People are going to fault it for not being as diverse or truly 'open world' as GTA, but I really enjoyed the stream lined approach to telling the narrative and the characters and voice acting has so much strength that it can hold the rest of the game's faults up on its shoulders.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from Maneater, but what I got was an odd mixture of Grand Theft Auto for its threat level and Assassin’s Creed for its map markers, all while being a shark. While it has its flaws and can suffer from fatigue in long bursts, it’s also a unique experience (I’ve never heard of a shaRkPG) and can be quite entertaining and comical. Oh-oh, here she comes, watch out boy she'll chew you up. Oh-oh, here she comes. She's a maneater.

Even without any dialogue or traditional narrative, Airhead manages to tell a story, though it may differ from one to another depending on your interpretation. It’s clear that Airhead was built with a lot of heart and passion but I found it hard to truly enjoy from being constantly stressed about finding a constant air supply. Challenging puzzles and classic Metroidvania gameplay is to be had for fans, and while it may not be a long adventure, it was certainly memorable for as long as you can hold your breath.

In order to release a true Formula 1 experience Codemasters has included numerous tools to fine tune your own individual racing style, and true to the sport, saving half of a second can mean the difference between simply finishing or finishing at the top of your game and being the envy of all your peers. I applaud the developer for putting in the effort needed to create this great game and I also applaud anyone that reaches the top tier of F1 2010.

Where's the online play Kemco? We are definitely left wanting in that respect to this game. What a perfect genre to play on Live but for some reason developers left it out.

If you were a fan of Forsaken or Descent from back in the day, Sublevel Zero Redux is a no brainer, as it plays great once you learn it, looks fresh, and sounds great. Sure, it has some hiccups, but if you didn’t grow up in that era or are new to this type of genre, it’s a decent game to jump in with, as long as you know it will take some dedicated practice to learn how to fly how you want to without having to think about it.

The sounds and music in this game are authentic right down to the announcers.

With a new version in the works and coming out shortly, Rune Factory 4 Special is a great introduction to the series for newcomers and a great trip down memory lane for returning players, complete with a few new things to experience. It may feel dated at times, but it can be quite relaxing to farm one day and dungeon delve the next, all while giving gifts to your love interest.

With a Story and Arena mode along with the two included DLC’s, there’s plenty of content to sink your teeth into if you can get over the cumbersome and confusing menus. Once you learn its intricacies and how to upgrade your characters efficiently, Deep Sky Derelicts: Definitive Edition becomes a much more enjoyable turn based card battler. The writing is well done, combat is incredibly strategic and there’s plenty of depth for anyone looking to be a space mercenary and earn their citizenship while fighting aliens and raiders.

While the story is fantastic the gameplay leaves me frustrated at the best of times. If THQ had given the developers an advance and allowed them to do a couple more months of fine tuning and beta testing I’m certain we would have seen a different score.

I would have never imagined that taking Pac-Man’s core gameplay and spinning it into a hacker game with a cyberpunk backdrop would make sense or work, but here we are. Cyber Protocol may be repetitive at times and challenging with its trial and error difficulty curve, but at least the soundtrack is absolutely kickass throughout. I’m a sucker for anything cyberpunk, and if it has a kickass synthwave soundtrack, consider me sold. Needless to say, Cyber Protocol checks both of these boxes.

While Xbox will never have Animal Crossing come to the console, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is essentially as close as you’re going to get, and arguably, a more robust experience. Sure, Yonder could use a little more depth in some areas, I appreciate the freedom to do and focus on whatever I want without any pressure or objectives I don’t want to complete if I don’t desire to. If you’re looking for a title to relax and unwind with that’s simple to understand and play, Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles should be looked at.

Gunfire Reborn was fun to play alone, but it shined when I was playing with someone, almost as if it really was meant to be played alongside with a friend. Gunfire Reborn shines in some aspects, and not so much in others, but it is definitely worth a try if you have Xbox Game Pass, especially if you can get someone else to join you. It may not be game changing, but with smooth satisfying gunplay and an expansive build system, there is a lot to explore in Gunfire Reborn.

Overall I did enjoy Typoman for what it is; a fun, short 2D platform puzzler. It may not have a long gameplay length or much replayability, aside from achievement hunting, but I enjoyed the majority of my time with HERO. Well, at least the times I wasn’t dying repeatedly or standing around trying to figure out what word I needed to create to get the opposite word, so I could construct a different word, and the opposite of that, to solve a puzzle. Its biggest downfall is that you’re essentially shoehorned into solving the puzzles in a way they were specifically designed, not allowing much freedom or the ability for your own creative solutions. Typoman may be a short one-off adventure, but its best parts are fun and work well, making up for its those sections that bring frustration.

