Firewall Zero Hour is a masterclass in accessible, immersive VR first-person shooting. Its sharp, intuitive tactical gameplay and well-designed maps make for intense 4v4 action that’s a level above anything else available on PlayStation VR. However, it cannot be ignored that the progression slog and rapidly emptying lobbies make Firewall a difficult game to commit to.

At The Gates is a brutally hardcore strategy game that will keep fans engaged for dozens, if not hundreds of hours. The amount of time it takes to learn even the basics, coupled with its simplistic art style and obtuse menu-based UI, will scare off newcomers. But veterans of the genre and fans of games of this pedigree will find an engaging strategy title that stands shoulder to shoulder with the games that inspired it.

For Souls fans, there’s a lot to love about Death’s Gambit. There’s a multitude of secrets to be found, shortcuts to be unlocked, and lore to be read from the cryptic item descriptions. When the game isn’t being held back by the weird boss and level designs or technical issues, it can be charming and sincere in its own right.

If you're looking for a heavy duty game to sink a few thousand hours into, this isn't for you. If you want to simply spend a few hours exploring a charming world with plenty of puzzles and platforming, Infinity Nikki might just be your dream.

Chase: Cold Case Investigations ~Distant Memories~ may not be a terribly long experience, but it definitely feels like it’s introducing some interesting characters and concepts.

Overall, ChromaGun is an interesting take on a genre that seems to always be brimming with fresh content.

NHL 20 is a great package if you skipped out on last year’s entry. However, if you already own NHL 19 there isn’t enough new to recommend picking this one up.

One Piece: Pirate Warriors 4 isn’t a groundbreaking game by any means. It is a noticeable step forward for its series as a whole though, and boasts some worthwhile high points and potential that fans of the One Piece series and Musou games alike will be able to appreciate.

The Enemy Within starts off strong, even if it does stumble a little here and there. Thankfully, the new story arc seems a lot less bloated and self-involved than the one we got last season, and the new characters are rather well-written, too.

Minecraft Legends is a simple, yet effective introduction to the RTS genre for newcomers like myself. While I don’t necessarily see myself sinking a ton of time into the game going forward –primarily because RTS games still aren’t my thing– I do appreciate Mojang’s effort in expanding the Minecraft universe and experimenting with different genres to see how creative they can get with the IP. Slightly janky controls aside, Minecraft Legends is a solid adventure to experience with friends, and it’ll keep you occupied for hours on end. Just don’t go in expecting a ton of single-player content you can enjoy on your own time.

SUPERHOT is a game with an amazing gameplay mechanic (time), that is also bolstered by an unusual but interesting plot and equally curious art style. Unfortunately, hit detection issues compounded with SUPERHOT’s short-lived Story mode meant that once I’d given the additional modes a try, I was quite happy to put SUPERHOT down and move on.

I can forgive its jankiness. The football, especially going forward, is just so good. Despite this, my admiration of the series will always be stained with a bit of disappointment, wondering what it could be with just a little more evolution.

The tabletop element of Hand of Fate 2 is a blast. The variety in the objectives forces you to build new decks and develop new strategies on how to tackle each new challenge. Some of the challenges are designed so cleverly that you’ll have to discard some previous knowledge of how you thought the game worked in order to solve them. Not only this, but the way you unlock the cards are fair and addictive, adding hours of replay value as you try to acquire all of the gold tokens. But the quality of the overall experience is held back by the repetitive combat.

Despite $30 being an expensive price tag, the games included in this collection are worth your while with Pac-Man Vs. taking the collection over the top.

Journey to the Savage Planet is well worth checking out if you’re looking for something to fill the void of time you’ve got during this fairly quiet start to 2020. The sense of exploration drives you forward, the satirical comedy lands every time, and the presentation on the whole just adds to the magical sense of exploring and mapping an uncharted planet.

There’s the elements of greatness in this latest installment, it just needs to step out of the shadows. Right now we have a strong set up, but with the slow start to the story, waiting for the payoff is going to feel like an even bigger drag.

