If ever there was a game that could be boosted by an instant replay feature, it's NBA Playgrounds 2. There are times when you pull off a completely over-the-top slam, and having the option to watch it over from different angles would be fun.

WWE 2K19 maxes out all of the incumbent concepts from recent games in the franchise, and this is a solid and more polished release than we've seen from some recent versions. You'll likely have fun with the game and all of its layers. However, there is potential for true greatness with this series, but the WWE and the development team have to be willing to take some chances.

I feel like this game is just…a bit much. A bit much so soon after Odyssey, and a bit much where it literally takes almost 60 hours to complete all four main questlines and hit level 50. That’s without 100%ing the map in the least, which would take a few dozen more hours I’m sure. For some, especially the “dollar per entertainment hour value” crowd, that’s a good thing. For others, this may be a game that you may not finish by next summer, given how much time it requires. For me personally, it was a tad exhausting.

The standard game is an excellent high-definition remaster and is the best version of the game to date. The VR mode ruins that impressive achievement and is wholly unnecessary. In short, play this for the high definition remaster and give the VR mode a very wide berth.

FIFA 19 is visually stunning, fun and deep. Aside from a few small issues, it delivers the goods and firmly establishes the latest version and the franchise as the one to beat in the virtual pitch wars.

NHL 19 is still a fun virtual hockey experience, and that’s the biggest thing. The World of CHEL adds a much-needed layer of personality, playability, and lightheartedness to the franchise. The depth of each mode goes a long way toward meeting almost every virtual hockey fan wherever they are with their fandom. On the downside, there is a lack of customization, some collision-detection issues, as well as some dated and less-than-impressive presentation elements.

While combat could still use some fine-tuning, Shadow of the Tomb Raider is a master class in turn-of-the-century-esque exploration awe, and I hope this serves as a springboard for Lara into the next generation of gaming technology.

Whether you're a person who plays single-player, multiplayer, offline or online, this is the most complete sports game I've ever played. There is no such thing as a perfect sports game, but this is as close as it gets.

While the gameplay and consistently improving modes are the obvious strong suits of NASCAR Heat 3, the game is still just a touch short of an elite racing title because it lacks personality and high-level presentation. That said, the groundwork and the second floor are in place for a complete racing experience, the developers and publisher just need to add a rough and some pops of color.

While NBA Live 19 is a definite improvement over NBA Live 18, it still has a lot of the same issues that have bogged down the series in the past. On the bright side, Live has risen to a respectable level, and it can be a fun game, with flaws that hurt the realism. On a whole, it is too inconsistent to be considered elite. This was a year where the franchise expected to make a huge leap from doormat to contender, but it still falls short of the postseason.

Spider-Man is a fantastic action game with great movement and combat and a compelling story that's only dragged down from time to time with boring missions and QTE-based boss fights.

Dragon Quest XI is one of the best role-playing games I have ever played. Not only is it wonderfully well-made and great fun but it also has a fantastic story with lovable characters created by Akira Toriyama and a beautiful musical score by the legendary Koichi Sugiyama.

I love the way PES 2019 plays. The gameplay is the biggest selling point, but not the only thing that matters–especially in the face of formidable competition. Konami can't escape the negative effect of losing the licensing battle, its shallow modes, and bland presentation...Those things keep a good game from being great.

This is truly one of the best racing games you'll ever play.

A very solid and engaging game. While the narrative is not all that involved, the combat and world exploration are a great deal of fun. My only hope is that more developers are allowed to explore similarly different approaches to gameplay, as this game only goes to show how much more gaming has to offer and that the Switch’s real strength is in encouraging functional rather than technological innovation.

This year, Madden doesn't break any new ground or fix all or most of the nagging issues that have impeded the series in the past. However, it does deliver an absolutely stunning visual experience, decent gameplay and enough options to keep most fans occupied.

