A strategy / puzzle game masqueraded into a card game, set in the world of Witcher. Only CD Projekt RED could take something phenomenally strange and turn it into such a magnificent and addictive game.

By improving upon the mechanics of the original and with 2K backing it up this time, NBA2K Playgrounds 2 is an overall improvement over the first game, but that doesn't mean there is no space for further improvements especially when it comes to online play and the number of available athletes.

Bard’s Tale IV: Barrows Deep captivates the player with it’s majestic atmosphere and music, while offering a well narrated, but generic story. Turn-based battle is more than satisfying and the frequent puzzles enrich the gameplay options. On the other hand, inventory management is a nightmare and using the same abilities may become tedious after a while. Many technical problems, especially low fps and crashes spoil the overall experience.

The "toys-to-life" mechanics are very well implemented -although not essential- in this beautiful and well crafted open-world space shooter. If you can overlook its repetitive nature and the absolute chore that are the side missions, in Starlink you'll find a quite enjoyable experience suitable for young and older gamers alike.

Visiting the dark, twisted world of Lordran on the go must have been out of the question a few years ago, yet it finally materializes on the Nintendo Switch. While torturing our character and our mentality anytime and anywhere seems sadistic to say the least, there is no doubt that the Nintendo Switch finally got one of the must-play titles out there. Minor setbacks in visuals and controls pale in comparison to what Dark Souls really is and to the amount of experience the player gets from it.

The new addition to the Space Hulk franchise is doing justice to the name it carries, with well designed campaigns, decent presentation and addictive gameplay. On the downside, the implementation of the Cards nearly breaks the game, making it repetitive and very slow.

Red Dead Redemption 2 brings to life the most vivid, immersive and alive Game World we’ve ever seen. The realistic gameplay mechanics, the smooth interaction with the NPCs and the game’s atmosphere send the gaming value of this title sky high. No matter the hype, no matter the wait, no matter the promotion, this game gives back to the gamers the lost hundreds of hours of contemporary repetitive gaming. In RDR2, every hour is pure gold.

The absence of a single player campaign and the overuse of assets from past games are serious cons in Black Ops 4, but Treyrach manages not just to balance them out but to overcome them by delivering a superb Battle Royale map, great multiplayer modes and an icing on the cake with the richest Zombies mode to date.

Lacking only in its multiplayer modes, SoulCalibur VI takes the franchise to a whole new level of storytelling while keeping alive and even improving on the great fighting style and mechanics we know and love for more than 20 years.

The Complete Edition of The Escapists has nothing essential to add to the series. Except from the fact that you can now play another great indie game on your Nintendo Switch.

Lost Paradise may be the best chance you will get to experience Kenshiro's adventure in videogames, but if you have recently played any of the latest Yakuza titles, you will surely experience the feeling of déjà vu because Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise is heavily based on assets and overall design from Sega’s legendary series.

Mega Man 11 finally takes the big step and leaves the 8-bit presentation for an arguably slicker engine. You shouldn’t mistake its updated visuals though for an easier, modern platform experience. This new iteration retains the high challenge of its predecessors with well-designed boss climaxes. Unfortunately, though, it still remains too close to the mentality of all the 10 previous titles, something that in the end leaves us with a heavy sense of déjà vu and a slight anachronism in the challenges we face.

Black Clover makes its debut in the industry of video games with Quartet Knights a game that, ultimately, fails to deliver the expectations of fans and newcomers alike. It is a game that sticks to the lore and nature of the animanga series, yet makes huge leaps backwards in terms of gameplay, level design, control system and A.I interference. It’s a quartet, but only for the select few.

EA’s testament in delivering great football games continues with the edition of FIFA for the year 2018. Although some problems exist -like the annoying A.I. and the generic faces of some well known players- FIFA 19 is by far the richest and most complete football game to date.

In a fantastic and enjoyable reconstruction of the Late Classic Era of Greece, Ubisoft Quebec feeds the gamer’s hunger with tons and tons of gameplay material with no real substance and no real relation to the spirit of the Assassin’s Creed series. Worst of all, side missions and map cleaning gameplay is baptized Main Mission material in an effortless attempt to make justice of the mmo-like mechanics of the game. This is a dead end for the series and this kind of gameplay design.

