Gang Beasts never pretends to be a single-player experience; it's a party game through and through. Even though there's only so much depth that can be found in imprecisely manipulating ragdoll physics, the end result is still oddly compelling. While Gang Beasts is not the kind of game that will find its way into the eSports circuit, players will still find a lot to love as they fight and fall and laugh at all the ways they succeed or fail in its oddball arenas.

If you need a good Pokémon adventure to fill in the time away from Pokémon Black and Pokémon White, this fits the bill nicely.

Altogether, Madballs in Babo: Invasion is a pretty decent shooter for XBLA, but it's something that I could only see myself playing as a temporary distraction from the heavy hitters available on the system.

A satisfying approach to the visual aspects of world-building hints at the possibility of a more complex adventure, but Goblet never delivers. Wasting the amped-up drama of the Triwizard Tournament on simplistic tasks that are actually less enjoyable than the levels you have to complete to arrive at them, Goblet is a likely disappointment to Potterites young and old.

While EndWar's quirky camera tricks and novel approach to unit selection may very well be functional choices on the X360, they translate very poorly to the PC and create a confusing and chaotic experience that seems to be the precise opposite of what Ubisoft Shanghai was attempting to create.

In spite of its flaws, though, NCAA Basketball 09 is still a very enjoyable game that will sit very well with fans of the sport. The new tempo-driven gameplay is quite ingenious, and I can't think of a game that does a better job of getting the feel of college basketball just right.

Red Wings: Aces in the Sky surprised me. I went in with low expectations and found a fun arcade shooter that does a lot of things well. It works as advertised and can provide some fun but short-lived action moments that detail the story of the Red Baron during WWI. Fans of the subject matter will certainly get a few decent hours out of the game, but the experience is severely held back by a lack of variety in almost all areas. If you're not into WWI or arcade shooters, Red Wings probably won't keep you entertained for too long, but it is a solid experience that does most things well enough for a quick rush of adrenaline on your Switch.

The lack of multiplayer wouldn't hurt so much if it weren't already promised, and the fact that the game launched without that feature makes it feel like an Early Access title rather than one with a $25 price tag. If you don't mind such things, then Tiny Metal is still worth checking out if you're a fan of simpler strategy. For anyone else looking for some challenge, it might be best to hold off to see if and when multiplayer goes live.

If you liked the original coin-op game or are a fan of scrolling shooters, Joint Strike should definitely be in your collection.

Magic players might like it as a diversion from the card game, or they might hate it with it's dumbing down and changing of the rules.

The moves in the game look magnificent: crisp, clean and fast-paced. It's as if you are watching a movie rather than playing a game.

For 720 Microsoft points ($9), DmC: Devil May Cry - Vergil's Downfall is a short but fun experience that does a good job of extending the main game and serving as a bridge for a possible sequel. The gameplay is a little different, and the weapon selection isn't as varied, but the challenge is just right, especially with its plethora of difficulty levels. While it won't convert those who hated the game or felt lukewarm about it, it's a worthy piece of DLC for everyone else.

Overall, Jay and Silent Bob: Mall Brawl is an enjoyable title if you can forgive some of its issues. The overly aggressive AI, the short hit reach, and the classic game padding don't make for a pleasant experience once you notice them. However, the experience is solidly enjoyable, with some concessions made for those aforementioned flaws, and it accomplishes the rare feat of having the solo experience be a bit more fun than the multiplayer one. While fans of the duo will get a big kick out of this game, and even those who aren't familiar with these characters will enjoy their time with this title.

In the end, Danger Zone 2 dips below the standard set by the original game. The addition of the run-up makes the levels feel deep, but the wonky physics and crash restrictions and presence of older issues negate all of that positive movement. The lack of modes is accentuated further by the lack of levels, and the middle-of-the-road presentation makes the game feel lackluster. This is the type of game you'll want to pick up at a sale, but if you're more patient, you might want to wait for the developer's upcoming Dangerous Driving to see if it can finally deliver a full Burnout-inspired game.