Even after hours of play, Onrush remains wonderfully difficult to classify. The stomach-churning drops of Hydro Thunder. The insane crashes of Burnout. The combo system and radical attitude of SSX. The nail-biting cooperative multiplayer mayhem of Overwatch. It’s a recipe that probably shouldn’t work as well as it does, and despite a steep learning curve, it creates what feels like the next evolutionary step in driving games. Or, at the very least, the initial iterative lurch toward a completely new genre.

If you’re a Zelda fan and want something more combat oriented with a strong element of strategy to it, then Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition is worth checking out.

The Nintendo Labo Variety Kit is a great interactive model/science kit to put together with your kids. If you like building or tinkering with stuff, you'll like this. If that's not your thing, you might find it tedious. Not a ton of replay value, but the construction seems sturdy. Overall, a very unique new 'game' for the Nintendo Switch.

While it's not a full-fledged AAA title, SMB 2 blurs the lines with its fantastic gameplay and mode depth.

The gameplay isn't horrible, but it's also not spectacular. The visuals are solid, but not groundbreaking. The customization is stellar, but that's still not enough to save this game from mediocrity.

The Gods here are more human then they've ever been, and there's something as captivating about that as there was about the larger-than-life absurdity of characters like Poseidon and Hades in the original series. God of War works for what it keeps and works for what it changes. It's a foundation for a series that's suddenly a tentpole once again.

This is simply not a very good baseball game and the higher price point makes it even easier to accept this year. The improved graphics don't do enough to save this from another sub-standard effort. With so many high quality, free and low-priced titles like Fortnite and Rocket League, we can't grade this on a curve.

Far Cry 5 is a chaos simulator with a preposterous story, tons of quality of life improvements over past games and an enormous amount of content. It's a blast if you let yourself just accept the silly premise and not invest too much in the politics of the game, or lack thereof.

There are a few desirable features missing when you compare The Show 18 to other sports video game titles, but if we were to judge the features and core gameplay that are present, the latest entry to the series maintains its impressive hitting streak. The game looks better, plays smoother and is easier to navigate behind the scenes. Despite the missing pieces, it's still a winner. There's just too much to like for it not to be heavily appreciated by baseball fans.

The problem is that Sea of Thieves is not a complete game. It just isn’t. It’s maybe 5 or 10% of one, but given what other open world/co-op games can offer you for $60, it’s just astonishing how little Sea of Thieves offers.

This is still the fantastic game I remember playing back at the start of 2016 and one that works brilliantly on the Switch.

Following the somewhat disappointing The Last Guardian, this is an astonishingly good remake of a classic PS2 game and one that everyone who owns a PS4 should play.

The fighting itself is absolutely glorious for both fans and non-fans of the series, and for both casuals and hardcore fighting gamers. You just can't lose with Dragon Ball FighterZ.

With a focus on depth and functionality, the EA UFC 3 development team has created the strongest version in their series. A few minor missteps and the reluctance to embrace or include a true-sim component keeps it from GOAT status. However, there's no question it's a titleholder.

A very good role-playing game and one that not only is a proud addition to the Xeno series but also adds another great game to the library of the already buoyant Switch. That said, the discrepancy in performance between the docked and portable versions of the game is somewhat unfortunate and may limit your enjoyment.

Overall, it comes down to this; should you buy Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon if you already bought and played through Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. The answer is an emphatic yes. There is a lot of new content in these Ultra versions to warrant an all-new playthrough, not to mention the swathes of improvements and other changes to the games. Considering how good Sun and Moon were, these new Ultra versions improve upon those games noticeably.

Overall, it comes down to this; should you buy Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon if you already bought and played through Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon. The answer is an emphatic yes. There is a lot of new content in these Ultra versions to warrant an all-new playthrough, not to mention the swathes of improvements and other changes to the games. Considering how good Sun and Moon were, these new Ultra versions improve upon those games noticeably.

Despite the game's flaws and inexcusably rough launch, I've been very happy with it and absolutely recommend it to anyone who's been sitting on the fence. For those of you who haven't touched a Call of Duty game in a while because of the sci-fi stuff, now's a good time to get back into the fray.