The first adventure of Laharl and his companions returns with great visuals, some new features and last, but not least, the complete edition offers all of the extra content we met in the portable versions of the title.

What begun as an experiment in Playroom and Playroom VR evolved into a fully fledged and quite revolutionary platfomer that changes everything for the genre in VR. Astro Bot: Rescue Mission is a must-have for PSVR owners and one of the most cleverly designed and enjoyable games of the year.

Exactly the sequel we were hoping for when we finished the original Valkyria Chronicles back in 2008. Deeper, denser and harder, VC4 hits all the right spots for a triumphant return to the home consoles. Only blemish, it plays, feels and looks like 2008, having copied a large amount of assets (and problems) from the original title.

The first episode of the new Life is Strange story sets the ground for a compelling and dramatic adventure with well written characters that truly makes us care for. Kudos also to Dotnod for taking a clear stance in contemporary sociopolitical issues.

Super Mario Party could be the best game in the series. It perfectly utilizes the capabilities of the Nintendo Switch, providing a fresh and innovative iteration of what a party game should be. However, with the Switch’s Handheld Mode being deactivated and with a control system that rejects all other control input methods other than the Joy-con, it might not be enough to shine the way it should and win over the series’ veteran players.

After the success of Forza Horizon 3 it seemed almost impossible for Playground Games to top what was achieved in that game. But the truth is that Forza Horizon 4 is even better, a triumph of fun, “arcade” racing that hits all the right spots and delivers a sensational experience.

The first MOBA game for the PSVR is quite the disappointment. The controls are awkward, the grinding nature of the gameplay is a chore and the overall result is a tedious game that only hardcore fans of MOBA games might appreciate.

For those who seek a well crafted, hardcore dungeon crawler, Labyrinth of Refrain: Coven of Dusk is a decent choice since it offers all the familiar and best features (rich content, high challenge etc.) of the genre.

Torna – The Golden Country is here to complete a journey that started ten months ago. It is the tragic tale of a continent, its people and its heroes that fills up all the empty spaces of the Xenoblade Chronicles 2 lore and gives us a full perspective of Alrest and everything on it. With many improvements and interesting additions, even if some of them might not be totally welcome, the Torna expansion pack is set to satisfy even some of the most demanding players out there who lust for quality RPG tales.

Immortal: Unchained aimed a bit too high. Although its combat system is quite unique in the “soulsborne” genre, and there is an admirable variety of weapons to experiment with, it nevertheless falters in too many of its parts. In many occasions enemy attacks and environmental hazards are designed in such ways to unfairly kill us, bosses are lackluster, the overall design feels quite plain and the last third of the game just drags on forever. It worth saying though that its high challenge and the fact that its technically devoid of serious issues may just put it in the vicinity of “guilty pleasures”.

What it lacks in originality, it makes up in its unmitigated resolve to stick to realism, in the purity of its characters and the charm of its wonderful pixel drawn vistas.

Plagued by a problematic camera that just can’t keep up with the action and lots of balance issues, Shinobi Striker is not the multiplayer Naruto game we’ve been waiting for.

NBA Live is a series currently in the shadow of the almighty 2K, but with this year's entry there are signs that things could be changing. Yes it's not as good as it should and much more work needs to be done, but there truly is a place in the market for a more casual basketball game.

Α hasty job with tons of work but little inspiration. Battles are scripted and confusingly superficial, Lara is a troubled child with killer instincts, and Jonah is the Maori magician who always finds another way, where Lara tries for hours and hours practicing her Tomb Raider skills. Don’t leave your child with a stepparent.

An excellent choice for those who want to relive a traditional dragon quest game, that comes with a lot of content, excellent visuals and a great cast of characters.

V-Rally 4 offers a classic rally experience that has its origins in the early 00s. However, the career mode isn't well designed and Kylotonn made a wrong decision by choosing to include many types of racing categories instead of focusing solely on perfecting rallying.

Forsaken is a buffed, Taken King-like, expansion and its exactly what the game desperately needed. It adds a lot of content (especially for the hardcore part of its community) with an enormous new Raid and well hidden secrets that are enough to keep the players busy until the next DLC drops in a few months.

