Starcraft 2 - Nova Covert Ops Mission Pack 1 is not a great package because of the limited number of missions that gamers get access to, but that will not make too much of a difference for the most determined fans of the franchise.

Screamer is an exciting arcade game that likes taking risks, and for the most part, it succeeds in what it tries to achieve. The driving system, albeit annoying at first, grows on you, and eventually you feel like you’re one with your car. The game world is beautifully made, and the anime parts of the game are nicely done, too. Moreover, the game’s performance is great, I never experienced any major frame drops, crashes or something that would impede the gameplay. However, Screamer has a few issues. The story mode has forgettable characters and it’s not the strongest part of the game. Also, I felt that the sound design was not ideal. But as a complete package, Screamer is definitely an arcade racer that everyone needs to try out. The sense of speed is there, being able to attack others and work to load up your skills, that feels very satisfying. The game is very rewarding to play, and you will soon get past any of its mishaps.

Dead Island 2 is a poster boy for mindless fun. It is a gore fest that does not take itself seriously or the topic of zombie apocalypse. It’s mainly a relaxing stroll down the sunny streets of Beverly Hills littered with undead corpses. It has no ambition to revolutionize the genre or to be memorable. It’s safe to say that this is a game that you’ll enjoy for 10-15 hours, and, just like a good popcorn movie, you will probably forget soon after. If the developers respect their promise of fixing the most annoying bugs with the day-0 patch. Without it the game remains a playable, but very messy experience.

The premise of the story is interesting and gets you hooked, and even though the game is linear and demands near perfect execution for many of its puzzles, it's still an interesting mechanical and visual experience, but A Story About My Uncle ultimately disappoints by ending very abruptly and not getting anywhere.

The Valiant has a good set of mechanics, although less innovative than they seem initially, and a decent story, hitting all the notes that you expect from the premise and setting. The single-player campaign delivers enjoyable tactical puzzles. Players who love the mechanics have the option to engage in players-versus-player and players-versus-environment matches. But the game never tries to push its idea forward. There’s nothing here that has not been done in other contexts or with slight variations. The Valiant is a good squad-focused strategy title but KITE Games should try to introduce more innovation to their next project.

Deck of Haunts delivers an original take on the deck-building experience. It gives players the dual task of building a deep maze of scary rooms while putting together an effective set of cards to take down nighttime invaders. I like the snippets of lore revealed by the cards and events, but the world-building isn’t impressive. The title’s biggest issue is the limited meta-progression. Players unlock new cards when they finish a run but, after winning a few, the motivation to start over diminishes. Deck of Haunts has good ideas and good execution but might struggle to hold the players’ attention in the long term.

Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is the best way to get acquainted with the Saiyan saga and the series in general. It's strange that the most advertised mechanics of the game, the RPG and open-world aspects, are also the least developed. It's the story and the bombastic fights where Kakarot really shines, so if you're approaching the game from these perspectives, you're in for a thrilling ride. To put it bluntly, stay away from exploring and don't expect any deep, meaningful RPG elements, and you'll have a pleasant time in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.

All in all, Rage 2 is a good way to pass the time, especially since this summer is going to be a long one and there aren’t major releases planned. The story itself can be finished quickly if you ignore the sidequests, but if you want to do everything, you’re going to spend at least double that.

Hard West is a good example of how a smaller team can take some already proven ideas and then tweak them to create an innovative experience that gives fans of a genre a morsel to enjoy while they wait for a bigger meal.

Tandem: A Tale of Shadows is a good game for anyone looking for hours of well-designed puzzles in some interesting locations. I appreciated how it organically expands the ways the two characters interact with the world. I liked the puzzle design, especially when it emphasizes how important it is for Emma to create paths for Fenton. But the game needs much more than good mechanics to stand out. The story never manages to become truly engaging. The triumphant pose that Emma strikes when the pair solves a room quickly becomes grating. The presentation fails to add much to the game. Tandem: A Tale of Shadows shows the Monochrome Paris has ideas and the ability to execute but they need to work on how they package them to capture a bigger fan base.

When it comes to the sound of Massive Chalice the voice acting for the huge piece of silverware itself is great, both funny and sat, and the music itself manages to underline the tense moments of combat and to illustrate the way time influences the world of the game.

The game is positively gorgeous, the music is extremely engaging, and while not everyone might like the slow pace of this game genre, those of you who do will take part in an adventure that will leave you staring into nothingness, to the point where you may experience memories you never actually thought you had. All in all, it is definitely a game that deserves a place in any adventurous gamer's digital library.

The Flame in the Flood will impress players during the first few hours with its style and the way its survival mechanics interact with one another, but the game will likely only keep fans of the rogue genre engaged in the long term.

Evil West manages to do a great job entertaining players and that’s what all games should do. Despite some mediocre writing and lack of memorable characters, Evil West delivers on its promise to provide players with an exhilarating gameplay experience.

A pretty great standalone expansion that manages to deliver a much nicer character than Delsin with more fleshed out powers. Unfortunately, the missions are pretty repetitive and weigh down the experience a fair bit. However, the challenge rooms and the touching story make up for them, to some extent.

SCHiM is an indie gem that is both simple in concept, but also bursting of creativity and originality. The gameplay itself might be a bit too simplistic for those looking for an adrenaline rush or instant gratification, but those who love this kind of puzzle 3D platformers will truly appreciate the effort behind it. The end result is an endearing experience, that has a few gameplay issues but overall becomes a memorable game thanks to its atmosphere and innocent approach to life.

