Warhammer: Vermintide 2 is an excellent evolution of the formula set out by its predecessor and offers up some of the most intense, gory, and fast-paced co-op action you can find in any genre.

Prey is the best BioShock-style game we've seen in years. It gets better the more you play it, and hides secrets that encourage repeat playthroughs. For fans of single-player titles, Prey is a game that belongs in Game of the Year discussions.

Cyber Shadow packs a lot of quality into a small six-hour package. If you love indie platformers and have a soft spot in your heart for games like Ninja Gaiden and Shatterhand then you won’t want to pass this one up.

The Blue Bomber is back, and if you were ever a fan of his adventures, then you should pick Mega Man 11 up. It’s a solid entry in the Mega Man franchise, and it will make you remember why you fell in love with this super fighting robot all over again.

You have to commend Severed for using the Vita's touchscreen heavily for its gameplay. And while that use of the system works and is mostly enjoyable, it's not always entertaining.

Tides feels like a complete, if strangely assembled, game. You'll find surprising depth in some areas while other aspects aren't developed quite as much as it feels like they should be, but the total package is a huge success. Commit to learning the game's vocabulary and don't let yourself get overwhelmed by lore at the game's beginning, and you'll be richly rewarded.

Mental illness is a seldom discussed and often misunderstood topic. While Hellblade is far from a direct and immediate exploration of psychosis and how it affects people, it uses a powerful narrative mixed with symbolic gameplay elements to weave a tale of horrific trauma and unsettling experiences. Hellblade is easily one of 2017’s very best games, and the best game I’ve played all year that isn’t Zelda.

As a Danganronpa fan, I liked Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony, but I hesitate to call it a must-play. It’s a great puzzle game to keep you busy while you wait for the next Phoenix Wright or Professor Layton, but you won’t walk away from this one happy. What did you expect from a series obsessed with despair?

Easily one of Devolver Digital's best releases from last year, Downwell is an old-school delight that won't let you down in the least. It's difficult at times, but still utterly rewarding when it comes to exciting gameplay, plenty of unlockables and a right-at-home presentation for NES fans. Now we just need a console release to seal the deal.

I don't think I'd be out of line by saying Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order is the best Star Wars game since 2003's Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and stands as one of the best Star Wars games ever made.

Life is Strange: Chaos Theory moves the series' plot forward, if awkwardly at times. The third chapter makes up for the weak decisions players have to make by maintaining a superb production quality and delving into increasingly mature issues.

For those of you who have been longing to fill your F-Zero void, Fast Racing Neo is it. It's a wonderful futuristic racer with plenty of perks, challenges and joys, whether you prefer going at it alone or cruising with friends in tow. It's one of the year's most surprising games, and a ride you definitely shouldn't miss.

Overall, Guitar Hero Live is a huge jump forward for the music game genre while at the same time abandoning some of the things we loved about music games. If you can get past some of the things that are gone and embrace the new ideas, you'll have a great time playing fantasy rock star.

This is an instance of a fantastic game’s incredible potential being wasted on a mismanaged port. If you can grab it on a Steam sale and haven’t played it before, it might be worth a look, but as it stands you might as well wait for the inevitable release of the latest version on home consoles.

Even though some might be groaning at the cost of having to buy all new toys with it (relax, older ones work just fine as well), Skylanders SuperChargers still qualifies as one of the better games in the series to date. It's fun to play whether in a vehicle or running around, and it looks and sounds very nice for the most part. If your wallet is prepared, you'll have no problem reaching top speed with this one.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a fantastic game, despite its shortcomings. Its fresh take on Fire Emblem mechanics and compelling narrative more than make up for its questionable DLC policies and missing online content. With rumor flying around that the 3DS is nearing the end of its lifespan, ending on Fire Emblem Echoes would be a more than fitting swan song for the powerful little handheld. I, for one, would welcome “Echoes” versions of other classic FE titles, such as The Blazing Blade.

The controls take some getting used to, and the graphics could've been a little bit better, but overall, this is a sibling rivalry you should check out.

The Walking Dead: A New Frontier continues to prove that Telltale Games are masters of storytelling. They know exactly how to craft a narrative that gets you attached to the characters you are controlling, invested in their choices, and devastated by the tragic consequences of those choices.

Samurai Shodown is yet another fighting game that is fun to play but suffers in its core feature set. The hardcore fighting game fanatic will love it, but the mainstream consumer will find it offers much less than other titles on the market.

