The Banner Saga is dark and onerous experience, but its one that draws you in. I'll be waiting with bated breath to see which way this winding path darts next. Something tells me we're not out of the woods just yet.

Years later De Blob feels like a worthwhile experiment. It hits the ground running with its likable tone and doesn't really let up with its no-strings-attached sandbox approach. Ironically after seeing the landscape so packed with open world busywork since its retirement, it's a welcome respite.

It’s not a perfect finale, but it’s one that highlights the best we’ve seen from the series so far, and it’s not without its own set of endearing idiosyncrasies.

Ratchet & Clank also manages to mix things up to an extent throughout, albeit with things you've seen before. There are some really cool cinematic moments like foot chases, dogfights in space, hoverboard races, and the like. In other words, don't expect Rachet & Clank to reinvent the wheel, but expect to have fun playing it.

Rune Factory 4 isn't the deepest or most structured game out there, but it more than makes up for it with its charm and wide-open freedom. If you are willing to put in the time to learn its varied systems, I think you'll find that this game is an absolute delight.

Not every aspect of the game is perfect, but that beautifully mirrors how complex love can be.

Capcom clearly had a lot of fun designing this DLC, as even the title pokes fun at its tendencies and strategies throughout the years. While it's clear that the company has let more than a few of fans down over the years, every so often it has been known to surprise people, and this is one of those occasions.

God Eater 2: Rage Burst inadvertently feels less like a sequel to God Eater Resurrection than a very substantial expansion, becoming a refinement of what came "before" than a genuine step forward. While it's impossible to deny the mechanical improvements in the game, many players' enjoyment of it will largely hinge on how much more God Eater they wanted to play, or if this is the only one available to them.

Part political commentary, part comic-book farce, completely batshit insane, and as primal as an FPS title can be, Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is certainly recommended. It has a great cast, wicked visuals, breathless combat, and unforgettable story moments. It cannot be denied that there are flaws, and they are tough to ignore, but the game's wanton carnage and narrative head-fuckery help slice through them as cleanly as a hatchet through a Nazi's cranium.

It's the PS Vita's biggest release this year, and likely will be for some time. If you own a PlayStation Vita or TV, you'd be crazy to pass up Freedom Wars.

Kaze and the Wild Masks is an unashamed blast from the past, for better or worse. PixelHive's love letter to 16-bit gaming surmounts budgetary and design shortcomings with a compelling challenge, luscious visuals, and an evocative soundtrack, all punctuated by a solid underdog spirit. Kaze's polished but formulaic gameplay will not be to everyone's taste, but for those who long for the halcyon days when the platformer was king, it's most definitely wabbit season.

As long as you're prepared to deal with the decidedly smaller community, the Wii U Edition of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is the best version of the game. It's essentially the exact same package with a few extras, and a few tiny conveniences that put it slightly over the original.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair is an accomplished amalgam of storytelling, character interaction, and deduction – plus, a macabre attitude that isn’t afraid to show its true colors.

Serious Sam HD: The First Encounter is a great purchase for both fans of the series and newcomers. Those who have grown up on modern shooters may find the primitive design and simplistic objectives a bit jarring, but the purity of the gameplay simply has to be respected.

You can get a feel for Everybody's Golf VR in a few short hours, but if you're anything like me, you won't want to move on quite so fast. It's an earworm of a game. Just thinking about it makes me want to dig out my PlayStation VR and clear the room. That's no small feat.

Do you want to slice some demons into little meat chunks as a troubled badass, and perhaps missed out on the great Dreamcast and PS2 renditions of Berserk? Get Band of the Hawk. Seeing the story continue past the Golden Age is enough for an enthusiast to buy in. Otherwise, wait for the price to match what's being offered.

Puzzle Quest 2 is as fun as the original, and offers enough new content for old hands that they should want to revisit the series. Fair warning, though -- while killing that rat swarm is of the utmost importance, remember: you have people who love you and don't forget to bathe.

DuckTales Remastered makes some minor missteps in the attempt to revive one of the greatest NES games of all time, but then again, the latter is a pretty tough act to follow. Mechanically, the game holds up great, and I had a smile on my face nearly the entire time. So long as you can overlook a few fundamental issues, old and new fans alike shouldn't miss re-experiencing this lovingly crafted classic.

Quiplash is a drum-fed machine gun of jokes. It's quick, it's snappy, and I'm hard pressed to think of a better time one could buy for $10 without breaking a few laws.

The 3D models are simple, but effective, and the cut scenes add a lot of extra life to the proceedings.

This is the absolute premier way to play the game. Arena of Valor may have been born on mobile, but on Switch is where it feels at home.

Though it looks like something that might run on the GameCube or the Wii, Sticker Star plays a lot more like something from the 8- or 16-bit era than most recent Nintendo adventure titles, which is a large part of why it's one of my new favorite 3DS games.

Another major advantage the PC version has over the 3DS iteration is the new aforementioned multiplayer mode. Before you get your hopes up, it's asynchronous -- meaning your co-op partner cannot control themselves until you manually switch over to the other screen, and vice-versa. Because you'll have to quickly "take over" sometimes in mid-air in situations beyond your control, multiplayer is even harder than the base game.

Sniper Elite 4 comes across as a fully-realized result of the shifts Rebellion set in motion with the previous game, and proves itself an ably constructed, often gorgeous, and thoroughly engrossing stealth-action shooter.

Banjo Threeie is probably never going to happen, but after playing Yooka-Laylee I'm fine with that for the first time in 17 years. Playtonic's first foray is rough around the edges, but the center is so full of heart that it'll melt away the more you play it.

Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds is a simple game that anyone can pick up and play, but belies a deeper feel for combos like a traditional fighting game would, while adding a minimal skill tree for damage and speed boosts like an RPG. It's deep without being too deep, which makes it just the right amount of fun.

Tribute Games tapped into a treasure trove of classic games, and that adoration shines bright in Panzer Paladin. In a year already full of great action-platformers, this one shouldn't be skipped.

Really, you can’t go wrong with Kiwami. I would have liked it if every aspect of the game had been fully redone, but we don’t see remakes like this come along often. I can deal with a few stumbling blocks when the core quality of what makes Yakuza so unique and engaging remains untouched. At least now more people can have a chance to experience this classic, which is the best thing about Kiwami’s existence.