As a marquee Microsoft-exclusive action title, Quantum Break delivers impressively on just about every front except that of content; it literally begs for a New Game Plus mode.

Microtransactions and the brutal learning curve make UFC 2 hard to play and even harder to recommend.

There’s definitely some fun, entertaining stuff here, but to be frank, there are better, cheaper games out there, with more to do and more to see.

Considering that it’s both free and quite probably the best ARPG that we’ll ever see, I can think of no valid excuse not to give it a whirl. To be honest, every time I get lost for a weekend in refining a new build, only to die and start again, I wonder why I bother playing anything else. There’s always been something for everyone in Path of Exile; now there’s even more.

It plays like a classic twitch platformer of old, with wall climbing and dashing to boot. It hits all the right notes in theory, but it needed more time in the oven to truly take shape.

Held back only by a somewhat poorly optimized release, BlazBlue Chrono Phantasma Extend is a fun, deep fighter with lots of fun to be had for any type of player.

Hitman: Episode One represents a magnificent return to form for the franchise.

Mega Man and tower-defence fans that don't mind a more casual experience will more than likely be happy with Spacejacked, other players may be turned off by length.

I had a blast returning to this alternate take on my favourite franchise; this is a game that I will constantly come back to.

On one hand I had a lot of fun, but on the other, there are some serious questions about the sexual objectification of the characters, and where the line is drawn between fun and overkill.

A colourful vertical bullet hell that coasts along until finale where the difficulty spikes abruptly. Some decent ideas can be found here, but overall an average experience.

The biggest issue for me is how dense the complexity makes the game. Crafting, particularly cooking, requires a lot of experimentation or wiki-diving, and finding out the game’s systems isn’t always represented, even in the quests. There are always quests that give you reasons to gather or play the many mini-games—moving a wheel-barrow requires you keep a cursor in between two points, and the fishing system is actually rather fun.

I may wish a plague of locusts on Ubisoft support, but I tip my hat to the masters over at Massive Entertainment.

While it is a little rough around the edges, it’s an interesting fighter and a welcomed addition to Nintendo’s collection of one first-party fighting games.

Deathsmiles on PC is arguably the definitive version of the classic bullet hell, and worth every cent. Bullet heaven.

A pixelated Diablo-like with a beautiful presentation and an unfortunate lack of content, Moon Hunters is hard to recommend to anyone other than people with three friends locally.

The game is just fun to play as a whole. Matches don’t drag on for longer than they should, and firefights happen frequently with a large degree of nuance to the action. While top-end players will revel in the opportunity to theorycraft the current meta and its propensity for counterplay, casual fans will have no trouble acclimating to most of the characters on offer

While there’s plenty more that a true fan would get out of this experience, as a bystander, there’s not much of a draw here for me.

With no reason to play it alone, and very little reason to play with friends when better couch co-op games exist, well, there’s pretty much no reason to buy In Space We Brawl when all is said and done.

Stardew Valley has been the most rich and heartwarming experience I’ve had in a game in years.

Hitman Go is a unique take on the long-running Hitman franchise, breaking down the series to its core mechanics and delivering an enjoyable adventure.

In Too Deep is yet another solid addition to Telltale’s growing portfolio.

The hardcore difficulty and lack of menus will be enough to turn some players off, but for those that stick it out, you’re in for a Hell of a good time.

If Rainbow Moon was a free browser game, I would say it was an acceptable first attempt. As a console release costing actual money, I cannot recommend it. It’s slow, dull, uninteresting, has no memorable moments or characters and is derivative of better games. This game should have stayed on the dark side of the Rainbow Moon.

Thanks to numerous modern conveniences and relatively easy and linear puzzle designs, Heaven’s Hope is an enjoyable, light-hearted adventure. Characters are funny, puzzles are satisfying, and the world is fun to explore.

Grim Dawn is one of the easiest ARPGs to recommend in recent years.

It’s still a halfway entertaining game and one of the better uses of the license.

Ultimate Edition doesn’t represent a drastic change from the Xbox 360 original.

The reason you’ll purchase this game is because it’s still a classic, even with its flaws.

It still tells a satisfyingly poignant, absorbing, and dark tale.

It’s the most innovative shooter I’ve played in years.

Far Cry Primal is a fantastic standalone title that also has enough historical research meat to keep history nerds happy.

Fortified is a decent first attempt at a wave-based, “tower defence” shooter from a studio that has, until now, made only mobile games.

