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Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Eternal Strands

‘Eternal Strands’ offers a T-rated blend of big-game action adventure without ever feeling too gritty or messy.

indiana jones and the great circle
Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

This ‘Indiana Jones’ game is the sequel that moviemakers probably wanted to make—gobbledygook spirituality and all.

atlas fallen reign of sand
Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Atlas Fallen: Reign of Sand

Magical relics, a clash between gods and battles against sandy wraiths are front and center in this desert-bound RPG.

Role-Playing
Deltarune (Chapters 1 & 2)

Deltarune has a cute kid-friendly look, but there are darker things beneath its pixeled sheep’s clothing.

Action/Adventure
Tchia

This South Pacific island-based adventure game has a very different feel. But its not always as kid-friendly as it looks.

Goat in a tutu for Goat Simulator
Action/Adventure, Sim
Goat Simulator 3

Goat Simulator 3 is chaotic and bizarre, to be sure. But the silliness can also bite you when you’re not …

Combat, Shooter
Star Wars: Hunters

Patient Star Wars fans can get in on free team-based shooter play with Hunters. Those less patient, will need their …

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Combat
Another Crab’s Treasure

Another Crab’s Treasure has a cheery look, salt-water humor and gameplay that will appeal to some. But it’s not exactly …

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Strategy
Ereban: Shadow Legacy

This indie game offers lots of action for those who enjoy stealthy strategy with a shadow-swimming twist.

Role-Playing, Strategy
Unicorn Overlord

There are a few T-rated issues here, but nothing bad enough to knock most families of teens off a unicorn.

Final Fantasy 7 rebirth game
Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth

This Final Fantasy is indeed a rebirth of one of the most celebrated RPGs ever. But it comes with issues …

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Combat, Puzzle
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown a well-constructed platformer that’ll please many–as long as they don’t mind its light bloodiness …

Palworld
Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Palworld

Palworld may look a lot like another cute and popular monster gathering game. But Pokémon’s never had AK-47s and butchering …

The Finals
Combat, Shooter
The Finals

The Finals is yet another free-to-play, frenetic shooter that might not be as free as you expect.

Avatar Frontiers of Pandora
Action/Adventure, Combat, Puzzle, Shooter
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora

Frontiers of Pandora lets you fly through its beautiful world. But it has plenty of angry things to say about …

spider man 2 game
Action/Adventure, Combat
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

It’s a top-tier action sequel to a top-tier action original, with just a few sticky, icky bits for Mom to …

The Lamplighters League
Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
The Lamplighters League

There’s much more to the stylish Lamplighters League than you might expect: both great and not-so-great.

Venba
Puzzle
Venba

Venba is a cooking game with an emotions-plucking story in its book of recipes.

Oxenfree II Lost Signals
Action/Adventure
Oxenfree II: Lost Signals

Oxenfree II sports a Stranger Things-like vibe. And some Stranger Things-like content, too.

The Bookwalker Thief of Tales
Action/Adventure, Combat, Puzzle, Strategy
The Bookwalker: Thief of Tales

The Bookwalker is a novel idea, but a messy read.

Star Trek Resurgence
Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Strategy
Star Trek: Resurgence

With a well-written story and time-driven choices, this Star Trek adventure might well be the best one yet.

Star Wars Jedi Survivor
Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor

Survivor has some unexpected Jedi twists and turns. And Darth Vader, too.

TRON identity
Puzzle
TRON: Identity

A new TRON game will certainly draw interest. But this visual novel may not be the code you’re looking for.

Bayonetta Origins Cereza and the Lost Demon
Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon

This “kid-friendly” Bayonetta isn’t as warm and cuddly as it might appear.

Storyteller game
Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Storyteller

Storyteller is a smile-worthy puzzler that could still leave some family members frowning.

Horizon Call of the Mountain
Action/Adventure, Shooter
Horizon: Call of the Mountain

Horizon Call of the Mountain is an impressively pretty game to duck, stretch and grunt your way through.

Wild Hearts video game
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Wild Hearts

Wild Hearts features nearly impossible hunts of massive, fearsome creatures. What’s not to like?

Hogwarts Legacy game
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Hogwarts Legacy

As with every Potteresque venture, there’s dark and deadly peril along with the magical fun.

Fire Emblem Engage game
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Strategy
Fire Emblem Engage

Is Fire Emblem Engage as engaging as its title suggests?