Beyond Good & Evil: 20th Anniversary edition might not have the same effect as the original did, but it’s still a brilliant game, and a great way of experiencing one of gaming’s biggest cult hits.

All in all, Mario Party Superstars is a good remake of some incredibly fantastic classic games. It looks great and plays just like the Mario Party games of years past. Sadly, it falls short of being a must-have for all Switch owners outside of Mario Party fans thanks to its relatively small and stagnant roster and board selection. But in the end, the wonderful gameplay is the biggest redeeming factor that makes Mario Party Superstars an enjoyable experience.

Overcooked is a fun and colorful game that shouldn’t be overlooked if you have some friends to join you in the adventure. With some of the best level design of any indie game, Overcooked will constantly batter you with new challenges. However, with a lack of any online functionality that clearly handicaps solo players, this dish comes out lukewarm.

Success in BattleTech is rare but deeply satisfying.

LawBreakers doesn’t necessarily offer anything new or groundbreaking, the weapon and character skins that you can unlock as you level up aren’t exactly very enticing either, and at this point, it’s difficult to say whether the game will be able to keep its player base engaged in the long run. However, if you’re simply looking for something new, LawBreakers is a solid enough arena first-person shooter game to get into.

A solid game, fun and showing a surprising amount of depth in both its story and mechanics. If you’ve been looking for a good monster hunting experience and don’t have a Nintendo 3DS, this is definitely a game you’ll want to check out.

If you’re a fan of the Aliens universe and want a closer approximation of what being boots on the ground during an outbreak would be, this is probably your best option on the market. There’s something for everyone, whether you are doing this for the strategy aspect or just to enjoy an Aliens story from a fresh perspective.

I did hope for a little bit more from this Switch title; WarioWare: Gold for the 3DS seemed to have better value with 100 more microgames, full voice acting, and a lower price tag. The Switch game just feels like it's missing something. However, WarioWare: Get It Together! is simply fun. It's an entertaining game to play in short bursts when you have some downtime or when you're in the mood for something a little zanier.

Concord provides a highly enjoyable and satisfying FPS experience, but needs more time in the oven if it wants to succeed in the highly competitive hero shooter and live-service market.

While the characters offer that variety, you’re not going to be playing Dragon Quest Heroes for the story, though. It’s a very generic “monsters are invading so let’s make friends and stop them” tale. So definitely don’t walk in expecting to be getting a game that’s anything more than focused on its gameplay.

Outside of the sometimes stupid allied AI, Shining Resonance Refrain doesn’t do anything “wrong,” it just doesn’t excel at much either.

At its core, Darksiders 3 is a good game. Its combat and story do justice by the series, and even with its flaws it provides enough to keep longtime fans and newcomers alike invested. So long as players can have some patience for the game’s technical issues, they’ll find plenty to enjoy in this title.

Lego 2K Drive is a neat little racing game with quite possibly the coolest car creation tools I have ever encountered. While I find myself unable to make anything besides the most rudimentary vehicle, there will be some astonishing creations in the game before long. Despite some issues with side activities, this is still a decent game if you want to ditch the realistic racing games for bricks on wheels.

Describing its world as an “ancient German future,” Lichtspeer is filled with amusing overtones, and the enemies themselves are often ridiculous and fun. Whether it’s viking penguins aboard longships or blue-skinned giants in sunglasses, there’s a comical feel to the whole thing that helps keep it entertaining.

What could have been just a run-of-the-mill Metroidvania is transformed into a tale of growth and resilience in Tales of Kenzera: ZAU that is well worth the investment. With Kenzera being an utterly beautiful place full of mysteries and wonders, joining Zau and Kalunga as they fight and platform their way across delightful biomes in a bid to let go and move on became a therapeutic journey that I never knew I needed. We don't need actual loss to remind ourselves that things can be difficult, but having a reminder goes a long way in keeping us all on the right track of focusing on joy instead of grief.

