Project CARS 2 takes the foundations of its father and builds upon them, improving all aspects, but some areas have received more upgrades than others. This is no doubt a better racing game than its predecessor, with amazing visuals, fantastic sounds, more variety in cars, tracks and events, while featuring a dynamic weather system that stands above the rest of the pack, but the buggy AI sours the overall racing experience. Project CARS 2 also has that feeling that it is made for racing wheel accessories than a controller, and while the improved controller support is good, it’s still not the gold standard in the genre. It’s a rather hectic time for racing fans, with a few games coming or already out within such a small release window that there are many options to pick from for racing fans, and Project CARS 2 deserves attention for bringing great simulation racing, but stands out more for the unique driving-in-the-weather experience that cannot be found in any other racing game.

Like a top-notch episode of a great TV show Oxenfree presents a well told singular story in parallel with interesting mythology. Bar a few pacing issues I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the game – and was enthralled with the narrative for huge swaths of the runtime. Oxenfree is a superb addition to Switch’s growing catalog of indie games. It may not be a title well suited to gaming on the move, but I found that playing curled up on a couch, in a dimly lit room, was an excellent setting to experience the story. Maybe you will too?

Overall, Road Redemption is a brilliantly fun spiritual successor to the Road Rash series, and absolutely exceeded my expectations. Its exhilarating, and surprisingly tactical gameplay compensate for lackluster visuals and a few environmental collision issues. Road Redemption is an absolute blast to play, and I thoroughly recommend it.

Just like Stardew Valley filled a void in the hearts of those missing Harvest Moon, Golf Story does what Nintendon’t by delivering a highly competent take on the Mario Golf RPG formula – an offshoot of a franchise that has gone missing for well over a decade. Golf Story likely wouldn’t have existed without looking to gaming’s past for inspiration but that hardly makes it a knockoff. It excels in every way you’d hope a game in this niche but fascinating genre would.

Blue Reflection seems to want to tell a story more than wanting to be an RPG. The focus on delivering a coming of age tale, seeing all the characters deal with their growing pains during a typical school life comes across as genuine. If you don’t mind slow paced stories that dig deep into emotional context, then Blue Reflection will be an attractive proposition, especially for less experienced RPG fans who aren’t good at handling complex battle systems. The issue with Blue Reflection is that the game parts, those battle aspects of an RPG, aren’t well developed and lead to repetitive gameplay that soils the game’s overall experience, which some people might find to be on the tedious side, particularly if you’re more into action than story.

Though Final Fantasy IX’s PS4 port lacks the same love and care that was given to the recently released Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, it is still a solid enough re-release, and more importantly another modern source for players to experience this wonderful RPG classic, whether for the first time or the hundredth time. The timeless charm, characterization and content guarantees that this game will be the place you’ll return to someday, now and forever.

Having to drone through shallow plots and mysteries that the player figures out ages before Katrielle does just left me wanting to skip directly to the next puzzle or go back and play a much better Layton game. As mentioned, the puzzles and world are as marvelous as ever but I just can’t see myself recommending it to anyone who hasn’t already exhausted every other Professor Layton game first, especially when the physical copy is releasing at twice the price of the mobile version. I hate that I didn’t properly enjoy this entry and will just continue to hope that more Layton games (and movies please!) will come in the future. After all – a true gentleman leaves no puzzle unsolved.

I don’t know what it is with Capcom recently, but they seem to be getting the most important parts of their fighting games – the fighting systems and mechanics – spot on, but dropping the ball in other departments. That said, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is too much fun to simply advise people to ignore, it’s a good fighting game surrounded by the unpolished presentation, but it does enough to be able to recommend it to fighting fans, but less so for the Marvel comic/film fanatics.

SteamWorld Dig 2 is one of the greatest endeavors in excavation gaming has ever seen. It takes the core gameplay loop seen in the original and adds layers of extra ideas atop that make it a joy to play. If you play for 10 minutes, or choose to settle in for a whole hour or more, there is always a feeling that progress is being made. That’s a great bullet point for any game to boast yet few actually possess.

Even though I had to eventually look up the other endings after playing the game 1.5 times, it’s fair to say that Tokyo Dark is not just a good game but one unlike you’ve ever played. Whilst the art may make it look like a flash game (besides the occasional anime-style cutscene), it does delve into some pretty testing and philosophical topics, merging them with the paranormal. The characters are interesting and deep; even those with little screen time seem to have complex personalities that can often inform the player of their reactions to certain decisions. The audio design is simply disturbing in the most perfect way – pulling off what I believed only Silent Hill could by actually getting to me through sound alone. And every time you do something the smart way, such as when I managed to get into the Police evidence locker without anyone in the building knowing, you’re rewarded with positive SPIN changes. All of these little pieces come together to form something completely new and intense; I hope to see a lot more like it in the future.

