After the almost disastrous game of 2016, Kylotonn listened to the complaints of the community and corrected many of the problems. The result is a truly exhilarating racing game, with a touch of simulation, that manages to transfer to the player the sense of speed and danger when driving in the difficult conditions of WRC. There’s still room for improvements, but the right path has been set.

A hymn to the beauty of the round goddess, PES 2018 boasts the finest and most direct gameplay to ever grace a football title alongside a few interesting additions from last year. However, off the pitch things seem to have really fallen behind the competition. It is time for KONAMI to revolutionize things like the menus, modes and licences, in order to give meaning to this otherwise wonderful and exhilarating on-pitch action.

Sudden Strike 4 is a thrilling Real Time Tactics game, which gives a realistic insight in some WW 2 decisive battles. There is a unique balance among the various units of the Ally, Soviet and Nazi army, which allows for many and different tactical approaches, but is held back by terrible pathfinding, airy skirmish and multiplayer and static, unresponsive AI, to be deemed as classic in the genre.

A great remake packed with additional story content and an improved battle system, which will satisfy fans of the series.

It is surprising how well the developers understood the underlining reasons Sonic was so loved in the 16bit era. Gone are the autorun, the messy 3D levels and the horrible clown characters, gone is the linear cheap thrill design of the modern 3D games. In their place, we got excellent level design with hundreds of different routes, elegant design choices and supremely balanced gameplay which bring us one of the best Sonic games since Sonic & Knuckles. Pity Sega was too afraid to budget for modern graphics because they would have had a full priced, instant classic on their hands.

After a long absence from portable consoles Samus is back with a seemingly old adventure, which has been revamped and looks better than ever. Old and new players alike can explore the homeland of the Metroids using weapons and skills that didn't appear in the first game, whereas Nintendo highlights a bright future for a series that deserves to be back.

The writing in this first episode is nowhere near as good as the one in the original game. Thus what we get is a rather bland introduction to the prequel that just creates a hope for a better narrative in the future.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is such an enjoyable and well made game that would make you wonder if other studios can create games for Nintendo as good as herself? Who knows, maybe now is the time for Rare to rise again from the oblivion.

The update in the graphics and the co-op mode are truly welcomed additions and the gameplay is as addictive as ever. On the downside, The Escapists 2 gives the impression of a big expansion rather than a new game as it often creates a feeling of been here, done that.

Agents of Mayhem tries and in parts succeeds in reminding us of the golden days of our childhood. Cartoons, evil geniuses, good guys, stylish humor (mostly hit-or-miss) and, of course, tons of pure, entertaining action. The variety between the well-designed Agents is what truly makes the game shine, and it’s a shame that the open world of Seoul is so repetitive and, despite the many colors and explosions, dull. It basically emulates every part of a classic “mediocre open-world game”.

The transition of this beloved series to the PS4 gave us a fun and quite enjoyable game. Easy to pick up, but hard to master, suitable for almost every one and packed with content and modes, Everybody’s Golf is that pretty little game that you’ve probably been looking for, for when you need to relax.

A great JRPG which will satisfy friends of the genre as it offers an interesting story, well-written characters, satisfying challenge and a great battle system.

This year the official game of the Formula One championship is better than ever, with rich content, a great career mode and superb graphics. 2017 will definitely be the year of the racing genre.

Night Trap was, and still is, a bad game. Actually, you can hardly even call it a game. But, in all of it’s cheesiness, playing it today didn’t felt so bad as we thought it would. It is not a game you would recommend to a more traditional player, but for history buffs and B-movie/slasher fans it feels like home. A home full of traps, but still a home though.

It’s a pure beat ‘em up game, with satisfying and fast combat albeit without any effort to provide anything we haven’t seen before. Its repetitive nature goes without saying, raising the guilt part of this guilty pleasure offering exponentially with each passing hour.

Unfortunately, even though Observer has its moments, it is nevertheless inferior in almost all aspects when compared with the uniquely horrifying experience offered by Layers of Fear. The decently crafted intrusion of people’s minds cannot overcome the absence of world building as well as the derivative main plot. Worth mentioning that Rutger Hauer may seemed a right choice on paper but in reality its disinterest with his role is almost palpable.

