I'll be the first to admit that Grimvalor surprised me with both its platforming and combat. It's a challenging and addicting action-platformer experience that was easy to get into and satisfying and challenging throughout its 10- to 15-hour run, depending on your play style. Some streamlined elements and visuals are evidence that it's still a noticeably mobile experience, but it is a fun one at that. If you don't care much for bloat, plot, or elaborate displays of visual fidelity, Grimvalor is absolutely worth a look.

While it's not the best VR game, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR is the most massive RPG on PSVR, and it's just as addictive as it's always been. Regardless of whether you play the main quests, chase down all of the side content, go hunting, go dungeoneering, be a smith and forge your own weapons, or go wherever you want to go, Skyrim works well enough, and that should be good enough for most players.

A very fun game, thanks to the use of the balance board in conjunction with the Nunchuk and Wiimote.

The biggest issue with MechWarrior 5: Mercenaries is that it hits you with all of its shortcomings at once. Keep playing, though, and the game establishes itself as a fun title that's worthy of the MechWarrior moniker. Play it with friends, and it becomes even more entertaining. Dated aspects of its presentation aside, the combat remains fun mission after mission, and it continues to test you as you become more powerful. Start blowing apart enemy mechs with a small array of PPC cannons and make a few big pay days, and you'll appreciate the game for what it is.

If you're a Tales fan, it's worth your time even if it is weaker than its console counterparts.

Ankh delivers an enjoyable, kid-friendly romp through an attractive Egyptian setting in a compact, old-fashioned point-and-click package that is sure to induce a chuckle or two.

In the end, Need for Speed Heat is a return to the series' old form, with an emphasis on "old." It's not completely stuck in the past but clearly tries to emulate different features from different past titles and consolidate them into one experience. That means returning players will find many things to like here, but not all of that is purely great. Looking at the bigger picture, NFS Heat is a small win for a franchise that has lost its way for years and is slowly getting its stride back. Heat plays it a little too safe, so it'll be interesting to see if the series builds on this progress with a bolder next entry to deliver a great experience instead of a decent one.

Once you've learned to deal with its quirks, Stoked can be fun. It's a game with a very steep learning curve and a distinct lack of polish around the edges.

If it catches on and gamers start putting together some interesting custom maps, it may eventually mature into a decent multiplayer shooter.

It's easy to recommend Death Road to Canada to anyone who's into either zombies, roguelikes or both, as it comes with its pros and cons. If you hate roguelikes, you probably won't enjoy this one, but if you're on the fence, be assured that this is one of the best executions in recent times, even if just for the absurd story and setup.

All in all, Broken Sword 5 is a good adventure with good visuals, a good story, and enjoyable puzzle segments. It's not the hardest, it's not the best, and it certainly comes at a price point many won't find acceptable, but it's an enjoyable experience nonetheless.

One of the game's biggest selling points is that it is incredibly peaceful. Boot it up, kick back, and work your farm for a while. I spent most of my play time with a friend of mine who lives out of state, and the two of us worked together to keep the crops coming up and the money rolling in. That's not to say there's nothing to worry about, as vehicles have daily upkeep costs, and hiring AI workers is far from free. It's just that the worrisome bits are rarely directly apparent; if you are doing something at all, you are making progress.

The game’s modest modes of play, underwhelming presentation, and ill-conceived points system are a far cry from the series’ glory days, but the gameplay is solid and the courses can be a lot of fun under the right circumstances.

The Siege of Paris DLC for Assassin's Creed Valhalla is less bloated, and that is a positive. It still recycles most of what it did previously, so this expansion does little to get you onboard if you're already burned out on it. As an expansion of Valhalla, The Siege of Paris seriously trims the fat and provides one of the better story arcs we've seen for this entry. The welcome reintroduction of black box missions provides a diversion from the regular grind that is so prevalent in its other content. It's a step in the right direction.

It has some glaring visual flaws and technically deficient AI. While it captures the parts of the movie that captivated the kiddies, it disregards the heart of the film that made it enjoyable to adults.

I enjoy both FEAR games in brief spurts.

The refinement of an excellent skateboarding engine with a surprisingly boring game built atop it, coupled with some fairly lame humor.

Manages to provide an engaging combination of simulated medieval warfare and peasant life without getting too lost in the mundane details that can easily wreak havoc on such a title.

