On a platform that already has a pretty solid fighting game lineup, Shadow Fight 2 is a pleasant surprise. The fighting system is different from most games, but if you can deal with its slower flow, you'll find some fun here. The presentation is muted in places but still interesting, and even though some parts of the campaign can feel like a slog, you'll get your money's worth. Shadow Fight 2 won't be your main squeeze, but it can be a good cooldown offering to play between some other fighting games.

It's an interesting take on the Pokémon formula, but it can hardly contend for the top spot, and it's really only going to appeal to the fans of the show, leaving a lot to be desired when it comes to gameplay and story.

Sacred 2: Fallen Angel was an average Diablo clone on the PC, but it stands out on consoles, mostly due to the lack of any serious competition.

Ultimately, Harry Potter: Quidditch Champions is fine. It doesn't take too long to get used to the controls, and the gameplay loop stays interesting as long as you aren't playing the Chaser role. The matches are fun and perfect for short sessions, and the presence of cross-play means that finding a match isn't going to be too difficult once you exhaust the offline content. There are still some rough patches, but with its low $30 price tag, it's enjoyable for those who want to play some Quidditch without digging up a console from three generations ago.

Immortals of Aveum isn't a terrible game, but it is an incredibly forgettable one. Everything it does feels like a paint-by-numbers scenario, and it doesn't feel like it captures any sense of wonder. The annoying quipping dialogue drags you out of the world, and without that, you're left with a solid, if entirely unexceptional, magic-themed FPS. There's not much to recommend Immortals beyond giving you gun-themed magic instead of guns. I could see it perhaps finding an audience once its price point is lower, but most people will probably want to wait and see — or at least watch some videos of Jak's quips and see how tolerable they find it.

Shredders is an enjoyable game if you temper your expectations. The campaign is quite good and comes in at just the right length while also providing some incentive to return and complete all of the challenges for each mission. Free roam mode is fine if you can forgive some of the performance hitches and inability to do much with others in a structured setting. The controls are good, but you'll lament the game momentarily forgetting about its momentum system. The relaxed feeling of snowboarding without restrictions makes things enjoyable. It makes for a perfect game for Xbox Game Pass and a decent purchase for those starved for a purely snowboarding-focused game.

All in all, Dragon Ball Fusions is a cute, if unexceptional, Dragon Ball RPG that's made almost exclusively for the fans. Nothing about it breaks the mold, but it has a reasonably engaging combat system and a ton of collectible characters to keep you busy. It's dragged down by a weak story and an excessive amount of grinding to unlock characters. Fusions won't do much for casual fans, but die-hards will have a good time seeing all of the absurd fusions that the show could never do.

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

It's a good title for kids. It controls well, the levels are interesting, and the references to Pac Man 25 years ago are respectful.

It's a good title for kids. It controls well, the levels are interesting, and the references to Pac Man 25 years ago are respectful.

As a playing experience, Bionic Commando is certainly worth some hours of your life.

Ultimately, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning is a bare-bones port of a solid, if unexceptional, game. Amalur is the kind of game that got overshadowed when it was released, and it seems just as likely to get overshadowed now. If you're a fan looking to revisit the title, this is a good experience, but it's not meaningfully different from what you might have played almost a decade ago.

This is definitely more geared toward the kids and core fan base than someone like me, so if you're not already a fan, you can safely skip this title without missing anything.

If you have the patience for it, Rogue Contracts: Syndicate is a rewarding game. The limited weapon set and increased level of difficulty can even make the first level a challenge, and subsequent stages only get worse. It means that conquering them is much more satisfying, and the relatively small number of levels is welcome because of this. The lack of controller support can be a deterrent, and the presentation feels rather cheap, but ultimately, Rogue Contracts is still a good game if you give it time.

While Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 may be a better game than the original, it is by no means excellent. The story seems like an uninspired rehash, and the minimal roster changes makes it feel like a director's cut instead of a true sequel. On the PC in particular, the online community is practically extinct, and the game's semi-frequent crashes disappoint. If you're willing to put up with all that, you'll be treated to a game that feels like what the original should have been, and the fighting system is chaotic and fun. Provided this one does well, here's hoping that another sequel manages to get everything right.

Code Vein should be applauded for doing something different with the Dark Souls formula. It's great to be able to switch out your classes at will and combine them, and the almost-constant presence of co-op is a real selling point for those who may not want to jump into the deep end of this emerging subset of the genre. The rest of the game, from the story to the level design, feels bland, and the combat falls apart when you suddenly have no AI companion by your side. If you don't mind a heavy dose of anime in your action game, Code Vein may be worth checking out.

I stuck mostly with the on-field stuff, and it was solid enough for me to keep tinkering around with rivalries, tradition and the spread offense. But it won't make fans of the pros change their allegiance.

It does a lot of things that I genuinely like: It has excellent boss fights, some creative levels, an absurdly huge amount of content, and the platforming mostly works well. That level of heartfelt dedication makes it all the more frustrating when you get caught up on the areas where it still needs polish. I enjoyed a lot of the game, but I remember the annoyances more than the enjoyment. If you're willing to work past that, there's a lot to play in Aeterna Noctis, but it's easy to imagine someone reaching a particularly annoying bit of platforming and moving on to something else, especially because the game's long length can make it feel more exhausting than exhilarating. Metroidvania fans should absolutely give it a shot, but don't expect something as easy to pick-up-and-play as some of the genre greats.

I desperately wanted to like Project X Zone. It does a lot of things right, even if it doesn't do them as well as other titles in the same genre. The translation is solid, the presentation is good, and the gameplay seems like it could be interesting. Alas, the game ends up being too tedious.

Though undeniably beautiful and well designed, the game is simply too difficult to learn (the tutorial weighs in at almost six hours) and too slowly paced for most players not already attenuated to its type.

You can easily find a lot to like in The Rub Rabbits!, and the diversity of gameplay keeps you hooked for a long time, but like those booth games at the carnival, you will probably grow bored or despise many for their simplicity or frustration factor.

Your enjoyment of The Almost Gone is going to depend on what you're focusing on the most. If it's the story, you'll come away slightly disappointed. The game may not be afraid to tackle some subjects that some would consider to be sensitive, but the general ambiguity of plot elements doesn't create much empathy for the protagonist. If you're in for the gameplay, you'll be rewarded with some clever puzzles that lean toward being easy at times but never contain obtuse solutions. Its short playtime ensures that this is a game worth checking out when it is all said and done, but don't expect it to be the next profound indie experience.

While it does have some minor deficiencies that affect its replay value, it should satisfy any cravings you have for blowing away intergalactic pirate scum. The story is engaging, and despite the bad voice-acting, the game kept me coming back to see what happens next.

The graphics are uninspiring, and the gameplay is extremely simplistic and often boring. This game needs a shot in the arm - more exiting waves, a better selection of music…something.

Overall, MLB 12: The Show on the PS Vita shows lots of promise as well as room for improvement

Spirit of the North: Enhanced Edition is a beautiful remaster of an average game. If you enjoy wandering around pretty environments and solving some light puzzles, then this is a fantastic "chill out" game, but anything beyond that is somewhat forgettable. Add on some frustrating bugs and the lack of meaningful improvements over the last-gen version beyond visuals, and it isn't a must-buy for anyone who has played the original title. It's worth experiencing if you haven't played it before, but you should perhaps wait for a price drop, since the $35 price tag isn't worth it when you can purchase a last-gen copy for $20.

In Lamplight City, you aren't led around from room to room, clickity-clicking your way to success. For the most part, logic and reason are at play. Brush up on those skills, and you will find your way. Take your time, enjoy the well-themed music and ambiance, enjoy the story, solve the crimes, and for goodness' sake, listen to Bill.

Gemini: Heroes Reborn may be flawed, but it is fun while it lasts.