A great choice for fans of the genre with a plethora of game mode choices and a satisfying degree of challenge that will occupy them for many hours.

Not the best piece of work from the guys that probably know twin-stick shooters better than anyone else. Matterfall is beautiful and visually impressive, but feels rushed and is way too short with limited to no replay value.

Lost Legacy retains the amazing beauty of Uncharted 4, channelled here through the amazing vistas and monuments of the Indian landscape. You should be warned though that Chloe’s charisma is hands-down inferior to the one of Nathan.

When the short-sized, colorful creatures travel from a home console to a portable one, unexpected things can happen! It is a game that vastly differentiates from its predecessors, but still manages to keep the essence of the franchise intact! An overall fun addition on the go.

Senua’s descent to the darkest corners of psychosis is one of those rare gems which proves that videogames can use their strengths to tell a story with such efficiency that no other storytelling medium could replicate. Hellblade let us be Senua, and by that it let us see through her perception of reality, and on some level understand it.

A fighter title that holds promise, but with some issues keeping it behind other interesting games in the genre. A game that fits perfectly in the new console, but needs more support in terms of content to avoid repetition and becoming a thing of the past faster than expected.

Accel World Vs. Sword Art Online, besides being addressed to a very limited audience, comes with many problems (technical and design-wise) which means that even hardcore fans of the two franchises will be discouraged by the problematic nature of the title.

Some especially beautifully designed environments and epic boss battles are not enough to overcome the repetitiveness of its level design and the especially frustrating hordes of minions which attacks from 360 degrees, while ignoring physical walls.

An overall great sequel to the original, color-splashing action shooter. Minor improvements to the Hero mode might not be enough for veteran players, but with the multiplayer component of the game being better than ever, Splatoon 2 can easily guarantee hours and hours of co-op paintball action.

This remastered edition of FFXII is recommended mostly to those who liked and enjoyed the original edition of the game since the upgrades (visual and otherwise) are superb and completely justify the return to the world of Ivalice.

Even though we loved the original game, this dlc is bland compared to the original levels and way too short to justify even a fraction of its price tag.

Nex Machina is the quintessential top-down arcade shooter. It may seem simplistic on paper, but on screen is nothing less than a punishing, hectic and utterly enjoyable experience that will leave you exhausted even only after an hour of play.

The video game monster of Dr. Frankenstein, Valkyria Revolution is a huge pile of dozens of mismatched, poorly designed systems, bland presentation and poor design choices all over the board. It bears no similarities to its wonderful predecessors apart from an interesting plot, which is unfortunately torn apart by the thousands of cutscenes and loading screens.

After the success of DiRt Rally, Codemasters is back with a vengeance. DiRT 4 is a testament to everything the company has learned over the years, the best DiRT game to date and one of the best racers of all time.

This collection of updated WipEout games is really proof of how these great games have withstood the test of time. Packed with content and with superb technology to back it up, Omega Collection is a must-have for fans of Sony’s futuristic racing franchise.

The eccentric aesthetic of Tokyo 42 is its biggest selling point. It’s a joy to run around the skyscrapers and having some fun shootouts. It’s a pity that the camera proves to be our biggest enemy alongside the issue of repetition.

Simply put this is a superb remake of three of the most beloved platformers of the 90s and of the PlayStation One era. Vicarious Visions treated the original games with respect and offered a collection that will skyrocket your nostalgia.

In contrast to MXGP3, with MotoGP 17 Milestone created a complete racer with superb mechanics and a fantastic riding model that is as close to reality as a videogame can get.

Beauty only is not enough. Everspace delivers a beautiful universe to explore, along with a well written story, but almost everything else in the game is empty and repetitive.

A quite decent roguelike which, with the exception of some unfair difficulty spikes, delivers in non-stop action, well-crafted gameplay and variety in its randomized levels. The mix of sci-fi and old-school pirate theme is also a plus.

It seems that Milestone was not quite sure where to go with this one. MXGP3 can be a very difficult sim racer totally unsuitable for casual gamers, or a bland arcade racer when you turn on the driving assists. And none of these two faces of the game really works.

