An enjoyable undersea adventure overall, and we expect it to last about 6 to 8 hours for most players. The serene music sets a relaxing pace for you to search out each nook and cranny while the friendly narration bolsters the storybook tone. It strikes a nice balance between making sure you never feel lost, while providing ample room to experiment and explore. Don’t fret over this sub’s creaks and groans. There’s much to see beneath the waves.

It's so pervasively dull. Where other prominent throwbacks have recaptured the beating heart of the games that inspired them, Mighty No. 9’s familiar pieces are thrown together without a driving vision. Hopefully the super fighting robot’s next successor is more worthy.

A wonderful trip beneath the waves, abounding in small surprises and impressing with the sheer density of life in certain scenes. Whether you’re riding a manta ray or zipping along a speedy current like a highway, it makes the natural world fun while adding its own intriguing mysteries to uncover.

Tokyo RPG Factory has done a fine job of capturing the spirit of classic JRPGs with I am Setsuna. It feels like returning home after a long journey. Its superb soundtrack and solid gameplay bring nostalgic feelings of joy and comfort. Even though a lack of balance holds back the creativity of its combat, it never extinguishes the emotional tone and engaging story of the game. It may not be the next classic, but it does an excellent job of honoring its heritage.

While No Man's Sky is engrossing for the first few hours, repetition starts to set in and the proceedings grow dull. The developers stated that they plan to add significant features such as base building which could dramatically change the game for the better. There's a promising foundation present, so it's possible to envision a more substantial game down the line. As it currently stands, though, our excitement to cross the universe faded sooner than we expected.

Mankind Divided isn't quite the Deus Ex game of our dreams, but it's a strong step in that direction. There's a high emphasis on choice and experimentation, killer side quests, and dense, detailed levels that are a joy to explore. With momentum pushing towards the next chapter in the story, here's to hoping it won't be another five years before we see Adam Jensen again.

Punctuated by an impressive original score, Attack on Titan has just about everything one could ask for from a video game adaptation of the series. A few blemishes hold the game back from being something truly special, but Omega Force and Koei Tecmo are certainly on the right track.

The high-end PC settings don’t live up to our expectations, but the handling, courses, and community features are all top of their class. Forza Horizon 3 is the type of racing game that just about anyone can pick up and have fun with, but it still includes depth for committed players. Put that together with a beautiful environment that you can explore at your own pace, and Forza Horizon 3 is one of the strongest and most well-rounded open world racers we’ve ever played.

How much you care about these stories varies, and ultimately depends on how much you’re willing to invest to get there. Like Destiny as a whole, Rise of Iron has moments of legend, sandwiched between repetitive, forgettable tasks.

What does stand out are the weather effects, which fill the screen with debris and drop cover in your path - or just as easily rip it away. With constant windflares and lightning storms, this might be the loudest Gears yet. There are some off-the-wall vehicular segments and executions are at their goriest peak. Technically speaking, Gears of War 4 is solid.

Mafia III offers a rich narrative set in an authentic open-world. However, its memorable protagonist Lincoln Clay and beautiful setting in New Bordeux are squandered by menial, repetitive tasks, annoying glitches, and inexcusably daft AI. When the credits roll, there are surely moments to look back fondly upon, but it’s hard to recommend sifting through the trash to find them.

For all of its missteps, it's hard to get too angry at ReCore. The platforming and combat are so good that it's hard not wishing a better game surrounded them. For those with a fair amount of patience, it's worth playing just to see the strongest aspects. For everyone else, it's best to just shake your head, move on, and wonder what could have been.

Battlefield 1 boldly takes the series into the past during one of the most deadly times in world history. Nine varied maps offer vastly different combat opportunities, while the War Stories show us the horrors of The Great War. Battlefield has looked to the past, to usher in a new era for the historic franchise, and it’s a smashing success.

The first Titanfall is a solid execution on a great idea. Titanfall 2 feels much closer to reaching that idea's full potential. It's clear that Respawn labored over every tiny detail, from the powerful sound of each gunshot to the convincing sense of weight present in every titan step. The level of effort pays off tremendously, creating a shooter that can compete with the stiffest competition. It's too bad the campaign never comes close to the overall level of quality that some of its best ideas hint at, but the multiplayer will likely keep you happy until Respawn decides it's time for a much deserved third entry.

World of Final Fantasy certainly is an inconsistent, yet intriguing experience. There’s a touching tale set against wonderful locations and characters drawn from Final Fantasy’s rich history, but its best parts are short-lived. The visuals nail the storybook vibe, and they’re accompanied by a solid soundtrack featuring original compositions and beautiful new arrangements of classic pieces. Yes, the combat system is obviously heavily influenced by a certain popular Nintendo franchise, but Square Enix has put a unique spin on the formula with the stacking mechanic.

Dragon Quest Builders is one of the best evolutions of the Minecraft model, and it features the sights and sounds of one of the biggest RPG franchises to boot. Hopefully bringing it to the states was worth Square Enix’s time, because a sequel could work on a lot of trouble areas and make the journey even more immersive. If this world looks like one you’d like to make your own, don’t hesitate to start chipping away.

We could easily get lost talking about the details and systems of Civilization VI, but what's essential to take away is that this is absolutely a strategy game worth playing, regardless of your experience with the genre or series. Rarely are Civilization games so fully featured at launch. Future updates have a strong foundation to build upon, and there’s so much to explore in the meantime.

By shifting the tone and putting the emphasis on your hacker tools rather than guns, Watch Dogs 2 feels like a more fun and more thoughtful game, without losing the ability to create mayhem when the itch strikes. The controls can be an obstacle at times, and it’s a shame that it’s missing online features at launch, but it gives you a lot of room to experiment and play with your options.

Dishonored 2 offers players an immense amount of freedom to solve each scenario and imprint their own choices into the story. Exploration is not only encouraged but rewarded, and the use of powers to navigate the environments and eliminate targets adds a complex layer of strategy to nearly every moment of the journey. Bland story and combat hold Dishonored 2 back, but the quality of everything else make the journey to Karnaca a memorable one.

Ever since entering the modern era, Call of Duty has rapidly improved its tech, but Infinite Warfare is not the pinnacle in this era of drones and starships. That said, there is a lot going on this year’s Call of Duty, including moments no game in the series has given us before. The campaign is a little dry, but multiplayer is deep and rewards you often, incorporating the best ideas from years past. Zombies continues to be a zany palate-cleanser for those that crave it, and your ticket lets you revisit one of the best shooters ever made. Infinite Warfare’s defects hurt the Call of Duty series much more this year, going up against several incredible and highly competitive shooters, but you still get your money’s worth if you enlist.