Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity ingeniously translates The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild’s world, style, and gameplay into the Warriors formula, and fans of both series will be extremely satisfied with how both are reimagined here. But if you were expecting a more straightforward prequel that truly mined the tragedy of the war against Calamity Ganon, instead of relying on tired tropes like time travel, you might be left a little shell-shocked.

Tell Me Why might be smaller in scope and less mechanically complex than Dontnod’s Life is Strange series, but it’s just as emotionally impactful. It’s a compelling story with relatable, complex characters, and yet another example of Dontnod’s unbeaten ability to make players feel something, anything, in a medium that’s increasingly more mind-numbing.

Transcripted's unexpected blend of shoot-em-ups and Zuma-style match three gameplay makes for one of the most refreshing and addictive experiences of the year, with the perfect mix of casual simplicity and hardcore depth.

Alien: Isolation might not deliver the scary, intimate experience players expected for its entire running time, but smart design, good pacing, and a ton of gameplay variety more than make up for the lack of chills.

Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy is a nostalgic trip back through the history of one of Japan's most beloved RPG franchises-and while that trip isn't exactly the dream vacation it could have been, it's absolutely a journey worth taking for all Final Fantasy fans.

It’s an enjoyable experience, but it also discards several tried-and-true franchise conventions—such as a traversable overworld map—in favor of a smaller, more focused adventure.

It might be tempting to write off Unravel as another indie-made platformer, but you’d be denying yourself a surprisingly deep puzzler with an unmeasurable amount of charm. There might not be much replay value, but you’ll be glad you took the time to see it to the end.

Battlefield V has the potential to be the best game in the series. It’s recaptured the magic of those Battlefield moments at almost every opportunity, and its new mechanics like squad revives and attrition put the focus back on sticking with your teammates. There are still a lot of questions it needs to answer with its Tides of War live service, and more casual players might be turned off by the challenging gunplay, but what we have now is a worthy successor to the Battlefield name.

Minis on the Move is a welcome addition to Mario’s many offshoots, boasting smartly crafted puzzles that demand an adroit touch—well, tap.

It can be hard sometimes to make collections for retro games feel exciting, especially if those games have been released numerous times before. Capcom Beat ‘Em Up Bundle bucks that trend not only by having games that are still enjoyable to this day, but also by including two titles that are finally being released on consoles for the first time. A few issues mars the overall package, but not enough to put a major damper on its offerings.

A retro platformer that sets itself apart with the protagonist’s transformation from a single pixel into 8- and 16-bit incarnations. Tic Toc Games’ impressive pedigree at WayForward is on full display in Adventures of Pip—one of the only problems is that it’s not quite as feature-rich as you’d like.

A horrendous learning curve, poor story flow, and shoddy controls take away from what could have been a superstar new IP for Nintendo. Instead, only the players who can look past the bugs and pacing problems will be satisfied in the end.

A few curious design choices and a lack of enjoyable single-player content hold World Tour back, but the golf basics are as solid as they’ve ever been, and the online multiplayer does wonders to help breathe new life into the series.

Harmonix bills Rock Band 4 as a platform that will grow and improve with the future, but for now, the new game offers little reason to upgrade from Rock Band 3, with a weaker soundtrack, fewer modes, and more promises of exciting features than actual, demonstrable ones.

The crowded control scheme, uninspired campaign, and limited multiplayer options are completely outclassed by most home-console shooters. If, however, you’re truly desperate to fill that gaping genre hole in your Vita’s library, you won’t have a totally miserable time here.

My Friend Pedro is an enthusiastic, stylish take on the shoot ‘em up genre that’s elevated by its complex level designs and clever puzzles. It combines so many mechanics from so many games that you might lose track, but these elements all come together to create a unified, singular experience. If you ever wondered what you’d get by crossing Hard Boiled and Super Mario Bros., it would look a lot like My Friend Pedro.

Dragon's Dogma is a fascinating and very enjoyable new take on the fantasy genre by Capcom, one that has a lot of promise held within it-but one which also sees some of that promise squashed due to the inclusion of an unneeded and annoying gimmick.

Uncovering the secrets of Don’t Starve’s oppressive world is gratifying, but the basics of gameplay get too mindlessly repetitive once you’ve figured out what you’re doing.

Strong online modes and a crisp look and sound for the game can't hide the fact that this is a watered down version similar to what caused many fans to leave the series in the first place.

RIGS is the first great PlayStation VR game. It can be a bit shallow with a lack of match types and game modes, but I cannot deny how great it feels to pilot my own mech into competition—and to do so with a natural-feeling control scheme that immerses players in the experience.

