I loved Dead Island when it came out, but I wonder who this collection is for. The games included are not that old, and with Techland’s newest entry leaps and bounds above what these games did, it is hard to go back. Still for $40 for the pair one cannot argue the amount of value packed into this package.

Gust’s first foray on the PS4 with their flagship Atelier title is a rousing success, and even though I lament the removal of the time limit mechanic from the series, it still proves one of the strongest entries the franchise has had to date, and one of the best RPGs available on the PS4.

Senran Kagura: Shinovi Versus is a game that is difficult to recommend to people due to its content, but if you’re not fazed by that, you’re going to get a fun action game that rivals them all. If only they had a version of this game that didn’t feature jiggly breasts and constant unclothing schoolgirls.

Far Harbor has lots of new content and it’s great to return to Fallout 4. A dark, seedy, and just creepy island with a interesting back story only had me wanting to explore the world more and more.

Despite having one of the most generic titles I’ve heard in a while, Neon Chrome has a lot going for it – a solid rogue-like, with plenty of upgrade options and exciting action. It’s such a shame that the HUD issue put a dampener on things. As it stands, I would have to recommend waiting on this until a patch it released to address the semi game breaking bug.

It is clearly a passion project for the team at DICE, and it finally feels like it lives up to its ambitious design. There is little like it out there, which makes it easy to recommend, but also it is not a game for everyone. It is never overly challenging, combat is simply not fun, and there is little variety to the mission design. Still, I couldn’t stop playing it until the credits rolled, and again there is simply nothing else like it currently on the new consoles.

I love the shooter genre, and feel like we don’t see enough of these titles anymore. I am always happy to see a new one crop up, but with its lack of modes and hefty price tag, it feels like this game is really taking advantage of the players like myself just wanting a new game in the genre.

Odin Sphere Leifthrasir is a masterpiece of game design, and one of the forgotten gems of the PS2 era. I can’t recommend it enough, and it stands head and shoulders above other remakes on how to get the job done. For those that never experienced the original it is a must buy, but even for those with fond memories of the glorious Vanillaware classic, this package is more than worth a second dip.

I wanted to love Hard Reset Redux, especially after coming off Doom, which had scratched that 90s FPS itch I have almost annually. There just isn’t enough here to satisfy. Gunplay feels weak, enemies are boring to kill, and the world wears out its welcome quickly. Nothing about this game is overly offensive to the senses, but it just never stands out from the pack either.

Lumo has a heart. It’s filled with a charming aesthetics, classic retro style gameplay, fun references to other franchises, and just offers a solid good time for platforming fans.

I applaud the developers for focusing on making an accessible fighting game. It is even more of a bonus that it plays extremely well and looks fantastic. Combine that with the fact that I can use my fight sticks on the PC to play it, and one would think it would be a dream come true. Sadly, the lack of interesting characters and modes to play, not to mention a barren online community, make this one fighting game that is hard to recommend.

All in all, it’s not a bad TMNT game. Sure, the bosses may take too many hits to take down, and the combat will become a mash-fest after a while, but with a few buddies online, I had a pretty fun time seeing the lean green fighting machines back in action.

Downwell is a $5 game that anyone can pick up and play and have a fun time with. It’s not a game you play hours on end, but definitely something that can be enjoyed for small chunks in between games, and for that cheap price, it fits right in with the entire rougelike nature of the game. It’s a small, fun, and easy addiction that many will really enjoy all for a cheap price.

A gaming experience that’s more polished and exciting than I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing and one I’ll be sure to continue to play for the foreseeable future. If not for the inclusion of microtransactions, this would have been a perfect game in my book.

Anima: Gate of Memories is a solid action/RPG that would have easily slipped under my radar. It is longer than I expected, and continuously spices things up with new enemy types and puzzles throughout. I had a blast with this game, and it surprised me at almost every turn. I definitely recommend checking it out; the $20 price tag is more than worth the experience contained within.

Shadwen is not a bad game, but it is completely in the middle of the road for me. There are some issues that really drag down the gameplay, but at the same time, I really enjoyed the time mechanics.

Two steps forward, one step back. I want to like Homefront Revolution more than I do. It’s got a good heart and some solid ideas buried behind the mess, and most players won’t be willing to put up with it. Those that do will find some solid moments of gameplay strewn throughout, but if it’s worth their time is ultimately up to them.

Ultimately Paradox has created a brilliant and lasting experience in Stellaris; one that allows players to cultivate an empire that spans entire galaxies. It is both wonderful and appropriately grand.

Doom is exactly what I wanted from a modern take on one of my favorite franchises. There is more than enough meat here to satisfy even the most jaded player.

Bravely Second is a title that builds on the success of its predecessor without taking too many risks. There are only a handful of new mechanics and ideas present here, but as the original was brimming with so much innovation, I have a hard time holding it against the sequel for upholding the precedents made by its predecessor. In turn, it also stands amongst the best JRPGs on offer for the 3DS.

It’s a game filled with some insanely cool creatures, worlds, and enemy designs, along with a soundtrack that absolutely matches that, and some really fun moments.

This game knows what it wants to do, and it executes it flawlessly. The loss of characters and some of the more enjoyable mini-games is certainly a bummer, but let’s be honest, that is never why anyone played this game.

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.

GunWorld 2 does a decent job of grabbing that nostalgic feel of the older NES games while still keeping it difficult as hell.

Valyria Chronicles remaster is an excellent addition to the PS4 library.

Rocketbirds 2: Evolution was a fantastic surprise for me. Having never touched the first game (even though I owned it through PS+), I had no idea what to expect. In the end what I got was a mostly solid single player campaign, with a co-op mode that could have me coming back for ages.

I wanted to love Superhot more than I did, but its simplistic design and lack of variety really hurt it, even with its short campaign length.

Fans of hardcore stealth game like the old school Hitman titles may get a lot out of Party Hard, but players thinking this is a action title with a wild premise will be in for a frustrating time. It has a lot going for it, but the gameplay relies far too much on pinpoint execution with no errors, and because many things are random, I end up learning nothing from my last run of the levels.