The story here is enjoyable and the ending has some legitimately tense moments, but almost everything about it feels like it could have, and should have, been better.

When Blightbound works the way the developers intended the game is fantastic fun! Working together with your team searching levels for loot and fighting bosses is a blast. Which makes it that much more painful when you run into the issues with this game. Because you KNOW there is fun to be had here, you want to progress the story and find out more about this dark and gothic world. The beautiful contrast between the bright colors and dark a dreary environment is really a sight to behold. The puzzles, however simple they may be work to bring home that “adventuring” aspect of the game. Sadly, just about everything else is broken, and it makes you want to pull out your hair in frustration.

I had a good nostalgic time with Tony Hawk's Pro Skater HD. Sure, it may be missing some key elements, but for $15, you can still relive some of your favorite levels while listening to old ska and punk bands (with a little Public Enemy) playing in the background.

At the top of this I posed a question, does all this content equate to a better Call of Duty game, and I think the truthful answer is no. No doubt the team took some really big swings this year with the campaign, but I feel like they missed more than they hit with it. The lack of checkpoints and being always online is rough, especially when there are tons of fans who only play single-player and loves these games. If you are returning to Black Ops for the multiplayer or zombies then you are in for a great time, of course mileage may vary depending on which mode and if players vibe with it or not. But ultimately this year’s Call of Duty just feels like a big bag of melted candy, sure it will taste good but is the mess you got to work through to enjoy it worth it in the end?

It wasn’t all a flowery trip to Pottery Barn though; at launch there was some issues with matchmaking, but it was corrected pretty quick. Kiln actually performs quite well, aside from some longer loading times; I had really no issues with the gameplay or anything. In fact, my only real gripe is the lone game mode that is currently available. Not that there is anything wrong with quench because it is a lot of fun, but there is no variety outside of it and we all know that gamers get bored of things quicker than a babysitter’s boyfriend when a car pulls up. And even though the Kiln is on Game Pass I worry about the longevity of the game, especially since it’s multiplayer only. But I guess that’s tomorrow’s problem, for today we smash pots.

Inferno Pool is a cool concept hindered by slippery controls and poor replay value.

Even with the difficulties that are present, the platforming is never really clunky, and the overall experience is clearly a product of Grasshopper Manufacture. It is a strange ride that can keep players involved for a few hours. Saving frequently and keeping an open mind is a must, but for only ten dollars, you can get some enjoyment out of Black Knight Sword.

The bottom line here is that Trivial Pursuit the game is a must-have for fans of the board game.

Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2 Plus does not warrant the ‘Plus’ moniker. The game adds nothing to incentivize a second or third purchase. If you have never played it, and your only experience with the franchise is on the Vita, I can see taking the plunge.

With its simplistic but challenging gameplay, Rotastic will welcome you, no matter how adept you are at puzzle games.

Burnout CRASH! suffers from a developer who has take a very simple premise and tried to beef it up make it worth the 800msp asking price.. The only fun mode is Rush Hour and that really isn't worth getting the whole game for.

The game is leaps and bounds beyond the original, and the Battle for Earth mode is truly one of the most addictive distractions I have experienced in a DS game this year.

Monopoly Streets is a fantastic rendition of the classic board game that offers up just about any combination of play styles you can imagine.

Vertigo is a fun little title that takes the Marble Madness and Super Monkey Ball concepts into the budget arena. Navigating through the levels is enjoyable, and the motion controls work well enough to not be frustrating.

Overall, Transformers Prime is decent game for a system in its twilight years. My two biggest gripes for this title are the lack of graphical fidelity, which could not be helped, and not allowing the player to use a classic controller. A multiplayer mode is also available, but it just feels like a tacked-on bonus for two players. However, if you can look past those things, Transformers Prime offers a solid gameplay experience. Nintendo Wii owners can finally have a decent game worthy of the Transformers name.

It does have it’s moments of difficulty, but fans of side-scrolling shooters looking for a decent romp through a Mega Man-esque experience should take a look at A.R.E.S.

Adventure Time Finn and Jakes Investigations is a better game than I ever expected. It’s a bold move to take a franchise that has as many kid fans as adults and make it a point and click title. Some simply have no patience to solve puzzles or explore and listen to every bit of dialog.

As a huge fan of the AEW product, it’s hard for me not to be disappointed in Fight Forever. The gameplay on offer here is certainly a solid, if flawed, base to build off for future updates. There just isn’t very much to do at present. The game does succeed in capturing the overall fun-loving spirit of the promotion, and If the developers stick to their plans to add modes, wrestlers, and additional creation suite options (as well as putting time and effort in to squash the clipping and AI issues) they could have something good here in 6-8 months. As it stands now, there is no doubt that Fight Forever is fun to play but if you’re someone who favors the creative side of wrestling gaming or if you intend to spend nearly all your time playing the game on your own, you’re going to run out of things to do pretty quickly. It may be helpful in that case to wait for some future updates before jumping in.

Ferrari Challenge: Trofeo Pirelli is a solid racing game with a few disappointing omissions that keep it from being great. The graphics are inspiring, the racing is enjoyable and the tutorial meta-game is addictive.

In the end, the basics are here, but there are more complete packages available in the genre.

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.

With a revamped mission structure, online play, and brand new control scheme Armored Core 4 is a must own for fans of the series like myself. While there are a few glaring problems the core experience is still enjoyable.

Galaxy Champions T.V. may not be original or fresh, but it does get most things right and adds enough to make the game more compelling and does a fantastic job of updating a classic game. I had hours of fun with this game and the fact that it costs just $6.99 means that you’ll get plenty of bang for your buck.

I am extremely sad at this reboot of Saints Row, while I wasn’t a huge fan of the absolute bonkers nature of the 4th entry, even if I did love the 3rd. With this reboot I feel like Volition missed a huge opportunity evolve this series for a new generation, not just of consoles but for gamers. As it stands, this game comes off just feeling like its clinging to the tone and design choices from the 360; even the graphics in this reboot from 2022 feel dated and frankly Johnny Gat deserves better.

Hyakki Castle is a game with some clever ideas but falters in execution and implementation- leading to an experience that feels serviceable but decidedly bittersweet as I’m left wondering what could have been.

In the end, despite its flaws, I'm having a blast with Too Human. The looting and leveling is incredibly addictive, and if you let yourself dig a little bit you'll find a surprising amount of depth in the combat system. However I can't help but feel like the game isn't living up to it's full potential.

Pirate Pop Plus is a neat little game. There’s no going around that. The gameplay is simple but still tight and fun, the progression is there, but runs out of steam within five longer sessions. This is the kind of game that would be a nice time waster every once in a while, but most certainly not for longer sessions. Even then, with the gameplay being so simplistic, players may find themselves bored after two or three sessions. But there are some decently fun times to be had.

Military Madness: Nectaris is not a bad game, just one that is well behind the times.