Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway isn’t the worst kart racer I’ve ever played, but again, it’s also not the best especially when compared to previous entries in the series. As previously mentioned, Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway is a middle of the road racer in almost every aspect save for its character roster, graphics, and elements like picking three characters to be part of your pit crew.

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.

Flintlock: The Siege of Dawn is a breath of fresh air when it comes to the Souls-lite genre. The challenging combat, unusual lore, and well-crafted environments blend the new with the old in an original way. While the gameplay could be more refined, the game succeeds in making the genre more accessible. The story is rather quick on the draw at the start and the ending trails off suddenly, but the relationship between Nor and Enki is enough to carry the bulk of the narrative. As a first entry, Flintlock is off to a solid start, and I look forward to having more adventures with this unlikely pair.

Darksiders 3 does seem a bit lacking when compared to its series brethren, at least for those who come in with high expectations. Darksiders 3 is recognizably a Darksiders game. However, the game would have benefited from more risk-taking in areas where it chose to play it safe. Nevertheless, Fury’s story is one worth experiencing, especially for long-time fans who are anxious to see how the next chapter of the four horsemen unfurls.

I went into this game really expecting to like it – and I did, for the most part. In the end, I couldn't get past the odd tone and the feeling that it was penned by someone who didn't actually respect the source material, but wanted to write a self-aware parody of it.

Fe's charm is in its concept and its songs, as I learned new songs with different pitches and tones, and learned to communicate with new wildlife. It also has flashes of visual brilliance, thanks to its use of soothing water color landscapes. But a humdrum story, lack of direction, and inconsistent controls didn't leave me wanting an encore.

Ronin has a brilliant concept, but its execution leaves something to be desired. The gameplay demands a level of precision and control that the game doesn't completely deliver.

Fans will most definitely enjoy their time in the VR world of Virtual Rick-ality, but they shouldn’t go in expecting to have their minds totally blown either.

Button City is a pretty decent second outing from the team at Subliminal Games. The fascinating characters and hilarious dialogue make the story really endearing, and it’s all bolstered by the game’s art and music. The minigames are hit or miss, but it’s not enough to ruin an overall joyful experience.

Madden NFL 22 is an upgrade from the last few entries in the series. The new momentum mechanic, addition of Quality/Performance Modes, and some changes to Franchise genuinely make it feel like a step forward. However, the game fails to skirt around some of the same issues that’s held it down for years. A poorly executed Face of the Franchise, and an Ultimate Team mode that’s pretty much more of the same stop the game from being the endzone celebration that it could be.

The clever puzzles and vivid visuals can only do so much to quell the frustration caused by the unfortunate glitches and bugs I encountered throughout the game. However, if you can push through the myriad of technical hiccups, Airhead is a decent puzzle-platformer that simply needs a bit more tuning under the hood.

Rage of the Dragons NEO is a niche within a niche, an odd game with an odd history that appeals to an extremely specific kind of audience. That’s tough for any game, but especially a fighting game that has to compete with the likes of Street Fighter and Guilty Gear. Not having cross-platform play is an additional barrier that seems to already be making online an actual ghost town. That’s unfortunate. But if you’re interested in gaming history, fighting games, and the weird intersections thereof, Rage of the Dragons NEO is really cool. I can see it coming out in-between sets of the bigger titles, a fun side game at local tournaments, or just a cool thing for enthusiasts to satisfy their own curiosity with. The Bleem! IP is also involved somehow, making perhaps even this new version a novel relic of its own.

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.

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.

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.

While the best fitness games are designed for people who play video games, Fitness Boxing 3 feels like it was made for non-gamers who may happen to have a Switch in their home. Sure, it gets you moving, but there’s not much there to make the idea of exercising first thing in the morning remotely appealing.

If you love H.R. Giger, unsettling body horror such as those seen in the works of Junji Ito, or creepy alien experimentation scenes from films like Fire in the Sky, you’ll undoubtedly appreciate Scorn’s overarching concept. Sadly the execution leaves much to be desired, which is a shame as I feel like Scorn could have been a real standout as far as atmospheric horror games go.