It is larger but less grand, more detailed but more opaque, deeper on one level but far more ponderous on another. It is successful neither as a Battlefield-style online shooter nor as an approachable arcade experience. That your time with this game is defined by a byzantine and oppressive progression system does not help, nor does the ever-present specter of microtransactions sure to return soon. But this would not be a successful game even if these problems were solved.

The thing is, the UI is so tiny in handheld mode I can barely read the words and button prompts. It's pretty easy to just miss button prompts altogether. When docked to a TV, this isn't a problem at all, but it's quite frustrating on the go. I can only imagine how difficult this would be for someone with worse vision than my own.

This is an old game on a new system; I can't recommend it at full price even with the DLC. Besides, the best way to play is still on PC with mods. Even with the bonus of on-the-go, I can't go back to a modless version now. Oh, and the combat is still incredibly cumbersome, even more dated than the graphics...I give the game a Hold.

One one hand, NFSP feels a lot like a film from a major movie studio with b-level actors, a bad script and talented cinematographers who were perhaps uninspired. On the other side, there is some fun, but simplistic quality to the gameplay. However, it is predominantly a game that is trying to do too many things at once. Unfortunately, it fails to stand out in any one area. Had it ditched the open-world concept for a more challenge and stage-based experience, the story would have been easier to follow and perhaps more engaging. Also, the game might have been able to focus more on its best attribute, which is pure, dumb racing.

Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus is a great follow-up to The New Order, though it falls short in level design and stealth. It's well worth your time and money if you love single-player games, but it wouldn't kill you to wait for a sale.

It's a world that feels huge at first, then small as you get to know it, and then huge again as you realize how fantastically dense it is with secrets and challenges. It gives you a simple set of tools and then asks you to do something different with them every ten minutes. Super Mario Odyssey is a fun game, an unoriginal observation that feels nonetheless vital in the modern gaming landscape. It is a game that tasks you with finding joy, and then lets you point yourself in the right direction. It is a game you should play.

Assassin’s Creed Origins improves from its past few installments in almost every way, yet it never quite reaches the heights of the games it tries to emulate. Its combat isn’t Dark Souls level. Its quests aren’t The Witcher 3 level. Its open world isn’t…well honestly, this might actually be one of the most impressive virtual spaces I’ve ever seen, so credit where it’s due there. I do have to imagine that if you ever have loved a game in the Assassin’s Creed series that you’ll enjoy what Origins does here, but also if you don’t have 60+ hours to sink into a game as absolutely massive as this one, I don’t blame you either. But I enjoyed my time with it, more so than I was even expecting, having thought I had burned out on this franchise for good.

GTS lacks overall depth, but it is saved from being a complete failure by its stellar visuals, fun and realistic driving experience. I know how much work goes into producing a major-budget title like GTS, so I would never use the word lazy when describing the effort of the development team...However, this game comes off as an underdeveloped title that is being made to look more legitimate by the history of the series.

Despite some light areas of concern with gameplay and some of the auxiliary modes and features, the core of the WWE 2K franchise has been strengthened. It won't scratch every itch that virtual wrestling fans have, but the game is deep and fun. At the end of the day, that's what we're looking for in video games.

Overall, despite all these faults, I found the game enjoyable throughout. A great deal of effort clearly went into making this game work and bringing SR388 to life once again. However, as a Metroid game, it still falls short of earlier releases.

By accentuating its prior positives and offering real and tangible improvements to gameplay, FIFA 18 excels and is slightly better than last year's solid entry.

It’s hard to imagine that Destiny 2 won’t satisfy fans of the original, but it’s also the type of game that will allow new players to jump right in, and skip some of the worst growing pains of the series. While there’s still room for improvement, and for this universe to live up to its full potential, Destiny 2 makes undeniable progress, and reinforces the idea that this is a series we’ll be playing for at least an entire decade, when all is said and done.

