Despite its narrative leading to little in the way of a noteworthy tale, TOHU manages to gracefully side-step such an omission through wise understanding of its scale. Utilizing such a wild, excessive aesthetic in a way that feels earned, as opposed to unjustly forced. But in focusing specifically on the bevvy of point-and-click conundrums — as much making sure to sprinkle in more deductive puzzles along the way — TOHU isn’t just a pleasant trip through a child-like exaggeration of visuals and scenery, but crucially, does so in a way that doesn’t treat its players similarly as such young-aged audience members. Both with the way conundrums are presented, but also through its hint system that manages to give enough of an assistance, yet still trust its players to deduce the correct method forward. It may fall victim to the trappings of point-and-click’s very structure once or twice along the way, but TOHU still manages to provide a short and sweet little adventure through a surreal, at times delightful, set of circumstances.

There’s a lot to love in the gameplay loop, characters and endearing story, and that’s what ties it together for anyone who can sit through the choppy framerate. For those who have been waiting for another entry in the series, Rune Factory 5 delivers more of what fans love in the brand new fantastic world of farming, taming and romance.

Star Wars Episode I: Jedi Power Battles was a staple for many gamers’ childhood. Despite the rough nature of the original PlayStation release, the game’s fast-paced, co-op action managed to find a place in many hearts. While it would have been great to see a proper remaster that smoothed out all the game’s rough edges, Aspyr Media has done an admirable job with this port. The studio has managed to preserve the fun, couch co-op beat ‘em up adventure all while modernizing the controls, smoothing out platforming, and unlocking all content from the start. While it would have been nice to get some other modern quality-of-life features (i.e. online co-op, better vehicle controls) and a massive enhancement to the game’s presentation, what we do get is the most accessible, fair, and fun version of Jedi Power Battles ever released.

Injustice 2 is nearly everything you’d want a sequel to be. It’s bigger, badder, and filled with more content than a typical fighting game has at launch. Players will have lots to do as they strive to master the 28 playable fighters through the Multiverse, online multiplayer and local versus matches. Then there’s the Gear system, which gives players infinite ways to customize and outfit their characters. Still, it’s not a perfect sequel. The story treads water in the middle and NetherRealm still hasn’t found a way to make to make the battles not feel contrived, hampering the excellent beginning and end of the game. It’s also difficult to shake the feeling that the Gear system was only introduced as way to facilitate microtransactions. Even so, Injustice 2 sets a bar for the amount of content and depth a fighting game should have at launch. With a strong roster, lots to do, and a combat system that can be enjoyed by new and masterful players, Injustice 2 is the hero we deserve.

Combining the same kind of fast-paced fun that worked so well years ago with a picture-perfect progression model, Horizon Chase Turbo is exactly the kind of arcade-inspired racing game the industry has needed.

While we might have to arguably wait for future games to unlock the series’ true potential, Kena: Bridge of Spirits is still a great first outing for Ember Lab. If the breathtaking visuals don’t suck you in, then there’s the satisfying and challenging combat as well, or the wide world to explore. Or maybe you just want to find all the teeny hats for the Rot in order to make them as ridiculously adorable as possible. Whatever the case, there’s going to be something satisfying for everyone here in Kena’s debut.

The Theatrhythm series has always been a celebration of Final Fantasy and the iconic music associated with each title. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line continues that tradition by bringing together more titles, songs and characters onto consoles for the first time. The transition is nearly flawless, allowing Final Fantasy fans to experience some of the most iconic songs from each title in a fun, easy-to-play gameplay experience. It’s not perfect, though, with some titles getting more favor over others. Some exclusions are odd, particularly the absence of the critically-acclaimed Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker and the fact that a good number of iconic tunes are trapped behind premium deluxe editions is simply not OK. Past that, this is a successful transition from handheld to console with tight gameplay, plenty of content to unlock and a beautiful presentation backing it up. Theatrhythm Final Bar Line isn’t the perfect celebration of Final Fantasy, but it’s a great one.

