Forts is an exceptional example of how a release can properly integrate many mechanics, from multiple genres, and get it right. The fast-paced challenge of managing multiple tasks before you’re obliterated creates a sense of urgency and an increased heart rate that you wouldn’t normally find from a title that simply leverages one of these mechanics. Buy Forts, and make a solid investment in your game library.

Ovivo is a beautiful piece that melds art, exploration, and mystery in a unique platform–adventure title. The levels are engaging, the gameplay intuitive. Unfortunately, the lack of clear objectives, control customization, and the inability to save game progress limits the overall appeal.

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.

Engaging, although sometimes annoying and tedious. Expensive, but you get enough content to make it worthwhile. Occasionally, the difficulty dulls the desire to keep playing. Romance of the 3rd Kingdom XIII, Fame and Strategy leaves one happier having played it, and Koei Tecmo and Kou Shibusawa gracefully inspire interest in the history, culture, drama, and intrigue of the times of this title.

In the end, the positive aspects of Expeditions: Viking outweigh the problems. Creating such a complex, detailed, and varied title is an ambitious undertaking, and it’s exactly what’s needed for gamers who don’t want to rely on “enhanced editions” of classic games to find a good role-playing experience. Expeditions: Viking, however, is more than just an RPG; it’s also an epic journey through history — a field with surprisingly few entries. Why rely on adventures from DnD or fantasy realms, if history can be presented in such an intriguing way?

With Prey, the developer Arkane Studios has built on the proven success of its stealth shooters. The gameplay discourages a head-on approach, slowing down the pace of the action. However, the frustration of having to hide instead of fighting enemies is remedied by excellent graphic and sound design, a strong RPG element, and the possibility to gather resources and build useful devices. An additional perk is the inventive writing, which manages an immersive, haunting atmosphere.

Domina frustrated me beyond belief, but in the best way. I thought I had planned a match out to perfection, got slaughtered, but loved every minute of it. I only wish there was more to the game, as restarting again at square one became a little tedious after a while. Despite that, I will still revisit it time and again for a quick fix of blood and profanity.

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.

At the end of it all, yes. There were quite a few things in this installment that could have driven me batty — had I allowed them to do so. Will I play it again? Maybe not, but know knows? I might change my mind once I have played the first and second installments. The beautiful reality of Syberia 3 is that I didn’t need to know what happened beforehand in the franchise. If you play for release, for freedom that you don’t have in a normal, boring life — and if you can look past some rough handling -- Syberia 3 is for you.

It’s been thirty years since Hironobu Sakaguchi created Final Fantasy; when story wasn't the standard, he made something extraordinary and defined a generation. Now, we have In Vitra, struggling to be what it's not — there's nothing in this title that produces the Japanese cultural feeling of a JRPG. No imagination, coupled with a lack of understanding of the genre, destroys the essence of what inspired In Vitra. The characters are so dull, you’ll wish you were playing Final Fantasy I-VI. Please, do yourself a service and pass on this title, especially if you already played the series mentioned above.

It’s always a really tough call when I have to put aside how much I enjoyed a game, and look at it objectively. Mr. Shifty has the bones of a truly well-made game, but it tires after a while. It’s tragic, because the mechanics are smooth, and tinyBuild was able to take an idea like from games like Hotline Miami and implement a superhero theme. The abilities are unique, the music is upbeat, the combat is fast-paced, but the variety just isn’t there. They could’ve added new abilities, new weapons and traps, or even just changed up the scenery. The entire campaign takes place in the same skyscraper, for goodness’ sake. I found Mr. Shifty to be one of the most entertaining titles I’ve played in a long time, personally. If teleportation and nods to comic book culture are elements that tickle your fancy, the repetitiveness might be a non-issue. If the developers want to appeal to a wider audience, however, some diversity should be added into the levels.

Project Highrise is a top-notch simulation and management game. It’s like Tiny Towers on steroids, and brings back my 1994 Maxis nostalgia, with an art style and aesthetic very similar to previous tower sims. It doesn’t disappoint in any way. The additional content added in the Project Highrise: Las Vegas brings the casino flair, is enough to vary the way you play, and give you an entirely different architectural experience. In addition to base game, the decisions by Sonasim to include, mods, steam cloud and mac support allow for a lengthy, diverse and easily accessible experience. I’ve got my casino empire blowing up now while I should be focusing on things that pay the bills. Please don't tell my editor.

Idle Evolution takes a novel look at how one can develop an idle clicker, and implements the concept exceptionally well. This release also sets the stage for future idle titles, and sets the bar rather high; Idle Evolution arguably heralds the dawn of a new era for this genre. If you are looking for an idler that doesn't play as passively as a good portion of the ones already out there, or one that incorporates a subject of study and centers itself around it, then Idle Evolution is a must-have.

