Cthulhu: The Cosmic Abyss is an incredibly fun adventure puzzle game with some very well put-together mechanics that make investigating and solving puzzles almost as interesting as its Lovecraftian roots, which is why it's a shame that it fumbles properly connecting those roots to its gameplay, leaving much of the horror and tension built up in its early chapters at the bottom of the ocean. Odd missteps in its storytelling and an unfortunate amount of bugs that entirely blocked progression and left save files corrupted don't help its case, but when it's all working as it should, the gameplay generates a rewarding and fun loop that'll keep you glued to your screen as if Cthulhu already has full control of your mind.

God of War: Sons of Sparta is a perfectly fine Metrovania on its own, but it doesn’t live up to the Kratos lineage otherwise. Either temper your expectations for Kratos’ origin story, or go into this one with an open mind that it’s another generic Greek adventure, and you won’t find your time in Laconia to be a tragedy.

Star Trek: Voyager - Across the Unknown is a text and story-heavy trek that follows the story of Voyager as it returns from the Delta Quadrant, but allowing you to change the events of the story in a game that has impactful choices wrapped around an FTL-style survival game and copious amounts of resource management. Not a masterpiece, the sum feels like more than the whole, though I will admit my view may be clouded as a fan of Star Trek, Voyager, and the genre.

Mario Tennis Fever still scores points for its core gameplay, particularly when playing against other people, but the game’s frustrating new Fever Racket gimmick and underwhelming single-player modes don’t bring all that much to the court. The result is a game that can be fun at times, but doesn’t stand out from other recent Mario Tennis games in a way that’s likely to raise Switch 2 owners’ temperatures.

Would I recommend giving it a go? For the art style alone, I probably would, yes. It's an absolutely gorgeous game, and there were moments that I genuinely had a smile on my face. It was a shame that there were other moments when I literally sighed and said, "I've had enough now," although this may not be the same for everybody.

Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines 2 is no classic, that's for sure. The game's side content is mediocre at best, and its technical optimization is among the worst seen recently. That said, the setting's atmosphere is intact, the combat is fun, and the main story is well-crafted. I recommend it to fans, but only at a lower price than the launch one.

Don’t get me wrong, despite the relatively negative tone of this review, Little Nightmares III does have its moments and can be fun with another human player. The game just doesn’t stand out in any particular way and with a relatively brief 4-hour runtime, this will likely be one of those dreams that fades from your mind not long after you wake up.

Dying Light: The Beast's parkour mechanics and crunchy melee combat are the two load-bearing pillars that make it a game worth leaping into, with support from a beautiful world to explore (minus the infected) and a tense day and night cycle that greatly raises the stakes on its survival elements. Beyond that, the mechanical and narrative pacing, inconsistent writing and narrative tone, and world design choices that feel antithetical to the series in the first place all bring it to a fairly uninteresting experience that is only worth it for however long you want to turn your brain off and enjoy watching digital infected brains go *splat.*

With average quest design, a lack of polish, and a forgettable story, Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji shows how the series’ quantity-over-quality approach is continuing to fail. While the Bo weapon for Naoe and the excellent Nowaki questline stand out, they’re drowned by questionable design choices that undermine the experience, making the expansion worthwhile only for the most die-hard fans.

Dead Reset is worth experiencing for its performances, its tense atmosphere built on strong lighting and sound design choices, and well-paced story that makes you want to keep finding out what will happen next, but its entertainment value wanes after you've hit the credits. It's less enticing on replays or 'resets,' and its worst attributes don't help carry the experience beyond a single play through.

Echoes of the End has more bad than good to it, and the jank of its technical issues running throughout all aspects of the game bring down even its best elements, like its strong visual presentation, character-driven storytelling, and some fun platforming and puzzle challenges. The combat both overall fails to innovate and pass the standard bar for interesting, and as a whole package it's likely not worth your time when you need to get five-chapters deep in a 10-chapter story to get to its best bits.