Just like most EA sports titles, you’ll enjoy this if you’re a hockey fan. Just don’t expect too much.

Much like Job Simulator, Island Time balances the ridiculous with a challenging task perfectly. Although it may get repetitive once you learn the ropes, the loop of discovering new ways to survive while dealing with whatever mishaps may occur is engaging and enjoyable.

If nothing else, Spacejacked easily meets the most important criteria I have when reviewing games — fun. Its frantic pace, interesting take on the genre, and well-executed mechanics make for an enjoyable experience. The design and sound may not stand out, but they’re certainly not bad.

All told, Hunter’s Legacy is a good game. It falls short of great by not offering any real innovation, but the smooth play and vibrant design keep it above average on all levels.

In light of Loot River’s shortcomings, it’s still a worthwhile title to play. Flicking Tetris blocks through an astonishingly fluid river is so satisfying. And while I have issues with the combat, the weapons and spells are fun to use when they work. If Loot River gained a roadmap of good changes and content to add to the pile, it could stand toe-to-toe with some heavy-hitters leading the genre. Though, if it stays the way it is, it will remain a good entry but miss out on becoming better at implementing its inspirations.

SEGA and Crypton have polished the series’ challenging rhythm gameplay over the years, and Future Tone serves as the ultimate package for the most hardcore of fans to prove that they’ve mastered the art of very precise button pushing.

SEGA and Crypton have polished the series’ challenging rhythm gameplay over the years, and Future Tone serves as the ultimate package for the most hardcore of fans to prove that they’ve mastered the art of very precise button pushing.

Without the expectations of its title holding it back, I think it would have been a clear and easy win for Nintendo, and the fresh perspective on the setting, while divisive, still gives something new and entertaining.

Sakura Wars isn’t the return fans were hoping for, but it’s still one worth seeing and playing. For all the flaws the new action hack and slash combat and scatter-brained storytelling entail, the character interactions, visual novel elements and sound design all show how much potential the new take on the series has.

The nature of the Switch makes it the best option to enjoy the Blue Bomber’s many adventures, and a fine way to prepare for the oncoming release of Mega Man 11.

Playing with possibilities of the physics engine as you zip across Solis, trying to take down yet another dictator, is as much fun as ever, but that ‘more of the same’ sentiment is present everywhere in Just Cause 4, from the technical issues to the repetitive mission structure and generic story.

It’s a beautiful, lonely world and the Ghibli-like aesthetic works incredibly well in its favor. However, some control issues and harsh random difficulty spikes hurt it by slowing down the experience.

The real setbacks for me are the repetitive missions, inability to have more than one mission active at a time, confusing aspects of some missions (with not enough guidance), and a shallow storyline that could use more work. I loved the faction immersion, RPG elements, and the ability to have my own droid companion that would help my Sim during missions.

If not for the blatant microtransactions and VC-driven progression system, NBA 2K19 would be the best basketball game on and off the court to date.

A good game. It is not a great game, and there’s certainly some areas that could have used improvement, but it’s a far cry from as terrible as I’ve come to expect from TV spin-off titles or other licensed titles.

Dark Souls III: Ashes of Ariandel is possibly the weakest of all the Souls-Borne expansions, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad.

While the story may take a bit of time to really get going, once it gets there it will grab a hold of your attention and refuse to let go. It is, ultimately, what the Utawarerumono series could have (and should have) been from the very start.

Certainly not for the casual fan, Anno 1800 is a glorious exploration of a glorious age. It is a technical achievement for strategy gaming that goes unrivaled, and while its complexity may be a roadblock for some, the return on your investment would make even the greediest fat cat smile.

Just like skipping out on watching the Pro Bowl, you're not missing out on all that much.

I expected a game with terrifying scares and a confusing plot, but what I got was a game with okay scares and a fantastic plot. Layers of Fear 2 didn’t live up to any of my expectations, but given what I expected, that’s a good thing.

Dead Rising 4 evokes much of the same style and quirkiness that the first two games did, but ultimately isn’t able to spread that fun across the entire experience.

