Reviews

Warhammer 40,000: Battle Sister tries to strike on many occasions but never quite lands. Its gun-play is as enjoyable as a shooter should be but it doesn't offer anything you can't get better elsewhere

NOPE

Override 2: Super Mech League has very unique mechanics and fun combat, but needs to be rebalanced to be more competitive.

Pandemic: Hot Zone North America offers up a bite-sized version of the classic game.

VR Doesn't Quite Come Naturally To Above And Beyond, But It's Still An Impressive Medal Of Honor Reboot

1400, as with all Chronicles of Crime is an amazing, immersive experience. It is entirely app-driven, but the blending of physical and digital elements is done well. The physical components help to visualize the narrative and keep everyone engaged. It does have limited longevity, but the experience of the 5 scenarios is worth it. The difficulty curve is perfect, and the living world handled with the time mechanic really drives home the immersion.

Haven is a game set on a beautiful world with lovable protagonists and compelling villains, but it suffers from frustrating design issues and the game ends on a flat note.

Cyberpunk 2077 is an enjoyable experience, with incredible immersion and bar-raising world design. However, its light RPG mechanics and standard fare gameplay systems hold it back.

Disney Hocus Pocus: The Game offers high-flying fun for fans of the original film.

Colossus Down suffers from poorly designed combat and humor that just doesn't quite hit its mark.

When The Past Was Around is a unique point-and-click game that invites players to go on an emotional journey in a dreamlike, almost fragmented state. Mojiken Studio’s love letter to simple couplehood takes a minimalist approach to living life to the fullest and learning how to move on, so it just might be the perfect game to play during this stressful pandemic.

Despite a lack of combat, Submerged: Hidden Depths is a great narrative experience filled with exploration.

Airborne Kingdom is a cozy, comfortable delight that mixes management and exploration flawlessly; the focus is not on keeping your citizens alive while crossing the open world, but keeping them fulfilled and thriving.

Shady Part of Me has a frustrating story and a terrible title, but it's a great little puzzle platformer with a very neat central mechanic.

A solid interactive narrative based on the classic novella, Orwell's Animal Farm lacks a lot of gameplay, but makes up for it with its use of the prose.

World of Warcraft: Shadowlands' base experience offers a variety of excellent content through new zones and endgame content. The framework for a great stream of content is there, so for now, there's a lot to enjoy.

El Hijo is a joy to play. Despite the occasional wobble, it's a rewarding and remarkably serene stealth tale with plenty of heart.

This card game perfectly captures the wild and unpredictable nature of Pro Wrestling.

Aristeia is a fantastic game. Team selection and knowing how to use the characters to the best effect has a huge impact on the game and is incredibly rewarding when you get it right. Games are fast-paced and the rules are easy to learn and extremely straight-forward in terms of effect and action timing. The custom dice make working out results easy and the card decks add a random element to the game, but don't impact the game hugely, which keeps the tactical element balanced. The components are of solid quality and everything is quite compact and organized during play due to the Control Panels. The custom dice, straightforward rules, and hexes for movement make this a great entry game.

The Corridor has a corridor as advertised and a bonus button, too. Pressing the button makes weird fun happen in a perfectly concise experience.

Kings of War Armada is an awesome stream-lined system for fantasy ship combat. Damage is simplified to keep the game flowing, so those looking for very detailed ship damage to different sections won't find that here. But those looking for a great system, with a focus on easy play and tactical depth will find it. The movement and shooting systems work very well, and there's a good amount of list flexibility with the available upgrades. The 2 included fleets give a great insight into how both fleets play, and both feel thematically unique.

Per Aspera is a stunningly realistic "planet builder" in which you play as an AI tasked with terraforming Mars. Although its pace is sometimes slow, it is an extremely educational game with a surprisingly deep and touching story.

Too often these days, our games are so preoccupied with achievements, trophies, levels, and all kinds of complicated crafting and weaponry that we don’t normally just sit back and play a game—really play a game—and actually have fun without any kind of pressure at all. Phogs! allows you to go back and experience the fun of a game at its most basic—and that’s not always something even AAA games can pull off. 

Sam & Max Save the World Remastered is the perfect antidote to 2020. With updated visuals, great Switch porting, and terrific writing that still holds up over a decade later, only a few frustrating puzzle solutions stand in the way of practical perfection.