Drag x Drive delivers some moments of frenetic multiplayer fun, but an inflexible and physically-demanding control scheme, lack of personality, and dearth of content severely limits the game's long-term appeal. Drag x Drive could have been a solid addition to a larger Wii-Sports-style collection designed to show off the Switch 2's mouse functionality, but on its own, the game is far from a slam-dunk purchase.

Tales of the Shire is a frustrating missed opportunity. Decent cooking mechanics aside, nearly everything else you’d hope to see from a cozy hobbit life sim is either missing or half-heartedly executed. Meanwhile, those familiar with developer Weta Workshop for their contributions to the groundbreaking Lord of the Rings films will likely be surprised by how technically inept the game is. Even the smallest person can change the course of the future, but in this case, our furry-footed friends simply fall short.

Killing Floor 3 isn't a bad game in a lot of ways. The base pitch of killing Zeds can be fun, and when you get some friends together to properly line up different Perks, it can be a good time to pull different abilities together and get some good teamwork flowing. But there are better games you can play to accomplish all the things that Killing Floor 3 accomplishes, and with the flat sounding weapons and so little to do, on top of the early technical problems, Killing Floor 3 is not the kind of game you should run to your computer to check out at launch. Maybe in a year, though.

Tainted Grail: The Fall of Avalon is an ambitious passion project that clearly invokes some of the highlights of Bethesda's signature RPG series while retaining some unique quirks all their own. Unfortunately, the first few steps out of Early Access show that this adventure into Avalon could have used a little more time fending off the Red Death.

Ultimately, I'm disappointed to have to say that I wouldn't recommend Deliver At All Costs. It's a game that tries to do way too much, and because it fails at so much of what it tries, it sours the experience of the things it was doing really well when you first start playing.

Empyreal's ambition to do something different is commendable, but it's ultimately the only thing it truly has going for it. While character customization and the Cartogram system are solid enough, the forgettable and generic story and characters, average and clunky combat and the lack of proper multiplayer mechanics make the game a frustrating experience that gets tiring very quickly and one that only the most diehard ARPG fans might briefly appreciate.

Revenge of the Savage Planet is a fun mix of sharp satire and toilet humor, with whimsical and cartoon-y animations, character designs, and smart level design that strengthens the gameplay experience when it opens up to you fully. The problem, is getting to that point, with tedious missions and upgrade pacing that halt any momentum it starts to build, and with it lacking a story with any real punch, if the charm isn't working for you, it's unlikely, and understandable, if you don't stick around long enough for it to start clicking.

South of Midnight has some incredibly strong storytelling chops, brought together by its stunning visual design and excellent soundtrack. Unfortunately, the experience is bogged down by boring, repetitive combat and lackluster platforming, but it's worth rushing through those parts to experience everything else South of Midnight has to offer.

WWE 2K25 doesn’t manage to build on the momentum created by the last few entries in the series. For every step forward, such as online MyGM or the varied Bloodline 2K Showcase, there’s a step back, like the lifeless MyRise career mode and some questionable changes to core gameplay. The biggest blemish is The Island hub, which excels at separating players from their money and not much else. There’s certainly still fun to be had with WWE 2K25, but the series risks dropping back to the midcard if it continues on this new trajectory.

I loved the nostalgic feel of the game, and how detailed the world was, with the ability to capture everything with the camcorder. However, a lot of the conversations felt too drawn out, with a lot of awkward pauses, or overlapping conversation that just felt too overwhelming.

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is a game that undoubtedly required way more time in the oven. While its engaging story, captivating presentation, and the charismatic pirate captain James Flint pull players into the adventure early on, the experience is marred by a horrendous interface, clunky controls, poor tutorials, and the subpar execution of several mechanics. As a result, the game is hard to recommend except to the most dedicated tactical role-playing game enthusiasts willing to overlook its many glaring flaws.

Adapting the final explosive story arc of the original story, Fairy Tail 2 is a game that goes straight to the point, featuring charming characters and a well-crafted combat system that makes fighting the forces of the Alvarez Empire incredibly fun. The lack of any involving side activity, lackluster world design and very short length, however, limit the appeal of the experience only to fans of Hiro Mashima's works, as there simply isn't enough for those who are already in love with Fairy Tail to justify a purchase.

