While Super Mutant Alien Assault stays true to the arcade inspirations of coin-eating games from yesteryear with fantastic artwork and 2D shooting action, it is cut at the hamstrings from reaching a wider audience by the varying challenge playthrough to playthrough. Random elements, graphical slowdowns from action heavy sequences and a focus on repeating games to grind out for equipment are not for everyone.

Steel Rats races into near perfection, with only a few downsides to controls and aiming. It’s easily one of my favorite new titles released this year.

While A Knight’s Quest can have its moments, the negative outweigh anything positive. The fun is eclipsed by an infuriating nonexistent roadmap of what you’re supposed to do. While I was able to get to the end, for some reason my save file got erased and all of my progress was lost. After that mishap, I had mixed feelings. I love getting achievements and feel I didn’t have long to complete the game which had me upset. However, I realized it was a blessing in disguise and freed me from having to continue getting lost again or wasting hours figuring out where to go next.

Had it included multiplayer modes, I wouldn't hesitate for a second to award Gas Guzzlers Extreme our Highly Recommended award, but without it, prospective players should think long and hard about what they expect to get out of the game.

The two to three hours it takes to complete Toby: The Secret Mine never sees the story build on its initial momentum from the opening scenes. Toby: The Secret Mine is worth seeing but it's only a handful that will find it worthwhile to stay.

With no proper explanation of how things work, you find yourself fighting the game’s menu system more than actual opponents. Matches can take a long time to find, especially if it involves more than a 1v1. I believe if the experience was gained at double or even triple the rate, Absolver would be able to maintain interest from players. Having the same gear for hours and being done with the main playthrough becomes so repetitive that you lose enjoyment. While the combat is superb and the foundation of gear is quite strong, it is not at all implemented correctly. I did very much enjoy my time with Absolver, however, I quickly reached the ceiling on the time I wanted to spend with it.

It tells an excruciatingly sad, very real story about a person who is utterly helpless, and it does so using interesting mechanics and scenarios. The controls, aging graphics and lack of replay value, however, make it a difficult proposition to recommend wholeheartedly, so approach with caution unless you absolutely love similar games.

The story is entertaining, and with Halloween right around the corner, this is the perfect time of year for it. The gameplay is quick to learn, and it is both challenging and forgiving; however $30 is a high ask for this type of game. If you like the genre and catch it on sale, grab it, and you’ll have a good time. At worst, it will make your own family reunions seem just that little bit less awkward.

The Park was my first entry to the genre, so I went in with an open mind, but as I gamer I do prefer my games to have less reading and more doing.

I’m not the biggest fan of modern platformers, many of which take great pride in frustrating players. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Kick & Fennick. Its tight controls, fun physics and progressive pacing made this a real joy to play through, and when the game did get challenging, pushing through felt more like a punch in the air than a kick to the groin. I’d have loved to have seen a bit more personality added, but Kick & Fennick was an overall entertaining experience.

I certainly enjoyed looking at Hunter's Legacy while I was playing, but I can't really say that I enjoyed the act of playing it. The combat is slow and exhausting, and the lack of awareness afforded by the camera when fighting enemies that fly off screen is an enormous pain that leads to countless deaths. There's plenty of game in Hunter's Legacy, and a 100% will probably take close to 20 hours; I just can't think of who would be interested in such an offer, especially with far better Metroidvania games on the market.

A sometimes promising, often frustrating, always underwhelming and overly short shoot-em-up that fails to meet the expectations set by its own title. The art style is pleasant, and the weapon combinations are fun, but that's not enough to drag this game out of mediocrity.

It's fun to look at, has some ridiculous puzzles to solve and has the capacity to charm. I'd recommend taking this adventure for a spin over a weekend, though have a pad of paper handy to make note of anything out of the ordinary along with bit of patience. Just make sure to hang in there until the end. Even with the potholes and speed bumps, its worth the trip.

After finishing the game, the question still lingered in my head: why did this re-release happen? It's not that I didn't have fun with it, but it's such an average game. It does many things well, but aside from the source material, there's nothing here that makes it stand out. Age hasn't degraded the game, although the edges do feel a bit rougher. It's not a bad choice for those wanting some old-school shooting action, but anyone who passed on the game a decade ago can still overlook it now without missing anything.

