Sure, its lackluster story is made up for by its perfectly built tension and horrifying atmosphere, but a more in-depth story, some more thought-provoking puzzles, and refined visuals could have made for one of the most horrifying experiences in gaming.

I love the inventiveness of Nintendo Labo and can see the potential in broader projects down the line.

Mario & Luigi: Brothership is a colorful and exuberant new entry in the RPG series. It offers dynamic and fun combat, some decent humor, and a surprising amount of replay value in branching choices and side quests. Despite that, there are some poorly implemented features, such as the Battle Plugs and Power Tap, as well as the sometimes glacial pacing of the adventure. Still, fans of turn-based RPGs will absolutely find something worthwhile in this Switch exclusive.

Life is Strange: Before the Storm Episode 3: Hell is Empty offered a nice companion to the Life is Strange universe, but the shock of the conclusion is lost when compared to the superior Episode 2.

Donkey Kong Country Returns is still a fantastic game today. The fact that it stands tall compared to other platformers is a testament to the original release's quality. However, this is the third re-release the game has seen in 15 years, and this one carries a $60 price tag with virtually no new content. For longtime Nintendo fans, it's a hard pill to swallow, especially if you already own past copies. Nothing here, besides HD visuals, makes Donkey Kong Country Returns HD worth buying unless you want to own it on modern hardware. However, if you missed out on the game, it is well worth the price. Returns HD is the definitive version of an incredibly 2D platformer. Those who aim to collect everything in sight will spend dozens of hours here.

Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition may be irresponsibly contributing to poor naming conventions in video games, but it's still an absolutely wonderful experience. Unfortunately, it's difficult to recommend it to series veterans, as there's nothing here beyond the performance upgrades as far as new content goes. The performance upgrades are pretty good, and come in at a fair price of five bucks, but unless you've got another 50 hours to kill, you'll be doing just as well replaying it on the original Switch.

The yearly nature of EA Sports FC typically gets in the way of selling new copies because of just how similar the versions are. FC 26 bucks that trend by giving the single-player side of things the love it had been badly craving for years. Without the shadow of multiplayer balancing looming over things, you have gameplay that is likely to stay the same until FC 27 inevitably comes along. I've been having a blast with the current implementation, and was quick to uninstall FC 25 after a single match. If you like to play it slow, pass around, and fist-pump after tight wins, this is the football game for you.

nDreams has once again proven itself to be a master VR studio by pulling another banger from the top shelf. With plenty of playable hours, a rewarding earn-die-try-again loop, and a visual flair that takes some getting used to, Synapse is a must-play on PSVR 2.

A vividly arresting mystery adventure soaked in ambiance, personality, and a seemingly limitless imaginative streak.

Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is a decent 2.5D action RPG with a beautiful world. However, the game has some serious design and balance issues that prevent the experience from reaching its full potential. Heavily focused on artificial difficulties, such as boss fights mostly reliant on gimmicks, annoyingly placed enemies through its levels, and exhausting runbacks after failed boss attempts, Mandragora sometimes forgets the whole reason people come to play these types of games — to have fun. Despite these apparent issues in its design, Mandragora: Whispers of the Witch Tree is still an enjoyable time for the most part, thanks to its great build variety and Metroidvania-style map. Still, the bad feels like it outweighs the good, so I don't think I'll play it again anytime soon.

While Aeternum doesn't do anything to avoid the pitfalls inherent to the MMORPG genre, it lessens their impact with flexibility and smart multiplayer mechanics. The Grind falls to the wayside while dynamic, fast-paced gameplay takes center stage. Married with a setting that diverges from MMO predecessors, New World: Aeternum offers an experience that will keep players invested, and enjoying the whole ride.

Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter is a great sequel that is bigger and more punishing in the best way. The addition of elemental spells and a monster-hunting gameplay loop make the overall experience a huge improvement over its predecessor. However, the game has some issues that are hard to ignore. Due to the game's large focus on exploiting elemental weaknesses, it's hard to create a reliable build without having to constantly switch gear to accommodate the upcoming boss or biome. Additionally, the increased emphasis on enemies using elemental AoE attacks mixed with multiple enemies in some encounters can really make it difficult to focus on what's happening on screen. Still, Tails of Iron 2: Whiskers of Winter does enough stuff right to warrant its existence, and any fan of the first should definitely play it.

“Dense and tense” is how I would characterize this game. Not dense because of the amount of content in the game (there really isn’t too much), but by how much is happening on screen for the player to keep track of. It is tense not in story stakes or in-game punishment, but because of that internal desire to plan around these chaotic situations to avoid getting hit even just once. It is a smooth experience overall, with some nuanced gameplay wrinkles that resulted in some exasperation.

Hell Is Us is a rare gem that we don’t normally see in the gaming industry. It’s more than a game that simply “doesn’t have waypoints or quest markers.” Instead, it’s an engaging experience that truly trusts the player’s intelligence, curiosity, and active listening skills. Figuring out how to progress the main story or its side quests through pure investigative work is immensely satisfying and constantly rewarding, to the point that I couldn’t put the controller down. It feels as if Rogue Factor has created its own genre in a way, similar to how FromSoftware spawned Soulslikes. The game’s only true disappointment is the lack of enemy variety and minimal bosses, which can result in the combat growing stale pretty quickly.

The Turing Test is a well-made puzzle game that translates well onto the Nintendo Switch. Although its mechanics could be better utilized to create slightly more challenging puzzles in the first few chapters, Bulkhead Interactive started to perfect the formula by the game’s conclusion. Meanwhile, the narrative features solid voice acting performances and motivates you to keep playing through the game’s slow sections which are few and far between. Bulkhead Interactive did a lot right, and if they take another shot learning from the few mistakes they made, they could have a puzzle masterpiece on their hands. Regardless, The Turing Test is a very good, well-priced puzzler that is well ported and certainly worth trying on Nintendo Switch.

ARMS pulls no punches in being one of the standout titles in the Switch’s early lineup.

Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection brings three of the iconic Capcom mascot's most niche titles. Star Force continues the tradition that started with 2001's Battle Network, combining card-based combat with light RPG elements and exploration. The games themselves have aged rather poorly, with somewhat basic combat and a game world that is determined to tell you what to do at every turn. So long as you don't mind dealing with some oddball design choices and long-winded stories, you could get a lot of enjoyment out of this unique, albeit flawed, Mega Man card game.

Battlestar Galactica: Scattered Hopes feels like a genuine, honest extension of the cult favorite 2004 television show. It perfectly captures the dark, unrelenting tone of hopelessness that the TV show became known for. The hectic space combat has a fun, brisk pace to it that never overstays its welcome, and it is brilliantly balanced by more human moments with the crew on your ship. It doesn't necessarily reinvent the wheel for the roguelite genre, but if you're a fan of the franchise, this is going to be a game that will make you quite happy.

20XX is a game that controls nicely and surely felt needed and relevant back when it hit Early Access in 2014, but just winds up feeling underwhelming.

Escape From Duckov does a lot right while keeping an adorable identity, but it demands too much time without offering enough thrills in return. The game's biggest failings come from being inspired by a title that is fundamentally a bad game that somehow works in spite of its design, not because of it. If the game had taken notes from Escape From Tarkov's atmosphere but fundamentally changed the quest design at the very least, it would have been a hit. For now, Duckov is a lovely tribute with fun moments that overstays its welcome, but its generous price tag will get you your money's worth.

Yooka-Replaylee feels like one of the best Nintendo 64-era collect-a-thons ever, but with every bit of shine, polish, and refinement that a 2025 release allows. Each level and character design is gorgeous, the orchestral soundtrack is incredible, and there's a ridiculous amount of activities and challenges jam-packed into every single nook and cranny of the game. The whole thing handles as smooth as butter and is a top-tier platformer experience that's oozing with heart, charm, joy, fun, and humor.