NASCAR Heat 2 offers a lot to do for players. It might feel a bit rushed, but it’s extremely addicting and fun. The racing is a consistent experience and Career Mode features aspects that haven’t been seen before. While it may lack the options of true simulation racers, the admirable A.I. should make up for that. Top that off with some excellent visuals and a coupon for a real race ticket, and Heat 2 continues to trend in the right direction.

Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity is a welcome surprise that gives players a brand new way to enjoy their time in Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule with fun, fast-paced gameplay. It takes the good of the original and remixes it for an adventure that won’t soon be forgotten. The story gives more life to characters that we didn’t have before in Breath of the Wild while also offering an entirely new perspective on events from many years in the past. Anyone looking for a story that’s been shaken up or just looking to scratch that itch for more fast-paced gameplay with Zelda over the cover will enjoy their time with Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity.

From top to bottom, SuperChargers is clearly a labor of love and fully deserves the countless hours that people of all ages will be addicted to it.

If the story is nonsensical, the fighting and platforming are great fun.

It’s an inventive game that skillfully captures the perils and intrigue of space exploration, wrapping it up in an endlessly replayable package.

Atelier Lydie & Suelle: The Alchemists and the Mysterious Paintings is the kind of game that’s best played when one just wants to sit back and relax for a while. Its lack of urgency combined with its liberal use of bright colors, upbeat musical tones and exceedingly optimistic characters make for an experience that can’t help but inspire a faint smile.

South of Midnight may not be a standout in the gameplay department, but the dazzling art style, interesting world building and fearless storytelling more than make up for it. Games Pass continues their recent string of successful launches with another great title, bravely exploring themes of trauma, healing and empathy in a refreshingly unique new setting.

Stolen Realm is a game that teeters on the brink of greatness, offering a compelling blend of tactical depth, rapid-paced combat and rich customization. Its engaging co-op gameplay, innovative combat system and the sheer variety of skills and loot make for a potentially-captivating experience. Yet its full potential is hindered by significant balancing issues that disrupt the gameplay balance, oscillating between overly tedious and unduly challenging encounters. For the intrepid adventurer willing to look beyond these flaws, Stolen Realm offers a world brimming with magic, strategy and the promise of epic tales. For the game to truly capture the hearts of its players and secure its place in the annals of gaming history, however, it must address these critical balancing issues. Until then, Stolen Realm remains a gem in need of polishing, a testament to the challenges and triumphs of game development.

While the leaderboards are wonky the rest of Centipede: Recharged feels just about exactly like you’d want the original game to be when dragged into the current year. It updates the gameplay flow to be more forgiving than its predecessor but still provides quick, punchy rounds where every second counts. The Challenge section adds a more focused set of objectives than the free-form arcade mode, and it’s a lot of fun to bounce between the two to blast bugs with wild abandon and then switch over to focus on a specific goal. While the gameplay itself isn’t particularly deep, it’s not supposed to be, and instead provides straightforward shooting action best enjoyed in small, but highly-satisfying doses. It’s been forty years since Centipede crawled into arcades, and it’s great to see a new version that’s so faithful to the long-gone shooter classic.

All in all, the line on the graph that is PES’ progression as a series has gone up with Pro Evolution Soccer 2018. A game that might have ran the risk of deterring its loyal fan-base, the improved physicality to player animations and actions only adds another layer to the series’ already layered strategy that feels genuinely entertaining to watch as it is to play, regardless of the outcome. But while this year’s improvements are at the forefront more than 2017‘s showing, the return of series-old issues both on and off the pitch prevent this year’s iteration from reaching the same champion-level heights the likes of PES 2016 so wonderfully claimed. But it says something when even a fair handful of criticisms do little to detract from the pleasure of the core gameplay. Cliche as it may sound in the context of the sport, but it’s what happens on the pitch that matters and PES 2018 proves once again it’s the king of football titles.

Anyone seeking a new spin on a Metroidvania should give Rusted Moss a shot. The title itself is odd, but like ARES over a decade ago, it blends twin-stick shooting with the sub-genre well. The addition of a swing mechanic is something that adds a new wrinkle to the challenge when compared to most other games on the market, and if that part doesn’t work for you, it’s easy to just switch it off and soar all over the stages. The emphasis on accessibility is nice to see and something that helps make the Metroidvania sub-genre more approachable. Rusted Moss plays wonderfully with smooth and responsive controls that can be fully-customized, yet looks great in motion and sounds ominous with a frightening soundtrack and impactful gunplay.