Code Vein 2 is here, and it carries on much of the goodness from the original, while expanding into an open world design that becomes even more complex with the layering of time travel and eras set on the same map. It doesn’t hit on every level, but Code Vein 2 is still a solid sequel with a story that pulled me in and made me care, just like the first.

Despite these issues, I still love the game. It’s a brilliant look at what indie games should be, and the unique Don’t Starve-like art style is right up my alley.

I was admittedly surprised with how thoroughly I enjoyed my time with New World. From the freeform character and weapon progression to the resource gathering and faction dynamics, there’s a lot to explore and experience. That said, New World very much feels like an MMO in a very early state. There’s not a ton of Expeditions, there’s no mounts, and there’s an obvious need for balancing with features like Siege. Luckily, MMOs often get better as they age, and if Amazon Games can build upon this great foundation, they’ll have a surefire hit on their hands.

On one hand, Dandara is a perfectly serviceable romp through a series of well-designed and attractive environments; on the other, it's a deliberate yet confusing sidestep of well-established gameplay conventions.

For long-time Pokemon fans, Pokemon Unite will be an enjoyable, if simple, adventure into the world of MOBAs. Even those who are intimately familiar with MOBAs may find Unite’s quick and approachable matches to be a nice palate cleanse. Unfortunately, at launch, it’s limited roster, simplicity, and hidden pay-to-win nature leaves it not being the very best.

Like Fights before it, Knights in Tight Spaces is the kind of game where it's easy to lose track of time. The story will have you reaching for the Skip button by the time you go on your 10th or 20th run, but there's nothing repetitive about the formula, especially as battles get more intense with tougher foes. It turns out that even when the clock is dialed back a few dozen centuries, close quarters fighting is still a grand old time.

Simply telling the story in chronological order would not only make the story flow better, but it would be more effective at giving the illusion of player agency.

Sniper Elite: Resistance is very much worth your time if you have any interest in sniping, exploring maps in occupied France, or feeling like an action hero from WWII movies. The shooting mechanics, both at long-range and in close quarters, are fun and satisfying. There's nothing quite like using the sound of the thunderstorm to mask your sniper shots, or landing several silenced headshots from your pistol in a row. Gathering collectibles, unlocking attachments for your weapons, and finding new and interesting ways to tackle each objective gives Sniper Elite: Resistance a lot of replay value. Add in co-op mode, the Invasion mode, and all-out multiplayer, plus DLC and a season pass, and you'll be spending many hours behind enemy lines. If you're like me, it may just be the best time you've had in a stealth action game since Splinter Cell.

Strayed Lights is ultimately frustrating because there’s a brilliant game lurking somewhere here. Upon finishing the game, I understood the story to be about conquering corruptive behavior and going on a spiritual journey inward, but it’s let down by subpar platforming and gameplay. I would even argue that the game might not have needed combat at all and could have worked better as an explorative adventure instead. Perhaps Embers might consider this for its next project.

Rusty Rabbit is the kind of game that sticks out because you can tell it’s made by people who care about their craft and have ideas they want to dig deep to explore. It’s not just a toy made for empty, vague metrics like fun and enjoyment. There are plenty of those, and those things have their place and value of course. But capital-p Passion Projects like Rusty Rabbit are few and far between, and offer alternatives to the norm that ask the audience to use their brains to engage with media in ways they might not be accustomed to. And there’s still plenty of fun to be had, from exploring dungeons to taking in all the silly rabbit-themed, sci-fi lore and background details that make such an off-kilter premise appealing. At the same time, this game might make you think about what you find important in your own life, or what it might be like to grow up seeing the world differently than people older or younger. This one is gonna stick for a while.

Atomic Heart is undoubtedly one of the best first-person shooter campaigns I’ve played in years. In addition to rock-solid gameplay, the game offers an intriguing mystery and a robust upgrade system. It’s even more impressive when you remember that this is the first game from Developer Mundfish. Outside of controversial themes and a lack of enemy variety, it’s hard to point out any glaring issues with Atomic Heart.