This title has a very strong appeal to anyone who is a seasoned player of Dungeons & Dragons and is interested in playing a tactical combat simulator that is faithful to the system with which it shares its name.

For younger gamers weaned on more current games such as "Burnout," a rental may be all you need to sate your curiosity of how things were before bump mapping and light bloom.

If you need the drama to complete your experience, the bright green medkits might taint the cinematic sweep, but it's perhaps worth a rental if you're a fan of the series or the genre.

Déraciné has equally surprised and disappointed me. It's a gorgeous, story-driven experience, but the story has a few pacing issues and can drag along while not making the most of its gameplay mechanics. It's a slow burn, but if you enjoy eerie stories and atmosphere, Déraciné may be worth checking out. It certainly pulled me in and punished me for my naivete as the story grew darker by the minute.

Forza 5 will do as a holdover racing game for now, but for all the bombast that next-gen brings, the game is awfully stagnant, and its lack of competition has never been more apparent.

The port itself just seems to be incomplete, with the Xbox 360-centric prompts, reward tokens (previously used for 360 achievements) that now have no purpose whatsoever, and sluggish performance.

It's as if the game designers are saying, "Well, just imagine that you are fighting in a huge war." With that kind of attitude, I hope that they are able to imagine me still playing this in a month – because I certainly won't be.

The show is for kids, and the game is made for kids. However, there's a surprising amount of meat on the game's bones, as it mixes the literal following of the license with effective and unique play mechanics and a surprising lack of repeated gags.

Overall, Company of Heroes 2 doesn't capitalize on its own strengths and ends up paling in comparison to the juggernaut that started the franchise.

All that said, the biggest compliment I can give EA Sports Madden NFL 26is that I look forward to playing it again. That wasn't always the case. But for all its shortcomings, I still like seeing my created player running around on the screen as part of a beautiful and immersive on-field presentation. I enjoy the football being played. I like having the sense of control over the fate of my team, and I like all of the options Franchise Mode presents for me to exercise that control. I enjoy Madden again, and that's a start.

It's just disappointing that the game doesn't have that much depth, and with few exceptions, its only successes are things that have already been done before with different technology.

Take away the graphics and the title, and the game doesn't have many noteworthy aspects. The gameplay is decent but in a very generic way that doesn't differentiate itself from any other shooter on the market. That's depressing, considering the series' roots.

Beyond the already present fans of the series, anyone looking for a fun game that can be picked up, played, and put down at whim, will find what they need here.

If you can appreciate the bizarre style of writing and humor, there's a good, lengthy, old-fashioned, point-and-click adventure to be had.

The story is well done, and the story is fairly engaging, especially if you are already a fan of Salvatore's writings.

The soundtrack perfectly compliments the World War II motif, transitioning flawlessly from one epic instrumental to another.

There's some great gameplay in Risen, but you have to trudge though too many problems to find it.

It's unfortunate that the Mafia III gameplay isn't anywhere near as compelling as the storytelling. An ingenious mix of setting and characters has been established to generate a believable spin on organized crime, but the game mechanics are nowhere near as impressive in either design or execution.

They can reduce the load times, clean up the graphics, and iron out the little mechanical issues in the game, they’ll have themselves a solid soccer game. Right now, it’s just an average title.

Dying Light 2: Stay Human isn't a bad game, but it can't help but get in its own way. For all the freedom of its parkour system, you'll have to sit through cut scenes and fumble through the interior environments. For all the talk of conflict between the factions or that the choices you make matter, the game only recognizes them when it is convenient to the narrative and forgets about it entirely in the next. Much like the undead that populate the streets below, the gameplay is best avoided by sticking to the parkour as much as possible as you work toward the conclusion.

Silence: The Whispered World 2 is a beautiful and polished experience with a distinct focus on its story. It still holds enough traditional gameplay to be considered a point-and-click adventure rather than a "walking simulator," but it sacrifices complexity and variety for a more streamlined approach. It's also a very short experience, which doesn't necessarily work in its favor. It doesn't overstay its welcome, but many of it is too short-lived to make the impact it's so clearly striving for.

Dragon Ball: Origins 2 is a tough game to recommend. It's clearly made for fans, but that isn't quite enough to make one overlook its flaws.