One Piece Odyssey game
Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
One Piece Odyssey

There’s bizarre fun to be had if you know the manga landscape.

a racing car - Need for Speed Unbound
Racing
Need for Speed Unbound

It’s a well-tuned racer. But some will still want to hit the brakes.

marvel's midnight suns game
Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing, Strategy
Marvel’s Midnight Suns

There’s fun XCOM-like gameplay to be had. But you gotta be OK with Marvel’s demonic side.

Gotham Knights
Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Gotham Knights

It’s a Batman game without Batman. Can it still be worth a Bat-signal?

Multiversus game
Combat
MultiVersus

MultiVersus has a lot of fun battles to enjoy. But some in-game irritations could send you running.

Overwatch 2 game
Action/Adventure, Shooter
Overwatch 2

This game delivers a fast-paced sparkle and pop, but more tug at your wallet, too.

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Destroy All Humans! 2: Reprobed

Some call it a classic. Others prefer the word “crude.”

Two Point Campus game
Sim
Two Point Campus

You build the school and pick the classes with this game. But does it earn a passing grade?

Digimon Survive game
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Digimon Survive

This new Digimon is more visual novel that battler this go ‘round. But it’s also more horror than digital monster …

Fire Emblem Warriors
Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes

This latest Fire Emblem Warriors takes a new slash at some old themes.

Silt game
Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Silt

This artistically creative game has its fair share of fun puzzles and deep-sea dangers.

Riff Trax The Game
Action/Adventure
Riff Trax: The Game

RiffTrax is a comedy game for the hidden jokester in all of us.

TIny Tina's Wonderland game
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Shooter
Tiny Tina’s Wonderland

Wonderland’s T-rated cleanup doesn’t necessarily equate to good, clean, all-ages fun.

Horizon Forbidden West game
Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Role-Playing
Horizon Forbidden West

Aloy faces new forbidden horizons. But should she face them in your family room?

Nobody Saves the World game
Role-Playing
Nobody Saves the World

While reliably clever and sometimes funny, Nobody sometimes runs into some dark goop and glop.

Combat, Strategy
Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel

The newest Yu-Gi-Oh! game is a free download. But does it cost more than you expect?

The Gunk video game
Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Puzzle
The Gunk

The game is based on cleaning up a planet, and that’s surprisingly satisfying. Too bad the game didn’t clean up …

chorus game trailer
Action/Adventure, Combat, Puzzle
Chorus

This T-rated space combat game is a bit different. But it might offer a cockpit worth exploring.

Halo Infinite
Action/Adventure, Shooter
Halo Infinite

Master Chief and Halo are back. Does their T-rating make them more family-room friendly?

Voice of Cards the Isle Dragon Roars gameplay
Combat, Role-Playing
Voice of Cards: The Isle Dragon Roars

More a card game than a video game, The Isle Dragon Roars has just a few drawbacks for younger card-flippers.

guardians of the galaxy game
Action/Adventure, Shooter
Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy

The Guardians of the Galaxy have always been fun and messy. Fittingly, so is this game.

psychonauts 2 video game
Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform
Psychonauts 2

This creative game deals with, of all things, mental health. But it has its own sticky bits, too.

forgotten city gameplay
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
The Forgotten City

Can a game mod of Skyrim actually end up being a decent game all its own?

Action/Adventure
Last Stop

Interactive storytelling abounds here, but there are interactive problems, too.

Aerial Knight's Never Yield gameplay
Arcade/Platform
Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield

This indie runner has some spring in its step, but it’s a one-dimensional sprint.

Screen shot of mutant human-animal hybrids from the futuristic video game "Biomutant."
Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Role-Playing
Biomutant

This new post-apocalyptic entry offers players a mixed bag of mutant adventure.

Screen shot of an astronaut shooting an alien in the sci-fi horror video game "Returnal."
Action/Adventure, Horror/Suspense, Shooter
Returnal

Twists, turns and a lot of shooting fill this creative-yet-problematic hybrid title for the PS5.

Screenshot of a man riding a giant dog in the game Monster Hunter Rise
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Monster Hunter Rise

Could this be the monster-slashing hunt you’ve been looking for?

Screen shot from the game It Takes Two
Action/Adventure, Puzzle
It Takes Two

There’s a kids’ game vibe in this unusual video game that aims to help parents think about love, conflict and …

Screen shot from the game "Little Nightmares II."
Horror/Suspense, Puzzle
Little Nightmares II

Like plunging into a horrific fever dream, Little Nightmares II propels players into some dark and disturbing places.

Screen shot from Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game - The Complete Edition.
Combat
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition

This retro-styled, beat-’em-up franchise gets another swing on newer consoles.

