Cyber Sleuth evokes nostalgia while also pivoting in tone and setting for fans who have grown older. The disorienting lack of story direction in the first half is made up for when its mysteries finally come to light, and it makes Cyber Sleuth’s world a great one to spend hours training Digimon in.

Firewatch is a beautiful story of escapism and loss, set against the beautiful Wyoming wilderness. The physicality of your interactions, the excellent radio conversations, and poignant writing and imagery are hindered only by slight issues in presentation and technical hitching. It’s grounded, human, and one that you’ll be eager to talk about for days after the credits roll.

It is rare when the sequel surpasses its predecessor, but XCOM 2 does it with style and verve.

Clapfoot has created a tower defense game unique to the Xbox One console. With a strong sense of style, AI companions and a moderate amount of shooter control, this might just scratch your strategy itch. It’s too bad then that it isn’t as accessible, and relies on repetitive gameplay with a steep difficulty to add gameplay hours to its otherwise short campaign and limited maps.

Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam excels at RPG combat, but is bogged down by tedious minigames and a disappointing story.

Baba Yaga is a good excuse for another adventure with Lara, but it doesn’t hook quite as deep as its base game. Besides an excellent boss fight and a few major moments, nothing here stands out from the fold.

HEX Entertainment has found success by blending the strengths of traditional trading card games with the possibilities of a digital platform.

Shooting Stars can provide some thrills due to its solid bullet-hell focused gameplay systems. The mechanics are tight and the special pick-ups diversify the combat a bit. But at the end of the day, its comedy feels more painful than enjoyable. The fact that it is thrown your way constantly only makes it more unenjoyable. It simply feels forced.

Klaus is a thought-provoking platformer that usurps expectations and will stick with you long after you’ve finished playing.

Slybots: Frantic Zone has its redeeming aspects as both a single-player and multiplayer game, but without much variety in content or gameplay, the entertainment value wanes fairly quickly.

The Xbox One version is no slouch, but if you’ve got the kit to run it, this is the ultimate edition you’ve been waiting for.

The core of what Gravity Rush is is still here and still great, but what problems the game originally had aren’t fixed by the visual update, and some of them are even made worse.

LEGO Marvel’s Avengers’ ties to the cinematic universe make it less imaginative than its comic book predecessor, but excellent superhero gameplay makes up for it. This is one of the best LEGO games yet and a must-play for any Marvel fan.

With its convenient gameplay mechanics and detailed design, time easily flies while playing this enjoyable game.

A fun, yet difficult survival game that fans of Don’t Starve, and the like, will most certainly enjoy. It takes a chance in telling the story of war from a rarely seen civilian angle, but ultimately doesn’t deliver an engaging narrative. The addition of children doesn’t add much to the original 2014 release besides a few new items to craft. And the potential for a great and addictive survival experience is hindered by a wonky combat system.

While Blackbird’s HD update of the original Homeworld titles may have shipped with a few nagging bugs, this original and inventive prequel reinvents the series in way I hardly even hoped could be possible. It’s fresh but familiar. It’s Homeworld, but it’s something new. Like its story-chronological successors, Homeworld: Deserts of Kharak is amazing — there’s simply nothing else like it.

Familiar series hang-ups lead to signs of aging, but Resident Evil 0 HD’s core gameplay and horror element hold up remarkably well. Updated visuals and controls make the return trip to Raccoon City worthwhile.

Draft Day Sports: Pro Football 2016 isn’t a beautiful game, but like a desk calculator sitting idly on a business desk in 1978, it just works. The game gives players an ability to run simulations of teams with high levels of accuracy. American football is an undeserved sport in the simulation gaming genre, and Draft Day Sports: Pro Football 2016 has a shot to become a “division leader” in the sports sim world.

The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a nice example of how a turn-based, old school RPG should be done mechanically in these times. Sadly, like so many others, the game is lost in a rather bland smattering of characters and story. If those elements aren’t important to you, then you’re going to find a very deep, simple, fun, and innovative game here that will provide hours of entertainment.

Punch Club is a game with a lot of personality. From its realistic gameplay to the little surprises it has tucked away, there’s something special about it that will have you hooked. In spite of the moments that feel like a lot of grinding, it’s an enjoyable title.

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.

Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen is a worthy memorial to a criminally underrated title, and although it falters at times, the design, combat, scenery, and world this game molds is one that deserves preservation.

Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon offers a fun glimpse into the Pokemon world from the monsters’ perspective, all while providing a unique, turn-based tactical gameplay with light roguelike features. Featuring over 700 pokemon to encounter, fight and team up with, it’s a must-have for any dedicated fans of the series, and provides just enough tactical thinking to entertain a budding CRPG player.

Sword Art Online: Lost Song, while polished in some areas and definitely a great buy for a fan of the anime, is only mediocre in it’s own right.

While Rubble Without a Cause can be a little obtuse and less intuitive than A Knight to Remember, it is still a worthy installment.

Amplitude hits both highs and lows, but is the kind of score-hunting, high difficulty challenge that rhythm fans will love if they’re looking for something fresh. A solid revival for a pillar of the genre.

As of episode four, Minecraft: Story Mode feels like it’s on the right track to conclude in a more interesting way than it originally appeared, but I’m not sure yet whether that makes dragging yourself through the first three episodes worth it to see the better places the series goes as it nears its conclusion.

It takes the well-oiled RPG mechanics of its predecessor and delivers a vast and alien world so meticulously and passionately designed that it’s easy and fun to get lost inside of it.