Unleaving is a unique experience that will draw players in with its unique presentation, especially the painted art style, and its lyrical approach to narrative. The title does not try to explain everything but manages to communicate emotions, some of them deep and dark, others hopeful and bright. The puzzle design is good, although it's easy to struggle with execution after having a clear idea of the solution (do not be afraid to use the hint system). Unleaving is a short and heartfelt video game that showcases the unique vision an indie creator can deliver.

Ninja Gaiden became an instant cult classic from the moment it was launched, thanks to its gameplay and “git gud” attitude. The level of difficulty was high back then and it is even more so nowadays. I appreciate the thought of dusting it off and presenting it to the current generation of gamers, but this series would have deserved more attention and love. With more effort and care it could have achieved the quality level Nioh can brag with, and prove to us again why gamers fell in love with ninjas. As it stands now, even with the Day1 patch released, the Master Collection is lacking on every front. The games are still enjoyable, but there is nothing masterful in this collection, the publisher being content releasing a mere port instead of a remaster or alas, a remake.

Best Served Cold has engaging mysteries, engaging characters, and limited gameplay. I like the setting, with its mix of historical inspirations and escalating social tension. And all the characters are fun to chat with, even if the killers tend to be a little predictable. This is a good narrative to experience alongside your choice of a cocktail. Unfortunately, actually mixing drinks is not exciting at all and serves most as a short pause for players to consider how they plan on steering dialogue. Still, some of the recipes are interesting enough that players should try mixing them in the real world. Best Served Cold is an enjoyable detective game that neglects its bartending side.

I can’t help feel (that word again) that Call of Duty: WWII is a definite improvement in the series, and I can only hope that they will choose to remain in this time period. Now that Sledgehammer Games proved they are up to the task, it’s very likely they will continue with some great releases. The community was not expecting this kind of quality from the franchise, especially after the declining trend of the previous titles, but it’s definitely a nice surprise and worth checking out, especially if you’re a PC gamer.

Devolver often delivers weird games that take familiar ideas or mechanics and deliver cool twists on them. Loop Hero is a very good example of how this approach can succeed. Sludge Life has good tunes and a new presentation style but it needed more in the way of either gameplay or narrative to deliver a truly cool experience.

Astronaut: The Best isn’t as deep or as varied as it seems at first sight, but it has good core mechanics. And the world it conjures is engaging in its weirdness, despite the relative lack of cohesion that’s evident at certain points in the branching narratives. The game’s presentation will not be for everybody, although it meshes well with both story and mechanics. Constantly playing through the same scenarios to get extra coins that unlock more options can be annoying. I also wanted more time to prepare for some challenges to limit the impact of luck. But the core ideas of Astronaut: The Best are all solid and the universe it conjures mixes weirdness and tough choices in creative ways.

I don't feel that Sniper Ghost Warrior Contracts 2 is a major upgrade over the previous title, but the presentation got up a notch or two, and so are the graphics. While I love the sandbox and semi-open world aspects, I think the implementation feels artificial and ruins the immersion more often than not. Sniper Ghost Warrior Contract 2 doesn't bring too many new things to the table, so it more of a safe rather than an evolutionary sequel. The sniping experience feels satisfying enough to keep you entertained for the entire campaign, and the way the maps are designed leaves room for different tactics. I think this a solid entry in the Sniper Ghost Warrior Contract series, but it's nothing revolutionary.

Disciples: Liberation brings some interesting new ideas to the series, but that doesn’t mean they’re all good. I didn’t like the fact that the game forces you to choose between the bad guy and the very bad guy by making choices that many times don’t make sense. In the end, Liberation is saved by the incredibly well-done tactical combat system that provide a lot of fun, especially when you find that combo that wipes out almost all enemies on the map in just one turn. Although it’s not really what I expected, I believe Disciples: Liberation is worth playing and definitely warrants a sequel.

Hacker's Memory is more about gameplay and artwork rather than graphics, so if you've watched the anime you'll find it pleasing to the eye (I know I did). What I did not like is having to listen to the same tune every time I fight a random encounter, and since Hacker's Memory requires a little bit of grinding that could become annoying.

Hue promotes itself as a platformer and a puzzle game, and as far as I’m concerned it managed to do both genres justice in equal manner. The unique color-based controls is also something worth praising, and those of you that suffer from color blindness will be glad to know that the game also has a feature that will allow if you to play it without problems. All in all, if you’re the type that loves short games with a compelling story and a memorable gameplay experience, then Hue is definitely a title you should take into consideration.

We were hoping to find in Dread Nautical an uncut gem. In the end, we received a game that does not live up its potential and becomes monotonous pretty quickly. The lack of variety and depth turn this interesting concept into a mediocre game. The mix of RPG and tactics although well thought out, shortly turn into a routine without any joy. There is no thrill or scare, but plenty of annoying moments generated by the chores of item management. Dread Nautical wanted to be a place of madness, but it turned into another dimension of boredom.

Paper Cut Mansion makes a great first impression, with its original environments and characters. The adventure game mechanics, mostly linked to the NeoCortex, are also well-implemented, although a little more clarity in room layout would have helped. The ideas for the other two dimensions are less interesting but add important variety. The entire experience starts off a little slow but there’s plenty of intrigue to keep players engaged after a few hours. The game’s momentum is limited by its rogue elements. It needs to open up more options faster to keep players interested or to simply make it easier to progress without dying. Paper Cut Mansion has a good mix of ideas with some issues around implementation, delivering a good experience for adventure game fans who want a few twists on the familiar concepts of the genre.