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.

Just Crow Things is a silly game full of mindless tasks wrapped up in potty humour. It’s nothing to be taken seriously and that’s a really wonderful thing. It’s not complicated mechanically, and I think it would be a lot of fun for players of all ages. While the gameplay can be a bit repetitive and the humour rather juvenile, I had a lot of fun with the game and it’s an easy recommendation from me.

Overall, Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a rather good game. Although it’s held back from being great by an almost too confined campaign, repetition and some pacing issues, it’s a quality release that should appeal to most, if not all, fans of this series and its genre. It’s worth checking out if it intrigues you, and is deserving of recognition, though I wouldn’t say it’s the best game in the series. I personally enjoyed the original and True Colors more.

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.

There’s always something to do and work on, and while some elements could have used a bit more explaining and be a little more console friendly, overall it’s port to console was done impressively well. Of course, I ‘cheated’ a bit with having my Razer Turret to make typing quicker, but it wasn’t a requirement, as the default controls worked just fine and intuitively with a controller in hand. I'm going to be adventuring on Aeternum for quite some time at my own pace, and won't be surprised when I reach a few hundred hours of playtime. Console players may have had to wait a few years, but Amazon Games has clearly put in a hefty amount of effort to do it right, but better late than never.

18 songs may not be a large tracklist, but the numerous difficulties and leaderboards encourage multiple playthroughs and trying to beat your previous scores. It’s going to take some serious practice to meld the musical and combat portions of gameplay together without having to think about it too hard, but once it does, it feels quite good to ride those ribbons while taking out some baddies with a barrage of missiles.

While there are some game breaking bugs and issues and achievements, all of these can be fixed with future updates. While the quantity is limited, the quality is not. It goes without saying that Gori: Cuddly Carnage is one title that delivers a quality story that is full of mind ****s and rewards you for going further down the rabbit hole.

While it’s intended for a younger audience, that didn’t stop me from enjoying every minute of the seven or so hours it took me to reach its final page as a full grown adult. While it may have not been a challenge in the slightest, it was a wonderful adventure full of humor, wonderful artwork, adorable characters and some really interesting gameplay. It’s clear The Plucky Squire was made with a lot of love and care, and I’m glad to have helped Jot along in his wondrous adventure.

There’s no denying that the pixel artwork of Kazuko Shibuya and the iconic melodies of Nobuo Uematsu have not only stood the test of time, but are just as great all these decades later. With updated graphics, rearranged music, and a handful of options to make the game more accessible, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a wonderful trip down nostalgia lane for decades-long fans like myself, but also the best way to jump into the series if you’ve not played the classics that started the long running and much beloved franchise. Pixel perfect nostalgia.

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.

The innovative combat is quite rewarding once you’re able to master it, but you’re going to have to persevere and struggle through that first few hours to really grasp how to do it properly. It’s clear Keylocker was made with a lot of passion and care across the board, and it’s probably one of the more unique and original games I’ve played in a while, I just worry many will not persevere through the early challenges that the game does practically nothing to teach you.

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.

Cat Quest III is simply a delight to admire with its bright beautiful colors and great artwork across the board. Even in the dark dungeons, you can appreciate its brooding aesthetic. Even though some might be disappointed with its short campaign, there’s plenty of side quests to complete, including NG+ with a drastically raised level cap, and an Infinity Tower to challenge yourself with. It’s hard not to smile when playing this paw-some indie game, as it’s just got a fantastic and warm vibe that doesn’t overstay its welcome.

Overall, I’ve never really played a game like Closer the Distance, and it’s one of the reasons this review took longer to write. I had a lot of big feeling about the game and its themes. Somehow this rated Teen game found a way to delve into some very deep topics without glossing over them or making them too light. There were some heartbreaking moments and some moments of levity too. All of that is true with the grieving process. Sometimes you will be sad, and other moments you will think of happier times and share a laugh with people who also knew the person you’ve lost. I often think about the line I heard somewhere that grief is really just all the love you never got to show someone. It’s a line I think of often and the developers found a way to make this game feel authentic and I appreciate them for that.

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.

With the first year of updates already planned and shown, there’s sure to be some cool additions for Solar Crown... eventually, but with the iconic Casino not even arriving until Summer 2025, you’ll need to embrace the grind to tide you over between Seasons. An arcade racer with a heavy social focus is what made Test Drive Unlimited popular in the first place, but in the years since its absence with Forza Horizon releases, the bar has been raised, one that Solar Crown isn’t quite at just yet. Solar Crown has the DNA of what made Test Drive Unlimited so revered, but it doesn’t quite have the same heart yet.

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.

There are plenty of modes to enjoy, single or multiplayer, and makes for a simple and enjoyable game you can play for a few rounds or number of hours. It’s clear HYPERCHARGE Unboxed was made with a lot of care, and if you’ve ever wanted Small Soldiers to be a game, this is it.

Read Only Memories: NEURODIVER starts out strong with an interesting cyberpunk narrative that had me intrigued with its cast of unique characters, but with a short runtime of around four to five hours, the final chapter seemed quite rushed and made the ending feel unsatisfying since it was just starting to get good. Even so, Neurodiver was still a psy-fi adventure I’m glad I was a part of, even if it didn’t quite and as strong as it began.

Now that Sam & Max: The Devil's Playhouse caps off the trilogy remakes, I’m hoping for renewed interest in the series, as there’s nothing quite like its humor, even still. It’s bittersweet to see a game you enjoyed (again) come to its conclusion, though I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the nostalgia trip with one of my favorite duos.

I loved Tchia enough that I will go back and search out every collectible I’ve missed. I was all the cute costumes and decorations for my raft. The game takes about 10 hours to play through, and although it was quite repetitive at times, I enjoyed it. It’s a straightforward game full of simple pleasures.

I could see some players not enjoying themselves since much of the ‘gameplay’ is simply running to a spot in the house and watching some dialogue, but if you become invested into each of the six individual stories and can understand how they are intertwined, it can be exciting to see how each decision changes follow-up events. While there’s no replayability once you’ve experience all of the events and save everyone, it’s still a great play on a weekend for narrative game fans.

Go Mecha Ball surprised me. Half pinball, half twin-stick shooter, it shouldn’t work on paper, but it really does. Once you can embrace the chaos and find the best way to play for yourself, it can be exciting. Feeling like it’s truly an original experience, Go Mecha Ball is a fun trip as you dash from one enemy to the next do it all again in the next run.

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.

Disaster Band is hilarious... at first. The novelty of playing terrible sounding music is funny for a while, but with such a limited song selection (currently), the gag can get old quickly. The potential for longevity is there with Mod.io support, but that will rest on the shoulders of the community to create, which has not been seen yet. At under ten bucks USD, I’d still suggest waiting for a sale until more song content is created. Maybe my Hot Crossed Buns on the recorder doesn’t sound too bad after all.

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.