Despite playing for hours on end I never got particularly good at Enter the Gungeon, but that doesn't mean I didn't thoroughly enjoy my time with it. It's great as a top-down shooter, even if it's just average as a roguelike. Pairing the frustration of bullet hell with the frustration of a random number generator doesn't always yield results, but when the stars align there's just something magical about it.

While Aragami will be enjoyable, it will start to get dull as you kill enemies (like a blade does). It almost feels like a Batman game where you’re just doing the stealth challenge missions. While it does what it does fine, it feels lacking as an entire game.

The lack of online will clearly put off a few people; however, some odd design choices in scoring and the lack of any true single-player gameplay really stops Overcooked from being the game it could be.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a clever take on the turn-based RPG, blending it with freeform exploration in a way that feels natural and satisfying. It’s unfortunate that the rest of the game can’t match the well-realized concept, giving off the sense of a great execution that wasn’t fully baked. For the genre, it’s a surprisingly bite-size experience that, while may not be the most friendly to newcomers, fans should definitely check out.

Armello is an excellent digital board game for anyone who struggles to get friends around the table for paper board games. It's a real shame that there is no local multiplayer mode included, but the single player is very satisfactory, and the online multiplayer excellent, assuming the standard of players remains as high as it was at the time of writing this review.

Sterdenn is a solid shooter. It's perfectly competent and features a really solid and completely unique randomisation mechanic that's worth exploring. Outside that, it is a little repetitive, and beyond the first couple of hours I doubt it has the longevity to attract casual interest.

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse embodies the spirit of classic platformers while furthering its own identity as a franchise. Though there are some missteps throughout the journey, Shantae shows that she ages like a fine bottle of wine and only gets better with time.

Those who enjoy both roguelike experiences and adore Mega Man-inspired games will be in heaven. Casual gamers, achievement hunters, and impatient players will be in hell. The vanilla game is already pretty difficult, and all of the extra options the game has only makes it more unforgiving. The daily and weekly challenges only apply to the hardcore, giving little to do for everyone else.

Some of the puzzles were really fun. I enjoyed the Antartica chapter quite a lot and it was the best set of brain teasers in the game. Design is above par and there were no technical issues while playing. I especially loved the blending of genres. It never got boring. However, it ended far too soon. The story was a little messy and the big “surprise ending” was disappointing. A few confusing scenes, specifically during the lab, were a bit over the top. I think overall it’s an average game but without anything else to do after the credits roll, know that you won’t be spending much time with it.

Players who are completely new to roguelike games might appreciate the lighthearted style and relatively forgiving gameplay, but I suspect veterans of games like Binding of Isaac will find Full Mojo Rampage a bit lacking in challenge, even if there is some fun to be had from the inclusion of a fairly rare multiplayer mode.

Victor Vran is an ok dungeon crawler. There's nothing majorly wrong with it, but the Motorhead add-on shows us glimpses of personality that the main game lacks and the limited customization holds it back from being anything more than average. One of the main draws for these types of games is the loot, but when most of the loot is same or didn't change much, there's not a lot of reason to keep going. Whilst the fighting itself is satisfying, and the co-op (both online and offline) modes kept the game interesting socially, the longevity just isn't there. Unlike The Witcher 3, which I've still to finish. Thanks for the constant reminder Victor.

While somewhat in the same vein as the top down Zelda entries, World to the West doesn't come close to being nearly as good. The interesting use of characters and overall well-done puzzles are hurt by annoying backtracking, a lacking story, and a few smaller issues, that all hold the game back from being a much more fun experience. Even with that said, it still is a solid experience with good elements that some people will get a fair amount of enjoyment out of.

Horizon Chase Turbo is best viewed from the perspective its designers intended. In that sense, it’s a rather fun title, and might actually make a great option for younger drivers who are a bit overwhelmed by the “Forza” franchises. Achievement hunters may be turned off by all the grinding, and driving purists will have issues with the frequent collisions. However, when played as an occasional diversion instead of a campaign – just as one did with its arcade inspirations – this is one horizon that racers certainly won’t mind chasing.

If we're not talking about gameplay, Broken Age is great. It presents a fun and detailed world to inhabit filled with silly characters and interesting plot developments. If we are talking about gameplay, Broken Age is just okay. It's a serviceable attempt at a point-and-click game that stumbles more than it should. This isn't the best adventure game to come out this year, but it's still an enjoyable ride.

