Playing Doom on the Nintendo Switch had me marveling at the game in awe all over again. Though it’s been more than six months since the official release of the Switch, the idea of taking a proper, AAA console game with you on the go is still an incredible concept, and it’s on full display here with Bethesda’s Doom port. My experience with Doom on the Switch has been nice, but technology has not yet advanced far enough for us to be able to enjoy a home console experience on a portable device without making a few, crucial sacrifices.

Sherlock Holmes Chapter One takes the series in a completely opposite direction of its predecessors, souring its potential in favor of adding gameplay elements that pad runtime and take away from the investigations. Fans of the series may find some joy in getting to experience the original content or solving clues the hard way, but I was certainly not one of them.

Once the clunky stealth controls of The Consequence are married to the less than cooperative camera, all that’s left is an idea that never seems to come into proper fruition. What does exist is a frustrating experience that had some potential. Unfortunately, it takes more than potential to make something worthwhile.

Held back by baked-in design decisions, muddy graphical effects, and non-exciting sound design, it’s doubtful that GRIP could make any significant comeback due to its flaws. With these elements in mind, GRIP: Combat Racing should take a pass from prospective purchasers.

All in all, Disney Speedstorm is a game that I can see myself returning to, both for the new seasons and to dive into high-action races with my favorite Disney personalities. There aren’t many other live service games in the racing genre, so for those who love cosmetics, Disney, or playing with friends, this title will be a great addition to the mix and an upbeat way to take a break from the shooters and battle royales. [Early Access Score = 80]

The Swindle has some really cool ideas, and the sound and visuals make for one of the prettiest games out there. But, for players looking for something new or are intrigued by the steampunk aesthetic, the randomized barrier to entry may be a bit too much.

Nitroplus Blasterz – Heroines Infinite Duel plays it too safe, to the point of taking the game’s potential and squandering it.

Despite what is a promising combat formula as well as the supporting systems behind it when it comes to skills, crafting, and upgrades, there are also several equally frustrating aspects of it that hold the game back. The hope is that Mundfish is able to fix some of the more glaring issues post-launch, but right now, it feels less like a welcomed revolution and more like a nuclear disaster.

The only fun in Farming Simulator 17 comes from you, and when you need to actively search for fun in a game, you know you’re not dealing with a good one.

It’s adequate; it has compelling moments; it passes the time, until enough time passes and you’ve had your fill. To say that it’s repetitive would be akin to calling an online shooter or a sports game repetitive: whilst it absolutely is, it all comes down to whether or not the fun can sustain the repetition.

If you’re a big fan of the hyper-precision platforming genre, it’s got a pretty good take on it with some great dressing. If you’re looking for an action-oriented stealth experience, though, steer yourself elsewhere.

Seven’s narrative is certainly its main draw and rescues the often woeful gameplay. The lackluster stealth and bland combat are big issues, as is the frustrating world design.

TERA is a low-risk game to try out. Yeah, the questing isn’t anything to write home about it seems, but it’s still a fast-paced, free-to-play MMORPG, that is genuinely fun to play thanks to its dynamic combat.

What I’m left with is a passable, extremely repetitive game that offers up brief bursts of catharsis muddled in a misguided sea of queasy colors, and all wrapped up in a convoluted and uncompelling plot.

As the sounds and music of the Viking people play in the background, it becomes clear that Frozenheim would have benefited more by just being a city builder and making full use of its source material and inspirations. Rather than delivering an undercooked campaign mode and real-time combat, allowing players to experience life as the Norse fully would have gone a long way; alas, it was not to be, and it might be best to leave this game out in the cold if real-time strategy is what you are seeking.

While offering a pretty much functional agricultural simulator, Mirthwood is an overall mediocre RPG that needed more time in the oven.

The Teal Mask DLC was precisely what I assumed it would end up being: a small update that would take me a few hours at most to complete. While the quality of life changes are noticeable, it doesn’t make up for Scarlet & Violet’s pre-existing graphical issues, and the lack of new Pokemon leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I have higher hopes for the next DLC, the Indigo Disk, but it would’ve been nice if the same effort that’s going into the Indigo Disk was also put into the Teal Mask.