Rush: A Disney Pixar Adventure is a game with lots of heart but very limited appeal. The stages are fun enough if you're looking for something simple, and the lack of failure states means that younger ones who are getting used to video games won't experience frustration often. However, the stages lack any variety or challenge, and the small amount of content means that only those who don't mind repeating the same stage will be fine with the game. For everyone else, it makes for a decent rental but nothing more.

While NBA 2K21 is clearly different from its predecessor in several ways, I can't say it's significantly better than what we saw last season. The game still looks fantastic, the commentary is still top-notch, and many of the same battles you might have had with the previous edition are still there, like whether you want to spend so much virtual and real money. If you don't have any basketball games in your library and want to change that, then by all means, this is as good as it can possibly get. If your whole virtual hoops life is lived on 2K20 for now, then waiting for next-gen isn't the worst move you can make.

It seems a bit convoluted and rather forced, yet if you play it in the dark late at night, it will still spook the bejeezus out of you.

Even with an upsetting frame rate and poorly implemented combat, Silent Hill: Downpour is the best we've seen in years. I enjoyed Shattered Memories, but that felt more like a slightly interactive story than a video game, whereas Downpour lets you explore Silent Hill in a way that hasn't been seen since Silent Hill 3.

One Piece: Unlimited World Red Deluxe Edition is a great choice for anyone who's a fan of the anime, show or genre. It offers an original story from the creator of the One Piece universe, and it features smooth combat, a gorgeous world that has clearly received a lot of development attention, a ton of DLC, and it's wallet-friendly to boot. My only nitpicks have to do with the camera being too close to the character, which interrupted the fluidity of traversing the world, and there were a few slow points in the story due to a lack of clarity in missions. If you're looking for a fun and lighthearted adventure, you can't go wrong with this title.

Espire 1: VR Operative is not a mechanically perfect game. Sometimes, the controls can feel a little clumsy in the way that many VR games tend to do, and I wish you could find more handgun ammo to make that class of weapons more useful. With so many VR titles that feel like glorified tech demos Espire 1: VR Operative has some real meat to it, and for most of your time in the game, you will feel like some sort of shadowy, robotic badass. Use all of the mobility and stealth at your disposal, and you will find that Espire 1 sets a pretty high bar for what a VR game can be.

Prinny 2: Dawn of Operation Panties, Dood! is certainly not for everyone. It's a challenging platformer with a difficulty level that is geared toward those who are nostalgic for the punishingly difficult platformers from the NES days.

Crown of Glory is a gem in the modern landscape of first-person shooters and 3D normal-mapped, vertex-shaded graphics. It may not be the prettiest of titles, but it is certainly a deep strategy game that combines both the empire building and turn-based combat styles into a brilliant title based in the era of Napoleon.

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.

F1 2009 falls squarely into the category of average racer.

In the end, Killing Floor: Incursion is fine. The guns work well, but the lack of accuracy will have you favoring melee weapons until you have to use your guns to solve puzzles and fight against bosses. The lack of device accuracy also means that you'll have a tough time trying to holster your weapons, making the combat feel slower and allowing enemies to get in a few cheap hits, but boss fights make the combat feel tedious. The game being available in co-op is nice, but once you're done with the campaign, there isn't much to draw you into the horde mode. If you're a fan of the series, you'll dig it, but don't expect much in the way of replay value beyond showing off the technology to friends.

Wallachia: Reign of Dracula is a solid, old-school experience. The decision to make this more of a shooter than a faithful Castlevania-style clone can be initially jarring, but it feels natural thanks to some excellent arrowplay and good boss fights. The high difficulty level due to some design decisions stretches out the seven-stage experience, but the endless continues make that bearable. While it may not appeal to everyone, those looking for something that mimics a good 16-bit adventure shooter will find this to be an easy recommendation.

Hotel Barcelona has a handful of flaws, but if you're willing to stick it out, there is a gem of a game underneath the rough surface. While I would've liked to see more polish and a few more levels to explore, the core gameplay loop is solid. I continually went back to Hotel Barcelona for "just one more run," even after I'd beaten the main story. It's also a good choice for busier gamers with limited play time, since a single run can be completed in a 15-minute setting. Hotel Barcelona is not a game for everyone, but if you're a fan of cheaper, quirky titles (like me), this is your jam.