Perception fails in two very crucial areas, story and gameplay. It was supposed to put us in the unique role of a blind person, yet it fails to convince us at that. For one the use of echolocation more or less works so much better than a flashlight. As far as the story goes, Cassie here and there shouts “What am I doing here?” and we couldn’t agree more with this sentiment.

Although Get Even has a lot of pieces missing to be called a great game, it surely is one that worth the attention of players who like linear psychological horror games. It might not be the best in the genre, but it is clearly a great first try from Farm 51.

Our experience with Regalia: Of Men and Monarchs was similar to the first reading of an obscure fairy tale. At first we were not sure where the writer was trying to go, but several hours later we found a beautiful and charming world to explore.

By offering rich content, a great multiplayer experience and some of the most beautiful graphics we've seen in a 3D fighter, Tekken 7 is indeed the king of the Iron Fist Tournament.

Unless you have a group of hardcore Star Trek fans ready to loose their inhibitions and go into live roleplaying, Star Trek Bridge Crew has little to offer with its simplistic gameplay, dated visuals and low quantity, quality and variety of missions.

DOW 3 is trying very hard to satisfy many target groups -RTS players, online competitors, mobs fans- but in the end it fails to deliver something memorable.

The 8 long years it took to reach the end of this dreamy adventure seem unimportant now, gazing back to this intriguing and unique masterpiece of the two man team of Cockroach Inc. It is simply a must for all adventure gamers.

It would have been better for Samurai Warriors Spirit of Sanada if it was released as an additional content for a recent Warriors games than as a stand alone title. As it is, it does not deliver anything new and it looks more of a rehash of elements from previous games.

The remastered maps look great and really fit with the Black Ops III gameplay, but that doesn’t fully justify the price tag Activision is asking for this pack.

Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood is a great successor to Heavensward, comes with an engaging story, well-developed characters, and gameplay changes that will keep you occupied in the world of Eorzea for many, many hours.

Packed with content and a superb story mode, Injustice 2 is one of the best 2D fighting games we have ever played. The microtransactions are there and they are awful as always, but they are nothing more than a smudge on a extremely beautiful face!

The Surge is a decent step forward compared to Lords of the Fallen, that manages to avoid the copycat characterization that the latter had. The modern factory setting may be somewhat drab and the difficulty needs to be more balanced, but nevertheless combat is hugely improved and the dismemberment mechanic manages to provide a very welcomed personality to the game.

Even though it has been more than a decade since we first saw LocoRoco on the PSP, this gem retains all of its shine and charm.

Nba Playgrounds tries to revitalize the arcade basketball genre and brings many interesting and fresh gameplay ideas to the table, but fails to strike the balance between the conflicting gameplay mechanics. It still misses many key online features (like inviting a friend to play against) and the UI is unintuitive, but on the bright side Saber shows eagerness to rectify the wrongs.

While it has some shortcomings when it comes to its design, Farpoint is a superb example of what can be achieved in VR games when developers think outside the box and don’t just try to port traditional gaming ideas over to VR.

Prey combines the sheer inventive spirit of the Bioshock and System Shock saga with the ruthlessly difficult pace of a hardcore shooter. The more experienced players will distinguish the well written old school core from the light sci-fi veneer which isn't all that bad. A true gem for all the lovers of rich lonely experiences.

Yes, it is walking somewhat close to the interactive movie genre of Telltale, but unlike those games there is actual gameplay, challenge and mystique while the choices in discussions are done expertly with reason and skill and they affect the game organically. While some (us included) might have some issues with the removal of more traditional adventure mechanisms, the world of Dreamfall: Chapters is so expertly created and its story so magnificently written that it is easy to overlook any issues and just get absorbed in this incredible tale.

Even though its technology is somewhat dated, this tactical-RPG has immense depth and a great “consequences” game design that offers a unique experience.

Shadows of Valentia is not a game like Awakening or Fates. It’s extremely old school and it shows in many aspects, but through its new content and great story it almost manages to be on par with the other games of the Fire Emblem franchise.

A great successor to the original game that comes with enhanced RPG elements and great multiplayer and online features.

Stories Untold is a great example of the endless capabilities of video games. No Code created a horror sci-fi experience that pushes the boundaries of story telling and on their way there they do not forget to enrich it with high aesthetic and an eerie atmosphere.