The Last Worker is an underdog story that feels incredibly timely, even more so now than it did a year ago when I first played the game at PAX East. Its themes of corporate corruption and commentary on capitalism are quite sharp, and the game manages to convey all of this without coming off as overly depressing or heavy-handed. Despite some iffy movements on controller, The Last Worker is sure to be one of the year’s best narratives.

The focus on speed and chaos is what ultimately undoes Mario Golf: Super Rush. I would say that when it comes to Mario Golf, slow and steady wins the race, except this game has shown me that racing and golf don't really mix.

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.

The game is undeniably gorgeous and clever, and easy to drop in and out of. The stories and characters are fun to experiment with as well, and Storyteller ultimately does a great job at establishing itself as something wholly unique within the puzzle game space. It’s worth experiencing for the chance to get to see everything that could ever happen in a story — from what goes right, to what goes terribly, terribly wrong.

With all that, what you’re left with is a sort of checklist-style experience. You go to each ooting, fill stuff out, unlock new clothing items and collectibles, and do that over and over again. If you’re the kind of player who finds satisfaction in a low-pressure grind to simply gather a bunch of things until you’re done, that’s the kind of system you’re engaging with here. If you’re a SPYxFAMILY fan and think Anya is insufferably adorable, there’s a lot of fun in simply hanging out with her and snapping photos of her legendarily goofy facial expressions. But if you need a little more substance and goal-oriented action in your games, you won’t really find that here. I found my interest deflating quickly, especially after giving all the minigames their first tries. The game may as well have been over after that point, and any further cravings for this IP were better met firing up Crunchyroll or opening up a book.

The Callisto Protocol is a deeply immersive sci-fi horror experience that firmly grabs you at the start and doesn’t let go. While this immersion shows its cracks during the transition into new areas, it’s not enough to ruin the overall experience. The Callisto Protocol is an impressive first outing for Striking Distance Studios, and the latest entry in the pantheon of excellent sci-fi horror stories.

The smarter sims, sleek customization system, and emotions truly brings The Sims 4 to life. However, even with those impressive features, the game ultimately feels like a incremental step up from The Sims 3.

Resident Evil 0 HD should easily cater to fans of the series, but without the rose-colored glasses of nostalgia, I came away more frustrated than impressed.

How much fun you’ll have in the bleak, frozen landscape depends on how much you are still smitten with mid-90s first-person shooter mechanics. Serious Sam would rather die than apologize for being what he is. Those looking for an evolution or some sort of next step in gameplay design may as well look elsewhere. All encounters in the game play out exactly the same way they have for the last thirty years. You can mix things up with weapon choices, co-op, and difficulty settings, but that’s about it. 2016’s Doom received loads of (justified) praise for finding a way to push this genre forward. Siberian Mayhem is clearly content to keep touring with the hits. While I won’t drag it for being true to itself, only devout followers of the church of Sam need apply.

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.

Bud is adorable, the world is visually stunning, and the game itself enticingly oozes whimsy. But those pure moments of bliss are undercut by Bud’s frustrating controls in a world filled with moments requiring his best precision.

The premise behind Code Name: STEAM is so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but enjoy myself the more I played it. It doesn’t go very far beyond a “there are aliens at this location, get rid of them” type of story, but its gameplay, as brutal as it can be at times, can be rewarding when you figure out just the right combination of squad members to use during missions.

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.

Believe me when I say Terminal Reality's three-volume Blair Witch series is a better use of your time. Or better yet, watch the original found footage classic The Blair Witch Project if you haven't already seen it. It may be hokey, but it's culturally significant – and you may actually walk away a bit shaken.

I like the Tron universe. I’ve been following it since the beginning and have played quite a few games within the IP throughout the decades. Tron: Catalyst’s biggest problem is that it just doesn’t do enough to stand out in the series. The combat and look of the game are boring. The atmosphere and music are detached and out of alignment with the story. The light cycle is fun, but you’re very restrained in where you can use it. And ultimately, while the time loop makes the story and progression more interesting, that arguably worthwhile story is attached to a fairly humdrum action game wearing all of the expected components of the Tron aesthetic.