Grab a walkthrough or something and get this one on the cheap and you're good for several hours of fun watching Sherlock solve a deeply baffling case. People who actually like to PLAY their mystery games, though, can take a pass here.

If you're fond of unrestrained mayhem and interesting weaponry, Earth Defense Force 2025 is a must-buy.

It doesn't hit the highs of the SteamWorld series, but The Gunk is enjoyable. When you break things down, the game doesn't offer up a plethora of things to do, but it remains enjoyable thanks to how satisfying it is to clean up gunk. There's payoff for the curious in the form of extra materials to power up your arm faster, and even though it is familiar, the story remains satisfying. Its short length makes it perfect for the Game Pass service, but it is also a worthy purchase if you like brisk, uncomplicated adventures.

SNK Arcade Classics Vol. 1 is a solid purchase for players on the go who hope to relive the glory days of the arcades or learn more about the history of their favorite hobby.

Your enjoyment of Kinect Rush: A Disney/Pixar Adventure will be dependent on how much you like the activities. On one hand, each level features a myriad of activities, and even though they all feature constant forward movement, they're varied enough that you'll rarely do long stretches of the same activity. On the other hand, the levels are fairly short, and the chances that you'll want to replay them so soon after finishing the title can be pretty slim. If you have young kids who are huge fans of the Pixar movies, the repetitive nature isn't a big deal and they'll have a blast with the game. Otherwise, it's a good rental for older Pixar fans.

Fossil Fighters: Champions is too derivative and too stuck on the source material to really stand out. Instead of bringing us something clever and entertaining, we're instead saddled with what feels like leftovers from the first game.

It's tough to say whether Gundam Versus is worth the purchase at full price. It lacks content, especially for those interested in single-player modes, and the multiplayer portion can easily be tarnished if you're matched with someone who has a poor internet connection. When the stars align and everything is functioning properly, there's a lot to love here. It doesn't make any efforts to impact gamers and bring in new players. When you have a small community to begin with, the only way to go is down. The only reason to buy Gundam Versus is if you have friends who will play it with you, or if you feel you'd get enough use from the single-player options to merit the purchase.

Bubble Bobble 4 Friends is a solid, enjoyable and well-made entry in the Bubble Bobble franchise. At its core, it's still a simple pick-up-and-play arcade game, but 4 Friends does a good job of expanding and improving on the core mechanics. There's something bizarrely addictive about chaining together bubbles for huge point strings, and the simple nature of the game makes it excellent for parties or get-togethers. It might not be a huge narrative-driven experience like some modern titles, but there's something comforting about returning to the days when all you needed was a dinosaur-shaped blob of pixels, some bubbles, and a whole lot of quarters.

Yet another cutesy game that is veiling the usual raison d'etre of video games — killing — and isn't anything new. Peanuts characters should soften the blow of the dropping biplanes, but really, maybe you should pick up a later volume of those complete Peanuts collections, and show your children a true work of art.

Heroki is a serene platformer where you take your time and discover every secret at your own pace without much danger involved, making it a relaxing experience. It has pacing issues in that it takes a long time before you get to do anything different, but if you're fine with that, play Heroki between some of the more hectic titles out there.

Whereas the first DLC required you to have some familiarity with Vaas to fully appreciate the story elements, Far Cry 6 - Pagan: Control provides everything you need to understand Pagan and his inner turmoil. While most of us are not likely to become dictators, we can all understand the feelings of powerlessness and inferiority that Pagan faces when confronted with overwhelming personal loss.

It is my sincere wish that the backstory gets fleshed out a bit more; we know very little about the wand and the reasons that the evil has attacked the dwarves, much less the unanswered questions revolving around Gaya. For a port of a mobile phone game, Orcs and Elves is a good title indeed.

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

Keepsake ultimately feels like a lot of conundrum strung together loosely around a lackluster storyline and lots of jogging.