Screenshot of the game Super Meat Boy Forever
Arcade/Platform
Super Meat Boy Forever

Super Meat Boy is back to leap more blades and grinders. Should he make a meaty splash in your family …

We see Miles Morales in his Spider-Man suit with his mask off.
Action/Adventure
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales

What does this guy named Miles Morales have tucked up his web-slinging sleeves?

Shooter, Sim
Star Wars: Squadrons

The learning curve is steep. But once you get the hang of it, this game has only a few minor …

A superhero's elastic arm pummels a bad guy.
Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Marvel’s Avengers

This T-rated Marvel superhero game feels fun and familiar, though it’s somewhat marred by occasional profanities.

Darth Vader in a lightsaber fight.
Action/Adventure, Sim
Star Wars: Vader Immortal – Episode 1

Despite its title, Vadar Immortal resists the urge to fully embrace the dark side, content-wise, in this VR title.

An animated samurai fights on a bridge.
Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Combat
Samurai Jack: Battle Through Time

Samurai Jack is back and leaping in your family room! Is that a good thing?

Screen shot from the video game Battletoads.
Arcade/Platform, Combat, Puzzle
Battletoads

Yet another throwback remake. But are these toads infectious or infected?

Vintage muscle car jumping through fiery explosion.
Action/Adventure, Racing
Fast & Furious Crossroads

Sometimes you just want a good racing game. Sorry Fast & Furious fans, Crossroads just ain’t it.

Action/Adventure, Virtual Reality
Marvel’s Iron Man VR

Ever wondered what it’d be like to don Iron Man’s armor? Sony might just make those dreams come true—virtually speaking.

Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Valorant

Yet another free tactical shooter arrives for the esports-loving masses. But are there costs that come with free?

Combat, Role-Playing, Strategy
Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition

A refurbished classic for the Switch. But are these the battling chronicles you’re looking for?

Combat
Streets of Rage 4

Another old school revival. Does Streets of Rage 4 offer fresh kicks or tired whiffs?

Strategy
Dota Underlords

Ever heard of an auto-chess game? Here’s one with a devilish twist.

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Role-Playing
Dreams

Dreams may not be a typical dream game, but your creative visions can make it sparkle.

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Puzzle
Journey to the Savage Planet

This creative game involves crafting, exploring and platforming … a just a bit of goo.

Action/Adventure, Rhythm/Music
Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

For a game cover that “looks kinda cute,” Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot may not be the game you’re expecting.

Combat, Strategy
Phoenix Point

A new game from the creator of the original X-COM. Does that bode well for the turn-based strategy fan?

Role-Playing
Darksiders Genesis

This Bible-based battler is played out from a new perspective. But can you really tell Mom it’s more … biblical?

Action/Adventure
Shenmue III

Eighteen years later, the groundbreaking world of Shenmue returns. But the kicks here aren’t … always a kick.

Action/Adventure
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order

Fallen Order is for those who want to know what it’s like to be a bewildered young Jedi … with …

Arcade/Platform
Indivisible

Just about everybody that this game’s protagonist knows is in her head. And they jump out to help her fight …

Combat
RAD

The dystopian adventure RAD is something called a “roguelike” game. So how roguish does it get?

Strategy
Yu-Gi-Oh! Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution

Yu-Gi-Oh! migrates to the Switch, blending classic card battles with its signature brand of manga-inspired mysticism.

Role-Playing
Fire Emblem: Three Houses

The latest Fire Emblem game migrates to Nintendo’s Switch, bringing some big changes to the franchise along the way.

Combat
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order

Avengers? Thanos? Infinity Stones? Yup, it looks like Nintendo paid attention when crafting this Switch combat title.

Arcade/Platform
Stranger Things 3: The Game

As its title suggestion, this old-school homage mirrors the latest season of Netflix’s hit series.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Horror/Suspense
Batman: Arkham Asylum

One look at the titular building in Batman: Arkham Asylum, and you can understand why Gotham City has such a …

Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Okami

Picture a landscape that simmers and sweats with a crimson molten heat, covered by a coal black, sulfurous blanket of …

Action/Adventure
Spider-Man 2

Spider-Man 2 (the game) follows the general plot of the movie, but adds some new twists and characters.

