Regardless of the complaints, Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite proves to earn its place in the powerful series laid out before it. Furthermore, the genre of 2D fighters is a very familiar concept, with a rich history and a dense family of games taking after it. Often, these games can seem too generic to stand out or to feel worthy of any time given, but conversely, many of these games try too hard to make something of themselves, and result in a game far too complex and clunky to be enjoyed in any way. Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite, however, treads this line perfectly and offers an engaging experience born out of a classic style.

While it doesn’t revolutionize the genre by much, the circular beat-em-up Plasma Puncher is guaranteed to provide some cartoon violence goodness through solid gameplay and mechanics. Fighting through wave after wave of enemies may prove challenging, but the thrill of slowly beating down the big bad opposing force while doing away with its cronies is satisfying enough. To top it all off, it’s wrapped together nice and tight through its characteristically stylized art style and sound design.

Conan Exiles is a survival title that hits the mark for anyone interested in the genre, immersing you in Robert E. Howard’s brutal Conan setting and offering server customization to suit any player. It's a sure win for anyone with the time to build their character.

This blend of the old with the new relies too heavily on the old, while the new stuff fails to thrive. In its current state it’s buggy and lacks some fundamental requirements for smooth play we’ve come to expect from the genre.

The Spectrum Retreat is a short psychological puzzle game with a subtle but thought-provoking story and comfortably challenging puzzles, although it can be repetitive at times.

Despite stunning art and cinematography, Stela is ultimately held back by its brevity and oblique storytelling.

Despite clumsy camera work and few bugs along the way, Shiness: The Lightness Being is a delight to play. Colorful and enchanting, it’s a role-playing game that offers an engaging story with numerous cutscenes and a combat system you’ll find entertainingly challenging. If you’re the forgiving type come fluidity and smoothness in gameplay but a fan of action-driven RPGs with a good tale, then consider the purchase.

Challenging but repetitive, The Hong Kong Massacre has a barely-there story, but is big on gunfights and style.

Rebellion’s new co-op shooter is overall solid and enjoyable, although the fun doesn’t always come from what you may expect – collecting rare figurines and even Hathor’s Ladle (yes, that’s an artifact!) can be more gratifying than shooting hordes of the dead. The game is definitely a league apart from similar titles, and its unique and distinctive 1930's feel contributes to making it fun for anyone.

Gorgeous ink-on-paper visuals lift Inked beyond its humble mechanics and give it a unique flavor you won’t find in too many other places. With its puzzles providing the bulk of the gameplay, however, Inked’s problematic controls and technical issues cause it to fall short of the soaring heights its art readily promises.

911 Operator is a unique game, to say the least. Although not the simulator to earn praises from die-hard purists of the genre, it's an experimental experience that will be well worth their time and money, and the more casual strategists' as well.

What The Long Journey Home lacks in originality in its gameplay, it makes up for with realism in its characters and extensive narrative. It draws the player into a harsh, unforgiving universe that is as strange as it is beautiful. Wit, skill, and determination are needed to survive, but even with these, success is not guaranteed. Gamers who enjoy a challenge and the thrill of the unknown will get the most out of The Long Journey Home.

Even those who don’t normally play point-and-clicks can enjoy Darkestville Castle, but only the die-hard devotees of the genre will be able to persevere past the inevitable and frequent bouts of frustration from struggling through convoluted puzzles. An intriguing story and captivating art style round off this puzzling puzzler.

Genital Jousting is a stylish, unique game that doesn’t have the cojones to warrant its current market price. Bringing this game home will leave you feeling cheated and unsatisfied after spending some time in bed with it — but that doesn’t mean it’s a completely lost cause.

This entry in the Just Cause series has taken itself too seriously, sucking the fun out of what should be a blast.

Solstice Chronicles: MIA comes to the table with a compelling horde-onslaught management experience, solid technical and audiovisual fundamentals, and a passable story. What it might lack in graphical splendor it makes up for in raw, mechanical fun, and emergent desperation as you fight to stay one step ahead of the endless mutant tide. Bring a friend if you can, and buckle up, because it’s a hectic ride.

There’s a lot to like here, from gorgeous graphics to a robust crafting system, but frustrating combat and high difficulty early in the game may drive some players away.

For a majority of what BELOW sets out to accomplish, it does well. However, there are aspects which might deter: the potential monotony and a lack of a clear incentive to proceed further and see this story through.

