While I enjoyed Parkitect, it’s not something I can see myself investing substantial amounts of time in. It’s easy enough to pick up and play for small amounts of time, and that is enjoyable. There just isn’t enough content to really keep me interested for long. That also falls into the statement made at the beginning of this review about me not being highly creative as well.

While visual novels don’t vary all too much outside of their stories, Destino Indomable’s unique telenovela show backdrop and unscripted scenes actually makes a lot of sense and is quite clever. While the lack of voice acting was a letdown, the over-the-top drama and slaps more than made up for it, and made for a memorable few hours with a dramatic Latin soap opera full of slaps.

The first one was groundbreaking and while maybe not perfect, it couldn't have set the stage any better for the second installment. This was undeniably better than what came before, and the third entry only sealed the deal on where this is going. Now though? This feels like The Last Jedi kind of disappointment. Nothing really seems fresh and interesting, instead just reskinned missions that could have easily been DLC for Sniper Elite 5.

Although Pets Hotel is cute, it’s lacking. It could have been so much more, but I think it falls again into the category of games ported to console that should have had some more care added to them before release. I knew from the start to take the gameplay with a grain of salt. I enjoyed taking care of the animals and the minimal management elements added a bit of interest, but there just isn’t enough here to captivate and keep me playing for a long period of time. While I might recommend this for younger gamers because it’s pretty simple, the clunky mechanics would be frustrating for them, I think.

All in all, Cat Rescue story was cute, and the adoptions were a heart warming and best part for me. Far from Purr-fect, but fun for cat lovers for a few hours.

Tap Wizard 2 is an extremely grindy game. Even though you can AFK for much of it, it does take checking in every so often to actually make significant progress. Interestingly, there’s no Quick Resume support on Xbox, so going to another game closes it completely and puts it into ‘offline mode’. Some might be confused with a $18.99 CAD game where you don’t have to play it very much, but I’ve been hooked, checking back in every chance I can to get one more upgrade so I can make it just that much further on the next run.

So, let's summarize Let's Sing 2025. We have an innovative karaoke game that connects to your smartphone via an app and allows you to use it as a microphone as you go through the needlessly long career mode while you deal with cliche characters and stereotypical situations. All the while limited to what you can sing depending on whether or not you decide to pay more money to unlock the VIP access or be contempt with less than 10 songs and focus on your pronouns and interactions with these stereotypical pandering character faces instead of actually singing good music. Would I pay for this? Never. I would get more enjoyment loading up YouTube, searching for the musical artist that I support their quality music for, and sing along to that, and save tons of money in the process. If you want a good karaoke game, then you can find them as far back as the PS2, but as for Let's Sing 2025, it's a pass for me.

VED has some interesting ideas but it’s as though the game didn’t know quite what it wanted to be at times. This is possibly because it was a completely different game in its early stages. It's hard to be harsh towards a small indie team that clearly made VED with their passion, but there’s so many different components that don’t mesh cohesively, and a story that becomes so confusing that it’s difficult to follow. Even if you could follow the convoluted narrative, you’ll be too distracted with the abysmal voice acting to even remember that combat was actually quite interesting.

Squirrel with a Gun is whimsical, chaotic, and has some funny moments. If you enjoy the silly gameplay you get from games like Goat Simulator or Untitled Goose Game, you will likely enjoy this for the few hours it takes to complete it. Retailing at under $20 CDN, for the number of hours and laughs I got from it seems like a fair price for this nutty experience.

At the end of the day, A Quiet Place: The Road Ahead was a better game than I’d ever expected it to be. I’d wanted to play it, but didn’t have high hopes. However, now that I’ve completed it, I can say that it’s a solid release and one that fans of Alien: Isolation style horror games should check out. It’s definitely not as good as that game, but it also doesn’t overstay its welcome as much as that classic did.

Ship Graveyard Simulator 2 is oddly addictive and satisfying, even for how specific and niche the setting is. While there’s no narrative at all, there’s something quite relaxing by causing destruction to these vessels. Many will see Ship Graveyard Simulator 2 as tedious and repetitious, but I kept telling myself “just one more ship”.

The gameplay can get a little repetitive after awhile, but the narrative brings you around towards the end game. While it’s not the most engaging game I’ve played this year, I enjoyed the running the shop and bartering.

Undisputed steps into the ring and I've decided to look at this as the foundation for a great boxing series. Not even close to perfect though, though there are a lot of good redeeming qualities about this game that should serve Undisputed well moving forward. Is Undisputed good enough to take the crown from Fight Night Champions? No. Is it the worst boxing game of all time? No. Undisputed does a good job incorporating some RPG leveling elements into a boxing game, and does so with a surprising depth of quality. While it may seem simplistic on the outside, once you dive into the heart of Undisputed you will see the wealth of content that this game does provide. Now, the big question remains, is it worth the full retail price of $59.99 good? Sadly, no. With the issues and lack of content I couldn't justify spending $60 on what would easily be a $30 game.