Over the years, 2D platformers have been raising the bars in quality and ingenuity. Double Cross doesn’t add much to the genre but is pretty decent overall. The excitement of solving cases diminishes quickly when you come to realize there is no thinking on your part. It just serves as part of the storyline. If you can focus on the combat and levels, you’ll see why it’s still a very enjoyable game. Each of the various stages offer different challenges to make things feel different as you progress. It’s nice to be able to choose what missions you take on. The story is a bit light and the humor could use a lot of work. It ends up being a fine addition to the platformer genre, but nothing you need to rush to purchase.

Outlast 2 has some problems that left me frustrated for most of the first half of the game, as well as some questionable segments later in the game. Even with that said, it also offers a gripping story revolving around the main character and religion, that left much to be interpreted and theorized, yet kept me interested throughout the game. The gameplay won't wow you, but it can offer some solid scares, and will definitely provide players with some disturbing scenery. If you enjoy the horror genre or liked the first Outlast, then you most likely will like Outlast 2. If not, then you may easily get frustrated or turned off by the experience.

It is still a very enjoyable game that, with any other name, would standalone as a fun, feature rich and exciting title. Unfortunately, what I wanted was something that resembled the first Pac-Man Championship Edition (and the Pac-Man games I love) a lot more closely. Newcomers and speed runners will probably love this version, but those looking for nostalgia will find the game sadly lacking.

TrackMania Turbo is a game I enjoyed more the more I played it, with the tracks growing more difficult and complex as I became more skilled. This game can pack more adrenaline into a single sitting than other racing series can pull off in an entire game. Unfortunately, it takes a few wrong turns, displaying more than its fair share of odd omissions, additions and design choices that take away from the fun.

What it does, it does well. But what it doesn’t do is what really drags it down to not feeling like an exceptional game. I love the idea; the movement feels great; but the lack of content really made it slip to just being average. No one likes to get stuck, and shame on me for not looking up maps or guides. I know they are out there, but I was very frustrated to be getting lost all the time. I wanted something in-game to at least give me a simple hint. Even if it let me know the area that I needed to go, it would have been helpful. It’s really a pretty good game otherwise. I might try it one more time, but if I get lost for an hour I’m hanging up the tentacles for good. And sadly, I’m quite certain this will be the case.

Instead of a game that grows on you, it starts becoming chore the more you play. If you die, you’re starting all the way back at the beginning. Just because you have more tools at your disposal doesn’t make it any more entertaining. There are great concepts here, which stem from Bioshock which was quoted as a main influence. From great to mediocre, Void Bastards is playable but becomes its own nuisance. There are both good ideas and bad ones that mix into an average shooter with a few annoying traits.

There’s a lot of beauty to behold in this horror game. I can admit, maybe one of the best-looking ones I’ve seen (horror/walking sim). And while I did enjoy my time playing through it, there were some annoying bits that take you out of the atmosphere. There were a few puzzles that just seemed like time wasters. Being kicked out of the game at the menu was actually ripping me away from what I was enjoying (walking around the atmospheric horror). The story didn’t catch me as depressing, even though it was the main theme. I didn’t care about the character enough. The narrator was great at first, but eventually became an annoying philosopher whom I just wanted to shut up. He wouldn’t stop making everything have some deeper meaning. Then there were the words placed around for a puzzle. Like it would say “sound test” on the floor. It made me think of a pirated movie where the editing hadn’t been completed yet. It started off great and with promise, but then the need for the game to be “unique” threw it off the rails, not being able to be saved by the storyline.

When I first got my hands on Mugsters, I was certain it would be something I’d love, mixing wacky physics-based hijinks with high-octane puzzle solving like some sort of indie Just Cause. I know that experience is in there somewhere, buried under the doldrums of tiresome repetition and eye strain. There’s still some fun to be had if you look hard enough, which is fitting for a game where everything is almost too small to see.

Coffee Talk is an extremely pleasant experience from start to finish that tackles some difficult social issues in the process. The characters are extremely charming and the writing is very well done. I found myself rooting for these characters and looking forward to each day at the coffee shop to see who would show up and where those situations would leave them. I am happy to report that it did not disappoint.