A fair amount of bugs and lack of a present-day scenario detract from what is otherwise a strong return to form for Assassin’s Creed. Syndicate touts not one, but two great protagonists, strong gameplay, and Victorian Era London is neck and neck with Renaissance Italy as the best place the series has been to.

Rock Band Blitz manages to improve on its predecessors' concept and control schemes, but the harsh monetization of its music and repetitive controller-based gameplay ultimately doesn't measure up to the feeling of a real Rock Band experience.

While all of its pieces could definitely benefit from more production and polish, Rune Factory 4 is a fun, addictive game that enjoyably combines taming the earth with taming the creatures that walk upon it.

A stellar atmosphere is not enough to save such a puzzle-platformer that completely lacks any sort of challenge. While the story of Six is a sad one, it’s not for the fact that her adventure begins in a cage—but that the developer failed to find a way to make me care about it at all.

Grid 2‘s racing once again succeeds at offering a nice balance between true simulation and accessible arcade handling, but the lack of depth offline and a repetitive, punishing second half wind up holding it back.

Though we've seen this formula before, New Super Mario Bros. 2 finds a way to keep itself just fresh enough while still hitting platfroming perfection.

Like its predecessors, Dead Rising 3 offers good, dumb, fun, with just enough story and structure to keep you moving forward and enough opportunities for zany antics to maintain your amusement throughout.

What I hoped would be a decent collection of SNK’s early gaming efforts ended up being one of the most impressive retro compilations I’ve encountered in recent memory. While not every game included will excite more casual players, those who do have an appreciation for the library offered here will find them presented with a level of care, concern, and passion that is too rarely seen.

Dead Space 3 is an enjoyable, highly polished experience that will fill in a lot of story gaps for returning fans. But if you’re looking to get scared, this is anything but survival-horror.

A riot of color, emotion, and sea life wrapped up in a stellar soundtrack and stunning visuals; Abzû walks a fine line between being a game and being a near-spiritual experience.

Presently, what we have is a fantastic golf game, and that’s good enough for now.

Zombies Chronicles aims for the nostalgia of Zombies fans, and for the most part serves it well. Some of the changes made for the sake of evolution may have been better left undone, but the most important elements of these classic maps are still intact.

Like The Chinese Room’s previous work, Everybody’s Gone to the Rapture will no doubt prove an acquired taste, but the game is bolstered by strong, character-driven writing and a desire to experiment with boundaries no other developer, indie or established, is willing to engage.

Marvel vs Capcom Origins does a fine job of staying true to the originals, while the addition of dynamic challenges provide a new layer of addictiveness that helps to overshadow how much these games have aged in the past two decades.

Nintendo Land is charming in concept and execution, but it's also a game that doesn't have the depth or gameplay offerings to really reach its full potential. As a pack-in game, it's great; as a $60 retail game, it's horribly overpriced.

Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 ReMix successfully brings a PS2 classic to the modern age with a noticeably impressive visual update, improved camera controls, and, for added fun, secondary and tertiary Kingdom Hearts content all contained on one disc (as opposed to spread across disparate platforms).

Though its middling campaign falls short, Starhawk's open-ended Build and Battle system offers a wonderfully refreshing break from other modern shooters, both online and off.

Although the games may not have aged as well as hoped, fans of the series are still going to be getting their money worth with the convenience of having three games on one disc, nearly 100 achievements, and some behind the scenes bonus content.

Etrian Mystery Dungeon provides a refreshing change of pace for Etrian Odyssey fans by infusing the dungeon-crawler with challenging elements from Spike Chunsoft’s venerable Mystery Dungeon franchise. Unfortunately, some clunky controls and curious design decisions prevent this roguelike from reaching the greatest heights of the genre.

Shank 2 takes the old-school, side-scrolling brawler and infuses it with a hefty dose of blood and gore. Crisp graphics, smooth controls, and ballet-like action will give action fans a reason to take a break from Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3.

Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate is a more robust, refined version of Team Ninja’s work on Dead or Alive 5, providing a fighting-game package that’s a better starting point for players new to this iteration of the series. Current Dead or Alive 5 owners, however, will have to pony up the exact same amount of scratch to join in on the fun.

Street Fighter V paves the way for the future of Capcom’s legendary fighting game series—but it’s also a release that’s relying on near-future updates in order to feel like a finished product. Once they come, however, this should really be something special.

Soul Calibur V still brings an unmatched clash of swords with its weapons-based brawls, but its paltry single-player content is an absolute insult to the series' substantial legacy.

Longtime fans will certainly love the fanservice and visuals, but even those new to Dragon Quest may find a lot to like here.