At the end of the day, this is a game that fans of the genre and fans of Dead By Daylight will find the most value in. I guess that goes without saying, though, doesn’t it? Anyone who’s new to things should play Until Dawn or The Quarry first before deciding whether to spend any money on this. Those who want to buy it would also be better off waiting for a sale, as it’s nothing spectacular by any means.

While I do wish there was a bit more overt storytelling, if you like games similar to Inside and Little Nightmares, One Last Breath is a short game (I played through in about two hours) with a delightful art style and captivating score to check out and spend a few hours with.

Broken Roads is a sharply written, intellectual adventure RPG where your choices of dialogue and problem-solving are drawn from philosophical concepts. That’s what it does best and what kept me playing through the hours spent in the Australian Outback. The concept was great, but sadly the gameplay wasn’t for me. Trying to drop a fully fleshed out CRPG in about 20 hours was a monumental task and I wish they kept to just the morality system and philosophical dialogue. That was where the Broken Roads were more favourably traveled. I liked its style and tone and if that resonates with you, perhaps you’d like to spend some time with it as well.

I’m still somewhat surprised at how little actual racing there is, as you’re generally just managing your meters and team orders throughout a race for the most part. Races are quite long, so you need to have a dedicated amount of time to see each to completion, but it does become monotonous to simply be watching two meters for the majority of each race outside of the attacking portions. I’m sure true fans of the sport will enjoy seeing actual Pro’s and Teams as it caters to its niche audience, but as a newcomer there wasn’t enough to want me to compete for that yellow jersey.

When playing Gigantic: Rampage Edition, I genuinely wanted to enjoy it. I was rooting for this game and wanted this to be a quality option because I feel that as gamers, our community grows better with better options and I wanted Gigantic: Rampage Edition to be that very thing, but after playing this, the only thing that was gigantic wasn't my gaming experience, it was my disappointment.

War Hospital tells tales worth hearing and shows a side of the Great War not usually thought about. While it may not be as exciting as being in the thick of battle in the trenches, it’s a unique side of War that’s equally as important. Do your best to prevent casualties of War, but prepare your heart for not being able to save many.

GRAPPIN gets more difficult as you progress, though not always intentionally, as I would fall to my death multiple times due to floaty controls or missing my jumps because of the first person view. It’s a shame GRAPPIN loses all its good faith and momentum with the awful final stages, though I’m still glad to have played through it for that gripping and intriguing ending.

Overall Alchemist: The Potion Monger is a fine little family-friendly game. The story is simple and the aesthetic is delightful. It scratches the itch for home design and crafting sim fans. Your pets are adorable, and I spent far too much time petting them and seeing the little hearts above their heads.

Mediterranea Inferno isn’t meant to be a happy story with a fairytale ending. It’s a raw tale that’s honest, filled with a bunch of emotion and uneasiness. Some might be turned away by the LGBTQ+ theme, but it was certainly one of the more memorable and unique visual novels I’ve ever experienced and I’m glad to have gone on vacation with the trio of friends, even if the ending(s) weren’t what I initially expected.

I’ll be honest, when the credits first rolled I put down the controller and my initial reaction was quite apathetic. I didn’t hate Grotto, but I didn’t really enjoy it either, as I don’t normally gravitate towards visual novel-like games. That said, as I let my thoughts simmer for a day, and especially while writing this review, it just somewhat ‘clicked’ with me, and the more I reflected, the more I realized Grotto was actually quite memorable and how I appreciated what it was going for. I kept thinking of the questions I was asked and how my interpretation of my answer vastly differed from the person seeking the advice. It made me wonder if something similar has happened in real life with advice I’ve given, as there’s usually not always a ‘right’ answer to many questions. While some won’t enjoy the lack of ‘gameplay’, Grotto is a unique experience that makes you think of how you interpret situations and what you would do in times of desperation.

It's clear that Arcadian Atlas is a love letter to other greats in the TRPG genre, it has just as many things that I liked that I didn’t as well. Loved the leveling system, but combat overall was repetitive and tedious, lacking much of a challenge. Aesthetics are wonderful and animated quite well, yet the soundtrack is completely forgettable and doesn’t always match the tone of what’s on screen. I enjoyed Arcadian Atlas overall for what it is, an indie tactics style RPG, though probably more than I normally would as it’s been years since I’ve played a great one, but it’s got a ways to go to be considered alongside the greats of the genre.

Bunhouse is cute. The customizable bunny characters are adorable. It’s an easy game to pick up and play for short bursts, it just has too many bugs and not enough content to keep me interested in for a long time. With its great price point, and local co-op gameplay, it is an excellent choice for families or kids to play together.