Arms has already hit Nintendo’s hybrid system, a title that offers a truly unique fighting game experience, but Pokkén Tournament DX manages to also standout for bringing its own incomparable type of fighting gameplay. Sure, it’s not a brand new title, and only the people that truly loved the original release will be wanting to part cash for the full price of this enhanced port, but just like Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokkén Tournament DX gives chance for the many people who did not pick a Wii U to grab this refreshing fighting game for some hype Pokémon matches at home or on the go. Simply put, Pokkén Tournament DX is a bloody good fighting game that more people should try, no matter if you are a casual or hardcore fighting player or a Pokémon fan, the experience here allows for all types of players to enjoy Pokkén Tournament DX‘s distinct fighting while adding another great game to their Switch catalogue.

Being able to adapt the heart of Monster Hunter into a turn-based RPG is Monster Hunter Stories’ biggest success. It’s aesthetics are visually pleasing, some of the best on the 3DS, bringing a sweet, sugar-coated take on the world of Monster Hunter that is only spoiled by taking too long to get challenging. Despite that issue, the game is a pleasant experience which brings with it an enjoyable, lengthy adventure that gives people fascinated with the world of Monster Hunter, but maybe could not get into the main games, a chance to enjoy the spirit of those titles in a game that cries out to not only the Monster Hunter fans, but fans of Pokemon and light-hearted RPGs. This game could easily find a new audience to build itself up, lifting it up from simply being a spin-off game to becoming a fully fledged series to sit along side the main titles.

Due to the game’s short length and easier 2-player difficulty, especially considering the second player’s unique special ability is to wipe out everything on the screen with a giant laser beam, an endless mode would have gone a long way. Of course, there is both a higher difficulty and New Game+, as well as silver and gold challenges for each level, but I still hope to see some extra two-player focussed content in the future. Fortunately, I’m still a good while away from completing everything for now and I’ll be passing that second controller to anyone I can get. Wunderbar!

Honestly, I could rant on about how completely badass Samus comes off in some of the more action focussed cutscenes, or about the incredible soundtrack that brings back all the nostalgic classics (headphones on full volume recommended) but I think calling it an incredible Metroid game says all that and more.

In the end, Trails of Cold Steel is a game made for specific fans of the JRPG genre, but it also succeeds in nailing down all of its tropes and mechanics, rather than try to appeal to everyone with a bunch of pieces that don’t fit cohesively. Its emphasis on character development and skill trees prove that it has placed its priorities in the right areas, rather than blow its budget on visuals or other superfluous aspects. What it lacks in innovation, it more than makes up for in polish, and the result is bound to leave many fans hungry for the next two installments in the trilogy regardless of whether they play through the main story or follow every side character’s journey to completion.

Like Chrysalis, Awake once again feels like the beginning of something great. It is referential for sure, it has to be, but it’s never wholly reliant on what came before. This is a markedly assured debut for new developer Deck Nine, who have confidently executed the core elements that made the original so well liked, but also put their own spin on the world to weave a new tale. Before The Storm is set to be a nostalgic trip back to a home away from home that many thought they’d never get to visit again. I’m delighted to once again be part of this world – if only for a little while.

Overall, Agents of Mayhem is incredible fun, but having played Volition’s other games, this title seems to be lacking a certain panache that their others games had in spades. The potty humour is there, and is funny in places, but it’s far removed from the hilarious stuff seen in Saints Row. Even the weapons leave much to be desired after experiencing the insane arsenal seen in Saints Row. There are some unique play styles and weapons included, but these feel a little too PG13 for an 18-rated game.

In the end, White Day: A Labyrinth Named School does not quite live up to its legend as a hard to find, harder to run niche horror game, but there are a lot of nostalgic touches to appreciate for longtime fans of horror games. Consequently, those fans may be the ones who will be able to tolerate the game’s archaic shortcomings the most.

Immortal Planet is by no means a bad game but it’s certainly not for me. It just seemed to get in the way of itself a lot – holding itself back via some particularly odd design decisions, possibly made in an attempt to emulate that ‘Soulsian’ gameplay but without enough of a core to back it up.

Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age is a smashing port that brings all the revamps of Final Fantasy XII International Zodiac Job System and adds more to it to improve the game for a better experience. If you had issues with the story or didn’t enjoy the battle system – if you were a young whipper snapper, I recommend trying it again, as you might come round to it this time around – then it won’t do anything to fix that for you. If you have never played Final Fantasy XII or are a fan of the game, then this is simply the best way to play Final Fantasy XII and experience its innovative and fun mechanics.

Archangel has a few rough dents in its mechanical chassis, but still performs a whole lot better than most of the VR dreck that has plagued Sony’s budding VR hardware. At this point, beggars can’t be choosers, and a decent experience is far more preferable than another stomach-turning train wreck. Though not every idea may be properly thought through, there is still a lot of love and care put into the game, which may not make it entirely deserving of a full-price purchase, but still worth a weekend with after a price drop or two.

The game is cell-shaded to the absolute maximum, allowing for a perfect touch of detail that never distracts but still remains visually interesting, whether boosting through the worlds at top speed or stopping to take a look around every once in awhile. Otherwise you could miss it. The music though – wow. I can’t even describe it and that’s not just because it’s jaw-dropping but mainly because it seems to defy all known genres and has a mish-mash of techno, chiptune, drum and bass, classical, and god knows what else. I could go on and on praising it but the final word is the game is great, with a lot of content for those that can’t get enough, and should be played by any platformer lover, whilst the soundtrack needs to be listened to by absolutely everybody with ears.

God Wars: Future Past offers a decent strategy RPG that keeps things straightforward by throwing away complex mechanics in favour of a well-built job system that calls back to the classic strategy RPGs, like Final Fantasy Tactics. If you enjoy the genre, I can see God Wars: Future Past being an entertaining title, but it’s harder to recommend for the casual fans, even with its less demanding strategy mechanics, because the story isn’t great, the battles can be similar due to some mundane and flat level design, and for people who adore great graphics, the dated visuals won’t do anything for them. Get past those problems and there is a solid strategy game at its heart.

Despite the good intentions of the developers, Arizona Sunshine is yet another PSVR game that is plagued by unoptimized controls, queasy camera movement and an overall brief and unremarkable experience that barely qualifies it as a rental, where such an option even possible. The standards have already been raised for virtual horror games thanks to Resident Evil 7, so it falls upon developers to catch up to the VR race and deliver the same kind of quality that Sony’s new hardware add-on desperately needs.

Nex Machina is an great twin-stick shooter that stays close to the roots it has inherited from designer Eugene Jarvis to bring a modernise, hyper speed take on this classic genre. It does not try to reinvent the wheel, and its lack of online cooperative action is a disappointment, but it offers simple, exceptional controls and has enough going on within its mechanics that it never feels shallow. With beautiful voxel visuals, challenging gameplay and piercing colours, Nex Machina is a combination of striking graphics and addictive gameplay that never stops for a break. While it might not be the best twin-stick shooter in the past few years, there is no doubt that this is still another great arcade shooter from Housemarque’s ever growing library of quality shooters.

Unless there’s a nausea-based update I’m not sure I’d ever go back to play Detached again and it’s definitely not making it into my impress first time VR-users catalogue. In fact, it has instead become my go-to example for how VR standards must be respected and how ignoring them can potentially ruin what might have been an otherwise fantastic experience. I’m not sure I can put it any better than that; great game but unplayable.

Rising Storm 2: Vietnam manages to carve itself a place in an already flourishing genre, all thanks to the semi-simulation war combat. The Vietnam War makes for a distinct battleground that has been smartly incorporated into the game’s mechanics, which bring slower paced matches with more emphasis on team work and survival combat than rushing out to be a solo war hero. Rising Storm 2: Vietnam is aimed at a specific group of first-person shooter fans who are lured by the prospect of an experience more closer to the realism spectrum, and by looking at the server browser, there seems to be enough players to give this game legs. If that sounds like something enjoyable, then I can see Rising Storm 2: Vietnam becoming the multiplayer shooter of 2017 for those people.

Crackshell has managed to drip every ounce of Serious Sam and rework it into the twin-stick shooter formula with immaculate imitation of the first-person shooter its based upon. Serious Sam’s Bogus Detour looks great, plays fantastic and has enough challenge to offer something for even the serious fans of Serious Sam – it is literally those games portrayed into a different genre. Even if you have never touched a Serious Sam game before, this pixel 2D shoot-em-up is an amusing blast of arcade entertainment on your own, but an absolute bucket brimming with joyous madness when you bring friends along, making it an easy recommendation for people looking for their next 90s action fix.