Chime Sharp is a very fun, interesting, and unique puzzle game. There's a lot to love about it, and it has plenty to offer whether you're looking to relax or get really worked up with a solid challenge. Just make sure you know how to play before you get started.

I wanted to like Seasons After Fall more than I did. I've gushed about it's breathtaking beauty and the relaxed pace was a welcome change from the fast shooters we're used to seeing. However the mysterious puzzles soon started to grate and the amount of backtracking was insane. The developers certainly show great potential, but unfortunately Seasons After Fall isn't quite the sleeper hit I was hoping for.

Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break may have worked better as an add-on for the previous title. It has a great level editor and sharing features which, paired with the numerous multiplayer modes, makes for limitless potential. The core campaign feels tacked-on in comparison, like a large batch of basic, user-created levels rather than something professionally crafted. This entry gives the impression of being more about quantity than quality, but at least the core gameplay is familiar and can still be fun.

I enjoyed the short adventure for the most part, but by the end, I didn’t feel any specific emotion. The conclusion was a bit of a disappointment and afterward, I realized I actually didn’t get attached to or care much about any of the characters. Switching between the past and present was pretty neat, and I guess I favored the past because it was full of characters to talk to and seemed better suited for the visual style. I love horror but didn’t feel the tense or stressful situations that normally accompany those themes. The puzzles were average but well done for the limited areas you could explore. The biggest let-down was the movement, which is odd considering you can only go left or right.

88 Heroes is perfect for a handful of hours one afternoon but not for much more time than that, which is a shame because there is brilliance on display in the level design. As I progressed through the four areas, I gained a sense of mastery and saw incredible level layouts that I hadn't even imagined possible when I began. Unfortunately, the longer I spent with the world, the more toxic my encounters with the game became. Jokes lost their luster, and I found myself left with a handful of enjoyable characters and dozens more I wish never to see again. Those that can overlook the outdated and offensive language of the jokes on display, the technical issues and don't mind being on the end of a receiving of endless jokes will find a rewarding 88 levels with plenty of strategies required to find all that lies within. Personally, I value my sanity a tad more.

There are often laugh out loud moments in the game but these moments punctuated the tedium that defined most of the game.

I know I’ve mentioned it already, but it’s worth repeating the story truly is awful. It’s like a poison that leaked into otherwise good characters and dialogue. If you want a mystery game, don’t bother. If you want to curl up to some good voice acting and chill out while someone else drives, then maybe consider calling shotgun.

Love it or hate it, what was done with Bomber Crew was done mostly right. While there are a few disappointing aspects, the overall experience can be a great one. There is plenty to do and hours to spend if you enjoy the core concepts. The graphics aren’t going to win any awards, but do manage to have their own sense of charm. If you’re into World War era games and bombers, you may even have a deeper appreciation.

The game is rather short one clocking in at around six hours but it's a fun experience.

Without a doubt, I would not be missing anything if I skipped this collection. I didn’t miss out when they were originally released either. However, there is a strong contingent of shmup fans that will love it. The asking price is very fair, and if anyone enjoyed the originals they will appreciate the chance at not only playing the classics but the enhanced version as well. The Vasara Collection is a bit on the harder side, so anyone new to the genre will best spend their time elsewhere.

Despite my grievances I enjoyed the game: it’s a solid, beautiful space exploration game — but one with too much space in between the good parts (pun intended).

A Pixel Story is one of the more confounding games I have played in recent memory as its greatest strengths also end up being its greatest weaknesses. There are a lot of great ideas within A Pixel Story, but they fail to join and create a cohesive experience. The visual references and puzzles were often clever, but the actions required to solve puzzles diverged from what the references suggested should be taking place. A Pixel Story only borrows visual inspiration from the platformers that came before it and populates the rest of the world with their own ideas. My time with A Pixel Story left me wishing that far more from the past had made the leap to The System beyond visual representations.

The Mummy Demastered truly wants to step out of the marred shadow of its source material and in some ways it does. It cleverly incorporates the essence of Contra to the well-established Metroidvania formula. However, the technical issues experienced throughout are hard to ignore. Along with the crippling setback of multiple deaths and a useless roll maneuver, the challenge presented feels close to cheap at times. Anyone looking for something along the lines of a Metroid or Axiom Verge can have fun with Demastered. Just know going in that this Mummy carries a curse.