Killer Klowns From Outer Space: The Game is a detailed asymmetrical horror game that gives a lot of love to its cult classic source material. The weird and wacky nature of the film is a perfect fit for the genre, and the gameplay design gives purpose to just about everything you do. I had frustrations with the locomotion and match length, but it didn’t ruin what was overall an enjoyable multiplayer experience.

Confusion within the mechanics hold Ra Ra Boom back from being an excellent debut from developer Gylee Games, and an excellent example in its genre in its own right. From its punchy, wholehearted aesthetic to its ambitious combat, there was tons of potential here. Unfortunately, while I still had a fun time, that potential wasn't met as I ended up just sticking to the beat ‘em up basics to get through, ignoring the bells and whistles almost entirely after growing tired of wrestling with them.

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 couldn't put aside how clunky the controls feel without a controller or mouse/keyboard.

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.

Wolfenstein: Youngblood feels like a short co-op experience stretched out over a barebones RPG skeleton. It doesn’t feel comfortable in its own skin. It’s too thin in some parts while being bloated and lumpy in others. Whatever it is, I don’t really want to touch it. Ultimately, it’s just a disappointing sidestep in an otherwise fantastic franchise.

This will be a better game once the community goes to work, but I’m not willing to drive my truck over this bridge just yet. 5/10 snapping steel beams.

Deliver Us Mars is a decent narrative adventure, even with a fairly unmemorable story and some dull characters. The puzzles were simple enough and the beautiful environments were enough to make me want to keep going. Some control quirks and unpleasant character models did bog the experience down slightly, however. This game isn't bad to the point that I'd want to blast it into the sun, but it has enough quirks that it never fully reaches the stars like it should.

Thief has its hang-ups, particularly with frustrating loading times and repetitive gameplay that will have players unlocking the same doors over and over again. However, Eidos Montreal has captured the essence of stealth gameplay with their take on Thief.

Song of the Deep has a sweet and appealing core at its center, but small frustrations make it difficult to appreciate those qualities.

As someone who plays a lot of games, it is very rare to question “Why am I doing this?” “Why am I getting platinum trophies?” “Why am I levelling up every sub-class?” “Why am I prestiging?” We do it because it's fun, or satisfying, or because it will reward us in some way. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap had me questioning those rewards and that satisfaction in a very fundamental way. I have leveled up characters, beat hidden bosses, and gotten golden gun skins… But to what end though? So I can do it again? So I can move the boulder ever slightly further up the mountain before it slides back down again? For most games, we do it because the answer is, “It's fun.”...Simply put, the act of playing Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap is not fun enough to abate that existential question from rattling around your head while you play.

Survive the Fall is a fun game that does a lot right, but its rough edges, bugs, and optimization issues also mean it never reaches the heights it could. There are a lot of good ideas here, and patient fans of base management and survival games can find a lot to love. Sadly, that love is not unconditional, and your patience may be tested sometimes while playing.

At its center, it is a hardcore RPG that will reward players that invest in it heavily and it has more than enough value at its lower price. The game’s most significant issues have been addressed with a patch, thankfully, and any that step into the world of Andal is in for a treat.

I walked into Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba - The Hinokami Chronicles without much knowledge on the source material, but the game's approach to its story had some highs and lows. On the one hand, much of the gameplay felt thoroughly average and there wasn't a lot that made me want to keep coming back. However, the presentation did, at the very least, make me interested in the anime. There were a lot of cinematics, maybe too many, but if their purpose was to draw interest to the anime, it did that job well. Not having every fighter out of the box is going to be really frustrating for some players, but if nothing else, experiencing the Demon Slayer story is a pretty fun ride.

