As a fan of the Transformers since the very first episode in 1984, I couldn't help but feel disappointment when playing Dark of the Moon – Decepticons. The license deserves so much more.

Lack of online and sketchy graphics headline the game’s serious flaws while the wonky co-op camera almost kills the idea of any type of multi-player action.

If it wasn’t so difficult to get high scores in levels, Alien Spidy would be a fun and challenging game, but the combination of a difficult point system, inaccurate controls and constant loading screens between restarts bring this game down to a frustrating chore.

As a fan of the Transformers since the very first episode in 1984, I couldn't help but feel disappointment when playing Dark of the Moon – Autobots. The license deserves so much more.

Sonic Riders is simply a weak attempt to cash in on the popular Sonic brand with a bare bones racer that simply does everything to the "average" degree.

Being a fan of puzzles games I can handle all the issues at play here, and it makes for an interesting adventure at the least. If the genre never did anything for you personally or you have a passing mild interest, this won’t be the game to convert folks or even give players their money’s worth.

There’s not much I can say about Narcosis. It was too short of an experience to really gather a lot for it. At the same time, this was made for VR and I’m sure if I had played it in VR it would have had a bigger effect on me. Unfortunately, while this is supposed to be a horror game, I never once jumped or was creeped out. To be honest, I was more slightly confused and annoyed with some of the choices the developers made when it came to both exploration and platforming. If you’re still interested, there are a few redeeming qualities, but not many. I’d still hold off until a price drop.

While not inherently bad, Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters doesn’t really stand out from the pack.

A lesson in disappointment. After the outstanding Shattered Dimensions, I had high hopes for Beenox and their latest Spidey outing. Instead, I am left wondering what this game was trying to be and wishing it had been more.

There’s no nice way to say this- the combat in Woolfe is awful.

Is The Crew 2 an improvement on the original? Without a doubt, yes. Should Forza Horizon be worried? Nope. The improvements made to this sequel and its unique take on racing are let down by lack of improvements where it counts, and some design choices that left me scratching my head. Thankfully, Ubisoft have really set their stall out when it comes to supporting their games over long periods of time, so there may still be some hope. If you are looking for something to tide you over while you wait for Forza Horizon 4, sure you do worse than pick this game up. But I would recommend waiting on a price cut first.

In summation, Stranded Sails feels like a lot of potentially interesting combinations of systems and ideas that, in execution, is just too shallow and tedious to be all that much fun. The game certainly feels like it knew it didn’t have enough substance to stretch for their desired run time and thus slowed down and over-repeated the same loops to last longer. That’s really the only excuse I can think of as to some of the decisions made here. The shame of it is with some additional polish and deeper ideas the concept of a farming/exploration/action RPG can work very well, as we’ve seen with several other recent games. In this case though I can’t really recommend the game to anyone other than potentially younger players looking for a first entry into this style of game or huge fans of the farming/exploration genre who are desperate for something else to play.

Trinity Trigger has some really good ideas that sadly never get fleshed out. The story is quite unique and really could have been something if handled with a bit more care. What begins as a Legend of Mana-esque journey, soon delves into a mess of broken combat, poor directions for the player, and lackluster graphics. Which is really a shame, because with some more time in the oven Trinity Trigger might’ve been able to help differentiate itself from the sea of other RPGs out right now.

A fantastic concept poorly executed. All of the visuals and presentation seem in place, but the monotonous gameplay and boring combat really drag down the overall experience.

While I loved the movie’s story and heart, Detective Pikachu Returns at the end of the day just felt boring to me. In my opinion the best part about the game that sees players use partner Pokémon was wildly underused and the game would have been more fun with more of those. In a year like 2023 where Nintendo is dropping games like Legend of Zelda: TotK, Pikmin 4, Mario Wonder and more I think we can forgive them for having one case that was closed too early.

The combat gets repetitive too fast and there just isn’t enough here to really immerse the player into the game. The biggest problem with this game is that you have seen it before a million times and on most occasions it was done bigger and better.

Zenith is a game I wanted to enjoy more, and there are plenty of times I did have fun, but the combat was the most un-fun and unfair aspect of the game, and that’s what players will be doing the majority of the time.

Stray Blade has its ups with the colorful graphics and likeable protagonist but it’s a combat heavy game where the combat just isn’t fun which makes this one hard to recommend.

This really pains me to no end. I am a HUGE Transformers fan, and to have this game end up being this bad really hurts my soul. I mean the very basics for a transformers game is driving, fighting, and huge robots. They got one out of the 3 correct.

However if you are a fan of classic arcade driving games like Sega's aforementioned cabbie title then you may want to check Mayhem out. It can definitely entertain even if only for minutes at a time.

