If you’re looking for a short, colorful adventure to entertain you for a few hours, it’s hard to go wrong here. Just watch your step.

It should be noted, though. that once you’ve done all the puzzles, there is zero replay value. That being said, The Vanishing of Ethan Carter is a must-play for those who love these types of experiences.

Sekiro is a great game. Despite my complaints with its boss fights and the elimination of the equipment system Dark Souls was known for, it was a challenging and exciting adventure through Feudal Japan. If you’re a From Software fan, it’s a must-buy game, even with the changes, and it’s a decent place to start even if you’ve never played a From game before. However, Sekiro is far from perfection.

It doesn’t offer the same personality and smile as Thomas Was Alone, but it’s lovely in the almost zen-like way that easy-to-grasp controls and a lack of direct pressure can create. Sure, it’s not difficult, nor is it as personality-driven as other HAL games like Kirby, but it’s a similar, simple charm. Even for the average puzzle-solving blockhead.

Like the Kevin Smith version of A New Hope I imagine almost daily, Sonic Mania is a game made by fans, for fans. And that's not a bad thing. Newcomers may be turned off by the intermittent difficulty spikes, but others may finally understand why many childhoods were spent looking for a kid who had a Sega Genesis.

It's not a perfect game: the visuals are dated, the combat spikes wildly at the end of the game, and the character interactions can be total anime cheese. However, it's a game in which I cared more about the characters and story than most boilerplate save-the-world JRPG melodramas.

FIFA Soccer is a rare first-outing for a newly launched device that actually acts a strong addition to the library of any gamer. Much of the depth of the FIFA experience is wasted here, but the new touch controls and the production values more than make up for it. Even if you're not into soccer, you might learn a thing or two and have fun playing on the run. You might also start calling it football like the rest of the crazy world.

While there are certainly glaring issues present in some of its branching paths, Quantic Dream has managed to craft a compelling world in Detroit, enriched by fantastic performances and state-of-the-art motion-capturing.

After expanding the stable of available figures with two-piece toys, it's clear that Swap Force's best asset is its versatile delivery of fun. It's not limited by the M-rated audience gaming typically caters to. Kids, male and female gamers of all ages, and even my SO can find something to like in Skylanders and everything to hate in the virtual killing fields of Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto.

If you only have a Wii and have been dying for some new content on the console, this is definitely something worth looking into to tide you over for a bit. If you enjoyed the DS title, for only $30 you can get its worthy sequel (with even better audio/visual presentation). If you're simply craving something crazy, weird, and refreshing to the rhythm genre, the discounted asking price could be worth it. In either case, this franchise's downright loopy beat will keep going on, and its creativity earns the cult following it has garnered.

Black Ops Cold War is the ultimate casual shooter. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing is up to you.

Despite some rough patches in difficulty, SSX manages to modernize itself with realism, course variety, and seamlessly integrated multiplayer. Even with the courses littered with pits and darkness, they can either be avoided or faced head-on with the same intensity as an epic boss battle. it doesn't have as bold of a personality than before, but ready or not, SSX is here to stay.

Regardless, if you’re a fan of the blue Astro Boy-like bot, or would simply love to check out great old-school 8-bit era games that weren’t made by Nintendo, look no further.

Where it may lack in depth, it more than makes up for it in charm, personality, and style-exactly the same qualities that made each of the characters on the rosters memorable PlayStation icons.

Gears Tactics makes a wonderful addition to the franchise, and I hope that it spins off as its own series. It avoids many of the pitfalls of the genre and provides a streamlined experience that was a breath of fresh air. Hardcore fans of tactical games may find it to be a bit too easy, but most will find it very enjoyable.

Overall, Episode 4 is a strong outing for Minecraft: Story Mode. By the end of the two hours, I was ready to begin the final chapter.

A title that begs for a sequel. As a proof of concept, it’s an absolute success as there are plenty of impressive moments and pieces of tech that help it stand out from other massive action games.

Disney Infinity: Marvel Super Heroes is still an excellent upgrade to both the single player and content aspects of the game.

I love the colorful environments, the little messages from explorers, and the sense of satisfaction you get from clearing a level quickly. Pixeljunk Shooter Ultimate plods along at a slower pace than you'd expect from the shooter genre, but its style and adventuresome attitude make it endearing and perfect for PlayStation Vita.