The Plucky Squire is both a familiar and predictable, and gorgeously ambitious and creative title. At its best, it's a dimension-hopping romp with excellent meta-writing, standout set-pieces and mini-games, and undeniably creative puzzle mechanics. However, the game does suffer from an aggressively accessible approach, which makes the moment-to-moment combat and exploration feel like a derivative Zelda-clone at times. Plus, each puzzle mechanic feels like an intriguing concept that has not developed to its full potential. That being said, The Plucky Squire is an undeniably feel-good and wholesome indie title deserving of your time and attention, and while some minor bugs need to be ironed out, the trade-off for the seamless blend of 2D and 3D is well worth it. It may be the best 2D/3D mash-up since Fez. High praise indeed.

Unravel Two is one of the finest puzzle platformers and couch co-op games in 2018.

Cosmic Star Heroine is the perfect example of a crowdfunded indie game that might have been held back by budget and time. I enjoyed everything the game had to offer, but I was was left wanting more than a short RPG experience with an overused premise.

Ultimately, this is an easy game to recommend if you like RPGs that put their narrative forward and build their characters in meaningful ways. It may not find a home in everyone’s collections, but it will be a shining star for fans of the setting who appreciate a narrative focus.

Any game receiving a sequel after 20 years is an achievement, especially one from a company's niche portfolio. Phantom Brave has always seemed more like a Disgaea spinoff than a major Nippon Ichi Software title. Still, the game had its unique identity, unusual features, and heartfelt characters. The sequel, Phantom Brave: The Lost Hero, expands on the original's mechanics. It introduces new ways to employ the phantoms and their quirks in strategic combat and also adds fresh methods to strengthen and progress characters. However, a lackluster and overly childish story might turn off players uninterested in grinding to astronomical levels, potentially putting the series back into a long hiatus or even ending it for good in favor of NIS's more acclaimed tactical RPGs.

CloverPit is very much a “What you see is what you get” situation. If you just like seeing numbers go up, its gameplay is more than simple enough to facilitate that with a high degree of variability and kit potential, though there’s also plenty of room to experiment with builds and perk loadouts, moreso as you play the game and unlock more of its large charm catalog. There’s a goal to reach if you’re so inclined, but it’s also just a great game to turn your brain off and enjoy while watching a YouTube video. The only real nitpick I could offer is that the descriptions of some of the charms are a little dense and percentage-heavy, but that becomes progressively less of a problem as you play the game and pick up more of what it’s putting down. Frankly, it’s a wonder I was even able to put it down long enough to write this, and I’m gonna go start another run as soon as I’m done. The first step is admitting you have a problem, and the second step is pulling the dang lever again.

The game is certainly not afraid to throw curveballs at you with story twists and main character deaths being pretty prevalent.

Grind and jank aside, there is nothing else like a Mount and Blade game, and Bannerlord is undisputably the best one yet. Its uniqueness alone makes it worth playing. To talk about it that way is to do it a disservice though; the true marvel of Bannerlord is that it actually delivers on what is an astonishingly ambitious concept. The two halves of the game complement each other perfectly. It may be on a slow boil, but once it gets up a head of steam, you won't be able to put it down.

Neither a full-fledged sequel nor a cheap cash grab, XCOM: Chimera Squad is a solid spin-off with a smaller scale approach to the XCOM formula.

With fresh combat mechanics, plenty of features, and a ton of replayability, Panzer Paladin is the latest great retro-action platformer that is worth your time.

Crimson Desert combines all the phenomenal aspects of some of the most notable titles of the past decades. It has the sense of discovery like Elden Ring, a deeply engaging and dense world like Skyrim, unpredictable moment-to-moment gameplay like Red Dead Redemption 2, and the exciting exploration and overall feel of the latest Zelda games.

