Just Push Start

“Midnight Ghost Hunt takes the fun of prop hunt and by giving it that spooky Ghostbusters twist, takes it to the next level. Whether you're hiding in a gargoyle or a saucepan, or running after them with a flamethrower going and radar spiking, there is fun to be had. The games are short sharp fun regardless of which team you're put on, something impressive as these style games often feel like one side is there to almost facilitate the fun of the opponents. Despite a few bugs and hosting issues, this is a ghostly experience everyone should believe in.”

“Railroad Ink Challenge is a solid experience, which lacks some features which could take it to the next level. Booting up players can try to beat their own highscores, or play the ever changing daily challenges. Lakes, Lava and more are missing but the release of the Forest and Desert DLC has helped instill some extra variety into the experience. A proper multiplayer experience would have been nice, yet the chance to just hop on, roll some dice and make networks is a pleasant experience in its own right.”

“With each DLC released Cities Skylines gets a bigger and more impressive game, from an already epic starting point. Now there are many available it could be daunting to new players, though for fans having a new area to dive into is a great reason to get back into crafting cities. Having the new public transport options and the two terminal types gives plenty to get invested in, just make sure you have a large flat area planned out for your airport to properly take flight!”

“Simply put, BPM: Bullets Per Minute does a good job of being more than the sum of its parts, though not enough where it transcends things. It's absolutely a game that will either hook you or break your controller before giving up. I'd suggest trying it out or possibly study a video, as it's fun but also an investment.”

“Overall, Mary Skelter Finale is in a rough place. It's far from accessible to newcomers, the opening can be fairly intimidating and there is a lot of stuff thrown at you at once. This makes it hard to recommend to newcomers and have the potential to fail with returning fans. Those who enjoy dungeon crawlers and put in the time are greeted with a rather interesting experience that concludes the series nicely.”

“For the money, Prinny Presents NIS Classics Volume 1: Phantom Brave / Soul Nomad is a great deal. Phantom Brave is one of their best tactical RPGs and Soul Nomad has enough to justify the experience. It's a shame the latter is a port over a remake but the gameplay itself is still decent by today's standards and including Phantom Brave makes it easier to overlook.”

“Greak: Memories of Azur is a great example of nice art and ideas failing due to implementation. I don't know if there is a great way to accomplish exactly what Greak: Memories of Azur was going for but this is absolutely not it. The extra characters add nothing to the core experience could be improved so many ways that it's easy to focus on what it did wrong over the positives. It makes for a rough suggestion and one many will just find lacking.”

“Overall, Blightbound has a good base, it just needs to expand on it more and a faster way to get there. Playing as a class you don't like until the version you do appears sucks and then leveling it can be a bit long. Certain enemies could also further the need to master each classes unique offering, so it isn't three damage dealers with one of them being responsible for healing. Given the roadmap suggests good things are coming, along with the progress we've seen thus far, but in its current state it needs a little more time to bake.”

“The hard thing about Trigger Witch is that it proves you can be worse than the sum of its parts. Instead of creating an experience that feels like a lot of thought and effort went into it, like Enter the Gungeon, it feels like someone had a neat idea and they just wanted to build that as far as they could go. This isn't to say you can't have fun with Trigger Witch or even that it's bad, there are just better efforts out there.”

“As a huge fan of Disgaea, I’m simply disappointed in the direction Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny took. It went from a charming RPG that had larger than life bosses with equally impressive stats to numbers so inflated it’s legitimately hard to know what exactly your stats are. Add in auto play that will literally grind while you sleep, various mechanics that make the mechanics irrelevant and it’s literally just a pointless grind until the next pointless grind. For some that might be fun, but that simply isn’t what Disgaea is for me.”

“In reality, Neptunia ReVerse does what it ultimately needs to accomplish. The things that matter look nice, new modes give most players something to look forward to and it’s an experience a lot of players likely never got to see.”

“The main thing to remember with Rust Console Edition is that you need to come in with a desire to build a life and invest the time to see that life through. This makes it hard to suggest to everyone, especially those who will want to fight a bear the second they spawn, a choice you’ll likely immediately regret but it does what it wants to quite well. The meta-game alone can feel hours, days, weeks or even months, provided you come in with an open mind.”

“ScourgeBringer is in a weird place where it's a novel concept, it's just a question of how it all comes together. There have been efforts to bridge the gap in difficulty, like making it more accessible, though it's a fast-paced game that requires good timing. This will resonate with some, maybe even to the point where they chase after all the challenge stars, with most doing two or three runs and finishing. Given the price, it's still a good value, though it hinges on how much value that provides.”

“There is really nothing wrong with Poison Control, it just doesn't do much to stand out. It has a neat concept with okay execution. Graphics aren't overly impressive, nor are the controls, but neither really stop it from being engaging. For most the interactions and adventure will keep them going, it just depends on if that is worth the investment or not.”

“Enjoying UnderMine hinges on what you find important in a roguelike. There are tons of items to unlock, deeper mechanics like some items fuse for different or better perks, there are a lot of secrets and it's all set up so skill means more than luck. It just doesn't have that sensation that this is going to be a good or bad run that makes similar titles exciting. Instead, UnderMine has a distinct set of rules, and players are expected to see just how far their skill can take them. It's fun, especially as a fan of the genre, though it absolutely isn't for everyone.”

“Shing! has some bad, though it's balanced out with some good. The look, story, and some of the mechanics won't please everyone, but after about 20 minutes I had no issues having fun. The mechanics might be rough, but they're fairly accessible and this allows Shing! to feel less like an impossibly hard experience and more a silly game you and a buddy can play without a ton of skill needed to feel like you're a badass. Naturally, this won't resonate with everyone, though I think those willing to give Shing! a chance will be pleasantly surprised.”

“Bladed Fury certainly has some flaws, be it extremely linear levels, arguably cheap bosses, and short (about four hours, though it can easily be done in two), but it isn't a bad experience. The art and design are interesting enough to suck players in and not let go, with bosses at least offering an engaging experience. It would be nice to see more depth or additional play styles but the base game is at least fun.”

“I would be hard-pressed to say Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two was a bad experience. It honestly made me appreciate Doom Eternal's desire to make every weapon have some kind of purpose, be it destroying armor or instantly blowing up an enemy, but the conclusion is a mixed bag. At most it makes the seemingly endless waves of demons seem manageable and Doomguy legitimately feels like the killer the story suggests he is, it just doesn't stick to landing. It doesn't add much of a new experience and one the conclusion hurts more than it helps. I don't think anyone will dislike Doom Eternal: The Ancient Gods – Part Two, though I also don't think anyone will be blown away by it either.”

“I had a lot of fun playing Curse of the Dead Gods and it's fairly addicting once you get the mechanics down. For better or worse, it is rather mechanic heavy that may or may not be positive. Often times it can be a bit convoluted and ultimately a less aggressive playstyle will make up for a passive one with the torch or being overly greedy. Given it's a great game to pick up and play and it doesn't take particularly long to get the hang of it, I strongly suggest giving it a go if you're looking for something to scratch that roguelike itch.”

“Unsurprisingly, Neptunia Virtual Stars hinges on what exactly you're looking for. If that answer is a quirky RPG with tight and deep mechanics, you'll likely be disappointed. However, if you just want a fun RPG that has amusing interactions and cute characters, it will likely be fun. That isn't to say Neptunia Virtual Stars is a bad game, it just doesn't particularly stand out in any positive or negative way.”