So if you can get over a lack of graphical variety and animation and a modicum of brainteasing, you’ll fare well in this cute puzzle adventure.

There's no denying that some players will find the formula repetitive after a short while, and the lack of other great game modes contributes to that repetition. But the complexity and depth of each class coupled with an entirely different experience as the monster allows Evolve to create its own niche within the larger multiplayer genre.

Any player at any skill level can sit down with Pokkén Tournament for a period of time and have just as much of a chance to win as a long-time fighting genre disciple.

As an episode, it does its job of continuing the plot of the prior installments while dialing up the drama necessary for a stressful conclusion. This episode may sometimes sprint on the way to that conclusion but it’s just going to be a few months until we find out whether or not the odd rush had a greater purpose.

At the end of the day, Final Fantasy IX is still a terrific game, and unlike many from its era, its core gameplay and plot have aged admirably.

It's a shame the game focuses so much on the Batmobile, because even that provides a welcome change of pace in small doses. Unfortunately, Arkham Knight doesn't deliver the Batmobile in small doses, and it turns out to be the most intrusive part of the experience.

If you've got a penchant for 2D brawling, old-school side-scrolling, and an ability to overlook way too many furry characters, Dust: An Elysian Tail is well worth your time and your money. It's certainly the best game in this year's Summer of Arcade lineup.

Bethesda could have written Prey off with no further support, or released a DLC that just did more of the same, but it didn't. Prey: Mooncrash is an excellent expansion to a great game and adds enough of a twist to feel fresh and exciting.

As far as old-style RPGs go, I Am Setsuna was worth looking forward to after the showing at E3 this year, and just as worth playing.

I think diehard fans are going to love the story while more casual gamers might appreciate the perks and extras that come out of it, especially the Dominate bonus power.

It’s a wonderful halfway point between full-on walking sims like Gone Home and murderous first-person shooters.

Rock Band Rivals has once again iterated in a way that makes it unquestionably the most attractive rhythm game so far this generation.

Hitman 2 is another contract in the same mold as the last, but like that bomb I placed into one of the target’s prized cars, it still knows how to be surprising when it counts.

With the PC version, you can tweak Final Fantasy 7 until practically every aspect is improved. The other editions of the game,including the Switch version, just can’t compete with that amount of flexibility.

Dragon Quest has usually been strictly associated with RPGs and Builders 2 proves that the series can work outside of those confines. And, if anything, the PC version makes that even more clear.

Wargroove is a gorgeous example of high fidelity pixel art, even when you’re fully zoomed out during gameplay. The battle scenes are vibrant and energetic, although they do take a bit too long to play out. There’s nothing in-game quite as pretty as the fully animated cutscene that starts everything off, but we can’t have everything.

Despite minor complaints and moments of awkwardly forced titillation that nearly wreck its somber and engrossing atmosphere, Last Light proves exhilarating, haunting, and one of the best-looking games ever.

Playing Lara Croft GO is no substitute for the full adventure, but it’s a great way to experience the world of Lara Croft in small doses.

If Konami would have introduced Metal Gear Survive as an entirely new title, and marketed it better, it would likely be a Spring hit. However, slapping Metal Gear on it weirdly makes it have this generic feel. Despite the enjoyable gameplay, I always felt like something was missing, and there is. You can tell Kojima went nowhere near this Metal Gear.

That gripe aside, for a simplistic puzzle game for such a low price I can't find much of anything wrong with The Splatters. The control is tight, it looks great, contains a significant number of puzzles, and it's light on bells and whistles. It's everything to expect from the price point but is definitely an amusing way to spend a few minutes at a time, not meant to suck hours and hours into.

Castle Crashers Remastered is a real hoot speaking as someone who missed out seven years ago. It's bright, funny button-masher that’s deep enough if you want more, and it has an Arena Mode, the Back Off Barbarian minigame, and an "Insane Mode" for good measure.

Spacecom is still fun if you’re not a social gamer, but if you plan to play by yourself exclusively I’d wait and see if it goes on sale.

While it may lack more than several features that we might have taken for granted in the last handful of WWE titles, WWE 2K15's gameplay enhancements are a necessary boon and provides a well-invested platform for its future.

As of right now, Snipperclips is the second best game on the Nintendo Switch, more than deserving of a small investment of time and money. If you enjoy anything about Nintendo’s newest piece of hardware, you will definitely get a couple of great hours out of this game. Just be sure to bring a friend along for the fun.