Just when it appears as though NBA Live has closed the gap, the sheer immenseness and refined quality of the 2K experience shows us that there are levels to this game. The development team and visionaries in charge of the creative direction of the franchise have created a new layer where they alone rest in the sports video game universe. Just like LeBron James, NBA 2K18 isn't perfect, but with its ambitious new additions, refined gameplay, and a truckload of options, there's no question, it's still the best in the world.

From a pure fun factor, NASCAR Heat 2 delivers. Driving is a blast, even though it's not all that realistic. Some will embrace the more arcade feel and others will scoff at the more simplistic racing concepts. However, no one should dismiss the depth that has been added to the modes and the massive leap the franchise has taken in just one year. The future could be bright for this series.

For the past three years, Konami has placed almost all of its focus on gameplay. That's a smart strategy, but the time has come for the developer/publisher to fatten up the other areas of their game. Were this review based purely on gameplay, the score would be much higher. As a complete package, PES 2018 is good, but still incomplete.

Senko no Ronde 2 is as good as the game it is based [on] and comes highly recommended to anyone that enjoys a different kind of arena battler.

NBA Live 18 has a lower price point than most major sports video games, and that's a good thing because it simply doesn't offer all of the features that other sports titles do. There are some promising base features in place from a gameplay, conceptual and presentation standpoint, but it's still not where it needs to be.

NHL 18 is another strong entry from an underrated sports gaming franchise. EA has delivered a more rewarding franchise mode, added new ways to play, while at the minimum, sustaining itself in other modes. That's a formula for success, but the lack of progress in customization, single-player modes and presentation keep it from being a monumental step for the franchise.

When you get down to brass tacks and scattered relics, Knack 2 is a nostalgic, if somewhat sterile, throwback to the happy-go-lucky titles we were getting in droves during the late ‘90s and early 2000s.

It delivers the speed and technical component of F1 racing without overwhelming a casual fan with jargon or overly complex concepts. At the same time, it stays true to its core audience with the most authentic virtual F1 experience around. It may not get all the hoopla that more popular titles in the genre receive, but F1 2017 is one of the most complete sports video games released in awhile.

Sonic Mania is probably one of the best Sonic games ever made and is a very carefully and thoughtfully crafted game. It could have easily ended up a complete mess but the design of the game is such that it uses only what it needs to and by keeping things simple, it ends up being a wonderfully focused game.

Clocking in at around 7 hours and costing a slightly-discounted $40 at launch makes this the perfect extension of the Uncharted series.

This is a really good football game that you will probably enjoy, but you will also likely still have some gripes. Madden 18 takes noticeable steps in gameplay and depth, but it's still teasing us with true greatness.

Agents of Mayhem is a strange game. I did enjoy much of my time with it, but I kept wishing it was a fully-fledged Saints Row sequel, not some alternate universe spin-off with less content. I didn’t expect all that much going in, but by the end, I wanted more than I got.

Ninja Theory, you moved me. Hellblade’s gameplay is polished, the writing is fantastic, the acting is superb, and the ending managed to make me cry. But even then, all of this pales in comparison to everything this art piece truly represents. What you’ve built, what you’ve accomplished here, is extremely important. It’s probably the most realistic portrayal of mental illness I’ve yet seen in a video game, and it works its magic without being patronizing, without stooping to exploitation or condescension.

In any case, this Namco Museum release on the Switch is as good as its precursors and brilliantly accentuated with the local multiplayer focused Pac-Man Vs. but it is currently overpriced and I hope this is not a new trend when it comes to future retro gaming releases on the Switch.

The gameplay and options are on an elite level in TGC 2, but the graphics and presentation are still a step behind.

ARMS is a unique, fresh take on the fighting genre that's simple to learn but tough to master. It's not going to be for everyone, but it's fun to see Nintendo try something so new. $60 seems a bit steep.

With its strong gameplay, deep feature set and above-average visuals, the good far outweighs the bad with Dirt 4.

Visually the game is great and can be switched between the original arcade graphics and the newer higher resolution versions. The same is true for the audio but I prefer the newer sounds, especially as hearing Norio Wakamoto voice M. Bison never gets old. So if you want arguably one of the best iterations in the Street Fighter series on the Switch, then Ultra Street Fighter II is definitely worth getting but bear in mind that it is definitely overpriced.

