Moving out of the subterranean world of the first two Metro games, Exodus preserves the tense, stealth shooter vibe while opening up into a vastly more varied and interesting series of environments. Even on its normal difficulty setting, Metro Exodus is a challenging and often unforgiving shooter, requiring careful planning and situational awareness. Although it would benefit from a ruthless editor’s pen and fewer wooden characters, Metro Exodus has found a great balance between linear and more open-world game play.

Overall, I had a ton of fun with Doom Eternal, even if the story is borderline incomprehensible to seasoned Doom Slayers. I look forward to more installments in the franchise if this is the level of quality we continue to get. Those platforming sections are truly awful, though.

Etrian Odyssey V might not have changed much over previous installments, but it has refined the already sophisticated cartography to a T with its clever environmental puzzles and great user interface.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown is a fantastic return to form that benefits from modern console hardware, making a more dynamic air combat experience. The story, told from different perspectives on both sides of the war, has a tendency to be too serious and overwrought to the point of hilarity but I always give it a pass because it’s so endearing.

It’s not a great option for those that already invested in MLB 14: The Show, in fact I probably wouldn’t recommend the upgrade. However if you’re new to the PS4 and want to enjoy a little of America’s past time this is one of the best sports games available on the PS4 today.

Still, if you loved Dishonored as much as I did, The Knife of Dunwall is worth your time; just be prepared for more of the same and less of the extraordinary. Except for Daud. Daud’s cool.

The narrative experiments are definitely awesome, but you can’t just put style over substance, especially when all the same problems return. Hitchy framerates, action sequences that hang too long and make you fail them at least once thanks to technical error, the fact that you want to say something but your character doesn’t give you the option.

It’s an strong addition to the genre, and does a fine job building upon the foundation set by the lauded Company of Heroes.

I enjoyed my time in the world of Trine 4. The puzzles are engaging, the world is attractive, and there are few puzzle platform games with local co-op out there. There were a few issues here and there, but I recommend Trine 4 to anyone looking for a game to play with a friend.

Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy is a reverent and imperfect resurrection of an icon. This furry oddball creature could have been left in the past, but I'm pleased that he was revived for a new generation. I say this in full awareness of the fact that Vicarious Visions could have done more in the technical and gameplay departments. Here we have two great games, and one that could have been great if given the update it truly needed. They look stunning, too, but resolution, framerates, and load times are all at an average standard when at least one of the three should be better. And yet, whether you find yourself zooming down a desert highway, running from a gigantic bear, or just bouncing over a bridge of crates, you can't help but smile and know that, at the end of the day, Crash is still a whole lot of fun.

Games as LSD alternatives are nothing new, but Circa Infinity is in the upper echelon of the category. It remembers that weirdness is not a substitute for discipline, and so tempers its abstract presentation with immaculate level design and a blazing tempo. The outcome is at once a striking artistic vision, a viscerally and intellectually engaging product, and a frontrunner for best indie game of the year.

It’s fairly obvious that a major reason for Samorost 3’s existence is to give its series some recognition as something other than a footnote to the rest of its developer’s work, and in that regard, it roundly succeeds. But after shaking off the “browser game” stigma, it merely continues its business as a temporarily enjoyable diversion.

Nihon Falcom’s games have helped me to rediscover JRPGs which I had almost given up due to their often perplexing superiority complex. There’s this integrity towards the way Nihon Falcom makes their games, and it’s reflected in the gaming experience. What The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel may lack in production values, it makes up for in the richness and depth in its unpretentious and diverse narrative. That makes following Rean and his friends during their year of study uncannily engaging entertainment. I can’t think of any better way to get acquainted with The Legend of Heroes series than this. The only thing bothering me right now is how long I have to wait for the second part!

Danganronpa V3 is not without its flaws. Class trials don’t always pan out and pacing gets in the way at times, but this is still the same Danganronpa fans have grown to love over the years. The wonderful cast of characters and immersive plot coupled with a plethora of endgame options makes this a must-play game for fans and newcomers alike.

Wild Guns Reloaded isn't necessarily a game I asked for, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless, especially on handheld mode. It's colorful, vibrant, and an artistic beauty. Among other things, it remains to be a very fun title from a time when video games were still evolving. With some extra polish and new ways to play the game, Wild Guns was remastered as best as it possibly could have been. It's not new or special in today's landscape, but I still think that it's a title everyone should pick up and play for a really great time.

