If you are familiar with the genre, you know what to expect with Phoenix Point. Little flourishes, like letting you manually aim your shots, inject some new life into a fairly predictable genre. It is the plot and the aesthetic that make Phoenix Point truly shine though; the world is so strange and immersive that you will love playing the game over and over to learn everything you can — which is precisely how the game is meant to be played. Even though it doesn’t shine technically, Phoenix Point has it where it counts — in an engaging gameplay experience.

While the game may be overwhelming for some at the start, Out of the Park Baseball 24 does have several tutorials available to help get players started. Learning curve aside, Out of the Park Baseball 24 has been the most in-depth baseball simulation I have ever played in my life. While I enjoy both gameplay-based and simulation-based baseball games, Out of the Park Baseball 24 will be my exclusive simulation baseball experience of the year.

Aeterna Noctis is a stunning Metroidvania that incorporates the many assets of the genre into one magnificent experience. Combining systematic combat and accurate platforming, the game is varied and challenging. The beautiful artwork makes each area unique helping to make this a truly memorable experience.

In the end it's a great game with some new challenges and it is a bright light for what we have in store as Nintendo's newest console begins its life cycle.

Aaero is a small and simple game but it sure packs a punch. With stunning visuals, responsive buttons, and remarkable EDM tunes, Aaero truly delivers a fantastic experience that incorporates music with rail-shooting action.

After such a fantastic opening episode, I’m excited to see not only how this story plays out, but how my actions as Clem will directly shape AJ and the narrative. If you’re a fan of The Walking Dead franchise or Telltale games, this one is a must play.

The controls are simple and soon become second nature as you mine, create, and battle your way around a lush yet simplistic world.

There are issues to be ironed out, the Auto Combo being a huge one right out of the gate, but none of the issues I have with the game can’t be fixed with patches or updates in the future. The core of Marvel vs Capcom Infinite shines like the Infinity Stones it features, and there are Infinite possibilities of where the game can go from here. It’s Mahvel baby, and it’s back in a big way.

Katana Zero kicked me into a bloody pulp, but I’m compelled to continue regardless. If not for the challenge, then for my raw hunger to soak in every scrap of this exceptional story. Don’t sleep on this one, friends.

A deeply thought-provoking experience with a mystery that begs to be explored and is faithfully ported to the Switch.

Warhammer 40K: Chaos Gate Daemonhunters is not only an engaging turn-based strategy game, but one of the best translations of the 40K universe to the PC. With a great story and wealth of options in combat, Daemonhunters also captures the visual aesthetics of the Space Marines and infectious Nurgle. While the interface and some systems could benefit from a bit more elegance and simplicity, Daemonhunters is dramatic, over-the-top, amusing and deeply satisfying. Learning its systems and sticking with the lengthy campaign is a commitment to be sure, but one that fans of 40K should be happy to make.

Unforeseen Incidents occasionally stumbles in its accessibility through bugs or difficulty, but its story, humor, and art make it a great time piecing together clues in the world that Backwoods Entertainment has created. It might not have reinvented the genre, but given the opportunity, I’d grab a beer with Harper in this game or—we can hope—the next.

Bayonetta 2 is a solid game. It utilizes a simple yet interesting combo system, the visuals are gorgeous as they highlight your attacks and the enemies you battle, and the music and sound effects are top notch too. Although gameplay can be repetitive it still can be fun.

The smart, funny Bond-inspired writing, the meticulous attention to detail, the masterful use of Oculus’s VR controls, and the well-designed missions had me … well, glued to my seat the entire time. It may not change much from the original, but I Expect You to Die 2: The Spy and the Liar once again delivers a thoroughly-enjoyable VR experience from start to finish.

The story is suspenseful, engaging and I was impressed the games character development.

Overall, I am quite happy with this year’s installment in the Madden NFL franchise. While the changes may not be as sweeping as we have seen in the past, Madden NFL 16 feels like the most complete Madden I have played in well over 10-years.

MLB The Show 19 plays very similarly to last year’s game. MLB The Show 19 is also a much-improved version of the game whether you look at in-game mechanics, the variety of game modes, the game modes themselves, or Diamond Dynasty. Whether you are a competitive player, career mode player, or franchise simulator, MLB The Show 19 has something for you. As an added bonus for online players, opening day servers have been running smoothly as well!

