With a distinct art style, gorgeous animations, and intriguing lore, there's enough in The Falconeer to justify a playthrough, but most of its enjoyment doesn't shine through until the last couple of hours.

It just doesn't come together as well as it could. It feels like the development team has branched out to try new things, but none of the good ideas and changes were followed through, making them feel like shallow attempts to change things. This would likely not have been a criticism if we were talking about a runtime of fewer than 30 hours. With a runtime of 50+ hours, though, these sorts of things eventually come crashing down as player fatigue sets in. I still enjoy Valhalla for what it does, but it hurts to know that this could've been a tighter, greater game that delivered on its ambitions rather than merely hinting at them.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is an incredibly successfully follow-up to Hyrule Warriors, and in my opinion, it's the best Warriors title to date. It may lack the sheer unbelievable amount of content that Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition has, but what's available plays excellently enough that I didn't mind one bit. The only thing holding it back is the inconsistent frame rate and the innate repetitive nature of a Warriors game. If you liked Hyrule Warriors, Warriors games, or Breath of the Wild, then Age of Calamity is a must-have.

Chicken Police: Paint It Red is a thoroughly engaging detective romp. The investigation elements, like the interrogations and clue linking, are fun in their own right, but the rest of the package proves to be quite enticing. From the story and atmosphere to the characters and dialogue, this is a strong adventure title with a compelling film noir style. For adventure game fans, Chicken Police is a must-have.

West of Dead does most things right as far as roguelites go. The random nature of almost every element of every run can cause some large difficulty spikes, but the overall difficulty evens out in the end. The premise works fine even if it means having to hear it countless times over multiple runs, and while the measured combat feels fresh for a Western, the zoomed-out camera angle doesn't help you appreciate it. Overall, West of Dead is a solid roguelike for those who aren't burned out on the genre yet.

Sam & Max: Save the World Remastered is a welcome sign of life for a classic adventure IP. It feels like it's the start of an effort to properly revive the series in small steps, and that would be great news on its own. The remaster is handled decently, and it achieves what it sets out to do. It updated everything that it needs to, and it looks decent enough on modern systems it. While certainly small in scale, it shines with some good writing and humorous stories that I still enjoy every time I play through it, and that's the lifeblood of any strong adventure experience.

Fans of the franchise and many gamers of a certain age, especially those who have a next-gen console in the hopper, will still find enough to like in Call of Duty: Black Ops - Cold War. I personally still replay the mission with the arcade shootout just to get a little '80s cheeseball energy going, but I think the strategy of overwhelming people with as much content and as many shooter modes as possible might be starting to wear thin. We're not there quite yet, but I'm hoping the next Black Ops might have just a bit more than poking at my childhood memories of a culturally iconic president.

Much of Kandagawa Jet Girls is done incredibly well. The gameplay is varied and interesting, allowing the player to explore how to best approach races and competition, while also offering fun and upbeat music and visuals along the way. It's all strung together by a well-defined aesthetic, from the menus to the loading screens and the UI. What cannot be forgotten — and what takes away the most from this game — is the obsession with these teen girls' bodies in the design. It's cheap and gross, and it completely detracts from the experience. While the races sometimes become bland with ease, the most glaring point that I took away from the experience is how girls' bodies are depicted and designed in media. When it comes down to it, you can make a game that knocks it out of the park in every way, but if you can't show your teen characters without highlighting their massive cleavage or design them without massive breasts in the first place, then frankly, it's not a respectable product that should be taken seriously, and therefore it isn't good.

At the end of the day, Godfall is a game with a dull story, boring world, uninteresting loot, and simplistic combat, but it looks pretty and feels nice to play. It's not a bad game for a quick playthrough, but it's not something that is going to keep your attention for very long, despite theoretically being designed for loot-grinding fun. Considering the new game price of $70, it's difficult to recommend Godfall, even if you're very hungry for a new game for your PS5. Once it comes down in price, it'll be easier to justify picking it up for a mindless hack-and-slash weekend, but at the moment, it doesn't do enough to really be worthwhile.

Overall, Immortals: Fenyx Rising is a good game. It's a shameless clone, but it's fun, and it's clear that Ubisoft's take on the formula was done with enthusiasm. If you were disappointed that this year's Breath of the Wild game was a Dynasty Warriors title, then Immortals might scratch that itch. It's always going to live in the shadow of the games that inspired it, but sometimes, all you want to do is climb some cliffs and slay some monsters, and Immortals provides exactly what it promises.

Ys Origin is a solid port of a solid game. The somewhat dated visuals and basic gameplay don't hide the generally strong game design. It never reaches far beyond the level of "pretty good," but it's still a blast to play. If you've never played any of the Ys titles, then Origin is an excellent place to start. If you have, Origin might seem too basic compared to some of the more recent offerings, but it's still well worth a look.

Evan's Remains is fine — at least initially. The mix of visual novel-like cut scenes and platform puzzling is a good combo, and those who aren't too keen on the platforming part can take solace in the fact that they can skip those portions without penalty. However, the predictable nature of the tale lessens the story's impact, and the small number of puzzles doesn't provide much for action-oriented players to chew on. It is a short experience that seems appropriately priced ($7) for what you're getting, but this title won't stick with you after the credits roll.

No More Heroes on the Switch is an overdue and no-nonsense port. While it doesn't add much, it looks and runs great, finally allowing more people to play the title on a current-gen system. It's still plagued by a few design decisions and incoherent pacing, but it usually makes up for that with its over-the-top action and storytelling. Regardless of whether you've previously played the title, this port is the one to get if you're eager to (re)discover what No More Heroes is all about.