From top to bottom, Bow To Blood offers a solid concept, fun player/AI dynamics, randomized play, and great VR immersion. This game belongs in every PSVR owner’s library.

Thanks to the randomness ingrained with the other games that ensues no two sessions are alike, we could easily stick to the games we liked and still feel like The Jackbox Party Pack 5 was a great way to spend an evening with friends.

Blazing Beaks was a nice little surprise and I thoroughly recommend it for fans of the genre. It loses a few points in my eyes for a rather bland soundtrack and a complete lack of narrative. Overall, though, it’s a fun little game and worthy to sit among the others.

While it isn’t a perfect game, Wintermoor Tactics Club delivers a memorable cast and great presentation that does a lot of heavy lifting. Solid strategy gameplay also makes it easy to recommend, especially to those who are new to the genre as this would be a fantastic introduction for those interested in this sort of title. For those with a little more experience, the game might not be quite as interesting, but the engaging story should still seem them through this all too brief adventure.

It’s clear that Foregone struggles to define itself within the genre on a surface level. In practice, however, the complementary elements and design choices mesh in a way that makes it feel quite unique. It is unlikely to evoke passion from those who already dislike the genre, but there is enough value to justify giving it a shot simply for the fluidity of its gameplay.

If you're a huge Gran Turismo fan and can't wait for the full version, there is no reason not to pick this game up, if for nothing else to really show off your HDTV.

Natural Selection 2 is one of the first games I've played that doesn't just boast a teamwork mindset but actually delivers on it.

Capcom may not be wholly interested in greenlighting a modern interpretation of the series, but the collection is a great opportunity to experience video game history – if you haven’t already.

For someone looking for a game like the Baldur’s Gate titles but with more emphasis on spending time fighting monsters and delving through dungeons, this may be just the thing.

Yo-kai Watch 3 is the ultimate edition of the series thus far. It may not have evolved much from 1 and 2, but its new Tactics Board combat system and novel American-inspired setting keep the game fresh. With two separate protagonists and storylines to tell, the game takes a massive 40+ hours to complete, not including the plethora of sidequests and full-fledged minigames. Unfortunately, the story drags for much of the first half, and the two towns may be too big for their own good. All things considered, this latest entry revived my fandom for Level-5’s hit series, and I wait with bated breath for what the Nintendo Switch’s Yo-kai Watch 4 has in store.

Gravity Rush 2 is not a perfect game, but it undoubtedly expands upon its predecessor in nearly every conceivable way. There are some wonky camera moments along with a few narrative stumbles and problematic quest designs, but the flaws are quickly overshadowed by the triumphs, and just like its endearing protagonist, it lands firmly on its feet in the end.

Or if you are the one reading right now and you like Castlevania and have always wanted to see what the fuss was about for Rondo of Blood, then this is a great game to go check out, I would highly recommend it.

Pokémon Sword is the best Pokémon game in many ways. With a necessary streamlining and major leaps in presentation, Game Freak has developed a title that impresses in all the right ways. However, the occasional peculiarity in design manages to wriggle its way into the game, slightly hindering the experience. Regardless, it’s an incredible title that moves above and beyond in many aspects, while tripping up in others. Pokémon Sword is undoubtedly worth recommending as it irons out major design issues from the series, while creating an engaging, fresh Pokémon journey with plenty to offer.

Nintendo fans can now sing and dance to their heart's content, as Konami brings their solid music title to the Cube, with a nice song selection thrown in.

Super Mega Baseball: Extra Innings is simply a fun game.

Need for Speed Rivals’ boisterous and brash open-world driving design gets enormous mileage thanks to some amazingly fluid online functionality. This is a stand-out launch game in every regard, and if you have any interest in this sort of action-heavy racing, here’s the best way to experience it this year.

If you’re a fan of SHMUPs or action games and platformers, I think the titles are here to be worth your time but for fans of other genres, it’s probably worth holding out to see what future events Capcom plans to hold in this stadium.

Hand of Fate is an unique game that blurs the line between an action RPG and a tabletop collectible card game.

