If you want to rush through Uncanny Valley you won’t get the full experience. One play through is not enough to learn the ins and outs of the town, how to accomplish specific objectives, and what the story is really trying to convey. It’s a unique adventure game that delves into a twisted psyche and tells a twisted, unhinged narrative with simple yet effective art that leaves enough to the imagination to keep some of the horror intact. The only major issue is with the repetitive nature of the game.

Since there’s no online play, and the single-player options are very limited, it’s tough to see most of today’s gamers getting their money’s worth out of this one.

Offering some exciting couch co-op action, this one will definitely produce some laughs and good times, but the lack of variety in the controls limit the differences in the game modes, which is only accentuated by the bare-bones single-player offerings.

The PC version’s main problem is that it’s a straight port. They needed to change something in order to optimize the screen and controls for the hardware.

If you hadn’t previously been enticed by the quartet of Genesis classics, you are unlikely to be swayed now. In a vacuum, this is fun and gratifying DLC for a certain breed of loyal hedgehog fan, whereas the remainder of consumers may be decidedly non-plussed.

Ultimately, the lack of a gripping story or any standout characters strips a bit too much from the experience. It’s a solid effort that opens up more possibilities for first-person action, but without the highs a strong narrative could have afforded the game, it is left feeling a bit bare.

It has the challenging combat and wacky humor that you’d expect, and the story is top-notch. Also, who can pass up on a chance to see Majima while he’s still relatively sane? If you’ve never tried one, it may be a bit weird to you at first, but if you’re willing to wade through it all, there’s an enjoyable experience to be had.

A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead doesn't have enough innovation to prevent it from running out of steam in its final hours, though it does a solid job of replicating the franchise's thesis in video game form.

All told, when Layers of Fear (2023) is firing on all cylinders, it feels like a genuinely mind-bending thrill ride as pathways behind you twist and contort in the blink of an eye. These qualities are best exemplified in the lithe and tight debut title. That said, what truly flies in the face of the collection’s overall charms is its uneven storytelling, repetitive puzzles, and buggy technical performance. In essence, much like the fractured psyches of the artists that form the soul of these vignettes, Bloober Team’s latest collection is simultaneously beautiful, fascinating, and deeply, profoundly… aggravating.

It is fan service at its best and there is absolutely no harm in that. Unfortunately it is slightly bogged down by the weight of one of its largest features. The hub world of Toki-Toki city is a great idea that serves its purpose but adds a bit of clunkiness that makes getting to the fun bits a bit of a chore. And fun is something that should never feel like a chore.

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.

If you’re hungry for more of that classic gameplay that involves backtracking, hunting down statues and keys to solve cryptic puzzles, and exploring enclosed spaces with fantastic horror movie camera angles, Resident Evil 0 will satisfy that hunger. It’s a wonderful Resident Evil game with a few drawbacks. But even though it has been remastered with so much love and care, it’ll still be that one game in the series that people eventually forget about.

The Ninja Gaiden: Master Collection is an enigma. It represents the easiest way of allowing a new generation of gamers to experience a revered series, but it also happens to consist of one amazing game in Ninja Gaiden Sigma, an okay offering in Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2, and an absolute abomination that is Razor’s Edge. Depending on your appetite for punishment, it might just be worth getting the collection just to experience the first two games, while the third is better off being missed.

As an entry that’s meant to celebrate the series’ 20th birthday, Tales of Zestiria could have used a little more polish. As it stands, combat is fun but it needs to be streamlined a little more, along with the gear management system. The story may not quite be up to snuff, but longtime Tales fans will find a lot to love in the characters themselves. And hey, at least the opening song’s pretty dope too.

Everything outside of that core combat feels so wishy-washy and uninteresting, that I can’t recommend Jump Force to anyone that doesn’t have an immediate interest in anime. If these characters have been a huge part of your life, or you’re familiar with a few of the series, you’ll definitely enjoy it, but go in with some lowered expectations.

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.

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

Giant Squid Studios clearly wants Abzu to be as evocative of an experience as Journey, and while I enjoyed how calming it was, I ultimately found myself unsatisfied after my three-hour playthrough. The game’s world and setting is incredibly beautiful and atmospheric, but there just isn’t enough meat to the game to really sate your hunger.

This is one game that is certainly worth checking out, if only for the setting and story premise, and if you could find some way to look beyond the less than ideal conditions of the gameplay segments, then perhaps you already possess the necessary steel and nerve to make it in the Weird West.

Warhammer 40k: Darktide is definitely worth buying if you love the franchise, but even then, just barely at the moment, due to being hollow and unstable. Here is to hoping they can fix it up so that it can be considered equal or better to Vermintide 2.

Sea of Solitude has the story and visuals of a much better game. Kay’s story of loneliness is powerful, compelling, and clearly personal to the developers at Jo-Mei Games, and it’s enough to make whole game worth playing. Even if you’re fascinated by the story though, the tedium of actually playing Sea of Solitude will diminish its impact.

All in all, Luckslinger is a fantastic retro-styled game with just enough innovation to make it worthwhile.

Distant Star: Revenant Fleet is likely not for everyone. With a difficulty that scales to the size and strength of your own fleet, it has no problem seeing your force crushed and your desperate mission ended.

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.

If you’re a hockey fan, there’s no real reason you shouldn’t buy this game; it’s leaps and bounds better than the version we received a year ago and worth sharpening your blades for.

Heavensward proves nothing other than that Square Enix can dress up old content without breaking it, and more needs to expected from the developers in future expansions.

If you’re a fan, it’s worth checking out simply for the unique visuals and demanding gameplay. If you’re not, there’s not anything innovative or progressive enough here to be a draw.

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.