Do Not Fall may have its frustrations, but the overall game play is sound. If you really enjoy puzzle platforming games, it’s not a bad choice.

As a big fan of Into the Bridge, I was expecting more from Grit and Valor – 1949. I ended up enjoying the real-time combat nature of the game even though I was expecting something turn-based. Mechs for me are always cool and some of these had a neat design but the inability to be able to target specific units feels like a huge miss. Grit and Valor isn’t a bad game necessarily it just doesn’t really feel like a good one either; it just doesn’t feel very interesting.

An extremely enjoyable ride. If you can get past doing the same objectives to progress the story such as having to beat up a certain amount of bad guys or saving so many civilians, and forgive the camera issues, this game is more than awesome.

It's a solid game and can definitely provide some fun, but it's not anything unique that you'll be itching to invite people over to play.

Omega Force’s attempt to enter the roguelite space with Warriors: Abyss is sadly quite underwhelming. I had some fun battling the waves of demons with the plethora of playable characters. But with some ugly graphics, no real randomization in levels/layout or bosses and limited gameplay features, this one is better left to the uber fans, even at its discounted price.

Echoes of the End won’t be for everyone. If you need endless sidequests, checklists, or high-octane action around every corner, this might feel too subdued. But if you appreciate a more deliberate pace, strong presentation, and a story that respects your time, it’s worth diving into. At the end of the day, it’s not a perfect package, but it’s a memorable one. And during a time where there are more games than we have hours in a day; that may be Echoes of the End greatest strength.

Alien Breed 2: Assault is a decent game that suffers mostly from poor design. Levels feel much longer than they actually are, and repetition sets in far too soon.

As long as you can overlook the simplicity of the game play, the abundance of cut scenes and its ridiculous amounts of cuteness then there is a lot of fun to be found within.

Overall, Nights of Azure is a rather unremarkable ARPG that just happens to have a gorgeous art style and a fantastic soundtrack. Even though it’s not likely to become the new flagship franchise for the developers at Gust, it’s a solid attempt at a new genre and a good distraction until the next Atelier title releases later this year.

Playing against other human beings is where Worms shines the most and it’s just as fun as I remember it those many years ago.

Assassin’s Creed Chronices: China is a nice change of pace for the series, and a great way to spend $10. I had a great time with the experience, and am on board for the next two whenever they release. If you like bite-sized stealth adventures like Mark of the Ninja, this is definitely one to check out.

Full Metal Schoolgirl falls flat as a roguelike, failing to deliver on randomization, synergies, equipment variation, and interesting upgrades. Every attempt feels about the same in terms of structure, and it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the office floors might as well be static due to how little they change every time you start a new climb. D3’s earnest attempt at making an original roguelike does not go unnoticed, but as charming as it is, Full Metal Schoolgirl is still a subpar game, and the fact that it nears the price of an AAA title in some regions makes it even harder to recommend.

This is by far the game that should have been released originally, and even while the giant T-Rex fight is still ridiculous, I had a ton of fun slicing enemies in half as the original ninja warrior.

Sniper Elite III is a mediocre game with a gimmick that escalates it to be more enjoyable than it should be.

Turok Remastered is exactly what I expected it to be, and I enjoyed the nostalgia trip. I hope they continue with the series, as Seeds of Evil is still my favorite in the franchise. Turok was a series that definitely had its chance, but I don’t think ever got the proper game it deserved. I love revisiting these old N64 titles in a new light, and who knows, perhaps in a few years the dinosaur hunter can once again become relevant in gaming.

This game was made for a target audience in mind, and it does well for the target audience. If you think you'd be into simulation games, particularly train simulators, you won't be able to find a better one than this.

Shadow Man Remastered is a great game and I hope those with fond memories enjoy it as much I do. I hope those unfamiliar will give this a shot as well because while this is a game from the 90s it feels very modern in the controls. A simple walkthrough will help stop any unnecessary wandering and backtracking is necessary for completion so I say use that walkthrough guilt free. For $20 there’s a lot of game here, so skip the basic port Nightdive previously put out and do not buy the old console versions because they cost close to $20 and they don’t run as well. This is the definitive version of Shadow Man and I hope that maybe… just maybe… Nightdive figures out how to remaster Shadow Man: 2econd Coming (and fix its horrible title).