Unlike the direction the Zombies mode from Call of Duty has taken in the past few iterations, Zombie Army 4 offers a cohesive and fun experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously. It’s engaging from start to finish and with its weekly challenges, the arcade-like setup of the chapters and leaderboards, and with Horde Mode, there’s a bunch of replay value here. Zombie Army 4: Dead War has finally broken free of its Sniper Elite shackles and will hopefully give rise to a lasting franchise of smiting out Nazi zombies.

The beauty of its terror is that it is not earned cheaply.

In single, isolated moments, Sniper Elite 4 is a great game. However, mediocre AI, a throw away story, and a lack of polish in some key places, prevent it, as an entire package, from being a great game.

The Sexy Brutale is a refreshing new take on the classic murder mystery genre. Throughout my journey of the mansion I went through many different emotions as I raced against the clock to save the guests from their unfortunate demise. The rather short campaign should not outweigh the brilliant music, gorgeous graphical style and unique game mechanics that make up The Sexy Brutale as a whole.

NHL 20 is the best the series has been this console generation. Improving upon the changes made in NHL 19, the game has never felt better. The changes may seem subtle, but they really tighten up the gameplay enough for it to feel better than its predecessors. Besides the distracting scoreboard, the presentation has received the same treatment, truly immersing you in the action on the ice.

Cronos: The New Dawn is the best new horror IP I have played in over a decade. This game not only provides a gripping narrative in an unapologetically Polish setting, but it also offers top-tier survival horror that keeps the player feeling vulnerable throughout. Combat is cumbersome in the best way, the game is visually impressive with sublime sound design, and it's a rare example of a game that gets better with each passing moment. A lack of a dedicated difficulty mode will ruffle a few feathers, the game isn't without its cheap moments, and I'll admit that I wish it were scarier across the board. But, in a genre where established games rule the roost, Bloober Team has just muscled into the conversation, as Cronos is good enough to rub shoulders with the horror greats.

I appreciate what DotEmu has done with the console port of Ys Origin. A story localized this good deserves to be easily accessed by gamers on as many ports as possible.

[Valiant Hearts] perfectly captures the cold, desperate, and horrific moments of World War I.

Remnant: From the Ashes is an ambitious title and a fairly unique one at that, it just does not always stick the landing.

Once again, Madden NFL 26 overpromises and underdelivers. The new updates to Franchise mode and the general gameplay are nice, but let's be honest: the core issues are still there. This is a house with a shoddy foundation, only excelling at delivering a disappointing football experience. It's the only game in town for the NFL, so there's sadly nowhere else to go. I'll still probably begrudgingly play on occasion, but only when I want to enact revenge after the Patriots lose.

Toukiden 2 shows that an already impressive series can be made even better by taking chances on new systems. The story stays in scope of the premise throughout the game even after accepting multiple side-quests, theres always clear knowledge of what to do next. Although the open world map by intimidating to some, the game offers easy quick traveling options to seamlessly get players from one place to another. After playing the game for well over 30 hours, I feel like I can continue playing for another 100 and with that I happily say, “Bring it on!”

I tried hard to be in on the joke of Baby Steps for the first hour, but it lost me insanely quickly. The thing is, I don't think it even cares. The QWOP-iness of the movement actually is well-done, and there are some moments of absurdity that worked for me. It then just shifts too far from a stupid but fair rage game, to a stupid but cheap-feeling rage game with no redeeming qualities. You'll painfully wander aimlessly for hours. You'll cringe hard at the "humor" that gets way too gratuitous, gross, and vulgar completely unjustifiably. This becomes a mostly mean-spirited game that even wants to drive you insane with the soundtrack. Laugh and watch someone else experience it if you want to, but do not play it yourself.

It presents some solid ideas that are really needed to make this series worthwhile.

Immortals takes inspiration from many of its Ubisoft predecessors, as well as some other big titles, but it doesn’t really do a good enough job of differentiating itself. There’s no denying that there’s a great time to be had on the Golden Isle, just don’t go into it expecting anything genre-defining.