The Red Strings Club is provocative but not preachy, smart but not smug, and poignant but not pretentious. And it’s just that extra bit self-assertive like all the great stories need to be. Most of all, if you play the game true to your own conscious, it gives us hope. The Red Strings Club makes perfect use of its medium as an interactive thriller, challenging you inside out. Maybe I’m getting old, but when a game makes me cry at the end, it must be something special.

Just when games are becoming too complex to be enjoyable, here comes a simple platformer that recaptures the fun of the genre. A nice gem on the Xbox Live Arcade.

Conquest doesn't excel at anything it does, but it doesn't really take any missteps either. For what it's worth, the fact that someone is trying something new and outside-the-box with Pokemon is commendable in itself, and I hope that this game is enough of a success that it makes it viable for The Pokemon Company to keep trying new things with the franchise in the future.

Trails of Cold Steel gears up as the story progresses and ends up in such a cliffhanger that you just want the next part out already. The game remains as strong as it has been and comes strongly recommended for any JRPG enthusiast looking for a cracking yarn to spend time with.

Combining some fascinating mechanics I've never seen in a card game with a lot of variety, there's plenty to recommend Faeria. Its held back however by poor tools to really learn the game and design decisions that just don't fit a portable console. Add in concerns for the future of the game and I'm nervous to invest too much more of myself into Faeria, but it may be too late for me to stop. It has that wonderful just one more game quality that will keep me firing it up. Just make sure you know what you're getting before you decide to follow me.

The Battlefield series makes a smooth transition to the console, offering new ideas to spice up gameplay. Pity the online play is surprisingly weak.

Happy Action Theater is more of a gadget or a tech demo than a game. But it's a great example of what the Kinect can do.

Competition in the 4X space might seem quaint to some, but Stardock easily proves that there’s more than one great ruler who deserves fealty.

But if I had a choice between the two, I would have to go with the Xbox 360 version, just because you're going to have a much better online experience that you wouldn't find on the PS3, at least until more people get their units.

The Walking Dead delivers a dramatic and emotionally exhausting experience that few, if any, games have achieved. Forming a close bond with the characters over 12 hours of game play makes the countdown clock for each decision even more stressful. As the psyche of each survivor has slowly been reduced to tatters, every choice has positive and negative impacts for all.

The game isn’t perfect, with minor issues over the game’s short length and occasionally touchy environment interaction, yet this is an easy game to recommend for anyone who loves Metal Gear and a good hack and slash experience.

If the idea of pitting two incredibly strong universes of characters together in an ultimate battle doesn't excite you then the promise of fast paced action gameplay and stunning visuals should draw you in. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is perfectly represented on the Vita and having a portable fighter is always good to have because it is something you can easily drop in and drop out of. With great online and a stellar arcade mode at your fingertips (almost literally) UMVC3 is a game well worth the money for any Vita owner.

Overall FIFA 09 All-Play is a very solid FIFA game that doesn’t stretch its boundaries too far to go out of the ordinary, but makes a pretty fun game.

Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu/Eevee is not a total reboot of Pokémon, nor is it entirely the console experience that many fans have asked for, but it goes a long way to making a very familiar game feel at least momentarily fresh. Most of the mechanical changes are for the better and help make Pokémon a great casual RPG for just about anyone. Most critically, it allows longtime fans a not-too-jarring glimpse into what might be the future of their beloved franchise.

By the end it can be hard to care, even if the plot is far more interesting. Couple the mediocre story with the less than fulfilling gameplay, and you have an experience that drags to begin with in both story and gameplay, discouraging you from progressing, but once it picks up pace it is far more enjoyable and worth the trudge.

Simple, yet fun. It has a few kinks, but it generally holds up really well as a goofy, yet intense multiplayer game that you’ll definitely want to play with friends. I wouldn’t recommend playing the game by yourself, so definitely pick it up with a friend for a truly fun experience. I would also consider playing the game in short bursts since I personally found myself tiring of doing the same thing for so long. All in all, the new additions to the game are welcome, but they definitely need a bit of tweaking. While nothing in the game is inherently wrong, some additions feel like a bit of a departure from what is otherwise an excellent game. I like to see bigger and better things from a sequel, but sometimes all a simple game needs is stability and consistency in order to remain at the top. Nidhogg 2 loses some of its simplicity in translation, but it’s still quite an enjoyable time.