One Piece: Unlimited World Red is good. Although the combat is quite messy when facing waves of normal enemies, the excitement of the boss fights more than makes up for it.

Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots is fine overall. The core gameplay experience remains unchanged, the performance is solid, and the modes are plentiful enough to keep you occupied for a very long time, even if that means that unlocking the roster can feel like a grind. However, the courses you play are merely fine, some of the mechanics feel dated, and the presentation lacks polish. Longtime fans may pick up this title anyway, considering how long it has been between entries. More casual fans will have a good time, but don't go in expecting the high standards of the previous titles in the franchise.

In essence, Castlevania Requiem is a mediocre port of two extremely good games. Fans will enjoy the chance to play them again — if they haven't already purchased copies for other consoles — but it's far from the definitive version of the games. This collection offers two excellent games for $20, which isn't a bad deal as long as players only expect what it says on the package: two Castlevania titles that they've probably played before.

I can't help but feel slightly disappointed in Ratchet & Clank: All 4 One. Everything sounds like a great experience on paper, but the execution of the online side seems poor.

With control options on the PC being rather limited, the game is only good for those who care about competition. For everyone else looking for something closer to what the older games provided, give it a month to see if things improve.

If you're a big Full Metal Alchemist fan, or even just enjoy flipping through manga or catching the show on Cartoon Network, then Crimson Elixir is definitely worth a rental.

Down to brass tacks, if you're expecting a gameplay masterpiece that expands on the Michael Bay Transformers mythology or merely sticks quite close to the new movie, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen won't fill the bill.

Overall, The Jackbox Party Pack 9 is average, so if you're looking for new material for virtual get-togethers, this is a serviceable option. Fibbage 4 is dependable, and Junktopia was a pleasant surprise. The enjoyment of Nonsensory and Quixort is heavily dependent on the prompts that players receive in each of those minigames. I can't imagine anyone willingly returning to Roomerang.

Ultimately, Siege of Centauri is fine. Its mechanics are solid enough, it does everything else decently on-screen, and the pyrotechnics are spectacular to see. It just doesn't feel like anything special, from the abilities to the story to the units to the towers. It's the kind of game that you wouldn't mind playing but won't rush out to buy immediately, making this difficult to recommend unless you devour every game in the tower defense genre.

Go, Diego, Go! Great Dinosaur Rescue for the Wii is not a game meant for anyone age six or above. The lack of challenge and short gameplay, combined with constant repetition, will see to it that those players become very bored very quickly. It is for these same reasons, however, that this title can be considered very good for the younger set of gamers.

Online Chess Kingdoms for PSP can definitely be found for a pretty cheap price now, both new and used, so if you're looking for a solid portable chess title, then you'll enjoy what Online Chess Kingdoms has to offer.

Nights of the Azure is an acceptable but unexceptional action game.

When all is said and done, Swarm is one of the few titles that can make frustrating, fun. It's certainly not a game for everyone, but if you can overlook some of the rough edges, there is a good time to be had. At 1200 MSP ($15), Swarm is on the pricier side for a downloadable title, so if you're on the fence, give the demo a try first. But if you've been jonesing for some good Lemmings-style action, this may be the closest you're going to get unless Sony decides to revive the Psygnosis classic one day.

Submerged: Hidden Depths feels like what the first game should have been. The main story is more interesting now, but the ancillary story lacks gravitas since the game can spoil the ending for you. The actual gameplay is easy for anyone to manage, which makes for an enjoyable experience. Some of the stuff you're collecting now actually serves a purpose, even if it's cosmetic. The experience is short if you're just going after the main storyline, but it feels just right. For those who want the equivalent of a walking simulator with more to do, Hidden Depths is well worth checking out.

When all is said and done, Swarm is one of the few titles that can make frustrating, fun. It's certainly not a game for everyone, but if you can overlook some of the rough edges, there is a good time to be had. At 1200 MSP ($15), Swarm is on the pricier side for a downloadable title, so if you're on the fence, give the demo a try first. But if you've been jonesing for some good Lemmings-style action, this may be the closest you're going to get unless Sony decides to revive the Psygnosis classic one day.