This is an excellent start for the second season of a game with big shoes to fill. We may have lost Telltale Games forever, but you can dry your tears with Dontnod’s big-hearted adventure of a story game.

This isn’t the pinnacle of the Ace Attorney series like fans wanted, but it’s a perfectly enjoyable entry nonetheless.

Borderlands 3 is more Borderlands and not much else. It doesn’t innovate. It doesn’t push the looter shooter genre forward. It doesn’t say anything profound with its plot. It plays it 100% safe by nearly copying its predecessors. That might be enough for some people, but it’s not enough to stand out against other contemporary looter shooters.

Despite a tendency to force the player to work through a number of repetitive activities Dragon's Dogma delivers innovative, action-packed boss fights and the occasional twist in the story to keep things interesting. Graphically Dragon's Dogma isn't doing anything special, but for a game originally developed on the previous generation of consoles it delivers a satisfying gameplay experience on the PC.

Bravely Second’s writing just doesn’t live up to its predecessor. Otherwise, it’s an incredibly solid and technically competent game that will have you tinkering with its job system for hours.

The gameplay and story holds up quite well even 10 years later, and the new content makes the experience refreshing even for the most hardcore fan. This is an important port, for the RPG community, for the Tales series, and for video games in general.

It’s a cute concept that will keep you enthralled for well more than 60 seconds.

CrossCode is a love letter to 16-bit RPGs and action-adventure games and features a fun projectile-based combat system. Its lengthy development time was well-spent, and it’s clear that time was used to put together an RPG experience that’s completely worthwhile. Whether or not you play a lot of RPGs, there’s a lot to love here.

This game is a must-play for sci-fi racing fans who own a Switch, especially if you dream about the day a new F-Zero game comes out. It’s not exactly the same, but evokes a strong classic feeling with a few new twists that make it both fresh and familiar.

In many ways it feels too early to judge Battlefield V, and the game doesn't feel quite as substantial as it needs to. But the foundation is strong, and upcoming free content releases should add a lot of depth to the title.

Highly entertaining, bombastic, and just plain weird.

Remnant: From the Ashes sometimes struggles to present a cohesive, balanced vision for the kind of game it’s trying to be, but nestled within that chaotic swirl of ideas is a strong core that’s supported by equally strong gameplay. As long as you don’t mind enduring highly difficult bosses and a lack of ambient polish, Remnant is the perfect sort of game for players who appreciate both the Souls-like and tactical third-person shooting genres.

A Plague Tale: Innocence doesn’t push the envelope as far as gameplay is concerned, but the incredibly compelling art direction and great writing should be experienced by any fans of single-player, narrative-driven experiences who don’t mind incredibly dark subject matter.

There are some noticeable detractors which keep it from being a truly great game, but for what it sets out to accomplish, i.e. fusing the strategy and 2D brawler genres into a cohesive single package, Aztez succeeds in many more regards than it fails. Since Aztez is Team Colorblind’s first game, I’m excited to see what the developer comes up with for future projects, but in the meantime Aztez itself is a very strong first showing.

Fall Guys: Ultimate Knockout is worth playing for multiple reasons. It’s fast-paced, silly, and fun. It’s a unique take on the battle royale formula. It’s great in short bursts or longer play sessions. This is just a really entertaining online multiplayer game, and it’s some of the most fun you’ll have with a game this summer.

Some may wonder why it's so high-priced, or why certain aspects of the game weren't as polished as the rest of it. But God of War III Remastered shows that Sony Santa Monica is more than ready for PS4 development, and that means we're in for something cool whenever Kratos decides to cover new territory. In the meantime, give his god-pummeling journey a revisit.

Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2 offers good combination of multiplayer third-person shooter gameplay and platformer collect-a-thons of days past.

Hover Junkers proves Roomscale VR systems like the Vive aren't gimmicks but the future of gaming. Hover Junkers just made every non-VR shooter obsolete.

I understand that, as a CCG fan who prefers PvE play, I am in the minority, but The Elder Scrolls: Legends has honestly been the first digital CCG that felt like it was welcoming me in with open arms instead of forcing me to either play PvP or make do with subpar alternatives. Bethesda certainly has some stiff competition going up against games like Hearthstone and CD Projekt Red’s upcoming standalone Gwent game, but as far as first impressions go, I have never been more pleasantly surprised by a CCG than I was by The Elder Scrolls: Legends.