As it stands, I personally rank this a good bit below the Dreamcast original in terms of quality, but above all other installments.

Terror of Hemasaurus is pure giant monster carnage and immensely entertaining from start to finish.

The lore of Diablo is as interesting as it ever was even if the storytelling isn’t nearly as fleshed out as one would see in modern games. Giving a facelift to a twenty-year-old game without updating the gameplay is a gamble, but thankfully that is exactly what we got with Diablo II: Resurrected which is how the original fans would want it.

It’s a bit pricey, but if this is a genre that’s interesting to you, the time and perseverance needed to attain the title’s full enjoyment is well worth it.

With several additional mini-games, collectibles and a polished presentation, 10 Second Ninja X offers quite a punch for its price and will make those who play it eager to see what else Four Circle has up their sleeves.

In 2016, Dead Rising is fantastic nostalgic trip that benefits from the higher resolution, frame rate and graphical options greatly, despite the overall textures and models not being as magical as they once were.

While it has its occasional little issues here and there, Felix the Reaper stands out as one of the year’s best puzzlers. Felix himself may easily lure you in with his charming appearance and cute design, along with a colorful world that he inhabits full of morbid humor and terrific music, but once you’re in, you’ll find a highly challenging game with superb, rewarding gameplay that will have you tearing out your hair one minute and cheering in delight the next, like any good puzzle game that puts up a fight. If death should indeed be considered a joyous occasion, then Felix appropriately brings along one delightful party via his game.

That being said, DJ Hero is a quite fresh approach to the rhythm genre despite the areas where it obviously falters. It’s certainly an expensive game to grab, but its unique style of play and well-done mashups do a good job towards warranting it.

Cannon Dancer: Osman isn’t a perfect port due to some clunkiness, but it’s the definitive way to experience a long-forgotten classic that can finally get its just due. It never got a console port and would have been a nice fit on the Saturn, but having it come out now when the market is more open to spiritual successor-style games, it almost feels like the best possible timing. It’s a near-perfect Strider clone with more visual flash than anything that series ever had thanks to its stunning pixel art and lush animation. The soundtrack is also full of killer tracks and anyone who loved any Strider game should check out Cannon Dancer as soon as possible.

KuloNiku: Bowl Up! is an enjoyable experience of becoming a chef in an area filled with passion for food and quirky characters. It’s expressive and charming in all the right ways and the experience of giving it your all can be both comfortable and challenging. Players looking for a cozy game with some meat to it are likely to come out fulfilled from giving it a taste test.

Don’t Starve is a fantastic, huge, deadly ball of entertainingly gothic survival.

Earth Defense Force: Iron Rain may be a different type of EDF but its heart is powered by the epic bug-blasting, kaiju fighting combat that has always been the hallmark of the series’ incredible combat.

Cosmochoria is a fun, clever, adorable game that’s bursting with humor and personality, plenty of fast shooting action and enough secrets and extras to keep you playing long after your first encounter with the final boss.

Life Goes On is a clever and fun puzzle/platformer with a surprising amount of replayability, and if that results in a few thousand dead minions, at least they left a helpful corpse behind.

Hell is Us isn’t something you see every day. It’s a thought-provoking adventure that dives deep into the barbaric nature of humans, all while putting together a compelling mystery behind the supernatural elements. On top of that, it’s as much of a puzzle game as it is an adventure, truly testing a player’s will and patience as nothing is guided. There are no waymarkers pointing Rémi in the right direction or a map that shows him where he is. Instead, we have to find everything on our own and remember it, be it putting it in our memory bank or recording it. With that said, Hell is Us isn’t perfect. As enjoyable and surprisingly well-varied the combat is, it mainly boils down to the same formula through most of the lengthy journey. It’s the incredibly detailed and elegantly put-together world and lore that will have everyone immersed. At the end of the day, even with a couple of quirks, Hell is Us is a memorable and rewarding experience that’s a breath of fresh air.