Rhythm/Music
Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry believes Guitar Hero has helped steer his kids away from violence. Or at least video game …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing, Strategy
AION

The complicated spiritual lore of this Korean-created game world can be a little tough to follow. Its nonstop battle sequences …

Combat
SoulCalibur IV

You’d think the characters in the SoulCalibur series would’ve gotten tired of the whole “quest for the sacred sword(s)” thing …

Action/Adventure
Bully

Remember all the alienating cliques, roughneck threats and other sweat-inducing agonies of your high school years? Well, no matter what …

Role-Playing, Sim
The Sims 2

Most games are about winning. This one’s about experiencing sim-life.

Combat, Shooter
Call of Duty 2

It’s the same war, but the games are all new and improved. But, just because we can turn world wars …

Combat
Tekken Dark Resurrection

Launched in 1994 as an arcade game, ‘Tekken’ has made its way through every version of Sony’s PlayStation, including (finally) …

Rhythm/Music, Sim
Rock Band Unplugged

First things first: The latest entry in the enormously popular Rock Band franchise isn’t what you might think it is. …

Action/Adventure, Combat
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Jack Sparrow

It was only a matter of time before Jack Sparrow of the mega-hit movie franchise ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ set …

Combat
Virtua Fighter 5

On the heels of 14 years of karate chopping, hook-kicking success, the godfather of 3-D fighting games has released a …

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
The World Ends With You

We all have ideas about what happens to us after we die. We think about how we’ll walk through the …

Action/Adventure, Strategy
Battlestations: Midway

A heavily shadowed sub strategically swims in and out of the crack-your-hull-like-an-eggshell ocean depths, having battled its way past a …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter

For players who’ve shouldered machine guns in other military adventure contests, the gameplay will seem familiar. But there is one …

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Puzzle
The Simpsons Game

With ‘The Simpsons Movie’ on DVD, no self-respecting Springfieldian will head home from the mall with just a movie in …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Too Human

Growing up, I played a lot of games. Chess and backgammon came first, believe it or not. Then card games …

Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Shooter
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: Legend

Lara Croft began strutting her stuff back in 1996 when a small British company set the gaming world back on …

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Pirates of the Burning Sea

The “van Hoorn” Snow is a serviceable ship. She can hold her own in any waters, especially when her crew …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Tomb Raider: Underworld

What Indiana Jones did for map-in-one-hand-gun-in-the-other cinema, Lara Croft has done for video games. They’re really very similar iconic figures …

Shooter
Close Combat: First to Fight

I carefully crept along the edge of the wall, my M-60 machine gun at the ready. The Marine across the …

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Final Fantasy XII

My introduction to fantasy role-playing games came in sixth grade. At a bookstore, I noticed a fascinating tome called the …

Combat, Sim
HAWX

OK, I’ll admit it. Whenever I play a flight/combat simulation game, I usually pick up the controller expecting full-throttle action …

Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Shooter
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

The folks at Nintendo created the first Metroid game way back in the mid ’80s. And those sly little pranksters …

Strategy
Left Behind: Eternal Forces

I’m sure you’ve heard the one about the guy who stands up at a funeral and says, “The rumors of …

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Marvel Ultimate Alliance

The first thing I did when I heard about Marvel Ultimate Alliance was to go to the video game’s official …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Destroy All Humans!: Big Willy Unleashed

When the original Destroy All Humans! first hovered on the horizon, it was praised by some for an acerbic sense …

Action/Adventure
Generation Zero

This robot-battling adventure game doesn’t quite add up to the sum of its parts.

Role-Playing, Sim
The Sims 3

I’ll admit it: I’m one of those grumpy gamers who never really liked The Sims franchise. Tell your sim to …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Puzzle
Super Smash Bros. Brawl

I often marvel at how incredibly realistic video games can be nowadays. After making my way through some virtual cave …

Action/Adventure
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith

No summer blockbuster is complete these days without its video game complement. ‘Star Wars: Episode III’ is no exception.

Sports
Tony Hawk’s American Wasteland

Once upon a time, I was a skater. Briefly. My pre-adolescent love affair with the skateboard never blossomed, however, because …

Rhythm/Music
Guitar Hero: World Tour

In 2005, Harmonix Music Systems partnered with video game publisher RedOctane to create a fresh, plastic guitar-wielding, colored button-bashing, rhythm/music …

Combat, Sports
Fight Night: Round 3

Even twig-men can step into the ring and reach for fisticuffs glory. So, does the fight stay clean, or do …

Combat, Sim
UFC 2009: Undisputed

The first time I ever happened upon a televised Ultimate Fighting Championship bout, two things immediately came to mind. The …

Action/Adventure, Combat
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

When the very first Star Wars film hit theaters, I took my girlfriend to see it. I know that makes …

