LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens is a much needed boost for the series. After Dimensions launched I thought all the standalone games would more or less be phoned in, but that is definitely not the case here. This has me excited for the next LEGO game, something I have not been able to say for years.

I’d highly recommend this game; it’s funny and addictive, with beautiful graphics and the novel mechanic of controlling a minion horde. However, if you’re looking for a high level of challenge, you may be disappointed.

You may have a few hiccups here and there, but there's plenty to do in Prototype 2. More times than not, you'll have a blast doing all of it.

Mass Effect Andromeda is a great game with some serious side effects. The bugs and glitches take me out of the experience at times, and some of the story falls apart, but the exploration and characters constantly drag me back in. It is a rough start for sure. I wondered a few hours in if I was going to keep going, but it finally sucked me in and never looked back. It feels safe, it feels like Mass Effect, but that is also what makes it worth playing.

It has tons of options to play around with to let the player experience the game exactly how he/she wants to. Character building is just as addictive as finding better loot.

Fans of Zelda and musou games, this is a no-brainer, but for anyone else on the fence, it is definitely a game worth checking out.

What makes Stuntman great is the sum of all of its parts. While the career mode would have been great for a cheaper title all of the additional stuff such as odd-jobs, construction mode, and of course online play make this package worth checking out for fans of driving games looking for something unique in the genre.

My gripes really stem from the place of being a fan. Anyone entering Watch Dogs: Legion looking for a by the books open world game is going to find a lot to enjoy. There are small puzzles to solve, plenty of collectibles, lots of missions and I would say the shooting and driving are the best this series has ever been. Fans of the series like myself however will be disappointed by the lack of enjoyable characters as well as stand out missions and story beats. With how close Legion is releasing to Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla and Immortals Fenyx Rising it feels like Watch Dogs: Legion was left to fight for your attention and your money with less money put into development. I would recommend both Watch Dogs 1 & 2 as well as plenty of other Ubisoft experiences from the last few years before Legion at full price.

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.

Wulverblade is a blast to play, it looks and runs well, and it has rolling heads and slow motion death kills. It’s colorful yet dark, it’s a game yet it offers an educational aspect. It can feel hard at times, but the checkpoint system helped elevate that most moments. Grab a friend, a joycon, and do some split screen skull bashing because Wulverblade is a fun nostalgia romp and worth the price of admission.

Overall if you want a good RPG for your Wii, and frankly who doesn't, then this is your best bet so far. Everything works great and outside of some visual deficiencies this is one solid entry to the console's library.

Immortals of Aveum is a decent game that takes some risks with its technology. Some of those pay off, while others hold it back. The game itself is fun if not a bit too long and it just comes across as a decent game that feels undercooked at times. I enjoyed my time with it, but I am likely to forget it come the end of the year. In an overcrowded year this big budget gamble might not pay off, but I would certainly be in for this team’s next outing. The pieces for a great game are here, just need to fit them into place.

Firewatch left me both disappointed but also pleased. The system performance on PS4 is a bummer and I can overlook it, as this is a game about its story and choices in dialog, so performance never affected my input to the gameplay. It just simply feels rough around the edges and it shows.

There’s not much to say in the end. It’s a $15 DLC that gets players a new class to play and level up in Diablo III. Diablo III is an amazing RPG to begin with, and I think that the Necromancer adds some enjoyment out of it all. Hardcore players of Diablo III and those looking for a reason to go back to New Tristram should most certainly pick this DLC up. For the casual player, maybe wait for a price drop a bit. Even then, just know, you’re getting a new class and that’s about it. Granted, that class is just as fun to play as the rest of them.

For true arcade nuts there is even a mode where a second DS can be used as a controller for titles like Track & Field where mashing buttons is sure to distort your view of the action.

Fans of the Warhammer 40k universe have been waiting a long time for a game like this. A game that manages to capture both the scale of the battle the Imperium is waging and the gritty, blood stained action on the front lines.

Still, at the end of the day Tales of Hearts R is a testament to the fact that with enough care and attention to detail, a venerable series can make the transition to the portable market with great success.

TouchMaster 2 is a solid follow-up to last year's surprisingly addictive DS title. Everything you loved about the first one is intact outside of online leader boards and the collection of games this time around is much more diverse providing a more entertaining experience all around.

As a whole, I really was impressed by this game.

When Evolution works, it works beautifully. It is precisely the game I wanted it to be. I wish the free mode was unlocked from the start, but it doesn’t take much to get it open. Future updates and some promised free DLC means I will be digging into this game for months to come. Couple that with the ridiculous prices online for the original Operation Genesis and I will stick with this updated Jurassic Park builder.

Ghostbusters The Video Game for Wii is an amazingly fun game that utilizes the strengths of the console well.

The combat is solid, the story mode is substantial and if you are a fan of either universe there is something here to enjoy. The lackluster finishing moves and lack of extras really hurt the overall experience, but if you are indeed looking for a game that pits two franchises full of beloved characters there is a lot to love here.

The game is really fun with some buddies that want to play the game strategically against another team with the same skill level. If you're into third person shooters or MOBA style games with a twist, you should really check this game out. You have nothing to lose. It's free, and fun.

Redout doesn’t do much new for the genre aside from an interesting twist with the redout feature. Though it doesn’t have to re-invent the wheel but simply give use their take on the ultimate speed test. The online issue is a shame, and the only other issue I ran into was on some tracks and depending on how many racers are on screen, the framerate would falter before getting back to its smooth performance. In a game like this that’s a big blunder and extremely noticeable, but it doesn’t break the game and it’s workable. It just sticks out like a complete sore thumb in an otherwise solid package. For the price of entry, Redout sticks out as a great entry in the futuristic racing genre.

Despite my griping about Serious Sam 2 not getting any love in this collection, I do think it is a great place to start with Serious Sam. Not only is it a set of great games, but there’s also multiplayer and co-op. This is a set of games anyone who has loved the new Doom games should at least try, and at the regular price of $30 there’s very little reason not to. Serious Sam 3: BFE still goes for more than this collection on PC by itself, no DLC. It’s a steal, especially if you can grab a friend to play the whole campaign with.

Like I said at the outset, After the Fall is a fun game albeit a very short one. Yes, there is an extra PvP Team-Deathmatch mode that is moderately fun if you like VR multiplayer shooters. I found it very passable, no real issue other than I just want a fan; but if you like the VR shooters like Pavlov among many others then you may have some fun in the deathmatch. The story for the game is really just an excuse to team up with friends, and that’s ok because whether you play with friends or random folks like me After the Fall does enough to make your time spent with it feel enjoyable; and really isn’t that all we really want from our video games?

Shadow Warrior 3 ends up being just ‘ok’ in the grand scheme of things and especially in comparison to the games around it. Lo Wang deserves better and if the fates will it we will get to hang out with our pal Wang again soon.

It feels weird to go backwards with these releases. Raiden III is by far the simplest I have checked out so far. Evolution in reverse is a bold choice. Still the simplicity of the combat makes for an addictive nature. I was coming back over and over to unlock new tunes to listen to and the visuals are still excellent. I love a good shooter and the Raiden series is always a good time. The price tag is also low enough that I don’t have a lot to knock. If you love shooters this is a great addition to your collection.