I have the patience to play the game and hope for that potential to be realized, but the unbalanced kickoff and silly decisions like attaching hosting duty to masterminds is not something I expect many people to weather for long. Resident Evil Resistance could be so much more with what it has on the surface, but what’s under the hood needs some thoughtful tweaking if Resistance is indeed a cause worth fighting for.

FBC: Firebreak is an impressive multiplayer take on the Control universe. Each Job is cleverly designed to make the most of the game’s various playstyles, while also enjoying a steep amount of replayability thanks to Job customization. It’s a multiplayer game that can give you chill, casual vibes and intense, challenging gameplay; it’s all about what you want to get out of it.

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.

It's a shame, because Forspoken's terrible story and its unlikable main character largely bog down what's otherwise a competent action RPG. There's a foundation for something good here, but it sadly doesn't realize that potential.

Unless you’re a mad fan of Vampire: The Masquerade, and need to absorb every piece of literature about the universe, this will be a disappointing experience. While the artwork is rich and the music moody, the writing – the game’s backbone and its entire selling point – is weak. Even fans will likely find this a shallow read where decisions rarely feel like they have any significant weight. Give this one a miss.

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.

It looks and plays like it is far from ready for wide release, even for your typical early access title. The bad part is that Summer in Mara is not marked as early access, so I don’t think I can be forgiving of its half-baked mechanics, presentation, or UI. 5/10 underwater chests.

The visuals are crisp, the music is great, and there's a wide variety of things to do, but unfortunately it veers too far into freemium territory to elevate it above other, extremely similar titles.

Ultimately, there are better options out there for those itching for a hunting game fix. Hunting Simulator 2 earns points for its selection of licensed firearms and novel hunting companion system, but little else. The whole experience feels unfinished and the lack of attention to detail works to undermine the genuinely good traits it has. 4/10 sad duck calls.

I enjoyed Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India, but it wasn't different enough from China to suggest that playing both is a necessity. If Russia is similarly indistinct, I'd have to recommend players simply pick the country that interests them the most.

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl simply feels like a barebones platform fighter. Combat is pretty decent, but there’s just so little surrounding it. The game’s greatest sin is how little it leans into the over-the-top zaniness that is Nickelodeon and its extensive history of memorable characters and moments. It lacks identity while being based on some of the most unique entertainment properties of the past few decades.

The Angler has a lot of soul. Every time I log in and see the (approximate) time and weather, I know exactly what spot I want to go to and what fish I’m looking for. I get excited when the conditions are just right to target that pike, and I know just the spot. The pull is there to keep me coming back. Even though it’s rough around the edges and somewhat feature-bare, you’re going to find your own spot that you don’t tell anyone about. Your own little slice of Golden Ridge heaven where you hope to one day land your Diamond.

All of this took a promising franchise introduction and just left a bad taste in my mouth. I genuinely enjoyed a lot of aspects of ReCore--the world, the nail-biting platforming challenges, the smart and fast-paced combat. But it comes with so many issues and reservations that it becomes hard to recommend.

Chocobo GP is a really great flavor for the kart-racing genre. Not only is it a fine collection of Final Fantasy franchise memories in one place, but it uses them nicely as well. Familiar characters, JRPG attacks and weapons, locations for racetracks, and remixed music we know and love make it a bright, fun, and familiar experience. I really liked the Magicite system for in-race strategy and character stats and abilities make them all enjoyable to play. I wish you didn’t have to unlock so much to enjoy the whole package outside of Story, but even the story is a fun romp. There have been plenty of imitators of the Mario Kart formula, but Chocobo GP feels like one of the most competent, all while bringing its own twists to the track.

My favorite thing about Sleep Awake is how it plays with its form as a video game to portray a conflict that isn’t a bad guy or a monster. You can’t just hit “falling asleep will kill you” with a pipe and move on to the next slobbering, gory metaphor for crimes you’ve committed, or zombie, or whatever. This is an internal fight for most of the story, and one that has no visible end. You and Katja start the game fully prepared to just kick the can down the road as long as possible, until the runway’s out and there’s nothing else you can do. That’s no way to live, but at the same time, what can you do in that scenario but live? The death cults are silly, but at the same time, ruminations on how humanity’s self-perceived resilience could work against it. That’s where Sleep Awake really hits. When the monsters do show up it stumbles, and feels more like a normal video game the longer it wades into the Whys and Hows. Not bad for a five-hour rollercoaster.

Sadly, while the original Secret of Mana was by no means a flawless experience, the remake's attempt to improve upon the formula has resulted in a game that's markedly inferior by comparison.

It's fast, frantic, and quite fun overall, but the surprisingly steep challenge and general lack of variety might have players moving on after only a matter of hours.

And without VR support for this version, there's no way to even pretend you're really some explorer who uncovered an ancient civilization. You just move like someone ancient.

It doesn't take long, however, to realize that Sonic Team was inspired by Galaxy on a cosmetic level only. Lost World fails to execute on the gameplay afforded by circular worlds. In fact, in nearly every aspect of its design, it's evident that Sonic Team has never asked the crucial question: "why?"

The Order: 1886 feels like the perfect balance between story, gameplay, and atmosphere as Ready at Dawn has struck gold with its first attempt at an original IP. There may not be much to do after the credits begin to roll, but once they do, you’ll be met with a unique story told within an absolutely gorgeous game.

While this revisit to the Derceto Manor can be a bit jank at times, it captures a genuinely macabre, unsettling, and investigative narrative that Alone in the Dark has long been missing.

A good effort by an indie studio as the art style drew me in from the moment I first saw it, but it lacks any sort of depth as its puzzles aren't difficult to figure out and it's story, as horrific as it turns out to be, didn't really entice me.

The game is less welcoming to new players as its predecessors, and the Main Game campaign mode feels disjointed with uninspired and annoying boss battles. I wanted to like this game, as I am a huge fan of the franchise, but this banana does not pass the smell test.

And maybe that polish will still come. Maybe the glitches will get fixed down the line, maybe the game will get that fresh burst of variety in its missions and enemy types that it needs, maybe it'll get a fresh set of environments. But at this time, The Blackout Club isn't a club worth joining. For now, close your eyes and try to imagine a better game.

More than just adding another unique backdrop to the strategy genre, Empire of Sin brings tycoon and tactics gameplay to being a 1920s Chicago gangster in very fun and interesting ways.

Save Koch is impressive in the weight of its narrative choices, but a little cushioning could have gone a long way in making unraveling its mystery more enticing.

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.

Mato Anomalies was a kind of game that pushed me away and pulled me in frequently. I found Doe’s investigative side to be boring outside of good story bits and the Mind-Hack card battle segments. Meanwhile, between the Gear system and skill cooldown system, exploring the Rifts and fighting the Bane Tide would be really fun, if not for the lack of enemy variety and non-stop one-liners. The story was good enough to help me look past some of the issues, but ultimately Mato Anomalies has a lot of repetitive annoyances that keep it from being better than many of the RPGs it borrows from.