If you are a Gears of War fan, this is a great little untold story in the timeline of the series and when you throw in new characters and weapon skins for multiplayer, this is a must have for all fans of the series and is most definitely worth the price tag.

A weird, niche, visually out-of-date little game from a Japanese team you’ve probably never heard of became one of the best horror games to be released in America in years back in 2013. Now, it’s being given new life on the 3DS, and the changes it’s received make for a better experience—mostly.

Bomb Chicken is a classic indie puzzle-platformer that wears its developer’s history and influence on its sleeve. From its Super Nintendo-inspired, colorful pixel art to its one unique platforming mechanic, Bomb Chicken is truly an education in how to put together a satisfying gaming experience—though players hoping that the length and narrative of a game like Celeste or the ability progression of a Shovel Knight might make their way into a game about a chicken that lays bombs will be a little disappointed.

Quantum Break is a intriguing science-fiction tale told across two media platforms. While the action and exploration in the video game portions shine, the live-action episodes create a disconnect that is hard to recover from.

I don’t know exactly how the idea to create World of Final Fantasy came about in the halls of Square Enix, but it’s a game that could have been so much better had it been given different focus. As it is, it’s a relatively enjoyable RPG that offers up some legitimately enjoyable moments while simultaneously causing you to sit in bewilderment at what you’re experiencing.

A world where people fight with ramen noodles, DNA, and snakes shouldn't be this much fun. It may take a while to get the hang of the controls in Arms, but the wildly inventive characters, catchy theme music, and unique gameplay style offer enough to capture the attention of casual and competitive gamers alike.

The Line rivals thatgamecompany's Journey in terms of overall impact, serving as a brave step forward for developers who want to help us get more from games than just gunplay. If you're tired of the same old firefight, you really ought to play it.

NHL 17 takes a step forward with the series in terms of more authentic gameplay, but has lost its edge in a couple of its long-standing modes.

Blue Reflection: Second Light is a perfect example of judging a game on what it tried to be, and not what it isn’t. While it pales in comparison to other blockbuster Japanese role-playing games, and remains constrained by the long-standing limitations of its developer, it is an enjoyable and engrossing adventure when taken for what it is: a mid-tier RPG that brings together a group of fleshed-out characters who are trying to improve both their lives and their world. Coming off the original Blue Reflection, Second Light genuinely advances the franchise both in terms of storytelling and gameplay, offering an even better experience to those looking for this sort of game.

Death Mark may seem at first like a shallow horror take on the Japanese visual novel/adventure genre, but the deeper you dig into its tale of wayward spirits and cursed bystanders, the more its brutality is mixed with beauty. While it could have done more with the ideas it builds upon, it still results in an unexpectedly captivating experience that stands out from the crowd.

Waving your arms in front of your TV like you’re conducting some kind of cosmic orchestra is a surprising amount of fun, but the lack of content leaves the experience feeling a bit bare.

nfinite Warfare is one step forward; two steps back for Call of Duty. The multiplayer is still fun, but suspect microtransactions have left me wary. The campaign also gets more wrong than right with shoddy storytelling overshadowing the usually tight FPS gameplay. At the very least, we got a Zombies experience comparable to what we’ve seen in the past—and Modern Warfare Remastered was a fun stroll down memory lane.

Soul Sacrifice is a decent action-RPG for fans familiar with this type of game, but for newcomers, there’s very little that will impress or feel particularly interesting. It’s the very definition of “fine.”

Sniper Elite 4 isn’t the most sophisticated experience, but it puts all of its strengths front and center and delivers a very polished shooter.

NHL 18 is a nice step forward for the NHL series. New modes and options like NHL Threes, 3-on-3 hockey in EASHL, or creating the 32nd franchise in the NHL are fun additions that give the series a serious shot in the arm. Some minor issues from previous games continue to crop up, and I wish the customization options were deeper, but overall NHL 18 is a must have for any hockey fan.

The content added to Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen over the original Dragon’s Dogma might not be enough for previous players to be able to justify buying the game for a second time. For those who missed out on Dragon’s Dogma the first time around, however, this is a great way to finally give the game a shot.

Headlander is a great metroidvania whose retro-future style, humorous story, and tremendous exploration come together in one of the summer’s most complete experiences.

As much as I'd love to heap praise on ZombiU for a smashing debut on a console that needed a good proof-of-concept, it ultimately comes off as a game that tried to get there the easy way-and failed. I applaud Ubisoft's desire to bring fear back to the genre while leveraging the Wii U's unique capabilities, but I wish they could've found a way to do so that didn't require so much needless pandering.

