Mr. Shifty begins in the same place it ends; by punching a man through a window. Defenestration is appealing, especially when it’s preceded by short form teleportation, but the first instance is more gratifying than the last. Mr. Shifty deals in scale, quantity, and strategy in the wrong order, assuring its sharp edge dulls after an auspicious opening.

Nier: Automata did not succeed because of its combat, and yet the preposterously named 3C3C1D119440927 is pure combat served with gimmicky restrictions. In remains, however, fabulously weird, and while player's takeaway won't reach Automata's profundity, it's still without a conscious equal in its medium.

Persona 5 will be beautiful forever. Meticulous thought and consideration has been applied to Shin Megami Tensei's durable model of dungeon crawling and Persona's paragon of social simulation, creating a brilliant pulse visible through (almost) every aspect of its performance. Keeping this pace across a formidable length is Persona 5's most impressive trick, ensuring it will steal your heart without wasting your time.

Other than the technical issues, SGW3 is probably exactly what you expected and even hoped for — a AA modern military shooter with a focus on sniping that evolves the franchise into open world. If you can wait for additional patching or don’t mind some of the stout bugs, SGW3 offers an enjoyable experience.

Little nightmares is a very good game. The story of Six is a quick one, but you gather everything you need to know as you move along in the game. Think you can brave your childhood fears? If so pick up Little Nightmares and learn about Six’s story.

Expedition: Viking is a fun turn-based RPG that is unfortunately marred by various technical issues. While the combat and story are intriguing, the “same-y” environments and characters leave a lot to be desired.

Gnog distills the joy of fiddling with switches, dials, and knobs into a potent liquid and then uses that fluorescent elixir to invigorate a monster’s brain. The result is a collection of orderly puzzles eager to illustrate logic while soaked in giddying medley of spaceships, electricity, and mother birds. If you were ever allowed to peer inside of a candy monster’s skull, Gnog is precisely what you would find.

This game was so much fun to play. Something about being scared and literally running for your life makes for such a good game. With plot twists along the way that keep the story fresh there is no lack of entertainment within the game. Red Barrels really knows how to get under your skin. Play the game, you will understand. The dark undertones of the game set up the story throughout and constantly make you think wtf, yet you still want more. Buy Outlast 2, be scared, you won’t be disappointed.

If I do a top games of 2017 list at the end of the year, I can already tell you that Full Throttle Remastered will be on it. This is point and click adventure gaming done right during the best and brightest days of the genre. Double Fine has done a superb job remastering and re-releasing it; don’t miss it.

Overall, Dragon Quest Heroes II is an upgrade over its predecessor. It’s packed with plenty of content, long action sequences and a healthy dose of role-playing elements to keep your interest firmly hooked. The balance between action and RPG helps make this more than just a Dragon Quest title with the beating heart of Dynasty Warriors. It’s a worthy sequel.

Life isn’t often what we imagine and death isn’t usually what we expect. What Remains of Edith Finch responds by capturing death’s despair and tragedy through life’s lenses of whimsy and fantasy. Every emotion and detail is left in frame, exposing profoundly anguishing themes that nevertheless develop into endearing pictures of hope and determination. Edith Finch creates a portrait of a family that, even in their doomed eccentricity, feels not only sanguine, but also deeply human.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is absolutely the best game currently available for the Nintendo Switch apart from Zelda: Breath of the Wild. For players who have never had the pleasure of experiencing the original Wii U title, this is a must-own and could be qualified as yet another killer app (even though it technically is a port). On the other hand, even if you own the original, this is the definitive Mario Kart 8 experience; in fact, it is the best Mario Kart game to date period.

Bye-Bye Boxboy! is a succinct, value-packed title. It’s the bookend of a great puzzle series and it doesn’t try to be more than what it is — an addictive puzzler that’s accessible and not overly difficult. For only $5, it’s an excellent deal and can be enjoyed it short five minute spurts or for much longer at a time. No 3D support is included, so you can enjoy this just as well on a 2DS as a 3DS. If you’re into puzzlers, or this series already, this is probably the easiest recommendation I’ll make all year.

Overall, this collection is accurate to a fault, packed with some additional goodies and reminds us how absolutely insane we all must have been when we played these games the first time around. Bravo to Digital Eclipse and Capcom for taking a chance on some classics.

