Vanquish gets another shot at the limelight fixing its presentation flaws from the first time it was released. With possible 4K resolution and an unlocked, constant frame rate during its high paced action sequences, the PC version of Vanquish is the definitive version.

Beholder: Blissful Sleep is an interesting prequel wrapped up in the package of DLC. Other than having more dialogue and changing one mechanic, it’s essentially the same gameplay as the original. That doesn’t bother me in the slightest, though, because I love the narrative style with its subtle humor and overarching feelings of hopelessness under an oppressive government.

ARMS is a shallow yet approachable experience that could have used just a bit more depth, detail, and personality.

Black & White Bushido is a very fun game to play with a group of friends, but doesn’t deliver any enjoyable content for gamers who would rather play on their own. While some of the spawn points in the game can come off as unfair, most of the time the game delivers as an entertaining and exciting battle arena, that I can definitely see being a hit at parties.

There are very few things that Randall gets right: The platforming is sloppy, the combat is dull, the story and writing is unintelligible, and the boss fights are unbearable. When they work, mind control abilities are entertaining, but poor game design and game-breaking glitches make Randall a thoroughly unpleasant gaming experience.

Finally joining the fray for PlayStation 4, Tekken 7 is an excellent blend of action and detailed characters. With deep mechanics and fun gameplay, it’s a worthy installment to one of the most prolific fighting series in history.

Magikarp Jump is a flop. A game asks something of its player — solve the puzzle, shoot the bad guys, be creative, etc. But Magikarp Jump’s brilliant atmosphere doesn’t compensate for its lack of meaningful work. However, if the point was to create a game that mirrored the mindlessness and tedium of Magikarp, Magikarp Jump is an incredible success.

Thumper is a terrifyingly difficult game, but don’t let that deter you from experiencing its rhythm violence firsthand. The Switch port takes advantage of the system’s features quite well, and its speedy performance and killer sound design will rock your world.

RiME is a beautiful game that excels in its presentation and tells a compelling narrative. Although it’s held back by technical issues and simplistic puzzles, it’s well-worth the price of admission.

The magic of Star Trek isn’t the ship, but in the crew, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew nails that mechanic perfectly. What might otherwise appear as a cold and stationary experience becomes amazing when played with friends. While the campaign isn’t as long as we were hoping, the ongoing voyages provide enough randomization to keep us busy. As I push the wobbly AI out of the airlock, allow me to heartily recommend Star Trek: Bridge Crew — it’s downright “fascinating”.

The magic of Star Trek isn’t the ship, but in the crew, and Star Trek: Bridge Crew nails that mechanic perfectly. What might otherwise appear as a cold and stationary experience becomes amazing when played with friends. While the campaign isn’t as long as we were hoping, the ongoing voyages provide enough randomization to keep us busy. As I push the wobbly AI out of the airlock, allow me to heartily recommend Star Trek: Bridge Crew — it’s downright “fascinating”.

Utawarerumono: Mask of Deception is a text based adventure that masquerades as a tactical RPG. There are hours upon hours of low-grade, simple cutscenes with countless lines of text that you’ll be reading instead of playing a video game. There are elements of this title that shine through the darkness of boredom, but there are few who can stomach the ride finding them.

Medusa’s Labyrinth has made an art out of building tension, using a brilliant combination of setting, sounds and truly grotesque monsters to create several heart-pounding, white-knuckle, hold-your-breath and drop-your-torch moments. While this game perfectly sets the stage, this setting is tragically undermined by unclear controls which have not been well adapted to VR, nausea-inducing simulated motion, and the tedious chore of physically wandering blindly through an unmarked labyrinth.

Superhot VR makes you feel like a badass. While it does have a short runtime, every second of it is challenging and, when you succeed, rewarding. It’s easily one of the best and unique experiences in VR.

