If Arms Race is updated and improved, then I could see it being worthwhile, but if this is all it has to offer, then Designer's Cut feels like something that should have been a free update rather than an integral part of a new season pass.

Drag x Drive isn’t destined to be the next big Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive, but it remains one hell of a compelling case for its underused mouse controls and is a truly original sports title. It’ll take some time to get used to its oddball pacing and unorthodox mechanics, but once you’ve found your wheels on the court it’s hard to pull yourself away.

Mortal Kombat 1 hasn’t missed once with its post-launch DLC characters (and really, with its roster as a whole) so I’m sure that the rest of the expansion’s soon-to-be-released fighters will be great, but as it stands I can only talk about these three. While they are some of MK1’s strongest characters (in terms of how they play at least), they can’t make me overlook what is otherwise a weak expansion greatly overshadowed by NetherRealm’s last offering.

Fort Solis is all presentation and no substance. It feels like it blew its budget on getting this cast to build up some hype before launch, and then forgot it needs substance to make it worthwhile. With an appalling story, bumpy technical issues, frustrating UI, and a pace so glacial I literally fell asleep at one point, Fort Solis is a waste of everyone’s time. And not even the deliciously grizzled voice of Roger Clark can help that.

Conglomerate 451 isn’t a game for everyone. For those wanting a taste of what Cyberpunk 2077 will be bringing later this year, it’s likely that Conglomerate 451 will only satiate your visual senses with its dark, neon, cyberpunk aesthetics. But for fans of RPG and dungeon crawling games, you probably won’t regret adding Conglomerate 451 to your library.

Last Labyrinth is a haunting, melancholy work of art held together by a simple premise done remarkably well. Its aesthetics are lush, its mechanics simple but deep, and its core promise of taking care of a virtual child completely delivered on. Irrevocably, it’s one of the titles of 2019, and one of the absolute best things to happen to the medium of VR.

I came away from Disintegration with a feeling of total apathy. There's nothing truly terrible and there's nothing really exceptional. Even if its multiplayer is mildly popular, it's certainly not going to be the next Halo. It's an ambitious project that has some original ideas which could allow it to stand out from other shooters, but in the end, Disintegration fails to be anything more than another title to add to the ever-growing pile of generic science fiction games.

If you’re yearning for a test of skill – or at least something that can’t be beaten by taping down the attack button and pushing forward – Riverbond is unlikely to fulfill your need for hacking and slashing.

Terminator: Resistance is a scrappy little game with a lot of heart, ambition, and genuinely great design in parts. It definitely could’ve benefited from a more compelling latter half, and the presentation will throw off a lot of people. However, it’s the most accurate interactive translation of the franchise to date, and frankly, a better yarn than many of the films between Judgement Day and Dark Fate.

Gigantosaurus The Game doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of its overall gameplay, but it doesn’t need to. With its open-world levels, easy platforming mechanics, and fun kart racing mode, Gigantosaurus The Game successfully adapts the world of Disney Junior’s Gigantosaurus into video game form with plenty of content and fun to be had by younger players, as well as their parents.

I didn’t hate Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice Leaague, but that’s only because it’s hard to feel anything too strongly about a game like this. This might be the most rinse and repeat a game of this stature has ever rinsed and repeated, and the fact it delivers good interpretations (though not Arkham accurate) of established characters is its only saving grace. With each new bundle of content likely to be low on narrative and chock full of the same missions (probably with a new name that play exactly the same way), it feels like Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is only going to get worse from here.

Kandagawa Jet Girls won’t appeal to the masses, but those who enjoy lighthearted anime (and of course, SENRAN KAGURA) will find a lot to love. The visual novel elements outweigh the flaws found within the racing mechanics just enough to make Kandagawa Jet Girls a splash.

While Farming Simulator 20 is likely to be appealing to long-term fans of the franchise, I suspect it won't be winning over many newcomers.

The only thing that Liberated needs to be liberated from is its lackluster game design and bland story.

It doesn’t provide anything new, or even the basics of what people want from an ambitious pirate adventure, being overshadowed by Ubisoft’s own game 11 years older. Even with the solid naval combat mechanics we’ve seen in multiple games over the last decade, it’s just not enough to carry the promise of a pirate’s life on its own.