Far from the played-out tales of clean-cut supersoldiers fighting impossible odds, Valiant Hearts: The Great War humanizes the First World War and delivers gameplay that focuses on the psychological toll of the war—not on the killing. While some puzzles and exploration elements succeed more than others, Valiant Hearts is worth seeing through for students of history and fans of classic PC adventure titles.

With a few notable new features—including a first-ever complete set of PGA Tour majors and the inclusion of golf legends like Arnold Palmer and Ben Hogan—Tiger Woods PGA Tour 14 is one of the best incarnations of this long-running series. Unfortunately, the in-game mini-goals, such as earning sponsorships and mastering each course, have been eliminated; while this might not bother some players, those who used these goals as an incentive to keep playing should make note.

Striking fear into Evie’s enemies may be a bit overpowered, and Jack may not be the formidable bad guy we hoped he would be, but this DLC is still a fun adventure that serves as a nice excuse to return to Assassin’s Creed’s take on Victorian-Era London.

Sure, it's unmistakably familiar, but that's also part of its charm-Tales of Graces f does Japanese RPG conventions exceedingly well, which makes it a must-play for both longtime fans and series newcomers.

Furi excels in some areas, serving as an audio/visual treat as you work your way through the game’s world. Its narrative and gameplay could use more depth, but both provide more than enough value to make this a worthwhile experience if you love action or boss rush games.

As Dusk Falls is exciting, beautiful, and heavy-handed. Its more streamlined approach to narrative gameplay and its less traditional art style create an immersive experience that engages with the player’s imagination. That it can work both as a morally challenging single-player story and a party game for multiple players speaks to the confidence that its developers have. But its second half of the story undercuts some of the tension that its excellent first half builds, and a terrible cliffhanger might leave you feeling betrayed.

Peggle 2 is more of what you’ve come to love about PopCap’s peg-busting puzzle franchise brought to Microsoft’s next-generation console. If all you want is more, then Peggle 2 will definitely please—but if you were hoping for something to really refresh the series after its previous outings, “more” may leaving you wanting, well, more.

Another fantastic adventure to the world of Cybertron by the folks at High Moon Studios-but one that combines some excellent new elements and gameplay offerings with a smattering of peculiar omissions and design choices.

Space Invaders Invincible Collection certainly isn’t the collection it could have been, and definitely isn’t a collection for everyone, but it is still a great look back at the Space Invaders franchise for those interested in such a thing.

Luigi deserves better than this truncated take on the Mario platforming formula. While the level-design enhancements are a nice touch, too much remains unchanged when it comes to boss encounters, and the ridiculously short time limit in every level destroys the real draw of a Mario game: patient exploration.

The developers have seriously enhanced Tiger Woods PGA Tour, refining the gameplay, enhancing social features, and even affecting the way the game's extras are unlocked. They've delivered a complete package that offers golf fans the most refined, deepest-and, most importantly, fun-golf experience in years. Whether you're a casual golf fan or a hardcore PGA wannabe, you'll find plenty to love in this year's offering. Now, we just need a few more hours in the day to get out to the course…

A few tweaks, a couple of tacked-on modes, and some better mechanics from the borrowed Madden engine can’t overcome the basic logic flaws and imbalances that seem to be annual staples in NCAA.

With a single-player campaign that brings the trilogy to a fulfilling close and best-in-class multiplayer, Crysis 3 manages to best its predecessors and deliver a genuinely impressive FPS experience.

With a lifeless world, a hazily plotted, repetitive campaign, and an endgame that quickly resorts to a slow grind for marginally better loot, Destiny fails to deliver on the promise of its concept and the enormous potential of its gameplay systems.

Atlus somehow finds a way to craft a music game based around Persona 4 and have it end up as a serious entry to the rhythm genre. Persona 4: Dancing All Night is a great experience, with gameplay, visual, and a soundtrack that all come together in one heck of a package.

NCAA Football 13 is definitely better than its predecessor, but amidst the upgrades, unfortunate legacy issues and inexcusable bugs prevent this college-pigskin sim from an undisputed championship.

Fester Mudd delivers an entertaining point-and-click-adventure experience, but given the game’s earnest devotion the genre’s sometimes-frustrating tropes, you might only want to give it a shot if you’re particularly nostalgic for the days of Guybrush Threepwood and Roger Wilco.

It’s pure nostalgia, but if you loved these games as a kid, there’s just enough new features to bring you back to it again—and they hold up well enough if you have someone you’d like to introduce these games to for the first time.

While the interminable wait between turns and overhauled user interface may be shocks for players flocking from Shogun 2, the overall experience still delivers a top-tier strategy epic.

