Monster Slayers is a solid, easy to pick up and play kind of game. While it may not be as mechanically complex as other deck-builders, the variety and ease of gameplay make it a ton of fun to jump into.

An action game that is fun in the moment, but is quickly forgettable thanks to a poor story, one-note characters, and mixed visuals. While the actual gameplay itself is incredibly enjoyable, there just isn’t enough new content to justify this game’s existence.

While Snake Pass looks and sounds like a 3D platformer of old, the ‘think like a snake’ idea that the gameplay is built around makes it a game that will influence platformers of the future. The puzzle is the movement, and since that movement is so fun and engaging, it makes for enjoyable experience, even if the unreliable camera makes it more frustrating than it should be.

Yooka-Laylee is basically the Banjo-Kazooie game players have been waiting well over a decade for. No matter your age, Yooka-Laylee has something for everyone, be it the colorful characters and worlds that youngsters are sure to love, or the crude humor sprinkled throughout to appeal to the older audiences. While the game certainly has its flaws, its charming worlds, delightful soundtracks, and throwback to the good ol’ days of gaming make for one heck of a trip down memory lane.

Unfortunately, classic arcade flair and humor-filled story and loading screens can only carry a game so far. Old Time Hockey is definitely trying to fill a spot that hockey-fan gamers know exists, but the dragging controls and other in-game inconsistencies leave it far from the mark. I’d be lying if I didn’t say I wanted to enjoy the game more than I did; I’m a hockey fan, and an alternative to the almost-identical yearly churnings from EA is something I’d love to get my mitts on. Sadly, it seems that Old Time Hockey spent more effort in trying to claim its niche than in doing it well.

While The Ringed City may not be perfect, it still serves as a fantastic send off to one of the most engaging series in modern gaming. Even with some lackluster environments and sections that feel artificially difficult for the sake of it, this second expansion reminded me of why I fell in love with this series. From the fantastic bosses to the powerful weapons and visually stunning levels this is an experience that was clearly crafted for the fans. If this is the last time we ever ignite the bonfires and charge into battle against a terrifying demon then it’s one that will be remembered. Even if it didn’t tie up every loose thread, The Ringed City stands as a great epilogue to an even greater series. Praise the Sun!

There’s the elements of greatness in this latest installment, it just needs to step out of the shadows. Right now we have a strong set up, but with the slow start to the story, waiting for the payoff is going to feel like an even bigger drag.

Above the Law certainly delivers where it matters most. A New Frontier’s third episode continued to tell its dark overarching story, while not forgetting about its rich characters and their motives. Unfortunately, its ending felt all too cliche and predictable, making this fall just short of the episodes that preceded it. With that said, Above the Law definitely feels like the ‘calm before the storm’ episode and does a good job of moving things forward.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMIX is a quality compilation that will ease newcomers into the series, but be warned that there’ll still be more content you need to pay for in order to fully catch up with the story. And if you’ve already played through the PS3 ports, I’d skip this one and check out 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue instead, or just wait for the inevitable 1.5 + 2.5 + 2.8 compilation right before Kingdom Hearts 3 finally sees the light of day.

What’s here isn’t bad at all; it’s by no means best in class, but it does deliver on its premise. There is satisfaction to be gleaned from the battles if you buy into the strategy and tactics; there’s a lot to take in here (well upwards of 30 hours); and it’s dressed up in sumptuous art. If you’re a sucker for a dungeon-crawler or for JRPGs, then this will sate your thirst two times over. There isn’t much here to recommend to the uninitiated though.

Clone Drone in the Danger Zone is an absolute blast and its active community and development team add to this. The simplicity of its gameplay makes it very easy to jump into, and my nine-year-old son sat down and played for several hours — he even asked to help me with this review, calling the title “one of his favorite games.” While that’s just the opinion of one young gamer, it speaks volumes about the good, classic fun that’s easily worth the $14.99 price on Steam.

