The load times have the added effect of killing a lot of the joy that can be gained from playing this game.

TimeShift frequently faced me with challenges that were initially incomprehensible, and then too easy to overcome once I had some idea of what the hell I was supposed to do.

It might not seem like it right now, but Forspoken had some very good ideas, and I ended up still having some fun with it. It feels like it needed a little more time to figure out its real identity instead of its disjointed little-of-this, little-of-that experience. I think it's true form, which it hinted at, is as a young-adult, Bayonetta-adjacent ass-kicker, that needs to pick a tone and lean into it. If that's what it had been, we'd be onto something.

I like the "Jackass" show. I really do, and I don't like coming down on the video game interpretation of it, but without a true director mode, it lacks depth, and once you get your laughs out of the minigames once or twice, you'll be ready to move on.

It’s sort of like saying you loved a really bad movie (like "Plan 9 From Outer Space") or saying you really hated a great movie (like "Gone With The Wind").

A completely average experience that ends up being more work than fun.

Blue Fire is a fun and surprisingly engaging game, and fans of the 3D platforming genre will enjoy the challenges it provides. Adventure and open-world exploration fans, on the other hand, might not find the repetition that endearing. If all you want is to hop and dash around, smash objects, and swing your ridiculously oversized swords, Blue Fire is worth a try.

Its shady camera and controls (both of which are downright angering at times) make this a strictly a rental at first.

Games may not be art, but if they were, X-Men: The Official Game would be like one of those posters of a wizard and a dragon locked in a magical duel to the death.

Standard fare, neither horrible nor amazing.

Appeals to a more dedicated fan of this genre. It requires some reading of the manual and experimentation. There are many nuances and frustrations that will lead the casual gamer to frustration and ultimately to other games.

All the elements of a good shooter are here. Good graphics, good sound, good depth, bloody gameplay...it just doesn't add up. There's a stubborn sloppiness to the game that makes it tough to recommend.

Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 is a massive experience for fans that is fun to play and packed with content. On the flip side, the combat can quickly get repetitive, and the need for grinding doesn't help, either. Add a few technical hiccups, and the Nintendo Switch version is the least desirable one of all. It's still playable and enjoyable on the hybrid device, but it's not as good of an experience as on the other systems. Some may prefer the mobility of the Switch system over the downsides, but if you have the choice and don't care for mobility, I'd highly recommend picking up the PC, PS4 or Xbox One version of Xenoverse 2.

It's like a Tootsie Pop, only the sweet chewy center is covered by the bitterness of gameplay mechanics and camera troubles.

Does a lot of things right, yet for some reason, they tend not to matter as much because it's just so hard to get into the game and stay there enough to appreciate them.

It’s fun, but it’s basically the same game from five or so years ago which was basically free with Half-Life – that is to say, innovation isn’t exactly seeping out of the sides of this game.

As a karaoke game, Party is the best available, even if it's presented in the worst way possible - a way that, again, you might love if you own the "Best Of" collection for American Idol.

While retro fans are sure to appreciate its nostalgic sense of game design, the simple-minded combat and primitive graphics severely take away from its entertainment value. And since the main selling point of Ys is that it plays just like old games... well, why not just put this game down and go play some actual old SNES RPGs?

Ultimately, Star Trek: Legacy is remindful of the story of the Enterprise herself — a pristine, well-manned, well-intentioned vessel that sets out to break new ground for gaming but ultimately encounters strange nebulae and forces that disable her systems from time to time.

Those who have never laced up and assisted on a one-timer in real life might be able to look past all the faults of NHL 07, but you'd have to be blind to ignore them all. With any luck, this franchise will move on to the PS3 and improve, and never look back.

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is the video game equivalent of a Michael Bay movie. There's a lot of flash and not much substance.

It's by no means terrible, and by no means as bad as you might expect, but by the same token, it's not as good as, after the opening game sequence, you begin to hope it might be.

I've struggled to properly rate Sherlock Holmes Chapter One. On the one hand, it does some great things in terms of the cases and the provided tools to solve those cases. I enjoyed that it never gave me an answer, and I had to arrive at my own conclusions given the evidence I'd found. On the other hand, the game is in a rough technical state with frequent frame rate issues on the PS5, basic animations that feel robotic, an empty open world, and voice acting that can pull you out of the experience at times. Fans of Sherlock Holmes or adventure games can check out Chapter One, simply for everything that it does right.

Sure it costs a bit more than a deck of cards, but it also provides you with digital opponents, dealers and even a couple of games you cannot play solely with a deck of cards.

Simply put, when Nanobreaker’s not frustrating, it’s boring.

Fun but extremely basic. There is lots of speedy platforming coupled with a simple beat-'em-up fighting style, which makes for a brief but mostly unsatisfying experience.

Somehow, flubbing the gameplay itself surprises me; it's like showing up to a party and finding that the snack bar consists of really butt-kicking salsa and a bowl of live lobsters to dunk into it.

Performance issues, counterintuitive visual design, and lackluster sound are prevalent concerns. It makes for a strategy game that is so close to succeeding but falls short of something special. After spending roughly 30 hours with Gladius and getting familiar with each of the factions, I'm comfortable recommending the game to fans of the genre who are desperate for something new or for those looking for a 4X game they can enjoy at a more relaxed pace. What's more relaxing than smashing Space Marine skulls on a Saturday morning with a maxed-out Warboss? Waaaaaghhh!