A difficult survival game with some interesting elements that is significantly hindered by tedious mechanics and a superficial world.

This house-renovating simulator provides a satisfying sense of progression and realism. Its focus veers away from architectural and interior design, letting handiwork steal the spotlight.

With beautiful artwork, a compelling story with fleshed-out characters, and an original soundtrack, the few foibles and a shorter-than-you'll-want playthrough time shouldn't stop you from checking this title out.

ELEX is an ode to fans of Gothic and Risen, and fans will most likely be satisfied. How detailed the title is makes it clear: Piranha Bytes isn’t trying to cash in on an aging franchise. That being said, the issues cannot be brushed aside. It’s been nearly two decades since the studio published its first game, Gothic I, and what plagued the earlier titles affects ELEX as well. And that is a problem.

While it delivers a strong start, Call of Cthulhu starts to stumble and fall near the end, demonstrating a lack of polish and poor localization.

An impressive amount of mechanics and a nice variety of play styles are available, yet Weedcraft Inc lacks depth in social interactions and suffers from a few tedious features.

Despite the control issues and short playthrough length, the relaxing ambiance, charming story, and beautiful artwork make this an adventure title well worth playing.

Small Radios Big Televisions is a thoroughly exuberant experience. The gorgeous, very analog soundtrack coupled with stimulating visuals that change dynamically create interesting worlds the player wants to explore more of. The ideas and thoughts this title instigates helps spark new discussions and views to contemplate and reflect among friends. Sadly, lackluster gameplay and a very brief completion time work against the narrative, quickly leaving you to ruminate on your own.

A remaster of the PS2 classic that adds improvements from the original, landing it in the solid-but-not-impressive category.

Interrogating is really not the answer. Worth some of your time, especially if you’re into that whole noir scene, but otherwise, you can give it a pass.

Hampered by subpar performance and graphics, coupled with a repetitive storyline, The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Tactics serves only as a starting point for a genre rife with unpolished entries.

A title that appears to have been a labor of love, but also and unfortunately, that fails to be anything more than that. For fans of visual novels, dating simulations, and dragons mixed with sexuality, crime, and suicidal tendencies, Angels with Scaly Wings might serve to impress you, but if these aren’t a draw, then pass. Art, animation, and music leave something to be desired, and puzzles, mystery and storyline are only interesting because you’re dating… Well… Dragons.

NBA Playgrounds, at its best, provides some over the top arcade experience that can be highly entertaining, hilarious and even addicting to play. With a presentation and technical foundation that are solid and fun, it's easy to pick up but hard to master. A worthy addition to any library of arcade sports games.

Handsomely silhouetted by muted ancient structures, The King’s Bird has you gliding, tumbling, and ricocheting through a voiceless world of wonder. Its momentum-based mechanic is a clever take on the platforming genre, providing as many moments of pure glee as moments of pure aggravation. The King’s Bird lacks the variety and detail necessary to elevate it into a masterwork, but it packs more than enough of a challenging punch to be worthy of a platforming enthusiasts’ attention.

The production quality isn’t terrible, when compared to other titles in the genre, there’s nothing that makes WRC 6 special, besiders than the fully licensed vehicles and drivers. If you’re in it for the name and brand recognition, then this title is probably for you. Otherwise, either buy Dirt Rally or put your $44.99 in a piggy bank and save up for a real rally car.

The Crew 2 is an ambitious title, and when judged solely by what was expected of it—a car racing game—it’s superb. Unfortunately, judged by the sum of its parts, The Crew 2 tries to do too much at once, and could have put less time into designing its many different types of vehicles and more time into AI, optimization, and world-building.

Those who enjoy sandbox “chaos simulators” will do well to check out American Fugitive. While the story is somewhat predictable and abrupt, it presents an overall enjoyable experience.

Although it isn’t an exploration game per se Diluvion remains full of wonders, as long as you remember nothing is instantaneous underwater. Movement will be clumsy but graceful, and each vista carries either riches or treacherous death. The unknown beckons. Diluvion tugs at the soul of the land-bound adventurer that longs to experience the mysteries of the deep. It ties together RPG elements, resource management, combat, and the salty appeal of a marine environment in a brilliant blend of whimsical and exciting.

This title has an intriguing story, gorgeous scenery, and great ambience, but is hindered by buggy sound design, awkward animations, and frustrating and confusing gameplay.

