A moving and earnest independent adventure game. My favorite thing I’ve played all year.

A hit or miss story with a solid battle system, a cute art style, and some interesting ideas.

Yakuza Kiwami is the best way to experience Yakuza. With Yakuza 6 on the way, those looking to jump into the series would benefit greatly from picking up Yakuza Kiwami. If you’re a fan of Japanese films or gangster movies in general, the plot of Yakuza is a good enough reason to play this game. I can only hope that Yakuza 2 receives the same treatment in the near future.

Batman returns in a plotline that finally includes the traditional Joker and a few other fan favourites.

Uncharted Lost Legacy is a stunningly beautiful and entertaining return to form for the franchise.

Original Journey is a game that is perfect to pick up and play for small bits at a time even with the shortcomings it has.

Hellblade’s mundane mechanics help underscore a powerful story of overcoming your demons, if you’re willing to subject yourself to the honest portrayal of mental illness it presents.

Matterfall is a fluid, frenetic, explosively colourful arcade shooter sure to satisfy both casual players and high-score chasers.

You would expect the team behind Saints Row to make something with more verve and fewer grey hallways, but here we are with Agents of Mayhem.

Lawbreakers is Cliff Bleszinski's new hardcore competitive shooter that doesn't do enough to stand out from the competition and has a steep learning curve.

While Sonic Mania hasn’t taken the place of my favourite Sonic game, it’s definitely a top contender. If there ever is a follow-up, I hope to see it introduce even more original elements with slightly better level design but as it stands, Sonic Mania is one of Sonic’s best games to date.

If you liked Nidhogg, Nidhogg 2 is more of the same—which is probably enough for most people. A few new weapons, a shallow character creator, cool stage backgrounds and online play are the biggest changes you’re paying for here. I just wish there were more substantial editions aside from those.

I absolutely loved Slime Rancher, from the colourful start to the bittersweet ending that literally had me sobbing—something that is quite hard for video games to achieve.

Gigantic is an imperfect game in a genre dominated by Overwatch, but this isn't a bad place to start if you are interested in the idea of a hero shooter. Plus you can play for free.

This collection is without a doubt the best way to play any of these four games legally without spending too much money.

Overcooked remains a fantastic game that is sure to deliver one heck of a good time, or at the very least help you drop a few of those “friends” you’ve been looking to cut out of your life. It’s a solid game that is only made better thanks to the Nintendo Switch’s unique design and is a must-have in the system’s growing library of portable party games.

A pretty solid first outing for a small studio. I love the original take on a classic formula as far as setting goes (despite all my characters looking like total dorks), and it’s refreshing to see. However, the linear gameplay, chaotic combat, and lack of items and sidequests really holds it back from being a huge success.

A diverse narrative-driven space adventure for people wanting actual emotions and relationships in their games; that is Tacoma.

There will be a lot of people who will consider Accel World vs. Sword Art Online to be a good game, and as one of them, I am the most surprised by that.

Mighty Gunvolt Burst is a great throwback and homage to the classic run and gun platformers that the original Nintendo was known for.

A high price point and some subjective duds make Namco Museum a stretch in terms of outright value, but the influence these games had on the industry makes them worth at least a cursory glance in the rearview mirror.

Alwa's Awakening takes its players to pretty pixelated places filled with NES challenge, but mars the whole experience with a clumsy magic system that makes the game's difficult platforming segments needlessly frustrating.

While it isn’t the worst, I wouldn’t suggest that anyone plays Fate/Extella unless they’re starving for more time with the Fate universe.

WipEout Omega Collection is a fantastic update that runs as smooth as a supersonic hovercraft.

Skydance Interactive brings the experience of controlling a mech warrior to players with Archangel,an enjoyable yet uninspired virtual reality title.

Miitopia brings fun ideas to the RPG genre but overstays its welcome.

An unforgettable world, an indefatigable enemy, a somewhat meaningless protagonist, a really good time.

Hey! Pikmin forces the series into something it’s not, resulting in a barebones platformer with Pikmin on the cover.