Deadly Shadows has real problems with collision detection. I’ve found myself stuck in midair several times, when I accidentally slipped off a ledge and got caught between it and the building it was attached to.

Despite some minor issues, the concept behind Hitman: Blood Money is brilliant, and is (mostly) executed with flying colors. Virtual assassinations have never looked or played so well.

Little Nightmares II is a gem of a game that successfully builds on everything that made the first one great. It's a short but well-polished and atmospheric horror-platformer that oozes with creepy charm. While its core physics-based platformer gameplay hasn't seen many radical changes, the setting, storytelling, and world-building alone make it worth experiencing. If you're a fan of the first entry or the likes of Limbo or Inside, LM2 is well worth the adventure … if you dare.

The fighting engine remains solid, the graphics look awesome for the system, and the sound and controls are excellent.

The addition of spells is just what the franchise ordered. It's a fitting tribute to the simulated reality that The Sims has become famous for -- and a great way for the original game to bow out.

When it comes to the actual racing, the game gets top marks primarily because of how deep the handling model feels. It also does a fantastic job of giving the player every possible option to tailor his or her experience to their liking. However, everything outside of the racing, such as the career mode, is mere window dressing.

Because Red Orchestra is not reliant on a story or linear gameplay and has plenty of variety, it remains a fresh and a different experience just about every time it's played.

The story is forgettable, the dialog in the cut scenes is cheesy, the single-player campaign is short, and the AI leaves much to be desired — but the fighting is top notch, the battles are intense, the strategic options are myriad, and the immersion factor is so compelling I can give it a strong recommendation.

If you were a little put off by "Battlefield Vietnam," you may find Joint Operations more to your liking, as I found myself frequently thinking that this game captured the feel of the Vietnamese conflict better than BFV.

The soundtrack is slightly odd and different and gets repeated throughout a stage, which will either be a considered a nuisance or fuel your search for the game's original soundtrack. It's all a matter of personal preference.

The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners is not a perfect game, but it's an incredibly fun one. With satisfying and brutal combat, open-ended areas to explore, and fun survival and crafting mechanics, the title is a blast to play. It may be removed from the quality it can reach on the PC, but this is the full experience and works surprisingly well. No matter the sacrifices and minor annoyances, I kept coming back to the game long after I was done with it. I've spent more time in the headset for S&S than I have with many other games. Even though it's late in the PS4 life cycle, Saints & Sinners is a standout title.

A very fun XBLA title and is a prime example of why gamers love the advent of XBLA so much.

Hitman 3 is a difficult game to review. It's easy to dismiss it as a level add-on, and that's what it is to a certain extent. At the same time, the third Hitman game delivers a satisfying and worthwhile ending to the series and some fun and varied stages, all while adding a bunch of minor adjustments and content that fans will enjoy for hours. If you're a fan of the series, Hitman 3 is a very competent end to the trilogy that provides a massive and deep Hitman experience that is easy to recommend. At the same time, there isn't much innovation here, and that may make Hitman 3 a tough sell at full price. The new VR mode adds further value for those who own a PSVR headset, and that alone may warrant a purchase.

If you are looking for a completely new NBA experience, this is not the right game for you. If, however, you just want a new game with updated rosters and are curious about the ins and outs of the superstar abilities, then this might be the title for you.

What I do know is that it's fun, and while the multiplayer is unlikely to pull a huge crowd away from StarCraft II, it's absolutely worth a look for any RTS fan who has a friend to play with.

The game setup is also much easier than any others in the Contra series that I've played, but at the same time, it still more difficult than a wide variety of games.

It's a wonderful single-player game, full of fascinating Cherokee flavor, well-made sci-fi trimmings and a suitably cheesy plot.

I actually found myself enjoying the game. This may be due to the blood or the speed of the game, or it may even be the strategy that is behind the game. Fighter games can be fought with a lot of strategy, but I just mash the living daylights out of my controller buttons.

Age of Kings' endless tactical calculations more than compensate for slightly fuzzy graphics and logical curiosities, and reward patient engagement with countless hours of empire-scale strategic combat.

The action-centric gameplay is as intense, over the top and engaging as any Woo work should be, and combined with the visuals of the Unreal 3 engine, the title is essentially what a next-gen Max Payne needed to be.

It's not perfect, and the chrome finish is marred by a few pacing and polish quibbles, but successfully taking Hiryu's seemingly anachronistic style into the 21st century has only proven how much he has improved with time.

The gameplay is solid as ever, the visuals and music are well worth a look, and Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift is a very solid game for anyone in need of a Final Fantasy or turn-based strategy fix on the go.

All in all, The Pillars of the Earth: Book One - From the Ashes is an excellent story-driven point-and-click adventure that mostly knows what its audience wants. This is reflected in the good gameplay and storytelling, and we hope some of the minor flaws and gripes will be addressed in books two and three, which will be released at the end of the year and in the first quarter 2018, respectively.

It's tempting to knock it down into niche fodder, but overall, the title is too well designed, and with too much potential to appeal to a broad range of shooter fans who bother to really dig into it, for such cavalier dismissal.

When it comes right down to it, Forza Motorsport 6 is a big improvement over Forza 5 and a must-have for driving simulation fans.

Despite some minor performance issues and the occasional on-the-nose writing, Layers of Fear: Legacy is a fantastic horror experience for Switch owners. You get two great stories, both accessible right from the menu screen — I highly recommend you play the main story before Inheritance, though — that offer gripping tales and shocking scares. Better yet, both are playable in portable mode, ensuring that the courageous and unafraid can get their fill of terror before bed. It may not be P.T. in name, but for those seeking that same level of atmosphere and hallway-twisting tension, Legacy fits the bill.

I haven't had this much fun with video game football in years and years, and it's been cool to witness the unifying power of EA Sports College Football 25. It's been the runaway hit of the summer and has secured an immediate seat at the sports pop culture table. I was legitimately sad when this series dropped off years and years ago, and its return — even with its flaws — was cause for celebration. College Football 25 clearly understood the assignment. Now we'll see what happens next.

Other than a number of glitches and a currently unresolved online issue, the game delivers the same kind of intense experience that made the series a true next-gen contender.