Wasteland 3 does everything you expect from the series but in a sleeker package. From the freedom in building character abilities to your approach to the missions or which ending to strive for, there's plenty that's within your control, and those variations help if you want to play through the game multiple times. The story is interesting thanks to all of the decisions you get to make, and while your created characters don't add much personality, your companions are chatty enough to make encounters worthwhile. If you can forgive the occasional bugs, you'll find Wasteland 3 to be a top-notch RPG.

On one hand, it's Guitar Hero. Messing it up would've been sacrilege, and Activision did a pretty good job of not doing that. It's just as fun as it ever was, and the song selection is pretty great. On the other hand, they could have done a little more. Revolutionary new steps forward weren't exactly expected, but Guitar Hero III feels a little too much like more of the same.

The Sly Collection is proof once more that great games are truly timeless, and upgrading the visuals not only doesn't ruin the experience, but it absolutely enhances it.

When all is said and done, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars is a great example of fan service done right. It's not perfect, but it's close and it fills a niche that has been long underserved on the Wii.

With such deep variety of familiar but accomplished gameplay, and visuals that are always immersive and frequently arresting, Daxter easily leaps ahead of the PSP platformer pack to put such concerns to rest.

It is quite obvious that Sony took all the criticism leveled at last year's game and used it to craft MLB 08: The Show, an extremely fun and addicting title. Nearly all of the bugs have been fixed, with only the occasional AI problem, poor base running, and cumbersome career progression besmirching an otherwise incredible game.

While the presentation of the story and combat in 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim takes some time to get used to, I was deeply engaged with the characters and plot. The bulk of my complaints boil down to wishing the combat looked better and not loving some of the reveals, neither of which detracted from the rest of my experience with the game. As long as you approach the title as a visual novel with some light strategy rather than a strategy game with some light story, you'll find a lot to like. It's an easy recommend for fans of Virtue's Last Reward or Steins;Gate or those who have enjoyed previous Vanillaware offerings.

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is a wonderful first (no, CD-i doesn't count) outing for the titular princess. It's at once nostalgic and brand new, combining classic Zelda gameplay with the flexibility and freedom of the modern styles. It's a genuine delight from start to finish, with the only real complaints revolving around the fact that the performance hasn't improved from the last game that was developed on the same game engine. If you're a fan of Zelda, Echoes of Wisdom is a must-play.

Fight Night: Champion isn't a perfect boxing game. The addition of the referee is distracting at times, especially since it feels like he wasn't implemented well. Veteran players will lament the fact that their old practices make for a twitchier boxer until they learn the proper control scheme, and the training games aren't exactly exciting. Despite this, there's still plenty to love about the game. The Story mode is engaging, if familiar, and the Legacy mode gives the solo player something to work toward. The online mode performs well, the game still impresses graphically, and the fighting engine feels like a better tweak of what was offered in Fight Night Round 4. Boxing fans, both die-hard and casual, will find plenty to enjoy in this game.

The Outer Worlds is an excellent attempt at capturing the Fallout formula in a new setting. It's honest about what it's trying to be, and it never shies away from it. While it may lack the sheer size of Bethesda's behemoth, The Outer Worlds still captures the fun and enjoyment of exploring, completing quests, finding new loot, and being a futuristic adventurer. Anyone who enjoyed the previous-generation Fallouts or is looking for a solid RPG will find a lot to like in The Outer Worlds.

The decision to pick up Horizon: Zero Dawn Remastered is completely dependent on your status with the original PS4 title. If you've never played the first game and like open-world adventure games, then this is definitely worth getting. From the story to the action to the decidedly different postapocalyptic setting, the game delivers a good time from beginning to end, even when factoring the expansion pack into the mix. Those people can look at the score and rate it higher. If you've played and beaten the game, then things get more complicated. For $10, the upgrade gets you much richer-looking environments and some better graphics during some of the cut scenes while also introducing some minor issues. Proper DualSense support is also thrown in for good measure, and if you're big on those things, then the price for the upgrade makes it worthwhile. However, for those who aren't so big on aesthetics and were fine with the original controls, you're best waiting a bit for LEGO Horizon Adventures to drop to get a completely different experience in this world.

