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

There’s still some hope for Payday fans if the servers and gameplay continue to improve. My only desire is to add an offline mode and more missions to make it feel more fleshed out for the base game.

Traverser creates a compelling world with numerous interesting quirks and a solid story. While the puzzles aren’t what they likely could be, given the intriguing design and mechanics, they’re also not so awful as to make the experience entirely dull.

Considering how enjoyable getting behind the wheel is in Need for Speed Payback, it is frustrating that so many elements don’t work in the overall experience. You may spend most of your time having fun racing but the b-movie story that stars unlikable characters, the presentation inconsistencies, and the poorly integrated upgrade system are frequent frustrations.

The potential was certainly there, with the unique Mesoamerican inspirations, beautiful art, and top-notch animations, so it’s unfortunate that I’m left feeling like this was somewhat of a missed opportunity.

It is not for the faint of heart, nor those who struggle with depictions of depression. For those who are up to the task, it is a brilliant and cold struggle that will challenge you both as a human and as a gamer, and I’d call it one of the best arguments I’ve seen for games as an art form.

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.

Despite some lazy level design, the game’s clever wit and vivid, animated design manages to create a unique and somewhat engaging experience.

It’s a good game, a few sandwiches short of a great one.

For every improvement it offers, the Remastered Edition also takes some serious steps backwards that I can’t imagine longtime fans enjoying this one for too long either. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is a game that I hoped to love, but with all of its shortcomings in the Remastered Edition, maybe some things are just better left in the past.

Spectra creates a short yet enjoyable experience that mostly makes up for its visual sameness with the great supporting soundtrack.

Resident Evil 6 continues down the divergent path of shaping the series into more of a third-person shooter game than survival horror, but there’s so much content here that’s actually fun to play through it’s difficult to criticize it too much.

A stylish and fast-paced game that’s got plenty going for it, yet suffers from some lack of consistency.

If you have an interest in a slot machine style game with an added bit of strategy, then definitely give this one a spin. It’s a slick game that will certainly keep your attention. But, if you dislike repetitive gameplay, which is more random than not, it’s probably best to pass.

This is a game that wears its heart – as well as it’s influences – on its sleeve, and will charm you throughout.

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.

The lack of threat aside, Endless Ocean Luminous is pretty average. The graphics are fine, the mass multiplayer is cool, and the creatures are interesting. If you like to have a list to complete and a love of the ocean, then this game is perfect. If, however, you are looking for something that offers more than just a peaceful swim and a slow-moving story, then it may not be worth your time.

Survive is a serviceable game, but its story and writing lack the one thing that drew fans to the series in the first place: heart.

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.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is a walking, talking contradiction. On one hand, there’s the quality expected from Rocksteady: stunning visuals across the board, well-written characters, and a desire to push the narrative boat out for comic adaptions, while on the other it’s shackled by a GaaS model that leaves you ultimately feeling unsatisfied.

If you are a fan of Lord of the Rings and survival games, then you should definitely pick up Return to Moria. It offers a new side to the franchise that establishes a cozier take to these combat-heavy games using its entertaining building mechanics. I look forward to seeing how this unique aspect evolves the series, especially with the upcoming Tales of the Shire.

Mario Party: The Top 100 was such a strong idea, but it unfortunately falls flat as an actual full-priced Mario Party title.

At least for now, unless you’re really itching to play a brand new looter game, you can probably give this one a pass.

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.

Aaru’s Awakening is a phenomenal piece of art, and a solidly built game to boot.

Reforged will never be the celebration of one of gaming’s most beloved IPs that it should have been, which is all rather depressing. As is the fact that despite the fun that I’ve had playing Warcraft 3: Reforged and for how it has reminded me what an incredibly influential and brilliant game it is, there’s no way I could recommend anyone outside of the absolute hardcore Warcraft fanbase to purchase it.

Hellpoint is absolutely a game to try out if you’re a fan of the Souls-like genre and especially Bloodborne. Its stunning aesthetic alone should grab your interest. However, the game unfortunately falls short of being truly amazing due to several unpolished elements.