It’s got a lot of little issues or oddities, but it hard charm and heart, and at the center of it all is a decent platforming title.

Slain: Back from Hell is finally the game it set out to be. For those waiting on console versions, the wait was more than worth it, plus PC players got a free upgrade to all of these changes. It sucks when a game launches in such a bad state, but seeing the team stick by it and finally deliver the vision they originally intended is super satisfying. Fans of classic 16-bit action titles should not miss Slain, plus it is the perfect game to rock out with during the Halloween season.

Asylum is one of the best games of last generation, and City is certainly no slouch (if not a bit too big for its own good), but for those that have beaten these games to death such as myself, this collection is definitely not a must-have in season full of stellar new IPs and sequels.

The Xbox One version feels just as good as on the other platformers with no noticeable issues of concern in comparison. If there are still players that haven’t had a chance to check out Saturday Morning RPG, for the price and quality, this can’t be beat.

Battlefield 1 might seem like a step backward, but it moves the genre forward in several areas. Mostly the campaign, which is the most polished, and enjoyable campaign I have played in years. I cannot recommend it enough.

Lichtspeer is a fun distraction from the current avalanche of triple-A fall titles; one that you will be able to dip in and out of as you please, thanks to its simplistic gameplay and control mechanics. Never demanding a huge investment from the player, but rewarding them if they put the time in.

Ashes of Ariandel is a good time for those looking to give themselves an excuse to boot up Dark Souls 3 again, as if that is even necessary. It has some great new enemies and a cool location to explore. Those looking for new PVP gameplay will find it here, but overall the package is solid and not extraordinary.

Feels like an RPG aimed at children or people that are as experienced with RPGs. At the same time, there is enough here as far as customization goes to keep the veterans busy for a nice long time as well. It took me by surprise, and I think RPG fans will really enjoy this hybrid mix of Final Fantasy and Pokémon. It has a few setbacks, but for the most part, this is a charming, fun, and fantastically paced game many can enjoy.

I felt there was very little content here to keep me coming back, other than the novel feeling of the bow and arrow, which is absolutely amazing in fact. Aside from this and maybe the visual style, I don’t see a huge reason I’d return to it, especially if other games adopt this bow and arrow feel. Yet at the same time, I can’t complain, it’s a simply game with colorful graphics and is appropriate for players of all ages. Just don’t expect it to kill hours of time.

Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 is everything a sequel should be. It builds on the strengths of the original with its stylish visuals, tight controls and a fluid combat engine that reminds me of how I felt when I was playing some of my favorite 2D platformers in the past. If not for the low degree of challenge and obnoxious Amiibo addition, it could’ve been a perfect game.

Job Simulator has a personality of its own, and that’s what sells the experience. Its lighthearted, extremely silly premise works wonders with its presentation and core gameplay. It’s just not something super deep, and that seems to be a fairly common issue with most of the VR games I’ve experienced so far. Yet at the same time, this was one that gave me the most chuckles and it’s one that’s just as much fun playing as it is watching someone else do these menial tasks.

Thumper is one of my favorite games this year, simple yet challenging, visually stimulating, and excellent sound use. Easy to play, hard to master is the familiar phrase that comes to mind.

Brookhaven is a fun place to visit. It can be a bit traumatic for some players, or scary even. I was more tense than scared, but it accomplished what I feel the devs were going for.

Duke Nukem 3D is a classic, but after the disappointment of Duke Nukem Forever, I am ready for a truly next generation of the series. I grew up on its lame humor and ridiculous settings. I want a proper sequel so I can once again make those alien bastards pay for shooting up my ride.

While the gameplay, levels, and locations are something that everyone will experience by the end game, how players build their towns and help the townsfolk is what will give each person their unique experience.

A great co-op experience. It’s fun alone and competent enough to play through, but with online folks or friends it’s even better, and where the experience truly shines.

Shadow Warrior 2 is a fantastic game that meshes what I love about loot games with the ridiculously fast-paced combat of 90s shooters. It is unapologetic, it is ridiculous, but most importantly, it is 12 tons of dumb fun. I couldn’t stop smiling while playing, and that is a sign of a really good game. Get some Wang, you won’t regret it.

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.

I just felt the overall package was extremely confusing, not fun to play, and gave me hardly any compelling reasons to keep trying other than wanting to see more of the same.

I overall enjoyed my time with episode 4, but as I mentioned earlier, it just feels like each game offers a different experience. Not that this is a bad thing, but the gameplay and what to expect just sort of feels all over the place. Presentation and humor stay relatively the same, and that’s great as they nailed the visual style and funny elements perfectly.

Exist Archive is a title elevated by its superb combat that remained enjoyable even after a thousand encounters. However, it doesn’t have much more to offer outside of the combat, as there’s a serious lack of variety in the overall gameplay. The repetitive nature of exploring one dungeon after another, punctuated by the odd event here and there played against my patience.

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.

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.

Event[0] is an interesting game with a very interesting concept. Think of it like HAL 9000, but much more limited in scope and threat. The novelty wore off for me within the first 30 minutes of playing, and unfortunately, then began to look at it more like a game to complete rather than an experience that needed to be seen.

The package is massive and chock full of content. The netcode is pretty good, and the single player offerings are nice as well.

You may not like the story it tells, and you may not feel totally satisfied with the outcome; but when the story is told in such a well crafted manner it doesn’t really matter. Anyone who appreciates a good mystery will definitely get something out of Firewatch; just don’t let your mind race to much, as you may end up feeling a little let down.

A game for those that want nice, quick, and brain stumping challenges at home or on the go.

While I’m still wishing the RPG elements of Thousand Year Door were back here, I still had a pretty great time with Color Splash. It looks amazing, plays great, and has some really great pacing that kept me coming back knowing I was just one more step away from another paint star.