At the end of the day, the traversal alone is enough for me to recommend The Pathless. It’s just fun to get from place to place using your bow; everything else is just a bonus. The overall story is good with performances from Laura Bailey and Troy Baker, the different environments are vast and beautiful, and while the puzzles have a wide range of difficulty, they’re still fun to figure out. It’s just a shame that there’s no synergy between each individual gameplay loop. The Pathless is absolutely worth your time if you’re looking for a game with a sense of adventure and a rich atmosphere.

My favorite artistic element of The World Ends With You has always been the soundtrack, which is carried over successfully in Final Remix.

An addictive loop, well thought out systems and wide variety of classes make Star Renegades worth a shot for any rogue-lite fans.

GNOG serves as a great way to spend an afternoon and one of those rare occurrences where you’ll want that earworm (albeit a relaxed, whimsical one) floating around in your brain.

Regardless of if you’ve played every Darksiders game or this is your first one, Darksiders Genesis is worth playing. The characters and combat remain fun and exciting to play even after the credits roll. While some enemies can be annoying, combat never gets dull and new items you earn along the way always make encounters fresh. Amongst the other big titles launching this spring, Darksiders Genesis is one that shouldn’t be missed.

Mothergunship is worth seeing through once but I’m sure you’ll want to tackle the campaign at least one more time.

Bus Bound is the type of game that you'll love if you love simulators, but you might enjoy how peaceful it feels even if you don't usually play this style of game. It's a polished game that delivers what you expect and more. The world alone is beautiful to look at, and the number of pedestrians and other cars makes it feel alive. Aside from a few issues with handling and passenger feedback, the only complaint I have is that I didn't get to try the game with multiplayer or while using a steering wheel controller.

It’s difficult to put into words my experience with this game. It offered a strange peace that was, all at once, a somber experience — one full of joy, sorrow, laughter, and regret. It explores the weight and comfort of memories, the impact they have on the world, and the importance of existence. It can be meandering at times, and some of the side characters’ voice acting pulled me out of the experience. If you aren’t in the mood for this kind of game — a walking simulator vibe with an emphasis on scrapbooking, bicycling, and photography — hold off on playing it and wait until the right mood strikes. When you go in with the right mindset, this game can get under your skin in the best way. Season: A Letter To The Future isn’t a perfect game, but it is a significant one, and one that I will carry with me for a long time.

Something I would recommend to those who either grew up with these games or just enjoys them in general. Since they are straight ports, if you didn’t like them before, nothing in this collection is going to change your mind. I wish I could give it a higher score because of my love for Disney, and I probably would have if these games were fully remastered, but the fact of the matter is you are more than likely only going to be playing DuckTales and DuckTales 2.

Blasters of the Universe is a diamond in the rough that is worth owning.

Though it packs plenty of charm and heart, New Super Lucky’s Tale isn't quite ready to be in the leagues of the platforming greats just yet.

Holding two entirely-knew Kingdom Hearts experiences and a criminally underplayed title in the franchise, Final Chapter Prologue is a collection that every likely Kingdom Hearts III player should experience.

I’m happy I got a chance to see this longrunning series’ early history with Disgaea 1 Complete, and I look forward to seeing where the games go next.

Dragon Quest Heroes II fits in perfectly with the other entries in the Dragon Quest series, only with a splash of that musou battle system. Being a huge fan of the Dragon Quest mainline series, I was blown away with how well this collaboration was executed and could easily call this one of my favorite games of 2017.

Mario Tennis Fever is one of the best Mario sports games in years. Does it solve all the issues we've seen in the genre over the past decade? No, and sadly, it suffers a lot of the same problems when it comes to depth. Thankfully, the one thing it gets right is its incredible gameplay, which keeps you coming back for more. It's not perfect, but Mario Tennis Fever is a much-needed step in the right direction.

Fan service it may be, but RoboCop: Rogue City does just enough to stand up on its own merits. There's not a lot of depth to it, and it retreads a lot of old ground, but the charm just about shines through.

