Yes, the pacing was a bit off, some characters got the short shrift, and the technology that underpins all Telltale Games continues to struggle. But I appreciate the studio's desire to do more with The Walking Dead this time around and their storytelling methods are getting better, with some great character writing, voice acting, and camerawork. A New Frontier is an uneven experience, with highs consistently punctuated by various lows across all five episodes.

Insomniac Games' Song of the Deep is an excellent metroidvania whose underwater setting gives the genre a nice twist. Its map is impressively large, and it packs many inventive puzzles that are fun to solve. It looks and sounds brilliant too. The boss battles are a little on the weak side however, but they don't take the shine off what is otherwise a thoroughly enjoyable and very sweet exploration game.

Battleborn has its moments, but its lack of maps and other niggling flaws makes it tough to recommend. There may well be a perfect FPS MOBA out there somewhere; but with Battleborn, the two genres feel fundamentally at odds with one another. It's not helped by its generic art direction and painfully unfunny sense of humor, which mostly consists of pointing toward some well-worn trope and asking, "Isn't that silly?" Right now, it feels geared toward the hardcore community in a way that makes it not very fun to play for more casual fans; and as Battleborn hasn't shown itself to be worth that kind of investment, I'm ready to take my leave of it.

Wondering what this whole "roguelike" thing is all about? Then Abyss Odyssey could be the game for you: It's a fine introduction to the rules of the genre, with some helpful training wheels to prevent newcomers from being discouraged. If you've suffered the scars of past roguelikes, though, you'll find Abyss Odyssey's lack of challenge a significant downside.

A solid return to form for a long-running series with a proud heritage -- though right now it's left frustratingly hanging and thus may provide a better experience once it's all wrapped up.

Though it's extremely brief and perhaps a bit undercooked, Murasaki Baby is a thoughtful adventure with some clever mechanics. It's primarily buoyed by its superb art and sound direction, which expertly toe the line between creepy and cute. While some deeper puzzles would have been nice, Murasaki Baby is ultimately a nice addition to the Vita's library.

It's worthwhile just to get the trap sim action on PS4, but the asking price is a bit high for double-dipping if you've already played Blood Ties.

If you want to test your FPS skills, Tower of Guns throws down a tough and engaging challenge that's best enjoyed in short bursts.

A simple, but enjoyable shooter that presents endless screens of enemy hordes to blast through. It's not particularly original, and doesn't look or sound that great - but Crimsonland nevertheless provides a fun challenge for those who might enjoy a game whose roots can be traced straight back to Robotron 2084.

Star Fox Zero falls short in a lot of ways; but for better or worse, it's still the best game the series has seen in years.

Ultimately, Jurassic World Evolution could just be better overall. I've had and still have some fun with it, but there needs to be more room for some real creativity and variety in terms of park composition. Despite leaning into its license quite well, Evolution is a downgrade from what Planet Coaster was, and I feel there's a better game somewhat between both titles.

Sea of Thieves is a feast or a famine. When you're playing with friends, it's an enjoyable voyage across a beautiful ocean, finding buried treasure and getting into trouble. When your group isn't up to snuff, you can find yourself lost, bored, and confused. There are highlights to the experience, but I wish it was a more consistent one and there were more opportunities in terms of player customization. After a year or two, I think Sea of Thieves might be a complete winner. Right now, it's uneven.

Earth Defense Force 2025 isn't great, but it is good. The game dispenses with anything that would get in the way of pure shooting, bringing players forcibly back to old arcade shooters like Robotron and Smash TV. If you have a friend to play with and you both jive with the B-movie vibe of EDF 2025, there's some fun to be had here.

The final version of a game released in 2012. That means it includes three years worth of available DLC, but it also means the graphical improvements weren't as grand as they could've been. DOA5 is still a solid fighter, but a lack of ambition, focus on DLC, and severe bugs in the Xbox One version means it's not amazing.