Αn unforgiving and difficult to master Turn-based strategy RPG set in a low fantasy universe, that rewards the persistent and patient player. A perpetual battle for survival and the constant need for adapting new gameplay tactics is only held back by the total randomness in many aspects of the game. This randomness is at the same time charming and repulsive.

Yet again Blizzard offers an expansion that fixes some things, but destroys many others resulting in an unbalanced experience.

Even though owners of the original edition won’t find something truly new here that justifies another purchase, the Deluxe edition of Mario Kart 8 is a masterpiece that everyone who hasn’t tried the original game should definitely play.

A quite decent sniping and stealth game is hidden behind the completely needless open world approach, the extremely long loading times and the atrocious story.

Even if you disregard the substandard graphics, the glitches, the stuttering, the poor performance and the terrible controlling through a “modernized” disastrous movement system, it is difficult to disregard that the plot carries no substance at all, with no connection to the past, no goal real pushing you forward and no ending. Syberia ended 13 years ago and this new sequel, while it carries some moments of magic, is too poorly executed to stand next to the large name it carries.

Strip the explicit violence of Hotline Miami, reverse its snuff tone, add the power to teleport in short distances and you get Mr. Shifty, a high-octane action game that lets you be a combination between Neo and Nightcrawler.

Some portions of the Puyo Puyo and Tetris fusion don’t really work, but overall this is a great puzzle game that really shines when you play it with your friends.

A quite beautiful game with great visuals -thanks to the cell shaded graphics- which comes with many design flaws that almost completely ruin the overall experience.

Future Unfolding has a bold idea behind it, and creatively it is impressive that this game was made from a three-person team. Unfortunately some decisions didn’t quite work in the big picture and there won’t be many hours in the game before the player will stop enjoying the journey and start feeling trapped in a mirror room.

It’s definitely an improvement over the original Outlast. We are not especially fans of the methods by which it achieves the sense of terror, mainly by throwing you in one shocking situation after another, but nevertheless, we can’t deny that Red Barrels achieves its goals of creating an improved sequel and one of the scariest experiences out there.

If we had a Playdead award for obscure platforming excellence then Little Nightmares would have been the unquestionable winner. Especially the last two chapters are a testament of perfect fusion between gameplay, world building, symbolisms and overall aesthetics. It’s truly a masterpiece albeit a disappointingly short one.

It feels like the long lost semi-sequel to Maniac Manson, like another Lucas Arts gem that someone somehow forgot in a floppy disk and suddenly was discovered and released today. One of the greatest examples of writing/ puzzling/ breaking the fourth wall in adventure history, Thimbleweed Park is an instant classic whose only fault is overextending itself by it’s a-tad-too-open world gameplay and 1-2 playable characters more than needed.

It’s a sweet trip down to memory lane with some of the best games of the NES era, but we can never shake the feeling that this collection should have gotten the “Duck Tales Remastered” treatment instead of an emulated HD re-release.

It’s a unique mix of a complete overhaul in the graphics and sound department, boasting catchy music and charmingly beautiful visuals, that at the same retains untouched the level design and gameplay of the original. It will not please newcomers but those that grew up in the 8-bit era will surely enjoy the faithfulness of the remake. On another level it’s a great study about the evolvement of the platformer genre and the connection between gameplay and visuals.

Too many technical flaws, bad design decisions and a price tag unsuitable for a game of this kind left as quite disappointed with Vikings: Wolves of Midgard.

It may have taken Atlus quite a long time to complete the fifth Persona game, but this was time well spent! Persona 5 is a superb JRPG filled with social messages, great gameplay and some new ideas that take the franchise to the next level.

It treads in a fine line between spiritual successor and blatant rip-off of Banjo-Kazooie, featuring identical design choices with the Rare classics. Nevertheless, it contains a fulfilling amount of environmental riddles and challenging platforming that are hampered from the complete attachment to the past and a camera that quite simple could be considered as the most nefarious villain of the game.

The superb artwork and hilarious attitude work extremely well with the online nature of the game, but it is obvious that Drawn to Death needed something more (like a single player campaign, probably?) to take the experience to the next level.

