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.