The complex systems at Port Royale 4's core never flourish under the weight of its uninspired moment-to-moment gameplay and lack of structural balance.
Outside of nostalgia, G.I. Joe: Operation Blackout does not stand apart from the generic third-person shooter, and its inconsistent gameplay and repetitive missions further mute its impact.
Torchlight III is an imperfect but endearing action RPG whose great boss fights and enjoyable special skills clash with the noticeable relics of a freemium experience.
Little Hope makes the direction of The Dark Pictures anthology clear, but it makes up for its evident formula with an interestingly convoluted story and increasingly nuanced branching paths.
Call of the Sea's intriguing piecemeal story and beautiful setting falls to the wayside when its lack of signposting and overall artificially obtuse puzzles take center stage for much longer than acceptable.
Override 2: Super Mech League has many of the pieces that would make it work as a full package, but when the oversized mechs actually go to battle, it becomes a shallow, unrewarding shell of its potential.
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game made good on the promise that movie tie-in games usually failed to keep, and the Complete Edition proves that virtually the entire package is just as enjoyable over a decade later.
Atelier Ryza 2: Lost Legends and the Secret Fairy overshadows its monotonous alchemy system with a fitting combination of charm, exploration, and a dynamic, living world.
Werewolf: The Apocalypse – Earthblood feels like an expansion on a single, promising idea whose repetitive combat, underwhelming presentation, and confused story take away from what makes the original idea interesting.
Ys IX: Monstrum Nox brings a wide array of impressive gameplay elements in concert with a wonderful cast of characters to make an exhilarating, thoughtful package that's one of the series' best.
While it misses the chance to transcend the sum of its parts, Maquette tells a beautifully relatable story with a gorgeous presentation, accompanied by a clever and unique size-bending puzzler.
Monster Jam: Steel Titans 2 is at its best when it embraces the arcadeyness, depth, and lightheartedness that define its most exciting moments, though it sometimes punishes the very ambition behind those aspects.
Monster Truck Championship makes a case for the most impressive monster truck simulator on the market, but its lack of content hinders its longevity.
The unwavering cheerfulness that permeates every ounce of Balan Wonderworld can't overcome the shallow gameplay and questionable design choices that come every step of the way.
Outriders actively props up its own strengths and encourages you to employ them, organically allowing you to experience its full potential and mostly outweighing a disjointed story.
NieR Replicant's upgrades put it nearly on par with NieR: Automata, and while it doesn't live up to the tight package Automata provided, it's a great addition for anyone who missed it the first time around.
Biomutant works best on paper, but it has too many derivative elements for anything alone to stand out.
Much of F1 2021 builds on the high-class foundation from previous games that make the series one of the best racing games out there, but new additions, especially Braking Point, are both great pieces of content on their own and optimistic foundational pieces for the future.
Based on its premise, Foreclosed should be a lot more interesting, but it doesn’t have the balanced gameplay or nuanced story to even crack that conversation.
Madden 22 has begun to address some major issues, and while it hasn’t fixed or updated everything, the dynamic on-field abilities and improved game modes make the future look a little brighter for the franchise.