Rhythm/Music
Guitar Hero II

In a land far, far away, where the legends of rock ‘n’ roll are born and not made, I still …

Action/Adventure
Prince of Persia

If the words Prince of Persia bring to mind evil alter egos, slo-mo dismemberments and belligerent bloodletting, then you’re in …

Combat, Shooter
Enemy Territory: Quake Wars

In the late 1990s first-person shooters such as Doom and Quake were hitting their stride and urging fans to team …

Rhythm/Music, Sim
The Beatles: Rock Band

The Beatles finally have their own Rock Band! So is our gaming guru crooning “yeah, yeah, yeah,” or moaning “for …

Action/Adventure, Strategy
Overlord II

The Overlord games are designed for those players who long to slip into the armor and cape of an evil …

Combat, Strategy
Empire: Total War

Video games are the Rodney Dangerfield of the entertainment world. And sometimes—when they’re digitally inviting kids to shoot cops or …

Combat
Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit

The newest Dragon Ball Z video game has hit the shelves with a robust take that! And fans of the …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

Uncharted 2 goes places no other game has gone before. But are they the right places? Because more important than …

Shooter
Apex Legends

Is this new battle royale title a Fortnite killer? Maybe. But regardless of the answer, there’s a lot of killing …

Combat, Strategy
Halo Wars

Halo is back. And it’s rated T! Gaming fingers are twitching, allowances are being saved, and scores of cajoling teens …

Action/Adventure
Spider-Man 3: The Game

I don’t want to say they’re ho-hum, but superheroes are everywhere nowadays. And that means that game and movie audiences …

Combat, Sports
Tekken 6

Muscles are flexing. Kicks are flying. Pugilists are pulling no punches. And pandas are passing gas. Tekken’s back in the …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Lost Planet: Extreme Condition

Have you noticed how video games and movies seem to be borrowing from each other’s closets these days? You can …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
inFAMOUS

The antihero union must be having a party. For we live in a day and age when even comic book …

Action/Adventure, Combat
Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

Back in the summer of ’81, I walked into the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark quite by happenstance, knowing …

Action/Adventure
King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie

Peter Jackson knows movies. And he also knows marketing. To create more buzz for his Lord of the Rings trilogy …

Action/Adventure, Combat
SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny

The SoulCalibur saga—with its exotic characters, odd spiritualism and mystical Soul Edge blades—has always been a little bit out there. …

Action/Adventure, Strategy
Mirror’s Edge

Leap! Dodge! Slide! Flip! Run! RUN! Runrunrunfasterfasterfasteraaarrgghh— This, in a nutshell, sums up the life of Faith: Not, mind you, …

Combat
Street Fighter IV

Of all the coin-operated arcade games that started life in the ’80s—tucked in the corner at your local Laundromat or …

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Puzzle
The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess

Link isn’t going bald. Zelda isn’t putting on a few pounds. But in video game years these two have been …

Rhythm/Music
Rock Band

Have you ever daydreamed about standing onstage with your best buds, shaking back a thick mane of bleached blonde hair …

Combat, Sim
Ace Combat Zero: The Belkan War

‘Ever since Tom Cruise lit the afterburners in Top Gun, the idea of life as a fighter jock has seemed …

Rhythm/Music, Sim
Rock Band 2

Rock Band, the video game that took a Guitar Hero by the collar of his tattered T-shirt and set him …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Destroy All Humans!

After millenniums of squelching inferior races, a species of bulbous-headed extraterrestrials find themselves unable to propagate. Now they need our …

Action/Adventure
Below

This minimalist, buzz-worthy game is for players who don’t want any help figuring out how to survive on a deserted …

Action/Adventure
SoulCalibur VI

This fighting game offers accessible combat, interesting quests and … enough T-rated content to make parents think twice.

Shooter
Strange Brigade

This T-rated shooter seems cinematically charming at first. But its creativity soon gives way to a dark, tedious, grinding game.

Action/Adventure
Marvel’s Spider-Man

The latest Spidey game delivers high-flying fun with just a few sticky content bits for parents to consider.

Shooter
Destiny 2: Forsaken

This expansion for Destiny 2 adds more of what we’ve seen before … but with a much darker storyline.

Action/Adventure
Monster Hunter: World

The Monster Hunter franchise may be really, really big. But it can be really, really frustrating, too.

Puzzle
The Spectrum Retreat

This puzzle-filled Portal wannabe doesn’t quite make the full jump.