Bandai Namco’s newest fighting title, developed by Soleil Ltd., is quite a bit different from previous Naruto titles—the Ultimate Ninja Storm series is, of course, beloved by many fans of both the game genre and the Naruto franchise. With Shinobi Striker, Bandai Namco has stepped away from the tried and true recipe, with (relatively) great success.

In this debut beat ‘em up from Deadbeat Productions, chunky graphics mix with smooth mechanics. Add a layer of cheesy one-liners, sandwiched between saucy superheroes and crusty villains. You hold something tasty and classically-inspired in your hands, if perhaps a little unexceptional. It’s not Disneyland’s Monte Christo, but an enjoyable BLT.

The goal of Maize is simply to make you laugh. It is refreshingly hilarious and provides a randomly unique movie-quality storyline that you can’t get anywhere else. If you need a break from life, or from other serious games, this is just the laugh that you need. You will enter a world of idiots, where you reign supreme.

Aven Colony is a planetary colonization, city-building simulator that salutes the memes of classic sci-fi while making a memorable impression all its own. The objective-driven campaign mode introduces mechanics and controls on a smooth difficulty curve which you can manage organically by how fast you expand your city and how rigorously you prepare for threats. While at times shallowly implemented, the trade, production, and expedition systems offer a variety of options for you to complete your goals. Simulation noobs will find this release easy to pick up, but only veterans can appreciate all the small details that went into Aven Colony's design.

Antigraviator is a great release for any player who enjoys arcade-styled racing, with even more of a plus for those who enjoy sci-fi and experimental themes. What it sets out to do, it executes well.

Despite its brutal third act, Metal Wolf Chaos XD is big, loud, and silly in all the best ways.

Super Rad Raygun has many things and is a great reminder of the old days, for those old enough to have had a Nintendo Gameboy during the 90’s. Slick retro style. Easy mechanics. Great references, if you're capable of picking them up, and a nice soundtrack. Expect mix ups with downloads, which would probably be fixed in a future update.

FHM 3 is a feature-rich, immersive, expansive simulator which succeeds in putting you in the shoes of a manager and coach, and gives you a sense of pride for success and growth and fear of failure and what that entails. A great title for fans of sports simulators and hockey alike.

Ideal for casual players or arcade racing fans not looking for too much of a challenge, Xenon Racer has pretty environments, futuristic cars, and varied tracks.

While The Franz Kafka Videogame ends up feeling a tad pretentious in its use of Kafka’s name, the artwork and some of the puzzles are worth appreciating. Bits and pieces can be frustrating, and the short play time is a downside, but fans of experimental point-and-click adventures might still want to check this one out.

Cooking Simulator is an entertaining simulation game that allows you to cook to your heart’s content without the real-life mess and can easily consume a few hours of your time, but does suffer from several glitches, can feel repetitive, and is in need of future optimizations.

Despite a dry, predictable narrative, Corruption 2029 delivers a mechanically engaging, stealth tactical experience.

Enjoy isometric computer roleplaying at its finest in The Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, the latest title to deliver RPG players a wholly immersive and satisfying experience away from the tabletop.

If only Diablo III was this fun and exciting to play between all the fluff and management overhead, I wouldn’t have abandoned it; Redeemer has exactly what I want when I crave quick, well-produced top-down action content. The secret sauce and energy are in full effect, and the face bashing is exceptionally fun both with hands, along with the more advanced killing methods.

A title that aims high, but is severely undermined by clunky controls, painful camera movements, and confusing, cartoonishly over-the-top story elements.

If you can look past the rough edges, there is a lot of fun to be had in the charming world of Mara.

Immortal: Unchained pushes you into a hardcore RPG universe full of magazine-fed weapons and ancient battle axes, but doesn’t quite hit the target with its rough edges and choppy AI.

Between its rather unique spin on a theme and setting, and its dark, thematic humor, Voodoo Vince: Remastered is an enjoyable action-driven adventure. Camera issues are present but minor and easy to manage. If you're a fan of 3D platformers, grab it. You'll have fun.

Good graphics can’t redeem some of the poorer design choices in Sinner: Sacrifice for Redemption. A very, very rough take on the Soulsborne formula, Sinner is really only for diehard fans that are truly desperate for something new to cut their teeth on.

Though the atmosphere is beautiful and the sound design is immersively eerie, plot holes and disturbingly accepted character choices greatly hinder this walking simulator.