There's a lot to love about the game, especially if you turn down certain elements in the audio options. Classic shooters live or die on a handful of core elements, and for the most part, Forgive Me Father meets those needs: a strong shotgun that decimates enemies, fast-paced action that constantly has you adjusting tactics, and hidden secret areas scattered across the levels. Some of this falls to the wayside when you're craving the next ammo drop that the game refuses to provide you, but it's an otherwise enjoyable shooter that's dripping with character. It provides plenty of joy with a dose of Cthulhu madness on the side.

When you take its parts separately, it isn't a very good game. The gameplay mechanics are simplistic and unpolished, the graphics are bland, and the only real standout element is the audio. Yet there is something intriguing about the entire package

Cities of Tomorrow isn't a bad expansion if you're already a big fan of SimCity and are itching for new ways with which to test your city-building skills within Maxis' sandbox.

Praey for the Gods is game that is inches away from being a new classic. It does many things very well, and it is an incredibly impressive achievement for a small team. It is dragged down a bit by trying to be too many things at once. I applaud the attempt to spice up the "in-between" time that Shadow had, but the result doesn't quite hit the mark. If you have a tolerance for tedium to reach some brief high points, then Praey delivers, but newcomers might be best served by starting off with Shadow of the Colossus.

An evolutionary step. It would be worse to not have a Squad Assault at all, but that being said, Second Wave is still deeply flawed.

The honest truth is that despite being a lot older, Orochi 3 is the game I'd prefer to play over Warriors Orochi 4. It feels more fully featured, more well-designed, more interesting to play, and it has a more interesting cast. If you're burned out on Orochi 3, then Orochi 4 might give you a nice fix. It's not a bad game — just a very by-the-numbers entry in the series. Fans of the franchise will probably get their usual enjoyment out of it, but there's little to strongly recommend it over most of the recent Warriors games.

The good news is that Crash Team Rumble isn't a bad game, mechanically. The play mechanics are solid, characters are well defined, and matches can be quick, which does well to compensate for the differently paced progression on characters and the season pass. Despite this, the concept is already a difficult sell, and with the absence of offline modes, the title is solely dependent on a player base to ensure that there is actually a game to play. The low price in this space, when compared to other titles from major publishers, might make it appealing for curious players, and they'll have a good time with it, but be warned that there is the real possibility of this being a title with a short life span if there aren't many other players who are either open to the idea or outright enamored by it.

Master Detective Archives: Rain Code+ is a neat approach at taking Danganronpa's core concept and taking it outside of the Battle Royal Death Game world. There are a lot of extremely strong concepts, and when they come together well, it's easy to see how this could've eclipsed even its ancestor. Unfortunately, things are a tad too muddled, too simple, and too divorced from one another to be a cohesive whole. If you're a fan of the Danganronpa titles, then it's worth a shot. Otherwise, I'd recommend starting with one of those before Rain Code.

Objectively, it's not hard to tell that Earth Defense Force 2017 is poorly made compared to the vast majority of 360 titles, although the localization is quality work on D3's part. What makes it so compelling to play, despite its many obvious flaws, is that the gameplay formula is by itself amazingly addictive and satisfying regardless of the graphics.

Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales is best described as a good children's game in an unfortunately crowded genre.

Smoke and Sacrifice presents itself as a game that knows exactly what it's going for. It doesn't push any boundaries in the gaming world but offers a fun, interesting, and somewhat different experience with the crafting and narrative. However, the narrative ends up feeling flat and hollow, and it detracts quite a bit from the experience. While the art style can be a little jarring at times, the rest of the visuals, the gameplay, and the audio all make the game enjoyable. Overall, Smoke and Sacrifice ends up feeling like a little bit less than what it was advertising, but it's still a fun experience.

In the end, The Last Faith is good but not great. The weapon variety makes the combat system feel very nice, while the special moves and parrying can be safely ignored by most players. The side-quests feel like unnecessary fluff, but at least the main questline is good enough to keep players engaged. The misuse of classes and lack of the ability to re-spec your character feel like missed opportunities when more modern games in the Soulslike genre have started to adopt this. The obtuseness in various areas gives off unwarranted but pretentious vibes. While it may not be the kind of game you should immediately launch into, The Last Faith is a title that makes for a good time when you want to get into hardier fare between other titles.

It may be a good title to tide over rhythm gaming fanatics until Rock Band comes out for the Wii or Guitar Hero IV hits later this year.