What's most important, though, is that regardless of your level of experience with a real-life diamond, MLB 13: The Show looks good enough, plays well enough, and offers enough customization to please any sports or simulation fan.

Fans of the Trials series will likely enjoy Trials Fusion. Players who have yet to play a Trials game: Welcome to hell. Okay, maybe that's a tad extreme, but this is not a game for the faint of heart. Those willing to fight and endure will be rewarded a satisfying experience though, one in which the numerous deaths and crashes only add to the momentous victory as the player crosses the finish line.

For those who haven’t played the PlayStation version, this is worth a pick-up for the novelty of it all and worth the time for playing with friends.

Firefly Studios hasn't quite made a new classic RTS game here, but they were extremely close.

There simultaneously needed to be a lot more of Rage 2 and lot less; a lot more depth in its driving, story, and missions and a lot less repeated content and long stretches of empty landscape. With all of the fluff in between frenetic firefights, most of Rage 2‘s incredible moments are bookended by elements that are underbaked by comparison. But id’s knack for making impeccable first-person shooting mechanics makes Rage 2 succeed despite having faults that would doom a lesser shooter.

Darwin Project isn’t an also-ran, it’s a trendsetter, and anyone still interesting in dropping in hot should take notice.

Except for a still-finicky camera (and Oswald being an adorable pain in the ass), I really enjoyed Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. The Rainbow Caverns stage is one of the prettiest I've ever seen, the animation style for the cut-scenes is simply beautiful FMV, and the puzzles-while not terribly difficult-are fun to solve.

In the meantime, Hearthstone is definitely worth the entrance free of zero moneys. Now, your time investment may grow to be worth much more than that amount, as is the case with many games under the Blizzard banner. That part, once again, they definitely have gotten right.

Unlike an actual dragon, 7th Dragon III Code VFD might not set the world on fire, but JRPG lovers should give it a chance all the same. There’s a lot to do and sink your teeth into, and it’s a perfect game to show to people who might find these sorts of games too daunting.

Rocket League is a fast, frenetic and addictive game, and playing it while on the move ensures that you won't feel compelled to put it down until your Switch's battery runs out. While this isn't the best-looking port, its smooth and stable performance makes up for it, and being able to play it on the move is a great twist on a winning formula.

Some of the more unique levels are a blast to play and the core combat is fun from start to finish. The cooperative focus is also a great bullet point in its favor, and it’s implemented in such a way that the single-player doesn’t feel lessened because of it.

Simplifying the controls doesn’t change the fact that another player is going to be better than you, but it does help to step beginners up from one football experience level to the next. It could be that having played with deeper controls gave me awareness of my opponent’s range and ability, but even with two buttons I was able to string together a few plays and feel better about my skills in the following matches.

Ghostwire: Tokyo’s biggest problem is that it takes very few chances. Unfortunately, the gameplay is just too familiar for its own good. It’s got a great premise, and I loved its version of Tokyo. However, the story and setting are in a framework that’s all too familiar. It also has a hard time figuring out whether it wants to be a linear or open world title. Despite these issues, it has a compelling story, and I enjoyed the journey from start to finish. It’s great seeing an accessible AAA title like this utilize Japanese folklore as its inspiration and shows just how far we’ve come from the 90s where JRPGs were downplaying those sorts of things.

In addition to Trackmania Turbo's single-player campaign, you can enjoy a race variation where two players work in unison to control one car. There's also local multiplayer racing and action-packed online multiplayer modes, including one where 100 players race ghost cars against each other. Add the deep track creator to the surrealistic mix, and the result is a fantastic racing game that will keep players coming back for short doses of fun-filled mayhem!

If you thrill in playing games that represent the sweat and tears of a developer, Gorogoa is a great game to purchase. It's absolutely gorgeous, and I found it supremely meditative.

Regardless of a few underlying faults with character development and the occasional fetch quests, Dying Light: The Following is undoubtedly among the best story-mode expansions I have ever played.

Allowing you to pick your own heir to the throne and affect direct change across a whole country is impressive, making the story feel like its your own. This is emotionally strengthened by other elements like permadeath. While it can be frustrating to play at times, it is absolutely worth experiencing Romancing SaGa 2; a truly hidden gem in the Square Enix library.