What we have here is a charming little action game with a lot of detail—not every detail matters, but there's solid effort put into making the machine work.

The ridiculousness of plants facing off against zombies but the serious controls and competitiveness of any triple AAA shooter,

The Following is a stellar, value-packed addition to Dying Light that not only extends and improves upon the solid experience that fans have come to expect, but also enriches the original product to definitive status.

You'll either love or hate The Witness as it will either make you feel smart or stupid. If you don't love puzzles and deep philosophical thoughts, perhaps avoid this one.

Unravel puts all its cards on being cute and charming while having repetitive, lackluster gameplay. If you're looking for a very casual cute game, you might forgive its shortcomings

Though Rise of the Tomb Raider wastes little time in getting Lara into the thick of a brand new adventure, it’s still burdened by much of its predecessor’s baggage.

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is another feather in the cap of Nintendo and is another top-notch title on the 3DS. It lives up to its franchises reputation and even if you don’t want to spend the extra money to unlock the entire experience, the individual game without the DLC is worth it.

Firewatch is narrative-driven adventure game dealing with adult issues in ways unlike any other game out there, and is one of the best looking games so far this year.

Street Fighter V employs complex and engaging mechanics, but it lacks enough content to keep the casual player interested.

From the first time I saw the art style of Darkest Dungeon, I knew it was going to be something special. What I couldn’t have known is just how bleak the game would be—or how cruel.

Truly, Layers of Fear is a masterpiece to behold. Buy it. Play it. Buy it and have a friend play it while you watch if you’re faint-of-heart.

Surprisingly, the game’s greatest strength may be its free-to-play model.

As a sequel, it’s okay, offering the same basic game as its predecessor, but with enough fresh ideas that it feels new.

It isn’t an overstatement to say that the attention paid to diversifying the look and tactical possibilities of the levels is key to what makes XCOM 2 work.

For fans of the manga, anime series, or of the Dynasty Warriors franchise, this game is an absolute winner.

Each puzzle is so gratifying that I have no choice but to challenge myself again, but at the same time, nothing stands out.

Overall, I can’t recommend Clockwork Tales: Of Glass and Ink, not when there are so many other better point-and-clicks out there.

The Banner Saga's strong narrative, exquisite visual design and distinctive thematic approach to RPGs coupled with its insistence on making every decision and conversation have an impact on player experience make it a must-buy for Strategy-RPG fans.

It’s a good game, just not quite the masterpiece it would have felt like even a few short years ago.

If you’re a fan of gory, pixelated, 2D shooters with a whole heaping of voice acting laced with swearing, then Not a Hero is easily recommendable.

I like Turok; but I like it as an N64 game where I can make excuses for its shortcomings based on its platform—in a vacuum where I can’t compare it to other, truly great shooters.

I had a lot of fun playing the game, but there was always a dark cloud looming over my experience.

Bombshell is an overpriced buggy mess of a game, don’t shell out money for this bomb.

Its structured nature and digestible missions make it perfect for playing for short periods on the go, but its deep alchemy mechanics will keep players engrossed for hours when playing at home.

By remaining focused and paring down the extra content, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India is a stealth game through and through.

Gemini had so much potential that is squandered by poor execution. With tons of bugs, terrible AI, and a total lack of challenge, I can’t recommend anyone purchase this.

Oxenfree takes the best parts of supernatural 1980's teenage horror films and combines it with believable characters, beautiful set pieces, and a haunting VHS synth-pop soundtrack to create a masterpiece.

It’s certainly not a bad game by any means, it just doesn’t do enough with the Mario and Luigi RPG or Paper Mario brands to really stand out.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel had my attention and lost it.

Deserts of Kharak boasts an unprecedented beauty in its setting and world design, and its hand drawn-style cutscenes only add to that.

The weakest of the original less action-oriented run of games in the series, and the characters and locations aren’t all that interesting or unique. If you’re not a die-hard fan of the series willing to force yourself through the nightmare that is the horrid inventory system, I’d say avoid this one like a rotting corpse.

Even if every new idea presented doesn’t always work or make sense, there is still so much originality and adventure at its heart that I’m inclined to overlook those moments of frustration. As open world games continue to cross-pollinate into one breed of the same, Dragon’s Dogma is endearingly quirky, flawed, and, above all else, fun.

Tharsis is an enjoyable game to start, but the frustrations and random nature of the game quickly eliminate the fun.