While I found my first playthrough a confusing and frustrating mess, it made much more sense trying the other classes. They all play differently enough to warrant other playthroughs and require different strategies. Once I got the hang of the gameplay and how to best progress, I went from being frustrated to wanting to play ‘just one more turn'.

Waiting more than two decades for a sequel, I’m sure true Jagged Alliance fans will overlook many of its shortcomings and frustrations, as it does capture the same feeling, it seriously needs some work on its control scheme to be more much fluid and less confusing. For every moment I was enjoying, I was equally frustrated when I missed point blank shots or accidently ended my turn prematurely due to a wrong button combination.

While all the pieces are there for a great Metroidvania, complete with unique setting and characters, Cookie Cutter frustrated me more often than not due to the broken parry system that rarely works as advertised. I wasn’t expecting to play a love-revenge story as a lesbian android that talks to her robotic vagina, filled with violence and gore, but it certainly was a memorable adventure.

Overall, Lords of the Fallen is an excellent example of if at first you do not succeed, try again. With a multi-realm dynamic to manage throughout your campaign, Lords of the Fallen delivers a challenging and highly rewarding souls-like' experience. With Unreal 5 delivering graphical presentations that are memorable, an incredibly deep character progression system, and enough loot to keep even the greediest of gamer happy, Lords of the Fallen takes its rightful place in the upper echelons of the genre. Grab your friends and some extra controllers because Lords of the Fallen is a quality experience that is rarely found.

It's these natural shortcomings that make Chessarama feel like a good idea and premise, however the execution came up short and then abandoned all together. This is even more heartbreaking when you consider how rare a chess game actually is on the Xbox platform. Go ahead and search for the store. There are only a handful of titles, and some are even free. When you take these factors into consideration, Chessarama should be a title that is avoided or wait till it's free. I can say with a sad heart that when you have free games that offer more content, why pay for it?

There was nothing new or exciting with True Virus’ gameplay, and even though a story involving a pandemic and lockdown isn’t something I would seek out to play, it was an interesting enough story that kept me pushing through to see its conclusion.

While Anthology of Fear might not outright scare you, it’s supposed to make you feel uneasy and tense, which is does in certain sections. With some very heavy themes and shocking scenes, I was hoping for more of a build up to these climax, but instead the ending felt as though it came abruptly out of nowhere and not all that satisfying tying up loose ends. If you’re a fan of the P.T. demo, this may be worth a look, just expect a short runtime with a story that will be forgotten aside from a scene or two.

I have to say I went into Hellboy Web of Wyrd with zero expectations, even as a fan of the live action movies. I walked away after playing with the view that it is definitely not a bad title, but it’s not a great one either. The visuals are good, the voice acting is solid, and the gameplay has some merits, although the latter is affected by the rinse and repeat gameplay that does become quite repetitive. If you are looking for something different, or are a fan of that short horned, devilish hero, then it would be worth your time to check out Hellboy Web of Wyrd.

KarmaZoo surprised me, as I wasn’t sure what to quite expect, but came away addicted to a fun and quirky cooperative game where I actively wanted to help other players that I couldn’t even talk to. While it is quite a grind if you’re going to want to unlock everything possible, it’s quite fun for a few rounds here and there in between other games and downtime.

A narrative driven walking simulator with a ton of symbolism and horror backdrop makes for a decent playthrough at least once. There’s multiple endings based on certain actions and choices made, but given how slow you walk and the simpleness of the puzzles, once felt more than enough to uncover a war torn family's closet of skeletons.

As with the first game, Overpass 2 is not what one would consider a traditional racing game given the events you participate in and the sim-like management of your team. You will be frustrated when you first start playing, even if you’ve gone through the tutorial, but push through and it gets somewhat better. Like the original, the foundations of something cool is here. I know when I reviewed the first game, I hoped that there would be a sequel with improvements in various areas, and although there are some, Overpass 2 still has annoyances that continue to hold the franchise back. The experiment of the first game continued with the release of a second, but the result is one that feels like it could have used more time. So, the major question is: “Dare I wish for a third kick at the can?”. In some ways yes, but they need to take the time to make improvements, or the third time could be unlucky.

When you boil down Car Detailing Simulator’s gameplay elements, it really just comes down to changing one soiled texture into a shiny one by holding the Right Trigger and moving the Left Stick. For how simple the gameplay boils down to and for how repetitive it is, it’s oddly soothing, relaxing and addictive. More than one night playing I found myself saying ‘just one more car’. It’s not the most polished simulator out there, but it’s entertaining in its own way.