1166 offers the equivalent of a B-movie horror in video game form, complete with all the quirks and mistakes that come with small budget productions. If you want a new take on side-scrolling storytelling that mixes Lovecraftian style occult horrors with surreal walks through pixel fields, you’ll feel right at home in 1166. Watch that the arbitrary level design, simplistic game mechanics, and poor choice of graphics don’t keep you from experience a potentially psychologically disturbing adventure through dimensions and time.

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.

Snow Moto Racing Freedom disappoints visually and physically. The snow effects are lackluster, appearing more like blurry fog, and you can see the triangular 3D mesh used to make the ground as you drive by it. With the minimal features and low scale graphics, Snow Moto Racing Freedom plays more like an early-2000s arcade racer that you would expect to find at the mall or the back room of your local pizzeria. I am sure Unity has its limitations both regarding graphic quality and gameplay physics, but the consistent lack of standard features bring this title down into the bargain bin.

Dawn of War III is very a solid foundation for the future of the franchise, but it lacks fresh flavor. The expansions to this title are sure to add races, storylines, and mechanics that are simultaneously new and nostalgic, but this initial release is somewhat bare-bones. As always, the Warhammer universe produces great characters, units, and artwork, but there is not much to set it apart from the original Dawn of War or other RTS titles. Also, there are no Sisters of Battle, and that’s awful.

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.

Guardians of the Galaxy’s first episode, “Tangled Up in Blue,” introduces a new graphical style for Telltale which breaks with the comic cel shading of their previous titles. While there are some problems with making the player feel truly relevant in influencing the plotline, there are occasions where this does happen, and then you feel taken along for a fascinating ride. Together with the superb voice acting and quality soundtrack, this episode leaves you thirsting for more.

Little Nightmares is short, but it’s complete. The artwork is beautiful, haunting, and horrible is Six’s fate when she gets caught. Don’t let the words “puzzle platformer” draw you away if you aren’t a fan of the genre. This is a memorable title you should not pass, a remarkable cocktail of psychological spirits and immersive gameplay.

Somewhere between science-fiction and fantasy, portals, magic, and warriors exist in a chaotic junction between existences. Worlds collide, and you're left to forge your own path, and discover more than you had ever realized. Planescape: Torment: Enhanced Edition is a gem of a game, which brings a long-lost treasure home, rested, refreshed, renewed, and ready for more adventure.

Flinthook’s clever controls and mechanics bring challenging gameplay that requires practice to make perfect. Procedurally-generated levels and progression through death ensure a unique experience, reinforced by pleasing visuals and an equally accomplished soundtrack. All will find themselves motivated to keep playing, and lovers of the rogue-lite genre will surely appreciate the twists that successfully make Flinthook a fresh experience in a saturated market.

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.

Because Frank Rising improves on many aspects laid out by Dead Rising 4, I recommend it to those who already own and might have felt disappointed by the original game. At the very least, the DLC brings replayability back into the game, all while making better use of Willamette’s open environment. And if that isn’t enough, then consider playing as Zombie Frank a welcomed novelty.

While not everything works, the cartoonish world of Viktor, a Steampunk Adventure shines, and the comedic-relief factor makes it an even more worthwhile addition to a point-and-click library. Although it's a relatively short journey – roughly four to five hours, give or take a few mini-games – the lasting quality of the humor and overall narrative make this title stand out in a sea of puzzle-laden adventure games.

Five Elements is an original, challenging, and solid real-time strategy game. Apart from those accolades, though, there’s not much else to wow the player. If you're a lover of strategy and puzzles for the sake of strategy and puzzles, you will most likely find it a worthy addition to your collection. If you aren't, then Five Elements may prove to be frustratingly challenging and lacking enough of a storyline to keep you going.

Narborion Saga is a wonderful melding of multiple genres, merging High Fantasy RPGs, Visual Novels á la Choose Your Own Adventure, and Dice Rolling games reminiscent of the good ol’ D&D days. Dungeon crawling, open maps to explore, treasures to find, enemies to fight, skill points to use… The list goes on and on. Narborion Saga offers something for almost everyone, and it’s easy to lose yourself for hours on end.

Everything is an extraordinary journey. It’s Salvador Dali meets Neil deGrasse Tyson meets Eastern Mysticism. It’s art and spirituality brought to life in a medium that transcends the limitations of books and paints. This isn’t the game you want if you’re looking for casual entertainment with which to unwind at the end of a long day. Yet, even though Everything challenges your understanding of self and the universe, it never sacrifices the simple joy of fun.