A safe sequel that does more to refine the franchise than re-invent it. If you are a fan then there may be enough here to satisfy your need for speed, but if the last outing left you craving something new than this is not your game.

Growlanser has flaws, sure, but the scope of the story and the complexity of the world beneath it really are fantastic. Don't give up on the game in the first hour or two, it continues to improve and impress as you play.

Lukewarm Media set out to do one simple thing with Primal Carnage: let people play, as and fight, dinosaurs. They hit that mark and then some. Even with no level progression, I still come back to it just to eat some humans. For $15, you get the closest thing there is to a Jurassic Park multiplayer game, and it also happens to be a lot of fun.

Strike Suit Zero: Director’s Cut is a decent game that simply needs more variety.

TurnOn is a simple game, which is both a blessing and a detriment. The frustrating parts really drag down the overall experience, and the core game itself just isn’t that interesting. Sometimes simplicity is not the answer.

Rad Rodgers struggles to find its groove through most of the game, but it does spark that nostalgia I grew up with. I wanted to love it more than I did, but never actually hated playing the game. There are bright spots when the design or poor writing isn’t dragging it down.

Guns of Icarus: Alliance is one of those games that has some great ideas and thought out implementation, but with some aspects of the performance and execution, it starts to hit some rough patches after a while. Finding a crew that works well together and does the right jobs at the right time can most certainly make this game stand out with some fantastic moments.

Anyone concerned that this is a quick cash-in can leave those assumptions at the door as the game is actually a solid addition to anyone’s portable library.

Fate/Extella is a title that has a lot to live up to due to the immense popularity of the Fate series as a whole. However, it doesn’t do much to stray from the typical formula set forth by the countless other musou titles on the market. It sports a serviceable but unremarkable combat engine, along with a story that felt just as disposable as one of the tens of thousands of enemies I left in my wake.

The most important thing to remember about all of this though is that this collection was intended for the fans. Much like Atlus’ other efforts delivering this title the way it was intended in the beginning is likely an event for fans of the original games.

Spanning well over thirty hours with five different endings, there’s a great deal of fun to be had in the world of Ar nosurge. It’s just unfortunate that the lack of localization for the prequel ends up hurting the full enjoyment of this great sequel.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms XIII is most certainly not for everyone.

At the end of the day, Call of Cthulhu is a pretty fun game. I enjoyed my time with it throughout and it really had me going every time I booted it up. Sure, it’s not the best looking or the smoothest playing game, but it has the atmosphere and some interesting mechanics that I think any horror fan should check out. I was expecting something completely different from what I had thought this game to be and what I got, I realized I liked way more that what I expected.

A solid if not predictable shooter that manages to get the gimmick right. The included gun peripheral is a nice novelty and the shooting is actually quite enjoyable. The repetition will start to wear on you after a while but if you can look past that it should be a good time with the kids. If you love Nerf and are looking for a non-violent shooter to play with your kids I highly recommend checking out this quirky, but entertaining title.

The game does still offer up some pretty good jump scares and a fantastic creepy feel.

The presentation of the game is lacking. The psychedelic backgrounds are interesting to look at in 3D, but there is only one per mode. The music is also extremely limited, which means turning down the volume is your best course of action.

Exit the Gungeon is ultimately neither a good bullet hell game, nor a particularly fun experience. All in all, it’s a pretty bite size offering that lacks the variety one would expect from a full PC title. The lack of a twin stick control scheme, combined with the gun blessing sweepstakes and the requirement for constant jumping and dodging, means aiming at enemies isn’t fluid. The blessing mechanic effectively feels like a mod – something a player might try out for fun, or to change up their experience with the game, or to add a new challenge into the mix. In reality though, there is unfortunately no uninstalling this feature. Players are better off sticking to mobile, or more sophisticated shmups.

A fantastic update to the classic twin-stick shooter formula. I would be thrilled to see either a more substantial retail release using this format or an online-enabled downloadable sequel.