It’s fun, but if you really stick with it, then it turns into something a lot more challenging and enjoyable.

The addition of The Masters continues to push the Tiger Woods franchise forward. Although there were no major changes to the gameplay this remains to be an amazing game of golf.

The game’s technical problems notwithstanding, I found LEGO City Undercover to be an immensely enjoyable adventure that really made me laugh. It certainly has a lot going for it with a great story, funny script, creative originality and a design that makes no attempt to dumb anything down making it easily accessible for gamers young and old alike. LEGO City Undercover is also a lovely looking game that continues the trend of blending real world objects and geography with colorful and whimsical LEGO objects. For those still upset about the delay over Rayman Legends, I’m pleased to say there’s finally a game that makes Wii U worth owning.

Its enjoyment relies so much on its visual flair but at the same time, the game is perfect for those people who just love nothing more than a good grind. Either way, Dragon's Crown Pro is a sure-fire buy for anyone in a mood for old-fashioned fantasy.

It’s a constant thrill, one that can steal away a whole afternoon but still satisfy you even after a couple of rounds.

I wanted to love Reckoning. I really did. And don't get me wrong, it's a good game; I did enjoy it. But I also got really tired of playing it.

While it may embrace some of the stealth genre's conventions that it seems directly antithetical to, Stealth Bastard's fantastic level design, wit, and devious death traps result in a thoroughly unique and enjoyable take on the stealth genre.

While I wish the actual platforming were a bit stronger, Arise: A Simple Story is still a lovely experience which I recommend you try. Frustration over dying a handful of times passes quickly when you’re enveloped in such wonderful sights and sounds. It's just an experience you'll get nearly as much out of watching as you would playing.

Although the controls are a little stiff, the new boss battles, multiple game modes, and the Hypernova ability all add to what makes Triple Deluxe a really fun game to play.

If you enjoyed the previous Age of Wonders games and you had any reservations about this game, then rest easy – it is a very good one.

Even with small small gripes, I found the overall package of The Golf Club 2019 to be a huge step in the right direction. I dug far deeper into this year’s outing than any other in this series. HB Studios has really tightened up the core mechanics, and now with the PGA license and an amazing suite of customizable tools, the series has nothing but upside. If you’re like me and have been craving to hit the digital links again, I highly recommend giving The Golf Club 2019 a look.

Infamous: Second Son continues Sucker Punch’s super hero/karmic choice formula well.

Proteus requires a desire to explore, something that every gamer ostensibly possesses but is rarely asked to use. Much like thatgamecompany’s Journey, Ed Key pushes a spiritual experience that feels fresh immediately upon entry. Yes, it lasts about an hour. Yes, it is enchantingly poetic. And yes, it is deserving of as much play as open-minded gamers are willing to give it.

In terms of tactics and board games, and with the announcement of a bunch of other board game classics coming to the Switch, I can’t really think of a reason to pick up Armello in comparison. It’s alright, and a decent take on a fun way to represent an analog idea within video games, but the game itself doesn’t really have much to hold you beyond a couple of plays.

Despite the lackluster single player and small other foibles I have with some of Heave Ho's design choices, you're still getting a ton of great bang for your buck here, especially at the $10 asking price. From the scores of levels available to the player, to the sheer variety of the different worlds and to the simple unpredictability of being dropped by a friend that you thought had your back since preschool, Heave Ho is a fantastic experience that'll make for a killer additional to any player's party-game collection. Just make sure you bring a few (trusted) friends along for the ride.

What it all comes down to is the fact that UEFA Euro 2008 is trying to hit a specific market, and although the market for the game may not be as big here in the United States as it is over the pond, I believe that if soccer fans give this a try they will not only enjoy this game but also give some interest into this year’s UEFA tournament.

There’s something awfully disarming about Nihon Falcom’s straightforward and honest approach to the action RPG genre. All the trademarks of their user-friendliness are evident in Ys SEVEN too, like saving everywhere you want, an auto-map overlay and a fast travel introduced during the course of the adventure. But above all, Ys SEVEN hooks in with its simple and blistering fast gameplay, ensuring it’s always fun to do the necessary grinding to keep up with the numerous boss fights. I enjoyed every minute - and there were lots of those minutes - with Adol and his friends.