Overall, my experience with Wayfinder was pretty average. Unfortunately, nothing about the game stuck out, and there wasn't much that felt unique or groundbreaking. While the dungeons were a lot of fun, and the combat was the main thing that drew me in, it wasn't enough to keep me playing. Hopefully, as the game continues to get updated, new content and features will be added to improve the game.

Lego Horizon Adventures carries over a lot of the things previous Horizon games did well, offering lush visuals, a likable cast, and a wide range of robo dinos to take down. Unfortunately, not everything survived blockification, with an overly-simplified story, sometimes-unsatisfying core gameplay, bland level design, and an overall lack of content resulting in a Lego game that’s a few bricks shy of a load.

Slitterhead is an experience that's fantastic in still shots or in story trailers but the actual gameplay becomes a muddled mess when the player is forced into repetitive chase and combat sequences.

If Alan Wake 2: The Lake House was priced reasonably, it would have been a much better proposition, as it is a worthy continuation of the base game in terms of story, themes, and atmosphere. As the only way to get the expansion is by purchasing the Deluxe Edition, however, I don't think it offers quite enough to upgrade to the more expensive edition of the game for all but the most die-hard fans of the base game and the Remedy Connected Universe.

The Starfield Shattered Space expansion leaves a lot to be desired. While it introduces a more focused and engaging story compared to the base game, the average map and quest design, along with the lack of new features, turn the adventure in Va'Ruun'kai into a bit of a slog rather quickly. Although the tighter focus is welcome, the Starfield experience as a whole needs something more substantial to reach its full potential.

Although the game was a lot of fun and I enjoyed the actual gameplay elements of it, the story just didn't grab me. Initially, I was also deterred by the massively contrasting art styles and the finicky menus. Overall, the game is a pleasant experience, appropriate for gamers of all ages. If the story had some more flashy dramatics, it may have pulled me in earlier. The Plucky Squire is very evidently a product made with a lot of love, and you can tell that from the level of polish it has.

Test Drive Unlimited Solar Crown offers some solid fundamentals in terms of driving mechanics and course design, to the point the game might have been worth a qualified recommendation despite its surprisingly-bland recreation of Hong Kong, so-so visuals, and spotty performance, but ultimately, the game’s egregious always-online requirements make that impossible. Persistent server issues and a completely unreliable cloud save system send this racer careening off-track and it’s going to take some serious elbow grease to get this Solar Crown shining like it ought to.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 is a decent game, but one that becomes repetitive quite quickly, though fans of this sort of action combat could find it enjoyable.

The Sims 4: Lovestruck does do a good job at sprucing up the game and trying to make it a little bit more dynamic, the same way Growing Together did. However, some of the features were incredibly lacking, and I felt that there could have been much more added to make it worthwhile. I really liked the new interactions that they added to the game, but aside from that, the expansion was still quite flat.

While Still Wakes the Deep offers up its fair share of thrills, railroad-style level design, a short runtime, and a surprisingly superficial story result in an experience that may entertain in the moment, but will likely be forgotten rather quickly. Still Wakes the Deep may well float your boat at a discount, but there are better, scarier fish in the sea.

Killer Klowns from Outer Space serves up a sum total of five maps and a single game mode of launch. Those maps are a decent size and feature some randomization, but after only 4 or 5 hours, I felt I’d pretty much mastered them. I give IllFonic credit for not stuffing the game with microtransactions at launch, but with the lack of content on offer, $40 is a big ask, particularly given how thin the source material is. While IllFonic has vaguely promised some post-launch content is on the way, I question how many scarves they can pull out of their sleeves.

The Dead Island 2 SoLa DLC is a much better expansion than the previous one, featuring the same enticing blend of wacky characters and explosive zombie slaying action of the base game. The new additions, however, don't expand the core gameplay significantly, making the expansion a worthy purchase only for the most die-hard fans of Dambuster Studios' rendition of zombie-infested Los Angeles.