Crime O’Clock is an enjoyable throwback to hidden object games, with modern visual and mechanical design elements that eliminate the frustrations of the genre. Its art style and level of detail make each level a visual treat in addition to a challenging puzzle. I look forward to seeing if Bad Seed is able to expand on the experience with additional levels and puzzles down the road.

The entire investigation was worth it and this is an origin worth exploring for any fan of mysteries or the great Sherlock Holmes.

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.

The Devil in Me often subverts your expectations in such a way that diminishes player agency and makes your own choices feel arbitrary. Although its added gameplay features make for a more interactive experience, they hardly break the mold and were poorly executed. Technical issues tarnished the experience overall. The game still relies heavily on QTE-based survival mechanics and does little to set itself apart from its predecessors. What had the potential to be a truly horrific conclusion to The Dark Pictures Anthology amounts to little more than a lackluster thriller with a predictable narrative that opts for shock value and jumpscares over quality.

Times like these I’m glad I get to blindly jump into games like Outcast - A New Beginning. I admit, I’d never give a game like this the time of day if I saw it on a shelf or in a Steam list or whatever. But I urge people out there who like retro sci-fi or classic games in that 90s PC style to give Outcast a shot. It’s charming and silly without being corny, and has a pitch-perfect game feel when it comes to flying around the world and fighting. The storytelling doesn’t hit any home runs, but the sum of the other parts hold the game up regardless. It’s a good time, and bigger, more expensive games could stand to learn a thing or two from it at the end of the day.

Madden NFL 25 isn’t a bad game, it’s just the latest mild variation of the same game I’ve been playing for the past half-decade. I’ve resigned myself to the fact that modern Madden games won’t be better than “just alright” until there’s some sort of major change in the philosophy behind how they’re developed and released, but at least I’ve got College Football to go back to.

Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions marks the franchise's return to gaming after a ten-year hiatus. This action-sports title delivers on the charisma and charm that have become synonymous with the series, despite a middling story. While there are some minor gameplay issues, Tamsoft does a great job at integrating the over-the-top and stylized action into core soccer mechanics. Captain Tsubasa: Rise of New Champions is a more than solid addition to the long list of adaptations of the classic manga.

Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp Complete does a great job at taking the freemium version of the 2017 game and offering a more complete package, albeit at a premium price. For those that never had the joy of setting up camp when it first came out, this could very well be your next mobile game addiction. But for me, there just isn’t enough here to warrant diving back in with the same fervor I did seven years ago. While this collector goblin is glad she’s got all her digital knicknacks stored in-game, it’s time for this tired camper to find a new place to rest.

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.

DICE may have failed to address all of the problems of its predecessor, but it completely re-captured what Mirror’s Edge was all about. Mirror’s Edge Catalyst is a great way to bring new fans–and old fans alike–back into the world of Faith Connors.

Unfortunately, it's tough to center a game's progression around cosmetics when the skater that's being customized looks so bland. Add to that a limited availability of game modes at launch and Roller Champions gets off to a rough start at the track. Fortunately, the core experience is enjoyable enough that it could feasibly pick up some momentum and score some goals down the road.

It's a game that doesn't have the courage to be itself, so it throws every half-baked design idea it has at you instead. Next time, Nintendo, listen to the rabbit: trust your instincts.

I Am Fish can be a delightful and imaginative romp, especially when Bossa Studios gets creative with its level design and world building. Whether players experience that whole world will depend on how much of a tolerance they have for the game's painfully strict physics, which can become enraging, especially when combined with the game's camera. But, even with its issues, Bossa Studios deserves credit for putting something whimsically different together while also combining it with a heartwarming story about fish friendship.

Lone Ruin will test your patience, but let’s all be grateful the arcade action comes without the arcade cost. The “just one more try” gameplay benefits greatly from the snappy load screens and menus, even on the Nintendo Switch version, making it easier to recommend this brutally difficult and magical indie hit from Super Rare Games.