Mad Max offers a lot, but ends up feeling somewhat rote, with little in the way of truly new and novel things to do. You've ultimately played the sum of its parts before.

There's a decent foundation here; and if Nintendo should decide to make a sequel, there's plenty to build from. But as bold experiments go, Hey! Pikmin is merely okay. And like the tiny aliens that serve as its namesake, it's apt to fade into the background.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 offers a glimpse of what the series could be if it fully committed to a story mode or really invested in becoming a sportier companion to Mario Party. Most of the minigames are fairly strong and the whole package is dripping with polish. As far as minigame collections go, this one can carry the torch just fine—but maybe it’s not the one you pick to light the fire at game night.

It's a bit lighter in content than some other Musou titles with more history, but Arslan: The Warriors of Legend improves the formula with a stronger, focused story based on the anime. Arslan anime fans and Dynasty Warriors fans should find a good time here. If you've ever wanted to take up a sword and slaughter hundreds of enemies, Arslan is your game.

The game's ugly visuals belie a challenging, deep and accessible roguelike, and the sci-fi angle gives The Pit an interesting twist on the conventions of the genre.

The latest title in TT Games' long line of great family-friendly games. The developer has turned out another rock-solid gaming experience here, but how much you love it depends on how much you love the source material. I thought The Lego Movie was a great film, so I like the game, but your mileage may vary.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain plays around with the concepts players have gotten used to with previous EDFs. Classes are open, and the new Prowl Rider offers a new flavor of play that hasn't been seen in the franchise before. Weapons are open, giving more player freedom in terms of character loadouts. But Iron Rain loses some things from the main series, notably the huge swarms of enemies in favor of larger, more meaningful enemies. It's a fine entry in the EDF franchise, but it doesn't step far beyond its predecessors sadly.

Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China features some great stealth gameplay reminiscent of Klei Entertainment's Mark of the Ninja. Unfortunately, the mechanics lack more depth and grow tired by time you reach the end of your quest. Ubisoft also misses the opportunity to tell a bigger story. Worth playing, but Shao Jun deserves better.

As heartfelt and emotionally painful as Episode Two of The Walking Dead: The Final Season may be, I can’t help but feel like we’ve seen this all before. The groundwork has been laid for a brutal war, and everything from now until then seems to be dwarfed in comparison. Friendships are still the beating heart of this Final Season though, and it’s the moment to moment interactions between characters, and the writing, where this second episode excels.

Pokémon Go is slim on the gameplay and the app itself has severe issues that need to be fixed, but the experience of getting out there and playing the game is great. Pokémon Go and the general love of Pokémon is giving people a chance to connect with each other and have fun. It has issues, but Pokémon Go is still worth the hunt.

Though still imperfect, Mystery Dungeon more than makes up for its stumblings through one of the most sweet-hearted stories in the Pokemon franchise, backed by a solid dungeoneering system and a gorgeous aesthetic. If all Pokemon games were as forward-thinking and adventurous as this one, who knows what the franchise could be by now?

Soft Body is a very unusual release whose abstract gameplay starts out addictive and entertaining, but soon becomes fiendishly challenging. Its high level of difficulty means it's not for everyone, but if you have superb reflexes and coordination, and love action-puzzle games, it's worth a look.

I came away from Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite generally enjoying the game. I think most of the players that liked Ultimate Marvel vs Capcom 3 will be right at home here. I just feel more needed to be done to differentiate the game from its predecessor, especially in the roster department, which is a fighter's bread-and-butter. In many ways, this is a sequel, but when it comes to the roster overall, MvC Infinite feels like disappointing retread of what came before. So it's recommended for fighting fans, but temper your expectations accordingly.

Metrico is beautiful puzzle-platformer with a great minimal, infographic-inspired aesthetic complemented by an awesome soundtrack. Unfortunately, the game gets in its own way by focusing on gimmicky Vita controls. It has moments of greatness, but ends up just being "good".