Endless Space 2 offers hundreds of ways to play, an interesting player-driven narrative experience, and above all the addictive turn-based gameplay we've grown to love.

With a rushed third act and a few frustrating quirks here and there, Tyranny falls just short of reaching the legendary heights of the games that inspired it. Obsidian has, however, once again delivered on their pedigree with an engrossing and inventive story of betrayal and tyrannical rule. This game is a must-play for fans of isometric narrative roleplaying games.

It’s more comparable to Persona 5 Strikers than, say, Hyrule Warriors.

If you just want a fun 3D fighting game with no extras, then Soulcalibur VI is the grand revival of the franchise you have been waiting for. If you want something more, Soulcalibur VI doesn’t offer nearly as much as other fighting games on the market.

It's a fine choice for fans of adventure games and Wild West lore alike. The game is always giving you something fun to do, and its open-ended nature warrants multiple playthroughs.

The lack of great puzzles in a game that we know is capable of them is unfortunate, but once you get over what’s missing, you’ll likely enjoy what’s there.

The Evil Within 2 improves on the sequel in every way, while retaining the core of what made the first one special. Better gameplay, better story, and more options make this an all around excellent survival horror experience.

If you're looking for a good multiplayer game on your brand new Nintendo Switch, Snipperclips is a must. In addition to being accessible, it will test your ability to solve puzzles and work as a team. Expect a lot of laughter and hours of fun in this puzzle game offering great value for your money.

If Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is an indication of the direction the series is going in from here, I’m all in. Valhalla sheds light on the Viking era in a distinctly hopeful way with fantastically written characters and story arcs that feel like you’re bingeing an excellent show. The gameplay is at its finest, too, brilliantly balancing stealth and combat in equal measure. If it weren’t for an overwhelming number of frustrating bugs and the lack of quality side content, this could have been the best Assassin’s Creed yet.

The Force Awakens playset recreates the action and excitement of the new movie in a fun, cartoony way that will delight children as well as any Star Wars fan who's still in touch with their inner child.

While BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma Extend could've used more new content (and more balance in the way it tells a story), it’s still a worthwhile brawler for PS4 and Xbox One. That goes double for fans that want to get the full gist of what BlazBlue's universe has to offer – this is as expansive as fan service as the series gets. At least, for now.

Blood and Truth is a shining example of what happens when a talented team of developers carve out their own niche in the VR genre. It’s a hectic walk through a wild world of guns, mercenaries, and car chases that’s more than worth your time.

The main thing that holds Dariusburst Chronicles Saviors back from utter greatness is its price of admission. $60 for a "shmup" may be a bit much for some gamers to ask. However, those who do invest will find Chronicles to their liking, with the number of modes available, the local co-op support, the awesome presentation and the devotion to the series' history. Fans of the genre will definitely get something for their buck.

Night School Studio has delivered a shining example of narrative excellence with Oxenfree. The story, the characters, the look, and the sound all come together to create an unforgettable series of wonderful moments.

Tokyo Mirage Sessions is not only the best JRPG to come out for the Wii U, it’s likely the best JRPG we have seen in this generation, period. Atlus is going to have their work cut out for them if they are going to one-up themselves with Persona 5.

Pokémon Sword and Shield is a decent Pokémon game that will keep you playing until the end. It doesn’t deserve all the controversy it’s been getting, but it’s not a particularly stand out entry in the franchise either.

There's no question that New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe is a good game, and being able to play it on the go is a huge advantage, but that portability doesn’t necessarily cancel out the lack of new content.

The Call of Duty: Modern Warfare reboot is certainly not the first game that has disappointed me at launch, and hopefully it will join the list of games I was initially disappointed with but grew to love thanks to their respective developers’ continued devotion and care. I know it’s not the safest of bets given the Call of Duty franchise’s annualized rollout, but I honestly want to see Modern Warfare continue to flourish as much as I’m sure the folks at Infinity Ward do.

If you are a fan of the Mega Man X series, then this new collection is a great way to own all your favorite games on one console. The X Challenge is a neat little extra, but is probably not worth a purchase for anyone who isn’t coming for the main games themselves.

If you're a Civilization VI fan, adding Gathering Storm to your game isn't a hard choice. It adds depth where the game needs it and brings some fascinating new civilizations into the fold. Civ VI has charted a polarizing new course for the franchise since its original release, and there's nothing in Gathering Storm that will make you like the core game if you don't already enjoy it.

