Middle-earth: Shadow of War is great for veterans and tough for newcomers, but a joy to play for either party once you get a hang of the mechanics. It gets tedious at times, and there are missed opportunities here and there, but the Nemesis System that was a beacon of success in the first game has come back bigger and better than ever. It’s definitely a return to Middle-earth that is worth the play, and an homage to Tolkien’s works that everyone can appreciate.

Origins was worth taking the year off. Egypt will be hard to top as a location. The series' dry, ironic, corporate sense of humor is still dull. But nobody can beat Assassin’s Creed’s architectural history lessons, even if you’re still just stabbing folks and jumping out the window while you’re sightseeing the entire timeline.

Pinball FX3 is a game that makes no excuses for being a tried-and-true game with the standard jackpot fix that arcade junkies need. The “free-ness” wears off quickly and there will be trepidation for spending “X” amounts of money on multiple boards, but the challenges and rivalries will earn a bunch of those coins back. My take on Pinball FX3 is to wait for the prices to plummet on the extra boards. That infusion of 30 boards or more will make the game shine… like the quarters you once put into the machines.

The LEGO Ninjago Movie Game is a terrific contribution to the LEGO games playlist. It's a fun experience without needing to be anything else. It can err on the side of triviality at times, but that's the cost of making a game like this.

With its excellent focus on online multiplayer supported with some innovative fair-play features and related social features, Gran Turismo Sport is a great choice for drivers focused on those aspects. For offline players and those that don't want to grind to gain access to an extensive collection of cars and tracks, though, there are better alternatives.

Minecraft New 3DS Edition isn’t a bad game at all—at its core it’s still the same brilliantly addictive creativity sandbox. That said, its complete lack of multiplayer and the availability of the vastly superior Nintendo Switch version for the same price unfortunately makes Minecraft on 3DS functionally obsolete.

It's pure fan service, and the story is absolute nonsense, but it's the most fun I have had playing an Omega Force Musou game in a long time. Fans of this long-running series of games will love this, but it won't do much to make anyone looking in give the series a chance.

While not a huge fan of Dragon Ball in general, I can say that I’m a fan of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 on the Switch. It does have its flaws. Namely with the camera and some of the training. Plus the combat can get repetitive as you mash out the same combos, at least in the early going. But I can definitely say that I found a Dragon Ball game that I can enjoy coming back to from time to time.

Mario and Luigi Superstar Saga + Bowser’s Minions is still a fantastic RPG fourteen years later. The Bowser’s Minions side story is an enjoyable, if occasionally tedious, diversion. But the main quest is better than ever with the same addictive combat, laugh-out-loud story, and a few modern polishes to the gameplay.

Dishonored: Death of The Outsider is a great follow up to Dishonored 2. It offers a really rich experience with a fair amount of replay value—which is really rare in add-on content these days.

Empyre: LordS of the Sea Gates offers an innovative style of gameplay to liven up the RPG nature of the game. The writing is well above average and does a great job of setting the appropriate tone and, at times, is quite witty. Combat is approachable in the early stages, but becomes increasingly difficult as the game progresses.

A good entry in the series for those who skipped a year. Virtual currency is pushed everywhere. The Neighborhood is OK. Basketball action is fun and exciting.

With a particle-heavy 8-bit paintbrush, Songbringer is a glam metal Zelda. Songbringer doesn't try to finish what Hyper Light Drifter started; Songbringer has heart of its own. It's easy to like but hard to love.

I think for most of the hardcore Destiny 1 players, this is simply not the game we were expecting. This one is built for the casuals. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I played more D1 over the past two years than probably all other games combined, but Destiny 2 is just going to be another game in my library. It won't consume me, but I will enjoy it every time I load it up. I still maintain that Destiny provides the best gunplay of an FPS year in and year out, but where Destiny 1 was a game to be loved, despite its flaws; Destiny 2 is a game to be enjoyed, even with all its triumphs.

After 25+ hours of gameplay, I can honestly say Forza 7 is outstanding. There is no sim that is easier to use (not Project Cars 2), has more vehicles (not Gran Tourismo’s 180), is more realistic (sorry Need For Speed), or better variety (not F1 – same car most of game), than Forza 7. There are better dirt track games, and NASCAR games, and car-sports games, but no racing sim has as much to offer as this one does. This is the best car sim of 2017… and potentially ever.

Dusk has the backwoods setting of Blood and Redneck Rampage, the forbidding atmosphere and murky palette of Quake, the tight, sharp action of Doom, and the subtle sense of place and interactivity of Duke Nukem 3D. Essentially, Dusk is a retro shooter fan’s dream come true.

Knack 2 is a bloated experience that no one asked for. Sony Computer Entertainment Japan can be credited with improving over the first game, but that's not saying much.

Everspace is one of the best space combat games on the market today. It's fun, beautiful, and a blast to play.

Necrosphere shows that a simple game can be complex when it needs to be without being overly difficult, for the most part. The later areas of the game do require a near mastery of the controls. But overall, Necrosphere is enjoyable, and for a budget-minded Metroidvania, it’s definitely worth a look.

A revamped manager career mode and the second chapter of The Journey are both wonderful experiences, and while some aspects of gameplay have been addressed such as crossing and more tactical runs, there are still some glaring problems that weren't addressed. The game is still enjoyable, but this franchise can't rest on its laurels anymore.

With all of the trailers, experts, and attention to detail, I expected Project Cars 2 to take the trophy as racing sim of the year. It is definitely not. What you DO get is a game that challenges you to a frustrating degree and does so with beautiful precision. It sadly also takes a bunch of the fun out of it too.

MercurySteam have pulled Samus from the jaws of death and delivered one of the best games in the series. Samus Returns perfects and reimagines the gameplay of 2D Metroid games and delivers one of the best titles on the 3DS. Every self-respecting Nintendo fan should own Metroid: Samus Returns.

FORM was an enjoyable and mildly challenging romp through some beautifully crafted spaces populated with puzzles that achieved a nice balance between being interesting without being either too easy or frustratingly difficult. Sadly, I was ready for more than it had to give.

The Pillars of the Earth has its mechanical flaws, and it doesn’t translate seamlessly from medium to medium due to technological constraints, but that aside it’s a truly gorgeous experience. The art, music, and voice acting all come together as one to blend this story into one that transcends the pages upon which it was originally written, making it a very unique and interesting experience.

Archangel is a great example of what VR is all about. The all-encompassing environment removes all worldly distractions and enhances game action to a fever pitch. Movements feel fluid and natural, and the periodic introduction of new or upgraded weapons follows the increase in difficulty well. The story aspects are unobtrusive yet satisfying.

As someone who is terrible at the main series, I really enjoyed Monster Hunter Stories, even if it is a bit easy early on. The more traditional RPG-style of gameplay is a radical departure from what the core games are like, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth your time. If you can put aside the fact that this plays rather differently than the past games, you’ll find an enjoyable experience for new and returning fans alike.

Sonic Mania is a franchise’s identity found. It’s simple, it’s straightforward, it’s what Sonic should be. The developers have gone back to the drawing board and have given new life to a franchise hat was on its last legs just a few years ago. This may be new life into the series, and here’s hoping that it continues to be so.

When I first started up Killing Floor 2 I had no idea what to expect. The game looked like a very grim, zombie-killing game. What it actually was - a ridiculously impressive and immersive strategy game… that was very grim. There are a few technicalities, but overall there is nothing out there that gives you such a feeling of fight-or-flight – while at the same time – giving you a giant adrenaline rush from decimating mass amounts of baddies. And I can tell you after some 25 hours… it doesn’t go away.