The Move controls may be great, but the game seems irrelevant in the current landscape, bringing nothing new to the franchise, genre or console.

At $50, it is not worth a purchase, considering there are better, much less expensive simulation games out there for other platforms. If this was in the $20 – $30 range, it might be a good fit for those that are diehard fans of the genre.

Except for its attempts to treat players like suckers, Oh, Sheep! is a good game for people who aren't likely to read reviews. If you're sophisticated and discriminating enough to be reading this, though, pass on it.

The problem arises from the fact that it never tries to better itself as you progress.

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.

There simply isn’t anything here to interest fans of the show, fans of good combat games, or even budget gamers looking for a solid downloadable title for their new consoles.

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.

The execution is sufficiently flawed that I would only recommend the game to someone interested in exploring what Angry Birds could have done. Happily, most of what frustrates me about the game could be improved in a later update, and the apparent commitment to continued development offers hope that it may soon fulfill its promise.

Republique has a great dystopian style world and a set up that had me hoping to overlook its simpler graphics, dated animations, and odd stuttering moments but the one thing that could have pushed this over the edge is fun factor, and that simply wasn’t there.

Crime Simulator on Xbox is far from polished, and the jank is noticeable, but the heart of the game; planning a heist, sweating through the tension, pulling it off against the odds; is genuinely satisfying if you are playing with friends. And while Co-op elevates it, solo play tests your patience, and the whole thing feels like a deliciously unstable tower of theft, luck, and questionable decisions.

These games feature the standard options and the emulation is genuinely solid in most cases. I had fun diving into each game, but again only a couple warranted a repeat viewing. This feels more like Taito Obscurities as opposed to Milestones. For the price it ends up cheaper than picking up each game individually, but that is assuming you want all ten games. As a collection this feels more like an afterthought than a solid purchase.

Ra Ra Boom has style and ambition, but style alone can’t make up for undercooked gameplay that never fully clicks. Combat is rough around the edges, the lane system just feels ‘there’ and the story lacks any real staying power. Ra Ra Boom feels like the type of game that presents well in motion and in screenshots but the fun starts to waiver the more time you spend with it.

Greg Hastings Paintball 2 is probably best played by people who have a deep love for the sport. If you are looking for just another FPS, there are far superior titles out there for you. The poor design of the game really brings it down, and even with such a deep level of customization, it will be hard for anyone who doesn't like Paintballing to get anything out of this.

Warriors All-Stars does have a degree of depth when it comes to the various interrelated systems that support what is, on the surface, rather simple gameplay when it comes to actual battles. There are plenty of endings for hardcore fans to pursue, and the game is likely to reward players who take the time to understand all the underlying mechanics. Sadly, the overall lack of polish, the game’s repetitive nature and the completely dysfunctional way in which information is presented to the player is a real let down. As a result, I don’t think Warriors All-Stars is a game that is going to win over many new fans. The combat is accessible but everything else is a bit of a chore.

I don’t hate Disney Speedstorm, worse I just feel kinda cheated. I didn’t mind that it was a F2P game, but the fact that the founders pack doesn’t unlock everything available at launch is disappointing. Especially when you look at how much grinding has to be done to get a toon up to a receptible level for multiplayer races. I loved the tracks and the music that blasted over them but being hit over the head constantly with so many of these free to play mechanics just makes this game frustrating to play and its really a shame.

Toren is a game that has its heart in the right place, but doesn’t execute it very well at all.

As fan service, it is adequate enough, bringing the style and humor that make the show a success.

I wanted to love Paranautical Activity a lot more than I did. I actually got addicted to Ziggurat and other titles using the same premise, at least for more than a handful of runs. Sadly, this title doesn’t bring anything new to the table, nor does it set itself apart outside of the visuals. The levels are boring and the enemies and shooting are not satisfying enough to keep it going.

Knack is a charming romp, but not one I could recommend shelling out full price for. The old-school difficulty combined with tedious combat make for an experience that simply isn’t enjoyable.

While there is some semblance of enjoyment to be had here for those who like to see numbers go up, to see a series I’ve adored and followed for nearly two decades take inspiration from garbage mobile games in the spirit of greed and becoming bastardized as a shell of former self, breaks my heart.

Spanning over forty hours for the main campaign with optional side quests and dungeons to spare, Rainbow Moon has a heck of a lot of content for its asking price. However, the combat lost its appeal within the first few hours with its repetitive nature, and without the support of a compelling story and interesting characters, I just couldn’t find the strength to see this journey to its end.