This is easily the best game on the Wii U. Monolith Software is probably the best developer Nintendo has under their umbrella at the moment, and Xenoblade Chronicles X is without a doubt their crowning achievement.

While Rubble Without A Case is still a good time, it lacks the variety and excellent pacing of King’s Quest’s first chapter.

Among the Sleep is a fun way to kill a couple of hours, and while it isn’t the deepest, most engaging puzzle game on the planet, playing from the perspective of a innocence-filled child is an innovative and interesting approach.

Multiple design decisions were seemingly made to extend the already shallow playtime, the campaign isn’t all that interesting, the multiplayer is one of the worst in the rhythm genre, and worst of all the music is dull.

Sword Art Online: Lost Song has plenty of great ideas, but it definitely doesn’t do enough to make them work in a 20-hour game. A better effort is needed next time.

Starwhal is meant to be enjoyed on the couch with three of your friends, with only one shared screen to worry about, simple controls that are easy to pick up, and fast, frenetic gameplay that can be enjoyed over and over.

For a free MMO, it’s technically proficient, looks great, and will provide a fun experience. Even though I couldn’t find myself getting into it, I definitely understand why it has the following it has.

My only real complaint with The Old Hunters is the length. Depending on how you play it, you can easily finish the entire thing in under a few hours.

Earth Defense Force 4.1 is the videogame equivalent of a ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ B-movie.

Helldivers is hands down one of my favorite multiplayer experiences of this year.

If you’re hankering for a million ways to die in the west, I’d say this is worth a look.

The real marvel of Mayan Death Robots is that it’s the first game of its type that I don’t feel is an incomplete experience if you don’t have friends to play it with.

At the reasonable price of $29.99 CAD, Beyond is well worth picking up even with all the other triple-A fare competing for your attention and dollars this holiday.

Bursting through a wall with guns blazing has never been this fun. If only there were more unlockable content to work towards than what is included.

Final Cut is definitely an improvement upon the Van Helsing trilogy, without a doubt.

Just Cause 3 is a joy to play and is easily a candidate for game of the year.

I honestly don’t see where all the hate for this game is coming from; Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival is an enjoyable board game that blends in the elements of Animal Crossing perfectly.

Star Wars Battlefront fails to match the ambitions of its visuals with equally as impressive gunplay, leaving it in the awkward position of looking amazing while also being rather boring.

The game fills a surprisingly empty niche, and I appreciate it for coming to the table at all, but beyond that, I found myself somewhat underwhelmed.

And for anyone who’s only after the multiplayer, well, I could say anything I want up top, because all you need to hear is that it’s still StarCraft—but more.

It’s still very much Darksiders II as you remember it, just with a new skin, and that’s completely okay.

For the most part, Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is fun and simple with creative visuals that is good in short playthroughs.

I am largely happy with this. I will continue to keep an eye on this—MMORPGS are difficult to gauge early on, but ArenaNet has a good track record, and this remains, in my opinion, the strongest online game on the market.

Enhanced Edition brings a breath of fresh air into the Original Sin experience in a great way.

I was legitimately surprised with how much I enjoyed Black Ops 3 as a whole. For a series that has felt so stagnant for so long, it’s nice to see a big step forward in the franchise. It reminded me why Call of Duty is one of the most influential series’ on the planet, even if it didn’t reflect that for a while.

Samurai Warriors 4-II isn’t a horrible game by any means, but the game just doesn’t quite entice the gamers of today to venture through its trials.

Fallout 4 is a bit of a mixed bag. While it’s certainly enjoyable and I highly recommend it, I’m not sure if this is the revolutionary Fallout title that we’ve all been waiting for. It really feels less like Fallout 4 and more like Fallout 3.75. Longtime fans will definitely find a game they love here, without question (I do too), and newcomers will find a game that’s a little easier to approach and equally enjoyable to get into.

It goes without saying, of course, that Rise is an exceptionally gorgeous looking game.

For a pocket-sized RPG that will provide hours of gameplay, it’s certainly worth a look.

Yes, there are better, more realistic racing experiences on the market, but few titles can match the pure engagement that this year’s Need for Speed offers.

With boring combat and a limited custom campaign toolset, Sword Coast Legends fails to capture the spirit of a true pen and paper role-playing experience.

Tales of Zestiria is a JRPG built primarily for Tales fans and those who truly want to be Tales fans.