Sure, it’s a simple physics game that doesn’t have much to offer, but it delivers entertainment and the fact that you’re delivering equipment to help save the world is a great addition. It plays out just like an old school Nintendo game, allowing you to choose what level you want to play. Except you never face the boss, but defeat them by completing the course. I know this won’t be for everyone, in fact, it’s going to be quite annoying to some. It’s short but priced extremely fairly for what it offers. I enjoyed it and if you like achievements, the good news is that they’re very easy and straight forward. It’s great to just throw it on or to complete it one sitting. It’s a great little game with limited content and I’m okay with that.

It’s a pretty decent game. The focus on mental health is heavy, yet I don’t think it was done flawlessly. I failed to care about the character, thinking they were taking things a bit too seriously because the problems they had seemed insignificant compared to problems such as death or mental abuse. I know everyone can feel this way for any reason since it’s human nature. It seems to fall short in comparison to games such as Hellblade and The Missing.

Late Shift is an enjoyable story and was good enough that I didn’t mind playing it through several times, even with the issues I had with it. If you’re in the mood for a decent story and don’t mind working for it, then give Late Shift a try. It is definitely an enjoyable experience.

Butcher perfectly captures the feeling of being in a gunfight – it's brutal, it's bloody, and it's over before you know it. Due to being brutal in both gameplay and aesthetic, not to mention a few major hang-ups, this isn't a game that's easy to recommend to everyone. That's too bad though because when it's good, it's bloody brilliant. If you don't mind getting some blood on your hands (and the floor, and the ceiling, and your face), then prepare to meet your doom.

If you're up for a challenge and possibly up for the idea of being pushed harder throughout a game, the value could be relatively great despite Green Lava Studios' platformer being a little light on content. The challenge level is difficult but fair, and deaths are rarely attributed to a glitch or a flawed level design. If those points sound great, Fenix Furia would be a great purchase for you.

The game is worth at least one playthrough to experience the beauty and vibrancy of the colorful, relaxing world. Though without plot or characters, many will find themselves to be disinterested.

I loved my first few hours with Toy Odyssey: The Lost and Found, however the grind was too steep and it wasn't long before the lack of real progress dragged the experience down, ultimately becoming boring by the end.

As much as I enjoyed Tumblestone, I can’t say that it blew me away like I was expecting. I was disappointed with the absence of an Arcade Mode, the mode I was most looking forward to. I can’t help but wonder if its exclusion was a cheeky move for paid DLC, since the rest of the game will be free as part of the Games with Gold program this month.

I will probably go back and complete the third tier just to get my last achievement, but after that there isn’t much of a point in playing since unlocking the legendary character after tier 1 essentially negates all other cool aspects of the game. This might be one of the few times I felt disappointed after becoming overpowered early on in a game. Still, it’s a decent little dungeon crawler that should satisfy a good population of people.

If you’re looking for an optimistic documentary-esque game about diving in the ocean, you’ve come to the right place. It’s family-friendly and just a straight outlook at the various species. If you want both sides of the story, you might be disappointed to know that the real dangers involved with actual deep-sea diving are nowhere to be found.

This Is the Police has been a difficult game to rate and in my mind I've changed my score from "Highly Recommended" then down to "Limited Appeal" and back again, all depending on which part of the game I was playing. This mostly boils down to severe pacing issues and wildly varying difficultly levels throughout. If the developers can tighten this up then This Is the Police could be a real gem, but as it stands, interest levels soon plateau after overly long mid-sections and there's too much frustration in the later half spoiling any earlier enjoyment.

The amount of time needed to master the end parts of the game seem broken and unfair. Difficult just to be known as difficult. Practice makes perfect, but if you don’t enjoy practicing then you’re bound for failure. The King’s Bird barely gets my recommendation, but enough of it was good for me to say it’s pretty decent.

As it is such a blatant Zelda clone, Oceanhorn will certainly appeal to those people who wish to relive the classic 16-bit era of simpler, cuter action adventure games. For modern gamers, there is still a lot of content here and a ton of serviceable action, but the structure and repetition that creeps in later may begin to grate on some.

While most of the time in the dungeons, I was focused on completing the puzzles to push the story forward; in the outside world, I found myself getting lost in the relaxing environment searching out every hidden secret or bit of lore to help better understand the world around me. The main story might only offer but a few hours, but the hidden bits all around are what make the game truly the art that it is. With all there is to explore outside of the main story, lore seekers have a lot in store for what can make for great fan-fiction or ideas.