Sadly I didn’t put much time into “Beat Cop”. While the game is amazing in its detail and design, the game actually starts to feel like a job! I can attribute this mostly to my own taste and opinion. I can still appreciate some of the nuance this game offers. I think “Beat Cop” deserves an 8.5 for being strong enough to captivate anyone who craves good character development and witty dialogue.

Orcs Must Die: Unchained might just be my surprise game of the year to this date. The amount of fun that I’ve had with this game is insane. The game is polished and balanced. The year open beta definitely benefited the game a ton. I will recommend just about any gamer try this game, especially with the price of free. However once you begin your journey of killing orcs, you might not want to stop!

The art for the characters and environments are absolutely astounding, but with a dated gameplay style, it’s difficult to say this remake is fully realized. Yes, purists will love that The Dragon’s Trap is a nearly 100% replica of the original with updated art, but I feel as though the love given to the art of the game should have been given to the gameplay as well.

All in all, Lego City Undercover is a good deal of fun that players from all ages will be able to enjoy. While the game is nothing challenging or revolutionary, it is nice to see a game as kid-friendly as Lego take tribute from a series that meant for adults. The overworld is large enough to where players will always have something new to discover while going after the criminals led by Red Fury. Undercover might be too easy of a challenge but that doesn’t take away from the overall wonderful experience players will have going through this delightful world.

I am not enthralled with "The Crow's Eye" but the work put into the game is obvious. Overall the characters are the strongest, the platforming is solid, and the puzzles are... puzzling. Have fun losing your mind!

ooka-Laylee’s full use of the color spectrum, Grant Kirkhope, David Wise, and Steve Burke’s endearing score, and its relentless positivity are boons to its medium. It’s also firmly disinterested in twenty years of forward progress, doubling as a paean to Banjo’s banal challenges, mushy control, and distressing tedium. It’s tough to feel bitter—Playtonic delivered what was promised—it’s just awfully easy to feel chafed and bored, too.

Two out of the three games are fun to play and can help you pass a few minutes of your time. It's not built for longevity but even so, it will most likely become a forgotten game of your collection once you've completed the games a few times.

The first five minutes of This is the Police will no doubt hook players into the world they’re about to step foot in. Unfortunately, the only way to progress through the story is to grind through the gameplay, which at times can slow the game to a screeching halt. This is upsetting due to the game’s fantastic storytelling. There will be people who will pass through the gameplay with ease and find enjoyment in it. However, in my case, it provided me with a negative experience. This is the Police is by no means a bad game, it just fails to hold up after the player starts the gaming sections. There will certainly be those who enjoy the gameplay and find it thought provoking, however, if a player wants something more involved, they might be disappointed.

Overall, at $20, Drop Dead offers a lot of zombie-blasting action with a few notable, but not necessarily deal-breaking flaws. For fans of the old light-gun games, this is definitely worth checking out.

Overall MLB The Show 17 does what it’s supposed to do and builds on last year’s great game. It’s hard to truly improve year after year without any competition but the development team is able to do that with this game. The documentary style of RTTS is brilliant and the new MLB Network broadcast addition is great and adds authenticity to the game. MLB The Show 17 is a great game for any baseball fans and will provide a great experience from any of their game modes.

Presentation quality is quite good, with the protagonist’s voice-acting being especially notable. Your character at times will have a brief monologue, talking about life working for Oceannova, and the guy’s voice reminds me very much of Tom Hanks’ own voice. The dialog is brief, but well-written, and these spoken moments come up at good intervals to remind the player they’re on the right path. The graphics are also very good and the game is comfortable to play. Ultimately, Narcosis provides players with a compelling experience that’s easy to recommend.

Thimbleweed Park is one of those games that speaks to those people who enjoy the genre, and it’s certainly good enough that it will hopefully attract newcomers as well. It’s fan service and an all new exciting game at the same time. Hopefully this is the first of more from Terrible Toybox; regardless, this is a gem and a must-have for anyone that likes games that are story, character, and puzzle-driven adventures.

Getting stuck in room-escape or point and click adventure games is par for the course sometimes, but what DYING: Reborn does not have going for it is other strong qualities to keep things interesting and “worth the effort.” It wasn’t long before I resorted to a walkthrough once, and then again as needed. I wasn’t compelled by the story, the characters, or the atmosphere. I didn’t feel any sense of tension or immersion with Mathew and his plight. The presentation of the game from graphics to on-screen font to voice-acting was very generic and lackluster too, making the whole experience a struggle and not very enjoyable. Without a walkthrough, I probably would not have pressed on because I just was not finding the experience worth my time and effort. If you really enjoy room escape games and puzzles, DYING: Reborn at $20 or less might be worth a look, but it’s hard to recommend otherwise.