Even though this Twisted Metal might be a decade newer, it doesn't stray far from its series' heritage. It makes driving a vehicle equipped with weapons of every kind as fun as it sounds. It's a title aimed directly at bringing heart-racing competition to the living room and the unique vehicles, powerful weapons, and complexity make it the perfect title to enjoy with friends. It isn't every day that you play a game that rewards you for driving fast and blowing enemies up, but that's exactly what Twisted Metal is an expert at.

Madden NFL 16 isn’t perfect. None of them ever are, but it’s always been about finding that balance of what sounds good and what looks good. For those familiar with the franchise, jumping back into the swing of things will be a breeze. New users could benefit from the training gauntlet.

In one breath, Freedom Wars will either delight or subvert what you think about role-playing games whether you’re well versed in Japanese gaming or not.

Fast gunplay, likable characters, and its weapon crafting system work incredibly well when the difficulty doesn’t spike too hard and kill the pacing and framerate. It’s almost there in many respects which make the prospect of a sequel awfully alluring but it’s executed well enough to make it a good game in its own right.

If you're a fan of the series who missed the 3DS game, this is must-play as it captures a lot of what's made RE so beloved over the years. If you have a 3DS available to you (an XL would be ideal), try to play it, even without a second Circle Pad. Something about having to stand still while you shoot still scares the crap out of me, and at least on 3DS there was an excuse to maintain that legacy of "bad" controls.

Sine Mora fills a void in the Vita's lineup. It's an arcade-balanced, twitch title with tons of beautiful visuals and plenty of replay value. Bosses and environments are inventive and challenging, while still leaving room for noobs looking to dip their toes in the shoot-'em-up genre. Despite the unintelligible story and the fact that schmups are still quite niche, it's easy to recommend Sine Mora all over again.

Though not as refined and freeform as some of its predecessors, it continues in the longstanding Souls tradition of lending credence to challenging games and making the seemingly Sisphyean task of conquering ruthless, malformed monstrosities possible and downright commendable.

Like its quirky protagonist, Warp is small and doesn't have much to say, but it earns your respect and attention by the end with its originality.

If you've got a Vita, this is well worth a look, even if you're not compelled by the brand or even the gameplay.

While there are certainly some rough edges that keep it from being truly great, They Came From Below is We Happy Few at its best and then some. It’s the dark cinematic adventure that fans wanted from the original game, even if it tackles very different themes.

Laser League presents a simple but original idea done incredibly well, and I hope that its player base stays strong. With its low price point and accessible gameplay, if you're into your competitive games, then you should give this one a shot.

Disney Infinity is an amazing game with faults which lie most often in the playsets themselves and some of the poor vehicle controls and inconsistent player training, which feel a bit like the growing pains that we saw in early sandbox games. That said, Avalanche Software has created a game that doesn't just let you play in the Disney sandbox, but gives you the bucket and trowel to build your own castle in it.

Despite some setbacks with the fetch quests and the bad jokes, Provinciano’s follow-up to his classic Retro City Rampage doesn’t disappoint. Shakedown Hawaii has loads of replay value, between acquisitions, mayhem, and raging through city streets. It is splendidly designed, composed, and its visuals are a great nostalgic reminder of the SNES era.

Gotham Knights is a thrilling DC action-RPG that works equally well in single-player and co-op, and all four heroes are worth playing. Missions are exciting, combat works perfectly, and the story is well-written and compelling — especially the Belfry character moments. Nevertheless, it falls into the all-too-common open-world game trap of having a big, vibrant map but not enough to do in it.

Both the integrated gameplay and the polished presentation set a high standard for the fighting genre, and the replayability of the towers system along with the dangling carrots in the revamped Krypt will ensure that Mortal Kombat fans have plenty to sink their teeth into. In fact, it's roasty-toasty.

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest is an excellent, challenging SRPG that requires a great deal of forethought and precision, rewarding the player for hard choices, and keeping your characters in play.

As it stands now, Inside My Radio is a really novel concept that’s fun and great for the majority of its play. I give the game this: It never overstays its welcome. It’s too bad that it’s so short, though. I was having fun right up until that last boss battle, and I wanted more.

That said, on its own merits, The Walking Dead Episode 1 is a unique title worth giving a try, regardless of its IP-but especially for those who appreciate what the established franchise strives for in storytelling.

