much you like motion controls. Those looking for a more traditional, button-based affair will want to stick with WarioWare: Get It Together. Those who want to enjoy a more physical activity that takes advantage of the Joy-Con controller's capabilities in a party setting will want to veer more in this direction. The Story Mode's samey structure and frenetic frustrations might turn a few players off, but the Party Mode rarely misses.

Despite issues with the game's engine, Goat Simulator 3 is going to go down as a guilty pleasure. It's relaxing in all the ways the original game was and a fun reminder that gaming doesn't always have to take itself so seriously.

Rhythm Psychosis is a heck of an experience that, depending on how much you know about this stuff going in, can be a window into an unfamiliar world, a push down a rabbit hole you had no previous plans to enter. And that’s fascinating, and a cool central theme to wrap a whole music game around. Combine that with some brilliant localization for what had to be some mind-boggling source material, an admittedly strange but catchy soundtrack, solid enough rhythm gameplay (think DJMAX but a bit simpler), and some storytelling chops unafraid to tackle dark material in an empathetic way, and you have a deranged feast of a game to sift through. That said, having to grind out levels far beyond what the tracklist can reasonably support just to finish the story is criminal. Yunyun Syndrome’s momentum plunges off a cliff about halfway through, and that’s a real shame considering how much energy it has out of the gate. I feel like I’ve wasted hours of my life on this game despite loving it at first, and that’s a sense of conflict I wish I didn’t have to contend with.

It's a solid entry to the series, but it has its issues beyond its slow-paced story. There are some noticeable performance issues, especially as the screen fills up with more and more enemies and effects. Operation Galuga has a tremendous soundtrack comprised of original tracks that pay homage to the quintessential Contra songs of yesteryear, but there were multiple instances where I hit a glitch that left the background music muted. Operation Galuga is certainly Contra, but it can have its janky moments. Still, it's a welcome entry to the series and shows that the Contra series still packs a lot of firepower.

It's not the greatest concert you'll ever witness, but Persona 4: Dancing All Night gives a solid performance, one that does its catchy soundtrack proud.

What the Car? was a nice, little moment of silliness in a packed summer, full of games that have demanded a lot of time and energy. It made my hardened critic's face crack a smile multiple times, even if it had just annoyed me moments before. I’m not ready to turn all the way around and start banging the “wiggly game” drums just yet, but it was nice to know there’s still hope out there for this particular brand of video game foolishness.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time with Gestalt: Steam & Cinder! It has a story that left me a little frustrated by the end, but the way there was full of good mechanical writing, solid character development, and a healthy amount of proper noun-led mystery world-building. The top-shelf visual quality cannot be understated, with incredibly detailed and well-animated 2D art that can hang with the classics easily. And while combat was the messiest part, there was still fun to be had running around the world, fighting weird enemies and using skills and combos powered by cool animations. I would definitely keep paying attention to Metamorphosis Games, especially if there’s more stories to come from this world in particular.

When a game like Lost Records: Bloom & Rage shows such potential, I feel a grander sense of disappointment when it doesn't stick the landing. The game's characters aren't going to be everybody's cup of tea, because they can be over-the-top at times, but their love and friendship made me fall for them despite their imperfections. The refinements in the formula that began with Life is Strange ten years ago make this story resonate more, because you gain a more intimate insight into everybody's mindset.

When you think about it, that’s kind of the inherent pro and con to puzzles, though. Paper Trail benefits a lot from its distinct mechanics, because they help it stand out among a sea of similar games with similar gameplay hooks. But distinct doesn’t always mean approachable, and Paper Trail ends up being quite complex in a lot of ways that could be awesome for one player and super obstructive to another. And that’s fine! The style, which includes the colorful visuals, silly sound direction, genuine writing, and emotive music, all elevate the experience and aid in that sense of approachability. It’s a little too much for me, but I’m mostly a Tetris guy at the end of the day.

Endless Legend is a gorgeous game, with a unique take on 4X strategy, and a tremendous amount of potential. Its interface and diplomacy systems could use a bit of improvement, but the tactical combat and decision-based campaign help make up for it.

Sorcerer King has a lot of great ideas, but they don't necessarily come together well. Level progression is slow, so losing experienced soldiers is extremely painful. Oftentimes, the game has you wandering the world, trying to complete a vague quest, and hoping that it will bring you closer to defeating the King.

Destiny: Rise of Iron is a solid expansion to Bungie’s shoot and loot universe. While the campaign itself did feel a bit short, and the plot felt like it was paced too quickly, the new enemies, restructuring of old strikes, and the new raid all make up for the expansion’s short comings.

The best thing I can say about Paper Mario: The Origami King is that it has some major problems, but the story is great enough and so worth experiencing that it's worth trudging through the negatives to experience it at least once. Like a lot of first-time origami projects, it starts rough, but it's worth seeing through to the end.

Traverser provides a sweet experience, but doesn't provide a challenge compelling enough to return to.