The Centennial Case: A Shijima Story is an exceptional grouping of semi-connected detective stories. Experiencing a whodunnit while marginally helping piece the mystery together was a great combination. While much of the investigations are too guided, getting to watch the suspects react as you place down piece after piece of evidence is completely worth it. The game never works better than it does when you just get to sit back and enjoy watching the story unfold.

It’s the kind of game that, if players are willing to look past its rougher edges, can provide hours of entertainment, and give them an experience both familiar and entirely off the beaten path.

For newcomers, if you can push past the awful touch controls, The World Ends With You provides a gripping tale that will consume you from start to finish.

Ultimately, if you want a solid dedicated JRPG focused on adventuring and combat, this probably isn’t the game for you. You’re better off waiting for Atelier Lulua: The Scion of Arland, which is just a couple of months away.

Even if you’re not going to end up staying for the story, at least the brutal combat itself will keep you satisfied for hours on end. Stay merciless, Lara.

If you’ve never played an Uncharted game, by all means, fire it up. Go hunt for El Dorado; go to Shangri-La; go find the Atlantis of the Sands. The core gameplay might tire you out a little, but you’ll be handsomely rewarded with lovely cinematic shots, quirky dialogue from a group of affable characters, and stories from adventures you’ll likely never forget.

The story may be a bit disjointed and disorienting, but it feeds the thematic piece very well in this regard as players dive deeper into Adams’ attempts to cope with his experience.

While it isn’t without its problems, Dragon Marked for Death embodies the best parts of the multiplayer facet of the side-scrolling 2D action RPG community. Anyone who enjoys the genre and has Nintendo Online would be remiss to not give this game a try.

I was pretty satisfied with my overall experience with Boyfriend Dungeon when the end of the summer rolled. The writing was solid, and I ended up caring about a lot of the relationships that were formed. It is just a shame that the somewhat lacking combat and issues with a couple of the characters and situations arise that end up bogging the game down a bit.

The best sequels improve from its predecessors in every important way, and this is sometimes true in Grow Up, but it’s mostly more of the same in a bigger space. That isn’t a bad thing, because it’s a ton of fun, but I was left with a sense of finality for B.U.D. and friends. It’s a wonderful thing that we live in a world in which Grow Home gets its big sequel, and we have one more great game because of it.

The quirkiness, presentation, strong voice acting, and characters help push past the simplistic gameplay and the narrative the game tells is surprisingly engaging.

The fights are too simple and the very frequent fetch quests are too taxing to hold interest. Even the pretty art style, fun dialogue, and immersive city (complete with metro rides) aren’t enough to make the game last [for] you.

MLB The Show 22 is a fantastic baseball simulator that fans of the sport will enjoy. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough notable changes to the game that make it a must-have. There are some little tweaks here and there that dedicated players will notice, but the total package isn’t too different. That said, it’s still worth picking up if baseball is your game.

The fights are too simple and the very frequent fetch quests are too taxing to hold interest. Even the pretty art style, fun dialogue, and immersive city (complete with metro rides) aren’t enough to make the game last [for] you.

While it’s got a long way to go to hit the heights of the Forza Horizon competition, the improved story telling, inventive Night vs. Day structure, and fun driving make Heat worth picking up even if Payback and 2015’s reboot put you off the series.

While I do love how seamlessly the new content has been integrated into the game, it might need a bit of balancing before it becomes truly fun and engaging to play. As it stands, The Crimson Court feels too much like an unfair beginner’s trap which continues to punish players with devastating consequences that you can’t plan for.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom has a lot going for it. There is a lot to do and discover without being overwhelming. The visuals are vibrant and fun, and the characters are cute. Although the controls can be annoying at times, it is satisfying when you finally get past an obstacle. It will be interesting to see where Nintendo takes us for the next Zelda installment in the future.