Shenmue III feels like a game that would have been revolutionary in 2003. Maybe that is what the fans wanted. This is a game that flopped massively when it released and somehow has garnered a cult following that clearly wants more of what it delivers. Shenmue III delivers just that. A game that feels like it time travelled to 2019 from the Dreamcast era and I think that is just fine with the fans. They got what they wanted and I am thrilled for them, but anyone coming in to see what all the noise is about is likely going to come away confused as to why it took 18 years to create the game in front of them.

The term so close, yet so far away fits perfectly here. I adore so much of what this game does, but the combat becomes its Achilles Heel. With some tweaking this could easily be a franchise action RPG I would gladly play every few years. As it sits now, the frustration kept me from enjoying the best parts of Shiness and its world.

Mafia III is one of the best stories in a video game I have played this year, heck I would go as far as to say this generation. It is wrapped around some pretty standard and repetitive open world game design though, which does do it a disservice. Still, the locales and world resonate with me, and the story kept me coming back for more, and that speaks volumes. This game will certainly be on my mind when it comes time to discuss the best of 2016, and I think it is more than worth looking past its blemishes to check it out.

In the end Batman feels like a rough start, and if I wasn’t such a fan of the characters, I am not sure I would come back for more. However, being such a huge fan I find myself wanting to see where it goes, warts and all, which is something Telltale seriously needs to address. This engine has been chugging along far too long, and instead of acquiring new licenses for properties, it might be time to take a break and build a new engine, one that can handle these grand narratives they are trying to build.

I think most of us of a certain age has seen the movie Heat, robbing banks man; paper chasing. Well, the video game Payday is a lot like that movie, in its players take on various heists of money, diamonds, and more dangerous things. If they prepare correctly these crimes can go off without a hitch and so much as a roach being stepped on. However, in my experience in Payday things devolve into shootouts with the cops, exchanging hostages for more time oh and like a week of not being able to play due to the servers not working.

As a fan of the No More Heroes and Suda51 in general, it pains me to see the series stumble in this way, as the insufferably dull combat and a cast of uninteresting villains has me pondering, “will there truly be no more heroes?”

While Rebirth 2 is a massive improvement over the PS3 version in terms of performance, I felt the newly included mechanics and playable characters didn’t quite add enough to warrant double dipping for those like me who have already finished the title once before.

The single player game is all but useless here unless you love repeating the same things over and over again, but when you get a solid group of players together for a six-man castle romp, things really open up.

Those who have never bought into the series will not be blown away by the new additions. Those who love the games will enjoy this one as well, even with some touchscreen missteps.

There are a lot of fighting games currently in gamers’ minds, and Dissidia does little to steal any of that mindshare. Without the Final Fantasy characters it would just be considered a mess. The fights are overly long and just not that enjoyable to play. The single player content is sparse at best, and playing online requires constant communication and teamwork that doesn’t feel as rewarding as it should. I tried and tried to love this game, but it kept fighting me at every turn. There are too many great fighting games out there currently to recommend sinking time and resources into this one.

The game clocks in at less than three hours with a skilled gamer at the helm, but kids interested in taking Sid and his friends on a fun journey will find plenty to love.

NBA 2K21 is a tough game to review. On the court, the game is mostly very good. The passing and dribbling feels excellent and the My Career mode is certainly well-acted. It could easily be a high 8 or 9 if the whole progression system didn’t feel so broken. If you know how aggressive the microtransactions are going in, and are willing to either stall your progress or spend the money, you’ll find a really good on-court game here. If not however, it’s likely to be a very frustrating experience.

With its odd and yet striking visual style, State of Mind presents an intriguing world, in the precipice of a revolution. Following the exploits of a deeply flawed and complex character, the journey through the streets of Berlin is a fruitful one that I’m sure to remember. However, a myriad of pacing issues as well as a lack of interesting gameplay elements makes it very unlikely that I’ll be visiting the year of 2048 anytime soon. Perhaps we’ll see in thirty years.

The gurus at Atlas have once again graced us with a fantastic piece of gaming art. If you own a 3DS, then you owe it to yourself to try this great game.

