In terms of variety this is the best Total War yet. But with stagnation on so many other levels Warhammer 2 wasted the opportunity to become a true masterpiece. Nonetheless this is exciting strategy with powerful battles.

Lightfield is the blueprint for an interesting idea not executed properly. The flow you experience in this futuristic racer is very unique. But without a career mode and hampered by technical problem the fun is short-lived.

Visual Concepts has to be very careful not to overdo it. And I am not talking about the almost flawless mechanics that haven’t changed over the last few years or the modes that have been only marginally tweaked. With all its mechanical brilliance it is a pity that this years’ prime basketball game is merely a vehicle for an abundance of microtransactions that are borderline pay-to-win.

The sabbatical that EA gave its basketball franchise was a year well spent. In certain aspects like presentation and fluidity on the court it still is inferior to Visual Concepts’ 2K series, but overall it is a big step forward in almost every area. I found myself spending a lot of time in NBA Live trying to become The One.

Outside its beautiful presentation it doesn’t offer anything new to the brickworlds we got used to over the course of the last twelve years. Having said that, the charme of Lego games in recent years is undeniable and shines through in every of the Lego Dimension inspired areas.

Brilliant driving physics, a steep learning curve, myriads of options and beautiful visuals on PC: Project Cars 2 is one of the best racing games out there - and even better in VR.

The visuals are a little outdated but that can’t take away much from the rest of this gem, that.

Is it better than its Wii U sibling? No doubt. But “better” doesn’t make the DX version automatically “good” - especially since some of the flaws on Wii U like the redundant solo campaign or the still unbalanced fighting squad are not ironed out. At least you get a little more content and improved multiplayer capabilities.

With its weak main characters the class and storytelling depth of Dishonored 2 is out of reach for Death of the Outsider. Having said that, you definitely can look forward to a suspenseful and stealthy return to Karnaca.

While the tag fighting gets an interesting layer by adding the effects of the infinity stones and the rock solid mechanics are spot on, the inconsistent artdesign and especially the surprisingly bad script in the story mode with its cheesy one-liners make you think that Capcom somehow bit off more than they could chew.

As weird as it sounds to mix brawling and bullet hell, Senko no Rondo 2 pulls it off. There are shortcomings but whoever is looking for a different approach to “duel” games, should give this beat-em-shmup a try.

I hope that EA prepares something big for next years’ ice hockey. Because otherwise I cannot really understand why the improvements and charges are just very marginal.

While the visuals of this postapocalyptic action are crisp and immersive, the AI as well as the unimaginative attack patterns make this a rather dull shooting gallery.

This is Nidhogg visually enhanced, more varied arenas and more weapons. The core mechanics remain untouched - in good and in bad.

Charming, but in the end nothing more than a routine run-of-the-mill farming adventure from the makers of Harvest Moon.

In terms of content and mechanics this is better in almost every aspect than Shadow of Mordor, heavily relying on the vastly improved Nemesis system to carry the burden, while the story is decent enough to keep you motivated for most of the time. Unfortunately the fourth act falls short with its omission of story elements and the temptation of micro-transactions lurking - which, by the way, bothers me mostly because of the break in the immersion. Orks from loot chests? Really?

This is FIFA 17 light. With less visual power, reduced modes and less impressive mechanics compared to its name sharing siblings this is a downgrade with a hefty price tag.

Unlike with FIFA 18 you’ll get an almost complete package with NBA 2K18. Visually of course scaled down and with the “Neighborhood” as well as the story career confined to an online environment, Visual Concepts did their best to port the best basketball game on Nintendo’s hybrid system.

The driving physics still are a dream and there is plenty of content, while the visuals are top notch. But the inclusion of price boxes, the weak AI and the missing penalty system for road rowdies are unforgivable.

Open, creative, epic... Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a beast of a roleplaying game that shows its strengths in its battle system with its deep tactical implications and chain reactions as well as with its intelligent puzzles, the deep narrative and the beautiful visuals.

Against my biggest fears, Kylotonn slowly moves in the right direction. They still have a lot of work to do, but in terms of driving physics, track design and challenge WRC 7 is a big step forward.

With its newest version Everybody’s Golf neither excels nor does it achieve anything groundbreaking on the greens. But the mechanics are spot on and make this a more than solid pick-up&play golf.

Visually Mask of Truth is old-fashioned, but if you can look past that, the mixture of visual novel and strategic RPG has been enhanced or changed in just the right places.

While it profits from a few small improvements that make the action on the pitch that much more intriguing, the standstill in terms of mode selection and presentation are a concern.

Yes, even with all the visual improvements the original age is evident. But in an age, where every racing game wants to show off its realism, this arcade racer from a past rich with competition, where it was nothing but an insiders’ tip, is a welcome addition to your library, not least because of the four player splitscreen.

This is an emotional gaming experience circling around love and loss. It lacks variety but is a decent challenge.

If you don’t associate Rock of Ages with a Def Leppard song, you will be happy about this unexpected sequel. It improves on almost every aspect of the quirky original that mixed Super Monkey Ball with Tower Defense while maintaining the superb humor à la Monty Python.

Visually exciting future racer with great flying physics and a rich career mode.