When it comes down to it, Jet Kave Adventure is by no means a bad game, it’s just a bit of a bland one.

This game so difficult to play through in the first place: the clunky and robotic feel of your characters and their movements. Extended Dream Edition is a regurgitation of the same nightmare that surfaced last year, and I can’t recommend it to anyone who isn’t already utterly enamored with the game’s beautiful aesthetics.

With poor narrative consistency, troublesome sneaking, and a lack of real coherence or objective, Albino Lullaby ends up falling well short of great despite the fantastic design and wonderful look to it all.

What you’re left with is an interesting curio, a relic from a bygone era by a talented developer. Whilst it’s clear to see the game’s ambition and the fact that it’s utterly unique, it’s also encumbered by a bizarre control scheme, some experimental storytelling techniques that don’t pull together well, and some cringe-worthy navel-gazing dialogue that disappears up its own bottom.

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair has some good features. One amazing class, destructible environments, and tons of onscreen enemies sounds like the makings of something great. But the highly repetitive missions, dated graphics, forgettable story, and lack of anything worth sticking around for make the game a largely forgettable experience.

There is a clarity to proceedings that invokes the memory of a time when games were uncluttered with narrative baggage, when a single, simple idea was front and center, and gameplay spoke louder than all else. In that sense, playing Boulder Dash now is a nice little hook, and it will keep you entertained for a short while, but with irritating barriers to progress, and a lack of any depth or nuance, it will be a short while indeed.

Party Hard falls flat in execution and bores in some cases. It’s a dour middle ground between a playground for murder and a puzzle: too restrictive in weapon / trap choice and infuriating to enjoy completely, and too simple and redundant to boggle the mind.

It doesn’t stack up to its counterparts on consoles or PC, but it’s certainly a serviceable port. The UI can be cumbersome and unintuitive, and the gameplay itself is incredibly slow paced, but the simulator style has made the transition largely unscathed.

It’s just a massive disappointment that failed to break new ground. It’s a shame because you can tell that a great deal of effort went into building this alternate version of 19th century London, and boy is it gorgeous. But are the beautiful visuals enough to justify the purchase of a game with a clichéd story, uninspired gameplay, and boring werewolves? I don’t think so.

As it stands, it’s very hard - if not impossible - to recommend Alone in the Dark in its current state. Even if you can look beyond the blandness of its design, story, and gameplay, the sheer lack of polish is far too frustrating to warrant spending any money on. It’s a game that, without exaggeration, I had been looking forward to for years. All that’s left now, though, is a sour taste.

It isn’t the first game that had something to prove, and many others have come and surmounted all obstacles put before them. This latest entry into Sonic’s legacy simply failed to do so. While the game works well (I experienced no bugs whatsoever), it’s just not very fun to play. The story lacks substance, the action is slow and very by-the-numbers, and there is no real challenge at any point. The Sonic franchise has been in a rapid decline and it needs a game that will reinvigorate the series and restore faith from fans. Unfortunately, Fire and Ice is not now, nor will it ever be, that game.

J-Stars Victory Vs+ is a game that has the look, but just couldn’t follow through on the execution.

Asemblance seems to be trying to posit a number of thought-provoking questions to the player, but neither the narrow gameplay nor the convoluted narrative articulates this message effectively, and the result is a diluted experience that is over before it began. Hopefully Nilo Studios has the opportunity to deliver more fulfilling and expansive episodes to the series in the future, but this first outing doesn’t inspire too much confidence.

The combat, while plentiful and entertaining when using technomancy, feels stiff with an over reliance on dodging and ineffective stance system. Character development is as scarce as it comes and made worse by poor voice acting and characterization, which are possibly the most immersion-breaking issues of the game.

That leaves The Executioner feeling more like a tacked on add-on than a true expansion. Fun, but better off as something separate from The Evil Within.

Had Triangle Studios only spent a bit longer refining the combat system and laying down some informative collectibles within the game’s world, they could have created a true hero in the battlefield of historical games.

Vambrace: Cold Soul falls down in almost every way that matters, and there are far better games out there more worthy of your time.

The nearly unbearable movement, best-avoided combat, and frustrating progression system makes it a game that’s an absolute chore to play though and one of PSVR’s biggest disappointments.