Strange Brigade is quite charming in its complete devotion to depict an overtly British adventure in supernatural Egypt of the 30s. For the 4-5 hours it lasted we had a satisfying co-op experience, filling like proper tomb raiders against hordes of skeletons, mummies and some welcoming boss fights. Unfortunately the lack of any significant feeling of progression and randomisation means that the replayability is almost non-existent.

World Of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth, while not making something extravagantly wrong, leaves a loose and saggy impression. Especially compared to the typhoon of changes Legion brought, Battle for Azeroth seems to be less ambitious, staying inside its established comfort zone.

After last year’s step back, NBA 2K19 seems to be back on track. With interesting gameplay additions and refinements, impeccable presentation, a much improved MyCareer and literally tons of content and modes, it really is a candidate for one of the best sports games ever. However, there’s still a particularly shady system in microtransactions, and while it seems to have been improved, we can’t help being suspicious. But for now, NBA 2K19 will truly please even the most hardcore hoops fans.

An excellent remake that brings back characters and story events with updated visuals. The weak point of Kiwami 2 is the combat system which we see as a missed opportunity.

Creating both an 8-bit and 16-bit aesthetic is a genius idea and a very meta way for depicting the world in the past and future eras. It’s also commendable that Sabotage introduced a clever alternative to the usual double jump function we usually see in the platform genre. Though it’s filled with charm and highly competent gameplay it’s marred by exhausting backtracking (even for the genre), few enemy types and a lack of challenge.

Yet again Codemasters proves that knows very well how to deliver a superb racing game, a game that hits all the rights spots and offers great gameplay with superb sense of speed, many interesting modes to keep us occupied for a long time and all the goodies the F1 Championship is known for.

Conventional gaming in VR done right in a system seller fashion. Dust your Aim Controllers cause you're in for a treat.

A true testament to the wild beauty of football, PES 2019 continues to emphasize on the unique, best in class gameplay that truly sets it apart. But even the eye-catching football can’t distract us anymore from the fact that its weak points are even weaker this year. With stale modes, missing licenses, ancient UI and menus, PES is in dire need of a dynamic upgrade.

Detective Gallo looks like Howard the Duck met a 90's adventure, and both ended up in an episode of Ducktales. It might have it's flaws, in terms of writing, but it still is an enjoyable experience and a feast for the eyes for fans of the genre.

Yet another magnificent upgrade from Larian to an already spectacular game. It just begs the question of where this team will go next.

Simple as it may be in its platforming and overall level design, Planet Alpha nevertheless delivers a concise adventure in a highly exotic planet, filled with a variety of beautiful vistas which certainly warrant a visit from platform aficionados (especially those who are tired of pixel art).

Since the announcement of the game, Insomniac seemed to be the ideal developer for a Spider-Man game and in the end it delivered to this expectation. From beginning to end it is an absolute joy to move in high speeds between and over the skyscrapers of Manhattan as the friendly neighborhood hero, as well as getting involved in satisfying combat situations (with the obligatory Arkham inspiration). It’s a great game that’s shy from being amazing due to the forgettable and in the end derivative open world elements.

While the dystopic futuristic art design of Berlin is engaging and the deep and well written story of State of Mind has a lot of things to say to the player, in the end what we get is a “walking simulator” that takes us by the hand, leaving us with little to nothing to actually do.

Unavowed is yet another triumphant success for the trophy case of Wadjet Eye. Spectacular cast, wonderful locals and improvements in the technical department show a strong return after the 3-year absence. We can only hope that this is only the start of a new pentalogy!

Bigger, better and with more chickens. Guacamelee! 2 is an especially enjoyable metroidvania. Its sense of humor is extremely clever, helping us to keep a constant grin on our face from beginning to end. Moreover, the platforming elements are even more varied providing hard but fair challenges that always bring something new to the table until the end of the adventure.

While the core mechanics of Mothergunship are awesome (gunplay, shooting, level design, pace in battle) and the performance is great -both technically and visually- the game suffers from its “rng” nature, making the whole “big gun crafting” trivial and tiresome. It should have invested more in actual gameplay with those hard-earned guns and not in the process of creating them each and every single time for every level. Τhe randomness of many gameplay elements fluctuates the derived fun.

