An addictive mix of strategy, RPG, exploration and storytelling, Halcyon 6 is slow to start but should satisfy anyone craving a deep, retro-affectionate science fiction adventure.

If you can take punishment as well as you can dish it out, then XCOM 2 strikes the right balance. Its tactics are hardlined, its urgency is persistent, and it will wear you down even as it builds you up. A beautiful, brutal beast of a tactics game. But do what you can to clean up these graphical and gameplay hitches, Firaxis; this game deserves it.

Shadow Warrior 2 is a smart evolution of the solid framework established in the first game. Bigger guns, nastier enemies, grander levels and more friends means more Wang for everybody.

The action is extremely varied, providing a good mix of action, platforming, and other various offshoots like racing, which keeps things fresh and fun. While I enjoy creating my own characters, the requirement to purchase special crystals to do so feels like I am just being forced to buy save slots.

A perfect balance of old and new with a wonderful presentation. Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 is simultaneously inventive and nostalgic, and worth playing for anyone who likes arcade style games.

A great way to celebrate Rockford’s thirty year trek through the caves. While the game looks like it belongs on a mobile device (which makes sense given this was originally released on iOS and Android) and the controls could be a bit tighter, the game offers up plenty of challenge even within the early worlds. Fans of arcade-style puzzle games will definitely want to dig into this one.

There's still enough in the Rise of Iron expansion to keep year one diehards happy. Shame about the story though.

This is it Touhou fans, this is where it begins, with a pretty middle of the road action adventure game. It may not be the bullet-hell salvation we were all looking for, but it's a good start, and hopefully paves the way for more Touhou games in the future.

A strange combination of both familiar territory and a fresh feeling, Gears of War 4 provides and enjoyable and robust experience. While there isn't much new ground broken in the experience, it does a lot to remind us what was so great about the original games in the first place.

For such a low price, Anode is just interesting enough to be a worthwhile take on a puzzle game formula.

Coming from a series newbie, Yo-kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls/Bony Spirits is an enjoyable game, but there were a couple of things that surprised me. The mostly-automated battles confused me at first as I wasn’t expecting it, but I did get the hang of it over time. I just wish the user had more input during them other than healing and Soultimate moves, but other than that and the tedium of befriending Yo-kai, fans of the original game should enjoy the second outing as well.

Coming from a series newbie, Yo-kai Watch 2: Fleshy Souls/Bony Spirits is an enjoyable game, but there were a couple of things that surprised me. The mostly-automated battles confused me at first as I wasn’t expecting it, but I did get the hang of it over time. I just wish the user had more input during them other than healing and Soultimate moves, but other than that and the tedium of befriending Yo-kai, fans of the original game should enjoy the second outing as well.

With new restrictions on multiplayer communication undermining the only reason to play a video game version of Uno, there's no reason for you to play this instead of just playing with a deck of cards.

Nuka-World is a monument to the raider aesthetic, poor life decisions and sugary soda-induced diabetes. You'll need a higher-than-normal glitch tolerance. But if you’re willing to assume a raider's principles for good, then you’ll want the uncompromising, combat-heavy lifestyle that Nuka-World provides.

RIVE is a fun, albeit really challenging blend of space shooter and platformer. The intense challenge early on might turn off less experienced players, but those who want a great challenge should enjoy it. Just get used to having blue-colored drones explode in your face quite a bit.

They really don't make 'em like this any more. The Witness is an amazing game that you'll love to hate for its challenge, cursing it, wondering why you made the purchase, and then something will click for you, and it'll become one of the best games you've ever played.

The Frostbite engine has allowed FIFA to take the next step in gameplay, with better mechanics and smarter AI to create a bigger challenge. The Journey mode will suck in those wanting a new single player experience while Ultimate Team and Pro Clubs will give all the online players the fix they want. This is a must have for fans of the beautiful game.

There’s a reason why Dear Esther spawned the “walking simulator” genre. It was the first, and is still one of the best, exploration games you can play. On your second playthrough, however, the directors commentary is why you're really here.

Forza Horizon 3 brings an incredible diverse open world in the Australian Outback that begs to be discovered. With a great soundtrack, a plethora of vehicles to unlock, and plenty of challenges varying in difficulty, Horizon 3 proves to be a must buy for racing fans.

NBA 2K17 is a nice improvement over the previous year’s version with better on court action, improved graphics, and a top notch presentation. Visual Concepts offers plenty of ways to play the game and there’s something here to offer those who want to just play the game, dig deep into managing a league, or anything in between.

Eyes of Heaven offers a wacky story with plenty of varying dialogue that will bring in even the most casual Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, but the gameplay is average at best that doesn't offer much substance other than making sure the button mashes connect before the opponent's does. Fans of the anime will appreciate this game, but the casual gamer will not get much out of this title.

Noitu Love: Devolution is a fun and challenging game once you get used to the controls. While the Normal difficulty is rather easy after getting used to the controls, Hard difficult is where the challenge truly begins. If you’re into these types of games and are up for the challenge, Noitu Love: Devolution is definitely worth the money.

Despite being a little over the top at times, violence-wise, Mother Russia Bleeds is a fantastic brawler at it’s core. Addicting gameplay with a classic look, this one should keep you and your friends entertained time and time again, just like the classic beat’em ups of the past.

Worms WMD is a back to the basics effort that proves the original formula is the best one. There is nothing broken about the gameplay. While it could use an injection of pace, it delivers a great experience both offline and in online multiplayer.

Good gameplay improvements and a much needed change in commentary have made the in-game experience feel fresh, but the offline game modes have largely been ignored with the same boring options except for the minor inclusion of game planning that is generally determined by the CPU anyways. Madden is fun, but running game improvements aren't enough to suggest that this is worthy of another $60 purchase.

This is a game that will still be talked about five years from now—even 10 years from now. Inside was pretty much three hours of me shaking my head, clutching my chest, and realizing every few minutes that my mouth was hanging wide open. It’s an analog science-fiction thriller, and so good that it’s impossible to improve upon. It’ll get right inside you.

Phoenix Wright: Spirit of Justice is a satisfying and appropriately crazy end to the second trilogy of Ace Attorney games. It retains a few of the persistent annoyances I have with the series, but the story is just as insane as ever and the cases are tough, lengthy and fittingly absurd turnabouts.

Axiom Verge is a great game with plenty of exploration, and the additions to the Wii U version were nicely handled. Fans of the Metroid series will likely want to check it out. Be cautious however, as there’s a lot of back tracking to previous areas that felt like it could have been handled better. If you can get past that, you have a great Metroid-style game that feels like it belongs on an 8-bit or 16-bit system.