The Hong Kong Massacre teeters between magnificent to mediocre quite often. Its gunplay mechanics are good, but the dodgy AI will ruin the experience due to your very high fragility and their impeccable aim. The levels look awesome at first, especially when the action gets kicked up, but the environments blend into one another after a while. The trial-and-error nature can get tedious, but if you don't mind that, then you'll find lots of high-tension action here. The Hong Kong Massacre isn't a must-have, but it isn't a bad title to play, either.

It's readily apparent that Blitz: The League II is not a game for football purists. The use of power-ups, lack of penalties and dirty play is enough to make them cringe. However, for fans of arcade-style sports games, The League II is pretty good.

Strange Brigade is a flawed but ultimately fun experience. The combat is good if you can get over some of the quirks, like being forced to aim when you want to take a shot and no ability to automatically sprint without a decent amount of running room. The campaign length is fine, but the immediate knowledge that more levels are coming in via DLC gives you the perception that the game could have been much longer instead. If you don't mind having to gather friends to play online, then the experience is good since you barely have a shot of getting random online strangers to help out.

Ultimately, there's not enough to do in the game to keep you occupied for very long. The Build a Label mode only offers a maximum of six to seven hours of play, and the bare-bones online mode isn't going to give you much more than that.

In the end, Paperbound is a good game if you enjoy local multiplayer action.

There's a good chance that you'll have a love/hate relationship with CastleStorm II. The combat remains as fun as ever, but the strategic elements feel like an unnecessary add-on. The hampering of Luna's chapter also feels cruel, and the pacing of the game feels slow, especially with so many loading screens bookending each screen. There's still some fun to be had, but if you haven't already, you're better off playing the first game.

Brink's PR did everything to make people wonder just how the eight-versus-eight multiplayer-focused, story-based shooter would change the genre. The short answer lies in the clever tweaks it brings to the formula, whether it's your character's body type or the vast weapon customization options, all the way down to the teamwork needed to succeed. The SMART system feels more like a gimmick, and when it gets down to the actual shooting, it's nothing that we haven't seen before. Top that off with the issues it tries to parkour over, both off- and online, and Brink isn't so much of a revolution as it is a suggestion of where it wants to be.

Vanguard is flawed but has exceptional potential to offer a satisfying long-term experience.

Exit the Gungeon is a lot of fun to play, especially if you liked Enter the Gungeon. It is noticeably streamlined, which may hint at its mobile origins, but it's still a frantic and skillful bullet hell experience. It makes a few choices that don't fully pay off, such as its randomized guns arsenal that often feels like gambling. I'm not fully on board with the tight spaces restricting movement, and the new jump-dodge did not click for me in the same way as the trusty old dodge-roll. While these aren't necessarily small gripes, they don't suppress my enjoyment of Exit. If you enjoy twin-stick shooters or bullet hell games, Exit the Gungeon is a rough gem to take a closer look at.

If you have a Nintendo DS, though, this game is easily passed by, and for one reason – Brain Age is the same price as Dr. Sudoku, and has far more than just Sudoku.

At its core, Rock of Ages is a nice little twist on the basic strategy genre.

Aside from those pesky loading times, the game does a very admirable job of translating the console experience to a handheld system.

It manages to do some things incredibly well, such as presentation, story, and sound. Other aspects, like the AI, leave much to be desired.

A feature-rich offering that can be both extremely entertaining and equally frustrating to play.

It's odd that a series I regard so highly would be repackaged into a huge mess of a port. It's a shame that the game arrived to Nintendo's platform in such poor form.

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.

If you only have a PS2 and thus cannot get Zelda, TPJ will fill the gap adequately; however I don't imagine big brothers and big sisters will find it as magical and likeable as their annoying and bratty counterparts.

There is so much potential in Lost Planet 2, but it's hidden under a blanket of flaws.

Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World is a great follow-up to the GameCube classic and is possibly the best RPG for the Wii.

I definitely enjoyed Drawn to Life: SpongeBob SquarePants, and it's probably the best SpongeBob SquarePants game we've seen in the past few years.