Book of Shadows is a very interesting game. I do enjoy good visual novels, and for the most part, this game tells a rather compelling tale. Granted, it won't be for everyone, but if you don't mind a good amount of gore and some really creepy set pieces, then this game will not disappoint.

Tron: Catalyst is one of those games that’s easy to admire, even if it doesn’t quite hit every target. It builds a compelling world, executes an interesting premise, and looks incredible doing it. But by the end, the cracks start to show. Combat could use more depth, the Glitch mechanic feels underdeveloped, and the world; despite its beauty it really lacks things to do. Still, for fans of Tron, isometric action games, or stylish sci-fi in general, this is a strong entry. I’d love to see Bithell take another swing at this universe. With more time and ambition, a follow-up could turn these sparks into something explosive.

Not a bad game by any means; it is just not going to appeal to those who are not fans of the show.

Resident Evil 6 is truly one of the best experiences I have had with a game this year. It is just loaded with content, and playing co-op with a friend is definitely a blast.

Guinness World Records the Video Game isn’t a bad game, but in a market with so many other “party” type games available like Raving Rabbids and Mario Party, there really needs to be more done in order to make this game stand out.

High on Life is a fantastic experience hindered by some technical shortcomings. The world and characters are simply fantastic and it is genuinely hilarious, which is one of the hardest things in gaming to achieve. This game shot up my list of the best of 2022 from the outset and it didn’t disappoint by the end. I really enjoyed my time with it and look forward to what the team works on next. The fact that it is available on Game Pass is just icing on the cake. I can’t recommend this game enough, it is a wonderful way to end the year and more than worth playing through.

While it still isn't perfect, Godfather II is leaps and bounds above the first game, and one of the most engaging titles I have played all year.

I really enjoyed Shank. It was a somewhat short experience of around four hours, but the entire time I was having fun. The combat and the platforming all flow so smoothly throughout the game.

Looking past the dumb mini-games and small issues, I can see just how enjoyable Thunder Wolves can be. If you enjoy a good action title with a lot of explosions, you may want to check it out.

For ten bucks, this a decent platformer that I think people will enjoy if they like the trial and error kinds of game that require a little bit of thought.

I loved Dead Island when it came out, but I wonder who this collection is for. The games included are not that old, and with Techland’s newest entry leaps and bounds above what these games did, it is hard to go back. Still for $40 for the pair one cannot argue the amount of value packed into this package.

There’s supposed to be four Kirbys racing at all times and the lack of an online player base and the lack of four player split-screen multiplayer just makes it hard to recommend this game at all. It’s a good game marred by the fact that like a lot of great multiplayer focused games, the player base is lacking and the game suffers for it. I would give this game an 8 had it not been for the fact that the online player base isn’t very strong and I do not want to recommend a dead game to people. At least it has an offline single player mode I guess.

There is plenty of game to warrant your $60 and the flavor of the franchise is written all over it.

With a solid online component, a vastly improved career mode, and plenty to unlock Full Auto 2 is a great addition to the PS3 library, let’s just hope the developers take their time and give us a true sequel next time around.

I wanted to love Hard Reset Redux, especially after coming off Doom, which had scratched that 90s FPS itch I have almost annually. There just isn’t enough here to satisfy. Gunplay feels weak, enemies are boring to kill, and the world wears out its welcome quickly. Nothing about this game is overly offensive to the senses, but it just never stands out from the pack either.

FUEL has a ton of potential, and moments of brilliance stashed under its rough exterior. The problems are hard to ignore though, and unless you have a ton of time to dedicate to it, the races will likely grow boring long before you uncover half of this massive world.

From the view to all the fancy stuff you can do, Madden is the football game. But, if you are tired of all that realism and just want a blast from the past, or just want to get your kid into football, Tecmo Bowl Throwback is the game for you.

The story and aforementioned items are definitely worth the price of admission. Just be wary of what you are getting into before taking the plunge.

City of Brass has a great theme and aesthetic, but falls victim to the same issues most roguelikes have. I feel like a broken record every time I review one saying this would have been a better traditional game as opposed to a run-based one. Still, there are neat ideas and the theme of it is hard not to love.