It’s in-depth, addictive, time consuming and a helluva lot of fun. Whether you want to be a money maker, a military genius or a peacekeeper, you can do it. With very few drawbacks and some very interesting game modes still coming, this game is going to be a life suck.

The fantastic combat and strong story points far outweigh the technical missteps and more cringeworthy moments. Bioware may has bitten off more than it could chew scope wise, and the fringe elements of the game clearly have suffered for it. However, they’ve nailed the key aspects of what made for a great Mass Effect game in the past.

If I could only pick one puzzle game to bring to a desert island, I probably would not choose Riven. Fortunately, that is not the case. It’s fascinating to see this missing link of game design. It’s nice to dig into some genuinely excellent writing and art. The puzzles are as opaque as they ever were, which is what a lot of people like about them. I think we need more remakes like Riven, that capture as much as they can about how games felt back then. That’s how we move forward, that’s how games get even better.

Super Daryl Deluxe masterfully combines the outlandish qualities of a graphic novel with the fun and ease of a classic arcade game.

If you already love Disgaea, you’ll probably love Disgaea 6: Defiance of Destiny. You’ll definitely get the most out of this game if you’re already familiar with other SRPGs, but this is a fine place to enter the series–or the genre, for that matter. In the end, all that Disgaea 6 truly demands of a player is the willingness to learn its mechanics, an appreciation for its zany sense of humor, and a fondness for cute anime demons causing problems on purpose. As long as you can give it that, you’ll have a good time with this game.

Please, Don’t Touch Anything: House Broken is brimming with charm. It has a cheeky sense of humor with some genuinely complex, head-scratching puzzles that are satisfying to solve. There is so much rich gameplay packaged into a small, simple room. The physics of each object feels great, and the graphical detail – even on the Meta Quest 2 – is sharp enough to trick the senses. I experienced no issues with environmental interactions, no bugs or glitches, just smooth, challenging puzzles. My only minor issue was how many puzzles required the same starting interaction. Given the varied endings, however, and their complex solutions, this is easily overlooked. It’s the most engaging fun I’ve ever had sitting at a desk.

Rain isn’t the longest game I’ve ever played, nor is it the most frantic or thrilling, but it is definitely an incredibly enjoyable and engaging tale of two children lost in the cold, dark of night.

After spending hours with the DLC, it is apparent that Infinity Ward and Activision are on a roll with Infinite Warfare, and they are giving us some fantastic content! If anyone is still on the fence about the game, let me tell you that this DLC just adds so much more to an already great title. Three out of the four multiplayer maps are sleek, exciting and fun, and the Shaolin Shuffle is a perfectly balanced zombies map. I would go so far as to say that both Sabotage and Continuum have added more fun to Infinite Warfare than what could be found in the base game. One thing is for sure, I cannot wait for the next two DLCs if they are anything like the first two.

God’s Trigger was a blast to play. It is a gritty bloodbath that had fun with the tropes it played with and never sacrificed story or gameplay for its component parts. Harry and Judy made a great team in a corrupt world, and killing sinners, whether they’re cowboy body doubles or deranged cultists, has never felt so good.

I’ve played Pendragon dozens of times. I’ve unlocked most of the characters (I still can’t see to get Branwen the archer to trust me) and I know there are stories I haven’t pursued to their conclusions (Excalibur is out there, and I will find it). So rather than a traditional RPG or strategy game, Pendragon plays like an impressionistic take on a classic Nintendo formula. You’ll tell your own stories and if you play them right, the dream of Camelot will live on.

The Artful Escape is by turns psychedelic, moving, exultant, and lovely. The central metaphor of a young performer bringing fantastic new worlds into existence through the art of music is a powerful one, and while the theme of a struggling musician finding his authentic voice while paying homage to the past might not be a new one, it's certainly new to videogames. The Artful Escape only missteps when it tries too hard to be a game, ironic given the story's premise of search for authenticity. Aside from that, The Artful Escape is a surprising and joyous exploration of the power of collaboration, the struggle for identity, and the mind-blowing, life-altering sound of the very loud galactic symphony.