Warhammer: Chaosbane is an absolute treat for fans of the Warhammer universe. If you like dungeon crawlers or Warhammer in general, you should definitely pick this up – especially if you don't have a phone. Be sure to check out the full review above for an exciting look at Warhammer: Chaosbane, which should absolutely be on your radar when it comes to Game of the Year considerations later in 2019.

2024 has been a year so full of RPGs I can’t begin to imagine ever being able to finish all of them. Coming across Harold Halibut in the middle of so many massive, complicated adventures was a breath of fresh air. Just being able to slow down, soak in all the impressive minutia of a world built entirely by hand in an art studio, and wonder about what it was like to construct and digitize, felt like a release. I was able to let go a bit of having control over every piece of a game, and still have a story in front of me that was thoughtful and engaging enough to sit with me well after the credits rolled. Even the parts that felt rough around the edges were refreshing, as they enhanced the very human feelings that are so clearly front and center here. Harold Halibut is the kind of game I discovered by accident, but one I’m grateful to have come across in that way.

Despite its loud style, Shuten Order doesn’t land with the same explosive impact as its predecessors. It has a more tame energy, and seems more interested in being a true mystery story at the expense of Too Kyo Games’ more absurdist tendencies. That stuff is still in there of course, but it’s almost like Shuten Order takes itself a bit more seriously. And there’s something to that train of thought, especially since the biggest boon from its anthology-like structure is a greater emphasis on character development compared to games like Hundred Line or Rain Code. Many of the gameplay gimmicks ring hollow, with generic puzzles and busywork interrupting the stuff you actually care about and threatening to drag the momentum down. I mostly appreciated the novelty of this approach, especially as a fan of short stories as a format. Let’s just do without the slider puzzles next time, please!

As a player, a lot of what’s on the table with The Outlast Trials ain’t for me. The prospect of time investment for a survival horror-style game combined with the Fortnite-style game loop makes my brain hurt. But I understand why it works for the folks who are down, and looking at those sickos having a great time in the Early Access version is a vicarious sort of fun you can have from the critic’s position. I don’t enjoy it, but I “get” it, and being able to see the enjoyment elsewhere helps wrap my head around the game holistically and fill in the blanks. I open this window into my brain for y’all to help explain why a game I won’t be picking back up again still gets a good score!

I would have liked to have seen this game get a more polished release, lessening the grinding and leveling, improving the world-swapping abilities, and adding more things to participate in overall that aren't just hacking through enemies. It's pretty enough, but perhaps it was mainly meant to inhabit the Beyond.

There’s combat and light puzzle-solving, but at its core, High on Life is a narrative sandbox adventure that requires little more than your time and attention. As someone who’s been feeling a little stressed and seasonally depressed lately, I sincerely appreciated that (and the ability to watch Tammy and the T-Rex, that’s also pretty rad).

Bleach Rebirth of Souls makes an excellent first impression, with cool, loud menu UI, amped-up music, and in-game action that looks fast and furious from a distance. But when you actually dive in to learn the game and experience all of its parts, the cracks show rather quickly. The mechanics feel unrefined and poorly balanced, and the story mode has a low budget vibe that betrays the new anime’s energy. Aside from impressive animations and a few distinct ideas, this isn’t the comeback Bleach fans have been hoping for over the last decade.

Although the game is very challenging, and I never made it to the final boss, at no point did I feel that the game was impossible to overcome. Oblitus's dark atmosphere and artwork also offer incentive to soldier on, just to see more of world, even after restarting the game a dozen times over. If you don't mind the Sisyphean struggle, Oblitus is definitely a game worth checking out.

I didn't expect to like this game as much as I do, and I certainly didn't think that a Story Mode would be the biggest selling point for a game known as a mini-game compilation, but here we are. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 is an excellent game with a fabulous soundtrack and fan service for fans of either franchise. The game's Story Mode does a great job of introducing players to all of the mini-games, while also teaching them about the rich history and culture of Tokyo. Sega has done a great job as ambassadors for the city of Tokyo, and the 1964 retro 2D mini-games and events are nostalgia-filled romps that will leave players smiling from ear to ear.

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.