There’s a lot of combining and mixing things from other games that result in a fun and pretty fresh experience. The characters and their abilities are enjoyable and the shooting mechanics result in a fantastic feeling. Price-based, the game sits in the middle at basically half the price of Overwatch, but still utilizes cosmetics as a form of microtransactions. I’m fine with that, but the cosmetic options available right now are boring and fairly expensive for what you’re actually getting. Luckily, you’re allowed to use an in-game currency as well. Certain modes and one specific map are a real drag. It’s hard for me to really score this as it is in kind of a pre-season mode.

101 Ways to Die shines brightest when it makes players feel like an evil mastermind; however, it often struggles to maintain this feeling the further in the game players go. Bugs and crashes, similar environments and a high difficulty curve often left me feeling more akin to a child playing with Tinkertoys than a mad genius playing with tools of destruction.

Nine Parchments is magical. The world is colorful and vibrant in some areas while keeping itself dark and gloomy in others. If you can warrant playing alone or dealing with the ridiculousness of enemies at a later time, then the game is worth picking up. If you don’t have anyone to play with and can see that as dampening the experience you may want to avoid the game altogether.

The asking price isn’t too overwhelming for what’s there, and the game is definitely a lot of fun when you cast aside the few issues it does have. Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is an overall experience in itself, and a great game to hold you over until the release of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night at a later date.

As a horror walking sim adventure, it hardly barely reached it’s potential to keep the player engaged. With no clues or help along the way, it’s a blind struggle to figure out what to do next. It’s not a bad game, and with a few added tweaks it would be much better.

Just as its protagonists change into bats at the successful completion of a level, Demon’s Crystals has two forms. One is its enjoyable gameplay that sticks to the script for twin-stick shooters pretty well, providing great fun in short arcade-like bursts. The other is its lack of polish and confusing design choices. What would ultimately tip the scales towards purchasing the game will either be the user’s interest in the genre – notably fans of Smash TV due to the very similar mechanics – or willingness to take the plunge at such a low price point.

The Assembly on Xbox One is a technically proficient decent walking sim, with great graphics, voice acting and surprisingly superior immersion for a low budget version of a VR experience. That said, the story in any walking sim really needs to be the main feature. It's unfortunate then that The Assembly is something of a snore-fest.

Twenty years later, untouched and carrying a $20 price tag, Duke feels more like a washed up has-been than the kick ass hero I remember.

Within the first fifteen minutes of playing Pix the Cat, you’ll see mostly everything it has to offer. The core aspect of this game is chasing high scores. For some, crunching the numbers and perfecting the art of gameplay just isn’t what they are looking for a game. Others will be turned off by the repetitive nature.

I like aspects of Planetbase, and I want to like all of it because it’s a nice premise, but it’s really hard to look past its frustrating aspects. The slow pace of expansion can make it a relaxing game to play, but when those frustrations creep in it wipes out any chance of relaxing. In a world where Cities: Skylines exists as such an excellent city-builder on Xbox One, Planetbase suffers in comparison. Going from landing party to self-sufficiency to thriving extra-terrestrial metropolis is a pleasing arc, but at times the game conspires against your efforts to play it.

There’s no real way to measure the length of time you’ll spend playing this. It’s all based around your personal desire to build and create your own masterpiece. Want easy achievements? Then you’ll be happy to know it has them. While it wasn’t something I could spend any more than a few hours tinkering around with, I can admire the possibilities for others. It has a great theme, extremely child-friendly, and the wooden tracks look excellent. As a whole, it’s a nice package that will either bore you or open up your imagination and give you countless hours of joy.

It's a good game, but it isn't likely to impress fans of pure survival games, and it's definitely more intense and demanding than your average walking simulator. As a result, I suggest that you treat it like a low-action sci-fi adventure; the kind of thing that will leave you with a lot of unanswered questions, but that can deliver a lot of intrigue and excitement along the way.

