It’s a bottom-line, top-notch, kick-ass portable strategy experience that finally breaks the online-competition barrier, and brings some new and long-awaited ‘dark cred’ to the traditionally cutesy series without losing its essential streamlined, battle-hardened goodness.

I have faith that with such a large following (and cash flow) the PUBG team will eventually get things squared away, but for now, this game still feels like it's in early access. However, PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is an absolute blast to play and has a broad appeal that few other games can match. As long as you temper your expectations (and make sure you have a decent PC), then this is one of the top games of 2017 to check out.

There’s plenty of room for improvement, since there isn’t much in the way of creative ability or battle variation, but the diverse track picks and simple control scheme help put together a game that will definitely keep the crowd hyped.

Forza Horizon 2 may be vanilla when compared to other open-world racers, but if so, it's one of the most well-produced vanillas ever made. While it could be bolstered by having more skill-based challenges and any kind of avatar customization, it impresses with technical brilliance, robust online integration, and graphical splendor.

The paper-rock-scissors effect has never been so intricately factored into the units, the missions are interesting, and all your favorite actors (from Udo Kier to Ray Wise) are back to make Yuri's some of the sweetest revenge ever.

A terrifically funny, beautiful and great sounding game. A few bugs may mar the experience at points, but they don't hamper the fun.

It’s a new game with an air of familiarity. It’s a new reason to play XCOM a few more times. It’s what is widely considered illegal human experimentation masked by grand speeches about the “greater good.” It’s more of what you love for a very reasonable asking price.

The Cuphead PS4 port may not bring anything new to the table, but it’s still the prettiest chalice on it.

It's not a whole lot of replay value, but it's something — and for a $10 retro-inspired arcade-style game, that certainly doesn't suck. Or blow.

As it stands now, A Realm Reborn vastly improves on its predecessor and delivers a wonderful fantasy world to spend countless hours in. It has its fair share of flaws, especially in regard to the quest structure, but I imagine fans of the genre will enjoy their time with the game regardless.

Connection problems aside, I've really been enjoying the hell out of this new Luigi's Mansion. The whole thing is damn fun, especially for people like me that have fond memories of the Gamecube original.

Playing Guitar Hero III is like picking up a brand-new, fashionable (wireless!) guitar. It may have a light but solid body, a sexy and sophisticated shape, more durable strings, more easily adjustable tuners, and hell, it may just sound better, but it doesn’t have the spit and polish - that look of a mature instrument which reminds you of all the years you’ve spent with it, of all the sweat and beer stains.

If I were Bob Dylan, I might ask, “How many versions of this game must we suffer, before we get something really new? “.

This isn’t the game for everyone. Dragon Quest 11 is unabashedly a traditional JRPG. For some, the slower pacing and linear experience aren’t going to be appealing. However, for those who have fallen in love with the genre, and grew up adoring Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and others, this game is the ultimate expression of the traditional JRPG.

Destiny still has a few issues that could be sorted out, but The Taken King brings hope that future Destiny expansions will fix those too.

For fans of Blizzard's IPs, it's a game that holds tremendous value despite its free-to-play nature. For others, it's an exceptional multiplayer game that merits consideration.

All in all, Turok 2: Seeds of Evil is a great game and a worthy sequel. Those of you who loved "Turok: Dinosaur Hunter" will absolutely love this beauty. Turok 2 has managed to impress me just as much as its predecessor.

Returnal is unambiguously and thoroughly an outstanding game. Mixing the RPG progression and ever-evolving suite of roguelite hooks with a frenetic third-person shooter results in a new experience with two halves that make each other better. As it did with the PS3, Vita, and PS4, Housemarque has once again provided Sony with another launch-era hit and in doing so has created a rewarding, replayable, and revolutionary game that’s hopefully the foundation for other future AAA titles that are as clever with the roguelite blueprint.

Spit and polish have taken the series far over the last two decades, but this is the first sign that maybe a more substantial revision is due.

This year, as 2K8 lags with its overcomplicated controls, EA has managed to slip by. NHL 08 is imperfect, but with its simple gameplay and its clean presentation, it’s somehow on track to lead the league and push it forward.

The improvements are a hugely positive step in making the Football Manager series the most realistic version of soccer management. There’s been no finer version of a Football Manager game, and it could be a few years before we see an entry as innovative as this one.

Persona 4: Arena is easy to recommend to anyone and everyone thanks to its approachable, deep gameplay. If you're new to the Persona series, this is a shallow spot to jump in and see if the characters and universe are for you.

The inclusion of Sylvia doesn't really add much to the sequel. But this kind of thing doesn't come along very often, so embrace Japan's love of nonsense and make this Joe a real American superhero.

A truly excellent game hidden beneath layers of poor choices. There’s so much here to love, yet between the copious bugs, performance issues, and it ushering the player away from its very best features, it gets lost in the rubble...When played on PC, Cyberpunk 2077 is still an impressive, engrossing, and fun RPG despite its flaws. However, assuming that CD Projekt Red sticks to its word and fixes its problems, it has all the potential to be a genuine classic of its genre. As such, it’s difficult to recommend playing it at its worst, when its best could be something special.

At least the game makes you feel more like a quarterback than ever before, and that's reason enough for one hell of an end-zone celebration.

For a game with so much content, it’s at home on a portable screen, even if the 3D isn’t anything to write home about.

It's an above-average tactical RPG with excellent production value and moderately good gameplay scenarios, but it feels surprisingly one-note and dissatisfying if taken on its own merits as a self-contained game. If you're willing to pony up the extra $20 to buy Conquest, or the $80 price tag of the Special Edition with both Conquest and Revelation, I highly recommend it, as the whole experience of all three is where the real value of the game is.

This HD version might not be as eye candy-worthy as Wind Waker HD was, but that really is a minor quibble for such an amazing experience.