Capes has a really neat idea for sure, superheroes are still the hot thing and putting them in a tactical game is a cool idea. Unfortunately, the execution here was less than stellar; lackluster voice acting, dull combat, and heroes that frankly just don’t feel heroic. If you are looking for heroic, tactical action you’d be better off looking elsewhere; this isn’t the game you’re looking for.

Blood Knights is one of those games you’ll see one day for a ten dollar discount and say “Yeah, I’ll try it out.” And when you do, you may gather a bit of enjoyment out of it, but for fifteen bucks, this mediocre experience may be better off with the vampires for now.

Deadfall Adventures is a great idea gone wrong.

Tokyo Twilight Ghost Hunters Daybreak is a title that showed a lot of promise, with a great art style and an interesting premise. However, the atrocious combat mechanics hinder the overall enjoyment of the game so much to the point it’s difficult to recommend to anyone in particular.

As I said before, in the year of our Lord 2024 the fact that THIS is the G.I. Joe game that we get just feels bad. While G.I. Joe: Wrath of Cobra isnt a terrible game, its not a very fun one to interact with. From floaty combat to its subpar boss battles, I couldn’t help but think that this game was capable of so much more. Even with unlockable content to chase adding some replayability to the game, the real question is if gamers or even fans should bother playing this one at all.

I feel confident in saying that Subject 13 is adequate and passable to those who enjoy the more open and complicated variety of adventure games, especially for the asking price. For me, the back half’s frustration far outweighed all the other things that it had going for it.

Recompile is not an awful game by any means, but it is not much more than the sum of its parts. While the exploration works, its hindered by the spotty level lighting; you have a good assortment of weapons but putting them to use is underwhelming. Its almost as if for every step forward Recompile takes, it insists on taking one back. However, the saving grace is that its not a long journey through the motherboard, that is to say it is thankfully pretty short. So those folks that are forever chasing those achievements can rack up some score here, and its on Game Pass which makes the cost of admission even better. If you enjoy ‘metroidvania’ type games and you don’t mind the issues then there is fun to be had here, and you don’t even have to go digging in the dark web to find it.

Mario Party 10 strips so much of what I loved about past games and fills those voids with hoops to jump through to get that same satisfaction.

I wasn’t a fan of The London Case, admittedly I am not a huge fan of Hercule Poirot outside of live action media though. But for me this game just felt unpolished and perhaps rushed, which maybe it was because as I write this a new Hercule game is set to drop this very week. Again, this is a sequel in a series that I haven’t played so this may be an improvement I don’t know, what I do know is that for someone who enjoys mystery, adventure games The London Case shall remain unsolved for this fledgling detective.

Cabela’s African Adventures isn’t a broken game; it just feels quick and cheap. Considering it already existed outside of these new consoles, and the visual upgrades are hardly anything to write home about, it can be difficult to recommend this to fans of the series.

This game is not meant for true TMNT fans. If you have kids, or maybe a little cousin this would be a great gift for them, but not you. It’s really only saving grace for us true fans is that you can get all 1000 gamer score points in about 4 hours or so.

Despite having one of the most generic titles I’ve heard in a while, Neon Chrome has a lot going for it – a solid rogue-like, with plenty of upgrade options and exciting action. It’s such a shame that the HUD issue put a dampener on things. As it stands, I would have to recommend waiting on this until a patch it released to address the semi game breaking bug.

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.

I admire Dear Esther for what it did, when it did it. It was a novel concept that came from the humblest of beginnings. Unfortunately, the product of it all is short and unenjoyable. It feels like a dream in the worst way. It’s confusing, fatiguing, and the feeling of relief comes when it’s over. In that way, they couldn’t have done a better job.

When you completely ignore every other aspect of the game it doesn't matter how great your control scheme is. This feels more like a tech demo that was never supposed to be put onto a retail disc.

If you love games like this your best bet is to save your money and pour it into buying extra copies of Pilotwings Resort in the hopes that a resurgence in sales will lead Nintendo back into the genre.

Those looking for a solid co-op puzzle game might check it out if they already siphoned everything out of Chariot, but solo players need not even apply.

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?”

There are so many things wrong here it is hard to recommend it to even the hardcore shooter fans.

RWBY: Arrowfell isn’t a terrible game, it just doesn’t feel like this game lived up to the pedigree set forth by the teams involved. As I said I am not a fan of the source material, so I am curious to see what fans think but as a fan of side-scrolling adventure games sadly I find this one is lacking in the essence that arguably really makes this genre fun and its combat. There just really is no joy to be found in the combat here and that’s really a shame.