I believe FromSoftware could do this forever, and I doubt I would ever get tired of it. If Dark Souls is my Madden or Call of Duty, so be it. It would make me happy. As a tidy finale or a signal marking a hiatus, The Ringed City is pure Dark Souls. I will always want more, but this is satisfying.

Do I recommend the set for any longtime fan of the series? If you hadn’t picked up the individual 1.5 and 2.5 collections on PS3 back in the day, now is the perfect time to catch up on the series ahead of Kingdom Hearts 3. Actually, the real benefit I found playing this collection on PS4 as opposed to PS3 was using the Dualshock 4, which is inherently more comfortable to use. But if you’re a first time player of the series wanting to know what all the fuss is about, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 and 2.5 ReMIX is the perfect place to jump in; even if you’re only going to play the two main games.

While short, SUPERHOT VR is very accessible, addictive, and simply fun to play. It’s also very comfortable to experience, and the Forever Edition adds more reason to come back for additional challenges should you desire. If you haven’t checked it out yet, this is the way to play it.

As a third person monster hunter with JRPG elements, Toukiden 2 gets a lot right. It has some important limitations that you should consider before diving in, but if you enjoy the franchise or the monster-hunter genre, keeps this one in mind.

David O’Reilly’s Everything is quite the experience and journey to undertake. It’s simple, yet deep. It asks you to think about ‘just being’, but encourages you to explore the thoughts and emotions of other beings in the game. It’s a lightly addictive game that will have you staring at your television for hours and leave you wanting to keep the experience alive for no particular reason other than to keep going, which could be a metaphor for any living creature struggling to know the how and why they exist.

Overall, LEGO Worlds is a LEGO game many fans of the franchise have been waiting for. Between the robust create tools and ability to discover randomly generated worlds, LEGO Worlds offers a ton of great fun. While it’s not nearly as addictive or simple as a game like Minecraft, it should be viewed as a different take on the Create-Your-Own-World genre. The game is unfortunately brought down by it’s floaty and odd controls, but having thousands of classic LEGOs in the game can make up for it if you’re looking for a nostalgic LEGO trip.

For $20, Snipperclips is a pretty easy investment to recommend. Most players are likely to extract at least a handful of really entertaining hours out of it—that is, if they can ever muster the willpower to peel themselves away from Zelda.

Depending on what you’re looking for in your next third person stealth game, Styx may fit the bill. It gets a lot right and is a noticeable improvement from the first game, which itself was pretty good to begin with. It may not carry the history or prestige of some of stealth’s bigger franchises, but if you like the genre at all, Cyanide Studios’ latest effort deserves your attention.

I commend 2Dark for tackling a tough premise, but it’s one I could have just as well left alone, too. The gameplay combined with the presentation just click with me, and it made this one a chore to play. If you’re into stealth and horror, especially top-down, retro-themed ones, there could be definitely be something here for you as some of 2Dark’s mechanics are sound. Otherwise, it’s probably safe to wait for a deep sale or a pass on this one.

Generally speaking, there is very little not to like about Fast RMX. If you dumped a lot of hours into Fast Racing or Fast Racing Neo, ok, maybe there’s not enough content here for you to warrant a re-purchase, but I don’t think anyone is seriously in that boat. Instead, what you have is a really compelling, slick racer that gets the core gameplay done right and does it in style. For Switch owners, consider it a priority release.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a game for a different kind of gamer. Those who can appreciate the lore and immense depth of stories upon stories, upon stories. However, if you’re a newcomer and are interested in the content that this game brings, I encourage you, it is a wonderful ride. The universe, characters, tone, the music… EVERYTHING plays a part in this game and melds together in a way that feels like this could be where our technology heads towards in 600 years.

While shoot 'em ups are conspicuously underrepresented on modern hardware, Ghost Blade HD's presence amounts to little more than a fleeting cameo. Just because it's the only port in the storm doesn't mean that anyone will stick around after the raging winds subside.

