Sleep Awake is absolutely stunning visually and feels like walking through an art installation full of heavy themes and commentary. Combined with the impeccable soundscape crafted by Nine Inch Nails' Robin Finck and some of the best world-building I've ever experienced in a sub-10-hour video game, it's a title that will stick with me for a long time. Some occasional subpar stealth sections and an obtuse puzzle or two are the only blemishes on an otherwise incredible journey that had me riveted from start to finish, with a story and main character that were incredible to witness. I want more of this world and premise. I want a book. I want a movie. I'm not sure that I'll be able to sleep till I get it.

Robot Entertainment's return with Orcs Must Die! 3 is good, but doesn't feel like a step forward from OMD2, and is hurt by playing on Stadia.

Escape From Tarkov has changed significantly on its road to release, but there's little doubt over this being the best that Tarkov has always been. The story mode adds depth and meaning to the game in ways that were sorely missing before, making its standout environment and gameplay actually matter. It may not be the prettiest or the most approachable game, but Escape From Tarkov looks set to remain the premier post-apocalyptic first-person shooter in the market for the foreseeable future.

While Descenders offers a fun downhill mountain-biking romp, it's constantly held back by the Switch's lackluster hardware.

Though it doesn't quite build up on the first episode's potential, Life is Strange 2's second episode offers several compelling moments.

Regardless of whether you are looking to take on this samurai classic for the first time or wishing to experience an accurate snapshot of gaming from the early years of the mighty PlayStation 2, Onimusha: Warlords is well worth playing in 2019.

Despite its shortcomings, Life is Strange: Double Exposure is a promising gift for fans. Its dark mystery narrative requires you to keep track of two separate timelines at most intervals. But there's enough breathing room to enjoy the usual heartfelt moments of the series. Although the final chapter parallels the first game's events in a way, it sets up an unexpected follow-up sequel, leaving much to be desired from its characters. On the plus side, the series' staple elements, from the soundtrack to the puzzle-solving sections, are executed perfectly. Deck Nine could've handled the Max and Chloe dynamic more appropriately, but there's still enough fan service that most Life is Strange fans will adore this game.

Legacy of Kain: Defiance Remastered is the latest in Crystal Dynamics' efforts to bring the franchise back from the dead. It is packed to the brim with content, including deleted levels and a playable demo of one of the franchise's most compelling canceled entries. If you've been exploring the series for the first time thanks to the remasters, you're getting one of the most outstanding mainline titles in the franchise, and a deep dive into what made this game so special to begin with.

Reikon Games built a game where each of its components is good enough, but the end result is brilliant. From a game design and artistic perspective, it's the poster child of why less can be more even when executing a fairly ambitious project. Metal Eden brings aggressive movement and intense combat back to its glory days, and it manages to do so while delivering important social commentary. It's fun, it looks good, and the theme matters now more than ever.

Making my way through the same area multiple times to get each character to the same totem quickly became boring and started to feel like padding.

Codemasters' attempt to revive GRID has a lot of great ideas but struggles to bring them all together in a cohesive fashion.

It’s surprising how something so basic makes leveling-up feel rewarding, and how it’s been removed from many other RPGs.

I'm sad that Gecko Gods didn't ultimately resonate much with me. It's a game with clear indie charm and care poured into it, but also one that never clicks in terms of puzzles, platforming, or exploration. The presentation is nice, but it's also held back by many technical hiccups, both cosmetic and core progression-based alike. The devs do seem eager to keep improving this one, but it unfortunately wasn't quite ready for release.

I really do like Battle Princess Madelyn, and while I like the way the story mode feels, I’m more partial to the Arcade mode. This is simply because the story mode can be rather unforgiving and rage-inducing, but at the same time, it’s also sweet and innocent. Battle Princess Madelyn feels like how a Metroidvania should feel, but it doesn’t explain core mechanics all that well and leaves you to just play the game and either succeed or fail.

A delightful co-op adventure set on an island brought beautifully to life by hand-drawn illustrations.

Kirby Star Allies is another solid addition to the Nintendo Switch, and it does everything it has to as a Kirby game, I just hope that in the future, Nintendo will try to expand upon what already makes Kirby so great as they have with titles like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey.

Oxenfree 2 may lack the surprises and 'WTF' factor of the original game, but the older protagonists and solid writing make this return to the Pacific Northwest worthwhile.