I'm not saying Payday 3 should have the same amount of content as Payday 2, but with the low amount of heists and guns and the sloppy progression system, the game in its current form is mediocre when compared to the previous entry. With that being said, if it gets the same treatment as Payday 2 with post-launch content, Payday 3 could live up to be something really good that surpasses its predecessor. Right now, though it's not much, but I do think the future can be bright for this game.

An odd blend of visual novel and brawler, Shuyan Saga is certainly unique in its own right elevated with its great artwork and colors, though brought back down with its combat and gameplay. For a martial art that’s all about fluidity, it feels quite rigid at times. With an arena mode, a quick side mission after the story is complete, and two endings, there’s surely some reasons to play again if you’re really trying to get your value’s worth.

While not the most memorable campaign of the series, and nowhere near the quality of Modern Warfare II’s epic setpieces, it’s a serviceable entry, but feels more like filler that should have been DLC rather than a fully-fledged entry that brings new excitement and potential fans.

Because of the effort to add all the extra modes, there’s certainly some replayability, and the online leaderboards always had me checking my score after a run. While I’m sure some shmup fans will have a fun weekend or two with it, it’s probably a bit too bland for me to remember in the future.

Roguelikes are meant to be played over and over as you slowly make overall progression each time. This works when the gameplay is addictive and you’re constantly teased with the next upgrade to feel more powerful. While great for short sessions with a run or two here and there, Nova Strike is perfectly serviceable, but with only a couple Chapters to complete, it doesn’t feel as though it will have a long shelf life in my played rotation. Not bad by any means, it simply feels like a generic shump, though the $10 USD price tag is about right for what you get content wise.

You’re going to die a lot, and in the beginning it’s going to feel unfair, especially when you starve to death. You’ll eventually learn all of its quirks and how to circumvent many of its ‘unfairness’, but I found I had to focus on doing that more so than simply enjoying a mindless zombie slasher. Ed-0: Zombie Uprising has a long grind to strive towards, but it’s monotonous and feels like a very low budget title, even if there are brief moments of fun here and there.

Just like the character of Gollum, I’m a bit split on how I feel about the game. I do believe that there is a really great game hidden in The Lord of the Rings: Gollum. It’s clear that the love for the character, lore and the world are there in its DNA. The dialogue between Gollum and Sméagol was enjoyable and well done. Although slightly graphically dated, the world was quite beautiful when you weren’t underground (which was the majority of the game). The issues arise from the mechanics of the platforming and puzzle sections just not being finished. I simply can’t recommend this game at full price. Also speaking about price, an extra cost is associated if you want the lore compendium and elvish voice acting. This is paid DLC and really should have been included in the base game. Sadly, this wasn’t the precious game I was hoping for.

Sadly, Aquarist is just ‘fine’. I struggled more than I wanted to, it didn’t give me the really chill gaming experience I wanted from it, and I find it really hard to recommend to people when they ask about it. If you’re okay with some less than stellar controls on controller though, it’s lovely to play with the fish tanks and it’s much better since the patch was added. It has the potential to be great, it’s just not quite there yet. I will likely dabble with it a bit here and there as I enjoyed the fish a lot, but can’t see me spending the hours that I do in other simulation style games.

Drill Deal - Oil Tycoon doesn't quite hit the nail on the head. The more I play, the more annoying and tedious it starts to feel, as the contracts and missions don't seem to differ too much. It can be challenging to master initially, but after a bit, you get the hang of it then it loses its charm and you start to recognize the imperfections. To put it shortly, Drill Deal – Oil Tycoon feels like it's teetering on the edge of being decent with its ideas, but needs more execution.

At the end of the day Tiny Troopers: Global Ops is a nice follow up to Joint Ops, and even if you haven’t played any of the games on mobile, PC or on console, there is some fun to be had here. Fans of third-person twin-stick shooters will enjoy their time with Tiny Troopers: Global Ops, and those looking for a fun couch co-op experience should look no further. We can’t forget those that may need a break from all the heavy AAA titles on the Xbox Store too, as they should be open to looking at this relatively inexpensive game that is a nice break from the normal. Go ahead, shoot some terrorists in a setting that should bring a smile or two to your face as you play.

Sadly, Redfall had unbelievable potential and a dynamic studio behind this that is known for quality gaming, but under delivered at quite literally almost every facet of the game. Redfall, unfortunately, should be avoided, and in fact, I hope that the industry starts taking a look at these games and starts evaluating its processes, because if you're only as good as your last game, then Arkane isn't looking good at all.

Panic Porcupine isn’t for the faint of heart. If you get frustrated by dying numerous times, then you’re going to have a bad time. On the other hand, if you enjoy a challenge or even want to speedrun, there’s a lot on offer. You’ll need to have reaction speed and accuracy if you want to see Panic complete his journey, and while you might simply assume it’s a Sonic knock-off, it’s more akin to a Super Meat Boy than anything else.