What Automata eventually does with its narrative, along with the choices it leaves in the hands of the player, is unprecedented. When I received my final ending I was convinced it was the most uplifting, weird, and celebratory thing I had ever played. This is surely hyperbole colored by an immediate recency bias, but that feeling inside of that moment seemed designed to stand the test of time. It will also literally get better with time.

There’s a lot to be seen in this game, as well as a lot of rewards to loot from dungeons and bosses, and I’m still continuing the adventure in hopes of bigger and better things. As it stands now, I think Trove is a solid game for kids, as well as up and coming MMO players. It’s a game that is a wonderful upgrade from the Minecraft world, but pushes players a bit further with gaming concepts and design that most of us have experienced for a good portion of our gaming lives. I’m sure that it will keep growing as a game and hopefully, audience willing, garnish new add-ons and design that push it into a more rewarding experience that will legitimize it as a go-to MMORPG for a wider audience.

Overall, Just Dance 2017’s pros far outweigh its cons. The controls aren’t the best, as their inaccuracy is present from the moment you start moving, but there is a lot of fun to be had dancing and prancing your way to stardom, especially if you have young kids in the household.

Graphically, Shardlight features some really pretty pixel art. Not every scene is worth writing home about, but the vast majority are. Tiberius’ appearance and voice-acting set an appropriate chilling tone for example, while the wide color palette from the radioactive greens of the shards to the browns and darker tones of a dystopian world push for a great atmosphere. Combined with a script and voice-acting that ranges from good to excellent, and a soundtrack that compliments the mood perfectly, and you got yourself a great game.

WRC 6 may be the rally racer you’re looking for if you thought DiRT Rally was a bit too hardcore and you’re unsure what DiRT 4 will bring this June. That said, this isn’t a sport or series I’m familiar with or particularly enjoy, so it’s hard for me to give it a firm recommendation either way.

That last statement actually bears true for the whole of I Am Setsuna. Everything from the length of the game (around 25 hours), the battle system, difficult, art, music, characters — this has proven to be a treat of an experience for me and one I would happily recommend to any Switch owner.

Ultimately, there is very little bad to say about SoT. It’s an excellent 2D action platformer with some good RPG elements, and its balanced difficulty lets genre hacks like me struggle through while more seasoned players can still expect a good, but not overly difficult challenge. To be honest, some of the early bosses proved harrowing for me, but I liked that I could try going after the different knights out of order, find checkpoints, and have a lot of opportunities to continue at those checkpoints, too. Much like the old games its inspired by, it’s a tough, but short, and arguably more memorable than many of those older games. Additionally, with New Game+ support for more nooks and crannies to explore, as well as Feats and Challenges, there’s a solid value here for $10. The only better value would be to get SoT via the Treasure Trove release instead.

All in all, Super Bomberman R is one of the most interesting releases on the Switch so far. That said, unless you have a core group to play lots of local multiplayer with or expect the online community to thrive, it’s hard to give it a high recommendation at $50. Then again, if you’re a fan of the series and are starved for a new experience, SBR makes a lot more sense at face value.

Ghost Recon Wildlands takes the series to the (vast) open world and largely succeeds. Like its predecessors, it’s best played with friends in co-op, and while it sacrifices some realism, it adds a lot of new opportunities for fun and mayhem against the bad guys.

Overall, Firis is a solid entry into the long-running franchise that should appeal to previous players and newcomers.

LIT is a sound puzzle game that features a charming and light-hearted horror environment. The puzzles never become dull and are difficult enough to where the players won’t feel that their intelligence is being insulted. LIT is a bit brief but players going back to beat their game’s goal times does offer plenty of replayability. Players should have a grand time with LIT as it provides plenty of simple entertainment.

Overall, Skylanders Imaginators on the Switch is a solid game and as good place to jump into the franchise as any if you haven’t to this point. That said, the only real advantage to the Switch version over say the PS4 or Xbox One version is the portability, but even that might not be that important to you. Additionally, the PS4 or Xbox One versions are cheaper than this release, and both of those offer a higher fidelity presentation. Still, if you’re looking for a fun, kid-to-adult friendly game, Skylanders is an excellent choice.

Ultimately, Torment: ToN offers a very compelling balance between deep gameplay, accessibility, and character-driven story. While it may seem overwhelming at first to those unfamiliar with the genre, it nurtures a sense of exploration and quest. Failure in your quests is often just as interesting as success, and that the entire adventure is closer to twenty hours than forty makes it more reasonable that you’ll finish and replay it again.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is Nintendo’s Magnum Opus. It’s not only the best Zelda game ever created, it’s also one of the very best videogames in the history of the art. Games like this are so rare that it would be impossible to classify it as anything other than a masterpiece. Experience it at all costs.