Clustertruck is a really unique concept, and it's one that I enjoy in doses of up to about an hour, but only very occasionally longer than that. It has a decent sized and rewarding campaign, and it can be played with pals in a pass the pad, score attack kind of approach. There is a ton of replay value because the unlockable skills which give the ability to replay levels in new ways. With all that said, there's no way that Clustertruck is going to appeal to everyone. Clustertruck is utterly bonkers, skill intensive, hard as nails and occasionally frustrating, but for me it is still compelling enough to be worth a look.

Puzzle-wise, the game delivers like a morning newspaper. You get what you expected. Then you realize it had rained, and the story was hard to read, and ink had smeared around the important parts. The graphics are fine, but not good enough to excuse the sudden clumsiness of loading changes in the environment. The saving grace is the excellent voice acting and puzzle concepts. It turns out to be just mediocre overall. You will likely enjoy The Spectrum Retreat, but your love for it will be as empty as the hotel.

There’s nothing really to dislike about Aftercharge. There just isn’t much Aftercharge to like. Without a campaign and lack of in-game story, you won’t find yourself intrigued nor have the ambition to continue on. There’s supposed to be a competitive mode, which wasn’t active during the time I played. It may entice people to continue on, especially if they have friends on mics. In its current state, there just isn’t enough content to warrant return after a few hours. While I enjoyed the aesthetics and original idea of the multiplayer mode, I got bored.

Over time, we have seen ideas become recycled and reskinned and we’ve become used to it. We’ve even labeled them into specific genres. The Occupation is a fresh idea that comes very close to becoming its own. It provides you with a lot of choices. I can see why it shot just at par level with its attempt to accomplish such a difficult combination of stealth and realism. There is a level of complexity that doesn’t match its easy going attitude. It’s labeled as immersive and if that was the main goal, then it has exceeded. While it’s an experience to be had, it struggles to push you into wanting more.

Lichtspeer is fun and fast, and the new type of atmosphere is welcomed. Reminiscent of something like Kung Fury, Lichtspeer embraces neon futuristic wacky elements. It’s fast-paced and easy to pick up and play, but the lack of depth in many areas won’t hold the average player’s attention.

There is no doubt in my mind that Sheltered is now a very accomplished game, and easily my favourite survival simulator, but due to the control issues and general clunkiness, it certainly won't appeal to everyone.

I love the idea of being able to race on practically any surface. It adds depth to an already crazy fast racer. With so many customizable parts, modes, and multiplayer options, you’ll find enough content for hours upon hours of gameplay. Unfortunately, the combat aspect is bland and could have used a lot more creativity. It averages out the game to being, well, average. It can get a bit repetitive but then again I’m not a huge fan of racing games, though I’ve played a lot. What I am a huge fan of, is combat racing like Blur which has a heavy focus on combat that actually changes the outcome of the race. GRIP was fast enough to be first in speed but comes last in vehicle combat.

Felix the Reaper is a textbook example of style over substance. The presentation, especially of the central character, is immaculate and easily the most enjoyable part of the experience. The game itself isn’t bad, but it lacks anything that left me itching to play more. The gameplay is fine but solutions can be a bit obtuse, while the additional challenges are too hardcore to be fun. I could watch Felix dance all day, but those moves won’t charm anyone who’s not ready to take on his deadly dance floor.

A dark and terrifying adventure that many may go into, but only a few survive. The good is met with the bad, evening out the quality to being pretty decent. While the design of enemies and combat are great, the flaws (in my opinion) lay in the confusing areas and much too well-hidden secrets. The lack of resources that would allow you to travel hinders the overall experience. No map, limited fast travel, and zero direction on what to do next will be confusing enough to stop you from completing the game. Is it difficult? Yes, but not all in the sense of combat. It’s difficult to continue on with the journey because of hurdles that slow down the pacing. I thought leveling up was great and dying only made me try harder. However, doing simple tasks like dismantling items or picking your next weapon was a chore.

Separately, In Between's gameplay and story are great. Combined they feel like a poor mismatch where one is constantly hindering the other. There are instances when the come together to create a harmonious interactive memoir, but you'll spend most of your time simply grinding through to get to the savory parts.

While Kill the Bad Guy has more than its fair share of frustrations, they're never so bad that they overshadow the game's strengths. It's a simple puzzle game that handles variety and difficulty well, containing a decent amount of content. It's dark themes and constant justification of bloody murder may be rather blunt and uninspired but may appeal to those who want their brainteasers to be a bit more brutal.

