Overcooked 2 is better than the first game, but yet again, there is room for improvement. Ghost Town Games is still trying to nail the recipe for the perfect local co-op party game, and perhaps it will succeed if it delivers a third title with more levels that drops some of the more frustrating elements and irons out the lingering technical issues.

Fans of the series will likely enjoy the first episode, as it builds off years’ worth of investment. However, those that expected something that tied into A New Frontier may be somewhat disappointed, as this first episode offers many more questions with very little in the way of answers.

Unlike Legion, Battle for Azeroth doesn’t feel like a giant step forward from the game’s previous expansion.

Guacamelee! 2 does basically everything else right, and arguably better than a lot of other Metroidvania games on the market. Its core gameplay is tremendous, building off the original and feeling like a true step forward.

Wailing Heights is a challenging adventure game packed full of intriguing puzzles. Despite having a few drawbacks in terms of gameplay, this musical adventure game manages to provide players with a stable, unique experience and thereby delivers upon its promise of a world of oddities.

Mario Tennis Aces may not be quite as engaging as the Nintendo 64 game, but it’s a significant improvement over the poorly-received Ultra Smash on the Wii U.

Vampyr is at its best when players are digging into the lives of London’s citizens and choosing who to kill or who to spare, so it’s unfortunate that the developers felt the need to shoehorn in uninspired combat and frustrating exploration elements. Beneath these problems is a classic vampire story that leverages its grim visuals and moody soundtrack to create an engrossing atmosphere, but the many technical issues still make Vampyr hard to recommend, even for diehard fans of the genre.

Due to its numerous technical issues and underwhelming gameplay, it’s difficult to give State of Decay 2 a wide recommendation.

Detroit: Become Human may not offer much to players who don’t like this style of game, but fans of David Cage’s work should know that Detroit is definitely one of the better stories he’s crafted so far. It’s far better than Beyond: Two Souls, and while it may not be as innovative as Heavy Rain, it’s still a pretty fun ride and its incredible visuals and interesting story definitely make it worth checking out.

A complete and utter disappointment, and not a good start for the Portkey Games label. The game fails to take player choice into account in any meaningful way, the gameplay is shallow, and its free-to-play model is designed to frustrate and bore players into buying microtransactions.

The best comparison to be made is that Sony Santa Monica took a blockbuster, popcorn action flick and made it an Oscar contender, without sacrificing any of the series’ central DNA. God of War is one of this generation’s crowning achievements and is up there with some of Sony’s best.

By focusing on characters and story over cliche open world tropes, Far Cry 5 manages to be completely and utterly engrossing from start to finish. It’s one of the finest takes on the open world genre that we’ve seen, and while it may not deliver much in the way of revolutionary new ideas, it still stands as the best Far Cry game since Far Cry 3.

While it’s not a bad game by any means, Kirby Star Allies for the Nintendo Switch is far too easy and does little to evolve the established Kirby formula.

The game flatout fails to capture the Metal Gear spirit, and while it has some positive qualities, they aren’t enough to redeem it.

Its monster battles are intense and thrilling, and the wealth of content available should keep players busy for weeks, if not longer. Simply put, Monster Hunter World is a must-play game.

Monolith Soft has crafted a game in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 that takes the very best of JRPG elements and mixes it with some of the open world massiveness we’ve seen in titles like Horizon: Zero Dawn and Breath of the Wild this year.

Great graphics don’t make a great game. Even if we ignore the loot box controversy, Star Wars Battlefront 2 is still just an “OK” shooter that fails to leave a lasting impression. The single player campaign starts out strong, but quickly becomes a more generic Star Wars tale and makes protagonist Iden Versio far less interesting in the process.

Having reached what amounts to the “end game” of modern Pokemon titles,it becomes clear that Ultra Moon is easily the better experience when compared to the original jaunt through Alola.

With an improved Nazi Zombies mode, the best Call of Duty multiplayer in years, and a passable campaign, Call of Duty: WW2 feels like a return to form for the franchise after some lackluster entries.

In almost every way, the game acts as a love letter to fans of the 3D iterations of the Super Mario franchise. From the spectacular Kingdoms and all of their hidden secrets to the minute nods to past ventures and friends, the entirety of this adventure is a joyride from beginning to end – with countless hours that can be invested into the title long after the narrative has been completed. The formulaic changes have helped modernized a genre that has long been dormant, which is an immense feat in and of itself.

Fire Emblem Warriors may not convince gamers still unsold on the Warriors formula, but it’s sure to come pretty close after expertly implementing trademark mechanics of the renown Nintendo series. Add in local co-op multiplayer, nods to the source material’s permadeath option via Classic Mode, and even a History Mode that allows fans to replay key battles from the franchise’s past and it’s clear that developers Team Ninja and Omega Force were able to deliver some impeccable fan service to Fire Emblem fans.

A great follow-up to The Stick of Truth, and a game that fans of the TV show are bound to appreciate. It may have been a long time coming, but The Fractured but Whole is certainly worth the wait, particularly for those who want to have a bit of light-hearted fun with their RPG gameplay.

The Evil Within 2‘s goofy characters and cheesiness won’t be for everyone, but longtime fans of the genre will likely appreciate it. They will also appreciate its classic survival-horror gameplay that’s blended expertly with more modern features like open world settings, its improved graphics, and tighter narrative. By succeeding in all these areas, The Evil Within 2 is easily one of the best survival-horror games in recent memory, and is a significant step forward from its predecessor.

Splatoon 2 builds on what its successor did so well, with a much larger base of assets that has allowed Nintendo to provide more to consumers right off the bat.

There’s a wonderfulness surrounding all of this that makes dealing with the cracks in the original’s formulaic foundation a lot more bearable. While the jury is still out on whether or not the competitive scene will embrace Pokken this time around, the team at Namco Bandai can rest easy knowing that they’ve grown the game and left fans much better off as a result.

Shadow of War offers dozens of hours of entertainment for gamers who enjoy action adventure titles with a strong splash of RPG elements. The moving parts may be a touch too complicated for the most casual gamers, but players who are patient enough to master all of the game’s systems will be rewarded with an exciting story, control of a powerful army, and an unstoppable protagonist.

A worthy remake of one of the (if not the) most memorable iterations of the entire franchise. Every facet of the original has transitioned smoothly onto the newer hardware, and while the “warts and all” mentality of the combat may strike some as tiresome, the updated visuals and a wondrous retelling of various arcs of beloved characters both good and bad makes this throwback one of the more engaging titles available for Nintendo 3DS owners.

Truly, Cuphead is a game which will give victorious gamers a sense of satisfaction that few modern games manage to accomplish. The nostalgic visual prowess supplied by the game’s hand-drawn animations are second to none, and its period-appropriate soundtrack will force its way into gamers’ heads. Precision gameplay is key here, and the mechanics behind it – aside of an improvable control scheme – deliver a delightfully challenging title that doesn’t hold your hand through the process.