At $8, Tank Troopers is priced fairly, but might have faired a lot better had online play been supported or if there were just a little bit more of a hook for solo play. Still, for a simple, short, and mostly fun game, you can do a lot worse than Tank Troopers.

VR Golf Online is a tough game that offers up some frustration, though the learning curve isn’t that bad, especially if you haven’t played the game of golf before. The game is built to help you through and does offer up a tiny bit of forgiveness to some elements that would be killer on the real course. It does a nice balanced job of making the experience fun, even when you’re losing, while putting you through the golfing ropes that real golfers would experience.

Planned DLC releases with new weapons, similar to Sniper Elite III, are on the horizon, which makes Sniper Elite 4 one possibly best waiting a bit on to purchase. During that time, we’re sure to see patches and extra polish like practically any other game released in the last several years, and an Ultimate Edition seems quite likely. But whether you dive in now or later, expect another solid entry into Rebellion’s long-running, compelling and often thrilling series.

New players, too, should find that Rhombus of Ruin accommodates Psychonauts with a comfortable home in virtual reality. Hardly any facet of its composition feels conditional, granting Psychonauts’ beloved motif ample room to work through PlayStation VR’s intrinsic weaknesses. Interquels, typically a model disposability, don’t seem so strained or contrived inside of this peculiar parallelogram.

Although there are some drawbacks to the game Digimon World Next Order is actually an engaging and fun game. If your a fan of the Digimon series and enjoy raising and evolving your Digimon then this game will be perfect for you. The idea of allowing the player two different Digimon at the same time was a good decision. The building and collecting is also very fun in this game. It’s worth a look if your a RPG fan.

For Honor is a game that not only excels in it’s combat, but excels in it’s multiplayer execution. Nothing is more satisfying than challenging friends to a quick 1v1 battle to see who is the superior fighter, only to have your clock cleaned in a public match. While I found the story to be lackluster and more of a set of tutorial stages, there’s enough there to get players engaged with how the game operates. Multiplayer is the real crown jewel of For Honor, and is set to have players wanting more for the weeks and months ahead.

The gameplay design here has the best of everything with the minimum amount of flaws. You get a great back-end system with an easy front end that provides an entirely new view on how much fun a bow and arrow led game could be. In addition to the gameplay design details, there’s also so much to explore and so much to do with the gameplay design put together in HZD. All of it is fun, addictive and makes you wish it wouldn’t end.

If you’re new to fighting games or Naruto, this might not be the game for you. Being new to fighting games is already difficult as is, but then throw in a confusing story line and you might not be enjoying yourself. Start with the original game and work your way up. Jumping right in might not be the best idea. If you’re a Naruto fan or have played one of the previous games I would suggest picking this one up. Other than being short, this Naruto game follows suit with its predecessor and is sure to make any fan of the series very happy.

Those that fall into the thin sliver of hardcore Xbox and hardcore RTS fan on the video gaming Venn diagram, this should probably be your next purchase.

Banned Footage Vol. 2 is a more conservative approach to Resident Evil 7’s post-release program. It plays in the same space as Vol. 1—both are insistent and diverse recasts of Resident Evil 7‘s components—but it exchanges chaos for stability. Eccentric blackjack, exacting resource management, and a condensed, comfortable reprise of the proper game are suitable, if not safe, slices of content.

Nioh surprised me in several ways, all of them good. It feels like a bit of a sleeper title at launch that I think is going to catch a lot of people off guard, but if you have any interest in this niche genre or are a fan of Team Ninja’s, Nioh is definitely worth checking out.

Overall, thanks to some quick release patches that really made playing Divide more enjoyable, it’s a game I would recommend. It’s not without a few sticking points, but none of them are bad enough to wreck the experience, resulting instead in a cool experience, even if it’s one that’s best played one or two hours at a time.

You will definitely get your money’s worth if you're a fan of stealth strategy games and want a game that you can replay over and over. If your not into this type of genre Hitman doesn’t do anything that will make you a fan. It’s a very rewarding game and one of the best from the series.