Rise of the Ronin struggles to find its identity in ways that hinder what would otherwise be one of Team Ninja's finest works. A compelling story told against the backdrop of the 1850s Bakumatsu Period is instead overshadowed by a vapid and uninspired open-world setting and a narrative that rarely feels like the player has agency.

Alone in the Dark is the best entry in the franchise in over two decades, although there wasn’t much competition for that title. So-so combat, technical issues, and a frustrating lack of consistency sometimes cast a shadow over the game, and yet, there’s still something enticing here. The game’s intricately-designed Derceto Manor hub, thick Lovecraftian atmosphere, and surprisingly-varied level design ought to be enough to light a spark of enthusiasm in some hardcore survival horror fans’ dark hearts.

Outcast - A New Beginning is a missed opportunity, abandoning the unique elements of its predecessor for a conventional open-world design that doesn't work well. With uninspired open-world exploration, clunky movement, lackluster combat, and mediocre quest design, it's a hard sell for everyone but Cutter Slade's biggest fans who wish to know how the character's story continues, as there are far superior titles on the market that have executed similar concepts much more effectively.

It can be difficult to square the decade-plus Skull and Bones development cycle with its lack of features in some areas, but this isn’t the wreck many expected it to be. The game’s naval combat is simple yet engaging, its world is striking, ship customization is satisfying, and there are plenty of varied things to do, even if most of them don’t involve getting off your ship. Skull and Bones can be repetitive and it doesn’t exactly capture that devil-may-care pirate lifestyle, but keep expectations in check and there’s fun to be had sailing these pleasantly predictable seas.

Helldivers 2 is broken at launch. That much is almost unquestionable. The game has many high highs and also abysmally low lows. While I can recommend it for players who are seeking a good time due to the physics and the wacky situations a group of players can find themselves in at lower difficulties, it also is a tough recommendation for players seeking thrills with challenging yet fair content. That may change in the future if the developers can fix all the bugs and connection problems.

Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League has a sprinkling of that classic Rocksteady charm, delivering polished visuals, fluid traversal and combat, and some snappy repartee, but the whole experience is bogged down by dreary, repetitive mission design, empty live service elements, and a feel-bad story that’s mean-spirited to the point of feeling oddly resentful. Perhaps most damning, not even the thing promised in the game’s title – fighting and dispatching the Justice League – ends up being particularly fun or memorable. Those who really want to see what becomes of the Arkhamverse may not be able to resist picking this up, but I suggest waiting for a steep discount before subjecting yourself to this tedious team-up.

Would I recommend UNDYING? You know what, I would. I've got to hand it to developers Vanimals; they have a strange studio name. More than simply being a good game, UNDYING has a decent amount of replay value due to multiple endings, random events, and the time limit, meaning it'll be impossible to see everything. I'll go back to it, which is rare.

The Lamplighters League is an interesting and ambitious, albeit flawed, tactical adventure which invokes the fantastical elements of Indiana Jones (plus you're fighting Nazi's). The blow by blow gameplay is well developed and features interesting and varied characters, in both gameplay and narrative, but is let down by a large amount of repetition. A few technical flaws also let the game down in a market where stronger competition has already done the game thing. It's a decent game, and you could have a good time with it, but one to pick up on discount.

Parking Tycoon: Business Simulator is exactly what you expect it to be. It's a functional "quick" simulation game in the same vein as so many releasing now. It's not bad, but with a very narrow focus, it loses steam incredibly quickly. With a reliance on time-wasting to pad the playtime, this is one that you could pick up cheaply and enjoy.

A weak campaign with an unsatisfactory cliffhanger resolution, a Zombies map that's little more than rebranded DMZ, and a selection of multiplayer maps taken straight from Modern Warfare II (2009), Modern Warfare III barely stands up on its own merits, especially if you've thrown countless hours into last year's entry and have plenty to carry forward.

The Dead Island 2 Haus DLC is nothing more than a quick romp that can be moderately fun if played in the middle of the campaign for a little 2 hours or so diversion, but it simply doesn't offer enough for returning players, as it only exacerbates how the game tends to become a little repetitive a dozen hours in.

