Derek Johnson
Hell Let Loose could've been a great game, but because its maps are too big and its community is too upsetting, anyone looking to experience the hell of World War 2 should look elsewhere.
Endzone: A World Apart is a carbon copy of Banished, both for better and for worse.
Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War's multiplayer is terrible, its campaign is forgettable and its zombies are okay, which all makes for a game that feels like a much worse iteration of previous installments into the franchise.
Total Tank Simulator could've been something great, but because it lacks the depth of strategy games and the charm of parody battle simulators, it offers little more than whatever enjoyment can be found in sending fifty Soviet war bears into battle against a hoard of German conscripts.
The Oregon Trail is a fun and simplistic survival-em-up that ultimately does little to justify its high price in the wake of more modern entries into the genre.
While Weird West's story is generally engaging and its characters are great, its core gameplay teeters on terrible so often that it's hard to recommend it when Red Dead Redemption 2 is still on sale.
Watch Dogs: Legion has some good ideas, but its story is downright terrible and it suffers from so many technical problems that it's hard to recommend the game over a different, more refined, Ubisoft sandbox game.
Serious Sam 4's core shooting is as fun as can be, and the writing is on par with Hollywood's best action flicks, but everything else in the game is too dated for the overall experience to be truly enjoyable.
Company of Crime's writing and music are both top notch, but its gameplay is so painfully mediocre and tedious that it's hardly worth putting up with when The Holy Grail is still on Netflix.
SnowRunner's core gameplay is unique and satisfying, but there are too many simple design flaws to make the game anything more than Death Stranding without the intrigue.
Paws of Coal is a generally enjoyable and well-told tale, if not especially inventive.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II does little to change the established Call of Duty formula, which makes it an enjoyable, if generally forgettable, entry into its endlessly running franchise.
Moss: Book II is a fun, cute adventure that makes use of the Quest 2's impressive hardware while remaining family-friendly and casual enough for younger audiences.
Samurai Riot Definitive Edition doesn't reinvent the sidescrolling slapper genre, but it's fun and cheap enough to make it as worthwhile of a purchase as any.
Call of Duty: Vanguard does little to change up the Call of Duty formula, but it's still a fun way to kill the nine months until next year's title releases.
Writing that's worth wincing at does little to drag down a hyper-relaxing and educational diving game. Beyond Blue lets you take a breath in a medium packed with games that try their hardest to make your blood pressure skyrocket.
Help Will Come Tomorrow is a video game instead of a survival experience, which is fine provided that players aren't looking for anything deeper than something to kill a bit of time.
One Step From Eden has an interesting premise, surprisingly deep mechanics and an insane amount of content, but as a result of unfair bosses and no tutorial, it's a tough sell to anyone who isn't a diehard fan of the genre.
Although Highwater's combat is frustrating at times, and its story is a tad derivative, it's still an incredibly enjoyable and hyper relevant game because of its core messages and lore.
Terminator: Dark Fate - Defiance isn't without its issues, but its unique setting and gameplay mechanics set it apart from other strategy titles.