Lawn Mowing Simulator does what it says on the tin, and much like Euro Truck Simulator 2, it's more than just mowing lawns. You're building a business empire and mowing lawns across the land, something that's both surprisingly engaging, and very relaxing. There are a few issues, such as poor balancing leading to grind, but if you like those simulations that offer you just enough game and something to call your own, this is worth considering.
Sword of Legends Online has so much to offer, but it's sadly gated off by utterly terribly localisation in the text, the cutscenes, voice acting and - worst of all - the UI. If you can get around this and the horribly slow and tedious levelling process, there are a wealth of features to dig into, some that give this one of the better endgames in any MMO, particularly a non-subscription and non-P2W title. With excellent combat, only enhanced as the game progresses, and features like player housing, pets, extra narrative elements like character biographies (somewhat more understandable than the core story) and more, it's worth the grind, even though the grind is atrocious. On balance, for MMO fans who are used to, and can put up with this sort of nonsense.
Red Solstice 2: Survivors is, at best, a slightly above-average game. For every fun aspect, such as the genuinely fun action-packed nature of the run-and-gun gameplay, there are downsides such as incredibly repetitive missions outside of the core campaign. However, you then find an excellent range of creatures and a good amount of character customisation, really boosting the game, for it to then be let down by the base and region-building feeling tacked on, and then the game is impacted by a fair few bugs. If you liked the first Red Solstice, and other similar shooters, you'll enjoy this, though arguably in shorter sessions or with other people online.
King of Seas is an engaging enough game, offering good ship-to-ship combat and a generally fun time to play through when it doesn't weigh you down with excessive amounts of grind. If you stick through the grind, this is the sort of game that is more than good enough to drop in and out of, giving you a good outlet to meet your pirate-related urges.
Siege Survival: Gloria Victis is a game that manages a sort of reverse synergy. The parts should combine to make this a medieval version of This War of Mine, a title that so clearly inspired it, but sadly fall short due to issues like limited replay value, lacking the emotional investment, despite the world and characters being decent enough. Still, for every negative, there are positives. Exploring the city at night for resources can be very tense; siege defence is engaging, and the crafting is top-notch. Consider this a recommendation, but one with more than a few caveats.
Destruction AllStars certainly has its charm. It exudes personality, thanks to a varied cast of characters that - despite having zero story - seem to have something about them that makes you want to learn more about them, such as their name. You're here for the cars, and they are fun. The smashing, or destruction, of other cars, is a genuinely fun experience that's made all the better by each character having their own ability to mix things up. The game modes do keep things ticking over, though It needs to be said that the game needs to add more in the future to keep things fresh. This isn't a bad start for Destruction AllStars, but it's also one that needs to focus on the strengths and drop the weaknesses - particularly the abysmal on-foot gameplay - to make this game the online draw it could be.
Medal of Honor: Above and Beyond isn't the return to the series that I would have hoped. As a VR game is has a lot to offer, the gameplay is engaging, the missions varied, and both the single-player and multiplayer can be fun to play. However, the story is woefully mismanaged, with a cast of mostly unlikeable and unsympathetic characters - a tragedy when it comes with an incredibly powerful piece of work in the form of the gallery, a collection of documentaries and interviews with veterans of the war.
Chronos: Before the Ashes is an interesting enough title, one that does feature some interesting environments that really support a strong level of world-building. Even those not familiar with Remnant would find this interesting. However, looking beyond the environment and storytelling, you're going to find aspects of the game lacking. The combat is far too forgiving, and you'll have completed the game before encountering most of the perks to the fascinating ageing system. Do I recommend this? For an easy-going souls-lite title, it's not bad, but it isn't great either.
Port Royale 4 is a solid trading and building management sim. The improved visuals, as well as some improved mechanics, help set this apart, as does the tactical turn-based ship combat. It's very user-friendly and intuitive, particularly with the city building and trade-route creating aspects. However, it isn't without flaws. Side quests feel very repetitive and don't really give you enough to do and the campaign can be too rigid, not giving you the amount of time you'd need to do anything other than the bare minimum for the tasks set. If you like this sort of game, Port Royale 4 is likely just up your alley, but I can't see it converting anybody to the cause.
Fairy Tail has somehow managed to keep my interest but I can't deny it has too much grinding that gets boring.
SUPERHOT: MIND CONTROL DELETE is an engaging, albeit shallow experience. The combat is outstanding and still one of the best you can experience, only enhanced by the new abilities featured in this standalone. However, where the combat has improved, the taut and well-thought-out nature of the levels is lost due to the roguelike nature of the game, with the thought and surprise of the originals story lost in what is mostly meandering waffle here. Is it a good game? Yes, it's well worth playing if you just want the combat. If you want more, you'll likely be disappointed.
Trackmania is a nice addition to the series, one that looks and sounds great and, even when it's incredibly frustrating, it's fun. The downside is the new monetisation system, a subscription service that looks like it could segregate the community. The game is very extensive and if the audience picks it up, it could be great for the same reason the other Trackmania games were: user-created content using an outstanding track creator and editor.
Kingdom Under Fire II is one of the most internally divisive games I've ever played. Some parts are genuinely fantastic while others are mind-numbingly horrible.
Override: Mech City Brawl features a fun and engaging combat, featuring giant mechs facing against each other, or against giant aliens. It's slightly marred by an unwieldy camera which loves to obscure your view of the fight and limited single-player options. However, this is made up by it being one of the better party or online games out there, when you have the people online, particularly as you can group up with up to three other players to control the same or different mechs.
GRIP is a technically sound game and can genuinely offer some exciting racing, as you try to dodge enemy weapons, track hazards and more, all at insane speeds. However, it can also be a confusing game to navigate and also has very unfair rubber-banding which can screw you over more than half the time as you'll find a well-placed rocket right up your rear-pipe just before you hit the finish line. GRIP also looks and sounds great, with some very well designed tracks, though some side modes (arena-based modes) completely miss out the best part about the game - being able to ride on any surface. I can genuinely see people enjoying their time with GRIP than I have, I just think it's missed the mark.
It's an improvement on the previous iteration, even if only visually. Aside from that, it feels like the same game but ever so slightly improved. That's the real shame, the jump from Milestone's ageing engine to Unreal had a lot of potential. Considering everything, do I recommend MotoGP 18? If you want a motorbike racing game now, then go for it. If not, you may be better waiting for Ride 3.
The Crew 2 is an impressively large game with a lot to do. Cars, planes and boats, travelling the USA is fun. The problem is that almost everything else ends up feeling the same and, eventually, boring.
Age of Empires: Definitive Edition has certainly got the nostalgia factor going for it. Despite its age, and the numerous problems that come from it, Age of Empires is still a good strategy game. The major issue is that everything about the game has been refined and done better, even by its own successors. As a way to promote Age of Empires IV, it's a sensible move. As a way to revive the series using older titles, that was already done best with Age of Empires II HD.
SpellForce 3 isn't a bad game, it can even be pretty good at parts.
Oriental Empires offeres more than enough to keep long time strategy fans happy. It looks great and does try one or two new things that don't turn out as well as they could, lacking the depth and variety to push it into being a great game.