A fun and unusual romp. It feels like a children's title that also appeals to older gamers thanks to the art style and strange method of conveying its morals to the audience. The game feels like it should only be played in short bursts, due to the monotony that sets in after long sessions of performing the same tasks over and over.

Danger Zone is a good game if you can appreciate its simplicity. The sparse setting and presentation aside, the puzzle element is a fantastic spin for the game, and it's hard to deny the satisfaction of crashing into tons of vehicles. It also helps that the game's addictive nature and leaderboard presence can inspire multiple runs even after everything is unlocked. For fans of a title that's easy to pick up and quick to play, Danger Zone is worth checking out.

Hot Pixel has an excellent reward system with plenty of unlocks to keep things interesting. If you're a fan of the old 8-bit arcade gameplay or enjoy a faster-paced game, you might want to give Hot Pixel a try.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is a competent linear adventure game that seamlessly connects the rebooted story of a young Sherlock Holmes with the twisted world of Lovecraft. While it's a focused effort overall, the presentation is clunky, and the Lovecraftian elements don't get the spotlight they deserve. The enjoyable mystery adventure romp will satisfy fans of the franchise, but everyone else might be better off waiting for a sale before jumping into this case.

The Escapists 2 is a well-made sandbox game and a fun continuation of the series. While the title gives you a good amount of freedom and tools to spend your time in fun ways, it can also get rather repetitive and overwhelming. The Nintendo Switch version mostly runs well, although the two-player limitation on local play is disappointing.

Brigandine: The Legend of Runersia is a firmly average game. The strong plot and interesting artwork are tied to a gameplay system that loses its welcome by the end of one playthrough, never mind six. It's still enjoyable for that one playthrough, but it's difficult to imagine going through the same gameplay over and over again. If it hits for you, then there will be a lot of content to enjoy, but otherwise, Brigandine is not varied enough to keep you going for more than a single playthrough.

Neko Navy is a fine shooter, as long as you're fine with it bringing nothing new to the table. It has an inviting aesthetic for those who are looking for something cute, and it comes in at a decent length for the genre. It may be tough, but it feels fair, and the game gives you enough to beat it if you're willing to invest some time. This may not be the ultimate cute-'em-up, but for genre fans, it's still worth checking out.

Rise of Nightmares is flawed fun.

Demon Gaze is a perfectly serviceable if unexceptional, dungeon crawler.

It's a bit difficult to parse out the overall quality of Redfall. If you're talking about it from a technical perspective, it's scattershot but comes out better than some games that look and sound pretty but have terrible performance. If you're looking at it from a story perspective, it's a slow burn that cranks up things once you get close to beating the first major vampire, and the same can be said for the gameplay. Solo play is also better than co-op, based solely on the issues we ran into with connectivity, but mileage can vary. Overall, Redfall asks quite a bit of time from players before getting really good, which makes it perfect for Game Pass but tougher for those who don't have the patience to spend the time to wade through the jank to reach that point.

Rekt! High Octane Stunts is fun. The multiplayer is fine, but the solo game is where it's at with a classic arcade loop, plenty of unlockables, and controls that are easy to pick up and play. It does well if you want something that isn't all that serious. Given the game's $6 price tag, Rekt! Is a fine choice for those who want a quick fix in the extreme sports genre.

It's almost impossible to play Me & My Katamari without the Prince developing a bizarre drunken stagger, veering constantly to the right or left as you play. As Me & My Katamari retains the occasionally-unforgiving time limits of the original game, this can lead to a lot of frustrating retries.

Awakened Shadow is a net positive, but there's almost nothing about it that makes it stand apart from other titles in the genre. Everything is functional, and nothing is extraordinary; the game is interesting, but it's not particularly entertaining

It's strange and convoluted, it has sub-par graphics, and the story is quite weak. It basically carries itself entirely on the gameplay, which is frequently difficult to the point of frustration. If you can get past that and wrap your head around the mechanics, it's a remarkably fun strategy RPG.