If you enjoy Cities: Skylines, you should definitely put aside some money for this expansion. Your first instincts will provide plenty of amusement, but when you go back to playing the game as usual, the true value of Natural Disasters becomes apparent. Far from being a tangential add-on, it adds more to the game than you would dare to assume. Though slightly marred by visual inconsistencies and conditional performance wobbles, Natural Disasters is a thoroughly essential addition to the Cities: Skylines experience.

Directors Raoul Barbet and Michel Koch have gone the extra mile to create better realized characters, a more believable setting, and continue to tackle sensitive topics - elements that once again separate Life Is Strange from other games in this genre. Roads delivers a strong first impression and bringing the DONTNOD band back together for another run has gone a long way to make this episode feel as special as the first season. Life Is Strange is back and it’s off to a great start.

Retains the playability, but not the depth of its PS2 version.

The gameplay changes that run counter to the original arcade game don’t always work, but overall, the elements synergize to form a worthy and thrilling deviation of the classic formula. It takes time to learn this new playstyle, but it’s a worthy and thrilling deviation of the classic formula.

It builds a strong foundation on the gameplay front, offering up rewarding combat and simple skills, but doesn’t follow that with anything substantial, being content to let the standard end game grind and excellent-yet-stressful PVP try to cover all the questions its writing leaves you with.

Axiom Verge is a great game that will scratch the itch for anyone scorned by Nintendo’s failure to give Samus a needed and deserved shot in the arm.

Downwell is highly recommended, whether you have a few minutes or several hours to devote to getting down this well.

NBA Live 10 is a great basketball experience for both the casual and hardcore fan and proves to be the series best outing yet.

Elite: Dangerous goes against the grain of the Xbox One’s library of games. It’s not as frenetic and action packed as Call of Duty nor does it share The Witcher 3’s flair for engrossing narratives. Instead, Elite: Dangerous is a quest for the next big thing which, in this case, is a high quality ship outfitted with the best equipment that fits a chosen playstyle.

Natsuki Chronicles accommodates newcomers and veterans of the genre without diluting the experience for either. The tight, challenging gameplay and great presentation provide a game that’s well worth playing. Admittedly, the difficulty may be off-putting to some, especially with the occasional difficulty spike. However, Natsuki Chronicles provides the tools to master the gameplay without the tedium often associated with games of its genre. I would wholeheartedly recommend the game to those that appreciate high quality shoot ‘em ups or even just someone looking for a good introduction to the genre.

Origami King has the trademark humor and heart the series is known for, as well as a unique battle system. It continues the tradition of great Paper Mario games while being different enough to stand on its own. If you’re a fan of the series, you’ll most likely be a fan of this one as well.

When has exercising ever been fun? With that being said the developers did an amazing job of making an experience that was different and enjoyable.

Even though it doesn’t innovate much from its predecessors, it stays true the core mechanics that has made the Total War series some of the best strategy games to date.

Battle Chasers: Nightwar is a solid RPG with a strategic battle system and challenging dungeon-crawling, but it’s held back by its harsh reliance on grinding. Regardless, its slower playstyle can work in spurts thanks to the Nintendo Switch’s handheld mode, which works well aside from some lag. If you are a retro RPG fan who won’t mind the grind, the game’s worth checking out.

Overall, Darkwood does a good job of presenting a very tense and often horrific story with just the right amount of survival elements mixed in. While I’m not sure it is strictly fun, surviving a monster-filled night certainly is a relief and feels satisfying. Difficult enough at its normal setting, there are ample opportunities for true masochists to enjoy Darkwood’s singular approach to the genre.

Everything is definitely a unique experience but it does wear out its welcome at a point. When it starts to feel empty and like all you're doing is mechanically ticking things off of a "found a thing to control!" checklist and feels like it's leaving its message to the wayside, that's when it's best to cut it loose, in my opinion. It can feel unlike anything you've ever played, but eventually, like real existence, it starts to feel like a slog. But in those moments when it's firing on all cylinders, it's really something special.

Okay, so, when I said that Smite should be free, I didn’t mean to say that it is terrible. What I meant is that the game honestly just isn’t all that good. But I can play as the main character from Conker’s Bad Fur Day, though… so that’s something, at least.

