The sad fact for Horizon, and every other open-world game like it, is that we now live in a post-Witcher 3 world. CD Projekt Red has raised the bar for this genre in nearly every conceivable way, and it is absolutely not enough to simply be another open-world game. The sidequests have to be interesting, the writing has to be engaging, the characters have to be memorable – just putting a good premise and great graphics on top of boilerplate content isn’t enough. At least, it’s not enough for this reviewer.

Devil May Cry V is still an outstanding title rooted in the tradition of Japanese-style character-action games. The play and content enhancements are both substantial and worthy of a “Special Edition” moniker. There’s enough here for fans of the original to return, and newcomers looking for something to play on their new consoles are in for a whirling-dervish of a good time.

Truly a superlative game, offering unparalleled control, fine presentation and plenty of play modes to toy around with.

In the end, Paradise is both more and less than its predecessors. Not everything that made the previous Burnout games great has survived the transition to the new open world format.

A Short Hike is a simple, small, straightforward experience that delivers a truckload of charm via the simple pleasure of exploring a mountainside without punishment or negative consequence. It does what it does well, and the experience ends exactly the way it should, exactly when it should. Well done!

It supplies everything the arcade racing fan wants: slick graphics, lots of speed, and a lot of style.

Looking a little deeper as someone who's been around the block, it's disappointing to see that so much of Shadow Complex feels utterly bereft of inspiration. It's certainly a job well done, but really, this job's been done before.

There are glimmers of clever moments caught in a sea of busywork here, but take away the shoddy controls and the obsession with layered math problems, and what are we left with? Someone’s absurdist thriller mystery that is so esoteric that it’s hard to care. Honestly, I can’t recommend Lorelei and the Laser Eyes to anyone other than the most patient and experimentally inclined players in the world. For everyone else, heed my words of warning — sit this one out.

Although it’s clear the experimental narrative adventure genre isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, What Remains of Edith Finch proves that videogames are still ripe with opportunities for deep, mature storytelling. Tissue companies might notice a bump in sales as long as developers like Giant Sparrow are around, too.

A pretty tough game. It's not a long experience, but players will no doubt add a few hours to the final tally from being killed and having to replay missions.

Mario Kart 8 is pretty great in many ways, but undoubtedly moreso with a collection of friends to play with, or when facing off against other players online.

A totally lush and vibrant experience.There's a palpable sense of energy in the game, and it shines so brightly it's impossible not to see.

Due to the fact that both elements of F.E.A.R., the horror and the action, are crafted so thoughtfully they seamlessly merge together to create a, if not unique, then at least very polished experience.

NHL 10 could very well be one of best hockey video games since the immortal NHL 95, and that in my books is a great comparison.

In the culmination of this story BioShock 2 outdoes the original and establishes its own worth, with a closing sequence that hits every note perfectly.

Mewgenics is sure to be a hit with Binding of Isaac fans, roguelite fans, and tactics RPG fans. It has McMillen’s signature ugly-cute Newgrounds flash art, a toe-tapping soundtrack, and an unfathomable number of ways for players to approach its chaotic, layered grid combat — just be prepared to see many, many, many cats expire as nine lives are not included.

If Nier: Automata had been more compact or structured differently, it would have been more effective, immediate and powerful. Instead, it’s a great idea stretched across too many hours of uninspiring content. Although I had affection for the androids and admired what the script ultimately revealed, this is one case where less would have definitely been more.

Dishonored was already amazing, and this sequel bests it on every level.

It Takes Two is not only a wonderful co-op experience, it’s a genuine masterpiece of platforming and interactive storytelling. Every moment my partner and I were playing this game was filled with pure joy, and it became the perfect way to cap off our days for the last few weeks. It Takes Two is arguably one of the greatest games I’ve played in years.

Moon Studios is now two-for-two on games that look as good as they handle, while also guiding players through a gamut of emotions. The team is reportedly doing something new for their next project, and hopefully they’ll nail it as handily as they’ve done with Ori. But even if they’re exposed as a one-trick pony, let it be known that in the crowded field of indie platformers about small, childlike protagonists trapped in dark, imposing worlds, no developer on the planet is better at it than Moon.

The sheer number of battles, along with the multiple endings (the story branches at several points based on the gamer’s selections), extra maps with hidden treasure not found in the main quest, and the multiplayer function that allows players to put their squads head-to-head make Tactics Ogre a game with a lot to offer in terms of gameplay.

Left Behind is a fantastic piece of content, and Naughty Dog has again raised the bar for all developers who aim to tell character-driven stories. They just don't come better than this.

Sure, it might not reinvent the wheel as built by Diablo II over a decade ago, but Runic deserves props for perfectly recreating the formula. Many others have tried to bring their own take on Diablo to the market-and failed. Runic didn't, which makes Torchlight II an essential purchase for anyone who loves to crawl through dungeons while scoring phat loot.

To be perfectly blunt, XCOM 2 is a pretty bad experience right now, and the best advice I can give is simple: wait for upcoming patches to fix things before buying. There's a much better game hidden somewhere beneath the performance issues and gameplay flaws, and it's a shame.

The game's executions of different standards in platforming are almost mathematical in a sense that it's measured with surgical precision... The best the platforming genre has to offer right now.

I miss my sprite-based 16-bit hockey games, deficient opponent AI and all. Somehow I recall enjoying those more than I did ESPN NHL Hockey, even despite all that it brings to the genre: nuanced controls, deep physics and mechanics, a licensed presentation and polished visuals.

Difficulties with the interface aside, Divinity: Original Sin Enhanced Edition is an intriguing, challenging, relentlessly charming game that serves as a refreshing break from bleaker RPGs that have dominated the rest of the year. It absolutely shouldn't be overlooked by RPG fans who never played it on PC. For those who have played the original, enough has changed in the story and progression that the remastered edition is well worth a second purchase to play locally with friends.

Playing Cuphead on the easier difficulty reveals that the game’s challenge level is the only trick up its sleeve. Take that away, and all we’re left with is an uninspired and monotonous run-and-gun that just happens to be the most visually-striking release of 2017. Yes, Cuphead’s presentation is magnificent — it’s just a shame that StudioMDHR couldn’t come up with an interesting game to pair with it.