Sports
The Crew 2

The latest Crew experience strips away its predecessor’s sheet metal and delivers a race-focused game worth a tire kick or …

Role-Playing
West of Loathing

This snarky, stick-figure Wild West game packs plenty of clever quips—and a few content burrs—in its saddlebags.

Action/Adventure
Sea of Thieves

This T-rated pirate adventure invites crews to set sail … with a few arrgh-worthy problems to beware of on the …

Action/Adventure
Night in the Woods

Night in the Woods may look like cutesy storybook fun. But looks can be deceiving.

Role-Playing, Strategy
The Escapists 2

This popular jailbreak game has a bit of content contraband that Mom should make note of.

Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Rumu

A love-filled robot vacuum sucks you into a compelling story. But it’s more heartfelt tale than game-playing challenge.

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Star Wars: Battlefront II

‘Battlefront II’ is somehow not inferior to a movie. This game is awe-inspiring in both scope and detail.

Shooter
Destiny 2

This sequel shooter feels a lot like its intense predecessor—only with a bit more polish … and maybe even more …

Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Shooter
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy

This sequel layers the Uncharted formula over a female-focused adventure tale, with expected and unexpected results.

Shooter, Strategy
Fortnite

This buzz-generating hybrid is one part Minecraft, one part shooter. That last aspect is the one parents will need to …

Arcade/Platform, Combat
Tekken 7

A T-rated beat-’em-up with more demonic story weirdness than you may want to fight through.

Action/Adventure
Injustice 2

The second Injustice title features good guys gone bad and scrappy supers going toe-to-toe with them—all wrapped in an arcade …

Horror/Suspense, Puzzle
Little Nightmares

This cartoonish horror game has people talking, but it’s the kind of story that could easily leave many a nightmare …

Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Pinstripe

This compelling indie game blends appealing art and gaming mechanics into an unexpected cautionary abstraction.

Role-Playing, Strategy
Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia

This remake of a game from the ’90s is rich in old strategy and tactics, but it has a few …

Puzzle
The Sexy Brutale

This creative indie game offers intrigue and fun, but there’s something murky in its murder Brutale.

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Shooter
Horizon Zero Dawn

This open-world adventure offers up lots of arrow-slinging, robot-riding and post-apocalyptic soul-searching.

Combat, Strategy
Halo Wars 2

The second Halo Wars contest delivers real-time strategy thrills without all the famous franchise’s goopy, gory, first-person shooter spills.

Action/Adventure
Gravity Rush 2

This colorful and creative game nevertheless loses its footing from time to time.

Sim
Stardew Valley

There’s a lot to enjoy in this engaging farm simulation game. Perhaps, too much.

Action/Adventure, Puzzle
The Last Guardian

Here’s a boy-and-his-dog tale with an out-of-this-world pooch and an out-there fantasy twist.

Arcade/Platform, Shooter
Battlezone

The new age of virtual gaming begins with a virtual tank contest from long, long ago.

Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Shooter
ReCore

There’s definitely a lot of trigger pulling in the mix here, but ReCore is as much about exploring, jumping and …

Puzzle
The Turing Test

The Turing Test offers a collection of increasingly difficult puzzles and a deep space mystery in a man-versus-machine contest.

Action/Adventure, Puzzle
Alone With You

This ’80s-like throwback proves that games don’t need to be messy or pulse-pounding to keep us engaged.

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform
Mirror’s Edge Catalyst

Mirror’s Edge Catalyst walks a T-rated tightrope between acrobatic gameplay and content parents of younger players may wish the game …

Combat, Shooter
Overwatch

Since this is a shooter, it’s only smart to wonder just how messy all of Overwatch’s first-person pull-a-trigger play gets.

Action/Adventure, Puzzle, Shooter
Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

This franchise finale is a bit more weighty than some of its predecessors. But its messy bits still have quite …

Combat, Shooter
Battleborn

Battleborn is one of a new breed of “hero shooters.” But just how heroic is it?

Puzzle, Strategy
Invisible, Inc.

This challenging, sci-fi tactical puzzler majors in mastering the right sneak-and-steal spy strategy … without the typical trigger-tugging turmoil.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing, Strategy
Fire Emblem Fates

Fire Emblem Fates is a game that’s been expanded and broken up into three different parts … with three separate …

Combat
Street Fighter V

Beyond the realities of the fighting itself, then, the real punch to a gamer’s solar plexus comes in the form …

Combat, Strategy
XCOM 2

It’s twenty years after the original XCOM story, and our alien foes have some nasty plans up their space suit …

Puzzle, Sim, Strategy
Oxenfree

As much as this might sound like a Nancy Drew mystery, it’s actually something a little different.