With a healthy amount of interesting achievements to work towards, I didn’t even notice that a good five hours went by the first time I played before I realized what time it was. Very addictive and relaxing, Garden Simulator is a great way to de-stress when you need a gaming palette cleanser and don’t mind the ‘jank’ from simulator games. Flex your virtual green thumb and place those garden gnomes for all to see.

Full of subtle humor, I might not have laughed out loud but I surely chuckled a few times at the puns or situations, the ghost hamster being my favorite character of the bunch. While it’s a short adventure, it’s a memorable one. The world and characters are endearing and even though I’m usually not too interested in visual novels, Melon Journey: Bittersweet Memories is charming and endearing, feeling like one in a melon.

While original Bendy fans will certainly get the most out of it, it was difficult to feel invested as a newcomer with the clunky combat and forced stealth sections. That said, the world is created quite well and has a great atmosphere, I just didn’t feel all that invested and become frustrated at times with the backtracking.

God of Rock is an interesting title that blends the odd pairing of fighting and rhythm games, and while it may not always stick the landing due to its odd design choices, there’s some entertaining moments here and there. Even with online play and a track creator, it’s clear extra effort was made to have God of Rock be something special, even if it misses a few notes.

Don’t be fooled by the Casual difficulty setting, Guns N’ Runs is quite challenging and demands near perfection and quick reflexes to be successful and progress. While I struggled with the controls throughout, especially having to dash at specific angles or timing, there’s nothing inherently bad about Guns N’ Runs, it simply didn’t hook or excite me all that much.

Although my experience wasn’t very broad in terms of my knowledge in multiplayer shooters, I will recommend Deceive Inc based on the fact that any skill level can play. If you enjoy titles like Overwatch and Apex Legends, they will feel at home playing Deceive Inc and still have a great time. Even I could enjoy myself and get in on the action. I had a pleasant time with Deceive Inc and I’m looking forward to the next time I can play.

While not overly difficult until the later chase section and boss fights, there’s just the right amount of challenge. Your first playthrough will probably take around six hours or so, more if you want to find every secret. While it didn’t grip me as much as I expected, it certainly has charm to it and definitely worth the play if you’ve been craving a new Metroidvania to check out.

Priced at under ten bucks, it’s hard to not find some nostalgic enjoyment within, even if the knockoff games aren’t quite the exact classic games you remember playing decades ago. While the story is a very brief jaunt, you’ll no doubt want to come back now and then for one or two of your favorites, though I wish every game had the Leaderboards to entice more plays and virtual quarters.

SimAirport isn’t easy by any means. The learning curve is almost a sheer cliff, though that’s more due to the terrible controls of porting from its PC origins. With better controls I probably wouldn’t have had as many frustrations, but even hours in I was still struggling and constantly having to remind myself which buttons to use in different menus. The $25.99 CAD price point may deter some if you were judging solely based on its screenshots, but there’s an immensely deep management sim underneath if you can spend the time to figure it out how to best develop your dream airport, down to the smallest details, just be aware of the frustrating controls.

As for my recommendation, if you’re looking for just Catan as a barebones game, go for it. But, if you’re looking for an re-energized version of Catan and you’re looking for any shred of challenge beyond the base game, Catan: Console Version is not for you. I’m going to set sails on the open sea and find another island to embark on for now.

I did quite enjoy the narrative from its opening moments and was compelling me to continue to move forward, even if combat could be a bit challenging and save points sometimes a bit too far stretched out, causing frustration when I had to replay a good half hour all over again. Combat does get repetitive and tiresome over time, but as an overall package, Scars Above feels like a much larger story wrapped in a AA package.

Blood Bowl 3 was lackluster at launch due to many problems, but the core gameplay was solid and could be fun once you got past all of the issues that will hopefully be fixed shortly in the future with some patches. Most of the aforementioned issues can be patched later, but the version I played on felt like it did not change much from its prequel.

I find myself coming to the same conclusion as last year’s entry, hence basically the same score; if you have the previous year’s game, there’s really not much here to warrant a repurchase. Sure the diehard fans of the sport will enjoy all the 2022 rider and arena updates, but if online play doesn’t interest you, there’s a lot of repetitiveness and really not all that much new this year to excite everyone else.

While I did enjoy ONE PIECE ODYSSEY as an introduction to ONE PIECE, and the general gameplay was enjoyable, I did end up getting a little tired and bored of the general repetitive nature. That being said, that's probably just a 'me' thing. If you're a fan of the show you'll likely really enjoy it for its authenticity. I do think it's a solid enough rpg but I wouldn't say I'm in love with it quite yet.