CreativeForge tries to present a larger and more complete turn-based experience, compared with Hard West, but some hiccups show up along the road. The welcome addition of stealth is marred by… immersion issues, as well as feeling over-powered after half-point of the campaign, whereas the lack of any feeling of urgency on the overworld map makes this part of the game feeling somewhat like an afterthought. Nonetheless, it has enough competent elements in its action as well as the presentation of its spy theme which will probably hook fans of the genre for hours.

Earthfall doesn't try in the slightest to differentiate itself from Left 4 Dead, feeling in the end like a "fan-made" mode. There is fun to be had when played with friends, just devoid of anything we haven't seen before (done better).

Dead Cells is nothing less than a quintessential roguelike platformer. All of its individual elements are of top quality, from the highly responsive controls to the well-thought randomization of its varied levels. Be prepared for a lot of "one more run".

Shining Resonance Refrain returns after a very long hiatus on the Western shores, in an amazing, shining package. A game with an enthralling story and captivating characters, beautiful visuals and a battle system that tries to function as intended, but suffers from technical issues related to its age. With all-new content and the promise of an improvement to the series, Shining Resonance Refrain is definitely an authentic JRPG adventure that should not be missed by gamers who craved the return of the series.

It’s rather unfortunate for an indie production that lasted six years to feel so generic but, alas, that is the case. From the simplistic platforming to the basic combat, Chasm is playing extremely safe and predictable, making all the more difficult to take advantage of its randomly generated world.

Even though it looks more like a mobile game rather than a full release for consoles and PC, this movie tie-in has its moments and we definitely acknowledge the fact that the developers tried something more than delivering just another "generic platformer" that is based on a Hollywood movie.

This edition of Sonic Mania takes everything that was great from its initial release and boosts it even further. The updated menus along with new modes and other updates give us one of the best Sonic games ever made.

By combining the “roguelike” design with the intense atmosphere of a space horror game and the immersion of the VR technology, The Persistence offers a rather enjoyable experience, even though it has some problems like the poor A.I. and a constant repetition of the environments.

Super Bomberman R for the PlayStation 4 comes with all the available content that has been released to the other platforms, accompanied with an exclusive skin for the console and guarantees that players are going to have a blast while playing with the many available modes the game offers. Previous owners of the Switch version should be careful, though, as this version does not offer any new content, thus lacking the ability to give a re-purchase incentive to potential buyers.

Octopath Traveller’s uniqueness lies in a journey in which we choose from where we begin and how we will proceed. It is a journey that travels us back to the golden age of JRP games that we sorely miss.

Although the art direction of Earth Atlantis is unique and quite beautiful and the shooting is enjoyable, the game itself is pretty basic, repetitive and with little to no replayability.

The tower defense design of Warstone is working perfectly and can offer some great and intense gameplay moments, but the RPG and RTS elements are quite shallow and only work as a “dressing” to the overall experience.

A dusty relic from a bygone era of open-world game design, Red Faction Guerrilla still manages to impress. Or, to be more precise, GeoMod 2.0 still manages to impress. Nearly 10 years later, nothing has even tried to come close to this revolutionary physics engine, and the chaotic destruction on offer will truly satisfy anyone who enjoys blowing things up.

The idea behind Salary Man Escape is interesting and the puzzles are well crafted, but the graphical design of the game is bland and boring and the music awful. But, overall, it’s a decent puzzle game that will keep you squeezing your mind for a few hours.

Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy can be compared to a good, old Chardonnay. It gives players the ability to enjoy an excellent remaster of three classic platformers and the adventures of an iconic character in one, single package. This is a collection that all Switch owners should be looking forward to.

If you can find friends to create a team and battle your way online, then the new game from the team that brought us Motorstorm and Driveclub is ideal for you. Just don’t try Onrush on your own because you’ll be massively disappointed.

Rainbow Skies is a decent turn-based RPG that follows the path and the legacy of its predecessor (Rainbow Moon), which means that the new game from SideQuest Studios is targeted towards a specific audience that doesn’t mind grinding for hours upon hours.

Panic Button has managed to fit a beast of a game on the Switch quite successfully, but you can’t overlook the compromises that the developer had to go through when it comes to the overall visual experience. It is not a pretty version of the game, but it is a great Wolfenstein II experience nonetheless.