In conclusion, Styx: Shards Of Darkness is a unique beast. In a time where every game seems to be committed to diversifying their gameplay as much as possible, and appealing to as wide an audience as possible, Styx: Shards Of Darkness is unconventionally pure in its approach. It is a stealth game through and through, and despite it’s flaws, is still one of the better games to come out in the genre for a long time.

Toukiden 2 feels like it takes a lot of what made the earlier games feel a bit flat and fixes it up.

Sinister, intriguing, and a little too much like Portal.

Zero Escape: The Nonary Games is a really solid compilation that offers a great visual novel experience on PC (and the PS4 and Vita, for that matter).

Streets of Rogue offers a high-speed experience that’s got plenty of variables and options that keep things interesting and fun. I wouldn’t go so far as saying this is a game for everyone, since the combat-heavy experience does lend itself to certain play styles over others, but it’s fun and easy to pick up and play for a bit.

Throughout the 30+ hours I’ve poured into Danganronpa 1.2 Reload’s two games, I’ve discovered an absolute gem of a video game series that rewards players not with action-packed gameplay, but superbly-written, sinister tales that had me hooked from start to finish.

Despite this generous clutch of problems, there is an odd charm to the game. Its schlock is part of its allure, and each time I loaded the game, I felt as though I was returning to a well-thumbed piece of pulp horror trash or sliding an old VHS B-movie slasher into the machine – its cheap ghouls awash with scan lines. I found myself smirking way more than I was frustrated, but I can’t in good conscience say it’s worth picking up outside of the bargain bin you’d find the films it takes its cues from.

Breath of the Wild doesn’t feel like an experiment for the Zelda series, it feels like the realization of what Zelda always wanted to be. It easily stands toe-to-toe with the best open world games of the generation, and is a marvelous way to introduce a brand new system. Whether you’re a Zelda fan or not, this is certainly an experience you should not miss out on.

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.

The detailed characters and excellent writing tell stories that can be hilarious and heartbreaking and, as Mae, you develop some relationships with people you truly care about. The conversations and little moments that come from hanging out with friends are what make Night in the Woods such a special experience.

Despite its relatively flat cast, the game is a rather enjoyable experience that will feel well-rounded to fans of the series. The large map offers far more exploration opportunities than previous games did, which may help compensate for a pretty lackluster battle system. Smaller tweaks that combine older gameplay mechanics with some of the newer features from more recent titles like Atelier Sophie make Atelier Firis feel particularly special.

There’s nothing like it. As was the case with its predecessor, NieR: Automata is a game that will be talked about for years to come. Hopefully in less hushed tones this time around.

While the experience is almost always better when playing with friends, the poor friendly A.I. wasn’t frustrating enough to ruin my experiences trekking across Bolivia. If you can look past the rather thin story and characters, there’s a smart, engaging shooter that begs for players to try new weapons, gear, and approach options. While this isn’t the definitive Ghost Recon experience, Wildlands is still an entertaining title for those looking for a more tactical experience.

Torment: Tides of Numenera shows that, even after some controversial post-Kickstarter adjustments, the money and time that went into it has paid off. It’s an all-around great experience with minimal bugs and a rich story. The pieces under the hood flow seamlessly into play, and while I did run into some slowness, especially when entering new areas or navigating in-game menus, for the most part the game ran smooth.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk provides the rich story that fans of the manga and anime will certainly appreciate. Unfortunately, the feel of the gameplay itself captures the unique nature of each character, but never feels like it shares the same soul as the series it’s based on.

Its magical world is a wonder to explore, it controls and looks exceptional, and the unique, modular build of its enemies ensures that combat never gets old. Yes, items could have been more accessible, and I was left with more questions than answers by the end, but these were mere speed bumps in the bigger picture. Horizon Zero Dawn is the PS4’s first major exclusive of 2017, and it couldn’t have gotten much better.

For Honor tries something new, and ultimately succeeds much more than it fails. With its surprisingly fun campaign, intense and challenging gameplay, and varied multiplayer, there’s plenty to keep you busy. There are balancing issues I sincerely hope get worked on, but for now, For Honor is a unique experience well worth your time, and could be the start of a daring new franchise.