I know that I complained about elements of Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm in this review, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good game. Sure, it’s held back from being great or even exceptional by these things, but it remains a very solid 3D RPG. If you’re looking for something to scratch your Zelda itch, and maybe don’t own a Nintendo Switch, this is something you could definitely check out. I personally enjoyed it more than my time with Tears of the Kingdom, despite adoring Breath of the Wild, but that’s because I hated the new physics puzzles and building mechanics they added in, and didn’t enjoy those elements at all.

It's a simple yet fun arcade style racer that shouldn't be passed up if you've been yearning for something Mario Kart-esque or want to remember how fun Crimson Skies was in a way. At 1200 points it seems a little steep but if you're a fan of the power-up racers you'll thoroughly enjoy it.

Ultimately while GoldenEye 007: Reloaded is loosely based off of the original source material, the big question is, should you part with $60 to pick up this game? If you are looking for a beefed up version of the Wii title, then without question as you will find a lot to enjoy with GoldenEye 007: Reloaded. However, if you are a purist then unfortunately you will not find this game filling that void.

Rainbow Six Extraction’s ‘fun’ is almost solely going to be based on if you have a three person squad with some friends and how effective your communication and strategy is. Another reviewer friend that was playing wasn’t enjoying Extraction nearly as much due to playing solo, but once I found two friends and gained out a handful of levels and Operators, it starts to fall into place and the fun begins, even if it does become repetitious later on. As to the longevity, that will depend on if you enjoy Extraction’s very challenging endgame and what content will be released in the future.

As I played through Weird West (and wrote this review) I talked to many people, none more than one person in particular who often laughed and sent memes about how much I hated the game but kept going back to it. I will confess, I wasn’t a fan at the beginning, but now I’m deep in the midst of a second playthrough because I want more. That, to me, is what any game wants for its audience. Something that resonates with them, something they want to talk about and share. Weird West was never really weird enough in the supernatural sense, but compelling enough for me to get past the unremarkable loot and lackluster weapons, just to dive deeper into the stories of five unlikely heroes of their own wild west stories.

DARQ: Complete Edition is an example of quality over quantity, as it is quite short and doesn’t offer much replayability, but it’s a unique and memorable experience with its surrealism. Just as you start getting into it though, it’s over, and while not all that challenging, it may be a little too expensive at its full price, but find a good sale and you’ll have a short but sweet time exploring Lloyd’s dream world in a single sitting.

While it’s a short career at just a few hours, it’s certainly a memorable one. Techno Banter is filled with hilarious and clever writing that’s sure to illicit some laughs. It’s an odd premise but it works surprisingly well and is wildly weird in all the best ways.

While MotoGP 20 will be challenging for novices, it’s still accessible with its assists and options to make it possible to still be competitive in races eventually, though it will take quite a few hours to get to the point of actually winning as there’s not much in ways of a tutorial to ease you into the gameplay. For vets and MotoGP fans, there’s enough here to keep you challenged and tons of new additions that should appease you for another year until the next season starts.

Hardcore RPG gamers might strive for more in the end but anyone starved for a decent RPG title will find an adequate title here, so strap in and head towards the endless star ocean.

With a driver level and an improved Autolog, The Run is a fun time regardless of the campaign's shortcomings. Challenges and multiplayer is what's going to keep The Run in your Xbox 360 during the holidays and I would suggest a purchase of the game if multiplayer is what you want to invest the majority of your time into, rather than the story.

It is an interesting little indie game that deserves attention. Sure, it may be flawed in places, but its issues do not have a greatly negative effect on what is, a neat and intriguing game. It is a game that is quite good as is, but could've been very good with more time in the proverbial oven.

Co-op is needed to get the most enjoyment from these space monkeys’ construction workers, but the lack of online co-op for console was a major drawback and disappointment. If you have some local friends or family to play alongside with, Bonkies can be quite an entertaining night of gaming, but if you’re planning on playing alone, you may want to wait for a deep sale before blasting off.

If you own a Wii and played the first two Just Dance games then Greatest Hits really offers nothing new to you unless you really want to see if you can do the moves properly with Kinect now being able to see how you're 'actually' dancing. If you enjoy the dancing game genre and are looking for some new tunes to dance to, Just Dance Greatest Hits may essentially be a song pack, but most people picking it up for Kinect probably haven't played the original games anyways.

What Eternal Hope lacks in originality of its gameplay it makes up for in heart. It’s a story of love, loss and redemption. Ti’bi, like a lot of us, is just struggling to keep moving on and moving forward. Clever dual dimension gameplay and a simple but emotional story make this a great little game if you want a heartfelt adventure to get lost in for a few hours.