While there are a few interesting concepts at play in Jon Shafer’s At the Gates, they frequently go underdeveloped, leading to a lackluster experience.

The development team behind Alder’s Blood has clearly put a lot of thought into crafting a striking experience, and while the game has style and an engaging core gameplay loop, it’s also so shaky and unpolished we find it hard to recommend.

For a first project, Antagonist shows much promise, and I'm anxious to see what it does next.

When out in the snowy wasteland, the mood is tense and attention-grabbing. Graphics are beautiful in their simplicity, and although muted because of the depth of darkness contrasting against the never-ending snow, the little smatterings of color pop. Despite its current issues, Impact Winter was crafted lovingly, and the aesthetics and music alone are more than enough reasons to play.

The Rome II: Empire Divided DLC is the standard Total War that we all know and love. There are no huge surprises and for the most part, mechanics added do a good job at immersing you into the Third Century and a Roman Empire fallen into chaos. Banditry isn’t all that noteworthy but Cults are fun and thematic. In sum: if you can’t get enough of Total War, give this one a try.

Airheart - Tales of broken Wings, despite its dogfight combat, proffers a zen experience of flight as you twist and turn through vertical landscapes populated by brightly-hued and cavalierly-evasive fish.

If you loved the first Cook, Serve, Delicious!, then you'll probably love Cook 2, as well. While there are major bugs for the Mac version right now, there are only minor bugs for Windows. I feel like using a mouse and keyboard will always feel somewhat constraining, however, although improvements to the gameplay could alleviate that feeling somewhat. As Cook 2 stands now, it is compelling, with plenty to enjoy in it, although ultimately the dish feels a bit stale.

Attempting to blur the line between arcade and simulation, Gravel feels like it isn't sure what it wants to be. While offering a solid gameplay experience, it doesn’t bring anything new to the table. More disappointingly, its career mode is a bit of a hit and miss: the series of circuits and sprint races to face “masters” of given disciplines was a cool idea, but incentives to advance are lacking.

While it draws upon influences of games long past, it ultimately fails to incorporate more recent innovations in its genre.

We Happy Few is far from flawless, but ultimately makes up for it with its fascinating story of a comically-dark dystopia.

Urban Empire boasts a political system crafted with fun and originality in mind, as well as historical accuracy and gorgeous aesthetics. Yet even such impressive features do not make up for a lack of dimension and depth on which the success of simulators almost exclusively depend.

You fall in love with the story and become so attached that it’s a huge letdown when it ends so abruptly. I truly wished The Little Acre had been longer, as it had so much potential. With more time to play out the story, The Little Acre could have been a huge hit.

Blue Reflection is an excellent release in both design and execution. The title, and what it means, run along the story and plays a prominent role in nearly every aspect. Not unlike the Persona series, this is not an RPG where your main focus is nonstop battle. Unlike that series, however, there aren’t deadlines about which you must worry. For a JRPG that balances its combat with school life and befriending classmates, while providing a relaxing time, look no further.

A relaxing walking simulator that, while beautiful and narratively interesting, ultimately does not have much for you to do.

While there are dozens of Sci-Fi Survival games to choose from, ION LANDS has blended a remarkable combination of elements to create a saga that stands out from the crowd.

An unnecessary remaster that, while fun to play, can feel drab and tone-deaf overall.

At times bland, Exorder can also be fun to play. A lack of reward for any achievements contributes to a sense of no progression, but that's compensated by the complexity you'll find in troop types and maps. In sum, an option to consider if you like turn-based games.

While a serviceable dungeon crawler, the lack of polish keeps Conglomerate 451 from being truly engaging.

Desert Child attempts to capitalize on nostalgia with a mish-mash of references from different decades. There are some mildly funny moments, but other than that it’s a side-scrolling shooter dressed up in a cyberpunk motif.

While a fighting game featuring a wide variety of Weekly Shonen Jump characters seems like a no-brainer, the shoddy execution and surprisingly limited roster hinder JUMP FORCE from being the all-star it wants to be.

A relentless roguelite with a solid foundation. Beautiful but grindy, it lacks a complex story, deep characters, and emotional impact.

More of a remaster than a reforge, this remains a quality RTS title, but is a letdown for long-time fans with its lack of new content and Blizzard’s creativity-stifling ownership of custom maps.