Sure, Fashion Police Squad is like any other classic shooter but with a gimmick, but it’s a fun one. Full of humor, puns and fashion one-liners, it’s hard not to smile every so often, especially when a new enemy is introduced, because you know you’ve seen this very exact fashion crime at some point. With its classic Doom inspiration, it’s certainly one of the more unique FPS games I’ve ever played, full of fashion and style.

I’m glad when I get to discover new games, even if they are decades old, and while I’ve played the classics from Neo Geo, Breakers sadly was never one of them until now. While I question its originality, as it more than heavily borrowed from one of the greatest of all time, that said, Breakers Collection is worth checking out if the fighting genre is your thing, even if it’s advertised as two unique games.

Even though I think the difficulty can be a little over tuned at times and the checkpoints are a little too spread out at times, for every moment I had frustration, I was still compelled to move forward and try again and again. Sometimes you just need a game where you turn off your brain to slash and blast everything in your way and can have fun doing so with some over the top violence, Wanted: Dead delivers that, even if it does feel way over the top with its style.

OmegaBot is cute and charming, and while it may not reach the same level as its Mega Man inspiration, it’s priced decently for its 4-8 hours of gameplay depending on your skill level. A fun and challenging action platformer that was longer than I initially expected, OmegaBot was clearly made with heart and passion, and that comes across well in such a small and cute robot.

I really wanted to love NEScape! but I was very concerned when the developers sent a complete walkthrough of step-by-step instructions to complete every puzzle in the game. I didn’t use it on my first playthrough, and I’m not against using them to beat games, but for a game with such simplicity on paper, it set off some alarm bells. This was confirmed as accurate pretty quickly, as you can see from my discussion of how difficult the puzzles were with no hints. The game is fine and it had a lovely retro aesthetic, but its lack of direction or any sort of hint system is a big let down for me. If you want a cheap game and want to use a walkthrough to get a quick 1000 Gamerscore in less than 10 minutes though, it’s perfect for that.

While I’d argue the $25.99 CAD price tag is a bit steep for how little content there is, the gameplay is quite original, as I would have never thought about playing a shmup that has no shooting. Lacking some sort of online leaderboard or modes does bring in the monotony and repetitiveness quite quickly, as I was only able to sit and play a few runs at a time before getting the itch to move onto something else for a break.

Until the Last Plane can be addictive in short bursts once you figure out its intricacies and best strategies, but there’s a lot of repetitiveness. Even with a few different mission types and objectives, you’re just constantly doing the same menu options repeatedly. The $12.79 (CAD) price does seem a little high given the lack of leaderboards, and while it does feel a bit underwhelming, it’s easy to complete on autopilot once you have the best strategies figured out.

It’s clear that Broken Pieces was a passion project by the team, and while some aspects were wonderful, there was an equal amount of frustration along the way as well. You can expect anywhere from 5 to 10+ hours depending on how much you want to explore and how much backtracking and aimless wandering you do, and while the $31.99 (CAD) may seem a little high, it has potential to be a cult hit with its quirky charm.

While it’s currently lacking much variety and content, it can be fun in short bursts, especially once you start to get proficient with your character of choice, but it’s an arduous grind, hard to recommend in its current paid state. Once, and if, it goes free-to-play, it’ll be a no-brainer to give a shot.

As a pretty big and unexpected fan of No More Heroes and its sequel, I had high hopes for No More Heroes III, and looked forward to finally being able to play it. However, the end result was a mediocre-at-best game that I didn’t enjoy all that much and sometimes looked forward to simply finishing. This sequel lacks a lot of the charm of the first two games, but isn’t bad by any means. It’s just decent. Too much of the experience feels like busy work, as opposed to fun content.

Saint Kotar was an odd title to get through, as it was frustrating in certain aspects, but the story was drip fed just well enough that I had a hard time putting it down, wanting to find out what the actual truth was to its mystery. At $44.99 CAD, it does seem a bit overpriced, but depending on your point and click skillset, you’ll get anywhere from 10 to 20 hours of it. An interesting story with heavy religious and cultist tones, the constant backtracking and weak visuals may deter some. God, Religion and Cultists, oh my.

Togges excels at placing you in its colorful and whimsical world, and those that enjoy taking the time to explore every corner of the levels will surely get dozens of hours out of it. Those that want a little more guidance might become a little frustrated, especially once you unlock the later levels that are much larger and can be a bit overwhelming at first. Surely to twist your mind and puzzle solving skills, there’s plenty of longevity in Togges, all while placing hundreds of adorable cubes.

While it won’t be as iconic as its Castlevania or Ghouls 'n Ghosts influences, Heidelberg 1693 is sure to scratch that itch for those yearning for a similar title. Boss battles are large and the highlight of the experience, though infrequent between the random and challenging difficulty spikes.