Overall, Yakuza 0: Director's Cut is a solid but unexceptional port of a phenomenal game. It runs smoothly, plays well, and is a ton of fun from start to finish. However, the new content adds nothing to the game, and if you already own Yakuza 0, then there's no major reason to pick it up again. However, if you're interested in learning about the franchise or if you've only played the recent RPG-like entries, Yakuza 0 is by far the best starting point for newcomers. The unnecessary extras don't prevent it from being arguably the high point of the entire franchise and well worth playing if you're curious about the Like a Dragon/Yakuza titles.

Even if you don't have a top-of-the-line gaming rig, this is a superb title that is so good (even on medium detail settings) that you just might postpone that eBay sale so that you can play it through a second time.

This is easily the best title in the 3DS launch lineup, and it's proof that the potential is there for the slow-starting system.

Overall, from a scale of Pat Sajak to Bob Barker, this game is Alex Trebek without the mustache: sharp-looking, packed with features, witty, and fun, but with just a little something missing.

It's Pokemon. Moreover, it's Pokemon with online play. If you're a Pokemon fan, that reason alone is enough to pick up Diamond and Pearl, ignoring the new Pokemon and new features.

Call us old fogies if you like, but there's a pretty firm belief that when a game ships, it should be feature-complete, not "mostly done" with a promise of completion at some unknown future date.

I will say, though, that the vibrant, stylish graphics and unique gameplay will have me choosing a night of SWAT 4 over "Counter-Strike: Source."

It comes so close to greatness that it's possible to overlook its glaring flaws. Just be warned that it'll be a slog to get to the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and would recommend it to anyone who is remotely a fan of the Star Wars universe, whether they're getting exposed to it for the first time or are of a certain age and have loved it since they heard Luke Skywalker whine about power converters decades ago. Respawn is onto something here, and I've low-key been waiting — wishing — for Cal Kestis to show up in one of the upcoming shows or movies. These games have made that kind of impact, and I'm looking forward to where the story goes next.

Ultimately, Starfield is a very enjoyable game that takes the overall formula that Bethesda established in games like Skyrim and Fallout 4 and expands upon it. It is familiar in the ways that feel comfortable, but the game feels like an exciting new experience. It's unfair to compare it to games like No Man's Sky given the vast difference in scope, but at the same time, I wish that the ways the ships are handled didn't feel so compartmentalized with the reliance upon menu-driven fast-travel. Starfield really tries to be many things all at once, and although there are varying levels of success to that end, the game is a downright joy to play.

Doom is a fantastic single-player experience bundled with a weak multiplayer component.

Far Cry: Instincts on the Xbox is a much more balanced and fun game than the PC version.

For a game that tosses so many RTS conventions out the window, Dawn of War II is a surprisingly solid real-time strategy title that pretty much lays down the gauntlet for any game that follows in its wake.

Battlefield 3 is a fine objective-based multiplayer shooter, but that's it. In all other respects, it comes up short.

The game keeps the repetition to a minimum, mixing whips, swords, and guns into the Onimusha equation. I just couldn’t drop the controller until the very last minute before I had to go to class.

Esoteric Ebb is a multitude of things: a low-stakes political mystery, a comedy with solid writing and fleshed-out characters that have personalities even if there are no vocal performances to go with them, and it's a good-looking game that feels like the spirit of Disco Elysium. Most of all, it's an enjoyable experience that begs for multiple playthroughs to see all of the different scenarios and personalities. This is a pleasant surprise of a title, and those who value good dialogue above all else will be very happy with Esoteric Ebb.

As good as the single-player campaigns are, the multiplayer capabilities are where the game really shines. Going head-to-head against a human opponent doesn't involve a storyline, but victory is always more satisfying against a real person than against a computer opponent programmed to perform at "normal" difficulty levels.