Life Is Strange: True Colors is a fantastic slice of life from an idealized alternate universe. Alex is an excellent protagonist, and her adventures with her attractive, funny friends in their beautiful town is a great way to spend about 12 hours. Beautiful, touching, temporary, artificial, charming, enchanting, and strange, True Colors will touch your soul like the three-minute indie pop songs it loves so much. The taste of ashes in your mouth at the end is purely optional.
King's Bounty II is a great tactics game nestled within an okay open world RPG. While nothing in the exploration is offensively bad, it is clear early on that the real meat of the game lies within it's fun and engaging battle system.
Islanders: Console Edition trims every bit of fat from the city-building genre, stripping it down to the core mechanic of plunking down buildings for points. While the controls are a bit fidgety, the chill gameplay and focused mechanics more than make up for it. Play for a few minutes or a few hours, either way, Islanders delivers.
Fire Tonight is a very brief, albeit enjoyable, tribute to the early '90s and synth-pop band Information Society in particular. Though the mechanics in the game are somewhat basic, it is still fun to see a video game take the time to visit a world 30 years gone. People of a certain age (and Information Society fans) will likely get a charge out of this one.
The Forgotten City is a modern classic, an utterly compelling video game that reinvents the adventure genre through intriguing writing and exploration. With stellar voice acting, sparkling conversation, and story twists to spare, The Forgotten City is one of the best games I've played this year, and one of the best video game narratives I've ever encountered. Utterly original, completely entrancing.
Ayo the Clown is a fun, light platformer with origins that can be traced directly back to any number of Nintendo classics, putting it in esteemed company. Though the difficulty might be a bit much for the smallest kids, Ayo the Clown is a light-hearted, family-friendly game that deserves attention from platformer fans.
Sniper Elite VR offers a hefty experience for a VR game, with up to seven or eight hours of well-designed levels to creep through. The mechanics of the game take some time to get used to, and even after becoming accustomed to the controls, still feel a little awkward - though a nice selection of settings helps alleviate those issues. Some forced repetition pads the game towards the end, but overall Sniper Elite VR is a solid and fun experience.
Monster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of Ruin is a mixed bag. Hatching and maxing out your Monsties is a lot of fun, but the battle system in which you spend most of your time eventually wears out its welcome. While the story becomes interesting in the late game, it takes a long time to get there, with extended periods spent wandering from quest point to quest point on autopilot. There are a lot of systems at play here, but they don't always gel into a compelling game.
Summer Olympics Tokyo 2020 is fun with a group of friends and family, but there is very little reason to pick up the controller if you are going to be playing alone. Fun customization options allow a great deal of weirdness, and the wide variety of minigames offer breezy fun without a ton of depth. Lower your expectations, invite some buddies over, and you'll likely have a good time.
A brief jaunt through a side story in the Star Wars universe is made better with some sky-high production values and some fun lore drops. Don't expect a ton of interactivity, though it is fun to throw Stormtroopers around with the Force. A nice side mode allows for endless lightsaber battles, but the main draw is Vader himself, delivered by the game in all of his intimidating glory.
Dark Alliance has the core of a fun game, but many design decisions and some very spotty enemy AI prevent the game from fully taking flight. While the game still feels early, there is some fun to be had running around and taking advantage of Dark Alliance's many issues. But with time, this game will become a mid-tier action adventure-which is exactly what it should be.
Final Fantasy VII Remake, only a year old, gets a next-gen remake, and the results are visually stunning. The new Yuffie-based Intermission chapter is a ton of fun, and its lighter tone demonstrates ways that the Remake saga can move away from the sullen tone of the first game. Bouncy and full of life, Yuffie brings some much needed levity to the proceedings, shining a new light on the game as a whole.
DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power successfully translates the beloved animated TV show into the video game space. While the game might feel a bit fluffy for adults, playing with kids is a blast. With reasonably well-done combat and a ton of side activities, Teen Power is a meatier (and more fun) experience than one might assume-an absolute win for a licensed game.
Attractive and charming animation makes Wonder Boy: Asha in Monster World appear to be a modern game, but don't be fooled. A lack of modern conveniences-autosave, a map, etc.-places Asha squarely in the old-school department. Blistering boss fights, meandering levels, and a very weird-feeling double jump all combine to make Asha in Monster World a fun game to visit, but only fans of the classic franchise will want to stay.
A Rogue Escape gives players just enough information to get started on their escape in an alien mech, and then allows them to fiddle and fuss their way to a fast and un-triumphant death. With tactile controls and fun reveals, the game slowly unfolds like the very best escape rooms. Bring your thinking cap and patience.
Legend of Keepers is a fun roguelike that relies a bit too much on the luck of the draw. Constructing custom teams is a non-starter, which leaves players doing their best with whatever the game doles out. The font size might be an issue for some, but overall, Legend of Keepers is a pleasant not-overly-difficult way to kill twelve hours.
Dreamworks Spirit Lucky's Big Adventure might be a lot of fun, if it would function long enough for a kid to play it. This game is broken in nearly every way possible: the graphics stutter and shake, the save files won't load, and the quest lines lead players in circles. There is no way a responsible adult should hand a child a game in this condition-is is simply unplayable.
By making puzzle mechanics feel immediate and dangerous, Boxed In elevates the genre. While the edges feel a bit rough, the core gameplay mechanic is pure gold, giving Boxed In that much desired one-more-try factor. Highly recommended for immediate purchase.
While the cheerful island graphics and pirate themes are fun, King of Seas' over reliance on grinding quickly stifles the enjoyment. Exploration is highly enjoyable, but after you've seen everything, the story is the only thing left to pursue. Artificial barriers to extend the experience frustrate, as there is little satisfaction in grinding to victory.
Knockout City is a rollicking good time, restructuring dodgeball into a competitive team sport that anyone can enjoy. Appropriate for all audiences, there is plenty of fun here for casuals and the hardcore crowd alike. Knockout City leaves plenty of room for the game to grow and expand, making it a solid platform for success as a living game. Bright, cheery, inclusive fun.