Shooter
Star Wars: Battlefront

Star Wars: Battlefront certainly pushes the nostalgia button. Hard.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Halo 5: Guardians

Master Chief is back to fight off the alien invaders. But he’s not the only one. And what about Cortana?

Rhythm/Music
Rock Band 4

As far as Rock Band 4’s out-of-the-box 65-strong track list is concerned, well, there are plusses and minuses in this …

Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Toy Soldiers: War Chest – Hall of Fame Edition

Space action heroes and He-Man squads go toe-to-toe as WWI triplanes are shot out of the sky by rainbow-powered battlements.

Role-Playing, Strategy
Lost Dimension

Lost Dimension gives us a gaggle of young heroes and asks us to play something of an end-of-the-world reality TV …

Action/Adventure
Godzilla

You get to be the beastie in this game that focuses on some 50 years and 35 films full of …

Combat
J-Stars Victory VS+

Super Smash Bros. meets anime and manga in J-Stars Victory VS+. It packs in 39 playable characters and 13 support …

Combat, Strategy
Code Name: S.T.E.A.M.

It’s an alternate steampunk reality where classic literary figures (and Abe Lincoln!) fight for truth, justice and a monster-free tomorrow.

Arcade/Platform, Role-Playing, Sports
The Crew

Set in an open-sandbox digital re-creation of the U.S., The Crew is a Massively Multiplayer Online game for gearheads.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Hyrule Warriors

The legendary Link is back. (Again.) But this new adventure has a fan service twist as Zelda gets mashed up …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Destiny

This huge title from the makers of Halo and Call of Duty shoots for the moon. (Literally at times.)

Sim
The Sims 4

The newest Sims stuffs some pretty cool character changes into its doll house trunk. But watch out for the sharp …

Combat
Ultra Street Fighter IV

This add-on rendition of the street-side brawler classic packs in some new muscle-bound maulers, moves and mechanics. So we’ll give …

Sim, Strategy
Tropico 5

This dictator-obsessed strategy sim is designed to make you giggle while you hereby decree—but it’s not all fun and games.

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing, Sim
Wildstar

A space cowboy MMO with something for everyone and colorful cartoony appeal too. So why aren’t we so wild about …

Action/Adventure
The Amazing Spider-Man 2

There is a web-slinging hero here, of course. And a big concrete jungle just waiting for him to crawl a …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
inFAMOUS Second Son

Second Son is actually the third chapter in the inFAMOUS franchise, introducing a new Native American hero and letting us …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Horror/Suspense, Role-Playing
Dark Souls II

The incredibly difficult Dark Souls franchise delivers another 40-plus hour journey into a virtual world that’s all about dying over …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

A Final Fantasy journey ends and a new world begins. But utopia comes with quite a spiritual price for gamers …

Role-Playing, Strategy
Bravely Default

This classic Japanese role-playing game pairs adventure and exploration with some dark spiritual twists.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Horror/Suspense, Puzzle
Batman: Arkham Origins

The Dark Knight is a creature of the night, a time when it is, of course, dark. And dark is …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Lost Planet 3

Icy winds blow and menacing, marauding insectoid aliens encroach once more on the planet E.D.N. III. But there’s more than …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Halo: Spartan Assault

This mobile version of a Halo war gets ported to a next-gen console. Will it knock your guts out, or …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Time and Eternity

Body-sharing female spirits and a dirty-minded dragon. Hmmm. Not exactly your typical wedding party.

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Star Trek

Better set your phaser to “wary” when encountering this new movie-inspired game-based life-form.

Action/Adventure, Combat
Injustice: Gods Among Us

So what’s the deal with Superman killing Joker? And Batman fighting Superman? Clearly, this superhero scramble is more than just …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Horror/Suspense, Puzzle, Role-Playing
Pandora’s Tower

If you’re thinking tall tower, trapped girl and long blonde hair, you’ve got the wrong fairy tale. Rapunzel didn’t have …

Combat, Role-Playing, Strategy
Fire Emblem: Awakening

So are you a force for good, evil, or both? Only many, many battles and 20-plus chapters of twisting story …

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Fable: The Journey

Another hero’s tale is about to unfold. But this time there are fewer wicked choices and more … calisthenics?