The one thing I was most excited about with Sons of Valhalla was the city-building aspect but sadly this ends up being a really shallow experience. As a fan of StarCraft, WarCraft and any number of games like that, I had hoped this would be similar but on a 2D plane. There is no real depth or strategy that takes place when building the city or training units. If you have a lot of big units, chances are you will prevail. I didn’t hate my time with Sons of Valhalla, I had just expected more from it.

Nearly every title from this company feels the same for the most part and that is a genuine problem with how many games they put out. Only the hardest of hardcore Warriors fans should even look at this title. Otherwise, there’s better games of this type from the exact same people.

I can see what this team was going for with this game, but sadly Romancelvania is a jack of all trades but master of none. If this was a straight up visual novel, I think the experience would have been richer, but with the lackluster combat, wonkiness of controlling Drac themselves and the last few contestants just feeling like they were thrown in the mix; I come away wishing for better for this game. It’s not a horrible game, but its not really a good one either, if you want to experience it for the laughs just know that it will come with the tears of having to deal with the combat.

Pigeon Simulator has a premise you want to root for. It aims for goofy, chaotic fun, and there are moments when you can see the spark of what it could’ve been. But the repetitive mission design, underwhelming flight controls, weak progression, and lack of comedic punch make it difficult to recommend. If you’re looking for a quick laugh and don’t mind the rough edges, you might get a brief kick out of it. But for me, this pigeon never quite spreads its wings.

At the end of the day though, this is just blackjack. It may be the most aesthetically pleasing version of blackjack, but that’s it. I would recommend skipping the console versions and trying out the mobile versions instead.

Sniper Elite V2 for the Wii U is a travesty. I really enjoyed the campaign, but stripping out half of the features and asking full price is criminal.

One Piece: Unlimited World Red certainly looks and sounds the part of a solid One Piece game but it drops the booty with its stiff controls and unsatisfying combat engine.

Overall I think Little Hope is just alright. I don’t think there’s anything special to be found here. The twist in the story has been done way better as well as the gameplay by the same studio from all accounts. I guess that the good news is that if like me this is your first Supermassive game it apparently only gets better from here.

The disappointment comes from the fact that it simply feels average. I left the game feeling like I wanted more, whether it was better visuals, more diverse game play, or simply a fresh helping of innovation.

Brunswick Pro Bowling is a fantastic package wrapped in some questionable control schemes.

The Forbidden Arts is a game that feels like a relic from the past. If someone had told me this was a budget title on Gamecube and somehow got the HD treatment, I would believe them. It just lacks polish and interesting content to keep players interested. I doubt many people have heard of this title and even fewer will remember it. It is just a plain adventure title that never steps outside the boundaries of mediocrity.

This game should have been a slam dunk (pun intended) when it comes to having fun. I adore Looney Tunes and all the sports here have several templates to mimic. Somehow they made just about every single one worse than its counterparts. It is almost impressive how off some of these feel. I wanted to love this game, and just came away so disappointed. I do not recommend picking this one up, even on a deep sale.

Aside from the art there isn’t much to love here, SBT can be one of those games that players can use when they want to turn their brain off and just move and shoot. But beyond that it’s just another day in the release of a Warhammer game; if you listen to the podcast, we make the joke about how they come every other week and only 1 is ever any good. Even for the price of $19.99 this game feels overpriced, there just simply isn’t enough game here even with the ability to play 4-player co-op. With the sluggish controls and aiming, and no real change in gameplay other than scenery this one may not please The God Emperor of Mankind.

This style of game is too dated to survive this generation in its current form. The game might be worth a shot to others at a heavily discounted price, but everyone else will quickly tire of the repetitive action and clunky gameplay.

Sonic and the Black Knight has so much unused potential. Fun for a short period of time, but the lag and shoddy gameplay would make even Robotnik turn in his grave. Although not completely terrible, most of the points come from the incredible production value and the sheer fact that it’s clear the Sonic Team are trying, they’re just not listening.

Two steps forward, one step back. I want to like Homefront Revolution more than I do. It’s got a good heart and some solid ideas buried behind the mess, and most players won’t be willing to put up with it. Those that do will find some solid moments of gameplay strewn throughout, but if it’s worth their time is ultimately up to them.

PDC Darts for the Nintendo DS is a prime example of a series that simply does not work well on the handheld.

Stone is a game that looks interesting on the surface. Sadly it falls short on delivering just about every step of the way. Achievement hunters should note that you can grab the full 1000 points in less than two hours and it is pretty effortless. I wanted to like Stone way more than I did. It just feels like it puts little effort into telling the story as interestingly as it is written.