Directive 8020 is a good addition to the Dark Pictures anthology and a solid start to its second season. Its story ranks among Supermassive Games’ best work, marking a much-needed step forward for a studio that has struggled to release standout titles in recent years. The decisions players have to make carry real weight, significantly shaping the outcome of the story and adding a ton of replay value for players who want to uncover every consequence of their choices. However, while the stealth sequences can be tense and are well-designed, they appear way too frequently and make it surprisingly easy to kill off characters you dislike, weakening some of the emotional impact. This is an issue mainly because there are characters that are boring and uninteresting due to mediocre voice acting, potentially leading the player to want to eliminate them. Still, even with a couple of shortcomings, Directive 8020 remains an engaging narrative-driven adventure that Dark Pictures fans should not miss.

The subtle and ambient piano music goes well with each scene and it adds another layer of immersion in the princess’s situation. The fictional world doesn’t leave much of a lasting impression, but the characters, their bonds, and their intertwined fates are compelling, making Long Live The Queen an exceptional choice-based game with a depth of possibilities that makes it far more than just your usual ‘princess maker’ game.

Bloober Team's bundle of horror returns, with impressive graphics and solid scary moments, but clumsy storytelling and technical issues dampen the series' curtain call.

Fretless - The Wrath Of Riffson is a genuine indie gem, and one of my favorite gaming experiences of the year so far. It's a lovely mix of cozy, creative, funny, and addictive as you synchronize with the rhythm-based, flow-state, turn-based combat. I wish some of the level designs and number of enemy-types were a little more robust, but this ultimately boils down to me simply wanting more of this amazing title. This is a must-play for musicians that game, but I'd also wholeheartedly recommend it to the non-musicals as well.

Towa And The Guardians Of The Sacred Tree is sadly a frustrating, repetitive, poorly balanced experience. It's a shame, because there is a decent amount of heart present, backdropped by beautiful designs and a stellar soundtrack. Unfortunately, the gameplay loop quickly becomes completely mindless, combat is a chore, bosses feel cheap, and your game clock counter just keeps going up while the emotions of the story never hit. There are some nice ideas here, but the execution and implementation still does not lend itself to an enjoyable Roguelite title at all.

Strange Brigade is a solid third-person shooter that doesn’t bring anything fresh to the genre besides its charming, over-the-top campiness which makes the game shine and not take itself too seriously. The gameplay is nothing new, but everything is executed seamlessly, and the game is relatively quite enjoyable minus a few frustrating hordes of inconvenient undead.

Darwin's Paradox! is a special little mascot platformer that feels like a throwback to the PS1-era, but with all the sheen and quality of life improvements of the modern day. It's overflowing with charm, smart ideas, and fun gameplay that's all paced perfectly from chapter to chapter. As adorable as the game is, the narrative doesn't hit the highs of the Pixar films it seems to be inspired by, and it ends pretty abruptly on a cliffhanger. That, combined with some occasional checkpointing headaches are really the only blemishes on an otherwise completely lovely experience. Play this game. We don't get ones like this often.

Bury me, my Love‘s very real, genuine sense of storytelling…feels contemporary and in tune with the events shaping our times.

Screamer ends up being exactly the kind of surprise that reminds you why you fell in love with racing games in the first place as a kid. It’s bold, a little chaotic, and completely committed to putting gameplay front and center, even when a few rough edges manage to show through. Between the unique twin-stick handling, the risk-reward chaos of the Echo System, and a story that leans hard into its over-the-top anime inspirations, it manages to carve out an identity that feels both fresh and nostalgic. It’s not perfect, but it doesn’t need to be because when everything clicks during racing, Screamer is an absolute thrill to play. For anyone craving an arcade racer with personality and depth with a riveting storyline, this is one worth taking for a spin at full throttle.

While it may remind you of your fond memories of the anime, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot is a drag that fails to entertain for its duration. Its repetitious gameplay, odd systems, and abridged storytelling lack the heart the anime had. If you’re a big fan of Dragon Ball Z, you might have some fun with Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot. But if you’ve never experienced the Z Fighters’ epic adventures, there are better action RPGs out there to play.

Dead Island 2 is a worthy successor to the zombie-slaying games that came before it and breathes new life into the franchise long-thought dead. DualShockers was provided with a copy of the game for review purposes.