Though it falls short of being fantastic, Strider is an impressive attempt to revive a classic Capcom franchise, one whose action, challenges, and player empowerment are more than worth experiencing.

Ratchet & Clank: Into the Nexus represents a decent—though overpriced—sendoff for the second generation of R&C action-adventure titles. Into the Nexus mostly plays it safe by remaining largely familiar, introducing only a few new mechanics that, while not overtly bad, seem underdeveloped and are definitely underused.

Pokkén Tournament was a brave experiment, and it succeeds in many areas. However, it fails in some others—whether from lack of depth or outright poor design—that keeps it from reaching that upper-tier of the fighting game genre’s elite entries.

Despite my gripes, I have to admit that I f***ing loved this game. I really wished they would've skipped the bulk of the major changes to the game's narrative, but from a pure gameplay standpoint, it's arguably my favorite Twisted Metal title to date. The controls are on point, the level design's at or above anything else the series has produced, and (when it works) the multiplayer's nonstop gameporn that'll offer dozens of hours of replay value for anyone who gives it the time.

Yo-Kai Watch is a kid-oriented, lighthearted game packed with quirky characters, secret areas to explore, and bizarre Yo-Kai to befriend. The unwieldy process of recruiting Yo-Kai to your team and an incredibly unhelpful map bog the side content down a bit, but the battling system is unique and fun and there’s always more to discover.

Windjammers is really fun while it lasts. But how long it lasts depends on how long you’re willing to play the same mode. Its tight, responsive, strategic gameplay doesn’t quite hide the fact that it’s lacking in areas that contemporary multiplayer games almost instinctively include at this point, such as character and match customization.

After the misstep that was Mario Party 10, Nintendo has gone back to basics with Super Mario Party. The competitive boards and minigames are back, along with a few welcome gameplay twists that make this party game feel like a fresh start for the series. From two-console minigames to the Joy-Con motion controls, the new Switch features elevate the entire experience, making Super Mario Partythe best in the series so far.

This amusing crossover of Mario & Luigi and Paper Mario adds another solid title to the Mario RPG lineup. Though the recurring minigames and the length of some battles can get a little tedious, combat is generally immersive and fun, and a good sense of humor breathes life into the well worn Bowser-captures-the-princess plot.

Sushi Striker: The Way of the Sushido has all of the trademarks of an inventive Nintendo title, including its odd but bold story, memorable characters, and easy to pick up gameplay. Unfortunately, once you bite into it, the experience isn’t as developed as it could have been. There’s an attempt to expand on the action-puzzler format, and while some of the choices work, there are some ingredients that make the entire meal less than satisfying.

World of Tanks offers enough tense action and team-based strategy that can be enjoyable even for those who aren’t usually into war-themed games—all for the unbeatable price of free. Unfortunately, the experience is marred at times by a level of unfriendliness for new players, and a long grind at higher levels for those not willing to shell out major cash.

Dying Light 2 Stay Human’s enhanced parkour and intricate level design make for some of the most fun you can have moving through a video game world, and the hand-to-hand combat is simple but effective. Most impressive is the sense of scale and gravity that makes leaping between rooftops feel so death-defying. Unfortunately, its story wallows in post-apocalyptic clichés and misanthropy, and its choice-based narrative often drops its most interesting plot threads.

In Ever Oasis, melding a city-builder with a hack and slash adventure has never looked more adorable. While visually and narratively enticing, the Animal Crossing meets Zelda concept is never fully satisfying, instead giving brief joy to specific types of players, and begging for a sequel to bring every genre together perfectly.

EA Sports UFC 2 delivers the grandeur of MMA in a remarkable and brutal presentation. A traditional fighting game this is not, and the genuine attempts at simulating a dense sport result in clumsy combat that only on occasion captures the drama and nuance of human chess.

This app stays true to Ridge Racer’s arcade roots, but the lack of content coupled with the grind of unlocking everything—which is only conveniently alleviated by microtransacations—is a major speed bump in this otherwise smooth ride.

Rhythm Thief's collection of musical minigames is one of the best in recent memory, but the game's bogged down by dull adventure segments and a broken rating system.

While it gets bogged down by story and character elements that I found to be the opposite of fun far too often, 7th Dragon III Code: VFD offers up a stellar RPG experience that’s stuffed full of enjoyable gameplay mechanics and ideas.

LawBreakers is a tight, comprehensive shooter experience that stakes its claim in the crowded class-based shooter genre with fun anti-gravity gameplay, but occasionally frustrating gameplay and poor controls hold it back at times.