If you’re here to find out if the collection is worth $30 all I have to say to you is that it is a bundle of roms in a half decent emulator wrapped up in an uninteresting package. If you have ever emulated anything on a PC, you’ve likely had a similar experience and this game offers very little more than that outside of a rewind feature and you can decide if that is worth $30 to you.

Rocketbirds 2: Evolution was a fantastic surprise for me. Having never touched the first game (even though I owned it through PS+), I had no idea what to expect. In the end what I got was a mostly solid single player campaign, with a co-op mode that could have me coming back for ages.

Disintegration is a solid game that relies too heavily on the wrong pieces. The multiplayer is limited and the campaign feels haphazard at times. I still really enjoyed my time with it and suggest everyone give it a look down the line. Not sure if the multiplayer aspect will have a tail outside of the launch window, but the campaign is solid and the mix of styles really sets this game apart from a lot on the market.

The single player campaign is a solid romp that will appease most shooter fans. But like I mentioned earlier there are frustrating moments throughout.

Probably the most feature-rich PSN game to date. It supports every single feature PlayStation 3 owners have come to expect from their system and a few that they probably are not aware of. The online play is the brightest point, but with the current problems it really holds the title back from its full potential.

Supermarket Mania is a quick, simple little game that offers a decent challenge and can keep you busy for about 3 or 4 hours.

Doom 3 BFG Edition is an outstanding package for the price tag. If you have never played the original Doom 3, it is a must for fans of the genre.

Ultra Age is anything but ‘Ultra”, and that’s alright. While its not the best example of a modern-day Devil May Cry it is however an excellent example of Devil May Cry from the PS2 era. Whether on accident or on purpose the game felt just cheesy enough that it could be an homage to DMC’s heyday or maybe it is just a cheesy story about a kid looking to find the secret to immortality. Whatever side of the line you land on, the constant will be that Ultra Age is a lot of fun to play. While its systems might not be deep; the enjoyment of juggling combos/blades and enemies is worth the 7 hour length.

Shadow of Rose is a neat package with a solid campaign as well as new features for the original game. At $20 this is a solid pick-up. It was great revisiting the main game and the new content really fleshes out Rose’s role in this whole universe.

I feel Double Dragon is a game that should have been left alone, and Neon proves it by showing that 25 years later, the beat-em-up genre just doesn't have the chops to cut it anymore with current expectations.

Star Wars Battlefront II stumbles out of the gate with its progression system. I hope it gets ironed out because the underlying multiplayer is extremely fun. The campaign is short and sweet, but a little too fan-servic-y for me. As it stands this is a solid sequel with some highly noticeable blemishes. I will continue to play because of my love for Star Wars, but I do hope it gets ironed out before players lose interest.

It’s a shame that Monochroma ended up this way, as there are sparks of brilliance buried within. There is a real quality to the sound and level design, which really add to the atmosphere and the puzzles could have been challenging with a little extra work. But the poor controls and the frequent frame-rate issues hamper this puzzle platformer. If you liked Limbo, do yourself a favor and go and download Inside instead.

There’s nothing inherently wrong with the core concept, but it’s not one that holds up on its own.

I enjoyed the single player and slower pace of Code Fairy. I was finally able to get a handle on the combat and movement system that Battle Operation uses. But really the true cherry here was the fantastic story of the Noisy Fairy Squadron, watching this team start off on shaky ground but ultimately coming together and meshing as all good teams do was just the feel-good story that I needed to see. Its one that really resonates with people, and the fact that it's so well done and is an all-female team is a nice chef’s kiss.

Anyone concerned that this is a quick cash-in can leave those assumptions at the door as the game is actually a solid addition to anyone’s portable library.

