Deus Ex: Mankind Divided isn't a revolutionary experience, but it is a high-quality one in just about every way. If you're a fan of the genre or the series you'll love it, and it's worth a look even for those new to this kind of game (though prepare to wade through hip-deep lore as you go).

Splatoon 2 manages to deliver an addictive and engaging online multiplayer experience with plenty of ways to keep you busy and layers of satisfying combat to keep you coming back. The lack of social features is a significant flaw, but it isn't a fatal one, and hopefully we'll see that aspect of the game improved in the near future.

Little Nightmares II is just a worse game than the original. Everything they added to the system feels clunky at best and unfair at worst. It’s a shame because this same story, with its same environments, same levels, same enemies, and same music and sound would have been infinitely better if they kept the mechanics from the original.

If you have a Switch and like JRPGs, then Octopath Traveler is a game you cannot miss. This is the next gen classic RPG we have been waiting for, a fusion of retro, indie, and modern design that could only be played now, and could only be appreciated because of the games that came before it.

You have so much choice in what you do and how you do it that you might not be bothered by having overflowing pockets or being unable to find a store. Heck, bring a knife to a gunfight if you want. You do you. Me, I'll be exploring the stars, with a gun in my hand, a song in my heart, and a grin on my face.

Castle Crashers Remastered keeps the game relevant to Xbox again and comfortably keeps a void in the systems library filled.

Trials Rising isn’t trying to be realistic, it’s trying to be simple fun, and at that it excels. It looks good, it will make you laugh, and most importantly, it’s entertaining.

Ape Out is a fun and fast-paced action game with nary a dull moment. The brutal difficulty can go overboard at times, but even then it's never too daunting. This is one of the coolest games of 2019 so far, and any fan of slick, stylish action games should give it a go.

As a long-time fan of the Xeno series, I found Xenoblade Chronicles 2 to be a disappointment. A little balance testing, some reduced system bloat, and a little more effort in presentation could have made it an RPG to remember. If you played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 with a cheat device or walkthrough it would probably improve the experience, because you could bypass all the boring grinding and rough difficulty spikes. As it is now, the game is kind of a mess. An addicting mess, yes, but still a mess.

While there are still some areas that could use polishing (like that commentary team – wake up, fellas), Madden NFL 16 continues to make strides with some strong gameplay change-ups and abundant online features.

While it may be geared more towards hyper-competitive players with extra cash to burn, there’s still a lot to enjoy in EarthCore for even casual CCG fans. You may have to put up with some turbulence as you learn the ropes but the game’s seemingly simple yet addictingly fun premise is well worth the effort.

Once again Capcom creates a fighting game meant for fighting gamers, specifically fighting gamers that want to re-live Street Fighter’s history. If this is you or if you are a scholar of video game history in general, then 30th Anniversary Collection is not only a fun fighting game, but an astounding educational and historical tool about the history of fighting games. If you are more casual, then you might get some fun out of trying the 12 different games 30th Anniversary Collection has on offer, but you’ll likely end up wanting more.

The Messenger is a game that makes no effort to hide who its intended audience is, and its clever combining of two distinct gameplay genres ensures that it casts a rather wide net. Whether you’re a die-hard retro gaming fan or a genre newbie eager to dive into the deep end, Sabotage’s debut title is one adventure worth embarking on.

While I do think the audio mixing could use a little tweaking, I really enjoyed all of the music, voice acting, and even the sound of the wind blowing through the trees in certain areas. Little touches like that really elevated the overall experience.

EA has gone to great pains to incorporate their new license into the title and it shows from the game modes all the way up to the game’s tagline. Champions Rise and so has this franchise to the occasion.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey hits all the notes a sequel should. It’s bigger, prettier, the existing mechanics have been improved, and there’s plenty more added. It tells an engaging story, with an excellent protagonist (play Kassandra), all in a beautifully realized setting. Odyssey attempts to address some of the issues that have plagued this franchise since it first released more than a decade ago, but you can only polish something that’s showing its age so much. The combat in particular needs a significant overhaul, and the enthusiasm for more and more gameplay systems and microtransactions at times make the game feel a bit bloated.

If you're a fan of Jackbox's stuff, Quiplash is an easy purchase, a game that will hook you with its multiple puzzles and hilarious answers. Better connectivity and a single player component would've made it the stuff of legend, but being a consistent party favorite is a good second place spot.

Taken as is, Gears of War: Ultimate Edition is everything a fan would want in a remake of this game, whether they plan to play it alone, with a friend, or against a bunch of people they meet online.

Wild Hearts is a game with a ton of charm, but it left me wanting more. It feels like it could have made the leap from good to great with some relatively minor additions and tweaks.

Watch Dogs 2 is definitely an improvement over the original. The entire vibe of the series has changed for the better, with likable characters, tongue-in-cheek scenarios, and a new hacks and gadgets that will keep you busy for quite a while.

Alone With You tells its somewhat bizarre tale in solid fashion. The story and characters, though sometimes inconsistent, are strong enough to make this a worthwhile piece of interactive fiction.

Hitman 2 is the perfect game for fans of the franchise that are looking for an excuse to dive back in. It doesn’t do much to improve on the original formula, but the original formula is still fun and exciting enough to carry the game when combined with IO Interactives attention to detail, level design, and NPC AI. The whole game feels like you’re wandering around living, breathing environments that are built to challenge your skills and creativity as an assassin, but that manages to do so in a way that feels fun and addicting even after multiple runs through the same level.

The Banner Saga 2 is fantastic. Yes, it has flaws, and yes, it’s not for everyone, especially if you aren’t a fan of reading walls of text. But for strategy fans and especially fans of games with narrative, this will be one of this year’s shining releases.

Speaking as someone who has never been heavily invested in racing games, Project CARS 2 blew me away. It won't hold your hand and it isn't afraid to challenge you, but it will reward your efforts with hard-earned success.

Superhot is an absolute joy to play, and it includes some great extra modes, neat story twists, and outstanding art. It's a complete package, and even though it's all over rather quickly, it's worth revisiting again and again.

The Division 2 is everything a player could want in a sequel. It reinvents and recalibrates where it must, but it also wisely builds off all the work Ubisoft put into refining the first Division. This sequel definitely makes you work for your rewards, but its fine-tuned gameplay and expansive suite of different activities ensures the journey towards earning those rewards is one worth taking.

Superhot: Mind Control Delete may have gotten its start as an expansion, but it ultimately evolved into a very complete-feeling standalone product. The new gameplay mechanics are awesome, and there’s a lot to love about its dozens and dozens of levels. Taking on a room full of enemies in slow motion continues to feel incredible, and there’s really nothing quite like it outside of the Superhot series.

Tekken 7 will satisfy Tekken fans the world over, but won’t impress anyone who hasn’t already been won over by the franchise.