Having played through the Campaign, Multiplayer, and the MWZ I have to say I have rarely enjoyed myself. At times I felt the multiplayer was inconsistent, the campaign was a laughable waste of time, and the zombies were missing their usual magic. It was always a question whether Activision could get MW3 to the gold standard in just one short year, unfortunately, the verdict is in and it’s a resounding no.

Sword Art Online: Alicization Lycoris is, at best, a passable anime game. It has the bones of a decent action adventure title, and offers a decent retelling of its source material’s story, but it’s mechanically bogged down to the point of tedium and exhaustion. Aside from fans of the series, there aren’t many this game could be recommended to unless they’re looking for a flawed and boring ordeal.

Its simplistic approach has little to offer that you won’t find in dozens of other titles, many of which include that something extra that makes them stand out.

Simulation & farming fans will likely want to skip this title, unless they are dying for something new to play until a notable game in the genre is released.

Unless you are a big fan, The House of the Dead: Remake is not the best way to experience this classic for the first time, and it would have probably been better off dead than revived in this form.

If you’re looking for a scary Spider Train experience that’ll get your heart rate going, you’re probably just better off watching that Spider-Man 2 scene where everyone keeps Peter Parker’s secret. At least that way, you’ll have seen a good movie instead of playing a video game that was simply made because the idea sounded good in theory.

In the end, Roving Rogue makes a bit of a splash with its interesting means of storytelling, but that’s about it. From the frustrating controls to the uninspired level design, the rest of the game falls pretty flat. It’s not necessarily awful, mind you, just uninspired and a bit frustrating.

While decorating your shop and swapping out Mama’s outfits can be fun for a little while, there simply isn’t much sustainable entertainment to be had here. It’s pretty surprising that with a price tag as low as $30, Cooking Mama still doesn’t seem like its giving consumers their money’s worth. As much as I hate to say this to Mama’s adorable and easily excitable face, there just doesn’t seem to be many redeemable qualities to Cooking Mama: Sweet Shop. That is, unless you just need a simple distraction for a rowdy toddler.

Unfortunately, classic arcade flair and humor-filled story and loading screens can only carry a game so far. Old Time Hockey is definitely trying to fill a spot that hockey-fan gamers know exists, but the dragging controls and other in-game inconsistencies leave it far from the mark. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to enjoy the game more than I did; I’m a hockey fan, and an alternative to the almost-identical yearly churnings from EA is something I’d love to get my mitts on. Sadly, it seems that Old Time Hockey spent more effort in trying to claim its niche than in doing it well.

Playing as the Predator is a wonderful idea, it just deserves a better game around it. Bugs, mediocre first-person gameplay, repetitive missions, an ugly setting, and a reliance on playing with friends mean Predator Hunting Grounds is boring a lot more often than it is enjoyable.

Granting players the freedom to decide how to take on missions and utilize the excellent sniping mechanic however they like is an idea that the Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 series required to improve on the underwhelming first two entries. However, since everything else, from the characters to the open world itself, lack polish, depth, and quality – on top of the game being riddled with technical problems – Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is far more dull and frustrating than it is ever enjoyable.

Almost in spite of itself, though, OmniBus is still somehow fun. It may be short on coherence and play like a tech demo from a mid-90s game conference, but in spite of itself, careening through its poorly-rendered world is still worth a chuckle.

The game tries to include many of the hallmarks of the genre, but muddles it all up with poor systems and execution. For a fan that has grown used to the genre’s often challenging requirements, recommending Dolmen is something that will only happen in an alternate dimension.

While technically sound and well put-together, it’s little more than a digital comic that doesn’t capture the replay value and engaging emotional tale of the first.

Sometimes the direction in which the story leads is a bit predictable, but for the most part, there’s a fun sense of exploration, and despite not being particularly ‘horror’ worthy, things still get quite twisted. Unfortunately, the game takes too long to break into its strongest part of the story, which all unravels near the end of the game. This is a shame because while I was not thrilled by my Harvest Island experience, there was a fun sense of subtle terror in the last moments; you just have to drag yourself through the worst parts of the game to get there.

