EA works its charm down on college baseball, further perfecting the previous installment with deeper frachise mode and refined controls.

As a "dangerous tropical island simulator", Far Cry 3 is one of the most satisfying and inventive shooters released this year. Gamers eager to explore the wild jungle should pick this up without second thought, and try not to let the infuriating campaign rain on their parade.

A pleasant surprise. It doesn't re-invent the wheel per-say, but it does make for a very good and educational experience.

Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is an excellent 2D platformer that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The humor is quirky, the gameplay is great, and it expertly crafts a retro-style game into a glossy and new coat of paint. Even so, it didn’t seem to provide the same sense of awe that Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse provided in the not-so-distant past of 2014. This is not to say that Half-Genie Hero missed the mark; it’s just different from what you would expect out of the series. Fortunately, that’s one of the best features about the series as a whole. Each game feels unique, bringing a whole new taste to the table every time. This is what always brings me back to Shantae, and it’s what makes Half-Genie Hero all the more enjoyable. Ultimately, Shantae: Half-Genie Hero manages to create a sense of old-school bliss in the modern era where there proves to be little success, and it’s wonderful.

Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey is difficult and opaque in many important ways, but its premise is refreshing and its vision compelling enough to keep the player moving forward. Expect lots of false starts and failure at the beginning, but eventually the mechanics become familiar and the achievement of inching the species forward becomes uniquely rewarding.

BoxBoy! + BoxGirl! is a triumphant return for one of Nintendo’s underappreciated square-shaped heroes. The core campaign, albeit a solid iteration that newcomers will enjoy, plays a little too safely for BoxBoy! veterans. Thankfully, the new co-op and Qudy modes are the reinvigorating jolts this series needed, delivering clever and refreshing ideas to mix up the simple block-making formula. Hopefully, this Switch debut marks a bright future for the box family.

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

Atari spices up the celebrated DBZ franchise with this fluid free-form fighter, and complemented by the Wii's wacky controllers.

In spite of its childish appearance and lack of difficulty options, Super Beat Sports is an entertaining rhythm game and satisfying return to form for Harmonix. Its varied game modes offer a wide mix of challenging levels to conquer and master, while its multiplayer capabilities ensures that it earns a place on the couch for your next late-night party. It might not offer the maturity and depth of Harmonix’s previous efforts, but Super Beat Sports is a welcome addition to the Switch lineup that proves that perhaps the music game genre isn’t entirely dead, after all.

This game not only challenges you to think outside the box but to have the endurance to continue thinking that way until the level is over and the boss is beaten.

Are you in the mood for a unique puzzle game filled with ambient electronic music and want to feel good about supporting independent game development? Waveform may just be right up your alley. It is elegant in its simplicity, but don't let that fool you. The game quickly becomes challenging and with about eleven stages (filled with ten levels each), there's a surprisingly large amount of game and replayability to be had. I see myself coming back to this game often.

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.

Activision ups the ante on action RPG with the whole cast of the Marvel universe. Insanely cool boss fights and solid online support makes this an easy choice for fans.

Candleman is a very fun game to play on the go as the short levels allow you to just pick it up and play whenever you feel the need. It’s also easily replayable due to the goals of lighting candles in each level, but overall, it’s a bit short. It’s a shame as I feel like there could have been many more avenues to be explored. However, if you want a short, thought-provoking game to play through that won’t take up all your time and won’t break the bank, then Candleman is at the top of my list of recommendations.

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.

It looks fantastic, the combat is epic and thrilling, and the sound design and musical score by the insanely prolific Jasper Kyd round out an impressive sequel. Lack of clarity, some brutal difficulty spikes and some core conceptual and mechanical issues with the game's absolute reliance on co-op are the only sour notes in a dark symphony of epic action.

Anno 1800 is an incredible looking city builder that is packed with historical detail and graphical richness, supported by a complex and sometimes inscrutable collection of systems underneath the smokestacks and row houses. Getting everything just right is a challenge but playing in the Victorian-era sandbox is a lot of fun and the milieu is well represented in all areas of design and execution. Fans of city builders and economic sims will both find a lot to enjoy about Anno 1800, the best entry in the franchise so far.

If you love the thrill and tension of stealth-based gameplay and going up against ever-increasing threats the longer you stay engaged, I think you’re really going to like what The Blackout Club has to offer. It took me a bit of time to warm up to the game and when it all eventually clicked, I started thinking that this might be the sleeper hit of the year.

For me and for my generation, the subject matter that Ghostbusters: The Video Game so respectfully represents is a flight back to the carefree childhood. Here’s the catch, though. It’s not a one-way nostalgia ticket to the bygone world but a fun game that perfectly holds up today with its entertaining gameplay, sparkling and characteristic visuals and amusing narrative. Can I ask for more from the game? Wait, of course I can! Next, give me a Ghostbusters game where I can play as Jillian Holtzmann and the world would be complete!

As a final interesting note, RiME was actually first revealed as a survival game with elements of health and stamina. While we may never see what that game was like, I’m thankful that developer Tequila Works opted for a deeper tale with that same boy on an island. While an open world would have been fun to explore, the segmented chapters help to tell a bigger truth. Though action would have helped bring more gamers in, laid-back puzzle-solving ensures that more people can freely explore and reach the end. A smoother presentation could have helped the game’s cinematic presence, but the story lives on despite it. RiME isn’t perfect or too original, but it does well to scratch the same emotionally driven story itch that trailblazers like Dear Esther and Journey have pioneered in the past.

The music where deep, desolate bass contracts with upbeat melodies of street musicians tells about hope beyond gloom. Occasionally, when giant feet trample you or you’re sent literally through a grinder, the game falls for some heavy-handed symbolism. However, a good story is often a collection of proven clichés and metaphors and Mosaic compiles them into a compact and meaningful package.

Regardless of how you play it, though, you can go into Shiftlings knowing you’re in for a nice mix of fun, bewilderment, and satisfaction.

Whether Erica is a successful fluke or the start of a FMV renaissance is impossible to predict, but the game is a solid and beautifully crafted example of how the technique has evolved and just how effective great interactive storytelling can be.

Table Manners simply is ridiculous and fun, and it knows it. All it asks of you is that you be as lighthearted about the gameplay as it is. And if you can do that, and you don’t mind failing some levels in the process, I think you’ll love every second of it.

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

I don’t think I’ve ever played a game like The Beginner’s Guide and I’m not sure any game will ever need to duplicate what it accomplished.

If you enjoy survival horror games which rely on atmospheric and subtle visuals and audio cues instead of cheap jump-scares, you will definitely love Yomawari: Midnight Shadows. It's an extremely creative game with an adorable outlook and incredibly dark undertones. Prepare to forgive the repetitiveness later in the game, and I can assure that you will have one scary (and cute) survival horror experience.

Elegy For A Dead World delivers, but only if you meet it halfway with a hunger for derelict worlds and an extensive collection of original tales.