Concrete Genie feels like a satisfying story, even if it does clock in at only four or five hours for the main story. For a value-priced game, that still feels rather short. However, between all of the pages that Ash can grab to add to his sketchbook, there are hundreds of different artistic combinations to bring out. And I will say that Pixelopus largely makes the most of the time given, with multiple art styles and a relatable lead character in Ash. It's not a masterpiece, but Concrete Genie is still a fine piece of art.

Some surprising quality-of-life additions, like the simultaneous Doominate prompts, add to an already solid package in that area. Plus, it's always easy and fun to dive into games as an audience member. The Jackbox Party Pack 11 may not go down as Jackbox Games' best overall package, but the effort to mix up the party themes is at least appreciated.

WRC 10 FIA World Rally Championship is a solid all-around experience built on a reliable foundation. Rally fans will find no shortage of things to do across the mountain of content included on Day 1 (plus new cars and rallies planned for post-launch release). If you are new to all of this, the package is very compelling, but most of it will be old news for those who spent any amount of time in WRC8 or WRC 9. While it's more than the cliched roster update and higher number in the title, the criticism carries some validity.

EA Sports UFC may not be as fully fleshed out as UFC Undisputed 3 was, but it's a splendid starting point for what could be a powerhouse franchise for the team. The gameplay dials most of the right numbers, even with the simplified ground game, and the presentation nails the sport's authenticity, right down to that painful tap-out.

Destiny 2 proves that the journey is more rewarding than the destination. Sure, I'll pick up duplicate or useless loot, but at least I had a good time along the way. And honestly, it's the kind of good time I could see myself having for a long time.

Unfortunately, what might have looked like a fine jewel in the glint from your flashlight is really just a shiny piece of glass that leaves a lot to be desired. If you want a fairly mindless RPG experience that offers some different weapons and gear to mess around with, then Godfall will give you at least a few hours of fun.

Ultimately I enjoyed my time with Spirit Swap: Lofi Beats to Match-3 To, due to its colorful visuals, relaxing soundtrack from Meltycanon, and familiar puzzle gameplay. But the overall experience feels just a little too breezy to make a lasting impact. The writing is cute but shallow, and the puzzle action feels like it’s barely interested in being there. The vibes are pleasant, but I feel like I’m left wanting for more substance. A little more pizazz to the gameplay or depth to the storytelling, and we’d have something special here.

If you’re coming in from the first game, and you liked that one, we have great news: Demon Slayer - The Hinokami Chronicles 2 is basically the same kind of experience, with some small but meaningful improvements. Plus, Training Paths is an excellent new mode that gives you something to do if you aren’t interested in multiplayer. The story mode still has a lot of padding that isn’t fun or interesting to engage with though, albeit operating at a brisker pace. Newcomers can expect an exciting adaptation of the anime relative to other games of its kind, and a shallow, but thrilling combat system that’s more interested in spectacle than challenge or raw skill. CyberConnect2 knows how to make an anime look rad and play well, and at the end of the day, that’s the assignment.

For a surprise, low-cost look into Rayman history, Rayman 30th Anniversary Edition is a neat little treat. But it

People of Note has lot of heart. However muddied its story might be, I can't say that it doesn't have charm. Its turn-based battles are some of the best I've seen in an RPG in a long time, making the most of its musical motif. Plus, the musical performances go a long way toward making this game more memorable than it would have been without them. I wouldn't say it's worthy of topping the Billboard charts, but it's certainly worth a few plays.

Tropical Freeze isn't perfect by any means, but having run through it a second time, I feel like it's aged well in the last four years. The challenge can be soul-crushing, but it's satisfying to finally make it across that one jump or beat that one boss. There are enough tools available to make the journey a little bit easier this time around, but not so much to completely diminish the challenge outright.

While I wish the combat had undergone more dramatic changes, better combos do help it inch its way towards a more naturalistic feel, and the achievement of combining it with a flexible platforming engine makes any omissions pretty forgivable.

Unravel's strengths lie more in its heart-warming story than offering compelling gameplay. Even though there are some thought-provoking puzzles, they’re few and far between. There’s no doubt Yarny is quite the adorable little mascot who has good intentions, but a video game can’t succeed on good intentions alone.

If you've got time to spare, Planetfall has more than enough intricacy to keep you occupied, but if you're someone without a lot of free time, the game's demanding pace, meandering tasks, and compulsory conflicts will prove to be more frustrating than entertaining.

Soundfall does quite a few things right. Its loot and shoot design set to a lot of good music is commendable. The tracks included in the game are of a wide variety and even if you get through the entire game, the ability to play levels to your own favorite music is pretty great (on PC). The problem is… Soundfall’s gear and enemies just aren’t all that compelling. The music and rhythmic gameplay are good enough to carry a lot of this game, but I can’t help but wish it had a more rewarding variety of gear to look forward to and enemies that didn’t quickly end up feeling like repetitive drones. Even so, if you can get down with a good rhythm action game alone or with friends, Soundfall might be worth it whether you play to its soundtrack or bring your own.