Everybody 1-2 Switch! will likely entertain you for 30 minutes or so, if that. But it’s hardly worth its asking price, and with two other Mario Party games already available on the Switch, it’s difficult to recommend this one to anyone at all.

In essence, In Nightmare is a narrative heavy puzzle game where all too often you must engage in more action heavy scenes in order to progress. That, coupled with frequent sections where you must navigate a room of either a single monster or multiple and avoid detection, caused the game to wear out its welcome sooner than it should have. When it’s just puzzles where you have have all the time in the world to reason out is when the game works best, and I found myself wishing for more of that as the game went on.

Despite efforts to include a vast collection of Dragon Ball characters and references in The Breakers, going as far as to provide a somewhat logical explanation of why it is possible for dead villains and normal civilians being able to transform into your favorite heroes, the game is ultimately let down by its poor mechanics and systems. Instead of giving players a chance to sink their teeth into a new way to enjoy the storied franchise, Dragon Ball: The Breakers will only be consigned to the place of a bad memory, much like a poor filler episode of an anime.

There’s potential here, and a lot of the game’s promise is steeped in maybes and the possibilities that lay behind future updates; right now, Eternal Crusade is an undercooked, bare-bones affair that can, at times, produce a compelling shootout, but on the whole remains a rote and subpar game.

Everything that was added to keep this from being a straight rip-off only ended up getting in the way, and that brought the entire experience crumbling down.

Aside from some brief fun to be had with the three machines, Wolfenstein Cyberpilot is hugely disappointing. What could have been a perfect way of getting a different perspective on Wolfenstein’s world is actually a tedious action game with a severe lack of content and none of what makes the series great.

If you’re all about settlement building then Wasteland Workshop will be right up your alley, but ultimately, these new additions aren’t going to change anyone’s mind who wasn’t already a fan.

There just isn’t anything strong enough to keep you interested after the fifth time a Quetzalcoatlus drops you into the jaws of Terry the T-Rex, or off the side of a mountain, or into the depths of hell, or — you get the picture.

Extinction has some fine enough ideas, but every aspect of its execution, from the narrative to the combat, feels generic and half-baked.

Right now, 7 Days To Die is an extremely shoddy release on the PS4. Hardcore fans who love crafting and survival games may find a potential time sink here, but I find it hard to recommend this title to anyone else just looking for a game to occupy themselves with during this summer drought. Don’t Starve is available on PS4. Try that one instead.

The only people who should consider Agony are people that want a truly hardcore, even at the expense of enjoyment, survival horror game that will put your patience to the test. Or, someone that really wants to experience a truly horrifying take on hell that we’ve never seen before, complete with actual torture. That’s the only value I can eek out of Agony, and that’s a damned shame.

You won’t find anything that’s truly groundbreaking here, but you may find a relaxing experience if you’re the type of person that’s always wanted to grow a desk plant but just haven’t had luck with the real-world variety.

Nobody expected the latest Bubsy game to be any good and I’m sorry to say that those expectations were completely correct. Stay far away from it. Go play Mario or something instead.

Funk of Titans is a game full of missed opportunities and it’s really a shame. The game has a solid premise that would be good for some great laughs and varied gameplay, it just never seems to deliver.

While the story behind the Mandrake Facility staff’s disappearance is engaging enough, the slow pace and technical issues make it a disjointed one to follow.

One Way Trip was an extremely hard story to find any fun in. Its biggest asset, the strikingly accurately-written “California bro” dialogue, is offensively overused to the point of exhaustion.

The true problem of Babylon’s Fall is that it has no sense of identity. There’s nothing that sets it apart from games like it, and it only shows itself as a poor comparison to other, free, games. Babylon’s Fall feels like it was made to check a box, because it is just so empty and slapped together. The cookie-cutter levels only serve to wear you down as you just want to make it through main missions that are just about your only way to play the game.

Possibly the worst game I've ever played.

Despite this generous clutch of problems, there is an odd charm to the game. Its schlock is part of its allure, and each time I loaded the game, I felt as though I was returning to a well-thumbed piece of pulp horror trash or sliding an old VHS B-movie slasher into the machine – its cheap ghouls awash with scan lines. I found myself smirking way more than I was frustrated, but I can’t in good conscience say it’s worth picking up outside of the bargain bin you’d find the films it takes its cues from.