Siegecraft Commander will grow on you, but how much, I can't say. The controls and the rubbish drawstring aiming spoiled it for me, and with a better implementation of those things, I think I would have found less to fault about the building chain mechanic that could actually have been quite interesting.

The main attraction here, without question, is Dragon’s Lair itself, but Space Ace and Time Warp make the trilogy a well-rounded ensemble. If you don’t already have all of these games in your collection, Dragon’s Lair Trilogy is a great way to fill that void, and the cost of admission is quite reasonable. So, as the narrator says, “Lead on, adventurer … your quest awaits!”, and it awaits you in the Xbox Store today.

After 20 plus hours of gameplay, I am still enjoying slicing and dicing my way through the levels to reach 100%. That may not seem like much of an endorsement to you, but for a dad of three who works 60 hours a week, that's saying more than you may know. My time is precious to me, and when I can find a game that stays fun and enjoyable and helps me bring both my kids and friends closer, I'm all onboard. The few downfalls Zombie Vikings has are in no way enough to hold this game back from being a jewel amongst indie games.

Defenders of Ekron – Definitive Edition is not the game its advertised to be, nor the game you’d want it to be. The second half of the game is a tedious, confusing mess with no real support from the storyline; it doesn’t help it stay afloat. The hour or so of shmup style gameplay that is there is solid, but its blurred by the rest of the game’s mechanics and gameplay elements. The puzzles, while occasionally interesting, are completely out of place. The game overall is a failure. It’s playable, but it’s not likely what you’re wanting or expecting.

As far as an interactive movie, it has enough dialogue choices to let you feel in control but at the same time uncertain the outcome will be good. You can’t play it only once, because you do need to experience a good majority of the decisions in order to figure out how you want the story to end. It’s not going to put you on the edge of your seat, but there is enough content to keep you satisfied through at least a few playthroughs.

Skater XL is a super realistic skating simulator that encourages you to simply go out and skate. If you are someone who loves skateboarding and the thrill of just getting that trick down or making a cool montage to show off, then this is definitely for you. If not, it might be a tough time. Overall it’s a good game, it just feels like it is missing something.

Reviewing The Bunker is a bit like reviewing a movie. I've played it once, but like a good movie, I will want to experience it again sometime in the hopes that I catch a few of the little details that I might have missed first time around. It isn't a fantastic game though, and so I don't have any intention to play it again right away.

I found more things negative about I Am Bread than positive. I understand the attraction to such a meme-worthy game and why some consider it to be a great game. But trust me on this: after about 30 minutes of gameplay, you’ve seen everything I Am Bread has to offer.

Subject 13 stands out with its difficulty range, puzzle variety and collectibles that add context and clues. As long as you have enough patience to handle the sometimes lengthy puzzles and the finicky controls, this game can be an incredibly enjoyable experience that truly tests your puzzle solving abilities.

Those Who Remain, in particular, is about self-reflection in forgiveness and makes you realize you can judge someone on their mistakes yet never seem to consider the sins you’ve carried out. Don’t like all that psychology? The good news is, that ideology is placed in the background and at the core is a great creepy adventure with interesting monsters and clever puzzles.

This is a game purely for the faithful who want a return to the days of old-fashioned hardcore Nintendo games. Folks who like modern day advances such as auto-saves, adjustable difficulty and the like should probably skip this if they want to keep their temper under control.

Despite its pleasant appearances, Lost Sea is a fairly bland and uninteresting game.

Guts and Glory won’t appeal to all audiences, but as a fun game to play with your friends, it’s worth your money. The carnage is so over-the-top ridiculous that it’s hard not to laugh and have a good time at seeing the outcomes of failing certain obstacles. So, hop on your bicycle, get on the track and go break a leg. Literally.

Imagine a game that has the potential to exceed every expectation you had going into it in some regards, but is so poor in others that you can barely stand to play through the worse sections. That, for me, is The Dwarves. It is a huge missed opportunity.