Uncanny Valley thrives in the unknown and dies in the familiar. Playing is a push and pull between two opposing conditions, and in time perseveration shoves mystery over the edge and becomes a dominating force. Consequence, the commanding authority of Uncanny Valley, is resistible when it's ultimately undermined by routine.

Evil Factory is a simple arcade shooter that doesn’t depend on much, including large amounts of time, that runs purely on patience, strategy and microtransactions. Oh, yes, and small hands.You need those to thoroughly enjoy it.

I find this game to be very charming and relaxing to play, and that’s for several reasons. The pace, challenge, controls, general gameplay, the graphics, and the music all make for a really enjoyable game that’s hard to put down.

Banned Footage Vol. 1 is a test to grade how well Resident Evil 7's innate talents extend past survival horror. As a wave based survival game, it is eager but routine. As a grueling roguelike, it is chaotic and formally aggravating. As an escape room, however, its fiendish motif fits neatly inside of a clever and contained challenge. All three accumulate to a zealous B-, which is a clean score for Resident Evil 7's first post-graduate exam.

The longevity of the gameplay will be a concern. I’m sure at some point the family will move on and may not revisit it for a few months. I can see it getting a major break, especially when a few more AAA titles hit with the Nintendo Switch. Now, the forgiving factor for that future move will be the price point of the game. The game delivers so much for the $3.99 asking price. I can’t think of another game that brings my family together like this one for that price. It will be hard to find something that compares to it and keeps every member (and age) of my family together for some stupid fun.

The only portion of Knee Deep that works as intended is its presentation as a stage play. Sequences meant to be shocking or surprising are met with audible gasps from the audience. Intermissions come complete with player selection options of how to handle a minute or two of free time. Applause is delivered at the conclusion of every act. Like Puppeteer, it really feels like you’re watching a show.

Harking to its title, this might be a hazard to your health! Capcom introduces this inexorable survival horror series to another generation of machines with a fresh perspective that reinvigorates the unease of old.

Ultimately, Tales of Berseria fits into the franchise quite, well fittingly. It weaves an interesting, often touching and sometimes cringe-worthy story, although this time the premise of the story (revenge, initially) is much darker than you might have expected. A familiar yet even more freeform battle system is a plus, while layered battle mechanics throughout provide for both accessibility and depth. Well animated and generally very good-looking visuals match a solid voice-acting effort and musical score. Like most any JRPG, there is repetition, but the story and battle system and general charm of the game, even in spite of a not-so-likeable protagonist, give way to a good JRPG experience.

The intriguing storyline and fluidity of the game make it a good one to play.

Let It Die's gameplay is simplistic. It does add some crafting and decision-making as you progress in the game, but ultimately you’re in for a button-mashing method of gaming that is sickly addictive, even through its obvious flaws. It’s fun, frustrating and makes you want to come back for more, if not only to prove you’re capable.

Kingdom Hearts 2.8 is a must play for any Kingdom Hearts fan, just for KH 0.2 alone. Not only is there a wonderful remaster of an underrated 3DS game, but players get their first opportunity to go hands-on with the gameplay for Kingdom Hearts 3. While I found Kingdom Hearts X: Back Cover to be a bit of a shoo-in, it does give fans of both the mobile game and the series some extra content to enjoy. With Kingdom Hearts 3 a while off, Kingdom Hearts 2.8 is the perfect appetizer.

Even after a dozen years and seven (or eleven) games, Yakuza 0 is an impressive and easy invitation to its namesake's adrenalized world.

What stood out to me most about Beholder, however, was it’s distinct art style and music. None of the characters have faces or coloring whatsoever, but they have more character than many other games out there. You can really tell which tenant is which, even though they may all look the same at first glance. The black-and-white motif of the character design is fantastic sitting on top of the dystopian backdrop of the apartment complex. The entire look and feel of the game has that sort of grit-and-grime that really give players that feeling that they themselves are being watched by The Ministry. The music, also, is outstanding and gives the game a sort of gravitas that few other games have.

As I wrap up this review, I find myself in a similar position as I was one year ago when I reviewed GR Remastered — having a ton of fun and finding very little to complain about. That’s not to say GR2 is perfect, or that any game can be, but any gripes I have would be minor and far overshadowed by the game’s resounding positives. It’s fair to say it’s 2017’s first must-have game.

Dead Rising 4 won’t win any awards nor is it the best of the series, that for me is still the Dead Rising 1, however, it’s a strong entry and worthy of your time. I mean putting comedy heads on zombies will never, repeat never, get old!