Left Alive’s half-baked nature feels like a real pity because quite a few elements of the game are actually really interesting.

Crystal Rift features some interesting puzzles and may be simple and easy to grasp, but the poor visuals, easily manipulated enemies, limited field of view in standard play, and difficult virtual reality movement means it pales in comparison to the dungeon crawlers of old.

I think the problem with Enforcer: Police Crime Action is that it seems to take itself seriously in a way that the gameplay just can’t support. Shift hours, stress, hunger, gasoline for the cruiser – these are all realistic concerns, but the game comes off as such a parody of itself that managing these is a near-impossible task.

The Lord of the Rings: Gollum doesn’t do anything fun or interesting like similar (better) games like A Plague Tale: Innocence and Requiem. It’s hard to say if even the most loyal Lord of the Rings fans would actually find something worthwhile here. Considering good Lord of the Rings games exist, this one feels incredibly out of place.

With no heart, soul, or even an ounce of genuine humor, Ghostbusters is a shameful cash-in for the new film. The scariest thing about Ghostbusters is that we have to pay actual money for this.

Where Dungeonmans falls short is in a lack of polish or detail to its various facets. Play is stiff, and the controls aren’t particularly intuitive or easy to master for more skill-heavy characters such as Wizardmans. It almost feels like the design is a part of the joke, but I’m not entirely sure

Song of the Myrne: What Lies Beneath‘s most damning shortfall is probably in length of story. Taking around 3 to 5 hours to complete once you’ve got your bearings, it falls well short of what RPG fans might expect.

With an unimpressive overall aesthetic, floundering controls, and skimpy level design, I’d say your money is better spent on something with a bit more meat to it.

While the art and effects are certainly cool, the lack of gameplay depth and penalty for not ‘buying in’ to the game are huge turn-offs.

If money were burning a hole in my pocket, I’d sooner spend it on a sewing kit to patch up my pocket than on the few moments of amusement scattered around those minutes.

While it’s nice to see something that’s taking a new angle on the style, I just couldn’t find my way into it well enough to really enjoy it for what it was — and at the end of the day, a game that I’m not able to have fun with isn’t one that I’m going to keep playing until I get it right.

Currently sold for $4.99 on Steam, the game features 101 levels of increasingly maddening difficulty. Given the somewhat lackluster appearance and feel of the game, it’s a more than fair price point for the sheer number of levels, though it may not be enough for me to recommend the title.

All told, Bloxitivity is a pretty cool level designer that’s hindered by the strange and difficult in-game controls and experience.

If you’re a big fan of the puzzle-platformer genre and enjoy titles that focus more on artistry than content, you may find Broken Dreams to be worth your $0.99 over on Steam. Otherwise, you’re likely better of saving that dollar to put towards something else and skipping the stiff story, unresponsive controls, and all-around lacking feel of this strange little adventure.

Even for that price, though, there’s certainly better options available among the multitude of Steam titles.

Wonderful graphics aside, the game’s decision to focus solely on its narrative becomes cumbersome given the half-baked feeling of the story itself. It feels like a game that “works on paper” — the idea is there, and seems interesting, but it lacks the fleshing out that would really make it pop.

Defiance 2050 is fun to muck around in for a couple of hours, but its lack of polish and outdated graphics severely hold it back from even getting close to the level of its current competition.

The overall experience of Disney Dreamlight Valley is one that is great and unforgettable for those who love both Disney and gaming. The possibilities of the game almost seem endless because there are many stories to expand upon and a variety of activities to do. Since there will undoubtedly be more updates in the future, I can’t wait to see what characters will show up next and what other mysteries will unfold in this magical game. [Early Access Review score = 80]

Lightyear Frontier advocates living in harmony with nature, understanding that you need to help replenish natural resources if you want to continue harvesting them. I could see how some might not understand the appeal of a game without conflict or survival elements, though. We are so used to our cozy games mirroring the world we live in right now where people fight to survive. Lightyear Frontier shows us something different. Not every day has to be a battle. [Early Access Score = 80]