Persona 3 Portable is still a fantastic entry, kicking off the subseries that ended up surpassing the mainline Shin Megami Tensei titles. It features a solid cast of characters, a remarkable storyline and an addictive combat system -- even though it hasn’t aged as well as we had hoped. Whether you’re a returning or Persona-curious gamer, this is a phenomenal value.

Relic has taken everything that makes the first two games great and made sufficient additions to help Company of Heroes 3 succeed in this renaissance of RTS titles. While the visuals are improved and more detailed effects are there, the overall look still feels dated and the lacking performance hampers the experience. Having two campaigns is an awesome direction and while one is more streamlined than the other, the Italian Campaign revolutionizes the way to do a single player campaign for an RTS. The AI in skirmish is downright frustrating and the trouble with online multiplayer is unfortunate. What makes Company of Heroes 3 great is the growth within the actual gameplay and the subtle details experienced along the way.

Ibb & Obb is an excellent puzzle platformer best enjoyed with a good friend and an open mind. Lightbulb moments where you finally devise an ingenious solution or conquer a frustrating segment are what make the game truly great, coupled with soothing visuals and a welcoming atmosphere. Grab a buddy, hop online, and pick it up. You don’t see games like this often enough anymore.

Icon is a fun ride, but it's got some pretty deep shoes to fill. It is fun and the music features are pretty cool, so give it a look. [Apr 2007, p.46]

It’s true that the single player portion is a let down considering the massive amount of potential that peeks through, but the high-quality multiplayer manages to make up the difference. The only real question is in how quick and efficiently the final glitches can be resolved. Even with these present, the title is well worth a player’s time. Once the wrinkles get ironed out, the Battlefield V will be required playing for anyone with even a passing interest in throwing down online.

Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 shows its age visually, but is still as fun to play now as it was in 2011. The single player modes are only entertaining for so long, but the real fun is playing against other people. The only real difference with this version versus the original are slightly-improved visuals and DLC, making it a hard sell for those who can still play it on last-gen consoles, but it’s an easy way to revisit a classic for anyone who missed out on it or regrettably traded in their copy.

While InnerSpace struggles a bit on the technical side of things, the core game is a wonderful flight through worn-out but still beautiful sci-fi landscapes.

Goodbye Volcano High is a terrifically-crafted slice of high school drama that succeeds thanks to the strength of its lovable cast of characters, amazing music and a sweet story about perseverance in the face of uncertainty, be it the possibility of your best friends moving on or the possible end of the world. It’s one to recommend, and while it may not be this year’s greatest visual novel (if only because the genre has a lot of heavy hitters this year), it is one that does indeed cap off the summer gaming season with a bang.

Batman: The Enemy Within is an improvement on the first season in nearly every way, with enhanced combat sequences, a strong presentation and voice cast and an engrossing relationship between Batman and the Joker that produces some memorable and heart-wrenching moments that feel well-justified by the player’s choices up to those moments.

MLB 14: The Show was a great game a month ago when it came out on PlayStation 3, and it remains so on PlayStation 4.

Speedy, stylish combat mixes with incredibly detailed cinemas and movie-style storytelling to create a game that feels like an action movie and plays like a dream. [Oct 2007, p.50]

Overall, Danganronpa V3: Killing Harmony is yet another excellent installment in the franchise, delivering up another set of grisly murders and the well-crafted conundrums and kangaroo courts that result from them while still keeping a focus on black humor and twisted school life. While it does suffer from a few bad apples in the cast and one of the most “WTF” finales in recent video game history, the gameplay has received enough of the right changes that it needs to make things more balanced and allow for some intense count sessions while still keeping you hooked on where all of this insanity is going yet again. One has to wonder where the series will possibly go from this, but for now, Monokuma has indeed gifted us with one more killing game that’s worth checking out.

Shinobi: Art of Vengeance is a fantastic experience from start to finish and a brilliant comeback for the classic franchise. The gameplay is stylish and will make players feel cool from start to finish. While it does suffer from a repetitive gameplay loop, players who want a 2D action game that brings out the best of modern and classic game design will not be disappointed.