Samba de Amigo: Party Central is a fun title that still has some faults. The use of motion controls is fine until the game misreads your movements, while the more traditional gamepad method works well because it does more in mimicking motions and being challenging in its own right. The lack of focus on more Latin-themed music is disappointing considering the nature of the maracas, but the variety of music ensures that it's trying to reach a wider audience that enjoys the likes of Just Dance. The modes are fun, but the grind in replaying certain songs multiple times to earn more currency for cosmetics can be bothersome, especially given the presence of two different currency types. Samba de Amigo remains a charming rhythm game experience that genre fans will enjoy if they can forgive those quirks.

If you take it on its own merits, Robocop: Rogue City isn't exactly a great experience. The combat is simplistic, the mechanics are slapdash, and you spend as much time finding someone's lost towel as you do shooting bad guys. Despite all of that, it's oddly compelling. It's ambitious and charming enough that if you're a fan of Robocop, you'll probably find it appealing to take a trip in his robo-boots. I can't imagine it holding much appeal for anyone who isn't excited for the chance to revisit the iconic locations of the franchise, but die-hard fans will probably revel in it.

Regardless of platform, Groove Coaster is an interesting rhythm game. Although it has leaderboards to please the more competitive types, the game is really about experiencing the songs as a visual ride. Correct inputs act as the mechanism to make the ride more audibly pleasant. The controls work well enough, but the amount of songs available is dwarfed by those in the mobile release. The need to replay all of the songs on all of the difficulty levels can feel tedious. The PC version may not be the best one, but it's still a good port of a fresh rhythm title.

While this game lives up to Square-Enix's well-deserved reputation for quality gameplay, it lacks the depth of their best and most famous titles.

In the end, Dead Reset is a fun romp despite its limitations. The acting is quite good and does a good job of carrying a story that contains a few plot holes. The major branching points don't happen until the very end, but this game is enjoyable, and the experience doesn't overstay its welcome . While this isn't the type of game to change anyone's mind about the limitations of the interactive movie, it's fun enough that you'll want to complete at least one run before thinking about moving on to something else.

A bit too watered down from the other Sims games.

With "Halo 2" and "Unreal Championship 2" being available on an already FPS-abundant console, Area 51 just doesn't deliver the same way those two can, even if you are a "believer."

AquaPazza: Aquaplus Dream Match is a fun but very flawed fighting game that resonates most with those who are already proficient in the genre.

Dead Nation: Road of Devastation will only appeal to you if you love going for scores since this doesn't tie into the main game's plot.

As the sum of its parts, Moving Out is a fun couch co-op game that will certainly bring you a good dose of fun. The game can feel a bit too formulaic at times. While the tone and presentation are quirky and fun, the title doesn't necessarily strive to be its own thing, which is fine. What does sour the experience a little is that it can occasionally feel too random or tricky to control, and that can turn a fun session into a frustrating ordeal. If you're all out of co-op fodder, Moving Out is a solid and fun couch co-op experience that will satisfy anyone looking for a new way to test the strength of their bonds with friends and family.

The simple nature of the strategy and some slow elements, like enemy movement, may irk genre veterans, but for fans of the series and those who are starting to get interested in strategy RPGs, Hyperdevotion Noire is worth a shot, especially if the developer patches up that crash.

Until Fallout: New Vegas gets a major patch that fixes the problems, it can only be recommended to gamers who have a high threshold for frustration.

The unfortunate thing about Guitar Hero: Van Halen is that it really had the potential to shine, but there just seemed to be too much working against it. The ongoing band feuds have eliminated not only a large section of the group's catalog, but a founding member as well, and laziness on the part of all parties involved means that there's nearly nothing added to the game to give it the extra content we saw in the Aerosmith and Metallica editions

For what it's worth, Urban Trial Freestyle is good. The physics-based racing is still challenging, and the constant presence of leaderboards for each level and each trick ensures some level of replayability. For Vita owners, the game is more interesting because there's nothing like it for the platform yet.

While it's true that it doesn't really breath a whole lot of new life into the series, it still should be able to conjour up enough interest in Sims fans.

Gal Metal is a rhythm game that may be an acquired taste for some players. The lack of direction will be confusing at first, but once you get used to listening to the song a few times, you'll come to appreciate the more freeform nature of rhythm. Though the game lacks original tracks, it does a good job with the metal-tinged classic songs, and while the story has seemingly endless cut scenes, at least it's humorous. While the Switch has a number of solid rhythm games, this flawed title is still worth checking out if you're looking for a different experience.