That said, I absolutely loved my time with Primal though and to see a game set in this time period, with no guns, and with high production values just seems completely experimental and bold.

This is what I hope the future of downloadable games will be; top notch AAA production values in the form of small $12-$15 packages. Alan Wake's American Nightmare is an excellent game, which will surely whet the appetite of fans of the original for the sequel.

It is impossible not to recommend Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle. There is so much joy packed in this compilation. The genre has definitely seen a resurgence as of late, but it is impossible to deny how good these classics are. If only Capcom had been able to figure out the licenses behind some of their more popular titles like Alien vs. Predator. Perhaps in the future, but for now this is the best place to perform jump kicks anywhere.

If you are remotely a fan of Dragon Age, Monster Hunter, Zelda, the Colossus games then I think you too will find some fun in Eternal Strands.

Onimusha 2 was a great game in its time, but times have changed. It definitely has blemishes that showcase game design from the early 2000s. Still, it was fun revisiting this game and I hope they managed to get the third game out there eventually. I just hope it doesn’t take another six years. With a new entry in the franchise on the horizon it would be a great time to revisit these classics. Just know what you are getting into before diving in.

The straight-to-the-point levels and the four different dimensions bring a whole new level of gameplay to the Spider-Man franchise that is a breath of fresh air that it needed.

I wanted to love this game, anyone who knows me knows that I love samurai, ninjas, swords and the like, I was just bored by this game sadly. Rise of the the Rōnin doesn’t feel like a game that is worth $70 in my opinion, it is a hodgepodge mix of some of gaming’s biggest trends lately but never amounts to the sum of those parts.

Journey to the Savage Planet is a great freshman effort from Typhoon and one of the early surprises of 2020. I will be thinking about this game as the year goes on as one of the best surprises I had literally no interest in upon kicking it off. If you enjoy exploration games like Metroid Prime I highly suggest giving it a go. The charm, humor, and game loop are just fresh enough to keep players interested in this relatively slow time for releases. The price tag also doesn’t hurt.

The Top 40 music game is actually long overdue and I don't think it would be any more sensible to make this entire thing DLC as it would require people only wanting these songs to purchase both the original game and an entirely new pack.

A breath of fresh air for the shooter genre of games. While the game modes are nothing new, they are more fun to play due to the fact that leveling up characters doesn’t mean anything and everyone is able to pick up the game and have a ton of fun.

Fans of the series should not miss out on this game, and newcomers wanting to try out a Warriors game will find an easy and fun way to get into them with Samurai Warriors 4.

The most important thing is that while I wasn’t in as much of a shock when I got to the cliffhanger at the end of this episode, I was left wanting more, and if episode three was installed and ready to go, there is no doubt in my mind that I would’ve happily played on.

Someone jumping into this game now and expecting something more refined or suitable to today’s standards will be disappointed. Yet for players familiar with the game or those willing to explore the dark world it presents, there is plenty of story and interesting moments to appreciate. Just go in knowing that it’s a relic of the past, and that it plays as such. Those ok with that will find that an interesting world awaits.

The Crew: Motorfest is just that, a celebration of (almost) all things that have a motor. There are a ton of cars from dozens of manufactures, even a DeLorean which I am currently saving for. I am not a race guy, but I had a lot of fun with Motorfest, especially once I unlocked the vehicle switching. Being able to go from a car into a plane at the press of a button is dope, while I wish the developers had tuned the controls for all the vehicles instead of just focusing on the cars; I never had a real issue controlling the planes, boats or off-road vehicles. But if you are looking to catch some beautiful Hawaiian sun, drive some of the most beautiful cars you’ve ever seen, then The Crew Motorfest might be for you.

It's an aesthetically pleasing game. I particularly appreciate that, while shooting for something whimsical, the developers didn't choose to simply aim low.

The controls are simple, there aren’t a bunch of sub menus and things, and everything just works well. I would like to see some improvements to AI and things in the future but with an aggressive post launch plan that includes more monsters (kemono) and story beats, Omega Force is firmly behind Wild Hearts and that can only mean good things for the monster hunting market at large.

Being such a long time fan of the series I can honestly say this is the most fun I have had with a Tony Hawk game since the release of THPS4.

NHL Slapshot is a fantastic addition to the EA Sports lineup on Wii. Hopefully we will see it continue to evolve over the next few years and finally give Wii owners something to look forward to in the hockey arena.

MOTA runs about 3-4 hours in length, which is fair for the $10 price tag. The ending also has the potential to substantially impact Dragon Age III so I am excited to see where that leads.

If you’re a fan of iOS games that you can play in short bursts without much investment, Zombies and Trains is a solid option for only .99 cents. Don’t go into it expecting the kind of addictive experience that you’ll play for hours on end, though.

I highly recommend it to those that enjoy titles such as Portal.

After Us had some lofty goals and it shows but sadly, they didn’t quite reach those highs. Incredible art direction and a dope soundtrack sadly don’t make up for the ‘tacked’ on combat and the very floaty platforming controls. The design choice to make it open world is also a head scratcher because the game absolutely does a poor job of telling players where to go next. I’m left wondering what could have been with After Us, had the combat been taken out I think this would have been a much better adventure.

Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja: Storm 2 is proof as to how far we have come when it comes to creating worlds of gaming. Even if you're not verse in the ways of the ninja, but still enjoy Japanese animation, this game will amaze you.

I had a really fun time with The Flame in the Flood. It was a difficult experience but one that felt rewarding at the same time. It is easy to get into for newer players, and a decent starting point for survival games if one hasn’t played them before. All for a decent $15 price tag. Even with its issues here and there, I highly suggest giving this one a shot.

With somber filled emotions, a surprise or two, and some intense action moments, I’d absolutely recommend it to franchise fans. Just don’t expect it to totally blow you away in the process.

Age of Booty is a multi-player affair so much in fact that you should not look at the challenges in the game as a single-player component.

For a DS game, Infestation looks great. The 2D animations are sharp, and there is a nice level of detail to each area.

Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War continues the trend of adding a ton of bang for your buck. While I don’t participate in some of the modes there is still enough here to keep me interested enough to make it worth my time and money. The campaign is the best I have played in a while. The multiplayer suite has something for everyone, and the zombies mode continues to be a nice diversion. There is something for just about everyone here, and it is a nice showpiece for these new consoles to boot. The series shows no signs of slowing down, and as long as the quality continues to trend upward I am perfectly fine with that.