A Hat in Time is probably the best platformer released this year that doesn’t star that one plumber guy. Anyone who still has fond memories of classic N64 platformers owe it to themselves to check it out. Also for PS4 and XB1 owners this is about as good as it gets without Italian influence. For the price it is more than worth your time. Don’t sleep on this charming title.

From what I’ve played of Divine Knockout I think its going to be a lot of fun while it lasts. I am always wary of getting behind Hi-Rez games because they have a habit of going hard on this project when they are popular but then support will peter off and eventually die thus killing the game. Outside of Smite I think their other two big franchises Paladin’s and Rogue Company are on life support. I am rooting for them with Divine Knockout though, its easy to pick up nature and attractive art style will hopefully help it to garner an audience that will allow it to stand the test of time, or at the very least until they can put my man Zeus in the game, once I can get him they can do what they want.

For fans of the series, there’s a lot more Hotline Miami to play here and it still has its moments. For newcomers or people that didn’t get into the first game, it may be a difficult one to get on board with. Review copy of game provided by publisher.

I don’t think anything is gained by playing either Famicom Detective Club that can’t be gained by watching a playthrough because the puzzles are at best throwaway and at worst barely present. These are inherently flawed games, but if somehow the idea of slogging through menus isn’t a turn off there are absolutely two great, down to Earth murder mysteries to be experienced here.

Guns, Gore and Cannoli might only last a couple of hours, bit it can be picked up for a low price of $9.99, and I’d highly recommend any fan of the genre to check this game out immediately. Godfather + Metal Slug + Zombies = Guns, Gore, and Cannoli.

Visually the game has moments of brilliance, especially when levels are designed for one-on-one combat.

The small number of simple level elements like attractors and force fields are deployed so well that delightful things happen.

Perhaps a bigger emphasis on characters or story could even go a long way to give players the incentive to continue or get more involved. It’s very possible the game simply isn’t for me, and this will become a niche title. But in my eyes, this is one prison I will simply not be returning to.

Smurfs Dreams was truly a surprise. Comparing yourself to the king of platform games usually ends in tragedy, but here it actually feels warranted. Licensed games are rarely as good as the titles they impersonate. Smurfs Dreams manages to do this while bringing a little bit of its own flavor. If you have any love for that genre, I highly recommend this title. It is better than it has any right to be, and I had fun spending some time with childhood friends.

The first episode of “The Raven” stumbles out of the gate slightly due to its archaic design and somewhat weak puzzles. Fortunately, it manages to compose itself and stands tall thanks to its strong story and an interesting cast of characters. While it’s definitely doesn’t have the mass appeal of “The Walking Dead”, I’m sure it will find an audience among the lovers of all things mystery.

I find myself in an odd situation where I felt miserable playing Nobunaga’s Ambition, mostly because it’s just not the kind of game that I enjoy. However, at the same time, I couldn’t help but be impressed at the level of depth and polish in the overall experience. Still, it remains that this game did nothing to make me want to delve deeper into the genre of Grand Strategy.

Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 is a solid successor to the original game, but not one that feels like it was three years in the making. Anyone who enjoyed the original will find enough content and fan service to keep them busy for quite some time, but anyone who grew tired of the original will likely call it quits long before the credits roll.

Arkham Origins is not a bad game, in fact, it is really well made. The problem is that it feels like a lateral move for the series.

Magrunner: Dark Pulse may be derivative in nature, but that doesn’t stop it from being a lot of fun.

Masters of Anima is a frustrating game. The mechanics seem to work against the player creating more chore and less fun. With some tweaks this game could be a sleeper hit for sure. As it stands though it ends up being more of a hard pass.

The biggest problem is CoD: Vanguard feels like the least innovative Call of Duty in years. I think a lot of that has to do with Warzone, and the fact that developers HAVE to ensure that their game can be compatible with that battle royale. The fact that so much has to go into making sure it all works together; I just feel like it has to be hampering the developer’s creativity. In my opinion Call of Duty as a whole need to take a year off and regroup, come back with something as memorable as the original Modern Warfare was when it launched. If it’s a matter of money (and I doubt that it is) developers could lean into Warzone, they already are making a killing on all the microtransactions but just update Warzone like Epic does for Fortnite. Then after a year surprise people with something fantastic… I know this will never happen, but a man can dream.

Even with the small targeting issues, and the lackluster multiplayer Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X. is an excellent newcomer to the air combat/shooter genre that has been dominated by Ace Combat, I for one hope that they continue to build on the wonderful ideas that this game has shown, if only to make H.A.W.X. 2 an even better.

Thunder Blade is well done arcade port with lots of options that help to modernize the experience. Like most other old arcade games, personal interest is really what drives the game’s value. For players who either remember the arcade original or simply enjoy the style, it’s definitely worth checking out.

While there are not a lot of upgrades to the games themselves, this collection accomplishes what it set out to do. This package is convenient. We can finally have these games in one place on modern consoles and readily available to play. I think that is something we overlook with some remasters. Being able to just play them without jumping through hoops to get them to work. The price seems steep upfront, but there are five games and tons of variations included. There is a lot of content here and for hardcore MGS fans like me, it is great having all this in one place. I am loving revisiting these games and cannot wait for Vol. 2, please let MGS 4 finally be released from its one console prison.

There may not be a huge amount of content on offer here, but what's there is simply amazing. From the intense action to the striking visual, Galaga Legions DX doesn't sit in the shadow of Pacman CEDX, it stands tall along side it.

The Surge is a nice addition to the genre. The combat feels great even when the story and mechanics start to sputter out. The claustrophobic nature of the level design adds to the tension, and it feels good to have a game in this genre that isn’t chock full of gothic horror themes. It brings new ideas to the familiar mechanics and executes on them well.

Disney Infinity is a huge gamble that could pay off over time. As of now it is a massive money sink that can be hard to recommend, especially to those already so invested in that “other” toy game. Still, having the stable of characters and licenses Disney has, it has the potential to be something special.

While Steelrising has some of the trademark ‘jank’ that is in all Spider games, it is that very thing that makes this developer so special. All their games have something that just feels off (but in a good way), but all of their games I loved more than the next and true to form Steelrising is their best game to date.

Grow Up is a lot more of the same and with little fanfare I feel most have already forgotten the original, let alone know the sequel even exist.

If you liked Atelier Rorona and are looking for a similar experience with a few upgrades, you will really enjoy this game, especially if you enjoyed the characters in Rorona...Keep in mind, if fetch quests are not your thing, or if you can't stand bubbly characters, you may want to steer clear of this game.

Regardless of your preference it is also impossible to deny the addictiveness of this simplistic game of logic.

With so many options to choose from baseball fans will no doubt find something to love here.

I firmly believe Life is Strange is an amazing series, and I stick by this statement. This episode kicks it into overdrive and now makes the next month and a half wait for the finale that much longer.