Granblue Fantasy Versus is commendable title. It provides a solid start to what could be an exceptional series, and while it’s not without its flaws, there’s more than enough to satisfy fighting game fans of all stripes while they wait for what could be a new series primed to reach its full potential with a bit of polish.

Not a bad game. It clearly has ideas it wants to bring to the table, and with some patience, players can find those ideas and have a blast seeing how they can be applied to a fighter. Overall though, its flaws make it hard for those ideas to shine, and hold the game back from being anything other than an offering for die-hard “One Punch Man” fans to dig their teeth into.

If you are looking for an in-depth strategy game to sink your teeth into, and you can’t get enough of Cao Cao and company and if you have already played Three Kingdoms to death, then, by all means, pick up Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIV. But if not, then I would recommend taking your time and money elsewhere.

Everything in the game, from the bad humor to the kinda fun combat, coalesced into a mess that I wanted to continue exploring, if only out of morbid curiosity and my love of loot. Unless you are a die-hard dungeon crawler, I don’t see this game holding your interest.

Any Harvest Moon, Story of Seasons, or Rune Factory fan should definitely check this one out on Nintendo Switch, as it has one of the most charismatic worlds I’ve seen in a game in the genre yet.

Dreams is an almost bottomless well of user-created content, and already there are some gems amongst the myriad of creations available, even if they won’t ever feel like big-budget AAA games. It isn’t for everyone, but for the right kind of person, it will be everything.

There is enough variance to make sure for a large majority of story battles you have a way of coming in with a fresh look, but the battles kind of always play out the same way, so it’s frustrating when the build you brought isn’t good enough and you struggle to get through what you were clearing before without any problems.

Its addictive beat-based combat is satisfying and truly unique, and while it shows its age in some of its systems, it is something that should be experienced by every self-respecting PlayStation fan.

Outside of some enemies with more health, Age of Resistance never asks much of the player in terms of Tactics.

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.

Journey to the Savage Planet is well worth checking out if you’re looking for something to fill the void of time you’ve got during this fairly quiet start to 2020. The sense of exploration drives you forward, the satirical comedy lands every time, and the presentation on the whole just adds to the magical sense of exploring and mapping an uncharted planet.

If you want to experience these stories again, Kakarot is the best way you can do it, but expect a bit of tedium along the way.

Mandate of Heaven is an essential part of the Three Kingdoms package, and takes what was already the best grand strategy game on the market, and takes it to loftier heights. There is now so much rewarding complexity to it, that I don’t know that I can return as readily to older games in the series as they seem relatively simple by comparison.

While I never found myself all that engaged by the story or its characters –both integral parts in an RPG– I did enjoy the little interludes in between main missions. There are catchy song performances and music videos to bop to, along with cutesy outfits to put on your characters as you progress further.

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.

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

The Legend of Bum-bo is a highly worthwhile experience. Though flawed in places, it makes good on many of its ambitions, bringing together gameplay genres and capitalizing on ideas for an experience that can enthrall longtime fans and newcomers to the Binding of Isaac universe alike.

Shovel Knight Showdown is a rare misstep from a developer known for pixel-perfection. It’s a fun diversion for a few dozen minutes but falls short of the base game, and the brilliant single-player expansions that came afterward.

It’s incredible that Yacht Club Games has finally reached the finish line on their most popular title, but it was a worthy sendoff for the first saga of a franchise that revolutionized the indie video game space.

Life Is Strange 2 isn’t some pleasant walk in the park, but a perilous slog across the country, staring adversity in the face and overcoming it in search of freedom and a fresh start. It’s not always comfortable to watch, but it’s a journey well worth taking for fans of the series, and narrative-driven experiences in general.

Even though it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, at the end of the day, strategy fans – and certainly XCOM fans – will enjoy the improvements that Phoenix Point makes, especially if this is just the beginning.

Darksiders Genesis pulls off the change in perspective. It feels like a true to form Darksiders game and should not be skipped by any fan of the series.

The nearly unbearable movement, best-avoided combat, and frustrating progression system makes it a game that’s an absolute chore to play though and one of PSVR’s biggest disappointments.

If you’ve never played a Shenmue game, that honestly might give you trouble. But if you have played Shenmue, then you’ll feel like you’ve come home with Shenmue 3.

Disco Elysium is gritty and unapologetic, witty and bleak, and forces you to deal with your darkest demons and self-doubt. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

A very typical Pokemon game. It innovates a bit, messes stuff that should have been left alone up, and leaves other things alone for better or for worse just like every generation before it. The core gameplay though is still just as fun as ever and the addition of exciting new Pokemon, a beautiful new region, new more organized multiplayer activities, and a fun new open-area to explore help push Pokemon Sword and Shield over the edge to being a game worth picking up for any Pokemon fan.

A very typical Pokemon game. It innovates a bit, messes stuff that should have been left alone up, and leaves other things alone for better or for worse just like every generation before it. The core gameplay though is still just as fun as ever and the addition of exciting new Pokemon, a beautiful new region, new more organized multiplayer activities, and a fun new open-area to explore help push Pokemon Sword and Shield over the edge to being a game worth picking up for any Pokemon fan.

A very typical Pokemon game. It innovates a bit, messes stuff that should have been left alone up, and leaves other things alone for better or for worse just like every generation before it. The core gameplay though is still just as fun as ever and the addition of exciting new Pokemon, a beautiful new region, new more organized multiplayer activities, and a fun new open-area to explore help push Pokemon Sword and Shield over the edge to being a game worth picking up for any Pokemon fan.