Tower 57 is altogether a solid game. It doesn't quite deliver twin-stick gameplay on par with its presentation, but it's still pretty enjoyable. The variety of weapons is nice, and the scenarios presented in each stage make good use of them. It's also great to a visit a world that's so lovingly crafted. The sprite work and animations are very well done. If time permits, gamers should strive to fit at least two playthroughs into their busy schedule, just to see everything.

After the up-and-down rollercoaster that has been this season of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Episode 5: Don't Stop Believin' has managed to tie together an emotionally-investing story. With an ending that packs quite a punch, this episode finally seems to have gotten right what the rest of the season had so far been lacking. By trimming down the poor gameplay movements, and focusing more on telling a better story without constant replays by cheap deaths, this is probably the best episode of the season. It is just unfortunate that it took so long to actually get to.

Ken Follet's The Pillars of the Earth is a beautifully hand-drawn retelling of the original novel that visualises the story through the eyes of three different characters: Tom Builder, Philip, and Jack. They each play a role in the overall story that intertwines with each other, with the threat of a greater war over the kingship looming over everyone's heads. Uneasy alliances are formed, and major moves are made that cannot be undone, while Tom is focused only on building his grand cathedral, while Philip is trying his best to restore the Priory to its former glory, and young Jack is simply trying to find his place in the world of men. While the story can be slow-going due to the sluggish gameplay and technical limitations causes graphical headaches, this is a great way to introduce new people to the wonderful story.

This is still the same great game that miraculously runs better than most could ever have imagined on what is essentially a mobile console.

Cook, Serve, Delicious! 2!! serves up another slice of excellent fun that, although not especially deep, will certainly keep you coming back for more. Please pass these compliments to the chef.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus takes The New Order and multiplies everything tenfold (especially the silliness and the amount of cut-scenes) when it should just take the original and carefully build upon its foundation, smoothing its rough edges and offering the very best Wolfenstein game ever. The result is a FPS that's fun, but also one that doesn't really know what it wants to be.

Whereas Project CARS felt like a finished and polished product, Project CARS 2 maybe needed another couple of months in development to iron out the wrinkles. There is undoubtedly a good game in there as the handling and visuals are exceptional, but it is capable of so much more.

Assassin's Creed: Origins is an absolutely stellar return to form and even those who have previously not enjoyed the series would be wise to give it a second shot here. The new combat design is a big improvement, the world is rich, the story compelling; there is a lot to like here and it also massively returns on its investment thanks to the amount of content.

Yomawari: Midnight Shadows manages to be pretty scary and goes to show how restraint can be effective in crafting horror.

While Pathfinder Adventures is largely a faithful reproduction of the board game, in many cases this is not enough. A single player romp through a card game designed to be played in real life leaves much to be desired. There is nothing majorly wrong with the game, but Pathfinder Adventures is entirely average as the gameplay quickly devolves into endlessly clicking dice and cards without meaning.

At its heart, Football Manager 2018 remains a compelling experience, delivering rollercoaster highs of conquering the world while battling the agonising lows of relegation and sackings. The problem is the first signs of weariness are really starting to show themselves in this year's edition. It is like an ageing star in the twilight of their career; more than previously, there is a lack of genuine innovation from a team of developers who are held up to an exceptionally high standard. For sure, there are some welcome additions; the performance of the 3D match engine, alongside the revamps of scouting and medical teams, for instance, show that Sports Interactive does take refinement seriously. However, the continuing focus on the aspects most fans of the series find the most tiresome - the social media and player conversations - portray a worrying trend of the wrong path being pursued. The fundamental strengths of Football Manager remain, yet it seems a better strategy these days is possibly to pick up the title every two seasons for the best 'bang for buck' factor. For the annual buyer, this year's might prove a tougher pill to swallow and could well be deserving of one mark lower.

Sonic Forces is far from perfect, with frustrating controls, brevity, poor level design, and a lack of challenge. The visuals, soundtrack, and the occasional moment of flair leave the game with some redeemable qualities, but it ultimately disappoints even the most forgiving Sonic sympathiser.

In crafting a very specific identity for itself, Light Apprentice unfortunately fails to fully deliver on many of its main fronts. As an RPG, it offers too little party customization and features some of the most tedious battles in the genre. As a point and click adventure, it never requires more than a basic amount of perception. As a narrative driven title, Volume 1 stops just as soon as the story starts to pick up. There is one key area where Light Apprentice excels, however: the presentation. It reads and feels like a proper comic book. Panels are well drawn and well placed, and the interactivity at play is a great way of creating intimacy with the main cast. The biggest problem here is simply that this is one third of a story - of a game. With more time, it's likely that battles would pick up the pace, puzzles would become more thought provoking, and the story would explore some deeper themes and plots. As is, this is an okay way of killing a few hours, but it might be worth holding off until at least Volume 2 is out to get a fuller experience.

Heiankyo Alien 3671, with its unique blend of high intensity action and devious problem solving, is the most engrossing game you will play all year. 2017 has seen a slew of excellent releases, but it's this title that will keep you coming back to it again and again. Many a sleepless night will be spent chasing high scores. Adjusting to the controls and scoring mechanics will take time, but the results are well worth the effort.

A very solid pinball pack offering three tables that offer varied experiences. At least one table will catch the flavour of almost any pinball player with the wide appeal of the package. The faithfulness to the movies mixed with the usual Zen Studios quality makes this an easy purchase for pinball fans and Universal movie fans alike.

