With its superb graphics, interesting -albeit difficult to follow for the uninitiated- story and intense multiplayer, Ace Combat 7 is a return to shape for Namco's long running franchise. There are some cons here, like the too few VR missions and the quite poor AI, but overall this is a great arcade flight sim.

A "feel good" simulation game that borrows ideas from Harvest Moon and Animal Crossing in order to put together tons of content to keep you occupied for hours upon hours. If it wasn't for the sometimes tiresome grinding and the fact that the interesting story comes to a halt rather fast, it could have been an instant classic.

Mutant Year Zero is one of the most straightforward turn-based games that may be a bit on the short side, clocking in just around 15 hours, but on the other hand it is devoid of any kind of fillers (i.e. randomized grindy levels). The challenging difficulty, the likeable characters and the overall intriguing post-apocalyptic environment creates the appetite for an even more expanded sequel.

An incredibly fun and addictive rhythm game that takes the premise of the genre and skyrockets it to new heights with the use of VR technology and the Move Controllers. Sadly, the PS4 version lacks the rich content for the PC version that is created by the community.

Drawing inspiration from the simplicity of the original trilogy, the improved movement from Resident Evil 4 and the exciting, gritty realism from Resident Evil 7, the 2019 remake of Resident Evil 2 is the greatest genetic success to ever come out of the Umbrella Laboratories. An incredibly fresh-yet-classic experience that sets new standards on how a survival horror game should be designed in our era.

New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe makes its debut to the Nintendo Switch, after almost 6 years of slumber on the Wii U. The game is, without a doubt, a thrilling platformer that manages to blend a cast of loving 3D characters into stunning 2D levels, yet fails to deliver enough additional content to justify the word “deluxe” in its name.

The best option to revisit -or experience for the first time- an excellent JRPG that today -and in this enhanced version with all the extra content that was never released in the West- feels as fresh as it did when it was originally released.

Even though it was the gaming phenomenon that boosted the "Battle Royale" genre, PUBG today feels dated and behind its competition. Especially when you consider the strides that other games on this genre have achieved.

Game Atelier proved to be the ideal developer for modernizing fully the Wonder Boy series. The visuals are exquisitely vibrant with a very charming cartoony vibe and the metroidvania design is up with the best of the genre, thanks to a large world that is filled with secrets and opportunities to cleverly utilize every newly acquired ability.

Despite one or two shortcomings (like too few boss battles) Ashen is probably the best AA third-person “soulslike”, and that is no small feat. The unique, minimalistic visuals depict a world with its own personality (even though it may be an acquired taste) and the inclusion of a map and its commitment to co-op, be it with another player or an NPC, shows that A44 may be inspired by the best of the genre but it doesn’t afraid to take its own steps.

We cannot fathom why Gearbox neglected to include the DLCs of the original game and decided not to support the Aim Controller (that would have been absolutely ideal for this game), but that doesn't mean Borderlands 2 VR is a bad game. On the contrary, Pandora in VR looks wonderful, the superb gunplay is present and the "shoot n' loot" design will, once again, keep you going for over 25 hours.

An interesting allegorical journey to overcome our inner traumas that is quite open to interpretation in a way that it will be possible to be meaningful in different ways to each player, according to their own experiences. Even if it doesn’t manage to draw you with its symbolic tale, Gris may still convince you for a short, albeit, beautifully designed world.

The return of a classic game that used to "eat" our coins like crazy back in the late 80's. This new edition of Toki retains all the charm of the original as well as its difficulty. The new art makes it fresh and playable again, but the lack of any kind of extra content left us wanting more.

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is the game where everything gets bigger and better. With the addition of the biggest roster of fighters to ever appear in a Super Smash Bros. game, a huge variety of fighting stages and an abundance of playable modes that cater to every gaming taste and style, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is one of the best games to grace a Nintendo console so far.

Fun as it may be using the Swiss knife-like grappling hook, the same can’t be said for the extremely repetitious nature of the missions. Unfortunately, the Just Cause series seems to have stagnated from ideas after its second entry and a myriad of explosions (albeit exciting for a bit) cannot alleviate that feeling.

A game full of clever & fresh gameplay ideas. But it ultimately falls victim to its episodic structure, with a disappointing last couple of chapters and uneven distribution of its technical budget.

Yo-Kai Watch 3, being the definitive edition of two Japan-only superb games, is here to remind us why the series is still alive on the Nintendo 3DS, how much it has evolved over the years and why gamers and fans alike should wait for the next installment on Nintendo’s newest platform. With a more developed and better approachable battle system, two big cities to explore, two stories to play through and even more Yo-Kai to battle and add to your Medallium, this new adventure promises tons of fun gameplay.

Pro Basketball 2019 is a game that delivers a great management system, where your actions have consequences, and with a "Historical mode" that will certainly please the hardcore fans of the sport. Too bad that there is no kind of a 3D match mode and the available championships are too few.

You can’t really say that Soap Dodgem is a bad game, but its lack of ambition for something bigger makes it bend more to the “killing time” category rather than "play for fun".

Probably one of those remasters that no one asked for, but nevertheless OSome studios deserves some kudos for delivering XXL 2 with considerably refined visuals. It’s a game, though, that is mostly aimed to those players with fond memories of playing in their PS2. Even then nostalgia and the abundance of humorous references could get those players so far before repetition kicks in.

Milestone has managed to deliver a game full of great motorcycles and a superb career mode that will keep you hooked for many hours. On the downside, the developer should consider upgrading its technology, a technology that is responsible for some dated graphics and one of the poorest AIs we've encountered on a racing game.

Α shell of this franchise's glorious past. Fallout 76 is a disgrace to the series, with tedious questing and material grinding. Buggy and glitchy, clearly it was not ready to hit the market and the beautiful, huge world remains unexploited. An on-line survival co-op that, simply put, doesn't possess the “know-how” these games require.

With its simplicity and fun factor as its two strong points Chimparty is a game ideal for some great family gaming (especially in the upcoming holiday season).

It's great to see a new "contenter" in a category of games occupied by giants. Omen of Sorrow is by no means a perfect game, but what it tries to do it does it right and it paves the way for AOne games to become a major player in the genre.

We really wanted to enjoy Steel Rats (and there were moments when it showed its true potential), but ultimately it’s marred by derivative combat and the occasional erratic behaviour of the bike, especially in jumping sequences, leading to some unfair deaths.

A warm, modern twist on a classical story from a game with surprisingly intelligent puzzles. Its short duration and the lack of direction prevent it from reaching “indie darling” status, but we can think only a few other adventure games so lovingly made over the last few years.

DICE almost always delivers when it comes to technology and multiplayer gameplay, and this is true with BFV. But Battlefield V is also plagued with bugs, looks half-finished and, overall, it gives the impression of a product that was rushed to the market.

A humorous and absolutely charming game, created with extreme care. It has its drawbacks, like the low challenge and the poorly designed sand box mode, but overall this is one of the most enjoyable simulation games of 2018.