Battletoads does have its good moments, between its beat 'em up gameplay, metal-heavy soundtrack, and strong boss design. It's just drowned out by its awful pacing and poor comedy that gets maybe a couple of chuckles from the entirety of its brief five-hour adventure.
It's never ceased to bring me smiles. It's consistent happiness. Fall Guys is why I play games, and if my biggest complaint is that I can't get more people in on the fun, that's a pretty good sign for its future.
Easy Day makes a valiant effort with Skater XL, but this game isn't a pro skater just yet.
The best thing I can say about Paper Mario: The Origami King is that it has some major problems, but the story is great enough and so worth experiencing that it's worth trudging through the negatives to experience it at least once. Like a lot of first-time origami projects, it starts rough, but it's worth seeing through to the end.
The Academy has the kind of premise that should make it feel more special than it is. It certainly shines with its different array of puzzles. But the game's characters and their dialogue make this feel as exciting as Algebra class. I should feel more excited about the extracurriculars, but instead, The Academy's shortcomings had me watching the clock and waiting for the bell to ring.
If nothing else, Aftermath is a must-play for both newer fans of the modern Mortal Kombat narrative and old-school fans who enjoyed the 1995 Mortal Kombat movie. While there have been offshoot projects like the Mortal Kombat Legends: Scorpion's Revenge movie that released earlier this year, Aftermath's story shows once again that there are no better tellers of the Mortal Kombat lore than the NetherRealm team themselves.
But, while the core Minecraft experience can be enjoyed alone, Minecraft Dungeons feels much more suited for a night with friends. So be sure to link up with a few partners, because it's dangerous to go alone.
Everything is well-written with strong performances to match.
It has its problems and its quirks, but I've greatly enjoyed Trials of Mana. I would easily call this the best RPG remake that Square's made in a long time. At least I would if that other Square Enix RPG remake didn't exist.
You can't always mix peanut butter with chocolate and end up with something good.
For those who were disappointed by Ultimate Alliance 3's first few DLC offerings, Shadow of Doom has some more meat to it and should be more of what true believers are looking for.
If you're a fan of the anime, you're going to enjoy this and you might even come to enjoy the flawed fighting mechanics. For anybody else, My Hero One's Justice 2 is just another aggressively mediocre anime fighter, the latest in a long line of them.
Is it another Enter the Gungeon? No, it isn't. But as a quick arcade romp, it's a blast. It shows that even when shifting genres, Dodge Roll knows how to craft a good roguelike and keep players wanting to punish themselves more and more with each run.
It's a strong introduction to the One Punch Man mythos and when this fighting game gets down to the actual fighting, it's actually pretty fun. And there are enough different ideas at work to make it stand out from other anime and fighting games. It's a novel effort, but nothing else beyond that.
Even the true fans will retreat to YouTube to watch the cutscenes, because there's nothing to entice players here. Re Mind is a dud and a total disappointment for any KH fan.
It's also a strong way to put the Shovel Knight saga to bed, essentially bringing everything full-circle in such a way that it encourages players to go right back to the original Shovel Knight story. King of Cards is aces, in ways I never expected it to be.
While the first Life is Strange was a fantastic story that I felt stumbled to the finish line, Life is Strange 2 feels the opposite. It started rough and gradually grew into a strong tale of sibling's rasing one another. How they go about raising one another is ultimately up to you.
It's not a masterpiece, but Concrete Genie is still a fine piece of art.
With the 2019 reimagining of Link's Awakening, Nintendo simply provided a new way to appreciate an all-time great adventure.
At this time, The Blackout Club isn't a club worth joining. For now, close your eyes and try to imagine a better game.