Switch – Or Die Trying is a simply designed, yet polished game. It can hold its own and be an enjoyable experience for the right player. It's mostly for those who find pleasure in speed running levels and those who are avid platformer fans. For everyone else, maybe skip this one.

Lost Ember provided me an endless list of grievances at every turn, but that never stopped me from actively enjoying the game. It’s a technical mess with a terrible narrative and some poor design choices – but there’s just something so relaxing about running around the wilderness at your own pace. The gameplay’s done right, and there are some brilliant moments where everything comes together, but it’s hard to recommend a game in this state of disrepair.

Functionally, the game plays fine, but with the lack of any real variety of enemies game to make it interesting for more experienced players, and we now have a bit of an oddity that's not particularly accessible to casual players and is unlikely wow diehard shmup fans either who'd be able to find similar, yet more compelling, shoot-em ups elsewhere.

For what it’s worth, the extremely small amount of time you’ll play this game will be entertaining. You can do everything within a couple of hours but you’ll likely enjoy your time. I liked it a lot but I also played it on Game Pass. I would regret buying it for the asking price, so if you don’t have a Game Pass subscription or it’s no longer available in the library, maybe wait for a good sale. I don’t normally like to talk about pricing, but I think it’s pretty important that you know ahead of time what you’ll be enjoying won’t be for very long.

A well-presented and generally enjoyable experience for those who typically wouldn't enjoy match-three puzzlers. The story is a bit lame, and the image recognition screens are banal, but neither prevented me from taking pleasure in the otherwise relaxing experience that Azkend 2 offers.

Most video games have a singular purpose of entertaining players. Whilst there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, every so often a game comes along that strives to do that little bit more, bringing with it a political message or a life lesson to be learned. The Worldwide Fund for Nature Earth Hour-inspired TurnOn, the first console release from newcomers Brainy Studio, is one such example.

As always, the problem with Telltale's limited gameplay and choose-your-own-adventure formula is that the game can really only be as good as its story. Guardians of the Galaxy proves to be one of their weaker games, as it struggles to find its own voice within the obvious movie-based restrictions. Even though its uninspired and somewhat dull take on the franchise, it still manages to fit in enough funny and touching moments to make the series fun to play. Telltale has certainly done worse (I'm looking at you, post-Season 1 The Walking Dead), but they've also done a lot better. If you're even the slightest bit burnt out on Telltale or Marvel, this game will do you no favors.

Some fun can be had by those who enjoy narrative and puzzle style adventures, especially as we fast approach the spooky season.

Because of the horrible glitches I experienced along with a confusing end sequence, I was not able to enjoy it entirely. It’s not a bad game, in fact quite the opposite. There just was no room for that much error. With only one game mode heavily focusing on story, it just has to be done right. You can complete the whole adventure in just a few hours. Is it scary? Yes, they have done a fantastic job with jump scenes and being lost in the eerie woods. I wanted to give it another try, so I started a new game. When in the first area I could not get Bullet to fetch the hat for me, I force quit the game and decided not to bother. If they ever fix the issues, I may revisit the forest and get lost all over again.

The idea is really good. I just love being able to put myself in a job that I normally don’t do. I think that’s why the simulation games are so popular. I wanted more out of it. I didn’t mind it being short, but sometimes it felt there was less control than you should have.

I think there’s a lot of room for improvement but it’s still a fun game. As a whole though, I didn’t feel like spending much more than a few hours with it. The design and atmosphere was great, but there were too many things I found to burden the overall experience.

Manual Samuel starts well but sadly loses steam fairly early on. Which is a real shame as I wholeheartedly loved the first hour or so into Sam's nightmare day. The game is at it's strongest when it's gamifying the mundane aspects of life, but this one trick pony loses its appeal when it tries be a proper game with fighting, boss levels and high scores.

Besides a unique concept and beautiful presentation, Sinner falls short on content and playability. You never care about your hero and the bosses can be extremely frustrating. With no difficulty option, you’re forced into an uphill battle against the bosses. You aren’t offered any hints on how the world works, and you’ll be often stuck wondering what to do next. I enjoyed what I played, but it got stale very quickly. I felt no reason to continue my journey after beating most of the sins.

Song of the Deep occasionally shows flashes of promise, but ultimately they're just that: flashes and promises. Too often it feels like Insomniac was just going through the motions, leaving players with something of an empty shell of a new and impressive adventure.

