Like a good number of story-based indie platformers before it, Lost Words: Beyond The Page has the potential to stick with you long after you reach the end credits. The game looks and sounds wonderful, and the gameplay feels novel, even if it isn't challenging. It is the story that you will remember the most, especially since the different perspective gives the tale even more of an emotional impact. For those who crave story, Lost Words is well worth checking out.

In many ways, Viva Piñata: Pocket Paradise is a perfect game for the DS.

The game is simple to learn, yet lends itself to intense, challenging battles that can really get your adrenaline racing.

Video Game Fables makes for a very good title for those who want something new yet traditional in a condensed form. The world is of a decent size with a ton of quality-of-life additions that cleave out the more tedious parts of the genre. The XP system is deep and thoughtful, while the battle system provides a good amount of depth if you're willing to commit actions to memory. It's all wrapped up in a story that provides a few laughs and a presentation that might be an acquired taste. It's a sleeper title that every fan should check out, despite it coming in a year flooded with big JRPG releases.

Inferno is well worth checking out, and even picking up, and it's something that I hope people are willing to go back to if they were left frustrated by the 360 version of the game.

A good game worthy of a sequel to build off of the concept of run-for-cover game play. Not too many shooters promote this sort of tactical thinking.

It flounders with its winning premise for most of the late goings, but the fact that it took the chances it did in the early going is a huge advantage for the game.

As a final verdict, I'd recommend Bolt for anyone old or young who liked the movie and enjoys platform-style adventure games with a healthy mix of fighting.

If you can get past the initial hour, Riders Republic becomes a very strong title. The world is a joy to explore thanks to the many biomes and landscape types you see. Compared to the rest of Ubisoft's open-world games, each pip on the map serves a much higher purpose than providing something to keep you busy. The instantaneous fast-travel, and the races pull off many adrenaline-pumping moments that you'll want to revisit. The title still has some issues, like some odd collision during the exploration and the unnecessary presence of microtransactions. Fans of racing will love what the various Ubisoft studios have pulled off with Riders Republic.

Fairly long at over 40 scenarios, the title also offers a choice of path splits, and three different difficulty modes. Even after you're done, it can be a fun experience to try a new team or to get a missing skill point.

Horizon Chase Turbo is a throwback racer for those who want to race with near-impossible odds at all times. Constantly starting at the back of the pack, the aggressive AI opposition, and the exaggerated physics system require nothing less than pure skill and tremendous luck if players want to get close to first place in any races. At the same time, the generous progression system and easy-to-handle controls mean that you can get quite far before you need to start being perfect. With local multiplayer and an excellent presentation in tow, Horizon Chase Turbo is a must-have for those who dearly miss old racing games.

Little Goody Two Shoes works well because it incorporates many different elements while still being engaging. The humor contrasts well with the horror, as do the visual novel dating elements when combined with the survival, horror, and puzzling-solving sections. The story is both horrifying and entertaining, making it a perfect fit for those who favor moody unease instead of gore. Genre fans looking for something wildly different from other entries in the genre or who want something subversive would really enjoy Little Goody Two Shoes.

The basically unexplored African and Italy campaign serves to add a bit of spice to an otherwise overplayed time period, and the sheer variety of the missions and goals add a lot of replay value to the game.

Judged as a stand-alone budget title, Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious is surprisingly robust and worth playing. As a piece of Forza Horizon 2 DLC, it's a harder call.

Supersonic Warriors 2 is one of those games that, at first glance, seem not worth bothering with; however, once you learn how it works and put it through its paces, it's extremely satisfying.

Lords of Shadow is a solid action game that incorporates some of the best moments from across the genre, but it's not the next great Castlevania game.

Etrian Mystery Dungeon is a solid game that conveys the strengths of both franchises involved.

Dying Light: The Beast is a big improvement over Dying Light 2 and avoids feeling like an expanded piece of DLC. At its core, it has the same familiar gameplay that the franchise knows and loves, but there's a degree of polish and flavor that its predecessor was missing. Only a somewhat lackluster plot and disappointing Beast Mode drag down the game, but they won't get in the way of a fun European zombie vacation.

Sonic Superstars is a fun and thoroughly by-the-numbers Sonic title, which is all it is really trying to be. Itis the definition of an average Sonic game, it's competent, and it's often enjoyable. I had a good amount of fun with it, and it's a perfectly solid platformer. It doesn't reach the highs of Sonic Mania, which was always going to be a tough act to follow. If you like the 2D Sonic offerings, you'll have a good time with Sonic Superstars, even if it isn't likely to become a new favorite.

All in all, the campaign has plenty of solid action, but the lack of variety in objectives causes the gameplay to wear thin after a while.

The Sims 2: Pets is a very entertaining, exciting expansion pack filled with curious critters and adorable pets, so if you loved the last pets expansion, you will be sure to love this one.

Fans of the series won't gain much from this iteration, but for those who haven't played Dishonored before, the Definitive Edition is a great game that's worth checking out.

Overall, Gordian Quest is fun deck-builder that's similar to a Griftlands-style campaign that's absolutely packed with content. It goes all-in on the RPG elements, which is both its greatest strength and biggest flaw. It's not as addictive as some of the strongest games in the genre, but it's still fun to play. I wish the developers had trimmed off some of the fat, but since they didn't, it means that you're getting a game with tons of content for a very reasonable price.

After all these years, Disgaea 2 is still an excellent strategy RPG. The mechanics are very tight despite advances having been made in subsequent sequels and spin-offs, and it doesn't get old over the long period of time you'll want to spend with the game. The story remains engaging, and the characters and humor have withstood the test of time. Best of all, the PC version doesn't have a majority of the issues that plagued the console original. If you've never had the pleasure of playing this before and you don't own any PlayStation systems, Disgaea 2 is certainly worth checking out on the PC.

The Intercept DLC pack may feel like something that should have launched with the base game, but it's a welcome addition.

In the end, Earth Defense Force 6 maintains the status quo set by Earth Defense Force 5. The initial tone might be an immediate cause for concern, but the quick pivot to more familiar elements reinforces the idea that the team still understands what makes the game appealing. The gameplay changes are mostly miniscule to the point where only the keen-eyed will notice too many things different beyond the bestiary. With a presentation that also remains unchanged, the game lives up to the ideal that it really is "more of the same." That's exactly what most fans want, and they'll certainly be most excited to get their hands on this game. For those hoping for some kind of evolution that doesn't rob the game of what made it a cult hit, there is little hope of that happening anytime soon, considering how divisive most of the past entries were.

All in all, Hero-U: Rogue to Redemption is a charming take on the Harry Potter-esque magical boarding school genre. The writing is clever, the world-building interesting, and the puns are omnipresent. The actual point-and-click gameplay is solid if unexceptional, dragged down only by a superfluous combat system. If you're a fan of point-and-click adventures, you'll find a lot to enjoy here, even if the Switch version requires more effort than the PC-based iteration.

Ubermosh:Omega is an arcade game through and through. Back in the day, you would've slapped quarter after quarter into it, trying to get the high score. Now it's yours for $5. If you like the idea of a messy, overpowered and brutal twin-stick shooter with no extra frills, then Ubermosh:Omega is you.