Mass Effect: Andromeda is a wondrous, youthful, naive and hopeful new story in the Mass Effect universe, filled with ideas, stories and lore to kickstart a new series. The material is there and it could have been a triumphant return, but it is a pity that it is held back by its clearly rushed release state and some obvious shortages such as the lack of any control over your teams behavior or a mini map.

A great collection properly remastered for the PS4 (the 60 fps really uplift the flow of the battles) with tons of content that will keep you occupied for days upon days!

Although games that old and classic are the first that should be remastered, editions so poorly worked on don’t help anyone. Neither the gamers nor the game itself.

A monumental achievement in game design that closes the circle of the Dark Souls series in the best possible way.

The “minecraft” recipe works well and Lego Worlds is packed with content, but it is not as well crafted and enjoyable as the more linear and classic Lego games Tt Games has created in the past.

A great successor to the original game and a decent addition to the “hunting” genre especially for those who look for something simpler than the Monster Hunter series.

As its name implies this is an insane arcade racer that offers a kind of gameplay not so common these days. Flatout 4 is fun, crazy and enjoyable, albeit a bit repetitive in areas.

Nier has some of the shortcomings of the previous Nier game like lazy open world design and side quests without a meaning. But the collaboration with PlatinumGames sends the fighting experience sky-high and overall the story and some characters are not forgettable at all. On the contrary, a rich battle system, some really inspired RPG features and secret endings which prolong the game to 40 hours give Nier the little push it needed to leave the mediocre league and set sails for the glorious ball rooms of the industry

It is not quite clear to whom this game and its strange subject is targeted towards. In any case we find it flawed, repetitive and rather uninspired.

Hollow Knight is simply one of the best metroidvania games we’ve played and one that shouldn’t be missed by any fan of the genre. From its elaborate and enormous map to its beautiful visuals and large variety of unique enemies and bosses this game is one of the better examples of what the indie scene can achieve.

Snipperclips does everything a launch title ought to do correctly, but as much as you enjoyed it you can’t overlook that a few years back this game would have come free with a console bundle.

By combining the best gameplay elements from monumental futuristic racing franchises such as F-Zero and Wipeout, Fast RMX delivers a solid, technical impressive and absolutely rich experience.

Wildlands offers a vast and beautiful open world but not much other than that. The map is filled with endlessly repeatable missions and objectives, the especially problematic cover-system creates frustrating stealth situations and the socio-political infused scenario could very well be considered as blatant propaganda. Coop may make the game just a bit more enjoyable, but it doesn’t alleviate the critical issues in the slightest.

If you want your western RPG games full of text and lots of reading, Tides of Numenera will deliver. It has a very well written script, interesting quests and a rich world to explore, but lacks in the battle system and its technology.

343 and Creative Assembly build the new chapter of the Halo Wars Saga on a stable basis and the multiplayer is enjoyable. However the short main campaign and the confined scope of the story don't let the game breath.

Malicious Fallen is a game that inherits all the negative elements from its predecessors, which means that what we get is a game that is repetitive, shallow and all-around lukewarm.

Sniper Elite returns to glory with an episode full of well designed levels, a gorgeous X-ray cam, interesting multiplayer modes and solid gameplay.

It is a magical trip to a brave new world for the franchise. There are some issues and possibly a few flaws, but they are not capable of leaving even a smudge on the beautiful face of this masterpiece.

A fast paced football game, aiming solely for fun, that despite its simplicity has some very interesting and original cards under its sleeve. Placed and curved shots, cool super powers combined with the old school arcade gameplay create a blend of unadulterated and genuine entertainment.

Poorly designed maps, a Zombies update that gets repetitive pretty fast and -overall- too little content to justify its price tag. That’s -in a nutshell- what the “Sabotage” DLC has to offer.

Detention is an especially engaging and well-made thriller, one that builds the sense of isolation and fear through its sombre design and oppressive themes it explores rather than relying on cheap scares.

For Honor truly captures the cinematic feeling of clashes between heavy armored medieval warriors. Especially in “Duels" we took part in spectacularly tense fights as if choreographed for an epically uncut movie scene. It’s a bit of disappointment then that microtransactions show one of their ugliest faces in Ubisoft’s game.