A fun fighting game with interesting new mechanics and touted as the definitive version of Street Fighter II, but it comes off as lazy and overpriced, padded with a lackluster buddy mode and an unnecessary and almost broken “Way of the Hado” mode reminiscent of the worst of the Wii era.

Summary: Cooking Mama Sweet Shop is the same game we’ve played for years now. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the franchise is starting to get as stale as a month-old fortune cookie. That said, it’s still the accessible cooking game we’ve come to expect, and it does have a couple features worth checking out if you’re interesting in a new cooking game.

Endless Space 2 brings 4X to life with a gorgeous presentation and a host of new approaches to a well-established genre. While a few bugs remain, Amplitude has patched the game twice in the last week. By all accounts, Endless Space 2 is easily one of the best examples of the genre.

Injustice 2 is feature rich, and its story adds depth to its exceptional fighting. While there are several areas that could use small tweaks, NetherRealm has set down a spectacular base for a fighting game I can’t wait to see grow over the years.

Filled with a relaxing soundtrack and delightful minimalist visuals, Ovivo is a mellow game that has a feeling of whimsy across its world. While the presentation may be a bit lacking, this game is a unique treat in the platformer genre.

Prey’s sound design and soundtrack are some of the best to come from a game this year. Unfortunately, a lot of the aspects surrounding that hamper the potential set up from the game’s impressive opening hour. The combat is a source of frustration, and the load times neuter exploration. But if you’re able to look past that, Prey can provide some thrills.

Minecraft is still the same great game, and it feels right at home on the Switch. It feels awesome to take the game on the go with such tight controls and accessibility, the online functionality is excellent, and the game is still a ton of fun to play with friends.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is a quality Fire Emblem game, no doubt about it. It’ll feel strange at first for those who started with Blazing Blade or a later title, but not in a bad way. Once you get used to its little quirks, any Fire Emblem fan will love this game. It’s got an engaging story, likable characters, and multifaceted gameplay that stands together with the rest of the series in some ways and sets itself apart in other aspects. Whether you were looking for a change of pace or just more Fire Emblem, this game is sure to satisfy.

VRobot is a unique virtual reality experience which allows you to engage in wanton destruction while still playing the role of the good guy. Low resolution, brightly colored worlds allow you to wreak havoc with your bare robot hands, or with the aid of tractor beams and tornado guns. Its eight levels leave it a little short on gameplay, and a lack of overall plot and extras means it’s not that addicting, but it is incredibly entertaining in short bursts, and developer Luden.io promises much more to come, including robot battles. A highly entertaining and destructive romp, VRobot is a great way to waste a few hours.

The Surge is the most badass game I’ve played all year, and a must-play title for any masochistic gamer who enjoys getting their ass handed to them regularly. Although the presentation and enemy variety are somewhat lacking, and technical issues occur occasionally, none of these issues come even close to putting a hamper on this thoroughly enjoyable experience. Play. This. Game.

Super Rude Bear Resurrection is a tough platformer with the interesting twist of using your previous failures towards your successful run, but sometimes too slippery platforming, mediocre design and distracting companion take away from what could be a fun romp through a terrible time.

Viking Rage takes the simple concept of tower defense and brings it to VR. Enemy variety, traps and secrets, and a few boss fights make it more than the sum of its parts. Minigames are icing on that cake. There are some technical hurdles, but at its core Viking Rage is a fun take on an established genre.

The unexpected combination of the racing and wave defense genre, Radiant Crusade is a colorful, high speed VR shooter. While not suitable for anyone susceptible to motion sickness, be it from VR or riding in cars, this title is enjoyable enough in short bursts. A lack of both minimap and contrast between the game’s glowing fauna and enemies makes it challenging to master, despite its easy and intuitive controls.

There’s an absolute wealth of fantastic new features in Crusade, every one of which turns the 4X genre on its head. Few companies would rip apart a shipped product and inject so many improvements, but the risk paid off big time. There are still a few balance issues to clean up, but Crusade manages to take something conservative and turn it into something revolutionary.