Darksiders Warmastered Edition is a fantastic game that maintains all of what made it great in 2010. Its visual upgrades and smoother gameplay experience makes for a fun time at a very reasonable asking price. Maybe this will prompt a sequel? One could only hope. Until then, enjoy the hell out of this one.

Final Fantasy XV's decade-long maelstrom of doubt, chaos, and suspense has somehow wrought an effective tale from the bonds of brotherhood and an engaging game from coordinated monster obliteration. The embroiled project is not sacrosanct; an incongruous plot, mechanical quest lines, and a haphazard world constitute a jet impacting the ground at dangerous speed. Pieces are everywhere, but Final Fantasy XV ultimately survives its crash landing through an impressive force of will.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 nailed it in 2011 with great gameplay and all of it still stays relevant and fun five years removed. I wish more fighting games took heavy notes from this title and started to craft their own experience after it because this is how you make a fighting game.

Having the ability to play arguably three of the best games in the Assassin’s Creed universe on a current generation console is brilliant, although don’t expect much of a significant impact in terms of upgrades for gameplay or visuals. Improved upon? Yes. Reinvented and completely remastered? Not really. Still worth the money, though.

Super Dungeon Bros isn't an awful game but it does itself no favours at the same time. If you manage to convince three friends to pick it up it can be fun, otherwise you may find yourself disappointed.

There’s little to fault here and that's because SI Games takes the iterative approach. Whilst there hasn’t been a big shift on the game's workings since tactical sliders were removed in FM 2014 each version is a step forward.

Dishonored 2 is a complex game with a simplistic first-person action wrapper. It offers up a variety of different gameplay options to run through the game with, while presenting a bigger world for you to stretch those options out in. It’s a great follow-up to the first game and certainly improves on its ideals.

Shu is a simple, pretty game that presents a tough challenge for even the most seasoned gamers. Its design is built for running and thinking on the fly, while at the same time asking the gamers to keep an active eye out for some collectible goodies. It’s definitely more than it seems on the surface.

Given sufficient time, Sun and Moon has the power to ensnare just as profoundly as many of the previous games in the franchise. And with its valuable combination of depth and accessibility (imbued with modern conveniences such as the integrated type chart hints), the game feels equal parts conservative and progressive—and is thus quite likely to please both traditionalists and newcomers.

Details are a golden currency in Ueda’s games, and The Last Guardian greatest puzzle is their ultimate assembly. The impact in its final act is both somber and spirited, and it’s the pinnacle of the ideas it tries to put forward. I knew where The Last Guardian was going and I still couldn’t help but respond with deluge of raw emotion.

VR's viability hinges on making sensible objectives integral to the wonder implicit in its format. Robinson: The Journey understands this and makes visible strides to balance astonishment and curiosity. Too often, however, it gets tripped up by contrasting wandering ambition against capricious behavior. Ideas fight, rather than support, one another, ensuring Robinson's first steps are also its last.

Mario Party Star Rush’s gameplay design is definitely played on the safe side.

Every pixel of Owlboy's composition imparts a soaring level of care. Its impression upon 2D platforming parallels the comfort of a handmade blanket or the pleasure of devouring made-from-scratch cookies. Owlboy's sympathetic characters and gorgeous construction devours any suspected immunities to the charms of handcrafted artistry. It's a one-off rarity that somehow escaped the assembly line.

Skyrim Special Edition delivers the same classic adventure as it did in 2011, while adding packaged DLC, an upgraded visual package and the introduction to mods that have been keeping its PC gaming life alive and kicking for the last five years. Definitely a special edition.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare succeeds in most aspects of a solid sci-fi shooter. However, a lackluster and rushed story takes away from what could have been a full and complete campaign mode. Luckily where the story lacks, the gameplay and solid mechanics Call of Duty deliver.

Titanfall 2 is everything that Titanfall should have been. It contains a wonderfully endearing campaign mode that contains some unique and fun gameplay design, while satisfying the multiplayer experience with a bevy of modes and customization options. This certainly feels like a complete game.

DragonBall Xenoverse 2 is a game that is made for fans of the series. From the deep cuts in the lore, to the character customization options allowing players to create any DBZ character they would want, Xenoverse 2 offers fans the DBZ experience they have been wanting for years. However, I found that not much has changed from last years entry, coupled with a much-too-easy combat system and some odd audio cues.