Still, this is, at the end of the day, a walking simulator. As such, this game won't be a game for those looking to get some action. This is a thriller that aims to pose some philosophical questions at the end. if that's what you're looking for, then The Invincible will be a perfect fit for your next space expedition.

Tales of Arise: Beyond the Dawn feels like a missed opportunity. While the story held some potential, it doesn't go beyond passable at best, its uneven pacing and the lack of meaningful gameplay additions making the whole experience feel dull at times. As such, only die hard fans of the base game will find some value in what is, essentially, an extended prologue with limited appeal.

WarioWare: Move It! is a touch too clever for its own good, taking a concept that’s best when kept simple and drowning it in fussy unreliable motion controls and overelaborate microgames. There are still some flashes of that old anarchic fun here, but even those who have loved past WarioWare games may find this vacation-themed entry a bad trip.

EA Sports UFC 5 doles out impressive blood-soaked Frostbite visuals and a double-dose of M-rated attitude, but don’t let the new swagger sway you. While the action remains satisfying enough, it hasn’t evolved in any significant way, and a lack of compelling content continues to be an issue for the series. UFC 5 may deliver the razzle dazzle, but it needs to work on its fundamentals.

Dark Envoy is a solid cRPG featuring an interesting world and lore, a solid real-time with pause combat system with turn-based elements and a simple choice and consequence system that lends the experience to multiple playthroughs. The focus on combat, however, came at the expense of everything else, preventing the game from being an essential purchase if not for fans of the studio's previous game and cRPG fanatics.

Lords of the Fallen boasts impressive visuals and an interesting story for a soulslike, but unfortunately, that's where the praise ends. Despite functional gameplay and a well-designed world, the experience is marred by frustrating combat mechanics, subpar enemy placement, and an overall lack of polish, making it one of the most frustrating soulslikes ever released.

Payday 3 is a game that looks like it ticks the right boxes to look like a next-gen game and nothing else. The game offers a fun and addicting gameplay loop but it's unfortunately bogged down by a series of bugs and glitches that hamper the experience overall. It also doesn't help that the game's launch state is one of the worst in recent memory in a year that had excellent game releases.

Goodbye Volcano High throws quite a bit in the pot, and the end result is a fairly hearty experience, at least by indie visual novel standards. Your first playthrough will probably take most players five or six hours and there’s some reason to replay if you want to change your responses and friendships, although I’m not sure everyone will want to repeat their senior year.

Arrow a Row is a fun little timewaster ripped straight from the mobile adverts. It's free, easy to pick up, and it genuinely offers a little challenge when you delve into the theorycrafting. Is it a good "game"? No, it's a free-to-play timewaster, but that's all it wants to be, and it does that job admirably well while remaining free. I've spent a fair amount of time with it, and I honestly imagine others will enjoy doing the same - not even ironically.

Immortals of Aveum makes a solid early impression with engaging magic-infused FPS action and eye-catching Unreal Engine 5 visuals, but a predictable plot, irritating characters, and repetitive, by-the-books level design dims the game’s razzle-dazzle. Immortals of Aveum will be worth it for some shooter and fantasy fans, particularly at a discount, but don’t expect your memories of the game to live forever.

Gord is an interesting and, at times, good, albeit flawed, survival city-builder mixed with action RPG and strategy elements. The atmosphere is excellently done, but this is countered by the sanity mechanics taking too much from the rest of the game. Almost every positive has a negative. The character development mechanics bring a fundamentally broken inventory system. The excellent monster development introduces a few that are just outright broken. The (sometimes) interesting campaign brings a near-opaque element of worldbuilding, requiring much side-reading as names are unceremoniously thrown at you. All in all, Gord isn't a bad game, and while I can have a decent time of it, there are too many flaws to recommend it universally; hardcore strategy fans may apply.

With its unique premise and setting, Atlas Fallen could have been one of the best action games of the year, but its mediocre combat system, dull open-world areas, and lack of interesting characters drag the experience down. The full package ends up being just a decent game for those willing to look past its most critical shortcomings.