Co-op may be a very fitting inclusion (albeit without supporting online co-op, rather disappointingly), but Unravel Two nevertheless feels more like an expansion rather than a true sequel. It is still a quite pretty experience, but there is a prevalent lack of variety in environmental riddles and platforming, most of which we already seen in the first part anyway.

Νeocore uses all of its accumulated experience -gained from the Van Helsing franchise- and delivers a complete action/ RPG, faithful to the source material and accompanied by a tight storyline. Not all of the gameplay ideas were implemented successfully (i.e. the cover system), but genuinely tries to gust fresh air in an already over-saturated genre.

The Crew 2 is a better game than its predecessor, but still -4 years later- manages to fall flat on exactly the same areas. Yet again we have a shining example of a game that will be complete in a few months from now, with many vital updates like the PvP Multiplayer missing - essentially the games' endgame. The writing is awful with a constant "How do you do, fellow kids" vibe that misinterprets what's "cool", but the game is at its best when it lets the player loose on the massive United States “Best-Of” map instead of confining him in boring tracks.

A game that is a definite improvement over its predecessor, welcomes the addition of a Story Mode after a 13-year hiatus and offers an addictive and hardcore gameplay that is hard to miss. Despite its problems, Mario Tennis Aces should be tried by tennis and Mario lovers alike.

When compared to last year’s addition to the franchise, MotoGP 18 by Milestone seems a step back, a product that resembles more of an update of the previous edition rather than a completely new game. Nevertheless, the superb physics and overall great handling are guaranteed, elements that newcomers to the franchise will surely appreciate.

Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon is a fun 8-bit nostalgia trip that succeeds in capturing the aesthetic, challenge and gameplay of the Castlevania games of that era, though it doesn’t try to bring anything new on the table. Hopefully, its big brother, Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, will not try to only repeat Castlevania: Symphony of the Night, but it will be a true spiritual successor, advancing further the genre of metroidvania.

Built mostly for “die-hard” fans of Street Fighter and even more for those fans who grew up playing this collection’s games on the arcades, the 30th Anniversary Collection delivers almost everything it promises: Nostalgia, sweet gameplay and a chance to enjoy 30 years of fighting evolution in one package.

With a well-written and quite interesting story this indie Walking Simulator/ Horror game features a subject rarely seen on video games (that of the Eastern Christian Church) and delivers an atmospheric journey to the supernatural.

Agony tries very hard to depict a sadistic and nightmarish hell and provoke the senses. In the end it fails, due to repetitive environments, excruciating stealth sections and a lack of any material worthy of provocation. Even if the censored material depicted truly intense scenes it would most probably still not be enough to overcome the numerous technical and gameplay issues.

Dontnod surprised us for a third time (after the beloved Life is Strange and the charming Remember Me) by delivering a game full of superb atmosphere and a unique take on the “vampire genre”. Vampyr is a game with great design and originality, something that we sorely miss from most modern games.

Those craving for a portable Naruto adventure will rejoice with the release of the Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy for the Nintendo Switch. Three games covering most of the events of the original Naruto and Naruto Shippuden series, are set to give players hours of fun, battling and exploration. An ideal choice for newcomers and those who want to play Naruto games on the go, which, unfortunately, is not recommended for those who have already experienced previous versions of these games to the fullest.

Finally, a good pirate theme RPG, full of intrigue and joy in exploration while having a wonderful DnD inspired battle system. The lackluster and without focus main story disappoints and the bugged quests do shoot some cannonballs through the captain’s cabin, but the quality remains high and Pillars of Eternity Deadfire still is one of the best Western RPGs in years.

The problem with State of Decay 2 is that it fails to go steps beyond what the first game achieved. It is a given that fans of State of Decay will surely have a good time, especially when playing with friends (and when some of the technical issues will be addressed), but overall Undead Labs’ new game fails to impress.

No matter which version you are playing or how many years has on its back, Dark Souls was, is and always will be a triumph of superb game design and flawless gameplay.

Although the 5-6 hours adventure doesn’t outstay its welcome it nevertheless doesn’t manage to surpass or even reach the unquestionable charm of Stories: The Path of Destinies. The dramatic murder mystery cannot sustain the interest throughout the somewhat predictable or unexciting reveals and the quite linear progression seems to come at odds with the main “Groundhog Day” storytelling approach. Not be too harsh, it’s a quite enjoyable adventure but we preferred much more the heart-warming misadventures of Reynardo.