Genesis Noir is a very curious game, and mostly in a good way. The cosmic nature of its narrative is tied down interestingly in its humanized elements and the animation and music do a good job of giving every moment life and charm, even if it can sometimes get confusing. It’s not a long game, and some of its stretches are a bit too simplistic for their own good, but Genesis Noir also features a lot of creativity in prominent portions of its puzzles and progression. If you enjoy a good point-and-click adventure and don’t mind a game that just wants a moment to share its bombastic narrative of cosmic creation and love, Genesis Noir might very well be narrative worth your time and interest.

Auto-runners may be a dime a dozen on the App Store, but Fiesta Run is simple, satisfying, and gorgeous to look at.

Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog is a remarkable tribute to PC-98 visual novels and hard sci-fi anime of a specific vintage. The visuals are pitch-perfect with multiple settings that offer different vibes, and the soundtrack is a complex beast of speaker-straining chiptunes that enhances the mood even further. But this is a severe case of style over substance, and the storytelling does not deliver on the promises being made by Gun-Dog’s immaculate presentation. I had a decent time but walked away massively disappointed, feeling like I had been tricked into watching a Disney Star Wars spinoff by someone promising the next Armored Trooper VOTOMS. I’d be totally willing to check out what’s next from this team, but with massively tempered expectations.

The fact that a handful of game modes and features aren't ready for consumer use feels frustrating, especially since the quality of those inclusions can't be judged until they make it into the game. Battle Lounges, Online Lobbies, and Spectator modes could be awesome, but right now, nobody can say for sure.

There’s a lot going on in Dying Light 2 Stay Human. The story that’s presented is moreish, despite having predictable beats and clichés. Its movement is sleek and fast when it’s working but often stumbles over itself. The combat has glimpses of greatness but can wind up feeling a bit average. Overall, each element taken by itself has potential but when mixed together dilutes what could be a rich experience. Though there are moments of joy to be found, they’re punctuated by fetch quests and odd collision detection. Fans of the original will no doubt find fun in a return to the world, but for everyone else, you might want to wait a bit longer before you take a bite.

Ubisoft Toronto's flexible approach succeeds in catering to both fans new and old. A strong co-op mode and the addition of both classic and a fully modernized Spies vs. Mercs makes Blacklist worthy of holding the Splinter Cell name.

While a little rough around the edges in some ways, I had a blast with Don’t Stop, Girlypop! all the way through. It was nice and refreshing to play a shooter that wasn’t about ripping and tearing or doing weird military propaganda with bizarre concoctions of hyperrealism and Fortnite seeping out of monied crevices like bleeding gums. Instead, I bedazzled my shotgun like a true Y2K sicko without being asked for a single dollar. Some mechanics were a little funky, and the absurd (complimentary) flip phone dialogue segments were plagued with wooden acting, but the moment to moment chaos was a hearty dose of arcade-style energy disguised as an arena shooter.

When mixed with the camera’s specific framing the low-res polygonal visual design and clear progression delineation, Virginia is a marvel of sight and sound.

The Witness is an intentionally simple game to grasp, but enjoyment almost feels proportional to patience. These puzzles are absolute brain-breakers, so anyone that doesn't have the patience for them will get no enjoyment out of The Witness. I was certainly on the verge of being one of those people, but exploring the sheer beauty of the island and learning more about its central mystery turned out to make returning worthwhile.

Between the middling voice acting undermining the story, the barely-there puzzles, and the sterility of the visuals, it feels like the magic of adventure games on Nintendo’s older, gimmicky hardware hasn’t been recaptured. But I still had a great time taking it all in. Weird, huh? That’s what being a history nerd feels like.

Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris feels like a run-of-the-mill JRPG, done in the style of SAO. Not ever did I think the game was downright bad or poorly made, but rarely was I taken or impressed by anything going on from a story or gameplay perspective. The game would have benefited greatly from leaning more into the online/MMO universe that it’s based on. However, fans of the anime and manga will surely still find some enjoyment with the latest adaptation of Sword Art Online.

Once you get a feel for the game, Cities: Skylines can be quite satisfying and fun to play. But getting there can feel like trying to build a house without blueprints and only a vague idea of how to use each tool.

I really like the overall style of Gundam Evolution. The maps are neat and the mobile suits are a decent starting lineup, even if I don’t like some of the omissions from throughout the franchise in both the roster and cosmetic options. There’s also the fact that some of these mobile suits just feel straight-up overpowered compared to certain other niche options in team comp. That said, as a live-service free-to-play game, I’ve never had an issue finding a match in Gundam Evolution and it looks like the groundwork is here for some good improvements, additions, and balancing over time. I also really enjoyed matches where my team worked together well, win or lose. If you like Gundam and you like Overwatch, there’s no reason to pass Gundam Evolution by. Just be mindful that you might get demolished in the early running as Bandai Namco balances and adds to the game.