Pokémon Sword and Shield is a decent Pokémon game that will keep you playing until the end. It doesn’t deserve all the controversy it’s been getting, but it’s not a particularly stand out entry in the franchise either.

While this won’t keep you playing for much more than 10 hours, it’s still a fantastic throwback to classic Castlevania that oldschool action platformer fans will love.

Rime is definitely not a game for everyone, but it does teach a lesson that everyone should be able to appreciate if given the chance. The literal act of playing the game is rife with minor frustrations and short bouts of boredom, but as a sum of its parts it’s a memorable journey I won’t soon forget.

Valorant isn’t trying to appeal to everyone. It’s trying to appeal to a hyper focused slice of the hardcore shooter fanbase. If that sounds like you, you will absolutely love it.

The first great game of 2017. It takes what made the original a cult classic and builds upon that foundation in meaningful ways across all areas of the experience. Few games will make your heart race and palms sweat with excitement from moment-to-moment like Kat’s physics-defying journey through the skies.

Pokémon Sword and Shield is a decent Pokémon game that will keep you playing until the end. It doesn’t deserve all the controversy it’s been getting, but it’s not a particularly stand out entry in the franchise either.

There is a good amount of content here and the gameplay is fun. My only real complaints are that the game can be a pain to play solo, the class perks don’t always make a lot of sense, and the points grind won’t be a fun time for people who don’t want to move the difficulty mode up as their characters level up.

Pokémon Let’s Go has a lot of great innovations that would be welcome in other Pokémon games, but the experience is just too simplified to hold my interest. I’d wager that most long-time Pokémon fans will feel the same.

It’s hard to deny that Nidhogg 2 is more casually oriented than Nidhogg 1 was, and that’s going to turn a lot of Nidhogg 1’s hardcore fanbase off. But if you can get beyond the random gameplay and the weird character design, there is a lot of fun to be had here, especially for its low price tag.

Arise: A Simple Story is well worth the $20 and six hours you'll spend playing it. Even though it can't seem to avoid problems that plague your typical indie game, the artwork and level design are beyond worth the small investment.

WRC 9 proves that there’s a good reason to own more than one rally sim. It’s an exciting game with tons of options, and its training courses make it more accessible to newcomers. Wrapping your Volkswagen around a tree has never been so much fun.

I wouldn’t go so far as to say The Division is the online shooter experience that will usher the genre into a new golden age, but it is a worthy alternative for those who are looking for a more methodical and immersive experience than what games like Destiny can offer. There are still no guarantees about The Division’s long-term sustainability, but the strong out-of-the-gate showing it has already made is certainly a good start.

A worthy successor to the King’s Quest name and a worthy first episode for this ongoing series. If you are a fan of the classic adventure game, A Knight To Remember is one you won’t forget.

If you're playing solo, then The Jackbox Party Pack 2 isn't likely to be your speed. However, if you're looking for a game that will suit your fellow partygoers, or want to stream a good, lively game session with your fellow deviants, then it's an essential purchase – especially when you begin to get hooked on Quiplash and Earwax. It'll certainly put a twist on your holidays.

This is an ideal way to become introduced in the series, and it'll get you excited for the sequel to come.

This is no Thousand Year Door, and it’s not really an RPG at all, but it is a nice little diversion to keep your thumbs busy between other bigger releases.

Middle-earth: Shadow of War is a massive and ambitious action game that delivers an epic sense of scale. From single stealthy murders up to the never-ending fortress battles available via online play, Shadow of War is a blast.

Overall, NBA 2K20 is still the best basketball game on the planet and that doesn’t look to be changing any time soon. While some fans may be upset about microtransactions, it’s not a requirement to play the game. At this point, however, it seems like as long as NBA 2K is the best game out there, microtransactions will be here to stay.

Skylanders Imaginations is built for the long haul with great replay value, which may be one more reason for the series to take a year off.

Squadrons is a Star Wars experience I’ve been looking for since the ‘90s. A two-decade quest has come to an end. I’d happily pay for a bit more single player content, and I hope the devs have some tricks up their sleeves to expand the multiplayer. I’d love a PvE horde mode of some kind.

With the 65 songs available with Rock Band 4, a downloadable library that can add up to 1,500 songs, and the future exporting option of previous Rock Band discs, you’ll playing for a while.