This is a competent survival game, adding nothing to a formula long since perfected by games like Subnautica, games that it falls far short of. It relies on the pull of Tolkien to keep players pushing through, otherwise it would be all too easy to give up on your mission and do something else, anything but mining. There are moments of magic, like when your team of dwarves begin to sing, deep harmonies echoing off the cavernous walls. But these moments are too few and far between, and the lore can only take you so far. As a space to hang out with fantasy-minded friends, Return to Moria is a nice jaunt. I just wish there was something more to do than swing this damn pickaxe at another damn wall.

The Dark Crystal wrapping on this robust tactics game leaves a lot to be desired, but those itching to get deep into a turn-based strategy game will find an absolute gem.

Even when my time leaping into enemies was interrupted by these technical issues, Unknown 9: Awakening’s excellent cast of characters and inventive soul-hopping combat mechanics kept me invested all the way through its gloriously last-gen adventure. With how depressing this generation has been at times, that is absolutely meant as a compliment.

Even though I spent so little time actually playing it, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles remains one of my favorite childhood games. There's something to be said for the experience, that it creates memories that powerful. But memory is all-too-often unreliable, often building things up to be better than they ever were. In this second trip with the crystal caravan, I did still delight to discover the cheerful tales and chipper tunes of days gone by. Less welcome were the dated systems for item management. Not welcome at all was the modern update to multiplayer. Turns out cross-platform is not always the answer. I'll take my beat-up old GBA as a traveling companion any day.

Blizzard has truly shot itself in the foot with this one, as they have no doubt upset the core fan base of this amazing title. This remake should have risen from the ashes and helped Blizzard recover its reputation. In reality, it's likely purged the veterans from their fanbase and will be relying on the game's much-loved campaigns and multiplayer mode to bring in newcomers.

Unfortunately, while Skellboy has its enjoyable moments, there is simply too much going against it to make the game worthwhile. If the game were more focused in its design, either towards exploration or linear gameplay, and if the system of taking the power of opponents were more thoroughly developed, and if the technical issues were non-existent, then Skellboy would be great. As it stands, it’s simply alright, lacking in areas that cannot be tolerated in today’s market with so many high-quality titles available.

Summer in Mara gets a lot right in a game that can be enjoyed by narrative adventure players and farming sim players alike. It might be a bit overly ambitious in that regard, not perfecting or catering to one single genre more than the other. However, for those willing to be patient in the early game and look past its lack of directions and slight technical issues, Summer in Mara is a game that will provide plenty of charm and easy-going fun this summer.

The game feels like a far more welcoming world than the Harry Potter series that can still appeal to older kids. The Academy: The First Riddle is also a title that I would recommend to parents who are looking for ways to keep their kids’ brains sharp over summer vacation, with its brain teaser-like puzzles that require extra thoughtfulness and work. And, thanks to the game being available on both PC and mobile devices, playing the game is as accessible as it can be to keep kids busy (and entertained) as they explore the mysteries of The Academy.

It is a gorgeous game, with an excellent sense of atmosphere, and decidedly troubled gameplay. At its best, it plays like a classic rotoscoped platformer, which can feel charming in its own right, but at its worst, it is cumbersome and awkward. This Samurai most certainly has spirit, but his sword could use a little sharpening.

Rusty Rabbit is a serviceable Metroidvania at best, which just isn’t enough to warrant a recommendation. If you love rabbits, or Takaya Kuroda, then you might get a few laughs out of this game, but chances are you won’t actually enjoy playing it that much. It’s a shame: a great concept, some half-decent writing in places, let down by shoddy controls and gameplay.

It has some real navigation issues, but once you get past those, this is a title that anyone with a PSVR helmet should be checking out. After all, there's no better use for virtual reality than to peer through the eyes of a giant Golem and smash things to smithereens.

What it has made here could be considered impressive, in a way, considering its lack of expertise in this genre, because it’s not entirely incompetent. The tennis does play fairly realistically and there is a rhythm to it that did remind me of Virtua Tennis 2 at times. But I'm not sure that you'll want to spend your hours with this game, because it’ll seem like time will slow down to a crawl.

If you can overcome its tight combat and find beauty in its bizarre world and characters created by SWERY and SUDA51, Hotel Barcelona is a solid roguelite with some innovative additions (I love the Slasher Phantoms) and some very cool moments. If that's something that piques your interest, why don't you check into the hotel and join me?