Super Mario Party Jamboree has a lot to offer in terms of new ideas and replacing those disliked in the previous Mario Party game with updated sharp graphics. Nintendo appears to have taken on board what fans liked from Superstars and merged the gameplay for those who like an even playing field, while still finding new and creative ways to engage its players and keep them busy. There is certainly still a lot to discover.

Enotria: The Last Song is a faithful recreation of the original Souls games with a fresh new coat of Italian paint, and it brings with it enough personality and mechanics to stand on its own two feet. Unfortunately, the experience is held back by performance issues, bugs, and a lack of enemy variety for difficulty.

Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice proved to be an interesting experience that I both loved, and at times grew bored of. The story is dark and deep. It forced me to really look inward and think about everything I was witnessing. Yet the gameplay leaves much to be desired.

For those seeking an authentic simulation, NBA 2K23 delivers. For those who couldn’t be bothered to invest into either MyTeam or MyCareer, you will find plenty else to occupy your time. At the end of the day, it’s all about what you’re willing to check at the door. There will always be things players take or leave. On the whole, it very much feels like a big step in the right direction. Underneath, I continue to let myself imagine ‘What if…’ which is why personally, it’s difficult to look past the ever-present elephant in the room.

Let It Die feels pretty damn polished for a game that costs nothing to play. In spite of the terrible menus and potentially broken PVP aspects, Let It Die is still very much a fun roguelike action RPG you can easily sink hours into.

Where the heart leads is a victim of its own ambition.

The controls of Anthem are intuitive and engaging. Flying through the world of Bastion is a sight to behold, and coordinating with your team on higher difficulties like Grandmaster is rewarding. Despite some questionable design choices and shortcomings, Anthem has a strong foundation that has potential to be a genre leader, but isn’t quite there just yet.

At its core, While The Iron’s Hot doesn’t necessarily break the mold when it comes to such adventures, although its focus on blacksmithing does bring a more involved perspective that works pretty well for those that like to get their hands dirty in that manner. The art and music make for fine companions, especially as there is an extended amount of time being spent toiling away, but its plot and side quests are nothing spectacular. Just like a masterpiece, this is a game that has potential, but there is still work to be done in order to hammer out all the kinks.

Ultimately, none of the flaws in Crackdown 3 are deal-breakers but they hold it back from being truly great. If you can look past them, and just enjoy Crackdown 3 for what it is: a game that gives you a wacky toolset to blast enemies away for 10-20 hours or more, then you'll definitely find value and fun here.

Switchback VR delivers what it sets out to do with an on-rails shooter that is low on the story but high on the shooting action. While the fun may not last for a long time and the genuine scares are few and far between, it is still a good demonstration of what the PS VR2 brings to the table. Just like Until Dawn: Rush of Blood set the stage back in 2016, hopefully, this will only be the beginning when it comes to exploiting the full potential of PS VR2.

While its platforming and shooting gameplay was fun, if not a tad basic, the story is there to do little more than drive things forward, and the environment it all comes in is dull and not enjoyable to explore. When combined with the need to do exactly that, some crashes causing you to exit and reload, and painful load times, ReCore becomes more of a drag, the more you play. If you’ve got the patience to put up with its load times, and technical blips, there’s a fun and interesting take on the platforming genre here. Just don’t expect the most polished or groundbreaking experience, though.

It serves its purpose and delivers on what it advertises, giving players a power fantasy experience where they can tear through waves of enemies with the touch of a button. It’s an enjoyable Musou title which will keep fans entertained, and takes some small steps forward that future installments could use to great effect.

I can’t recommend New World to anyone who isn’t already 100% invested in the idea of faction politics and PvP, but there’s a solid foundation here. Give it an expansion or two, and this could turn into something truly special.

While it may not hold the same appeal to new players, returning fans can revisit this classic and find themselves transported to a different era. With Age of Empires IV currently deep in development, time will tell whether this venerable series can truly make the jump to the modern age.

Your mileage with Funko Fusion hinges on your interest in the worlds it pastiches, but there’s enough charm here that even if you’re tangentially invested, you’ll have a good time.

