FIFA 18 is by no means a perfect game, the lack of customization and emotionless animations from players puts the game back a few steps, but this is not a bad game. Whether you have been on a FIFA hiatus or you are a long-time veteran, you should come back to this series — if only for the single-player content.

Ariana and the Elder Codex is a game that gives you exactly what you see on the tin. It's a straightforward 2D action RPG platformer that won't take up much of your time, but it won't break the mold either. If you are an enthusiast of this style, it is worth giving it a go for the gameplay, since the narrative is unremarkable. However, if you don't care much for action platformers or still have others in the genre to cross off your backlog, then Ariana and the Elder Codex might stay on the sidelines for a while.

House House's Untitled Goose Game is undoubtedly a hilarious experience, but it lacks a varied toolset to maximize said hilarity.

Crystar is a competent Action RPG with a compelling narrative but suffers due to mostly everything else it has to offer.

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

Espire 1 is a decent stealth action game. It contains replayability through its Challenges mode, but what it offers in terms of main story is a bit short – roughly four hours of story, padded to five or six hours via gates that force you to finish a certain number of Challenges to continue to the next mission. Of course, the main draw of Espire 1 is that it takes place in VR, and it uses that to its benefit. Sneaking around and using the bevy of Espire gadgets and traversal options available to do so feels great, but is overshadowed by a combat system and AI that is so exploitable that sneaking around quickly loses its purpose in the first place.

Though it has fun gameplay and unique character classes, Torchlight III doesn't do much to progress the franchise to attract a new audience.

The next-generation version of NBA 2K21 slightly improves from its predecessors in some areas but is not the leap we were hoping to see the series make.

Death end re;Quest proves it can tell an engaging and darker story in an RPG/visual novel, even though it doesn't do too much to make it stand out above the rest.

UFC 4 brings some great new ideas to created fighters, online play, and clinch gameplay, but can't live up to its full potential with the end product.

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

Yonder: The Cloud Catcher Chronicles is a charming and visually pleasing experience that will remind you immediately of 3D Legend of Zelda titles, mainly The Wind Waker, in how the towns, island, and citizens are portrayed.

Code Vein features anime vampires and fast combat, but it's too reliant on the exact Soulslike formula to stand out on its own.

While West of Dead is subdued in many ways, I find it to be an easy recommendation for any fan of roguelike titles.

Mutant Football League’s offbeat, seemingly nonsensical rules work to make football more strategic, and honestly, more exciting.

Drawing on decades of inspiration, Beyond Galaxyland is a heartfelt love-letter to the JRPG genre. Although the game can't quite escape its predecessors' long shadow, it shines more brightly than many of its peers. The synthesis of gameplay elements from Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy to Paper Mario and Pokémon makes this a must-play for genre enthusiasts, and worthy of consideration by other gamers. Increased difficulty in New Game Plus adds to Beyond Galaxyland's replayability, while an interesting story helps it stand out from among other JRPGs.

Road 96‘s mesmerizing landscapes, unique characters and chilled soundtrack will allow players to kick back and enjoy some really good storytelling in a world that feels strangely familiar to many.

Barring these minor user interface issues, Bear and Breakfast was a joy to play. It doesn’t do anything revolutionary for the genre, but it successfully carves out a niche by perfectly matching its tone, gameplay and narrative. Bear and Breakfast accomplishes exactly what it set out to do, it’s a charming little management sim that doesn’t take itself seriously. It might not be for everyone, but I think a lot of people will find joy in this wholesome project.

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.

The sequel does exemplify some of the gameplay flaws of its predecessor but tells a fantastic sci-fi tale and builds a world that I never imagined it would.

The title finds pacing issues in its story and gameplay early and the cadence of its dialogue regularly drags down the overall rhythm, but it brings more than expected in both interactivity and style. Bringing a story the scale of a thousand-page novel to the video game format could not have been an easy endeavor, but Deadalic Entertainment has brought the first act to us with plenty of appetite for more.

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain really shines due to the well-designed and thought-provoking single-player activities, despite a rather lacklustre multiplayer offering.

Like most of the Sherman tanks exposed to the elements in underfunded museums, Sherman Commander is a work of art that could really use another finishing pass. The game accurately captures the role of a tank commander in World War 2, and the individual units are exciting to lead, but the amount of micromanagement required means you spend more time staring at the map than inside your tank. Still, there are moments where it all comes together, and you get to see why this is a game like no other.

The Occupation just seems to work against itself in a finale where unfamiliarity with the surroundings, the necessary puzzle solving, and a constant threat of danger leads you to an ending that feels like something you fell into instead of worked towards.

Night Call is, at its best, a story with engaging characters that make you want to learn their secrets.

There were moments where I had an absolute blast, but the entire package is a bit lacking.

There is a whole generation of PS4 owners who are probably way too deep into Fortnite, with that game being their first exposure to the genre. While I wouldn’t count myself amongst them, I cannot imagine that any of those people would choose this $30 experience, with little promise to grow and improve, over triple-A titles that have since leapfrogged over PUBG.

I’m not a huge fan of how bulky the environment feels at times, and the walking sections can become tiresome, but the truth is, Requiem had me engaged from start to finish. Sure, the game has its flaws, and it’s not a very malleable experience, but that doesn’t stop it from being a good time all the same. At its heart, A Plague Tale is a narrative-driven atmospheric experience. Everything else is just icing on the cake.