Remnant II is an impressive technical and artistic accomplishment in some ways, offering an intermittedly-striking, cutting-edge procedural world that’s satisfying to unravel. Unfortunately, a forgettable story, middle-of-the-road gunplay, dull loot, and some performance issues means this fantastic world isn’t always that fun to inhabit. Some folks, particularly those with a regular co-op party, will be drawn into this dark multiverse, but others may find Remnant II only provides scattered fragments of excitement amidst the frustration.

While its basics are solid, and its story surprisingly interesting, Exoprimal leaves something to be desired. With a limited amount of PvP and PvE missions, and average maps, the excellent visual and combat design of the Exosuits and the occasional surprise raid mission are not enough to keep the whole experience engaging after a dozen or so hours. Taking down hordes of dinosaurs can be fun, but the game definitely needed something more to be a must-have, especially at its price tag.

The game is still subtle enough with other parts of itself to at least warrant a thorough playthrough. After all, the player has to discover the origins of this mysterious world and the entities inside it, and the only way to find out is through multiple playthroughs. Overall, this experience is decent, and I'm thoroughly satisfied with what I've got.

Panic Porcupine is very much as you could expect as a homage to Sonic the Hedgehog, though it certainly stands alone with a much higher level of difficulty torn straight out of the guts of Super Meat Boy. While more than passable, it has a few core issues in a game like this, one being input lag. Still, despite the problems I found, I can genuinely imagine this being an enjoyable title for fans of the genre.

The Lord of the Rings Gollum is a game that has a lot of technical issues that also ultimately drag its presentation back. However, it still is a charming game in its own way with its setting, writing, and some incredible environment design that can catch your breath at times. This game is a cautious recommendation for players that aren't Lord of the Rings enthusiasts.

Star Trek: Resurgence is possibly one of the more accurate games to have captured the Star Trek world in a more contemplative manner, with the adventure game format being particularly suited to it. With a compelling narrative, interesting characters (new and returning) and a game that plays well, there is a lot to like here, despite a number of technical hiccups on the PC version.

Honkai Star Rail highlights the issues that Genshin Impact had despite how many issues have been addressed. The game's barebones RPG mechanics will definitely improve over time, but it still will take a lot to convince any enthusiast to pick this game over other turn-based RPG gacha games.

With Redfall, Arkane strayed a bit too far from its roots and couldn't nail the landing. While the core gameplay is fun, and there are moments of brilliance that harken back to Arkane's glorious portfolio, most of the studio's strengths clearly do not mesh well with the open world genre, as exemplified by the disappointing safe house missions. Additionally, the writing is very uneven, never succeeding in making the player care about any of the characters, and the co-op mode adds little substance.

With the current flood of action role-playing games inspired by the Souls series, Stray Blade wasn't setting out to light the world on fire, but the game did have the potential to be much better than it turned out to be. While the experience isn't entirely unplayable when everything clicks together, the clunky execution of most of its gameplay mechanics makes it difficult to recommend the game to anyone but those who live and breathe ARPGs and need to play each and every one of them.

The Settlers: New Allies isn't quite the return to Settlers that fans of the franchise would want. Shallow across all areas, with basic city-building and very basic strategy elements, held together by an average narrative. It's not a bad game, but it's also not good.

Meet Your Maker may grab you for a while with its tricky die-and-retry raids and reasonably approachable building tools, but some frustrating quirks and a lack of depth means the game’s not a lock to become Behaviour Interactive’s next live-service success. Meet Your Maker is certainly worth trying for “free” on PS Plus (and other subscription services it's likely to show up on in the future) but don’t count on constructing a long-term relationship with the game.

Sherlock Holmes The Awakened is a competent remake featuring all the best features the series is known for, such as an engaging mystery and solid investigative gameplay. While the game is lacking in terms of innovation, doing away with the open-world setting seen in Chapter One, Frogwares developed Sherlock Holmes The Awakened it in less than a year and in the middle of a war, so no one should be disappointed that the game doesn't feel much different from past entries in the franchise.