Prey is genre-bending in a way I haven’t really seen before. You can compare it to a half dozen games, but it still manages to feel unique from almost all of them. It won’t be for everyone, but it’s a great single player experience you can get lost in for a week or two easily. Prey has come out of relative nowhere to be a truly great campaign experience that succeeds despite some of the game’s more muddled aspects. I’d recommend giving it a shot.

The courts and locations look outstanding. There's no real impact on gameplay from place to place, which is something that might have added some diversity, but the different lighting and filters help each court look unique.

What Remains of Edith Finch is filled with excellent writing, striking visuals, and a significant sense of place, of people, of life’s ephemeral nature and our relationship to it.

While there are some real qualities in OTH, the deficiencies in gameplay and relatively low replay value make it a hard sell even for the virtual hockey fan who is looking for a knock-down, drag-out, arcade hockey title.

This is the best Mario Kart game ever made, expanding an already great Wii U title into a near-perfect racing game. Even so, players who have the original on Wii U may want to wait for a sale.

It's all very retro and very fun and, for me at least, not just nostalgic but sort of joyful, like seeing an old friend again after many years. Other old games, like Super Mario Bros, I've played many times over the years, either on virtual consoles or on the original systems, but this has remained a lost gem. I feel pretty lucky to be able to play it again, and in such a loving rendition. Lizardcube has crafted something special here. You should play it.

It’s only through a combination of rich, collaborative, and altogether interactive elements that something like this can be born, a piece of software that shirks tedious story and plodding industry conventions in favor of pummeling sound and pure, unadulterated gameplay. In that regard, Aaero is exclusively, utterly, and unapologetically ‘video game’. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the delectable, relentless wub wub inside my television.

Ultimately, I recommend the game purely based on its fun factor. Some people may say it's too linear, but in an age of overly large open-world games, a bit of linearity is a breath of fresh air. I love moving from one mission to the next, using creative ways to kill my enemies but not having to worry about exhausting a bunch of checkpoints across a sprawling map. On the other hand, at $59.99 on console and $49.99 on PC I simply can't recommend you buy it at full price. This should be half that, at most, and should include the Duke Nukem DLC regardless of pre-order. I give the game a Hold on my Buy/Hold/Sell scale. Wait for a sale. One should come along soon enough.

All things considered, it's difficult to recommend RBI 17 to any demographic. No matter what box you have the game in, there's a superior version to be found elsewhere in each concept.

The control issues are dwarfed by all the good in Yooka-Laylee, this modern day throwback that seems tailormade to yank at nostalgia strings.

Berserk and the Band of the Hawk is a decent Dynasty Warriors spin-off that fits the world of Berserk well enough. However, the one-on-one boss fights show up the simplicity of the combat system and missions get repetitive pretty quickly. It’s also not a visually impressive game but it is an eminently playable one.

The implementation of realistic snake physics is commendable, and may even be what snagged Snake Pass a green light in the first place, but it’s also what drags down what could have otherwise been a phenomenal platforming experience.

The Show is still striving for perfection, but if you love baseball and video games, you need this in your life.

Disc Jam is a great and interesting concept that leaves you wanting more. Just as quickly as you gain an affinity for the game, you can also get bored with it once you realized there just isn't a lot to offer. Even with the obvious shallowness, Disc Jam is worth your time.

While the team’s modest size is betrayed by the game’s myriad technical issues, what they’ve attempted here is, quite honestly, laudable. Maybe they’d do well to view this as a functional blueprint for a future project that builds on the good work that’s been accomplished—I know I’ll be waiting for what’s next. Here’s hoping the bugs get patched out and that we eventually get a Troll and I sequel, one that focuses on cleaner controls and a more emotionally engaging story.