An incredibly enjoyable, but short VR experience that shows off just how much fun VR horror can be with proper sound design and attention to detail. You may not want to play this game over and over again, but for a short, five chapter horror story it’s undeniably engaging, and more importantly, scary as hell.

Yoshi’s Crafted World is a wonderful little platformer to either play with your family or to hold you over as we head into the summer doldrums. It’s not going to be Nintendo’s big killer app this year, but it’s a fine game that will appeal to platformer fans and Yoshi fans alike.

If you’re looking for a beautiful world to explore and great boss battles to be had you can’t go wrong with Jotun. For $15.00 on Steam you’ll certainly get your money’s worth. It won’t be easy to earn the gods' favor, but it’s something you’ll be playing again and again in order to do it.

When Until Dawn was announced, expectations were low, because I was afraid that Supermassive would simply follow the same horror movie tropes without innovating. But how wrong I was, as, thanks to the "butterfly effect" and some savvy game design, there are multiple ways to experience fear here.

Pokémon Let’s Go has a lot of great innovations that would be welcome in other Pokémon games, but the experience is just too simplified to hold my interest. I’d wager that most long-time Pokémon fans will feel the same.

Foam Sword knew exactly what they wanted to do with Knights and Bikes and they did it well. This game is a tiny colorful paean to your 80s childhood with a splash of girl power.

Far Harbor delivers, and if Bethesda continues to make DLC for Fallout 4 this is exactly what we want to see from them. A game with choices and emotion, built in a world that's chock-full of atmosphere and challenges, while still spinning a web of dark humor and happiness and telling a story of people struggling to survive in a world where survival is at best optional and at worst impossible.

I’ve spent the last few thousand words explaining why RE3 isn’t as good as RE2, but it’s still a very good game. It’s like a big, six-hour expansion pack. If you liked last year’s RE2, you would enjoy this. Experienced players will want to give it a go on hardcore, as normal is pretty easy.

A fresh direction for the series that acknowledges the characters that made it what it is, while adding enough new characters to make this entry worth playing.

Tales of Berseria isn’t perfect by any means, but it is a marked improvement over other recent Tales titles. With a couple friends along for the ride, you can squeeze quite a bit of enjoyment out of this game, despite its flaws.

It may not be the most engrossing single-player experience, but if you enjoy local co-op multiplayer, you could do a lot worse than Pac-Man 256.

Halo Wars 2 is a fun and enjoyable real-time strategy game that showcases the biggest reasons we don’t see many RTS styled games on consoles. The lack of precise controls make for a clumsy and ineffective experience. The game’s spectacular sound design helps bring the world to life, and the Ark and the various units of each faction are well-designed and placed within the world. Halo Wars 2 isn’t the best RTS game out there, but as far as things go, it’s not a bad place to start, and could easily soak up your evenings if given the chance.

Neon Abyss is one of the best roguelite action games to come along in recent memory. Given how many great roguelites we’ve seen the past few years, that’s definitely a tall order. But thanks to its smooth gameplay and compelling upgrade systems, there’s no denying just how entertaining and exhilarating Neon Abyss is.

The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 is a decent return to a genre that's starting to emerge from the woodwork of other games on the market, but it's not quite a shining example. There's a question in regards to its pacing and execution in some spots, as well as some puzzles that can take time to resolve. That said, those that do get into the game will be rewarded with a worthy presentation and plenty of chuckles. If you're a fan of the genre, it's worth a look. But don't expect this Book to be absorbed so easily.

Though the first episode only provides a few hours of gameplay, The Gallery provides a great example of the power and potential of VR gaming. [Tested with HTC Vive]

Mafia: Definitive Edition improves on the original in every way. It does this by telling a remarkable story bolstered by beautifully detailed visuals and excellent performances. The outdated mission design and gameplay keep it from ever feeling truly modern however.

While Battletech won’t convert gamers looking for their latest twitch fix, fans of the source material and the strategy genre will find a lot to like here. Fans of the Shadowrun series in particular should give Battletech a look.

Despite a strong connection between the choice-oriented gameplay and the script’s themes of free will and liberation, DBH’s exploration of these themes is ankle deep.

If you love "shmup" shooters, or the "bullet hell" variety of game, then Deathsmiles should be right up your alley. What it lacks in stages and offering of modes, it makes up for with intense, wildly satisfying shooting action. Plus, the visuals look great and the soundtrack is one-of-a-kind.