When Maskmaker shines, it shines bright to the point I had a beaming smile on my face. It’s just a shame these moments only tend to pop up towards the very end. If you’re looking for a circa five-hour VR adventure with some magical moments, you could do worse. Just don’t expect a groundbreaking VR experience.

Despite these issues, Evil West will most certainly become a better experience with some fine-tuning and a patch or two. As far as I am concerned, its core formula is an entertaining one, bringing players on a linear ride into the wild west and unleashing the darkness of vampires for good measure. For those seeking a pleasant time of vanquishing evil for 10-15 hours using your fists and guns without the stress of needing to do too much, Evil West should firmly be in your sights as your next call of adventure.

Despite my issues connecting to servers and the poor graphical performance on PS5, I’ve quite enjoyed my time on Solar Crown’s Hong Kong Island. The driving mechanics are easily the best the series has ever had, and the cars sound and feel viscerally dynamic. It’s a shame that a game that places such a strong emphasis on realistic immersion and map detail is dragged down by poor graphical performance and always-online server issues. Test Drive Unlimited: Solar Crown has the potential to overtake its rivals but it has too many faults slowing it down in its current state.

Epic Mickey: Rebrushed is exactly what you’d want from a remastered Wii game. It gives the visuals the contemporary sheen worthy of its unique art style, adds important control improvements to make it palatable to modern audiences, and also knows when to let the gameplay speak for itself.

I’m just not sure if Telltale has the chops to pull every story development and important character (Tiffany Fox is still largely ignored in this episode too, by the way) and tie them together neatly and coherently.

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows shines a brave light to eschew some genre conventions, but not all. Though the lack of sound and solemn streets are sure to please anyone who loves horror, the abundance of save points makes death inconsequential, removing some terror that the atmosphere instills. Despite that, this is a horror game that is still very much worth your time, if only for a rainy weekend alone in the dark.

Steelrising is a fantastic video game held back by its adherence to other giants of the genre, and a lack of polish, whether that was due to time constraints, budget limitations, technical hurdles, or myriad other reasons. Whatever the case, the developer’s passion for the setting, and the ambitions of a studio on the cusp of the big-time shine through. While nothing revolutionary, Steelrising is well worth your time and attention.

If you fancy samurai mythology with a Japanese ink brush aesthetic and/or you’ve just been looking for a 2.5D style, weapon-based fighting game, I think Samurai Shodown is a very solid choice.

Depending on your taste, Disgaea 1 Complete can offer hours upon hours of gameplay filled with team building and grinding. With its gorgeous graphics and updated animations, this is hands down the best and “complete” version of the first game.

While Banishers boasts an interesting world, it’s not a game that’ll live long in the memory. I mean, what can you expect from a game whose main characters aren’t determined to save even themselves?

While I cannot really recommend Omensight to everyone, fans of hack and slash games who don’t mind a rigid fixed camera, or those who are truly invested in what the story has in hold can look past its faults to see the good inside of it.

The Furious Wild provides even more reason to return to Three Kingdoms and to lose yourself once again for a score of hours engaging in some of the most rewarding gameplay modern strategy games have to offer. But maybe wait a while, until the bugs are ironed out and some of the games rougher edges are smoothed over.

Ultimately, I would recommend High on Life, but if you do, go into it with the mind that it’s a video game with a sense of humor that may fall short on you. Despite feeling a bit dated and some jokes missing their mark, I’m looking at you alien “fluids” seller, the game works despite how dated the actual gameplay is. Plus, its inclusion on Game Pass is reason enough why you should play it. Worst case scenario, you turn it off and only spend a few hours learning about how your nameless protagonist and Morty, I mean Kenny, saved the human species with a bunch of talking guns.

There’s a great game inside of Hood: Outlaws & Legends. When it comes together properly, it’s one of the most interesting titles I’ve seen in a while. As it is now though, there’s not enough content available to truly show off its potential, and early adopters will be left waiting for it to grow into something truly exceptional.