In terms of a recommendation, I feel like if you like beat-em-up games already, it's an easy sell, and bonus points if you like the retro genre. Even those who aren’t huge fans of retro, I feel if they give Terror of Hemasaurus a chance would like it too. If you like the same thing over and over again with a simple premise of destroying everything, Terror of Hemasaurus is your game. The sound, the graphics and the overall gameplay has me hooked and I just want to destroy everything in my path. If you'll excuse me, I need to take out that helicopter and smash a skyscraper because I can.

Garbage Pail Kids: Mad Mike and the Quest for Stale Gum is everything we have all dreamed about. It plays on the classic game system with a true to the era difficulty, graphics, and sounds. The control system makes this possibly one of the best 8-bit games out there and I absolutely loved this trip down memory lane when I used to purchase GPK cards as a kid, complete with stick of stale and hard gum.

While I’d categorize Firefighting Simulator - The Squad more of a simcade than a pure simulator, it does have some enjoyment to it regardless of its many shortcomings. Even though it has a lot of ‘jank’, I found myself trying to do just one more mission until the late hours of the night. Aside from playing alongside from friends though, there’s not much longevity here, as the gameplay loop doesn’t change from start to finish. On a half-off sale I could recommend Firefighting Simulator - The Squad for a few hours of entertainment, but at full price (currently $38.99 CAD), it’s a bit too pricey for what it offers.

Although the lighting, the UI and the font were deal breakers for me, Castle Renovators is still a solid renovation game. It’s got some bugs, some imperfections and some things that may irritate a well seasoned gamer who knows their way around a renovation simulation game or two. In terms of a recommendation, I’d play Castle Renovators if they fixed the lighting issue indefinitely and tweaked the UI to make it a little less messy. Other than that, I think I gotta tell grandpa I’ll politely pass on the kingdom offer.

I had some fun with Police Simulator at first, but the bugs and glitches really hurt the experience. It’s fun enough running around for an hour or so issuing tickets for parking, littering, drinking in public and jaywalking, but when you really have to interact with the AI the game really breaks down. Having the game mechanics of investigations, arresting and calling for backup completely fail due to poor AI is really disappointing. There’s a decent core game here, but it trips over its own feet too much that it can be really frustrating to play at times. There is some fun to be had causing havoc and seeing what you can get away with before your shift is forcefully ended, but after an hour or so of that the novelty wears off and you’re left with getting back to work.

In terms of my recommendation, Ship Graveyard Simulator isn't a title that you need to drop whatever you’re doing, clean off your schedule and buy right away. If you want to take a chance and you are highly invested in the simulation or renovation genre, then you may enjoy this whole heartedly, even with its lack of engagement. If you are the type of person that expects to be engaged and want to play a title for hours and hours on end, Ship Graveyard Simulator is then hard to recommend. For myself, I’m already yawning, I’m going to go down for a nap. Wake me up when the music comes back on and I can salvage more materials.

McPixel 3 isn’t for everyone. It’s crude but it gave me the kind of unexpected laughs that I haven’t had since moments playing the most recent South Park game. If you want something to have a few laughs, and not take seriously, I think you’ll like it. If you like crude humour, you’ll love it.

With over twenty supported languages and a genuinely interesting story if you take the time to find and read the notes strewn about the estate, Charon’s Staircase impressed me most with its great as a whole, and the fact it was created by so few people. While Desmond searches for this mysterious staircase there’s a great foreboding atmosphere you explore, even if there’s no tension or actual danger within its Oack Grove estates' walls, leaving you frustrated with its obtuse puzzles.

The design choice to not have any character progression is an interesting choice that I’m not sure if it’s paid off or not. While it is a unique way to force players to play more strategically, you unlock all the characters quite quickly, and from that point on there’s no more variety really, as I simply stuck with the same 5 characters basically every battle. The current asking price of $29.99 CAD feels a little steep given the brief Story Mode and lack of any character progression, but those looking for a more streamlined TRPG might enjoy the forced strategic play, even if there’s not much variety overall.

Let’s talk business. If you’re someone who loves the Let’s Sing series, you will more than likely love Let’s Sing 2023. If you love to sing but don’t care about the song list or adding onto your library by paying for it, then you will probably like it as well. But the biggest obstacle of Let’s Sing 2023 may be the song list, as it's very subjective on your personal musical tastes. There’s only so many times you can sing “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” before the song loses its charm and drives you, your parents or spouse literally insane. I can’t see myself picking up my microphone again and playing Let’s Sing 2023 several times in a week, though I may play this with a bunch of friends or family once in a while when we get together. For now, I’m making my final encore.

While more tricks and options would have made Tanuki Sunset more enjoyable, if you’re looking for something chill to occupy your time, or as a palate cleanser between games, I’d recommend this indie title, even just for the soundtrack.