The Arabian Nights aesthetic provides a very nice and imaginative backdrop for City of Brass’s roguelike action and the whip mechanics provides a suitable personality to its gameplay. Unfortunately, a lot of the upgrades are meaningless and the randomness of the generated levels is more same than it should be for a game that we return again and again in the starting line.

So far this is the definitive magnum opus of Quantic Dream. The breadth of ripple effects, small and large, is utterly commendable, successfully creating the sense that we truly shape the journey of our protagonists and the society around them. Of course, it helps that this is the most mature story written yet from David Cage.

Even though some of its major aspects, like the battle system and the tiresome grinding, are keeping it from being great, Conan Exiles is a promising and unique survival game that -with the proper attention from the developer- could soon become a must-have for enthusiasts of the genre.

It is a great fanservice to the Legend of Zelda series with iconic moments from the various games viewed under a different perspective. A good addition to the Switch library that, unfortunately, doesn’t provide a good incentive for old players to come back to it for one last, third time.

Warmind is by far a better expansion than the previous one but, like its predecessor, the content it provides is not enough to bring back the lost player base. It has some strong points in the form of Escalation Protocol, Collectibles and a new Raid Lair, but soon enough the players will run out of incentives to play again. Both the base game and the expansion lack in meaningful replayability and Warmind does little to nothing to address this issue.

ThroughLine Games should be proud for achieving quite an authentic anime aesthetic, in both visuals and animations. It’s a rare feat to see platform games with entirely unique visuals, while also accompanied by a well-written story, albeit not entirely original in its meanings.

Light Fall’s main gameplay mechanic presents an interesting freeform gameplay, with a pleasant sense of momentum. Unfortunately, even though the concept is quite unique it nevertheless remains just a concept due to its short length, predictable level design and lack of variety.

Donkey Kong swings from tree to tree once again, straight from the Wii U to the Switch. An "ice-breaker" adventure that is welcomed from both new and old fans alike, it sets the rules for what a true platformer should be like. Old challenges return, but with a brand new, "Funky" addition, the game is set to offer tons of fun under a new perspective and should not be missed by Switch owners.

Frostpunk is a great "society survival" game that provides the feeling of imminent annihilation quite well, stepping on well-thought mechanics and excellent steampunk aesthetics. Our gameplay initiatives have a “grey tint” and place us in front morally significant decisions, while struggling to counter the hostile environment.

With Yakuza 0 overflowing with complexity and quality material, you would have expected Yakuza 6 to go for an even larger and more spectacular final story of its main character’s ark. Surprisingly, the developers chose to trim the fat and return to the starting origins of the show. While it does feel like a step backwards in some cases, it does allows for a far more dramatic experience and believable storyline where you can actually feel the intent of the characters and get invested in them and their lives. A solid, well crafted ending to one of Sega’s greatest stars.

Although there are some technical shortcomings (mainly sub-par visuals and inconsistent frame rate), BattleTech can nevertheless keep your interest for hours upon hours thanks to its deeply tactical and challenging gameplay accompanied by a huge variety of mechs and customization options.

Even though the story is charming and the atmosphere can enchant you, the truth is that Solas and the White Winter is a short and pretty basic game with simple puzzles, useless exploration and not too many things to actually do.

Even though what we get here is a rich and well crafted simulation of farming life, the technical issues along with some repetition make Pure Farming 18 suitable only for fans of the genre.

The new God of War, with its remarkable visuals, living world, superb combat mechanics and mature narration marks the beginning of a new era for the franchise and, dare we say, single player gaming altogether.

Probably the best survival game we have tried to date. A game that respects the player, offers a spectacular world to explore and keeps giving new and unique experiences even after you have spent dozens of hours under the waves exploring the beautiful alien ocean.

It might get repetitive and sometimes the controls do not work as they should, but overall this iteration of Scribblenauts can offer many hours of great family entertainment with lots of clever mini-games and a decent sandbox mode.

It’s baffling that Iron Galaxy priced Extinction as an AAA game. Suffice to say that after we completed the first 3-4 levels we essentially saw everything the game had to offer in terms of environments and combat systems.