Even if you only slightly enjoyed the first game, you will find enough in its sequel that you should probably pick this one up, especially with the inclusion of a co-op multiplayer mode. If you hated Blinx before, Blinx 2 is basically more of the same.

Just feels like a small game that the developer attempted to draw out for an excessive period of time. It could've stood to be either a bit more succinct or injected with more variety.

Interested players new to the genre would likely enjoy Suikoden Tactics, except it comes off as a straight sequel to a mediocre RPG which was itself a sequel to three underappreciated RPGs – and this game is much more enjoyable if you know the mythos.

NBA Playgrounds is not the new NBA Jam replacement. It adds just enough complication to the basic mechanics so it isn't a game that anyone can pick up and play without experiencing one or two matches. The game is fun once you get used to the quirks, and even if the roster unlocking process isn't optimal, it ensures you'll have a reason to keep coming back. For arcade sports fans, NBA Playgrounds is worth a look.

As much as I personally love it, there are plenty of people out there who will outright loathe it. Many won't manage to see past the colors and will simply be unable to play the game. It can also be deeply unforgiving, and while there are concessions in the form of the automatic save, you'll usually advance two or three levels and then hit an absolute brick wall of a stage that will take multiple tries to finish.

Gimmicks aside, G-Force is an enjoyable game. The controls are solid, the graphics are quite good and the sound is better than expected.

Controlling Harry in his battles against the Ministry and Voldemort while exploring a sandbox-like Hogwarts is a concept that seems to write itself. However, instead of the excitement and magic that surrounds Hogwarts, you get the monotony of backtracking through an incoherent castle combined with the "excitement" of cleaning up someone else's messes.

Like its predecessors, Reigns: Three Kingdoms does a good job of taking a simple and easy-to-understand mechanic and making it a big part of a very substantial adventure. The change to a real historical setting is nice, but the original story is much more interesting to follow and uncover. The balancing act for card selection is simple but fascinating once you understand meter management. The battle system follows the same "simple but good" philosophy of the main game. If you're a fan of the previous titles, Reigns: Three Kingdoms is worth checking out, especially given the game's low price of $2.99.

QuickSpot is charming, short, simple, and – best of all – affordable.

However, while the game has lots of graphical polish, it can be highly lacking in a many gameplay areas, which limit it to being average in the overall scheme of things. It caters to fans of realistic European racing, but its appeal to everyone else will be highly limited at best.

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.

If you dismiss the more apparent flaws, then you'll find The Wizards: Enhanced Edition to be an average adventure title. The quest itself plays out fine and enemies are fun to defeat, even if they don't pose too much trouble. However, the accuracy issues are simply too great that they transform what could be a game-changing VR wizard experience into an exercise in flailing limbs. It isn't a terrible game, but don't expect something top-tier in the VR space.

Your assessment of Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin depends on what you're looking for. If you're looking for a deep and serious story, you'll be severely disappointed. Even as it holds some Easter eggs for longtime fans of the series, the dialogue and characters and haphazard way it's all told will only appeal to fans who love bad but ultimately lovable cult classics. If you enjoy action games, this is a surprising treat that takes the Nioh base mechanics and loosens things up to make it more appealing. It's a fun title that's worth trying out — despite what the initial trailer might have led you to believe.

Despite its flaws, The Undergarden is both accessible and enjoyable for all types of audiences. Whether you're a hardcore player looking for a break or a causal gamer wanting to try something new, this is one experiment in gameplay that's worth checking out.

The biggest problem with Evil Dead: Regeneration isn't that it's not simple fun, but that it never rises above that in any way that Evil Dead fans might hope, or that comedy-horror genre fans might expect.

With tons of cameos from classic Marvel characters like the Black Widow, dialogue penned by Punisher writer Garth Ennis, and the sort of loving attention to detail that could please the most finicky of Comic Book Guys, the Punisher is practically a textbook example of how to do a good media-to-game conversion.

Definitely personifies the magnificence of the sport, but it is lacking because it's not as advanced as I had hoped it would be.