Combat
Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Double the fighters, double the punches, double the fun, a whole chorus of fans chimes in. Here’s what you need …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
Guild Wars 2

Some 250 years after the conclusion of the first game, ancient dragons have awoken and begun doing what dragons do: …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing
The Last Story

Here’s a game that unfolds like a fantasy novel page-turner. But what’s to be found on the way to a …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Starhawk

Crazy-eyed outlaws. Fortune-hunting prospectors. Gunslinging good guys. Even Star Wars-like planet battles. It’s the Wild West in space.

Combat, Strategy
Total War: Shogun 2 – Fall of the Samurai

Will you share tea or rise to war? Fight with samurai swords or Gatling guns? Spend all night arranging the …

Combat
Street Fighter X Tekken

Two well-known classics fighters are ready to duke it out in the same game. But it’s not necessarily jabs that …

Combat
SoulCalibur V

The tale of spirit-filled blades continues … and there’s not much more to say than that. But we’ll give it …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing, Strategy
Star Wars: The Old Republic

Is the Force strong with this one, young Jedi? Meditate on this, we will.

Action/Adventure, Sports
Need for Speed: The Run

There’s more than a simple high-octane need for speed in the latest addition to this series. There’s also a need …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception

Well-crafted (or should that read well-Crofted?) treasure hunting meets cinematic pizzazz in this T-rated adventurer.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Horror/Suspense
Batman: Arkham City

Batman has to make sense of things in a city full of psychopaths in this sequel.

Action/Adventure, Combat
X-Men: Destiny

Superpowered battles fill the streets of San Francisco, and you’re the new mutant in town.

Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Toy Soldiers: Cold War

This downloadable arcade game transports plastic warriors out of your toy box and into your Xbox.

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform, Combat
El Shaddai: Ascension of the Metatron

What do you get when you combine the apocryphal Book of Enoch with an action-based video game? Do you need …

Action/Adventure, Shooter
inFAMOUS 2

Lightning bolt-chucking Cole McGrath is back for another round of monster kicking and ethics picking.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Brink

Brink is by definition a first-person shooter. But shooting is only half the battle in this intricate, strategy-intensive contest for …

Combat, Role-Playing, Strategy
Darkspore

The DNA creature-builder Spore franchise is back for a fiercer-looking go-round. Is this the natural evolution of a fun franchise? …

Role-Playing, Sim
The Sims Medieval

For years the sims have been yearning for more than doing daily chores and attending to various bodily functions. So …

Combat
Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds

Capcom has rebooted a classic fighting contest. But rose-colored glasses only got our reviewer so far when he tried to …

Action/Adventure, Arcade/Platform
TRON: Evolution

The 1980s TRON game gets a 2010s upgrade. Can an old digital dog learn new tricks?

Action/Adventure, Combat
Star Wars: The Force Unleashed II

Never mind that Starkiller died at the end of the first game: He must once again save the galaxy from …

Action/Adventure, Combat
Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions

A mysterious, magical tablet has been shattered, and it’s playing havoc with the universe. So it’s up to Spider-Man to …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Puzzle, Shooter
Metroid: Other M

The 2010 entry in the long-running Metroid franchise fuses traditional third-person shooter elements with motion-controlled, first-person, sci-fi action.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Role-Playing, Shooter
City of Heroes: Going Rogue

Some people want to be doctors or lawyers or presidents when they grow up. The rest of us want to …

Combat, Strategy
Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty

After a dozen silent years, a strategy classic has written a new chapter.

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Transformers: War for Cybertron

Think earthlings have issues? Be glad you don’t live on Cybertron. It’s in the midst of a huge civil war, …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter, Strategy
Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker

Snake is sneaking in to save the world once again. This time exclusively on the handheld Sony PSP.

Action/Adventure, Horror/Suspense, Shooter
Alan Wake

Alan Wake has been pulled into a dark world of his own imagining. But it’s gamers who may walk away …

Action/Adventure
Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands

A wall-running prince rewinds time and fights off the forces of evil. Sounds like a movie, right? Or maybe a …

Action/Adventure, Combat, Shooter
Lost Planet 2

Debuting at No. 1, a popular third-person shooter returns with a slightly less frigid set of bug-killing missions and a …

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Monster Hunter Tri

Japanese heroes face off with dino-like monsters in an exotic frontier the likes of which Wii has never seen before.

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
Final Fantasy XIII

You can think of Final Fantasy as an experimental rock ‘n’ roll band that has an identifiable backbeat but plays …

Action/Adventure, Role-Playing
White Knight Chronicles

First released in Japan, this fantasy role-playing game has now been retooled for the rest of the gaming world. Maybe …