What starts out as a legitimately interesting story turns into something completely else by the time the credits roll. The whole jaunt with Lazarus will last about 3 to 4 hours, as anything more would have worn out its welcome, and I’m not sure how much more of the voice acting I would be able to tolerate. Certainly a unique game and setting, what’s most important is that yes, you can pet the cat.

For how clunky the overall experience is, I will admit there’s plenty of replay value if you can ignore all of its shortcomings, issues and suffer through Silver's delivery. While some might not being locked into their choices permanently, it makes you deal with the consequences of your actions, also a clever way to force multiple playthroughs if you want to experience everything The Last Oricru has to offer and I did enjoy going with my gut reaction rather than seeing a ‘good’ vs ‘bad’ option. Unless you’re a massive Soulslike fan looking for a new game to stream or master, it’s hard to recommend joining the Ratvolution.

Having a robust online leaderboard that separates every mode and ship is welcome, providing plenty of replay value if you want to top the numerous high scores online. Having nailed the classic 90’s style, gameplay and aesthetic, Sophstar is a decent shump overall, and although it doesn’t reach the heights of an Ikaruga, it’s certainly worth your time if you’re a shmup fan.

New Tales from the Borderlands is absolutely heartbreaking to play and experience. I went in with a hope and optimistic belief of a good quality, story based Borderlands experience. Sadly what I got in return was a 'woke' story devoid of character development, emotional investment or any drive to really connect to a player through the Borderlands environment. As of this writing though, I'm trying to decide which is the greatest loss, that it was released, or the game that could have been that never will be. If you're looking for a quality story experience then go with the Telltale games instead. When you limit the player interactions and focus on the story, you take a big risk, and sadly this is a risk that didn't pay off for Gearbox and certainly didn't pay off for fans of the Borderland experience.

You’ll get what you put into Pathfinder: Wrath of the Righteous. Those that can dedicate well over a hundred hours will surely get a deep and lore rich adventure with plenty of replayability. That is, if you can get over the sheer overwhelmingness of it all in the beginning or don’t feel guilty playing on a lower difficulty. Having gone into the experience without any expectations, I’m glad to have had this adventure even if it did take a dozen hours to start to really understand how I wanted to do so well.

Overall, The Darkest Tales runs about 6-9 hours, and despite some technical issues, I enjoyed it immensely. I would have liked to have seen something new with regards to gameplay, but sticking with the classics has a sort of comfort to it, and that also plays into the toys and fairy tale feeling. The characters were delightful, the artwork was spectacular, the music was enchanting and the tale - Twisted.

Once I got the hang of the controls, how to set my destinations and fumbling through the menus like radioing stations before arrival, I started to really enjoy my time with Train Life: A Railway Simulator. Yes it’s not as simulation based as other games in the genre, and that’s alright, it still offers entertainment for those that want to conduct along the rails and allows for the company management aspect of gameplay as well. While it’s much more expensive on console ($38.99 CAD) compared to PC, I’m still getting back onto the rails for a scenario here and there.

It’s a solid entry into the Let’s Sing series. It was the same as other entries as far as gameplay, so the only real difference was the music and new avatars, and that was enough for me to find it enjoyable. ABBA sits alongside only a handful of acts that seem to have longevity and cross generational appeal. I’d hazard to say they are up there with the likes of The Beatles and Queen. For this reason, they are a perfect choice for this outing of the Let’s Sing franchise. Voxler didn’t give us anything new but delivered what was promised and that’s enough for me.

I found Construction Simulator packed with all kinds of neat little 'treats' as I played, like the fact that you can overfill your transport vehicles, but you get a warning that it's going to happen. You can also spill your dirt if you happen to overestimate your distance and dump your load. I found it entertaining that sometimes you have to shake your bucket because dirt got stuck. I had a friend play this game who used to be in the construction industry, and every time, he made a comment about how he had driven that exact machine or the part of the job in-game was something he had actually built. I had felt like I was contracting out my work so I didn't have to do it. So if you like simulators or you are really into construction, maybe you know someone who is, Construction Simulator feels like maybe after a few turns with someone experienced in the machines I could almost use these in real life.

Nickelodeon Kart Racers 3: Slime Speedway is a solid sequel to a really impressive licensed kart racer. It’s too fast (and chaotic) for its own good at times, and its technical problems currently hold it back from being as good as it could be, but it’s still pretty fun. I honestly prefer the last game, though.

Because of the issues with seasonal items and lack of things to do, I don’t think this game has longevity or a lot of replayability for most people. It was cute enough for the four hours I spent with it, but there really wasn’t anything to keep me interested with the limited décor items to work with. If you’re looking for something adorable to fill your time or to just take a break between more eventful games, it’s cute, chill and made me smile, but I can’t see myself investing similar amounts of time to other park style games.