Its third-person perspective and mission design elements make it feel like a relic from fifteen years ago, though it carries modern trimmings that may please those who love unlocking cosmetics and similar items, even if those parts of the game feel weirdly disconnected from the source material.

I just can’t quit Iron Rain. It’s just too addictively fun to give up on and any EDF fan that’s been around long enough is most likely used to these games having a few blemishes. In the case of Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain, in particular, the good definitely outweighs the bad.

The latest installment of Madden NFL makes an attempt to treat the passing of the titular football coach last year with reverence, but EA has instead missed the mark in ways that highlight the compounding systemic problems with the game franchise and the troubling nature of the company's stranglehold on NFL simulation.

You'll come away with a new appreciation for those oft-ignored indies that make their way to the system every so often.

Miasma Chronicles is a fascinating experience that aims for a narrow target and hits it, for the most part. Making a serious, tactical RPG a vehicle for compelling storytelling is a tough proposition because the broad appeal of the latter is often at odds with the brutal vibes of the former. But with its tailored difficulty options, stealth options outside of combat, and, of course, the solid weight of the storytelling itself, Miasma Chronicles succeeds in its mission.

By the end, Deliver At All Costs reminded me of the 2000s, where a good idea wouldn't realize its full potential, but it was still good for a few hours of entertainment. This is a game that would have fit in wonderfully in that era. In that sense, this game does offer a sense of nostalgia, just like its 1950s setting.

Despite some balancing issues and a lack of ambition, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DX still delivers the emotion and challenge that fans new and old will appreciate.

Aside from its robotic hostess, It's Quiz Time is as robust a trivia game as a person can find on the next-gen market. The rich variety of questions makes this a fun game to return to on a regular basis and some of the inventive round types makes this even more fun to play with groups of people. This has the potential to be every bit the fun party game that Buzz! once was, but just remember that the more, the merrier.

It's a boat ride worth taking at least once given the gravity of its narrative.

WWE 2K17's expansive game systems represent possibly the most substantial update to the franchise in years. Most of the changes are small, but they add up to the most fun I've had with a WWE game in years.

Like the three protagonists it features, New Tales From the Borderlands is a hot mess. If you don't take the game too seriously, there's a fun, heartfelt adventure buried somewhere beneath the layers of erratic writing and misplaced humor. It's an oddball romp with a bumbling cast of characters who deserve more substance than they were given. If the original Tales From the Borderlands is ice cream, New Tales From the Borderlands is frozen yogurt. And at the end of the day, even Fran admits that frozen yogurt just isn’t as good.

Despite the issues, bugs, and nitpicks I have with 2022’s take on Kao the Kangaroo, at the end of the day the game is functionally playable, looks gorgeous, and there’s plenty of fun to be had with it especially in regards to platforming and combat.

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

Last Flag's biggest problem, unfortunately, is that it feels limited. Two maps at launch, regardless of how well-designed they are, is an undeniable disappointment. I wish I could have seen the developers go to town on multiple maps, giving them the same detailed treatment that they gave to the game's characters. I wanted to feel the same love for Last Flag that I did for Team Fortress 2 (and its CTF mode) back in the day, but that intangible hook just wasn't there...Still, if you're into Capture the Flag, I wouldn't wave the white flag on Last Flag and its budget price point, because it's certainly a solid debut effort from the Night Street Games crew.

It’s not perfect (and carries many of the warts that are now tropes of the survival genre), but I’ve yet to find myself bored or disillusioned with any part of the experience. Like any game, Conan Exiles is best played with friends (and this game is AMAZING with a group of idiot friends). A battle to the death with 6 naked cannibals and a giant tiger is hands down the best gaming experience I’ve had in 2018.

At its core, Gang Beasts is a lot of fun. Between its wacky physics, creative level design, and copious amounts of character customization options, there's a lot here for groups of friends to enjoy. If the online element pulls itself together, there's enough reason to keep coming back for a few occasional matches and some new laughs. It's worth a try, because the laughs I did have while playing this have been priceless.

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.