Pikmin 3 Deluxe is a solid Switch port of a cult Wii U favorite. While the core game hasn't changed much, the UI interface updates do a lot to make it more enjoyable to play. The addition of two-player co-op is a game-changer if you have a gamer in your social bubble, and the feature elevates Pikmin 3 Deluxe over the original. Pikmin 3 remains a calm and relaxing game about walking through outdoor areas, collecting fruit, and sending hordes of adorable plant-men to their gruesome deaths. If you've ever wanted to try6 the series or if you liked the original Pikmin 3, Deluxe is the best way to experience the game.

Harmonix has a winner on its hands with Fuser. The ease of use and array of tools ensure that anyone can create a great-sounding track. While Fuser is a good game to bust out at parties, the ability to share small mixes online ensures that the creations will get some exposure until we can have local gatherings again. More so than the campaign and multiplayer modes, the online sharing functionality is what gives the game some legs. Assuming the DLC keeps coming in steadily, Fuser is a title that rhythm game fans should check out.

Yakuza: Like A Dragon is a wonderful addition to the franchise. It hits the mark with a likeable new protagonist and an engaging new combat system without losing what makes Yakuza great. It suffers from issues like a low difficulty (another Yakuza staple), but it features top-notch humor and charm. If you like Yakuza, then you'll like Like A Dragon. It is everything that makes the series great and is one of the freshest entries since Yakuza 0.

I'm hopeful that the Gnomes & Goblins developers can address these performance issues quickly. There's still a lot of design work that needs to be addressed if they want this game to be as great as its concept. Until then, Gnomes & Goblins is little more than a stuttering tech demo that doesn't capture the imaginative concept it so desperately craves to be.

Kingdom Hearts: Melody of Memory is a perfectly competent Kingdom Hearts rhythm game and not a lot else. Despite being canon to the series, its bare-bones plot is barely relevant, and the thin story is mostly a reason for more music. Thankfully, the core rhythm gameplay is fun if not particularly new or exciting. If you like Kingdom Hearts music and rhythm games, Melody of Memory will scratch the itch, but don't expect much more.

I thought Jackbox Party Pack 7 could not surprise me. Every year usually features a comparable selection of games with the usual ups and downs, but this year's selection is of a higher caliber. Even the weakest title is well thought out, making this a great offering that I am sure everyone can enjoy to some extent. Some of the games might be more restrictive if you prefer streaming or playing in larger groups, but that is a small downside when the included games are so much fun.

Control Ultimate Edition is a great title, especially since the DLC adds more enemies and gameplay mechanics into the mix. If you rush, the complete bundle will take you about 18 hours to complete, but if you take your time and explore and complete side-quests, you'll take at least 25 hours, which is quite meaty for a game of this caliber. If you have yet to experience Control, Ultimate Edition is the best way to do so on the PC. The combat is tight, over the top, and satisfying. The premise is so good that you want to dive deeper, but it doesn't always come together. While it's a great game to play, Control could have been an even stronger experience, and that takes away some of its thunder.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla is a mostly solid, if somewhat unambitious, Assassin's Creed game that is dragged down by a shockingly poor PS4 release. I look forward to seeing how it runs on a PS5, but the last-gen version is hard to recommend due to the sheer amount of issues that I encountered while playing through the game. If you discount those issues, Valhalla would be a comfortable 8.0, but one can't just ignore those issues. Fans looking to continue the franchise's story should wait until Valhalla receives a series of patches or until they can pick up a next-gen version.

For most racing fans, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Remastered is a game that's still worth playing. The dual campaign between playing as cops and racers remains intriguing and exciting, since they both play so differently. While the presentation is a touch better than the original, it is the cross-platform play that is the big selling point of the remastered edition. If you're new to this title, it is an excellent racer. If you already own the original game on the PC, the unchanged campaign means that you'd only want this iteration if you're interested in the larger pool of multiplayer companions.

My only real gripe about Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales is that I wish there were more of it. Miles and the rest of his circle are absolutely capable of being compelling enough to carry a game for twice the length. I just like this kid, and I think a lot of other people will, too.

Dirt 5 maintains the tradition of being a solid racing title. The campaign is quite deep thanks to the various events and tracks you can choose from, while the inclusion of local multiplayer for just about every mode gives it a huge advantage over almost every other non-kart racing game on the PC platform. The title requires some pretty beefy hardware and other software to make the game shine, and there are still a few things that need patching, but as a whole, arcade racing fans who aren't looking for a bevy of top-of-the-line sports cars will get a kick out of Dirt 5.

While it may not win any awards for the story, Watch Dogs: Legion is an enjoyable sandbox that gives you plenty of room to play around and experiment with objectives. If stealth gameplay is your thing, put this one on your pickup list.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel IV is a rather bloated blockbuster crossover event that's shaped like a JRPG. If you're a die-hard Trails fan with a deep love of the franchise, then seeing your favorite characters interact will probably make up for the somewhat disappointing story. Anyone else should stay far away until they've played the first three Trails of Cold Steel main games in the series, and looking up the other games in the franchise couldn't hurt. I had fun with ToCS4, but it's a bit of a mess, and your enjoyment will depend on how much that mess appeals to you. I still have a soft spot in my heart for the series, but I can only hope the next game is more focused than this offering.

For eFootball PES 2021, all of this adds up to a soccer game that feels great to play, even if it is slightly lacking in other areas. The $40 price tag makes that pill easier to swallow, though. Depending on what you're looking for on the virtual pitch, that will determine whether PES is the right option for you. If you're like me and enjoy playing through a season with some random teams that you've never heard of, then PES may be exactly what you're looking for. With solid controls and decent AI, PES 2021 is a competent alternative to FIFA from a gameplay perspective, but those who get excited about seeing their favorite teams succeed against their biggest rivals may want to pass on PES.

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.