It's not as deep as its PC brethren, but it has subtleties and advantages that could stand to make their way into more visible strategy titles. It's just too bad that it starts so slowly, and that it allows you to go on auto-pilot so often.

Overall, Typoman had an intriguing premise and managed to tell a decent story with great atmosphere, good visual design, and interesting puzzle mechanics. In the end, however, the title doesn't on many of the gameplay mechanics, with good but inconsistent puzzles and often awkward and awful platforming. Coupled with its short runtime, Typoman isn't bad, but it's certainly a long way from being as good as the idea and visuals behind it.

Unfortunately, the few high points in Tom Clancy's HAWX 2 don't do enough to make up for its myriad shortcomings.

There may be a good game in there somewhere, but it falls into a standard hack-and-slash rut of boring and uninspired gameplay that leaves you wanting more from the experience.

River City Girls Zero is geared more toward existing Kunio-kun fans rather than those who are new to the series. Existing fans can appreciate the callbacks to older titles and like the fact that the game tries something different with the formula. Everyone else will still enjoy the game but may wonder why many series elements and genre traits are missing. It is a solid game, but be cautious going in if you aren't already a fan of the Kunio-kun series.

Heroes hasn't stood the test of time, but if you ever thought "Lunar" was fun after 1996, this game will be a classic in your eyes.

Fallout 3: Mothership Zeta is one side story that Wasteland warriors can afford to survive without.

A rehashed, lackluster game hidden behind the high-energy, let's-kick-some-butt-and-chug-some-beer rock music blaring at you from the title screen.

Gorn has aged reasonably well. Sure, there are bigger and prettier games available, but few of them match the almost cathartic and brutal fun that Gorn so innately delivers. It works well enough in PSVR to warrant a purchase if you're OK with its limitations. The controls are frustrating and more limited on PSVR than elsewhere, and visuals are clearly a step down, but the core experience is still intact. If that fits the bill for you, it can be a blast, so ready your fist and blade and enter the arena. Just don't lose a limb.

Overall, King of Seas is a serviceable action-RPG with a pirates theme that is intended for a more casual audience. Its mechanics are solid, and the title is entertaining enough for short bursts of gameplay, but its grindy and repetitive nature quickly takes the wind out of its sails. Some of my complaints are certainly fixable in future updates, at which point I imagine the game to be a solid option for those who yearn for a decent but simplistic pirate life simulator. For now, I'd steer clear until some changes are implemented, or you can wait for a substantial sale.

This title is very rough around the edges, but in spite of that, it's also still very fun.

As far as racers go, Juiced presents the best culture integration of any game this year, something woefully lacking in the genre.

PS3 owners should rightly gravitate toward the MLB: The Show franchise, while Xbox owners may as well sit out this year entirely.

Despite the lack of famous mascot characters, Wii Party is a truly enjoyable game.

In the end, Tokyo Crash Mobs is a good puzzle game that is both helped and hurt by its oddball presentation. On the one hand, the use of people and the off-the-wall cut scenes bookending each level give you some motivation to progress even if the rewards are strange. On the other hand, the presentation can make it difficult to figure out where your person is going to land, potentially ruining a scenario and making you lose the match.

As a sequel, My Hero One's Justice 2 does what you would expect it to do. There's an emphasis on more unlockable content and characters, but only a few changes have been made to the overall combat system. It remains a fine game for fans of the first title, and it warrants a purchase, but don't expect anything to tempt you if you weren't already impressed by the first title.

Buzz! Master Quiz is a pretty good trivia game that somehow feels right at home on the PSP.

Goes back to those simpler times of morally questionable, top-down gameplay, but a lame story, shoddy control, and uncooperative camera derail any standards that its brethren have set.

It's genuinely entertaining in small chunks, but there is still a lot to be said for spending time with a good book instead, or by keeping a thesaurus or a copy of the Reader's Digest handy when you have the need to feel egregiously verbose.

Ultimately, the biggest issue with Bejeweled Blitz Live is that it simply doesn't have enough meat on its bones. As a free game, it's a wonderful diversion, but at 800 MSP ($10 USD) for a download, it feels a bit thin.