A well designed game with satisfying mechanics that is brought down by performance issues and some lack in enemy variety.

Coteries of New York is an excellent entry point and a good adaptation of the traditional tabletop RPG. If you’re looking for a solid vampire story this is definitely for you.

A sometimes frustrating and often fun experience.

Minecraft Dungeons is undoubtedly entertaining, and despite all my gripes I find myself being pulled back in, drawn to take on ever-more difficult challenges as I grind toward better gear. In particular, I’m eagerly awaiting my friends to join me. It’s just a shame there isn’t more content for us all to dive into together when the time comes.

Collider 2 is an easy recommendation for those who either love the sprint-runner genre or are simply looking for a great timekiller. The simple pick-up-and-play blends well with the game’s increasing challenges, and the online tournament mode is a great buy-in for the competitive among us.

Unfortunately, this game does have its fair share of issues, particularly in the control department.

Not many games come close to a masterpiece like Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but Elderand tries in its own way to honor its inspiration. Exploration is a fun endeavor enhanced by great art design, the RPG system has the potential to do much more, but its combat can be hit or miss. The storytelling follows the same path, but for players looking for Lovecraftian creatures to kill and glorious gothic aesthetics, Elderand will fit the bill.

Altogether, Ronin creates an entirely novel experience that’s given a solid boost from the sound and graphic design.

Road 96: Mile 0 feels like a missed opportunity. Rather than building on what the original game had done so well, it deviates to tell an uninspired story with a gameplay mechanic that just doesn’t really feel all that interesting to play. Road 96 fans will find something to like here, but don’t go in expecting an epic sequel. Even at just five-hours, it can feel like a bit of a drag to finish.

A steep difficulty and solid strategy-first combat system take some getting used to, but intuitive controls and a smooth gameplay experience make it easy to get the hang of on a rudimentary level.

Putting it simply, if you enjoyed Layers of Fear and wanted more, Inheritance is exactly what you’re hoping for.

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.

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.

Fitness Boxing 3: Your Personal Trainer is the ideal experience for those looking to exercise more regularly, with fun boxing gameplay and gamified mechanics that reward consistency and progress.

I would very highly recommend Scorn to fans of both horror and puzzle games. It definitely stands out in both genres as unique, and its challenges will keep you thinking constantly. It is also a game worth checking out if you are a fan of the Alien series or anything biopunk. The art alone was enough for me to immediately wishlist it. While the lack of dialogue did at times feel upsetting, possibly because I myself am a writer at heart, it definitely did add to the creepiness of the atmosphere.

Road to the Olympics adds a stand alone story that follows an olympic snowboarders’ journey from a hopeful participant, to the first person to ever claim gold in three distinctly different snowboarding events: Half-Pipe, Big Air, and Slopestyle. It (mercifully) doesn’t beat you over the head with an in-depth storyline and instead opts for a documentary approach of sorts.

While the experience is almost always better when playing with friends, the poor friendly A.I. wasn’t frustrating enough to ruin my experiences trekking across Bolivia. If you can look past the rather thin story and characters, there’s a smart, engaging shooter that begs for players to try new weapons, gear, and approach options. While this isn’t the definitive Ghost Recon experience, Wildlands is still an entertaining title for those looking for a more tactical experience.

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.

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.

If you can pick up Maquette from free as March 2021’s PlayStation Plus title, it’s difficult to argue against. But if you’re looking to pay full price for this 3-hour puzzler, you’re money’s better spent elsewhere.

Mother Russia Bleeds is a rose-tinted callback to the genre’s giants. Playing the game, you will be reminded of the time spent in youth playing Final Fight, and Streets of Rage. However, you will also be reminded of how one note those games truly were, and how it was more than just graphics that advanced as hardware did.

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.

Warriors All-Stars sticks with the formula it knows best, and that works. For players looking to dive into a lengthy game with nothing but that satisfying punchy feel of the hack-and-slash combat, this is absolutely perfect. There’s an endless stream of side missions and content to tackle, and the unlockable cutscenes between the crossover characters are just the cherry on top. However, for players who might not entirely be sold on Omega Force’s classic combat, or even for players who have taken a 16-year break from these Warriors-style games and are just returning, you might find that it drags on a tad too long with no real variety in gameplay to shake things up.

A solid start. While I’d definitely like to see Telltale take their foot off the gas when it comes to driving the story along in future episodes in favor of more quality time with the characters, the high-tempo introduction to the series is sure to keep players hooked. Unfortunately, Telltale’s trademark decision-based gameplay isn’t quite as strong as has been so far in The Walking Dead: A New Frontier, but if you’re a Guardians of the Galaxy fan, you’ll likely still enjoy following the story.

Despite having some wonky A.I. and lacking a coat of polish, the moment to moment gameplay is engaging. This is not only thanks to the massive roster of officers to pick from, but the wonderful variety of missions offered to players.

My hope is that it finds its audience so that we might yet again see Dr. Reid on an even grander scale in the future.

It’s a remake that knows what we want and gives it to us, instead of instituting needless changes. What changes there are are often subtle, or add to the game instead of detracting from it. This isn’t a remake to play if you want something drastically different, but if you want a more interactive approach to movie night, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better (or season-appropriate) option.