The gameplay isn't overhauled here, but it doesn't need to be. Cities: Skylines - Green Cities adds new content and refreshes current content, making for a more whole and diverse gaming experience, which is just about everything a good add-on needs to do. It might not be a must-have, but it does add to the Cities: Skylines experience, which is one the development team at Colossal Order has kept running strong since launch.

Finally, Telltale seems to be getting onto the right track with this property, but it may be too little, too late.

ECHO is a game brimming with smart ideas that should appeal to lovers of good sci-fi and stealth/action alike. Ultra Ultra has done a superb job in creating an intriguingly eerie world that piques interest early on, first with a slow build up, and then effortlessly drawing you in for the long haul without having to be overly reliant on a heavy narrative to drive the story forward.

Ultimately, this is a strong twin-shooter that might be a little too confident in how much people will enjoy replaying older stages on a higher difficulty.

Where the first title came up short because it was over so quickly and the monotony could set in, SteamWorld Dig 2 goes the extra mile by introducing a ton of fun new abilities that open up the world in all directions, putting platforming skills to the test throughout a greater range of diverse locations.

While a great game, a fix to this is in sincere need. The gameplay is great and shows the best sides of both genres, as it mixes together in a wonderful way that helps them enhance each other, while at the same time offering a more pure experience for the respective genres.

The enemy variety is lacking, but that's easily overlooked by just how engrossing each boss is. With all the DLC present, Nioh: Complete Edition is an excellent way of experiencing Team Ninja's masterpiece for the first time, or just revisiting William Adams for another trek through Japan.

Creeping Terror's best quality is by far its impeccable production quality and graphics. Generic and uninteresting stalkers aside, the art direction and overall look of the game are incredible for a downloadable 3DS release. The very 'by the numbers' adventure gameplay is serviceable, and really the main event should have been the stalkers, but they are completely undermined by a lack of challenge and pushover difficulty. It is regretful because Creeping Terror could have been the definitive horror 3DS game since all the working pieces are present but are, ultimately, horribly implemented.

Tiny Barbarian DX is an extremely enjoyable action-platformer that has lasting challenge to it. The refined mechanics and the way the story unfolds is most of why this is so much fun to play. It may not win any beauty contests and the lasting appeal comes up a bit... short because of lacking incentives. Thankfully, the local two-player co-op rounds out the value making this a pretty fun game at parties. Tiny Barbarian DX may not be as memorable or as appealing as the likes of Shovel Knight or Hyper Light Drifter, but it is every bit as good and is clearly a product of a lot of passion put into it. The barbarian-fantasy sub-genre just does not click with people like it did once upon a time in the 1980s and it seems most gamers refuse to play a 2D action title that is not a Metroidvania derivative. Tiny Barbarian DX will most certainly satisfy anyone looking for a thrilling and focused 2D sword 'em up

With the exception of Fibbage 3, each game in The Jackbox Party Pack 4 requires a minimum of three people but, the pack's potential isn't fully realised without a substantially larger group. This is a party pack that is sincerely meant for a party. Smaller groups will be able to get enjoyment out of Civic Doodle or Fibbage, but Survive the Internet, Monster Seeking Monster, and Bracketeering, especially, are designed with larger get-togethers in mind. Despite an emphasis on playing with a big group, The Jackbox Party Pack 4 stands out as one of the strongest entries in the series with no discernible weak links in the pack's line-up. Along with continuing the trend of swapping out traditional controllers for smart phones, it's entirely possible to host a game over a stream, negating the need to find 8-16 friends for some local Jackbox shenanigans.

Just Dance 2018 does not offer much new, but it truly does not have to at this point. The things it does offer adds to the already great experience in unexpected ways. The mojo gashapon adds yet another addictive component to the mixture of feel-good-hormones the game has offered for ages in a way that is obviously clever once explained. What players are here for, though, is the fun and addictive dance gameplay, which is as strong as ever with the ever growing Unlimited library. This makes Just Dance 2018 well worth a go for fans and newcomers alike.

Elliot Quest takes heavy inspiration from the first three Zelda games in general and from Zelda II: Adventure of Link in particular, while improving on some of the more tedious aspects of it. However, it does not quite go all the way to leaving behind or improving the elements that haven't aged well at all in Nintendo's classic, making for an experience that at times can be a bit more confusing than it really needs to be. The narrative, in its execution and presentation, passes almost completely into the background like it was totally absent, which further cements the identity of Elliot Quest: a game that is deeply seated in the era that inspired its creation. There will, therefore, be two categories of players: those who find it hard to enjoy for lack of some of the more modern comforts that gaming has brought along over the years, and those that love it all the more for it because they appreciate being given free reign instead of being held by the hand all along. What remains after taking these things into account is still a thoroughly, if complicated, more Metroidvania-oriented side-scrolling adventure RPG that should definitely appeal to fans of 8-bit flavoured games of that genre.

Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack contains the high points of Inti Creates' oeuvre. The sequel included is easily the headliner of the two, bursting with content and generally being the much better designed title. The action is really addictive with playability being very tight and responsive. It's hard to let go of the game because it feels so good to play it. To find any big flaws in these would entail mostly petty nitpicks as they stand to be exemplary entries in the run and gun genre. Them being on Nintendo Switch only means that the action does not have to stay at home.