While some fighters try to blow you away with the number of characters or some other new gimmick, VF5 brings a high caliber fighter with more substance than most other games in the genre.

It definitely give PS3 owners something to tide them over until some of the bigger titles hit later this year and next year. I look forward to coming home from work and playing for 30 to 40 minutes and getting new ribbon or badge.

Shadow Tactics: Blades of the Shogun was one of my favorite games of 2017, and Aiko’s Choice is a return to form. Mimimi Games continues to deliver tight gameplay, incredible stealth, and a compelling story to tie it all together.

Hob: The Definitive Edition is a 3D adventure game that combines fluid combat, landscape altering puzzles, and engaging platforming. The varying area designs and atmospheres are a treat to experience and entice you into pushing forward. The enhancements since the original improve the experience as well.

The PlayStation 4 version of the game is mechanically the same as the PlayStation 3 version, but the new engine is eye-poppingly awesome.

Capcom Fighting Collection sets the new standard all compilation games should be held to. There are a ton of games, though some may complain too many of them are Darkstalkers, accompanied by a suit of wonderful art and music. To top it all off is the fantastic online play and great visual and auditory presentation wrapping it up.

The Knight Witch is an endearing tale that perfectly blends fast paced shooting and satisfying spell casting. From the sensational artwork and score to clever game design, the entire experience was remarkable.

Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy is the biggest surprise of the year, and joins Marvel’s Spider-Man as one of the best Marvel video games in the last decade. The Guardians themselves steal the show, depicted perfectly, with a movie/comic-worthy story that will leave you laughing and crying. The combat is a lot of fun with plenty of strategies to use, even if it can get a little repetitive, and the setting and locations blow you away in scale and how incredibly detailed and beautiful they are. This Guardians team absolutely stands on its own, and just like the movie I’m hooked on a feeling.

While the narrative leaves a bit to be desired, Grand Theft Auto V on the PlayStation 4 is a technical marvel, a masterclass in world building, and absolutely worth exploring again.

Oxenfree is a smart, emotional adventure that feels focused and purposeful. It’s got plenty of narrative twists that lead to great “a-ha” moments, but keeps the story well-grounded in its compelling protagonists and clever gameplay moments. Oxenfree is simply well-made, endearing, and very memorable.

Gears Tactics is a stellar tactics game that still manages to feel like the Gears you know and love. With a solid story, addictive RPG systems, and dozens of hours of gameplay, this is a must-play for any fans of turn-based strategy games or the Gears franchise in general.

So, does the original Crash Bandicoot trilogy hold up? Two-thirds of me says “heck yes.” The first Crash Bandicoot may not have aged well, and there are portions of Cortex Strikes Back and Warped that are frustrating, but I had a ridiculous amount of fun with them. I felt encouraged to go back to find the remaining gems, see my best time, and explore the secret warp rooms. Vicarious Visions did a great job with remastering the Crash Bandicoot trilogy. Maybe we can see our favorite purple dragon done with the same amount of justice?

This iteration of the franchise makes a multitude of improvements on an already great formula, and they’ve made gold… Pure gold.

Not Tonight: Take Back Control Edition is equal parts stressful and fun. The risk and reward approach had me questioning my decisions while the perfect difficulty curve made sure I was never bored. The story is simple but effective and very fun. Not Tonight is simply fantastic in all regards.

The mortal sin of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light is that the co-op is only available, for now, locally. Your buddy needs to be on the same machine, you can't play with anyone online. There is a future patch that promises to implement online co-op, but for now it isn't there and that will have a tragically major effect on many people's abilities to experience it.

Star Renegades is a perfect hybrid of a tactical RPG and roguelite battling system, with easy to comprehend mechanics. As you level so does the enemy, making the threat ever increasing and prominent throughout the whole playthrough. The unique maps with boundless variations sprawling over three varying planets will keep you coming back for more. The breathtaking visuals are more than enough reason to play this game and fight against the Imperium!

Rockstar took their time with this title, and it shows. Rebuilding not only the universe, but the characters in it, they managed to capture what we loved about the previous titles and matured it for this sequel. The multiplayer is a good addition to the series, enabling players to experience the world Remedy created with the staple bullettime modes intact.

This is a solid racing game that has evolved the need for speed series and just tightened and improved upon many of the things that were left unfurnished in the last game.

With better focus on what players want, including four (useful!) costumes per character, a plethora of villians and heroes from Marvel lore, better visuals, tighter RPG elements, less of the Chatty-Cathy moments, and FAR more tough boss and mini-boss battles, Marvel Ultimate Alliance could be the geekfest that keeps players wrapped onto whatever platform they chose like a pair of tight blue spandex with a big 4 on the chest.

Metro Exodus is a masterpiece in survival horror, and a game that evolves beyond its roots to transform into something truly special.

With an incredibly robust feature set and massive swaths of content ready for the launch window, as well as an extensive roadmap on the horizon, The Division 2 raises the bar for how a sequel should launch. Only a handful of minor bugs and hiccups remain, but none of them hold this back from being the best team-based shooter we’ve played in a very long time. Massive Entertainment has a massive hit on their hands, and we can’t wait to see where it goes next.

A fun experience for a gamer of any background. King’s Bounty II gives us a world full of interesting characters, fun side quests, mysteries to solve, and challenging yet rewarding battles.

Destiny 2 is a massive accomplishment, and a huge step in the right direction for the franchise. With a more focused narrative, more activities to do than ever before, and enormous quality of life improvements to the Destiny sandbox and economy, there isn't much to dislike about Destiny 2.

Yakuza 3, 4, and 5 have both the best and worst the series has to offer, which is saying something because those highs are so high and the lows really aren’t that bad. All three games run exceptionally well, and 4 and 5 look like they belong on PS4 alongside Yakuza 0. 3 is a bit rough around the edges, but it’s still a worthwhile entry in the series cannon.

While lacking in its core gameplay variety, the endless potential of its online rival club challenges opens up this next gen racer in ways never before seen.

Travis Strikes Again: No More Heroes is outrageous. The game is uncompromisingly zany: full of smart design, fluid combat, and laugh out loud personality front to back. While some may be turned off by its low budget feel and disjointed design, those who can look past these rough edges will find a hack-and-slash so quirky that it’ll be tough not to fall in love. This title stands as a shining beacon of bold creativity and anyone who values risk-taking in games owes it to themself to give Travis Strikes Again a shot.

Dark Souls II offers a fresh adventure into what is quite possibly gaming’s most punishing, macabre fantasy world.

The feeling of accomplishment in this game is one of the most gratifying I’ve ever felt, and the few hours I spent inside Antichamber’s world felt like interacting with someone’s bizarro art exhibit.