I had a great time playing through Rise & Shine, but sadly, I know I'll never go back to it. I wanted to complete it; I very much so enjoyed the final twist of the story and the end "solution" even more. Enjoying the end, however, doesn't change the fact that the glitches, bad button layout and overly annoying self-awareness, really make it hard to enjoy at times.

NBA Playgrounds has many small issues and problems that create a game that is equal parts fun and also frustrating. It calls back to classic arcade style games and in some ways succeeds in doing so, but it also fails in a handful of ways. The online mode is a no zone if you want to have fun at this point. However, the substantial roster size of NBA stars and gameplay that is entertaining to watch, and at times also fun to play, will make it appealing to those who want a different basketball experience than the usual sim.

I was not overly satisfied or dissatisfied with my time flying a helicopter above leaping zombies. The graphics aren’t the best, but they don’t have to be. It’s all for fun. I would say it’s well worth a playthrough. The physics can be frustrating at times and ruin the speed of your run, and annoyingly cannot be mastered. There’s shortness involved with completing the game, but with all the unlockables, stars, daily missions, and difficulty options, there’s sure a lot to do after you’re done the first time through.

With a unique backdrop and clever use of shadows, Projection: First Light delivers what it intended. A calm and casual puzzle platformer that is a pleasure to play through. The story is delivered in a nice shadow puppetry fashion, though some may find it hard to follow because there is no talking or narration. The biggest downside is getting glitched into walls or stuck. If save points could have been the actual checkpoints, then maybe it wouldn’t have been as much of a problem. The design and music are great, as well as how the puzzles are tackled. But because you or items can be glitched in areas they shouldn’t be, it becomes a persistent hope that it doesn’t happen (again), requiring you to restart the level. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but it’ll take some reworking of the game mechanics to really shine.

There are several interesting ideas for puzzles, but they are poorly implemented, and the lofty technical ambitions are let down by poor performance. All in all, Nevermind struggles to elevate itself above mediocrity, but that doesn't mean that it isn't worth your time.

I loved my first few hours with Kitty Powers' Matchmaker. It's relaxed, and kitsch gameplay is a refreshing change from the norm. It's got real character and a great sense of humor, and I'd love to see similar dating sims make follow suit and try their hand at the Xbox crowd. However, Kitty Power's Matchmaker's repetitive nature means it's best played in short bursts and I'd question the price point the developers went for when bringing the game to consoles. There's fun to be had but maybe not $12 worth.

A fascinating world with luscious forestry and an intriguing species. You can tell a lot of passion went into developing it. The puzzles are quite simple but still satisfying to complete. It’s short, which isn’t usually an issue for me, but the pacing seemed a bit off. I felt as if I were in the middle of a game because of how the puzzles go from easy to moderate in difficulty. Even though you have two characters to control, most of the time you’ll be using Deaf since he is fast and you can really appreciate the beautiful world. There are a decent amount of tweaks that could really enhance the experience while playing, specifically fixed bugs and a narrator to tell the story as if it was being read to you like a book.

With all of the good, there ends up being just as much bad. It’s easy and hard to like this game. Having a mission that hinders your ability to progress the story because it’s entirely luck-based is also a real shame. If given a few tweaks, it could have really shined as an outstanding flight combat entry. The heaviness of the bad mechanics is too much to allow it to soar high.

Necropolis is an alternative to the average roguelike, with excellent multiplayer features, lots and lots of depth and a ton of content to wade through for those with the right skills. Unfortunately, it's likely to be too hard for many folks to see through to the end, and as a result, I think it will remain a much-loved niche title rather than a mainstream powerhouse.

It isn't a bad game at all, but it does so many things to such an average degree that it is hard to get excited about. There is also the lingering feeling that with just a little more effort and some focus, it could have been so much better. A missed opportunity, and a game for diehard fans of the genre only.

Spheroids can be addicting, but that means your time spent with it won't last long. This type of game doesn't rely on a well-written story; it relies on functionality and an enjoyable endeavor. It has met the basic requirements for success but is not going to appeal to everyone. Like the bouncing spheroids, this game has its ups and downs. If you are looking for a quick game with a simple charm and a clear objective, this is it. If you're looking for hidden secrets and a challenge, you should probably pass.