The Sims 4 is not a bad game. In fact, I had a great time with the gameplay of watching my Sim learn, grow, and find love in all the goofiest ways I could imagine. It really felt both simple and deep at the same time, and either way you play it, you’ll find something to keep your attention. Unfortunately, the controls are going to be a chore to use more times than not,and even after getting the hang of them, you may still dislike them. I know I did. If only the controls were as good as the game, I would recommend it in a heartbeat to players looking for that simulation game with some goofiness, but with the controls the way they are, I would suggest sticking with the PC version if you can. If you do decide on getting the console version, be warned, you will need to get used to the controls and even when you get used to them, you will still find them difficult to use.

In spite of the wacky and colorful art design, Shikhondo: Soul Eater is a bland and unfulfilling experience. The gameplay is just okay, and there are no hooks that give this Flatline a heartbeat.

Knights of Azure 2 was not an awful experience, just a thoroughly mediocre one. Combat is dull and simplistic; game performance lacks; many of its systems never amount to much and – its visuals are likely held back by the Vita, a device that westerners forgot about 5 years ago.

In the end, Black Rock Shooter: The Game isn’t quite the standout title that will entrance the world’s audience, but it offers a glimpse of what could have been and makes me hopeful for the future of the series in the gaming medium.

With arcade-like, simplistic game play and easy controls, Tecmo Bowl: Kickoff gives a nice little alternative to the realism found in that other football title. Now if we could only get an Xbox Live Arcade or PSN version with online leagues life would be grand.

Zombie Apocalypse is a great addition to both downloadable services. It is mindless fun that can feel repetitive if you let it.

The Sinking City is a fine game that is only brought down by the scale of the world. A smaller, more compact city with more unique assets would have gone a long way to reduce my issues with gameplay and maybe even the technical issues. When the only benefit to exploring an area with monsters and killing them is supplies that I need to shoot more monsters, I question why that is there and why I had to walk four blocks to get there. This is also Frogwares’ first foray into an open world title and maybe their next title will fix these issues. Regardless, The Sinking City is a great game that I am sure will become a cult hit, especially when it makes its way to Steam next year.

I have found myself playing this a lot more than the Halo 3 beta, which a lot of my friends are angry about but Shadowrun is very addictive.

We Ski & Snowboard is the textbook definition of a casual game. Rarely do you find yourself pushing forward to unlock new areas or challenges, and outside of posting some pictures on the Wii Message Board the game lacks interactivity.

King Oddball has a lot of levels on offer and its similarity to Angry Birds in terms of game play means it is a title which can be picked up and put down in order to pass a few minutes of time. However, it lacks the addictive nature, challenge, variety and charm of Angry Birds.

Toy Odyssey disappointed me almost from the start, but in a very conflicting way. I immediately could tell the core action and platforming where rough, but I enjoyed the visuals and story elements. A game that quite frankly walks a straight line right down the middle for me. As a game, I grew frustrated with it, as an idea I wanted to like it more. If players are dying to get their hands on another metroidvania style game that has a unique concept behind it, it’s not a horrible game to take a chance with. Just know going in, its core mechanics definitely needed some fine tuning.

Marlow Briggs and the Mask of Death sounds like a straight to VHS (DVD or Blu-Ray for the kiddies) action movie starring a washed up 80s action star *cough* Carl Weathers *cough*. But this doesn’t make it any less fun. In fact for anyone searching for a quick God of War-type fix, I can’t recommend it enough. I had fun from beginning to end, and the cheese was just the right amount of thick.

Mole Control may not be a perfect game and it sure as hell doesn't follow the fall and rise of a dysfunctional family in the town of Molar Creek. But what it is, is a fun title that can be enjoyed by a vast audience. A good balance of difficulty but challenging puzzles makes sure the player is never bored.

Like most RPG’s Jax will not save the world alone, Elex 2 does offer some companions to take along on the journey. Only one at a time can accompany the player but because the AI is so laughably bad in this game, they really only serve a purpose as a ‘meat shield’. Honestly, my companions were getting dropped more than they were hitting enemies in almost every instance. It was about this time that I really began to wonder what people were talking about when they praised the original game so much. Maybe it is that much better than this one, but Elex 2 is pretty bad. Worse than that I personally didn’t find it fun, no disrespect to those that love it. As I said at the outset, I don’t mind ‘janky’ games, but Elex 2 was just ‘bridge too far’ for me.