I look at Skylar and Plux as the Little Engine that Could, but it ends up being the one that just couldn’t. I really wanted to like it, but with the glaring issues, it’s hard to recommend without a significant price drop. The platforming and jumping works and is actually very tight. That’s what kept me going. It’s bland in most aspects, but there is something there behind the surface. If you can find it, you may get some enjoyment out of it. Even then, I would still wait for a price cut.

Recommend only for the most hardcore of space simulation fans and patience is a must

Fuzion Frenzy 2 is a perfect example of the bare minimum that you can do to get a number after the title of your game.

When a game goes above and beyond to deliver an exceptionally well thought out and designed world, it’s breathtaking and amazing, but when the actually gameplay is so dull, so methodical, so repetitious with no variation whatsoever, it’s puts an extremely strong blunder on what could have been an amazing play through.

There are a ton of problems with this game. While some will find enjoyment in its dedication to realistic combat, I found the majority of the massive adventure to lack lasting appeal. Had I not been reviewing the game, I would have quit after only a couple hours and counted my losses. I respect new ideas and takes on genres, lord knows we need some fresh blood, but not at the cost of actual enjoyment. There are a billion other fantasy RPGs out there, and most of them I found much more enjoyable than Kingdom Come: Deliverance.

A fantastic narrative wrapped in some decent combat and plagued by poor design decisions. This is actually more disappointing because there is something here you want to experience, but the shortcomings really keep you from doing so.

A fantastic narrative wrapped in some decent combat and plagued by poor design decisions. This is actually more disappointing because there is something here you want to experience, but the shortcomings really keep you from doing so.

Nothing has been added, no care given, and sadly these games deserve better than that.

While it is a decent idea and concept, I still feel that Beyond Eyes is far too slow and unsatisfying when it comes down to the end.

Infinite Air is the epitome of an OK game. Nothing stands out, and the fun to be had is minimal. Also at the $50 price point it is hard to recommend to anyone, especially with Snow being free-to-play, and Steep just around the corner. It feels like the start of the genre and not the ultimate entry it so desperately wants to be.

While not inherently bad, Nickelodeon Kart Racers just feels a bit bland. The racing is totally fine and I had some decent races here and there when I bumped up the difficulty, but with a limited roster of characters from only four franchises, it boils down to a limited feature overall, and for 40 bucks, I would say that is a steep price to pay for something that I could be done with in about a weekend. Players looking for another kart racer and have experienced their fill of Mario Kart can find some fun here, but I would most certainly wait for a price drop. Even then, don’t go looking here for a bountiful game. There a fun one-off experience and that’s about it.

I mean this with all sincerity, the best EDF game is almost always the newest one but the one people should buy is always the last game because it’s likely on sale and is essentially the same game. I love EDF, but EDF 6 is a time travel story that blatantly reuses assets from EDF5… THEY EVEN SAID THE LINE ABOUT THE FROGS LOOKING LIKE PEOPLE. No amount of plot (the thing most people are not playing EDF) can justify this and to charge full price is unacceptable. Not only that, EDF 6 released and within a month EDF World Brothers 2 released in the same year Helldivers 2 has people looking for more stuff like that and I just don’t think dividing your audience is a smart idea but I’m not a publisher…

Obliteracers feels like a missed opportunity. There are some great ideas buried here. But missteps with the gameplay mechanics means that this game is likely to fall behind the pack when it comes to action racing games.

In 2024 there is an abundance of games in both our future and our past. I can’t recommend Turnip Boy Robs A Bank when there are better games to play, even if the game released into Game Pass there’s better ways to spend time and much better ways to spend time doing what Turnip Boy Robs A Bank is trying to do and in my opinion only just succeeding at. A passing grade is not a compliment. I promise the Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion review is more positive as this game made me go back and actually finish it because I wanted to make sure I didn’t misremember the hour I played when it came out (the button layout was messy so I put it aside) and I was glad to find out I wasn’t wrong. Turnip Boy deserves better.

I know Space Invaders is an important title and it still holds up extremely well, but I would have hoped Taito and Gotch Technology would put a little more effort into making a museum quality collection like those from M2 rather than just some titles that padded out a release. At least Space Invaders Extreme is still great.

I can't see much reason to play this unless you are just a shooter fanatic, and even at that, this one is mediocre.

SNK Heroines is a game that attempts to appeal to a very specific audience, but it is not even a good “one of those” games. It mishandles the aspects it is attempting to nail and is just not a lot of fun to play. With titles like Blade Strangers and Fighting Layer EX doing a better job at just about every aspect of the genre, there are better options available for players. I would avoid this one at all costs.

Senran Kagura 2: Deep Crimson knows what it is. It never apologizes for that, I just wish it was a better game.

If the idea behind the game interests you enough, read the book it’s based off of instead.