The Great War: Western Front is an interesting strategy game that delves into its setting for better and worse. Offering various strategic and tactical opportunities provides a lot for strategy game fans. However, the glacially slow pace will undeniably turn some people off, despite being very much due to the World War One setting. If there is one key issue, the AI is almost like a relic of previous games, seemingly not following the same rules as the player. Other issues with pathfinding also feature. However, despite these issues, I can't help but admit the game is compelling.

Wanted: Dead feels like a callback to the worst games of the Xbox/PS2 era. The game has a distinct lack of polish when it comes to its enemy design, and, combined with the horrid voice acting and confusing storyline that's only explained through supplementary material, it feels like the ultimate case of wasted potential that could've become something better had the developers put a bit more thought into it.

While Freelancer Mode introduces a lot of new elements to the table, it also brings a myriad of bugs and issues that can take away from the overall experience. The freelancer mode is by no means bad, but it definitely has issues executing its concept due to its flawed RNG and mechanics.

Marvel's Midnight Suns - The Good, the Bad, and the Undead offers more of the core game but with a funnier character, one oozing with the personality we've all come to love across multiple forms (including Ryan Reynolds). While it's not the most extensive DLC, and I think the base price is high for what you get, the experience is good during the DLC missions, and you've then got a great character for life.

Perish is a game that can accomplish its objectives but requires a lot more polishing. The game offers a great way for up to four players to enjoy a shooter experience in which you can face off against several hellish creatures cooperatively. While those are definite pluses, the aforementioned issues can take players away from the experience.

KartRider: Drift is a fast-paced and fun arcade racing game with plenty of tracks of increasing difficulty, which, however, must be first unlocked. On the other hand, it is more of the same, with no real innovation compared to the genre's cornerstones, such as the Mario Kart franchise. As a free-to-play title, it is definitively worth giving it a chance, all the more so because its monetization system is solely based on cosmetic items that in no way affect the outcome of the races.

Season: A letter to the future offers plenty of moments of low-key beauty and, at its best, makes you truly feel part of a unique and enigmatic world on the verge of great upheaval. Unfortunately, the game’s abrupt ending and reluctance to make meaningful statements about the subjects it brings up may leave you questioning what it all meant. While an often-pleasant slice of virtual tourism, as a complete game this one feels a bit underseasoned.

Forspoken is a fun action game that shines best when you're taking advantage of the great magic parkour to soar through the fantasy world of Athia and blast enemies with overwhelmingly cool spells. However, its content is underwhelming, its RPG systems are weak, and its visuals are less advanced than advertised. As such, Forspoken's potential is largely unrealized in its current state. It's still a decent romp for genre fans to go through, though waiting until it gets a discount or is added to one of the many subscription services is recommended.

A tale built on revisiting past adventures in media res, One Piece Odyssey relies so much on retelling great stories that came before it that the adventure in Waford alongside Lim and Adio feels like an afterthought.

High on Life is likely a divisive game. While the gameplay is more than sufficient - if you're happy with an unrefined, almost arcade-style shooter - you then come to the dialogue and "comedy", which, to me, was overdone to the point of annoyance. Funny to begin with but repeated so much that a drinking game would lead to liver failure. Fortunately, being on game pass, you don't have to fork out too much to see if you like it.

Dragon Quest Treasures offers plenty of charm, solid core mechanics, and a certain slot-machine-style appeal, but fortune favors the bold, and the game holds back in too many ways. Unremarkable visuals, simplistic combat, and the eventual repetitive feeling of treasure hunting limit the experience. Younger players and hardcore fans of the franchise may still covet Dragon Quest Treasures, but the game could have truly sparkled with a bit more polish.

The Callisto Protocol, throughout all of the tension and suspense, can't mask the terrors within might only be surface deep.

Ship of Fools offers some spirited couch co-op fun and could be a good way to introduce the concept of roguelites to more casual players. Unfortunately, a lack of variety and depth eventually poke holes in this boat’s hull. Don't be afraid to pick up Ship of Fools if you’re just looking for a pleasure cruise with friends, but you shouldn't expect an epic sea odyssey.