If you like the fast-paced and high-scoring outcomes much like the NFL wants its games to be, this Madden is for you. Simply put, it has an arcade feeling with simulation elements. If you’re looking for improvements to game modes, that isn’t happening even though Face of the Franchise shines at times. Ultimately, Madden NFL 20 is the most fun the game has been in quite some time, but not the most realistic and doesn’t add any evolution in its game modes.

At the end of the day, Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles of Mystara packs together two splendid side-scrolling brawlers that have withstood the test of time.

As a whole, Cyber Citizen Shockman is an excellent side-scrolling platformer that has a few signs of its age, but the core gameplay is timeless. It’s a tightly-controlling game which helps it age nicely. The same holds true for sharp, but simplistic character models and environments that have a good amount of color and life to them, which can stand out even more thanks to having CRT and RGB filters used during gameplay. The soundtrack is the weakest point, but doesn’t prevent this two-player sword-based Mega Man-style platformer from being a must-buy for any fans of the genre.

Smartly aiming for psychological horror over cheap jump scares, it gets under the skin and effects the psyche. Unfortunately, it falls into the modern trappings of boasting too much firepower (Sebastian can look more like Rambo than a detective) at the cost of stealth and intelligence. Still, this is a bold and seductive experience that is seen too infrequently from major publishers these days.

Overall, the tongue-in-cheek humor, combined with the rather engaging puzzle system and multiplayer capabilities, make this a rather infectious title.

Tiger Woods PGA Tour ’14 offers up a satisfying golf experience that will certainly please fans of the sport. Serious fans will get a lot of use out of the online modes, and the ability to relive key moments in the careers of legendary players should keep die-hards happy for a long time. The game is very accessible for newcomers as well, although they may want to either pick up an older game in the series or try out the demo before paying full price for the latest incarnation.

At the end of the day, Battlefield: Bad Company 2 feels less like a true game of the series and more of the spin-off that it is, trading the methodical and tactical pacing of the franchise mainstays for a more fast-paced and action oriented shooter.

It’s a blast from the past in more ways than one and you should check it out.

Still, despite being overly-casual, Trauma Team is an incredibly enjoyable game.

With any luck, Escape Academy will be successful enough to warrant a sequel, as its uniquely quirky academic world and its cast deserve to be fleshed out even further with even more meticulously-crafted escape rooms to solve. As is, though, Escape Academy is a fun jolt of great puzzle designs guaranteed to fire up your cortex, topped off with impressive aesthetics that make for some memorable escapes. It may not be complicated breakout one might hope for, but it’s still worth checking out.

Evoland is a unique game in that it’s impressive to see the scale of references and care to detail that is present within it. Despite several surprising flaws, it’s not often in a game where one can relive some of the greatest game-playing experiences from Final Fantasy and Zelda in a couple of hours and the combination of the two games is almost seamless in their execution.

Black The Fall isn’t exactly revolutionary when it comes to the world of atmospheric platformers, but it still excels in what it sets out to do. It paints a frightening image of a land deep in the grip of Communism back in the day, but never sacrifices enjoyment in order to get its message out. The visual style is striking and eye-catching, the puzzles are well-crafted and put up a perfect challenge, and everything controls almost perfectly. It’s an impressive piece of work with a lot of heart put into it, and the end result is a brutal but beautiful bit of platforming that comes highly recommended. Indeed, it did end up having the same quality as its peers after all, and can proudly stand beside them.

A glorious return to form for the series. It takes what was previously a gaming device-only franchise and transitions it successfully onto mobile platforms. While it would be nice to have traditional controller support, the touch-only setup here works fairly well. Visually, it’s about on-par with the full-fledged console entries, but does have some slowdown when it comes to moving from level skin to level skin.

For a remaster, Dead Rising Deluxe Remastered brings everything you love from the original and clips the strings that held it back decades ago. While it doesn’t bring an entirely new experience, this zombie hack and slash is brought back to life with updated visuals and a great cast to back it up.

Yoshi’s Woolly World won’t suit everyone, but if you find yourself drawn towards its plush, adorable aesthetic, it might be one of the most emotionally pleasant experiences you have all year.

Trackmania Turbo is the kind of game where you can easily spend an hour or more to perfect a 45 second run, constantly looking for sections of the track to do just a tiny bit better. If one run doesn’t work the next one will, and the only thing between you and the next attempt is the instant response of the reset.

