If you’d like to experience what makes Secret of Mana so great, you’ll find little in this remake. Stick with the original – that’s where the real legacy lies.

Nintendo gave what they promised: a localized port. It’s still a fun Fire Emblem game at its core though, and I can only hope that we get more Japanese-only Fire Emblem games localized because there are many improvements in every entry.

Anyone who was a fan of the franchise before this will likely still love Saints Row, as the comedy, goofiness, and chaotic gameplay is still at the game's core. And while I wasn't a fan of how they went about the story, there's definitely some promise in regards to its more grounded focus, as it seems clear this reboot was made to push the series into an interesting new direction.

Despite my flat first impressions of the game, I’m very happy to have seen it through to the end.

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.

The tediousness of exploration, battle, and menus really bog down Operation Babel, in spite of what the game does well.

It may not have the depth of some of its genre, it makes up for it with the approachable gameplay and plentiful replay value.

Mato Anomalies is a solid visual novel with an engrossing story that will keep you hooked as you meet new characters and experience how they interact. While other mechanics in the game fall somewhat short, players are afforded certain options to clear through them faster and get back to the story without much hassle.

Madden 20 is fine and serviceable but other than The Yard (and that’s a stretch), there’s almost nothing that is worth getting excited over this year. Here’s hoping the new home consoles do something to move Madden forward at some point in the near future.

Shiftlings is a fun game. It’s rare when a game can nail fart humor and also have it be completely in context. The puzzles are fun, and there is really some fantastic level design that never gets in the way of the game. Unfortunately all of this may be hard to realize when all you can see is a sometimes frustrating single player experience.

Yet, even with its wonky camera and story that sometimes alienates newcomers, Sword Art Online: Lost Song is a solid game.

This game of fisticuffs quickly falls flat due to its lack of expected depth and content most modern fighting games can offer.

I think the most disappointing thing is that, at the moment, there is very little replayability. After only about five hours, I beat the game, which included the three extra DLC dungeons and gods from the Valiant Edition.

Ultimately, Brawl falls well short of being a great game. The control issues and, in my personal experience, difficulty finding players to match up with fail to capitalize on the visual design and setting.

I expected to come out of Agents of Mayhem wishing that Volition simply made Saints Row V instead. But now? Now I’m looking forward to what other trouble this budding agency can get itself into, and that’s saying something.

Both the story mode and multiplayer modes succeed best while playing with others in the same room, but poorly implemented in-game currency, a repetitive and short story mode, and currently broken online system hinder this title, so the fun moments get lost within the frustrating ones.

Scratch the surface and you’ll find a very shallow car combat game that simply doesn’t have what it needs to pull you back in over and over again. Destruction AllStars is unlikely to be the next PlayStation Plus success story.

Dangerous Driving is undeniably fun. Taking out other racers at 200mph always will be insanely enjoyable and Three Fields has taken full advantage of Burnout nostalgia. However, underwhelming crash physics, poorly balanced AI racers, and some technical problems keep their game from being the modernization of Criterion’s classic that fans hoped it would be.

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.

Despite some persistent technical issues that dragged down the experience, Monster of the Deep is surprisingly ambitious, and one that I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did.

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.

Small Radios Big Televisions isn’t a bad game by any means, its beautifully animated style, coupled with a synth led soundtrack, creates an amazing environment in which to explore its well-thought-out puzzles and interesting level design. At times though, it just lacks direction.

We Happy Few leaves me feeling conflicted. I don't ever want to put myself through that resource management slog ever again, but I can't discount its sharp wit and captivating writing either. Ultimately, I can't bring myself to give We Happy Few a wholehearted recommendation for the average player. This is a game that will test your patience, and if you're willing to stick it out, you'll be rewarded with a good story that was only let down by weird design decisions and flawed execution.

The puzzles are very simple and the set-up and plot have all been done before. The lovingly-crafted animation, uncluttered play, and warm, sharply-written characters could have converged onto a winner here. Sadly, though, there is the distinct feeling that Pewter Games have made a test balloon, a game that teases something bigger yet to come. For all the fondness you might have for it, when the credits roll after what feels like the end of part one, the game is regrettably very aptly named.

Action-oriented or easily frustrated players, however, would do well to turn elsewhere. Sym, despite the simplistic look and play, is not for the faint of heart.

It’s frustrating that Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Striker isn’t better, because the elements it needs to be a great game are all there.

This is to date the best and most definitive Jason Voorhees simulation that has ever been released, and for some, that alone might be worth the price of admission.