While the game can be fun at points, its archaic and dated design choices can make for an overall frustrating experience. Its combat doesn't require much thought, and the game can be "difficult" for the wrong reasons. Still, it's high points are still noteworthy highlights for the overall experience, and when everything works properly, you do feel as badass as the main character is supposed to be.

With little additional story and gameplay content, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin - Wanderer of the Rift is yet another endgame expansion that doesn't introduce enough new features to make most players return to the Strangers' world worthwhile. Only hardcore players who want to explore the maximum potential of the game's mechanics will find some value in an expansion that feels even more disappointing than the one that came before it.

The Chant offers a far-out setting, unique upgrade system, and some vintage charm, but restrictive level design, listless combat, and dingy visuals strike a sour note. While old-school survival horror fans may find The Chant appealing, wider audiences probably won’t be drinking the Kool-Aid.

Warhammer 40K: Shootas Blood & Teef is a great game if you are in for some mindless fun alongside your friends. Its variety of weapons can be fun to engage with. While its campaign is short, you can still find enjoyment in the PvP mode or try new weapons with your friends.

For a choice-driven experience, Bathora: Lost Haven leaves something to be desired. While it does do some clever things with the choice and duality themes, the experience falls somewhat flat due to excessive linearity, clunky and unsatisfying combat, and way too fast pacing that detracts from the emotional weight of some of the choices. The nice-looking visuals and the engaging puzzles that break the monotony of the experience and a few story beats make the experience enjoyable at times, but it could have been so much more.

The best thing you can say about New Tales from the Borderlands is that it makes you appreciate just how good the folks at Telltale Games were at what they did. While Gearbox’s latest is more technically impressive than Telltale’s series, stale, irritating characters, a slapdash plot, and choices that don’t feel like they matter turn the game’s brief runtime into a slog. These Tales are new, but they’re definitely not improved.

A fast-paced combat system and operatic soundtrack from Motoi Sakuraba aren't enough to save Valkyrie Elysium from a fate worse than Ragnarok: mediocrity.

Asterigos: Curse of the Stars had the potential of being one of the most exciting ARPGs influenced by the Souls series, with its ancient Greek and Roman influences, cartoonish art style, unique approach to story choices, and a more gamey approach to combat and character customization. Sadly, it falls flat mostly due to the mediocre level design. If you can look past this significant issue, however, you'll find a decent enough game with an acceptable story and serviceable combat with some interesting twists.

Temtem is a fantastic game when you look at its story and gameplay mechanics alone. However, when you see the variety of activities it has to offer and the way its economy is structured, it will make you second-guess your stay after the main story campaign is done and over with.

It has some good elements, but they are often covered by the average, meaning little gets the chance to stand out. Were it a little tighter, a little faster and not requiring you to do so much busy work, I could see this being a more enjoyable experience.

Dream Cycle is doing a lot. And it does a lot of it well. But the parts that fall flat, bouncing off the strangeness of the game's own design, make it hard to recommend.

With its setting and story, Steelrising could have been the Bloodborne-inspired Soulslike that many have been waiting for since the release of From Software's masterpiece. Unfortunately, the game developed by Spiders doesn't manage to be anything more than a middling game, with its gameplay issues making it hard to recommend to those who are not die-hard fans of the genre.

While Kirby’s Dream Buffet offers some fleeting fun and excitement, a lack of multiplayer options, laggy online action, poor splitscreen performance, and an inflated price tag combine to sour what could have been a tasty multiplayer snack.

Rumbleverse occasionally delivers the type of bruising highlights that look good on livestreams, but is held back by a lack of content and unbalanced mechanics that actually discourage the brawling that’s supposed to be the game’s bread and butter. You may want to go a few rounds with Rumbleverse given its nonexistent entry fee, but don’t expect it to go the distance.

Rollerdrome produces some badass moments with its combination of X Games action and bullet-time violence, but it doesn’t replicate what made the OlliOlli games such Zenlike fun. Those looking for a challenge will find it here, but given Rollerdrome’s bland presentation, imperfect controls, and grueling approach to level design, many players will quickly skate on to something else.