There are still plenty of entertaining moments buried beneath the scorched rubble if you have the patience to dig far enough to find them, but be ready to accept a little collateral damage on your part if you do.

It may not have the multitude of options or the shiny visuals of today's racers, but Daytona USA is still a game with a plenty of depth. Easy to learn but difficult to master, this is the definitive home version of Sega's arcade classic.

All that said, the biggest compliment I can give EA Sports Madden NFL 26is that I look forward to playing it again. That wasn't always the case. But for all its shortcomings, I still like seeing my created player running around on the screen as part of a beautiful and immersive on-field presentation. I enjoy the football being played. I like having the sense of control over the fate of my team, and I like all of the options Franchise Mode presents for me to exercise that control. I enjoy Madden again, and that's a start.

You should play the first episode anyway because it's great, and this edition only continues the winning tradition.

There's a lot of interesting setup in the first episode of Life is Strange, and this is a great start.

Tales of Berseria Remastered is an odd duck. It's a barely necessary remastered version of an absolutely excellent game that PlayStation owners can already purchase for half the price. It's easily the best version of the game with some fantastic QoL improvements and all the DLC packed in at a much lower price than buying them separately. However, if you're already a longtime fan who already owns the game and has purchased the DLC, Remastered is probably not worth the extra cost. If you're a newcomer to the game and don't mind shelling out a little more for bells and whistles, Remastered is the version you should get.

If commanding a highly configurable fleet of ships through scripted missions, micromanaging your efforts both in the pre-mission ship design stage and during every step of combat, appeals to you, then this game is what you want.

Back 4 Blood is a fun blend of the classic Left 4 Dead template with a reasonable inclusion of modern traits. The basic zombie shooting brings forth just as many memorable and chaotic moments as the developer's original series, and the game absolutely sings in multiplayer, but the solo experience remains engaging for those who only get along with bots. The modern touches add some depth that doesn't detract from what makes this kind of game so fun in the first place. The steps to increase replayability accomplish that without feeling forced. Despite a few minor issues here and there, Back 4 Blood is a solid debut, and those who wanted some progress in the genre are going to find it in buckets here.

As stated in the beginning, The Lonesome Guild is a solid adventure game all around. The RPG elements are deep enough to give the action some teeth, while the action is easy to pick up but is involved enough that the game isn't a button-masher. The adventure is entertaining, while the story gives the game some unexpected heart. The Lonesome Guild will make adventure fans happy.

Like its predecessors, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game is for a specific type of player who wants a driving game instead of a racing game. The player must enjoy messing around with the intricacies of off-road vehicles and doesn't mind experiencing every driving mishap possible. Expeditions isn't a game for everyone, but for those looking for something different from the norm, it's well worth a shot.

If all you want to do is smash things in a virtual toy box full of hyper-detailed tanks, World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition is the kind of game that you can pick up and play for a few minutes before putting it back down.

While there could have been more variety in the enemies, and the sound definitely should have been better, I was left thoroughly pleased with the game. It may seem a bit expensive at 1,600 Microsoft points ($20), but if you are looking for a few good laughs and an interesting story line packed into a five- to eight-hour package, you really won't find anything better than this.

The ability to play through the game in the first person viewpoint really does kick up the immersion and suspense factor, as you lose the vision of your sides and immediately behind you that you have in third person view.

Although it's a short experience, Donut County is enjoyable. The base desire to see everything destroyed by a simple, ever-expanding hole overtakes the lack of complicated mechanics, and the story is fun, whether you want something with or without some meaning attached. At the very least, Donut County is an experience that will stick with you for some time.

Silent Hill: Shattered Memories may be considered one of the last significant games to come out for the PS2, but it is also one of the better ones. Everything about it, from the graphics to the sounds to the controls, ranges from very good to exceptional and shows that developers can still squeeze out a good gaming experience from such an old system

Game of Thrones: Episode 3 -The Sword in the Darkness puts the series in a good spot.

I may miss the absolute insanity that was "Underground 2," but American Wasteland is still a beautiful, unpredictable trickfest that's every bit as fun in its seventh iteration as it was back in the first.

The game has been refined with loads of changes for both pros and novices, and the number of modes present, along with their depth, will ensure that this stays in rotation until the hockey season starts. If you already have NHL 16, then there isn't much of an impetus to grab the NHL 17 version.

Darksiders Genesis is a great game. I feel like the developers masterfully ticked every box on their design sheets, so they should be proud of this one. Unless the genre really turns you off or the occasional puzzle is a deal-breaker for you, Darksiders Genesis is definitely worth your money.

Escape From Duckov is a pleasant surprise provided you have the patience for it. The focus on solo play for an extraction shooter relieves the game of any obvious griefing from overly ambitious players. The slow progression may irk those looking for constant action, but it also will please those players who appreciate being surprised by tense standoffs that start and end quickly. Even if the concept may have started out as a joke, the game shows that it can take itself seriously and provide an enjoyable experience. Unless you absolutely need native controller support, Escape from Duckov is a game worth checking out if you've always been interested in the extraction shooter concept but want to do so without real people constantly hunting you down.

Beat-'em-up fans should pick up Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara based on obscurity alone.

Unravel Two is equally as good as the emotionally pleasing original. The platforming may still be spotty, and some of the puzzles may not present players with much difficulty, but at least frustration doesn't set in because of viable attach points hiding in plain sight. The story may not be as powerful as the original, but the addition of co-op play makes up for that and offers new experiences. In the end, Unravel Two is a great title for platforming fans.

Kirby's Return to Dream Land remains a solid but simple game in the series.

If you've beaten it on another system, however, pass on the Blackhand Edition. The changes are fun, but they're not enough to justify buying a lackluster game twice.

While the game is challenging, it's because it lacks many of the improvements of recent games, not because of good design. Those hardcore faithfuls looking for a nostalgia trip will be pleased.

Regardless of these minor concerns, HoMM V is a shining example of how a turn-based strategy should be executed, and will no doubt set the standard for generations of the genre to come.

In the end, Class of Heroes II's most serious problem is that it has competition. Judged on its own, it's a fun dungeon crawler held back by a few annoying problems. For fans of the genre, it's going to be difficult to not compare it to something like Etrian Odyssey 4,

Cursed Castilla EX remains a fantastic and tough platformer. The look is authentically retro, and the controls are as tight as ever. The challenge is ever-present, but nothing feels unfair, except for the requirements to get the "good" ending. The game feels like it comes in at just the right length. For adventure platformer fans, Cursed Castilla EX certainly belongs in their library.