Windbound is full of inspired ideas, especially when it comes to the potentially open world sea exportation. Those aspirations fall considerably short, though, as a lack of depth and creativity in its world gameplay sap the wind from its sails, leaving it adrift amidst a sea of better survival games...That being said, if you like survival games with a good atmosphere, you might want to give Windbound a try. Just be sure to temper your expectations. Anyone going into it thinking this will be a Breath of the Wild level survival title will be immensely disappointed.

Little Town Hero is a classic case of “has potential, but woefully executed,” and that really sucks to say when it seems to have so much going for it on the surface. Lovely graphical style and aesthetic, pretty animations from both characters and monsters, and the occasional banger in the soundtrack. And yet, it wasn’t meant to be. Maybe next time, Game Freak.

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.

As the final chapter of Fallout 4, Nuka-World does a stellar job in delivering an experience that fans are sure to enjoy clocking in around 20 hours if you complete the side quests.

While some of the early levels get a bit repetitive, it’s largely to get players accustomed to the game’s world and rules before building into more difficult territory.

At the end of the day, I’d still recommend Dislyte to anyone looking for a truly unique gacha game with striking character designs and a cool aesthetic. The team-building aspect is on point, and the entire vibe of the game just oozes charm and style. Just keep your wallets closed until we see some tangible improvements in those pull rates.

Scars Above offers a rather condensed third-person shooter adventure. While I was surprised at how quickly I breezed through the game, considering the other titles it was borrowing ideas from, it was still an interesting journey. I wouldn’t say there’s anything refreshing about the game, but there’s enough there for those wanting a jaunt through an alien world.

With a solid cast of characters, nonstop action, and solid 16-bit look and sound design, it’s a treat for those of us who recall the SNES/Genesis era with nostalgia.

Ultimately, Pro Cycling Manager 2016 is a good game for a very select demographic. If you’re a cycling fan with an analytical mind and didn’t pick up the 2015 version, you may get your money’s worth. Otherwise, though, the game fails to build on past entries and is decidedly too detail-oriented to appeal to a wider audience.

Coming off the first game, the hope was that the sequel would expand upon the hardcore stealth mechanics, and it would have worked a treat with Aragami 2’s larger levels. The increase in co-op partners make for more ways to have fun, and being able to see how certain groups tackle things silently or with all-out mayhem could have given the community more to strive for. The new direction in Aragami 2 is not a bad thing at all, considering the general quality present, but perhaps giving players the option between this new style and the old would have made this sequel a more complete package worth killing for.

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.

Its story is creepy and unpredictable, with the variety in gameplay keeping you engaged, even if it drags towards the end.

While much of Kholat can feel repetitive as players roam aimlessly through the barren landscape, the spine-creeping sense of dread that accompanies the rest of the game more than makes up for it.

Sid Meier’s Starships does away with all of the research tree and diplomatic hard work that often comes with a 4X title, replacing them with some brilliant turn-based strategy combat and just enough world conquering to keep any evil genius happy. This is the sort of game the Romulan Empire would love.

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.

Despite how negative I sound to this point, Super Lucky’s Tale isn’t a bad game. Everything about it is fine, adequate, and distinguished as an effort.

Even with its unfortunate first impression, I’d (heartily) recommend Forspoken. Its exceptional gameplay is more than enough to make it worth playing and is all the more noteworthy, given it’s a fresh new IP. If nothing else, it lays the groundwork for a new series that has plenty to build from and could go on to be remembered for far more than some rough dialogue.

It’s pretty minimal in its design, difficult to get into, and a bit cumbersome to navigate. I’ll freely admit that, on my first few plays, I planned on giving it a pretty low score. As I played a bit more, though, it began to grow on me and the frustration faded as I learned pilot, manage resources, and make use of upgrades and consumables.

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.

The Outer Worlds’ Murder on Eridanos DLC is the epitome of a mixed bag. For all of its high points, there are flaws and missteps which keep it from reaching the heights it otherwise could have. There’s still fun to be had with it, but any who go into the expansion should be ready for some headaches in equal measure.

With this latest installment, it feels as though Machine Games is both running out of ideas and losing the plot a little with what fans have celebrated about this modern era of the Wolfenstein.

If you’re looking for a vibrant world to explore in virtual reality then Windlands is certainly worth trying. However, if you are looking to feel like Spider-Man seamlessly swinging around a new landscape, keep in mind that poor traversal mechanics and awkward movement will make that feel less authentic that you might have hoped.

For anyone interested in a stealth action title, or simply something different with a great core, Qasir al-Wasat is certainly gets a recommendation from me.

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.

It adds focus to the core gameplay that just wasn’t found in Destiny beforehand. From vastly improved mission structure to challenges that feel worthwhile, it is a huge testament to what a bit of time can accomplish for a new IP.

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.

I still found myself sinking hours at a time into the charming world of Moonglow without even realizing it. Its voxel art visuals are beautiful and the soundtrack is suitably chill. Moonglow Bay has been developed by a truly passionate team, one with so many great ideas that, in trying to implement them all, perhaps haven’t had the time or experience to flesh them out with the depth they truly deserve. Still, if the idea of saving a town through fishing sounds like your cup of tea, Moonglow Bay is worth checking out. Just be prepared for a rather simplistic ride.