Codemasters has provided enough meaningful upgrades for DiRT 4 while keeping the core simulation racing aspect intact. This should appease the hardcore fans while allowing people with interest in the series to take a drive.

The leap in quality in the sequel compared to the first entry is comparable to the transition that Final Fantasy made when it graduated to the SNES. With this in mind, hopefully Black Tome is not the final book in the world of Dragon Fantasy.

Mortal Shell’s gameplay style is what makes it so accessible, as new combat mechanics like shell abilities and harden give players breathing room until they learn. The title is a harsh teacher, however, as death will likely occur. Enemy designs are intriguing and telegraph beautifully. AI reacts beautifully during combat for fluid play. It’s a title that streamlines a lot of the souls experience down to the bare essentials while being refreshing. Veterans of the genre may find the title too short, but may like the unique combat. Whether you’ve played these kinds of titles before or not, Mortal Shell solidifies itself as a serious contender

Those yet to try out the PC version should pick it up here, as it should be enjoyed by anyone with an affinity for logic puzzle-filled games, or platformers.

The song selection is impressive, the FMV videos are well produced and the GHTV concept is incredibly exciting. While there’s still trepidation due the fact that much of its appeal rests on unproven promises and its currency system is needlessly complicated, the idea of new songs being added on a weekly basis could render Guitar Hero Live into a persistent experience for rhythm and music lovers alike.

Mages of Mystralia is an energetic and clever action-RPG, set in a vibrant and colorful land with a dark history. The heart of the game is its magic system, and the puzzles for unlocking new runes and other goodies keep things from being too combat-heavy. It’s easy to get lost in spell creation, pausing battle to dip into the magic tome to tweak a few runes or throw together something new as the monsters wait patiently for you to pull your head out of the book. Zia is a fun heroine to play as, learning and growing as the story progresses, with a strong character design that never gets lost on the screen. Mystralia’s history is making trouble in the present, but with an arsenal of spell components and the ability to wire them together together to best effect, Zia has a good chance of becoming the hero the world of Mages of Mystralia didn’t realize it needed.

Stray Gods’ unique blend of musicals and video games alone makes it worthy of applause, but it’s the incredible way that the ear-pleasing, player-orchestrated numbers are weaved into such a well-designed murder mystery which deserves the loudest cheers. Backed up by an impressive style with great visuals and an amazing cast of characters, this show is one that can hold its own when compared to some of Broadway’s best (even with the heavy amount of dialogue), so consider nabbing a ticket to go see it.

Pale Echoes manages to be a pleasant surprise. Not only does the story intrigue, it does so with an interesting battle system.

Whether you focus on story, decorating the island, collecting everything that isn’t nailed down, or some combination of the above, there’s a lot to do on the island of Cozy Grove and all the time needed to get it done. The long passage of time is more a concern for the living than the dead, and hanging out with the ghosts of Cozy Grove is a lovely, chill way to unwind for a few minutes as one day flows into another.

As much as we’d love to go into greater detail about what exactly makes Stories Untold such a successful adventure game, it really is the type of experience you need to check out first-hand. What starts out as a simple ode to classic ’80s games peels away its layers ever so slightly as you progress, until your jaw drops quite a bit upon the reveal as to what’s at the core of it all. It’s a quick ride, one that should be over in about three hours at most, but a ride that will leave quite the impression on you nonetheless thanks to its twists and turns all wrapped in the guise of a campy cult television series. It’s easily a notable sleeper hit for both horror and sci-fi fans, and so it’s definitely recommended that you check it out ASAP. You know, before any spoilers start to leak out. Seriously, sorry we couldn’t say more, but man, that finale…

Pac-Man World: Re-Pac takes an already-great game on PS1 and makes it even better. This is low-key one of the most diverse and enjoyable 3D platformers on the market and should be enjoyed by everyone who missed out on it in its time. It plays better now than it did before thanks to smart improvements in play control and has some of the most fun classic Pac-Man-style mazes on the market. There’s a lot to enjoy here and if you enjoy 3D platforming or Pac-Man games, you need to give Pac-Man World Re-Pac a shot.