With a fun and strategic battle system, ample character class customization, impressive visuals, a fantastic soundtrack, and a post-game story episode with new classes for each playable character, Trials of Mana is an easy recommendation to both fans of the franchise as well as newcomers looking for an entry point into the series.

This is an honest entry into football gaming, the kind you can buy this year and enjoy for two, or three seasons, or however long it takes for EA Sports to add new features worth checking out. Career Mode remains a far cry from Football Manager, and the licensing situation might as well have changed the series name to "European Football 25". Odds are it will not get better for a while. FC 25 is like watching football: a mix of great moments, frustration, and occasionally asking yourself "Why did I put two hours into this". The answer is that FC 25, like football, is just good fun.

Replaced is a visually stunning 2D platformer that ambitiously strives to give a thrilling and emotional experience in the still relatively exclusive cyberpunk niche. Alongside its numerous incredibly detailed, hand-crafted backdrops, its splendidly fluid combat system feels dynamic and addictingly fun to play from one encounter to the next. That said, the game evidently still needs some polishing in terms of combat balance, along with notably disjointed character movement when traversing through each zone's platform mechanics. However, that doesn't diminish what the game has accomplished from its years of development and clear commitment to detail. It's a truly memorable indie experience that you shouldn't miss out on this year.

Altogether, this year’s entry in the Call of Duty franchise is as solid it gets.

PGA Tour 2K21 misses a few putts, but lays down a promising foundation for the future.

The occasional bug and missing stamina upgrades are really the only negatives I can lodge at Sable. I can think of very few games that have presented such a beautiful harmony of its attributes. Everything supports everything else. The story implores you to go out into the world, to see all that there is to see. The gameplay ensures that the focus is always on the vistas that lay before you, and it's all stylised beautifully. The game creates a view of which I cannot tire. This is truly one of the most well-conceived and executed games that I have seen in a very long time. It's one of those games that truly is using everything to its maximum potential.

Despite its frustrating shortcomings, WWE 2K22 is a solid foundation for the series’ future. Entrances are spectacular and the combat is nearly flawless. The main improvements needed are the replayable modes like MyGM and Universe.

A great game. The story is gripping and enticing, and for people that don’t want it, it’s not forced down your throat. While improvements could be made to the controls and framerate, I had a blast with Q.U.B.E. 2 and I hope that Toxic Games decides to add more to the game in the months to come.

If not for the relationship between yourself and Turing, as well as the backstories, interactions, and performances of the secondary characters, there wouldn’t be much to keep one engaged. Thankfully all of that is present and make Neo-San Francisco and the stories it holds worth playing through to the very end.

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU never felt like it overstayed its welcome nor was it ever loaded with bulk and fluff to make up for its 8-12 hour playtime. While there are plenty of collectibles, a trinket system to unlock abilities and upgrade benches, its most important feature is its story and, coupled with the undertone of mental health struggles in the face of grief, Bantu mythology, an incredible score, and next-level art design makes this amazing debut title remarkably different to anything else on the market.

Telltale has also integrated what might be the most robust gameplay mechanics of one of the studio’s titles yet.

After five games, the Sudden Strike series has established itself as one of the best real-time strategy titles available, and Sudden Strike 5 keeps this legacy alive and well. The large maps give you plenty of tactical flexibility, unit pricing is well-balanced, and the new smart management features are a lifesaver for anyone allergic to micromanagement. This is not a revolutionary release, and I have some gripes with durability and effectiveness of certain unit types, but Sudden Strike 5 remains a welcome take on a winning formula.

Pinball-inspired dungeon crawler/hack-and-slash Creature in the Well is short, sweet, and satisfying, whatever that word means.

While the game’s fairly high skill ceiling and emphasis on micro-transactions might be off-putting to some players, For Honor is an experience that’s truly fit for those that are warriors at heart.

While the commitment HumaNature Studios made to make an actual sequel to the original ToeJam & Earl is commendable, the gameplay just feels way too dated. ToeJam & Earl: Back in the Groove is truly the sequel fans were probably waiting for, it’s just 20 years too late.

