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Within the Blade has a good amount of customization and fun combat. However, those that need stable and fair level design may be put off by the random seeding. Intrigued players should be mindful that hack and slash action will always come first, followed by stealth, and platforming a complete crapshoot.

The Takeover knows what it is and doesn’t even try to hide it, it’s a game created for the people who grew up playing the games it took inspiration from, and in that it excels. The game does not have a platinum trophy, but it does offer a wide variety of challenges for you to take on after you’ve completed the game. It doesn’t matter if it’s for nostalgia’s sake or just because you want a game to wind up and relax, The Takeover is worth your while.

Mr. X Nightmare is a must-play if you like Streets of Rage 4. Perhaps some extra new characters would be fine but everything else in the DLC is definitively worth your while and your dime. If you think you are done with Streets of Rage 4, give Mr. X Nightmare a go and you will soon find out the procedurally generated challenges are somewhat a new game all by itself.

This isn’t a AAA experience with an AAA budget. There are a fair few issues with the game and it’s not perfect, but the ideas here are unique and well set up. Ultimately, though, having a great idea isn’t everything, and this title could’ve been done with more time in the oven.

Minute of Islands provides a short 4-hour journey as Mo desperately tries to save those she loves. Highlighting not only the importance of her responsibilities but why she's pushing herself so hard to succeed. The gameplay is simple and doesn't evolve but the story keeps the adventure engaging well until the end. Minute of Islands is a profound tale that does so much in such a little amount of time and ends somberly with still a sliver of hope.

Doki Doki Literature Club Plus! is great for existing fans that want to know more about their favorite characters and possibly the deeper universe. However, the paid package doesn’t offer enough for newcomers. In some cases, like the Metaverse content, could even be detrimental to those with no prior experience. =

Quantum Replica has a lot of great ideas to spice up the stealth game genre, but none of them are overly well executed. At times the level design feels as if it were approved without regard to the camera or Alpha’s move set. This can result in some frustrating trial and error or drained supplies. Only the most hardcore stealth espionage fans should consider Quantum Replica. More casual and midcore players should seek a more polished experience.

Edge of Eternity has a lot of great individual concepts, but they don’t entirely mesh well together. The game still feels like it needed more time in early access to work out the design and technical issues. Even those that love a grand RPG should consider waiting on more update patches or a price drop before diving into Edge of Eternity.

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a prime example of what next-generation gaming should be like. The technical quality is out of this world and the added features provided by the PS5 controller adds to the experience. Even with these technical advantages Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart provides another amazing adventure and maybe one of the best games in the long-running series.

The combat is fun and the boss fights are exciting as Yuffie is a joy to play as. If you loved Final Fantasy VII Remake this is without a doubt a must-buy, especially if you plan to continue the journey. Most importantly INTERmission gives Yuffie a chance to really shine as an essential character.

That being said, the game doesn’t stand on its own as it is very dependent on the nostalgia factor and won’t appeal to new gamers who didn’t grow up with the series or similar games. It is worth noting that the physical version of the game includes the original 1994 title translated to English, which is a nice add-on and a great way to see just how faithful the remake is. Nevertheless, the game has a very specific target in mind, and, because of that, it cannot be evaluated on a positive note on its own.

Biomutant has plenty of room for improvement and the best way to describe it is as an utter waste of potential. Look, we understand, it’s not a big-budget game, there were only 20 people involved in its creation, and they were ambitious. But that should not be an excuse to deliver such a mediocre and monotonous experience. We have known of indie games that revolutionize the industry or excel at their genre, like Hollow Knight or Cuphead.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition combines 3 legendary games into 1 package, easily containing dozens of hours of playable stories. This coupled with the improved Mass Effect Remaster ensures that gameplay remains mostly consistent throughout the adventure.

Flowing Lights executes its novel take on the shmup genre successfully for the most part. It provides an engaging and addictive merging of puzzler and shooter, and the addition of online rankings serves to add replayability and longevity. While it doesn’t reinvent the wheel, what it does provide is a solid arcade experience with a satisfying gameplay loop.

Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag is a solid platformer that gives players an excellent array of bosses to fight and levels to complete. The pleasing and simple visuals ensure stages feel vibrant and the upgrades provide a great sense of progression. There are a few minor complaints that hinder the experience but Clan O'Conall and the Crown of the Stag's strengths easily overshadow these.

The Invisible Hand is best suited for those who want to put their trading skills to the test in a simulation with interesting risks and rewards. For those that have never day traded stocks in real life (or worse know squat about the market), the game can be overwhelming and at times confusing or contradictory. Still, after clearing the campaign one might gain new insights on the world of stocks, insider deals, and the response of government actions (and inactions).

Resident Evil Village is a more action-focused direction to complement Ethan's driven desire to save Rose and his experience from past horrors. Capcom successfully balances the action with tense chase sequences against well-designed antagonists so you never feel safe. No matter how many your current arsenal is often there's a new enemy, a new limitation that kicks you back down, or you find out the limits the enemy can follow you.

New Pokémon Snap was made for fans and provides more of the same experience from the previous title. There are more areas, opportunities to take photos, and environmental diversity to keep players coming back. It's annoying to see the most appealing option is locked away with a premium member but there are free options where you can share your photos online outside of Nintendo's servers. New Pokémon Snap is an excellent sequel to the N64 classic and if you're a fan of the original you'll love this.

Overall, Buildings Have Feelings Too has an identity crisis. It at first tries to be a jovial city management game, but has too much emphasis on juggling approval scores, unpredictable consequences, and strict auto saving. The game would be much more enjoyable with standalone levels or a full sandbox mode rather than its current sprawling campaign.

NieR Replicant ver.1.22 doesn't attempt to rewrite itself, instead provides a modern experience of this title while remaining loyal to its core concepts. Aspects such as backtracking and heavy grinding highlight archaic elements that most developers have moved past from. Despite this, the outstanding story, music, and overall adventure mostly overshadow these elements.

Outriders is has a lot of potential with great looting options and boss fights but everything between starts to showcase the many problems within the game. The massive disconnect between lore and gameplay, the unbalance difficulty that swings in both directions, extremely poor network issues, and bland characters are is too much to ignore. Outriders could become a fantastic experience once certain things are tuned correctly but in the state now it's unacceptable and should be considered early access at best. Outriders drops the ball on something that had a lot of promise but fails to live up to it.

Unfortunately, EG2 is a game that drops off before it has a chance to really get going, suffocating its cool ideas with an old-fashioned UI and an arduous upgrade system. There are certainly several hours of fun to be had here, and there are moments when everything clicks, but the game usually fails to instill the degree of intricate management players want.

The Ancient Gods is an outstanding expansion that gives players more quality DOOM Eternal fights. The story answers lingering questions from the core campaign and the 2016 game, highlighting how everything has been leading up to this final fight. It's just disappointing that the boss encounters are more about fighting the demons around the boss than the boss itself.

Devotion is a special game that tells a deeply disturbing story with many themes within its 2 hour journey. It's hard to discuss them without going into spoilers but the events that transpire paint a sad narrative with no happy ending.

Little Nightmares 2 doesn't attempt to fix what isn't broken. The incredible setpieces and atmosphere still provide that uneasy tension. Navigating the unknown and hiding from monstrous humans is still a thrill. The combat is lacking and can be frustrating at times, wishing that Mono could just swing a little faster.