Tales of Arise is the best Tales game in over a decade. It’s the advancement the series has needed for quite some time now, such as the far more explorative dungeon designs (as small as they are) and the switch to the Unreal Engine. On top of that, the majority of the cast of characters are compelling enough to keep your attention locked on the story, and the combat reinvigorates the tried and true formula into something special.

While the N. Sane Trilogy is by no means the perfect and/or flawless remaster fans and interested onlookers may have wanted, there's no denying that a lot of Vicarious' microscopic and macroscopic attention to detail alike is demonstrated sufficiently well in Crash's current-gen revisit.

Full Bore is a very entertaining puzzle game worth your time if you don’t mind a more cerebral experience.

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1+2 provides a lot of value for players. The first four entries are top-shelf games, while the fifth is a slight dropoff and the sixth is a bigger dropoff, but still fun to play in short bursts. X7 and X8 are misfires, with a slight uptick in quality for the latter. As a complete package, there’s a lot to enjoy about the first six entries though and those games make the collection worth buying.

Samurai Warriors 4 DX is the best version of the ten-year-old game. The performance is smooth with a stable framerate on both PC and Steam Deck. The large amount of included DLC is a nice incentive for those who are only familiar with the vanilla version or simply missed out on the original when it arrived. Most of the DLC consists of cosmetic items such as new costumes or custom character creation parts, though. Overall, this is a great port of Samurai Warriors 4, but unless the inclusion of all the DLC is a major point of interest, there isn't much reason to revisit this game for those who already have the original.

Even if it could stand to benefit from a little something extra, this is still a triumphant return for the Blue Bomber. Mega Man 11 is another stellar entry in the series, plain and simple. The classic gameplay still works as well as it did years ago, and the newer touches courtesy of the graphical enhancements and the Double Gear system are welcome additions.

For some, what you make of Shadow Warrior 3 may well be influenced by the comparisons one draws from the prior 2016 entrant. While all parties will unilaterally agree Flying Wild Hog’s third outing in the series feels more stripped back and “to the point” than its predecessors — least on the surface — feelings thereafter will no doubt be split. Some will deduce this year’s offering lacks what made 2016’s title a novel but compelling shooter to play in repeated session. For others, myself included, that notion of being stripped back by no means signals a negative. But few will disagree that developer Flying Wild Hog have gone about this in as unapologetic and as indulgently-confident a manner as one can get. That attitude may only get you so far in admiration, so it’s thanks to a mixture of smart strategic additions to its combat formula, as well as a welcome care to its artistic design, where the series’ third entrant will garner a majority favor. It may not be reinventing the wheel in any drastic means, but Shadow Warrior 3‘s warranted excess and lovably chaotic flow is one you’ll easily get lost in and perhaps never want to get out of.

Avowed took us by surprise. While Obsidian Entertainment has an exceptional track record, they were somehow able to exceed expectations. This is a traditional RPG through and through, with highly-consequential decision-making that can literally level cities and a massively-diverse combat system that encourages experimentation. With that said, it’s not perfect, as while the story does have compelling components, the pacing is a bit off, with a stronger focus on essentially forcing the player to do side quests and explore the world before continuing. The combat also suffers from issues when it comes to dodging and enemy gap closing, causing frustration in heated battles. Regardless, Avowed ends up on top, being a highly engaging 50+ hour RPG that's well worth your time.

Leo’s Fortune is conceptually, stylistically and mechanically one of the best iOS games on the market.

Those simply looking for a solid game of collegiate football should ignore all that, however, as NCAA Football 14 offers the same quality the series has been known for this generation with some great tweaks and implementations added. Madden 25 will likely take the crown for the best game of football this year, but those who make NCAA Football a yearly tradition have no reason not to add this solid addition to their collection.

Sword Coast Legends is a solid loot crawl with more options than most games of its kind. It may not be the Dungeons & Dragons simulator many were hoping for, but it works well as just a straight video game.

Don’t let the letter tiles and cute characters fool you: Letter Quest: Grimm’s Journey is an addictive experience that will steal hours of your gaming time without you even noticing.