If you could combine the story and memorable quests of the originals with the combat, visuals and scope of Andromeda, you would have the perfect video game, though I think what's offered here will satisfy most. Despite its issues, Andromeda is welcome return to one of my favorite fictional universes, and I am still not ready to let Mass Effect go. I'm not sure I ever will be.

It's one of the best video games I've ever played, and is sure to keep you busy for many hours, days and weeks, exploring this vast, beautiful, unexpected world.

No, Horizon probably isn’t as monumental of an experience as playing Uncharted or God of War for the first time, but it’s well-made, engaging and probably worth your time.

Nioh is a fantastic Samurai action-RPG with excellent Dark Souls inspired combat, multiplayer options and tons of content. Not for the faint of heart. Boss fights can be as tedious as they are challenging.

This is still a good game in terms of its offline content and local multiplayer. However, the online community is pretty quiet and incredibly experienced. While it’s nice and convenient to have Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 available on modern consoles and at a very reasonable price, it does feel like a stopgap until Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite comes along next year.

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard is a great new direction for the series that's genuinely scary and is only marginally held back by tedious combat.

A fantastic sequel to an already very good and interesting Vita game. Due to its unique gravity based mechanics, there are still some teething issues but the game remains eminently playable and fun with it.

A brief but eminently enjoyable Mario game stretched out in all sorts of less than successful ways. A perfect port of Mario gameplay to a new platform but a deeply problematic port of mobile structure onto classic Mario.

Yes, there are many frustrating elements, amplified by the fact they feel unnecessary and out of character for the series, but the journey this game takes you on is a worthwhile one. Unlike any other series of games I know, Ico, Shadow of the Colossus and now The Last Guardian each give you a real sense of place in a foreign landscape and you always come away from that feeling, “you were there.” In this day and age, that is still special I think but I genuinely hope the next game in this series doesn’t take another decade to make.

I loved playing Sun and Moon and despite the fact that this is he umpteenth Pokémon game released, it’s still incredibly compelling and brilliantly paced. The story and characters are very nicely done too, though the Team Skull grunts are wonderfully cheesy in their attempt at being hip-hop infused gangsters.

I loved playing Sun and Moon and despite the fact that this is he umpteenth Pokémon game released, it’s still incredibly compelling and brilliantly paced. The story and characters are very nicely done too, though the Team Skull grunts are wonderfully cheesy in their attempt at being hip-hop infused gangsters.

Dishonored 2 doesn’t live up to the original, but it still provides great gameplay mechanics and a sense of freedom you can’t find anywhere else.

It’s a vibrant world, more upbeat and less cruel than what we usually see in the genre, and its main characters finally seem like they’re having fun as a goofy group of hackers should. Combined with improved gameplay systems, and you will also be having fun eventually. It took me a few hours to realize that Watch Dogs 2 really had turned a corner, and after a full playthrough, I went from high skeptical to undeniably impressed.

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare is a solid entry in the long-running franchise, but it fails to stand out in a crowded first-person-shooter landscape.

Titanfall 2 is a masterpiece of game design that breathes life into the first-person shooter genre and treats its audience with respect.

It’s going to be the best kids game of the holiday season and no doubt a great gift for kiddos everywhere. But there’s plenty here grown-ups will enjoy as well. My advice? Play it with your kids. It’s best that way.

I think the whole thing works so well, I hope that EA decides to release it on PC, and even on consoles. The brand already has a presence outside of mobile and tablet, and I think this game would do well in the same markets as Hearthstone. And really, I like this game a lot more than the original Plants Vs. Zombies. It’s harder to compare it to Garden Warfare since that’s a full-blown shooter and it’s like comparing Guacodiles to Zapricots.

For every cool moment I have in Battlefield 1, whether it’s bayoneting a soldier or chopping someone in half from horseback, I’ll be blown up by twenty tanks or be headshot by twenty snipers, and often it’s more frustrating than fun. The campaign is mostly great, but again, probably no more than a 6-7 hour experience, and obviously not the worth the price of admission by itself. You will have to love multiplayer to make this game worth it, and if you don’t, well, you’re out of luck.