Despite many improvements over the original, it's hard to recommend Planet Coaster 2 to absolutely everyone. The lack of previous themes and other minor issues make Planet Coaster 2 less complete than one would hope. That said, as a deeply crafted and detailed sandbox, Planet Coaster 2 still shines in similar ways to the original, such as the coaster editor that allows you to create any coaster you could ever want. At its core, Planet Coaster will make some ask if enough changes were made to improve the sandbox or if it's just the same Planet Coaster with some new bells and whistles.

Blazing Chrome is a top-of-the-line appetizer to what could be a masterpiece of a five-course meal.

A great experience and is one of the funniest games I have ever played.

Chaos;Child is a thrilling visual novel that every fan of the genre needs to play.

For as much I may enjoy the gameplay and story, I can’t deny that all the issues I encountered really marred my experience with Deadfire.

Ys Memoire: Revelations in Celceta is a furiously-paced action JRPG that has a big world to explore. It's a world that feels great to explore, and you'll often feel rewarded for doing so. Finding little alcoves and secret areas is always enjoyable, and the way the game urges you to do so is incredibly natural. The bosses are a little weak, and it is a bit on the shorter side of the JRPG spectrum at twenty hours, but I feel like that's a genuine strength of the game. If you've never played Ys before, this is a great entry point for any newcomer.

NBA 2K22 is a great game in pretty much every facet, over than the overbearing VC issues that have been present for years now. Combining MyCareer with The City was a genius decision and the introduction of Seasons across multiple game modes will keep NBA 2K22 fresh moving forward throughout the next year while waiting on the next annual entry.

Super Mario Party‘s expansive pallet of different game types opened my eyes to the the benefits of spicing up the traditional formula.

Even though its online multiplayer isn’t perfect, and the Switch version specifically can occasionally suffer from a lack of precision when using a controller, Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido wound up being one of the most original and entertaining puzzle games I have played in years.

Control: AWE brings back Alan Wake and Bright Falls while smartly integrating the fiction of Control with Remedy's connected universe.

Ever Oasis proves that the six year old handheld still has the potential to pump out some great content, while also being one of Koishi Ishii’s best works.

There's no doubt about it, Dying Light 2: Stay Human is a sequel of epic proportions. Everything fans loved about the original title is still very much present, but now with a bigger story, new features, and a vast open-world filled with areas to explore and loot.

Neo Cab has a good sense for subtlety and for real human emotion.

Cat Quest II is a fun romp, but the thrills on offer are a bit shallow.

Mighty Gunvolt Burst is something that you’ll want to show your friends who quit playing games in the 90’s.

Ghostrunner will challenge you, but before long you'll be a bonafide cyborg ninja and feel cool as hell in the process.

LawBreakers is fun and fast and a breath of fresh air for a space that needed some infusion of change from the monolith and trends dominating the genre. LawBreakers should be played by all fans of the genre, and all comparisons be thrown out the window; just enjoy the rush, literally.

The Evil Within 2 still has some nagging control issues when it comes to combat.

All in all, I really enjoyed the tension Twelve Minutes implemented even with its sometimes wonky animation and frustrating elements. I found myself constantly thinking about it when not playing and trying to come up with new ways and ideas that would allow me to finally get to the crux of what was happening and why. It’s also well worth getting another mind in on the action to help guide the storyline along in angles you haven’t thought about which essentially turns it into a brilliant two-player game and a real talking point.

Super Mario Run isn’t breaking the mold for App Store games, but it does have a certain Nintendo quality, charm and polish that is frankly unmistakable. A unique twist on the Mario formula, Nintendo has been able to substantively add to the genre in a meaningful way. Everyone with an iPhone should go ahead and try the title – even if they don’t end up investing in the $10 entry fee.

Persona 5 Tactica takes a while to really get going, but once it does, you'll have no choice but to stick around for the ride.