It isn’t the most beautiful or artistically consistent game in the world, with an art style that could be charitably described as generic high-fantasy. On the other hand, it is a free-to-play game that rarely reminds the player that they could or should be paying real money.

WrestleQuest does an excellent job at combining pro wrestling legends with a turn-based combat system that takes the best kind of cues from Nintendo’s more-interactive Mario RPGs over the years. Having so much real-time interactivity during battles makes them more engaging and fun, and while the game does suffer from small sprites and a soundtrack that’s weak given the legendary cast, what’s here is done well. This is a fantastic pickup for any pro wrestling fans looking to get into JRPGs or for JRPG fans looking for an excuse to play something involving pro wrestlers.

Xillia takes the familiar and blends it with exciting newness, and that’s what it does best. It’s the first must-play JRPG to release in a while, and the second couldn’t arrive soon enough.

Horizon Zero Dawn remains one of the best games of 2017 and The Frozen Wilds complements it with a decent chunk of new content. While not a necessary addition to the main narrative, the expansion adds a personal story that’s well-worth exploring.

An incredible look into the advancements in technology and the various perils the future can hold, Flat Eye is a narrative sim with terrific dialogue and individual stories that provide sharp satire and even terrific comedy courtesy of your AI, all while providing a fun challenge as you try and manage this Black Mirror-style showcase of a tech-filled convenience store. It’s a sweet and savvy twist on simulation games that’s worth checking out, especially if it gets more people to watch Clue.

It’s an easy recommendation to players that liked everything about the speed and feel of the combat but disliked the maps; these new ones are so much more enjoyable. For those looking for new toys, the Kinetic Mine and the Harvester are great. Otherwise, there isn’t much there. Lastly, for those players who just want new things to progress towards, they should know that every new item is unlocked from the beginning.

The biggest flaw is that it fails to leave a major impression despite getting most things right on a point-by-point basis. It controls well outside of some camera issues and looks gorgeous. The sound design is impressive, while the soundtrack leaves a bit to be desired. The overall game isn’t a classic, but everything is done well and there isn’t much outright wrong with it.

Don’t Stop Believin’ feels stretched out, but ultimately plays out as an enjoyable finale filled with humor and heart. If this does end up being the final appearance of Telltale’s take on the Guardians of the Galaxy, it’ll be reassuring to know that the season ended on a high note (in more ways than one), while still leaving an open door for the dysfunctional space family to return in the future.

There is one problem with how simple this game is, though: it gets old quick. Usually these are the kind of games that players say “just one more” for several hours, but I didn’t catch myself saying that with Tomena Sanner. After a handful of stages it started to wear thin and I ended up doing multiple ten-minute sessions instead of a one-sitting playthrough.

When all is said and done, Goat Simulator 3 is a solid playground to have fun in and just be the worst goat possible. There’s tons of items to find, toys to unwrap and secrets to find. It’s a well-made silly thing to follow up a joke that went too far. Even after the credits roll, it’ll still be fun to try out new ideas to see what will work and what else is hidden. Even as I am writing this, I’ve thought of a couple of things that I’m going to want to do just to see if anything happens. Based on the rest of the game, the answer is probably yes. That alone shows that the spirit of the original has been captured while still being a more complete experience. Even the bugs, and admittedly crusty references, can be ignored when there is just so much fun to be had.

While the slow movement speed drags things out, Ken Follett’s The Pillars of the Earth is a must-play for anyone wanting a game to tell a narrative that doesn’t talk down to the player. Think Masterpiece Theater instead of Guardians of the Galaxy. Both are interesting in a different way, but The Pillars of the Earth engages with players in a way that one would not expect from the medium, even at this point in time. The stylistic animation brings everything to life in an interesting way and there is a sense of control for the player to explore. This is an interesting experiment in subject matter and execution that is worth the time investment. The current package is only the first seven chapters, but seeing how it plays out should be intriguing.

The most overlooked and overshadowed of the three main Trails story arcs finally given the attention it has richly deserved, The Legend of Heroes: Trails to Azure is still worth the investment despite its lack of radical change.

With a world that is as intriguing as it is creepy, it becomes hard to put the game down. Getting wrapped up in the visuals, audio and puzzles is something that just happens as you play.