Avicii Invector follows a path that led Harmonix to greatness and while I don’t think Hello There Games will go the same distance, they made a really solid and fun music game to play. The only real criticism that can be levied against the game is its moderately short length. A 25 song setlist is a decent amount of content but once you’ve gone through them, there’s really nothing else to do except challenge yourself to higher difficulty settings. The game is a nice tribute to the artist, though I feel there’s more that could have been added to make it a little more personal. Regardless, Avicii Invector is a fine celebration of a talented performer that sizzles with high energy.

This is not a huge leap forward for the series but at the same time I don’t think it had to be. There are some gripes I have with the size of the new environment but when it comes down to it there is no question in my mind that this is the best skateboarding experience available right now.

The pace on the battle system was perfect, and more games should be moving towards the real time battle systems.

The second installment improves upon the original with more cards, deeper gameplay and smoother pace. It's not the MGS as you know it, but it's a solid choice nonetheless.

Tales of Berseria is an excellent game despite its flaws. The cast of characters shine in their own right and are easily some of the most memorable in the series and the combat additions coupled with the engaging plot makes this a game every JRPG fan should play.

With Peter Jackson-quality production values, combat that remains engaging over dozens of hours, and a meaningful story that stays reasonably related to its beloved source material, Middle Earth: Shadow of War is a rare sequel that improves on just about every aspect of the original. Odious micro-transactions and a pace that might be too focused on constant action aside, Shadow of War will please both the fans of Shadow of Mordor and anyone who enjoys quality action games.

Judgment is an absolute roller coaster of an experience that I can wholeheartedly recommend. It’s an intense investigative adventure full of drama, action, and heart. If this is the direction where the Yakuza series is headed to, I have high hopes for the future. The developers have effectively used the established formula to tell a brand new story. Without a doubt, Judgment is worth playing for both fans and newcomers alike.

It looks beautiful, plays like butter, and is still one of the most enjoyable games I play each year. The game does have its issues, but as of writing, a lot of the glitches I saw seem to have been addressed. My biggest gripe (and I know I’m not alone) is the amount of emphasis placed on VC each year, and how it feels even more off-putting this year. It takes away from what is such a beautiful and well-crafted game. But if you’re like me and don’t play the card game and don’t mind the grind, NBA 2K20 is still the best sports game on the market.

While the hack and slash gameplay of each individual character is somewhat simple, the variance between each of the six is substantial, keeping things fairly fresh throughout the many runs. Additionally, skill trees and constant stat improvements grant a sense of empowerment and progression. It may not upheave the mechanical norms of roguelikes, but Children of Morta does a good job of weaving storytelling into the well-worn tropes of the genre to create something that feels unique.

One of the biggest factors I always rate games on is whether they are fun to play. A game could be the most mechanically polished, gorgeous, epic game, but if I didn’t have much fun playing it, that would impact my score dramatically. So, while “fun” is entirely subjective, I just had absolutely no fun whatsoever with …If Found. As a side note: I completed this game is entirely under two hours. While that isn’t a problem for me personally, some gamers do make a cost benefit decision based upon length of content. So, it is something to be aware of.

While frustrating at times, Signs of the Sojourner does a fantastic job of nailing the actual flow of communication in the form of a card game. It also provides an excellent sense of freedom. By the time I got to one of the game’s multiple endings, I really felt like my actions and choices had earned it. I only wish that it had gone on a bit longer. Just when I really felt like I was getting everything the game was throwing at me, it ended. Still, I appreciate a game that leaves me wanting more and the different paths I could have taken provide enticement for a second trip.

Hitman: Absolution does stand out from the ocean of gray and brown shooters that populate the market, but not in enough good ways to warrant a recommendation.

If you are down for mayhem, down for a great story and feel up to a difficult challenge The New Order has you covered on all bases. What it lacks in online play it makes up for in collectables and story length.

The eagerly awaited Rare action title debuts on the 360, with pretty sweet visuals, some character-switching fun and furious combat sequences.

NBA Jam for the Wii is exactly what you would want NBA Jam for the Wii to be just missing online play. The NBA Jam experience is alive and well on the Nintendo Wii and for those who may have never played a game of NBA Jam or those wanting to relive old memories, this is a great game to check out.