TARTARUS is a unique concept in that it makes computer puzzles come alive with realistic representations, where most titles try to make abstract mini games out of “hacking.” The plot and overall horror atmosphere don’t come together, however. Overall, this is a solid attempt at making light programming puzzles interesting, but more work needs to be done in this area before we see a title that is truly free of tedium.

Between the graphics and exploring this abandoned world and piecing together what happened, Empathy: Path of Whispers is incredible and highly recommend, even if you might not usually play an exploration-driven title.

While fans of turn-based strategy might find some features to be enjoyable, long-time players of the Jagged Alliance series and strategy connoisseurs might feel shortchanged of the beloved gameplay of this genre.

Bio Inc. Redemption presents us with a confused tone: part of it wants to be taken seriously as a realistic medical simulator, while other parts seem to be trying to get a cynical laugh with out-of-place gore and sound effects. Still, this title is well polished and the gameplay is interesting (save for the Achilles’ heel of a terrible point management mechanic that destroys the immersion and fun). Flaws in both balance and theme could have been overlooked if not for the inclusion of this one unfortunate element.

The core breaching and shooting mechanics never get old, but gameplay, sound design, and co-op mode all have some problems.

A ridiculous romp through a universe that doesn’t take itself too seriously, A Knight’s Quest offers an enjoyable and forgettable ride that’s only slightly marred by bugs, uninteresting combat, and a storyline that makes you laugh every once in a while.

Despite the occasionally lonely world and lacking interactivity, the rewarding and creative ways to complete missions make this FPS title a blast to play.

Haimrik is an out-there mixture of puzzler and platformer that succeeds in heart, yet falls short of being intelligent — much like the main character.

Despite its quirky humor, Vicious Circle doesn’t provide enough variety in gameplay to hold your interest much longer than your average asymmetric multiplayer game.

DYNASTY WARRIORS 9's gameplay has a relaxed feel that allows you to choose what to spend time on. There’s plenty to explore, missions to complete, and tons of options to customize your character. The only real problem is occasional laggy graphics. If you enjoy the JRPG genre, I recommend getting it.

Numantia’s storytelling might entertain lovers of history, but turn-based combat enthusiasts are disappointed in battles that fail to spark a desire to thwart the enemy. An indiscreet console port with clunky controls and bloated, low-quality graphics, Numantia could please genre noobs, but there are better turn-based combat titles for seasoned players to relish.

Dropping the player into a uniquely vibrant and charmingly bad-mannered game, Orangeblood manages to give a memorable RPG experience in spite of its conventional gameplay.

While City of the Shroud, a real-time strategy RPG, has some interesting design ideas in theory, in practice these designs fall flat.

Secret of Mana (2018) makes for a nice jog down memory lane, even if there were some long-forgotten design flaws that years of nostalgic memories had blocked out over time. If you remember enjoying the SNES game, Secret of Mana holds onto many of what you liked about it back then. But if you’re looking for a polished, modernized version of the game, then you will be disappointed. For better or worse, not much has changed in Secret of Mana since its initial release in 1994.

Cannibal Cuisine has great bone structure, but could use more meat. With original characters and new theming, it offers a new twist on the classic delivery game, but suffers from co-op bugs, difficulty imbalances, and physics issues.

The campaigns provide plenty of content, but repetition and micromanagement hinder the fun by making you feel like you’re fighting the same strategies every battle.

Perception features a unique narrative thread, though it isn’t ground-breaking. Claustrophobic at times, Perception is at once elegant and creepy, but the title’s own core mechanic defangs any deeper sense of dread or terror it might have achieved. Perception sits comfortably in a casual gray area in terms of puzzles and story, but it offers up some solid voice work and unique, ethereal visuals. Horror fans seeking something novel, though not panic inducing, may find it worth a look.

With deadly bugs that prevent key gameplay mechanics, zero replayability, and an astonishingly small amount of content (<30 minutes to complete), Beat the Game is a visual masterpiece more akin to a brief bad trip at a Tomorrowland than an actual game. If you’re into audio or music production and are looking for something that will let you develop and explore it in a different light, you will be disappointed. However, when it comes to cinematography, BtG is a high nine. With a bit more care and effort from solid game and sound designers, this novelty release could have been great. And if you need drugs to enjoy music, you’re doing it wrong.

An interesting tale with engaging exploration and great environment design that is hindered by bugs and a lack of payoff.