Like a Dragon: Ishin is worth the wait, and fans of the series are in for a real treat. However, it is a niche entry in the series and not one I’d recommend for beginners. In fact, the more of the main games you’ve played before tackling Ishin, the more you’ll get out of it. Nevertheless, it’s a great spin on the Yakuza formula, and I’m glad Sega took the risk and finally brought it overseas.

So… beautiful presentation, interesting characters, all the features we expect by now, and the ability to extend our e-penis through YouTube-able matches? If you're up for the challenge, I highly recommend this purchase.

Solid, a football title that can and will be enjoyed. The progression from year to year is small, but how we look back in five years is what makes the difference.

Despite some questionable (and that’s being friendly) difficulty scaling, Nier: Automata is largely a success. It’s the most unique game I’ve played in 2017, one that will assuredly be in our thoughts when it comes time to consider the best game of the year. You'll have so much to do and so many ways to do it, with a series of endings as vast as a game like Torment: Tides of Numenera (which was mostly text-based). Nier: Automata begs to be replayed, even as it's punishing you for doing so.

Live A Live is still full of charm, and the graphics and gameplay have been tweaked just enough to give it some modern touches. Hopefully, it’ll get the recognition it deserves alongside Square’s other classics.

However, if you’re unbothered by framerate, the Switch version of Ion Fury is just as complete content-wise as it is on any other platform. You won’t miss out on or gain any content on the Switch, and this is the only way to take the game on the go. If you’re set on picking up Ion Fury, your choice of platform really comes down to portability vs. framerate. If a handheld version of the game is essential, the Switch is the only console that can offer that feature. Otherwise, you’re best off picking the game up elsewhere.

The story, the full narrative, is relevant to a lot of children like Ethan Carter and is steeped in sobering realism. For that, I would encourage you to discover it and find him.

It’s no system seller, but instead an excellent addition to the existing Wii U owner’s library—whether you’ve played it already or not.

If you’re already a fan of Yacht Club’s charming 8-bit franchise, there’s little doubt you’ll want to pick up Specter of Torment. Its story angle alone as a prequel renders it unique, and encountering familiar characters and bosses from the perspective of a baddie is the sort of script-flipping that makes this universe worth perpetually hanging around in.

Horizon Zero Dawn for PC earns a great score as it still does so much right, easily deserving the attention of any curious PC gamers who feel as though they missed out, and for anyone who’s happy to jump in at that $50 launch price.

Even if you're likely to move onto the console version or you don't play your 3DS much, this edition of the venerable brawling series offers everything you could want and will likely become a standard bearer for the platform.

Here's what really makes For Honor great, though: its difficulty curve. I haven't played a game that slaps you in the face as much as For Honor since I played Dota 2. You'll play and play and feel like you're getting nowhere until one day, one game, or even one moment where you see everything differently, and, while you won't instantly master it, you'll now clearly see the path to mastery.

Arguably the best Jurassic Park-themed game to date, and a must-buy for fans of the films.

There's nothing quite like Albion Online in the modern climate of MMOs, and frankly, it's a breath of fresh sandbox air.

Make no mistake—regardless of my feelings about not getting the full trilogy, and my mild disappointment with how Gears of War plays in 2015, The Coalition has made a triple-A package worth picking up for any fan of the series.

If you can stomach the rhyming, you’ll find Aurora an engaging heroine with a worthy cause who can slog her way through even the most intense RPG battles.

Aside from some faulty matchmaking, the package is a fighting game worth playing. It looks good enough and runs smoothly, and even when lagging, the online play is nice and clean.

Though Dead Rising 3 doesn't have the most detailed graphics nor the most groundbreaking gameplay, it's a thoroughly entertaining ride that anchors the Xbox One far from the grave.

For a game made by an independent studio paid for by crowd-funding, it sure looks and feels top-class. Those who funded the game should be proud of themselves, and so should the team members who crafted it.

Diablo 2: Resurrected makes playing Diablo 2 more enjoyable than ever. The visual upgrades are immense, and I still enjoy the tight game design as much as I did 20 years ago. I wish that more quality of life improvements were introduced with this remake/remaster. Just a few more small changes could have rectified some annoyances that stem from it being a 20-year-old game. As it stands, it’s almost too close to the original in all the wrong ways while missing multiplayer options that were removed for no reason.